1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: comeback with Purdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 6 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: respect when you take the next step in your life 9 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: and career. Make it count with Purdue Global produce online 10 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 11 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 2: No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 12 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 13 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 2: in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 14 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 15 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: today and where your money can work harder. Now you 17 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: can visit Facet dot com to take the free quiz 18 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 19 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: This ad is sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth in Corporated 20 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an 21 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 2: offer to buy yourself security snor is it investment Legal 22 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: or taxi by He'll. 23 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 3: Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 24 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 4: Wow, thanks Grandpa, But. 25 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 3: He'll never forget how you invest it in his future 26 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 3: with the uns stapp. 27 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 4: Wow, thanks Grandpa. 28 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 3: The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 29 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 3: friends to give funds to a child's investment account. 30 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 5: For a limited time. 31 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 3: Download the uns stapp and use the code I heeart 32 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 3: fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 33 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 3: when you find your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 34 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 3: you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 35 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 3: dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 36 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 6: Hi. 37 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 5: This is Joel and Victoria. 38 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 7: Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 39 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 7: the ministry. 40 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 3: If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 41 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 3: blessing and share it with a friends. 42 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 7: We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 43 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 7: your life. Well, God bless you always a joy to 44 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 7: come into your homes. I love you and we know 45 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 7: God has great things in store. If you're ever in 46 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 7: our area, I hope you'll come out and be a 47 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 7: part of one of our services. 48 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 5: We'd love to have you. 49 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 7: I promise you'll We'll make you feel right at home. 50 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 7: But thanks so much for tuning in today. I like 51 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 7: to get started each week with something kind of funny, 52 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 7: and I heard about this groom at the wedding rehearsal. 53 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 7: He said to the minister, I'll make a deal with you. 54 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 7: If you'll change my wedding vows and leave out all 55 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 7: that love, honor and obey stuff, I'll give you one 56 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 7: hundred dollars. He pressed one hundred dollar bill into the 57 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 7: minister's hand and walked away quietly with a big smile. 58 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 7: The next day, during the ceremony, the minister said, do 59 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 7: you promise to bow down before your wife, take her 60 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 7: breakfast in bed every day, fulfill her every desire. He 61 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 7: gulped in astonishment, said, in a weak voice, I do. 62 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 7: Then he leaned forward and said I thought we had 63 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 7: a deal. The minister handed him the money back and said, 64 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 7: your wife made me a much better offer. 65 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 5: All right, hold up your bible. 66 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 7: Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 67 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 7: I am what it says. 68 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 8: I am. 69 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 7: I have what it says I have, I can do 70 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 7: what it says I. 71 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 5: Can do today. I will be taught the word of God. 72 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 7: I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 73 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 7: I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 74 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 7: bless you. I want to talk to you today about 75 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 7: living without crutches. A crutch is something or someone we 76 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 7: rely on too much. It's supposed to be temporary, just 77 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 7: there till we heal up, or until we're able to 78 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 7: do it on our own. It's not supposed to be permanent. 79 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 7: One of the hardest things for us to accept is 80 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 7: everyone was not meant to be in our lives forever. 81 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 7: Some people are, of course, our husband, our wife, our children. 82 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 7: But then there are other people that God brings across 83 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 7: our path for a season. They weren't meant to always 84 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 7: be there. Maybe for a season. There's sod there to 85 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 7: help mentor you, to help you grow, or to help 86 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 7: you raise your children, to help you make it through 87 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 7: a difficult time. But too often we think this is 88 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 7: the way it's always going to be. They're not going 89 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 7: to leave. I couldn't make it without them. What happens 90 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 7: is we become too dependent on them. If God didn't 91 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 7: move them away instead of helping us, they would end 92 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 7: up actually hindering us. They were good for a time, 93 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 7: but now they're limiting our growth. We have to be 94 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 7: big enough to recognize when somebody's part in our story 95 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 7: is over, does it mean they're not a good person? 96 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 5: Does it mean we still can't. 97 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 7: Be friends, love and respect them? But we have to 98 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 7: accept the fact that things are changing. This is a 99 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 7: new season, and if we're going to go forward, we've 100 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 7: got to be willing to. 101 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 5: Let that go. 102 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 7: And this is very difficult for most people because we 103 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 7: don't like change. We don't like the uncertainty that comes 104 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 7: from things being shaken up. But if we could just 105 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 7: see change in the right way and realize when God 106 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 7: closes a door, it's because he has something better in store. 107 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 5: And when a person has served their purpose in your. 108 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 7: Life, if you don't freely let them go, it's going 109 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 7: to keep you from the new things God wants to do. 110 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 7: I hear people say, well, I couldn't make it. 111 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 5: Without this person that trains me at work, I. 112 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 7: Couldn't make it without this friend that calls me every 113 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 7: week and encourages me. Or I don't know what I 114 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 7: do without this neighbor that drives me around everywhere, and 115 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 7: that's great. 116 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 5: Those are divine connections. But what I'm. 117 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 7: Saying is, don't be surprised if that doesn't last forever. 118 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 7: If God allowed them to always be there, you wouldn't 119 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 7: become everything He's created you to be. And just as 120 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 7: God supernaturally brings people into our lives, God will supernaturally. 121 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 5: Move people out of our lives. 122 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 7: And if we don't stay open and recognize what's happening, 123 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 7: we'll try to hold on to someone not supposed to 124 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 7: be there. We'll think, why are they trying to leave? 125 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 7: I thought they were my friend? Why won't he mentor 126 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 7: me anymore? Why doesn't she call me as much? I 127 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 7: guess I'm not important enough? Or have you ever thought that? 128 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 7: May be God moving them away because they're limiting your growth? 129 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 7: Could it be God is saying it's time for you 130 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 7: to go to a new level. You don't need them anymore. 131 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 7: They have fulfilled their purpose. Now it's time for you 132 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 7: to step up. It's time for you to start encouraging yourself. 133 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 7: It's time for you to run that business on your own. 134 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 7: It's time for you to learn that new skill. You 135 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 7: don't need someone to constantly think for you and drive 136 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 7: for you and believe for. 137 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 5: You and encourage you. 138 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 7: You can do that for yourself, and if we're going 139 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 7: to continue to grow, we have to get rid of 140 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 7: these crutches. God has equipped you with everything you need 141 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 7: to succeed, and yes, for a season, God will have 142 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 7: people there to help us. But at some point God's 143 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 7: going to say, I've given you a pair. 144 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 5: Of eagles wings. 145 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 7: I don't want you to be pushed along and just 146 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 7: admire everybody that's ahead of you and wish you could 147 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 7: do what they were doing. No, it's time to stretch 148 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 7: out your wings. You can rise. 149 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 5: Higher than you think. 150 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 7: I remember when I came back from college to start 151 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 7: the television outreach here at Lakewood. I was nineteen years old. 152 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 7: I didn't know a whole lot about television production, and 153 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 7: so we hired this gentleman from California. 154 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 5: He was in his sixties, very experienced. 155 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 7: He'd produced a lot of Major League sports and some 156 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 7: of the national morning shows. He was not only extremely gifted, 157 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 7: but he had a great personality. It was fun to 158 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 7: be around, and we hit it off from the very start. 159 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 7: I would come in early back, then stay late, go 160 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 7: to dinner, hang out together. I watched very carefully how 161 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 7: he put the programs together, and how he chose certain shots. 162 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 5: And why did it this way, why he did it 163 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 5: that way. 164 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 7: I was learning so much. He was so good at 165 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 7: what he did. I used to think I could never do. 166 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 5: What he does. 167 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 7: He is so creative. He can write, he can direct. 168 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 7: I'm just not that talented. Well, one morning he came in, 169 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 7: about a year after he started working there, and he said, Joel, 170 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 7: I'm leaving next month. I'm going back home. I said, 171 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 7: no way, you cannot leave me with this job. I 172 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 7: don't know what to do. Everything's going to fall apart. 173 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 5: He said, sure you do. You've watched me for a year, 174 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 5: and I've watched you. 175 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 7: There's no reason you can't do what I'm doing, no 176 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 7: reason you can't handle this by yourself. I said that 177 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 7: is not true. You're just being kind, and I begged 178 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 7: him to stay. I said, we'll pay you more money, 179 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 7: we'll give you more time off. You can go home, 180 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 7: but then come on back again. He said, no, I 181 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 7: know this is the right decision. 182 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 5: He left. That first couple of weeks, I was so nervous. 183 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 5: I didn't know what I was doing. 184 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 7: I called him every other hour asking him questions. But 185 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 7: in a month I started to feel more comfortable. In 186 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 7: six months, I thought I'm pretty good at this. A 187 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 7: year later I said, what did I ever even need 188 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 7: him for? I realize now him leaving was the best 189 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 7: thing for me. If he had not left and forced 190 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 7: me to stretch, forced me to use my God given talents, 191 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 7: then I would have never stepped in to my divine destiny. 192 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 7: If somebody walks away in your life, whether it's a 193 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 7: business relationship like that or a personal. 194 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 5: Friendship, don't beg them to stay. 195 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 7: Don't try to talk people into working for you, or 196 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 7: loving you or coming to see you. 197 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 5: Here's a phrase you need to remember. Let them go. 198 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 7: Your destiny is not tied to the people that walked away. 199 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 7: Just like in my case, them leaving somehow, some way 200 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 7: is going to launch you into a new dimension of 201 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 7: your life. You're not gonna step back. You're going to 202 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 7: step up to who you really are. And understand if 203 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 7: they walked away, it wasn't an accident. If you tried 204 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 7: to make it work and it didn't. 205 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 5: Happen, accept it as God's plan. Let it go. 206 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 7: God is going to open up new doors. You're going 207 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 7: to discover new strengths and talents. Perhaps God's going to 208 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 7: give you new friends that are more appropriate for where 209 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 7: you are in this time in life. 210 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 5: After all, things are always changing. 211 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 7: The people that were your friends when your children were 212 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 7: in school together, they may not be your same best 213 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 7: friends when their children are not in school. You know what, 214 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 7: That's okay, accept it and allow God to bring you 215 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 7: new friends. 216 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 5: Too. 217 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 7: Many people today are trying to ride a dead horse. 218 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 7: They're holding on to something that God's been done with 219 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 7: for five years. They wonder why they don't have any joy, 220 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 7: why they can't get along. Listen, if the horse is dead, 221 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 7: it's time to dismount and allow God to do something new. 222 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 7: When that man left my life, I had a choice. 223 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 7: I could either sit around in self pity and think 224 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 7: it's not fair, look what I've lost. Or I could say, God, 225 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 7: I know you would not have allowed him to leave 226 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 7: unless you had a plan for me to go forward. 227 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 7: So I'm going to step into a new level of 228 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 7: my destiny. I've learned since then. Don't try to talk 229 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 7: people into staying. 230 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 5: That want to leave. 231 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 7: If you do, you're only delaying the inevitable. They're still 232 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 7: going to go, whether it's a week, or a year 233 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 7: or five years. Because when God is done with something, 234 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 7: there's no amount of superglue that can hold it together. 235 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 7: There's something called the gift of goodbye some people. You 236 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 7: may not realize it, but them leaving you is God 237 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 7: giving you a gift. You shouldn't be sad, you should 238 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 7: be rejoicing. I know some of you are thinking, God, 239 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 7: give me that gift. 240 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 5: Right now. I can tell you their name. I know 241 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 5: my father as a pastor. 242 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 7: When people would come and tell him they were leaving 243 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 7: the church, they would give him their sad story, tell 244 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 7: them everything that had gone wrong there. They expected my 245 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 7: father to be down and discouraged. They were always shocked. 246 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 7: My father was just as happy as could be. He 247 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 7: never tried to talk them into staying. He didn't try 248 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 7: to convince them they were making a big mistake. 249 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 5: Oh please don't leave. I'm sure we'll change. 250 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 6: Oh. 251 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 5: He was always very gracious. 252 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 7: He always thanked them, prayed over them, and then he 253 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 7: walked them to the door. He didn't say it, but 254 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 7: I know what he was thinking. The sooner you go, 255 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 7: the better off for both of us. You want people 256 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 7: in your life that are supposed to be there when 257 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 7: God has them there. They don't find fault in everything 258 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 7: you do. When God puts them there, you don't have 259 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 7: to manipulate them to stay. That's what I love about 260 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 7: all of you. I don't even know most of you 261 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 7: by name. I can't call you personally. I can't come 262 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 7: to your children's ballgames. You don't come because you need 263 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 7: me to stroke you, and you need all this time 264 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 7: and attention. You come because God puts you here. And 265 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 7: you're mature enough to know you don't need Joe to 266 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 7: touch you. 267 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 5: You just need God to touch you. 268 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 7: When God joins people to you, you don't have to 269 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 7: play up to them and do everything perfect or they're 270 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 7: gonna leave. I know people that walk on eggshells trying 271 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 7: not to offend their friends, making sure they don't get 272 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 7: on the bad side at the person at the office. 273 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 5: Well, hell, if I. 274 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 7: Don't go to lunch with them each day, Joel, they'll 275 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 7: get upset and probably start talking about me. Listen, you 276 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 7: don't need friends like that. That's not a true friend. 277 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 7: That's somebody trying to manipulate you. They're trying to control 278 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 7: you to do everything they want you to do. Let 279 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 7: them walk away. You don't need them to fulfill your destiny. 280 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 7: Those kinds of people, if they're not talking about you now, 281 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 7: don't let it fool you. It's just a matter of 282 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 7: time before they will. You cannot keep people like that 283 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 7: that happy. The sooner they go, the better off you're 284 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 7: going to be. I think about in my own life 285 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 7: how I've tried to win people over, tried to keep 286 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 7: them as my friend. I thought the church wouldn't continue 287 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 7: without them, so I played up to them, let them 288 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 7: control me. One day I realized what I'm telling you, 289 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 7: I can't live my life like that. I don't have 290 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 7: enough energy and my time is too valuable to try 291 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 7: to keep somebody happy that's never going to be happy. 292 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 7: I knew, no matter what I did, no matter how 293 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 7: hard I tried, they were going to find some reason 294 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 7: to complain, some reason to find fault. They're gonna give 295 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 7: me a new problem to fix. I love this scripture 296 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 7: in one John two nineteen. It says they went out 297 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 7: from us because they were not a part of us. 298 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 7: That tells me when somebody leaves your life, they are 299 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 7: no longer a part of your destiny. Their time is over. 300 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 7: If you'll stay open, God will give you people that 301 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 7: are not just with you, but people that are for you. 302 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 5: It's a big difference. 303 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 7: When you're with me, you're there as long as I 304 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 7: perform perfectly, as long as I give you everything you need, 305 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 7: as long as I don't make any mistakes. But when 306 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 7: you're not just with me, but you're for me, you 307 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 7: believe the best in me. You don't try to control me, 308 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 7: You give me room to make mistakes. You don't need 309 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 7: my attention all the time. You give more to the 310 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 7: relationship than you take away. That's the kind of people 311 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 7: God wants to bring into your life. 312 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 5: You don't have to try to make this happen. 313 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 7: Just be your best each day and God will bring 314 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 7: you divine connections. And then when that season is over, 315 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 7: you don't have to get upset. You can let them 316 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 7: leave with your blessing, continuing to love and respect them. 317 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 7: I have people we were friends way back, used to 318 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 7: spend all this time together, but now my path has 319 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 7: gone a different direction. They've had changes in their life. 320 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 7: We may see each other only once every two or. 321 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 5: Three years, but when we do, it's just like old times. 322 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 7: You know why, we understand this principle. God had us 323 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 7: in each other's lives for a season. We recognize when 324 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 7: things were changing. We didn't try to make something work out. 325 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 7: When we knew down deep it was over and done, 326 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 7: we accepted it, and today we're both better off and 327 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 7: we're still friends. 328 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 5: That's the way it's supposed to be. Don't fight change. 329 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 7: My father used to say, nothing is forever when you 330 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 7: hold on to someone, when you know, down and here 331 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 7: God is done with it, it's going to be nothing 332 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 7: but a headache. 333 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 5: Now I've learned this. 334 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 7: God will always bring the right people into your life. 335 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 7: But the key is you've got to let the wrong 336 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 7: ones walk away. If you don't let the wrong ones go, 337 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 7: the right ones will never show up. 338 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 5: And sometimes people. 339 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 7: Play up to our weaknesses to try to convince us 340 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 7: that we have to have them in our lives. They'll 341 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 7: try to make you think that you're not smart enough 342 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 7: on your own, you're not talented enough, and you need 343 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 7: them to make up for what you're lacking. 344 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 5: Don't believe those lies. 345 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 7: Years ago, there was a young lady that worked for 346 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 7: us here at the ministry. She grew up in a 347 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 7: small town, moved here in her mid twenties. She was 348 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 7: very smart, very bright, talented young girl. But I noticed 349 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 7: that she never drove to work. She always had a 350 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 7: young man drop her off every morning. And one day 351 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 7: we were just talking and passing. I said, hey, are 352 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 7: you thinking about getting a car. She said, oh, Joel, 353 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 7: I have a car, and I drove everywhere in my 354 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 7: small town. But when I got here, my friend told 355 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:38,159 Speaker 7: me because the city is so big and so complicated, 356 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 7: and because I'm not used to driving on the freeways, 357 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 7: he would have to bring me to work every day. 358 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 5: I thought, all right, that's fine. 359 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:47,959 Speaker 7: That's nice for a while, but I said, when are 360 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 7: you planning on driving? She said, oh, I don't think 361 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 7: I'll ever be able to drive in this city. He said, 362 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 7: it's so bad, it's so congested. I looked at her 363 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 7: and said, can I tell you something. You are extremely talented. 364 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 7: Do not allow some yo yo to convince you that 365 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 7: you cannot drive on our freeways. I told her, I 366 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 7: know people that are eighteen years old. They are no smarter, 367 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 7: no brighter, no more talented than you, and they drive 368 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 7: up and down these freeways every single day. She went 369 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 7: back and told that young man what I said. He said, 370 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 7: I don't know about that. You use the kind of 371 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 7: dangers you may get lost. Listen you've got to be 372 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 7: able to see through that. That's somebody wanting you to 373 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 7: stay in that limitation so they can have a place 374 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 7: in your life. That is not a true friend. That's manipulation. 375 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 7: And it's fine. You know, it's great that they want 376 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 7: to drive you, but a true friend will not only 377 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,479 Speaker 7: give you assistance, they'll say, you know what, you can 378 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 7: do this on your own. I'll take you out on 379 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,239 Speaker 7: the weekends and we'll practice driving on the freeways, but 380 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,439 Speaker 7: you should be able to drive by yourself. About a 381 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 7: month later. 382 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 5: I saw her. 383 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 7: She said, Joel, I drove to work today by myself. 384 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 7: I said, that's great. I knew you could do it. 385 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 7: I asked her how it was driving on the freeways. 386 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 7: She said, oh, I don't drive on the freeways. I 387 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 7: drive on the side streets. It took her an hour 388 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 7: to get here. It should have taken her a half hour. 389 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 7: And I encouraged her, that's great, but you keep it 390 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 7: up and don't settle for the side streets. A month later, 391 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 7: she is driving on the freeways today. She goes everywhere. 392 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 5: Here's what's interesting. 393 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 7: That young man that wanted her to stay off the roads, 394 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 7: he's no longer around. He was only interested in her 395 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 7: if he could keep her push down so she could 396 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 7: feel like she always owed him something. 397 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 5: Those are not true friends. They are not helping you. 398 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 5: They are hindering you. You don't need. 399 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 7: People in your life that are enabling a limitation, people 400 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 7: that are enabling a dysfunction. If you will let them go, 401 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 7: God will bring you the right people. I think about 402 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 7: Moses when God told him to go tell Feroh, let 403 00:19:59,080 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 7: my people go. 404 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 5: Moses said, God, I can't do that. I stutter. 405 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 7: I'm not a good speaker. God, let me take my 406 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 7: brother erin. He's a good communicator. He's got a lot 407 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 7: more confidence than me. If I have him, I know 408 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 7: I'll be able to pull it off. What was Moses saying, God, 409 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 7: I need a crutch. I need somebody to make up 410 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 7: for my weakness. And so he took erin with him. 411 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 7: But I love what happened when they got before Pharaoh. 412 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 7: Just as Aaron was gonna step up to speak, something 413 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 7: rose up on the inside of Moses that said, Moses, 414 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 7: this is your time. You do not need somebody to 415 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 7: speak for you. I've given you everything you need. Moses 416 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 7: put his shoulders back, held his head up high. He 417 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 7: said hold on, Erin, I've changed my mind. I've got 418 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 7: something to say, Pharaoh, Let God's people go. It's interesting 419 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 7: the scripture never says that Erin actually spoke for Moses. 420 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 7: I believe God is saying that to each one of us. 421 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 7: You don't need your friend to say speak for you. 422 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,640 Speaker 7: You don't need your neighbor to drive for you. You don't 423 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 7: need your cousin to tell you what to do. You 424 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 7: are equipped. God wouldn't have presented you with that opportunity 425 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 7: if he had not already given you everything that you 426 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 7: need and some of you. Today you're relying on other 427 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 7: people to carry you. For instance, let me do the 428 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 7: report at the office. 429 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 5: You don't write well enough. Don't believe that lie. 430 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 7: Let me drive you everywhere you're not able to it's 431 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 7: just too bad. 432 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 5: Let me speak for you at the meeting. 433 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 7: You're not very good in front of people. Now, how 434 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 7: do they know what God's put on the inside of you? 435 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 7: Next time that happens, you need to rise up like 436 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 7: Moses and say, hey, wait a minute, this is my time, 437 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 7: this is my moment. I don't need you to speak 438 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 7: for me, to write, for me, to believe, for me, 439 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 7: to drive for me, to encourage me. 440 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 5: I don't even need you to. 441 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 7: Pray for me. I can pray for myself. I am 442 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 7: getting rid of these crutches. Friends, God has equipped you. 443 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 7: You are anointed, you are empowered, you are well able. 444 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 7: Don't let people play up to what you think are 445 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 7: your weaknesses. And I understand some older people need somewhere 446 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 7: to drive for them, but I'm talking about when we 447 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 7: shrink back and don't do it because of fear, and 448 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 7: it's easy to become too dependent on somebody else. And 449 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 7: if we don't break out of that rut and get 450 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 7: rid of those crutches, we can go year after year 451 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 7: allowing other people to keep us from our destiny. Well, 452 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 7: you say, Joel, I kind of feel like Moses. I 453 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 7: don't feel like I have what it takes. I'm quiet, 454 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 7: I'm reserved, I'm shy. That's just how I felt when 455 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 7: my father went to be with the Lord back in 456 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 7: nineteen ninety nine. I didn't think I could get up 457 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 7: here in minister. I was afraid to get up in public, 458 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 7: had all these thoughts telling me that I couldn't do it. 459 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 7: But down in here I had a strong desire. I 460 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 7: knew that I was supposed to step up and pastor 461 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 7: the church. And again, God will never give you the 462 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,400 Speaker 7: desire without giving you the ability. 463 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 5: God would have. 464 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 7: Never told Moses to go speak in front of Phaiah 465 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 7: unless he knew Moses could do it. And so the 466 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 7: first couple of Sundays after my father went home to 467 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 7: be with the Lord, I got up. 468 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 5: In a ministry. 469 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 7: I did the best that I could do, but I 470 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 7: still trying to figure out if I was able to 471 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 7: and if I really. 472 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 5: Had what it takes. 473 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 7: One Sunday, I was sitting there listening to a guest minister, 474 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 7: and as he was speaking, something rose up in me 475 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 7: so strongly that said, Joel, this is your time, this 476 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 7: is your moment. But if you shrink back in fear, 477 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 7: you will miss your destiny. And some opportunities only come 478 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 7: around once. Driving home from that service, I told Victoria, 479 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 7: I'm going to pastor the church. I made the decision 480 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 7: and I took that step of faith, and even though 481 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,360 Speaker 7: I was nervous, I discovered, like Moses, I didn't need 482 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 7: anybody to speak for me. 483 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 5: I was well able to do what God called me 484 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 5: to do. You may have some limitations, but let me 485 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 5: tell you, you don't need a Crutch. 486 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 7: Erin may be by your side, and that's great, but 487 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 7: you don't need Erin to speak for you. You don't 488 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 7: need Erin to drive for you. You don't need Erin 489 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 7: to tell you what to do. You have been equipped 490 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 7: with everything you need to fulfill your destiny. That means 491 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 7: you can make your own decisions. God has given you 492 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 7: wisdom to run your own life. You don't need somebody 493 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 7: constantly telling you what to do and what not to do. 494 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 7: And yes, it's good to get other people's opinions, it's 495 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 7: good to listen to it vice, but understand, God talks 496 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 7: to you. You can hear that still small voice. You 497 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,919 Speaker 7: don't have to go through anybody else. You have a 498 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 7: direct line to the throne of God. And if somebody 499 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 7: is always trying to tell you what to do, just 500 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 7: say thanks, but no thanks. Me and God we're on 501 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 7: speaking terms. One time a man came up to my 502 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 7: father and said, this man prayed for me, and he 503 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 7: said that God told him to tell me that I 504 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 7: was supposed to go to Africa and be a missionary. 505 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 7: What do you think, my father said, I don't know, 506 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 7: but I do know this. If you do go, make 507 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 7: sure you take him with you so he can tell 508 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 7: you when to come back home. You don't need somebody 509 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 7: to tell you what God wants you to do. 510 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 5: It's like this young lady came up to me a 511 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 5: few weeks back, and she said, you're old. 512 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 7: This man that I hardly even know he told me 513 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 7: God told him to tell me that I was supposed 514 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 7: to marry him. She was a beautiful young lady. I 515 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 7: kind of laughed. I said, don't worry about that. Every 516 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 7: single guy things they hear God's saying that. He's just 517 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 7: dumb enough to tell you. Anytime you hear that phrase 518 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 7: God told me to tell you, an alarm should go 519 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,719 Speaker 7: off in your mind. Something should start blinking. Flake alert, 520 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 7: Flake alert, Flake alert. You can hear from God for yourself. 521 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 7: You don't need a crutch. Listen on the inside to 522 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 7: that still small voice right down in here. That knowing 523 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 7: that the impression, that's God talking directly to you. 524 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:09,879 Speaker 5: In the Scripture, a man by the. 525 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 7: Name of Gideon had three armies coming against him. As 526 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 7: he prepared for the battle, God said, Gideon, you've got 527 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 7: too many people with you. If you win with this many, 528 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 7: you'll be tempted to think you did it in your 529 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,719 Speaker 7: own strength, and I won't get the credit that I deserve. 530 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 7: And so God told him to let everybody go home 531 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,479 Speaker 7: that was afraid. There were thirty two thousand people in 532 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 7: his army that day, twenty two thousand went home. I 533 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 7: can imagine Gideon was depressed. God, everybody is leaving. What 534 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:44,199 Speaker 7: am I gonna do? It's interesting. God didn't say, don't worry, Gideon, 535 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 7: I'll bring you some more people. God said just the opposite. 536 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 7: He said, Gideon, you still have too many people. He 537 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 7: had him do something else. This time, all but three 538 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 7: hundred people walked away. Think about it, he went from 539 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 7: thirty two thousand to three hundred. I'm sure he thought 540 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 7: we are going to get totally wiped out. Practically my 541 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 7: whole army has gone. But no, it's not important how 542 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 7: many people you have. What's important is do you have 543 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:16,640 Speaker 7: the right ones. That night, those three hundred defeated tens 544 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 7: of thousands of the enemy troops. 545 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 5: What am I saying? 546 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 7: If you're not willing to let people walk away, you'll 547 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 7: miss out on God's best. Don't be surprised in the 548 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 7: coming days if God streamlines things and begins to weed 549 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 7: out certain people. He's not trying to take you backwards. 550 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 7: He's getting you prepared to go to a new level. 551 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 7: You're going to see victories that looked impossible. You're going 552 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 7: to think, like, get in, how did I do this? 553 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 7: I could understand it if I had my whole army, 554 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 7: if I had my neighbor driving for me, and my 555 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 7: friend helping me, and my coworker writing the report. 556 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 5: But I did it all on my own. Yes, But 557 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 5: you and God are a majority. 558 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 7: And what happened is you quit depending on others and 559 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 7: you stepped into a greater anointing. 560 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 5: When you put a demand on your. 561 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 7: Faith, that's what pleases God, not when we sit back 562 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 7: and expect others to do it. You don't need anyone 563 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 7: to make up for what you think are your weaknesses. 564 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 7: I didn't think I could get up and speak in public. 565 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 5: I'm too shy. 566 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 7: But yet today, almost every week I speak to thousands. 567 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,880 Speaker 7: That tells me God didn't give. 568 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 5: Us half the talent we needed. 569 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 7: God never made us dependent on somebody else. Quit relying 570 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,959 Speaker 7: on another person to pray for you, to speak, for you, 571 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 7: to believe, for you, to encourage you do like Moses 572 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 7: and say, Aaron, I appreciate your coming, but you know what. 573 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 5: This is my time, this is my season. 574 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 7: I'm stepping into my God given destiny. Recognize if somebody 575 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 7: walked away, it was not an accident. It was a 576 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 7: part of God's plan to get you to a new level. 577 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 7: Don't let people control you. Don't let them manipulate you 578 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 7: into thinking you can't do it with that them. God 579 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 7: would not have let them walk away if he didn't 580 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 7: know you could do it on your own. And some 581 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 7: people are with you, but they're not for you. And 582 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 7: the sooner you let them go, the better off you're 583 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 7: going to be. I'm asking us today to get rid 584 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 7: of these crutches. Quit depending on somebody else to do 585 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 7: what you know you should be doing for yourself. If 586 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 7: you'll look inside and tap into the power that God's 587 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 7: put in you, and like Moses, you'll rise up with 588 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 7: a new confidence. Yes it may stretch you, but you're 589 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 7: going to discover new gifts and talents. God's going to 590 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 7: bring new friends, the right people at the right time. 591 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 5: I believe and declare you're going to become everything that 592 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 5: He's created you to be. Amen. Do you receive it today? 593 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 5: I know you do. 594 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 9: Thank you for listening to the Joel Osteine podcast. Help 595 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 9: us continue to share the message of hope with those 596 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 9: all over the world. Visit Joeloustein dot com slash give 597 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 9: Hope to give a gift today. 598 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 5: Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 599 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 7: I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 600 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 7: podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. 601 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 5: We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. 602 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 5: We'll see you next time. 603 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 6: More than ever before, people are turning to the church 604 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 6: for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 605 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 6: been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 606 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 6: yourly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 607 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 6: the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to 608 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 6: health for a limited time. Apply for a full tuition 609 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 6: scholarship and only pay a one time tech fee of 610 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 6: fifty four dollars if accepted. Apply now at mentalhealth coach 611 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 6: dot org. Again, that's mentalhealth coach dot org. 612 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 10: Nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralow net carbs. Discover hero 613 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 10: Bread the delicious ultra low net carbread with incredible taste 614 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 10: and texture. Zo Bread has zero grams of sugar and 615 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 10: is under one hundred calories per serving plus high end 616 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 10: fiber and up to ten grams of protein per serving. 617 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 10: Available on Amazon dot com, Walmart dot com, and Hero 618 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 10: dot Co. That's h ro O dot Co. Order from 619 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 10: Hero dot Co now and get ten percent off your 620 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 10: purchase with promo code IHM ten. 621 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 8: Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 622 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 8: as our weekend plans. 623 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 4: So get the sleep you deserve with Lisa. 624 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 8: For a limited time, save up to seven hundred dollars 625 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 8: off select mattresses plus two free pillows during our summer sale. 626 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 8: Check out our hybrid mattress designed to keep you cool 627 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 8: during those hot summer nights. Lisa also offers free shipping 628 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 8: and a risk free one hundred night trial. 629 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 4: Get the sleep you deserve. 630 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 8: Shop our summer sale now and save up to seven 631 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 8: hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows at 632 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 8: Lisa dot com. 633 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 4: That's l E e s A dot Com. Exclusions apply. 634 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 4: Visit Lisa dot com for details