1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Be sure to. 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 2: Subscribe so we can get you these new sermons every week. 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 2: I hope you're blessed today. 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: So good to be in church today. My wife is 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 1: with me, two of the four or with me. We 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: have four kids sixteen, fourteen, six and four and yeah, 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: same wife, so we think us too. No same and 10 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: we just took a break and took a long break 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: in between there. And the two little ones they don't 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: sit still long enough to get traveling rights, so they're 13 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: at home. But we're just honored to be here. If 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: you're ever in the Fredericksburg Richmond area of Virginia, come 15 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: say hello to us sometime. We would love to host you, 16 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: and I'd love to have you visit sometime. Honored to 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: be here, I would be remiss if I didn't say 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: at the onset that this house and the leaders of 19 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: this House have made such a difference in our lives, 20 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: as I think all of us can testify to. Moments 21 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: setting over there, hearing a message called take your seat 22 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: at the gate that marked me at an inside elevation 23 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: a moment before service praying together at Providence High schools. 24 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: We all remember Providence that marked me just moments throughout 25 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: where something Pastor Stephen said in a phone call, something 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: in a message. I think we'd all have the testimony 27 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: some lyric that carried us through a moment of a song. 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: And I just want to say how much we love 29 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: your pastor's pastor Stephen, Pastor Holly. What a gif they 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: are to you, but what a g if they are 31 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: to the body of Christ. Come on, can we put 32 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: our hands together and thank God for our leaders today? 33 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: What an incredible gift. Well, are you ready for the 34 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: Word today? Come on? I know this is a house 35 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: that loves the Word of God. And so if you 36 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: have a Bible with you. Judges, chapter six, We're gonna 37 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: get to it and get to work. And I'm believing 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: that God wants to say something to you today. Judges 39 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: Chapter six. Start in verse one. Read to about verse six. 40 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: It says again the Israelites did evil in the eyes 41 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: of the Lord. It's a great verse to start with, right, Hey, 42 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: welcome de elevation. Eve Israel did evil. I'm not smart. 43 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: Guest speaker guy says in for seven years he gave 44 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: them into the hands of the Midianites. Everybody shout Midianites. 45 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: And because the power of midian was so oppressive, the 46 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 47 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: And whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalakites 48 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: and other Eastern peoples invaded the country and they camped 49 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: on the land, and they ruined the crops all the 50 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: way to Gaza. They did not spare a living thing 51 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: for israel neither sheep, nor cattle, nor donkeys. And they 52 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: came up with their livestock and their tents like swarm 53 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and 54 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: their camels. They invaded the land and they ravaged it. 55 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: Midians so impoverished the Israelites. One translation says they reduced 56 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: them to starvation that they cried out to the Lord 57 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: for help. I want to bring a message today. If 58 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: you're a note taking typewrite this down. If you're not, 59 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: go ahead and write it down. Called come out of 60 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: the cave. Come out of the cave. Let's pray together, Father. 61 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: Our hearts and minds are open to hear from heaven today. 62 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: We haven't come to do some religious ritual, but we 63 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: believe the Word of God is powerful and alive and 64 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: can change our lives today. So do that, do what 65 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: only you can do in our hearts and our minds. 66 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: We pray this in Jesus' name. Everybody said a big amen. Amen. 67 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: So not too long ago, my oldest owen who's with us, 68 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: he's sixteen, starts driving next month. Everybody pay for my 69 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: insurance bill. Please say a prayer. Add that to your 70 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 1: prayer list. He comes up to me out of the 71 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: balloon and he says, hey, Dad, did you ever pull 72 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: an all nighter? And I was like, yeah, there were 73 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: several times in college that I pulled all nighters. Anybody 74 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: else in the house, come on, every campus, e fam, 75 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: you pulled a nine nighter. Okay. I don't know if it's, 76 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: you know, justification for my procrastination, but I just kind 77 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: of like to say that I enjoyed all nighters. I 78 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: had all nighters back in the day where you went 79 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: to the computer lab. Come on, somebody, you didn't have 80 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: no laptop in your room with you? Talking about spoiled 81 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: went to a computer lab with my disc Can I 82 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: get an amen in the House of God today, my 83 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: disc put that in the slot, had to wait for 84 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: a spot for all the other procrastinators that were in 85 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: the computer lab, and then I'd work on that thing 86 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: until about seven in the morning, run and get some breakfast, 87 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: head to class, acting like I had that thing done 88 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: for two weeks. So he was like I said, yeah, 89 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: I pulled several all nighters. And at the same time, 90 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: in my mind, I'm trying to calculate weight. I think 91 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: he's trying to get approval for waiting until the last minute. 92 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: Come on, have you know your sins will catch up 93 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: to you at some point in your life and your 94 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: parenting usually trying to get justifications so at some point 95 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: he can put things off till the last moment. But 96 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: I kind of liked the pressure. I kind of enjoyed 97 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: the pressure. Actually I fed off of it. I thrived 98 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: off the pressure, honestly a little bit. I kind of 99 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: think that I'm a little more creative when I'm under pressure. 100 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: I think I write a little better when I'm under pressure. 101 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: I think I perform a little better. Anybody else with me, 102 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: like you kind of like the pressure the rest of you, 103 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: Like I've just triggered something on the inside of you, 104 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: Like you're gonna go to in therapy this week. We 105 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: all need some therapy. You're gonna be talking about how 106 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: like it brought up things of you. You know, some 107 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: of you dream that you showed up to class without 108 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: a paper and it was the nightmares. But I kind 109 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: of like the pressure. And you know, pressure is really 110 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: interesting in life because we all face it, do we not. 111 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: We all go through some pressure. Some of you get 112 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: under immense pressure right now in this moment, the pressure 113 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: to perform. We all face pressure. We face the pressure 114 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: to to to act like we've got it all together 115 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: when we're falling apart on the inside, face the pressure 116 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: of how will my kids turn out? We all face pressures, 117 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: financial pressures, relational pressures. But we all face pressure in life. 118 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: And whether you're tuning in today and you believe in 119 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: Jesus and God and the Bible and all those things, 120 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: or you don't, the commonality of the human experience is 121 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: that we all face pressure. Somebody shall pressure. And I 122 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: found that pressure usually comes from a couple of different 123 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: places in our life. How many of you know, life 124 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: just happens that sometimes it's the choices of other people 125 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: that cause pressure in your life that sometimes it's just 126 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: life circumstances. Just out of the blue. You didn't wake 127 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: up and plant it, you didn't wake up that day 128 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: hoping for it, but just out of nowhere, pressure came 129 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: on you. And how may you know that, if we're 130 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: real honest, sometimes the pressures in our life come because 131 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: of the choices that we made, that we did something, 132 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: we said something, we sewed something so many years ago 133 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: and we're reaping that thing now. And sometimes pressure is 134 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: just let's be real, God didn't do it, your mama 135 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: didn't do it. I did it. Are y'all? Track it 136 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: with me? Comes from a couple of different places. But 137 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: when we read in this story right now, the Israelites 138 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: under immense pressure, and they're under immense pressure from this 139 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: group called the Midianites, this group of people that have 140 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: put the full force and the full weight of themselves 141 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: on Israel. And pressure can be debilitating, it can be overwhelming. 142 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: It can back you into a corner and make you 143 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: feel like I have no other option and I have 144 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: no other way out. This is what pressure will do 145 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: to you. And I have found in life that pressure 146 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: will do one of two things to you. It will 147 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: either refine you or it will confine you. Are y'all 148 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: following me so far, We're going somewhere, we're just building. 149 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: It'll either refine you or it will confine you. You know, 150 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: pressure can be powerful to refine something. I was reading 151 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: this week, Not that I'm a scientist whatsoever. Those all 152 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: nights were not scientific papers. But I found that whenever 153 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: carbon atoms are put under seven hundred and twenty five 154 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: thousand pounds of pressure per square inch and the right temperature, 155 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: they produce a diamond. Seven hundred and twenty five thousand 156 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: pounds of pressure per square inch. That's a whole lot 157 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: of pressure. So that pressure is refining a little carbon atom. 158 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: Now that little carbon atom isn't going. This is awesome. 159 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: I don't know how carbon atom's sake. I just see 160 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: my mind. You know, this is wonderful. I just love 161 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: this person. I love that I'm under pressure and that 162 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: I'm hidden, that nobody can see me, and that I'm 163 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: down in this dirt and all this pressure is on 164 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: top of me. I'm just loving this right now. Thank 165 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: you Jesus for your faithfulness. But I'm under the pressure 166 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: right now. But that pressure is refining to produce something. 167 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: How may you know that? I found that whenever I'm 168 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: under pressure, it feels like I'm hidden because whatever is 169 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: weighing down on me is high me. It feels like 170 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: no one. Whenever you're under pressure, you can feel like 171 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: no one sees you, that no one knows you. You 172 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: wonder if God is even in the building with you 173 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: in the moment? Does God even know what I'm going through? 174 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: But I would propose to you that there are some 175 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: things in your life that can only be developed under pressure. 176 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: I'm not saying that God sends the Midianites into your life, 177 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 1: but I'm just saying that He has a way of 178 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 1: working all things together and that if you will allow him, 179 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: the pressure can refine that there are some character traits, 180 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: that there are some faith that needs to be built. 181 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: That you don't see the diamond in you, but God 182 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: sees the diamond in you. And on the other side 183 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: of the pressure. I wonder if I got anybody that's 184 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: been through some pressure in your life, and you can 185 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: testify today that on the other side of the pressure 186 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: there's some greater faith that on the other side of 187 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: the pressure you learn to worship Him like you've never 188 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: worshiped him before that on the other side, because pressure 189 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: will either refine you ord we'll confine you. Pressure has 190 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: a way of molding something on the inside of you. 191 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: Pressure has a way of working out some of the 192 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: things in you that need to get out of you. 193 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: Pressure can refine you. Somebody shout pressure, but pressure can 194 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 1: also confine you. And this is what's happening to Israel. 195 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: In the text that we just read, the Bible says 196 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: that again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 197 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: Somebody shout again. If you want a store, if you 198 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: want to overview the Old Testament, can we go to 199 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: Sunday School real quick? Let me give you Old Testament survey. 200 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: God chooses Israel. Israel's happy and worshiping God blesses Israel. 201 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: Israel's living in the blessing of God. Israel's like we 202 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: bless I don't know we need God anymore. And Israel 203 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: walks away from God and starts doing life on their own, 204 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: and they face all the consequences of it, and not 205 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: because God is beating them up. Because when you choose 206 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: your own, God's let go ahead. I'll leave the light 207 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: on for you. I'll be right here waiting when you 208 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: get back, when you figure out this don't work your way, 209 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: when you figure out doing life your way, when you 210 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: figure out having any bad attitudes, living degative unforgiveness, when 211 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: you figure out it don't work that way, I'll leave 212 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: the light on. I'm right here waiting on you. They 213 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: cry out to God, what does God do? Because he's 214 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: a good god, he rescues Israel, then he blesses Israel, 215 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: and then Israel is like, I don't know that we 216 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: need God anymore. I'll start doing in my own way. 217 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: And then they get the consequences of it. Repeat, repeat, 218 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: Are y'all tracking with me? And this is where we 219 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: are in the story right now. It says that Israel 220 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: again again, Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, 221 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: And so they're in one of these cycles. Man, this 222 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: kind of sounds like us sometimes, doesn't y'all? Remember the 223 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 1: old hymn, This is my story, this is my song, 224 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: praising my save. I'm not your pastor out. I can't 225 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: write lyrics. Ain't nobody like him, says praising my Savior 226 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: all the day long. I'm like, no, that's not my story. 227 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: Some days it's praising them all day long. Some days 228 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: it's I think I could do it on my own. Oh, 229 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: we got the saints in the house today, Well just 230 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: for me, for anybody that ain't wearing the saint halo today, 231 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: for me, it's like, no, this sounds like my story 232 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: sometimes Israel that sometimes I'm going all in for God, 233 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: and sometimes I got days where it's like I thank God, 234 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: I can do it on my own. And this is 235 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: the cycle that Israel's in. And so when Israel decides 236 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: to do it on their own, God's like, okay, do 237 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: it your way. And as a result, Midian comes in. 238 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: These Midianites, they come in and they begin to attack Israel, 239 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: and they begin to confine Israel. Because pressure will either 240 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: refine you or it will confine you. You know, what 241 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: I found this week that I'd never seen before is 242 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: that Midian was a thorn in the flesh to another 243 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: follower of God by the name of Joseph. I don't 244 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: know if you know this Genesis chapter thirty seven, it 245 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: won't be on the screen for you. I'm just gonna 246 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: tell you. Have to trust me that I'm giving you 247 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: the correct Bible verse. But the Bible says that Joseph's brothers. 248 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: If you remember this, the cot of mini colors. They 249 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: didn't like him. They threw them into the pit. You'll 250 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: track him with me. They put him into the pit. 251 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: And then whenever there was some Ishraelites came along, but 252 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: they were israel that were Midianite traders. So same group 253 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: of people, same pressure. Joseph determines that no matter the 254 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: circumstance or the situation, whether I'm in the pit, or 255 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: I'm in Potiphar's house, or i am in the prison, 256 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: the Bible says the hand of the Lord was with him, 257 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: and that he rows to the top in the middle 258 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: of every situation because pressure will either refine you or 259 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: it will confine you. Now we get over here to 260 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: Judges chapter six, and we see the Midianites as a 261 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: thorn in their flesh again. And what happens is that 262 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: Israel begins to retreat because when pressure confines you, it 263 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: will shrink you. And when the pressure of life comes 264 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: on you will either say, okay, God can work all 265 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: this together for my good, or you will begin to 266 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: shrink back. And the Bible tells us that physically, geographically, 267 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: the Israelites begin to shrink back. They begin to shrink back. 268 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: It says they they made shelters in caves and in 269 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: the clefts and in strongholds. They physically shrink back. I 270 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: think it's a metaphor for what you and I do. 271 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: Whenever pressure comes on our life, they begin to shrink back. 272 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: They begin to make themselves small. They begin to limit 273 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: their thinking. They begin to limit the possibilities in their life. 274 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: They begin to settle in for what they thought could happen. 275 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: They begin to settle in for what they thought was 276 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: the right solution. In the middle of this difficulty in pressure, 277 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: they begin to shrink themselves. And whenever pressure comes on us, 278 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: we will begin to shrink our dreams. We'll begin to 279 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: shrink our faith down. We'll begin to shrink the possibilities 280 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: down in our life. We'll begin to settle in for 281 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: less than our inheritance as children of the living God. 282 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: We'll begin to believe the lie of the enemy, that 283 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,239 Speaker 1: it's always gonna be this way. We'll never get out 284 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: of this situation, will never be moved beyond this circumstance. 285 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,880 Speaker 1: We begin to shrink ourselves. I wonder, not out loud, 286 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: but if you wouldn't answer inside, what part of your 287 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: life have you shrunk down, because here's the deal. The 288 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: enemy doesn't have to steal your confidence. He just has 289 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: to put enough pressure on you, and you'll give it 290 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 1: up yourself. The enemy doesn't have to rob you of joy. 291 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: He just has to put enough pressure, enough financial pressure, 292 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: enough relational pressure, enough parenting pressure on you. He doesn't 293 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: have to get The enemy can't come and take anything 294 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: from you. We give it up ourselves because of the pressure. 295 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: And it shouldn't be this way. Israel forgot who they were. 296 00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: Shouldn't be this way. The Bible says that they made 297 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: shelters for themselves in caves. It didn't say Minian built 298 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: shelters for them in the caves. When the pressure comes on, 299 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: we will build our own shelters in caves. Israel should 300 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: have been living in wide open spaces. They're the children 301 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: of promise. They're the nation God's chosen people. They're all 302 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: following me. They are God's people. They shouldn't have been withdrawing, 303 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: living below their level, getting up and putting themselves in caves. 304 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: It shouldn't have been that way. But we will make 305 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: caves for ourselves. We will make our own prisons. When 306 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: the pressure comes on in our life. This is what 307 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: Israel's doing, and it shouldn't have been this way. They're 308 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: the children of the Most High God. I mean, how 309 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: much previous in their story. They're a They're a narrative, 310 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: they're a storytelling culture. This is how they're passing down 311 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: things from generation to generation. So this group of people, 312 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 1: you know, heard about the Red Sea crossing. This group 313 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: of people you know, had to hear about the cloud 314 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: by day and the fire by night. They had to 315 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: hear about the plagues that allowed Pharaoh calls him to go. No, no, no, 316 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: you guys, go ahead and go. I want you to leave. 317 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: Like they had heard the stories of how God was 318 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: working among them. But yet they're making shelters for themselves 319 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: in caves, and it shouldn't have been that way. They 320 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: limited the God that they served, because when you see 321 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: your self as small, you see God as small. And 322 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: they saw themselves as only able to live in caves 323 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: and to back up and to shrink themselves down. And 324 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: when you look at God through the lens of you, 325 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: you always limit God. Let me say that again, when 326 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,919 Speaker 1: you look at God through the lens of you, you 327 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: will limit God. I think about naming, naming The Bible 328 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: says that he went, you know the story, and he 329 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: was going to dip seven times. But when he went 330 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 1: to the prophet. This verse always gets me. He got 331 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: angry when the prophet said go to the Jordan and 332 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 1: dip in it seven times, he got angry. And then 333 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: the text says this. It says, I thought he would 334 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: come out, wave his hand over me and speak over me, 335 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: and then I would be healed. The first two words 336 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: in that sentence are his problem, I thought, I thought. 337 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: And then he said how God would do it? And 338 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 1: what God would do. When we limit God by what 339 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: we think can happen, we bring God down to our level. 340 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: In other words, we limit God to the level of 341 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: our imagination. We limit God to the level of can 342 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: I think it up? Can I dream it up? Can 343 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: I design it up? Can I scheme it up? And 344 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: then go God, can you do this? But I think 345 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: the apostle Paul is the one who wrote, but my 346 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: God is able to do himmeasurably more than I can 347 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: ask think or or what or what or imagine that 348 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: we serve the God that is outside of our imagination, 349 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: and if he's the God that can part the Red 350 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: Sea and if he is the cloud by day and 351 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: fire by night. If he's the God of the Ten Plagues, 352 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: if he's the God that met Moses on top of 353 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: the mouth Sia and I. If he's the God that 354 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: took down Goliath through the Rock of David. If he 355 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 1: is that God, then why would we limit him by 356 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 1: the level of what we can think, what we can imagine. 357 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: Israel was limiting God because they had forgotten who their 358 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: God was. In any time we distance ourself from God, 359 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: we forget who God is anytime we put diance. This 360 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: is why it's so important to be in the House 361 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: of God every Sunday. This is why it's so important 362 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: to connect Epam every single Sunday. Why because you don't 363 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: what distance between you and God. This is why time 364 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: and the world is so important every day. This is 365 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: why being on a team, being in an e group. 366 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: Why because it's so important to be around the family 367 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: of God and the people of God that are gonna 368 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 1: help you seek God whenever it's clouded in your perspective. 369 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,880 Speaker 1: You need some people in your life that no no, no, no, 370 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: no no no. He is the God that brought you 371 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: out before. Then he's the God that did the miracle before. No, 372 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: he's no. Let me remind you. So you've got a 373 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: little bit of amnesia right now, because you'll turn caves 374 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: into prisons. And the Midianites didn't lock them up. They 375 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: locked themselves up. They made for themselves shelters in the caves. 376 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: Midian doesn't need to do it when we'll do it 377 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: for ourselves. We give the devil too much credit. The 378 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: devil didn't do it, just the pressure was great enough. 379 00:23:40,760 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: Sometimes we do it caves into prisons and stay in 380 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 1: a cave long enough. Not only he does it turn 381 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: into a prison, it turns into a tomb. The text 382 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: said that in the in the King James, that's what 383 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: I grew up. I'm a church kid. I grew up 384 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:22,479 Speaker 1: on the King Jimmy somebody the Yea's and the thou Ford, 385 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: and there shall too. If you really get preaching, you 386 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: quote the King James, you feel a lot more spiritual. 387 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: It ain't true, but you feel it. Come on, it 388 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: says it reduced them to starvation. Reduce them to starvation. 389 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: I don't think it does any disservice to this text 390 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 1: to say that there's a good chance that people died 391 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 1: in the caves. If you're starving and everything is getting plundered, 392 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: it's it doesn't stretch too much. I don't think to 393 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 1: say that some people probably died in the caves. And 394 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: I'll be honest with you, I kind of understand. I 395 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: kind of understand because the Bible says that they would 396 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: go out and they would sew crops, and then the 397 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: Midianites would come and wipe the crops out, and then 398 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: they back in the caves, and then they go out 399 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: and try to sew again over this seven year period, 400 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,199 Speaker 1: and then the Midianites would come and the Amelekites and 401 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: all the other Eastern peoples and everybody would come in 402 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: and bring all the caves. And so then they just 403 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: back up again. Why try? Why do it again? It's 404 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: just more comfortable in the cave. I wonder if you've 405 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: ever felt that way, like I'm gonna try to re 406 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: engage that relationship and then you're met with rejection. You 407 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: feel like you get slapped again, and why try? Just 408 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: get back and I just get back to the cave. 409 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: The cave is comfortable. It's not where I'm met to be. 410 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: It's not the purpose of God for my life. It's 411 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: not the calling of God on my life. But it's 412 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: much easier to isolate than it is to try again 413 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: and get disappointed again. So you begin to be generous again, 414 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: and then you're met with some unexpected spence out of 415 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: the blue, and you're like, why am I even trying 416 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: to be Have you ever noticed that that the moment 417 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: you start to really lean into faith and lean into God, 418 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: it's like, where in the world is all this battle 419 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: coming from around me? It's because there are some minionites 420 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: in your life that want you to go back to 421 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: the cave, that the moment you begin to step out, 422 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: the enemy's like, no, no, let me see if I 423 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: can put enough pressure, if I can just push them 424 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: back to the cave. I'm not saying that he can. 425 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: This is into salvation issue, are y'all? Tracking you're saved 426 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: by grace through faith. It's a gift of God, not 427 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: but man, so we can boasts. We don't get the 428 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: credit for you. I'm talking about living life to the 429 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: fullness that Jesus said, I've come to give you life 430 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: and life to the full. And the enemy will put 431 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,639 Speaker 1: enough pressure on you so that you back up into 432 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: a cave and you don't live out the calling of 433 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: God on your life and the purpose of God on 434 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: your life, and you don't experience the blessing of God 435 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 1: in your life if he can get you to stay 436 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: in the cave. And some of us we got out 437 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: of him, we're so a little seed. We begin to 438 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: restare that we try to step into purpose, We begin 439 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,679 Speaker 1: to move out into gifts and colleingues and exploring what 440 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: God has in our life. And then we feel like 441 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: pressure comes back on us, so we go back to 442 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: the cave. So I get it. I get why they 443 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 1: would live in the cave. The moment they try it 444 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: gets ruined. The moment they step forward, they get pushed 445 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: back again. And so these caves that became prisons can 446 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: become tombs. And it's easier to stay in the cave 447 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: when you're surrounded by everybody else in the cave. All 448 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: of Israel was in the caves. It's easy to stay 449 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 1: in the cave when you surround yourself with cave creatures. 450 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 1: That's what I call them, cave creatures. If you're sitting 451 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: by one, look this way, don't say men right now, 452 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: just keep it forward. Get surrounded by cave creatures. Cave 453 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 1: creatures are always looking back, never looking forward. Cave creatures 454 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: are always talking about what used to be, never what 455 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: could be. Come on, cape creatures. Those are people in 456 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: your life that the moment you begin to take some 457 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: kind of step, they want to pull you right back. 458 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: Come on the moment that you begin to go, Oh 459 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: you think you're too good. Now, oh y'all know some 460 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: of them, Oh you thank you, too big for your breeches. Now, 461 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: oh you better than everybody else. Now, oh you don't 462 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: go into that church. Now, oh you just oh you 463 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: holier than thou. Now you're a holy roller. They want 464 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: to keep it. Cave creatures are the ten spies that 465 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: came back and spad a bad report all throughout the land. 466 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: Twelve went in Joshua and Caleb came back and said, 467 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: ten said they're too big Joshua Caleb basically, he said 468 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: they're too big to miss. And the other ten, the 469 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: Bible says, spread a bad report throughout the entire land. 470 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: Millions of the people affected by the negativity of ten people. 471 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: Be careful the voices you lead in your life. Ten 472 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: people spread a report. Ten people exaggerated the circumstance. Ten 473 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: people made it look like the Bible says, if you 474 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: go back and read the story, the Bible says that 475 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: they come back and they said, the people are too big, 476 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: and the walls are built to the sky. Ain't nobody 477 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: built a wall to the sky. Because cave creatures exaggerate 478 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: the circumstance. You can never get out of that situation. 479 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: You'll never amount to that. Why even believe for that? 480 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: God would never do that in that way in your life. 481 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: You'll never break through this thing. You'll never come out 482 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: of this generational dysfunction. You'll never break this addiction you'll have. 483 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: Cave creatures just want to keep you in the cave, 484 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: and they want to turn your cave into a tomb 485 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: where dreams die in there, and visions die in there, 486 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: and hopes die in there, and aspirations die in the cave. 487 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: They just made me fine if you stayed in the cave, 488 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: because the moment you step out, they get uncomfortable. Because 489 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: your faith shines a light on their lack of faith. 490 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: Your hope shines a light on their lack of hope. 491 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: Your passion shines a light on their lack of passion. 492 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: Your forward progress signs a light on their inaction, and 493 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: They want you to stay back, not for you, but 494 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: for them, because you are making them uncomfortable because of 495 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: the steps that you are taking. And I believe the 496 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: Spirit of God send me here today to look at 497 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: somebody and say, let me shout over the voice of 498 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: every cave creature in your life and say, get out 499 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: of that cave. I know it ain't looking the way 500 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: you thought it should, but come out of the cave. 501 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: I know it feels like a season, but it's not 502 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: a life sentence. Come out of the cave. I know 503 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: you wanted it to turn out different, but come out 504 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: of the cave. The Midianites are big, but come out 505 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: of the cave. Every seed you sow, they seem to 506 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: wipe it out. But come out of the cave. You 507 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: feel like you've been there for years. Come out of 508 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: the cave. You set up house in the cave. You've 509 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: painted the walls, you've decorated it, you hung pictures of 510 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: the children on it. But it's time to move out. 511 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 1: Get your U haul ready, crank up the engine. The 512 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: spirit of God is saying, get out of the cave. 513 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: The spirit of God is saying it's time to get out. 514 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: It's time to dream. Again. It's time to believe again. 515 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: It's time to hope again, it's time to build faith again. 516 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: It's time to say I may have been stuck in 517 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: the cave, but this isn't my story, it's not my 518 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: life sentence. I'm coming out of the cave. I wish 519 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 1: you'd sount if you're coming out of the cave. A 520 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: few weeks ago, I think it was in the message 521 00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: cover the spread with every sinny needs to play. It 522 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: was a masterpiece on preaching. Who but pastor said, he said, hallelujah? 523 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: But how I don't know if you remember that, he said, 524 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: Pastor Harley's like, hallelujah? But how do I do that? 525 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: And so I want to give you the hallelujah? But 526 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: how moment? How do I do this? Have you ever 527 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: left church? I know I've left church. You never left 528 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: it here, but I've left church at the time going man, 529 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: I'm fired up, and I have no idea what to do. 530 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 1: I'm ready to charge hell. I just don't know where 531 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: hell is like, I don't know what to do, but man, 532 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: I'm inspired. I want to give you the how is 533 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: that all right? The how hallelujah? But how? I love 534 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: that I'm stealing that. After I say it three times, 535 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: I came up with it. That's the way preachers work. 536 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: Pastor Stephens said, I once heard somebody say, as I 537 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 1: always say, just say, y'all know, that's how it works. 538 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: It's a code among preachers. It's okay. Verse seven, it 539 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: says this, When the Israelites client cried to the Lord 540 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 1: because of Midian, he sent them a prophet. Oh, when 541 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: you need God, he'll send you a word. Let me 542 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: just park here for a one second. This is free. 543 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: You pray and want a solution. But when you pray, 544 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 1: God sends a word, and when you obey that word, 545 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: it'll produce the solution. There you go, says. This is 546 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: what the Lord, the God of Israel says. God's like, 547 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,760 Speaker 1: let me remind you how we got here. I brought 548 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: you up out of the land of Savory. I snatched 549 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 1: you from the power of Egypt, from from the hand 550 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: of all the oppressors. I drove them from before you 551 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,279 Speaker 1: and gave you their land. I said to you, I 552 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 1: am the Lord your God. Do not worship the God 553 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: of the Emirates in whose land you live. But you've 554 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: not listened to me. God's like let's just get this 555 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:22,839 Speaker 1: straight now. He's like, let's move on to solutions, says 556 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: the Angel. Lord came and sat down under the oak 557 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:29,319 Speaker 1: of Urfre that belonged to joe Ash the abs A 558 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 1: bezright where his son Gideon was threshing meat in a 559 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: wine press to keep it from the Midian. I so 560 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,879 Speaker 1: Midian's Gideon is hiding. And when the Angel the Lord 561 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 1: appeared to Gideon and he said, the Lord is with you, 562 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: a mighty warrior. He's hiding, I mean, just the are 563 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,240 Speaker 1: y all with me. The analogy of this picture, He's hiding, 564 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: and God's like, He's with you, mighty warrior. That's because 565 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:54,400 Speaker 1: how you see you isn't always how God sees you. 566 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: But Sir Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, 567 00:35:58,120 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 1: why has all this happened to us? Where all the 568 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,239 Speaker 1: one that our fathers told us about when they said, 569 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 1: did not the Lord bring us out out of Egypt? 570 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: But now the Lord has abandoned us and has put 571 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: us into the hand of Midian and the angel the 572 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,720 Speaker 1: Lord doesn't answer this, but the obvious answer is because 573 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: you chose to do what you wanted to do. And 574 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: the Lord turned to him and said go in the 575 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,919 Speaker 1: strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. 576 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,439 Speaker 1: Am I not sending you? But the Lord getting asked, 577 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 1: how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, 578 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,240 Speaker 1: so we're the runt of all the clans in Manassa, 579 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,799 Speaker 1: and I am the least in the family, so I'm 580 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 1: the run of the runt. I have no gains, I 581 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: don't drink creatine. I've never worked out a day in 582 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 1: my life like I'm the run. And then the Lord answered, 583 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,839 Speaker 1: I will be with you and you'll strike down all 584 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 1: the Midianites together. All right, let me give you three 585 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: thoughts real quick. I asked the worship team to come 586 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 1: join me, because these will sound much more spiritual with 587 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: a keyboard. How many of you know the keyboard advice 588 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost does? He spoke to him and said, 589 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: called a mighty warrior. So number one, listen to the 590 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:27,319 Speaker 1: voice of God. These aren't rocket science. Everybody can do these. 591 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: Listen to the voice of God. The Lord's with you, 592 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: mighty warrior. But let me say this to you. To 593 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 1: hear God's voice, you're gonna have to turn down a 594 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:42,359 Speaker 1: lot of other voices. And I don't know what that 595 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,799 Speaker 1: looks like for you. And I don't know how that 596 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: plays out in your life, but there are seasons in 597 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,839 Speaker 1: my life. I'm in one of those right now where 598 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: I'm just if it's not worship or preaching or college football, 599 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,759 Speaker 1: I ain't gonna lie to you up here, it's not 600 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 1: coming in through this gate or this gate. I'm not 601 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: saying that's for you. I'm just saying you gotta find 602 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: ways to turn down. If the voice of Facebook is 603 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:21,920 Speaker 1: louder than the voice of God. Okay, just saying you 604 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: may have to turn some voices down. God's with you, 605 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: Mighty Warrior. Number two. You have to start with what 606 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:40,839 Speaker 1: you got, he says, go in the strength that you have. 607 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 1: He didn't say wait to get more strength. He didn't 608 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:48,879 Speaker 1: say wait till you got it all together. He didn't 609 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: say wait to all the stars aligned and you feel 610 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 1: like you got the and you got the money set up, 611 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: and you got the thing and all that's in place, 612 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: and you've met the people you need to play and 613 00:38:58,120 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 1: you got distract. Now, he said, just go in this 614 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 1: strength to you have. Sometimes you've got to start where 615 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: you are. You just got to take the step where 616 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: you are. I don't know what that step is today. 617 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 1: But whatever that is, you just got to take the 618 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,760 Speaker 1: step towards towards freedom. You got to take the step 619 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,080 Speaker 1: towards out of the cave. You got to take the 620 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: step towards just go with what you got. God was like, 621 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: just going to strength me, and he goes, I'm the 622 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 1: weakest of the weakest of Like I'm the run of 623 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:23,760 Speaker 1: the run of the runt, Like I have no strength, 624 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 1: and he goes, that's okay, go in the strength that 625 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: you have. I think God wants you to go in 626 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 1: the strength that you have. So you know it's wasn't 627 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: you that did it, but it was God that did 628 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: it through you. And then finally, trust that God is 629 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: with you. He goes, I will be with you. I 630 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: will be with you. And so at the end of 631 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:53,080 Speaker 1: the day, it's trusting that God is going with us 632 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: and walking with us, no matter how fearful we are, 633 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: and no matter how trepidations that may feel, and no 634 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: matter how no matter how much out of the comfort 635 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:04,319 Speaker 1: zone it may feel, it's trusting that God will be 636 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: with us. Our trust is where our faith and God's 637 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:11,399 Speaker 1: faithfulness converge, and it's at that point that we feel 638 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: the strength of God to help us walk out of 639 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 1: the cave that we have shrunk ourselves back into. And 640 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 1: not because we are great, but because God is great. 641 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 1: And so I'm not saying trust in yourself. I'm saying 642 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:28,399 Speaker 1: trust in the faithfulness of a faithful God who has 643 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,439 Speaker 1: brought you thus far and will not leave you at 644 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 1: this moment. He goes, I'm gonna be with you. Can 645 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:36,239 Speaker 1: I speak to you right now and say God will 646 00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 1: be with you. Can I speak to some of you 647 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,399 Speaker 1: that your heart is pounding and you're like, I got 648 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: some steps to take, but I'm scared. I'm saying go 649 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,239 Speaker 1: scared anyways, But I don't know about the outcome. I'm saying, 650 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: go anyways. I don't know how this is going to 651 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: turn out. I'm saying, trust God anyways. Because the God. 652 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:54,800 Speaker 1: Can we revisit something that brought the children of Israel 653 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,359 Speaker 1: out of Egypt, the God that was the cloud by 654 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: day and the fire by night, and the God that will, 655 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: the God of the mouse sin I experience, and the 656 00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: God that took down GOLLI is the same God that 657 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 1: is with you in this moment. And can I tell 658 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: you that our God, even if your cave is turned 659 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:17,360 Speaker 1: into a tomb. He specializes in turning tombs into testimonies, 660 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:19,880 Speaker 1: if you'll let him. I don't know if you remember, 661 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: but Lazarus had been dead for four days, and Jesus 662 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: walked up on the sea and said, move that stone. 663 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 1: And he says to you today what he said to 664 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:34,240 Speaker 1: Lathrius on that day, Lazarus, come out of that cave. 665 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 1: I'm calling you today, Come out of that cave. 666 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:42,040 Speaker 3: The same God is speaking to you. The same God 667 00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 3: will be with you, and the same God will sustain you. 668 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 3: If you've got faith in your heart, why don't you. 669 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: Lift up a shout of praise. Oh, we believe in 670 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: the name. Come on, somebody, shout up coming out of 671 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:01,240 Speaker 1: the cave. Go shout it, coming out of the cave. 672 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:06,880 Speaker 1: Let every title in hand. I'm coming out of the cave. 673 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: Not tomorrow, not next week, not when you figure it 674 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: all out. Today, Today's the moment. This is a divine 675 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:29,239 Speaker 1: moment for you. God puts you here. Somebody shared this 676 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: worship experience with you because it's your day to get 677 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,880 Speaker 1: out of the cave. Will you lift your hands to 678 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:42,320 Speaker 1: Heaven all over this place in the presence of God Father, 679 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,720 Speaker 1: I pray for every person at our campus is today 680 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:49,160 Speaker 1: at pray for over our Epham. Today they know in 681 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: their heart that they have shrunk themselves back and limited 682 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:58,919 Speaker 1: their thinking and their life into a place you never 683 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 1: meant for them to be. And so today, by the 684 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:05,280 Speaker 1: spirit of God, we say, come out of the cave. 685 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,040 Speaker 1: May they take the steps in this moment they need 686 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: to take. May your voice rise above the voice of 687 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 1: doubt and fear of any other voice in their life. 688 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,240 Speaker 1: May they go in the strength they have, not waiting 689 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,760 Speaker 1: for some other day, some other time, some other moment, 690 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:30,400 Speaker 1: but even in their weakness. May they step out, and 691 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 1: may they trust that the faithfulness of God will prove 692 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:41,160 Speaker 1: faithful once again. We'd love you, we honor you. We 693 00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: pray this in Jesus's name. Come on, everybody, set a 694 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 1: big amen. Amen. Amen. Hey. 695 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,000 Speaker 2: I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 696 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 2: make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 697 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:56,719 Speaker 2: get you all of these new messages as soon as 698 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 2: they're available. I also want to take a moment and 699 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:01,400 Speaker 2: thank all all of you who are a part of Elevation. 700 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 2: Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 701 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,359 Speaker 2: just share these messages, it's because of you that we're 702 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:09,240 Speaker 2: able to reach. 703 00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:10,840 Speaker 1: People all around the world. 704 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:13,560 Speaker 2: And if you want more information on how to be 705 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,760 Speaker 2: a part of Elevation, click the link in the description. 706 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:18,280 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. 707 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:21,600 Speaker 2: Make sure to leave a review, share the message and subscribe. 708 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 2: God bless you.