1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Hope you're having a great summer. Know that we're praying 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: for you, and we know God has awesome things in store. 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: So great having you with us. Enjoy the message today. 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: God bless you. It is always a joy to come 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: into your homes each week. We come with good news. 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: We know God is on your side. God rewards the 7 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: people that seek after Him. I believe that's you. You 8 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't be tuned in today, so thank you and come 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: out and see us. If you're ever in the Houston area, 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: please stop by. Promise you we make you feel right 11 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: at home. But thanks for tuning in today. I like 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: to get started each week with something kind of funny. 13 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: And I heard about this group of elderly ladies way 14 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: up in their eighties who were driving down the freeway 15 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: and this police officer pulled them over. He said to 16 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: the driver, ma'am, do you realize you're only going thirty 17 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: five miles an hour? And she said, officer, that's what 18 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: the sign says, and he kind of chuckled and he said, no, ma'am, 19 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: that's the number of the freeway. This is Highway thirty five. 20 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: And he said, by the way, one of those ladies 21 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: in the back seat look so terrified, Old lady Grendon said, 22 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: because we just got off Highway ninety five. All right, 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: hold up your Bible. Say it with me today. This 24 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 25 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: I have what it says I have. I can do 26 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: what it says I can do. Today I will be 27 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 28 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 29 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: the same. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: ever live in seed of the Word of God. I'll 31 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: never be the same, never, never, never, I'll never be 32 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 33 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: to talk to you today about the power of remembering. 34 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: The Bible clearly tells us there are certain things that 35 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: we should forget, but there are also certain things that 36 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: we're supposed to remember. And if we'll use our memory 37 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: for the right purposes, it'll we ate faith, it'll bring hope. 38 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: It's when we use it for the wrong purposes, it 39 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: keeps us negative and discouraged. Our memory has incredible power. 40 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: If you sit around thinking about some sad event, even 41 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: though it may have happened two three years ago. Before long, 42 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: you're gonna feel sad. You're gonna feel discouraged. You'll feel 43 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: that same emotion. On the other hand, you may be 44 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: at home one day, all alone, and all of a sudden, 45 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: you think about something your child did, a tender moment, 46 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: a hug, a kiss, a funny story. That memory will 47 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: bring a smile to your face. It'll bring that same warmth, 48 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: that same joy. What made you happy, right memories? What 49 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: made you sad? Wrong memories? Now I can't find one 50 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: place in the scripture where it tells us to remember 51 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: our disappointments, to remember our hearts, our pains, our failures. No, 52 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: again and again, it tells us the thing we're supposed 53 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: to remember are all the great things that God has 54 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: done for us. In other words, remember the time God 55 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: spared your life from that accident. Remember when you got 56 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: that promotion even though you weren't the most qualified. Remember 57 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: how God turned your child around, Remember how He sets 58 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: you free from those addictions. We should constantly remember the 59 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: great things God has done in our lives. That's what 60 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: the psalm is said here Psalm seventy seven eleven. I 61 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: recall the many miracles God has done for me. They 62 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. 63 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: Notice he said they should constantly be in our thoughts. 64 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: The problem we have many times is we are remembering 65 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: what we should be forgetting our disappointments, our hurts, our failures, 66 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: and we are forgetting what we should be remembering our victories, 67 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: our successes, the times that God has brought us through. 68 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: It's interesting. In the Old Testament, God commanded them to 69 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: have certain and feast certain celebrations, and one of the 70 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: main reasons was so they would not forget what God 71 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: had done. And so several times a year they'd all 72 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: stop what they were doing, everybody would take off, and 73 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: they'd go celebrate how God brought them out of slavery, 74 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: or how God defeated this enemy, or how He protected them. 75 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: Over there they were commanded they were required to remember. 76 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: In another place, it talks about how they put down 77 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: what they called memorial stones, and these stones or large markers, 78 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: were to remind them of specific victories, and every time 79 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: they went by them, they would remember what God had done. 80 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: This memorial stone is for when God brought us out 81 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: of bondage. This stone is for when He healed our children. 82 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: This stone is for when God supernaturally provided for our needs, 83 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: and having those memorial stones helped it to stay fresh 84 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: in their memory. That's what we need to learn to do. 85 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: Let me ask you today, are you taking time to 86 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: remember your victories? Are you taking time to celebrate what 87 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: God has done in your life? Have you put out 88 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 1: any memorial stones? Well, hell, Joel, I've got so many problems. 89 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: I've got so many obstacles. No. One way to build 90 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: your faith. One way to keep you encouraged is to 91 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: go back over your life and remember the great things 92 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: that God has already done. Remember the time that God 93 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: made a way for you when it looked like there 94 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: was no way. Remember the time when you were so lonely, 95 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: so down, yet God brought somebody into your life. Remember 96 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: when it was so dark you didn't think you'd see 97 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,119 Speaker 1: another happy daddy. But God intervened. He not only turned 98 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: it around, but he gave you joy for your morning. 99 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: He lifted you up out of that pit of despair, 100 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: gave you a new beginning. Here you are today, happy, healthy, whole. 101 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: If you start remembering things like that, you start recalling 102 00:05:55,240 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: how God has healed you, protected you, guided you blessed you. 103 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: If you'll get that deep down on the inside, you'll 104 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: have a new attitude. You won't go around thinking, well, 105 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: I wonder if I'll ever get out of this mess. 106 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 1: I wonder if God's ever going to work in my life. No, 107 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: You'll be saying, I know, if God did it for 108 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: me once, he'll do it for me again. I've seen 109 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 1: him do it in the past. I know he's going 110 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: to do it in the future. Really, it would do 111 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: us all good on a regular basis to go back 112 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: over the major victories in our lives, the major successes, 113 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: and just, one by one, thank God for what he's done. 114 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: Remember the day your children were born. Remember how God 115 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: gave you that job. Remember when God brought that person 116 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: into your life. You fell in love, you got married, 117 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: You've got a great family today. Remember what God's done 118 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: for you. I do it often. I think about the 119 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: time that I walked into a jewelry store right here 120 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: in Houston, Texas in my early twenties, minding my own business, 121 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: and outwalk the most beautiful girl that I'd ever seen. 122 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: It was Victoria. I thought to myself, God, you just 123 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,799 Speaker 1: answered my prayers. We dated for a year and a half, 124 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: and she couldn't keep her hands off of me, so 125 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: we got married. At least that's the way I remember it. 126 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: But I don't take that for granted. I know that 127 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: wasn't a coincidence. That wasn't a lucky break. That was 128 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: God directed my steps. That was God causing me to 129 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: be at the right place at the right time. When 130 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: I remember that, that reminds me that God is in 131 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: control of my life. That reminds me that God has 132 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: me in the palm of his hand. That lets me 133 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: know if God was directed my steps back, then you 134 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: know what God has directed my steps even today. To see. 135 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: When we learn to recall the good things God has done, 136 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: helps us to stay in an attitude of faith, helps 137 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: us to stay grateful. I mean, it's hard to go 138 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: around complaining when you're constantly thinking about how good God's 139 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: been to you. It's hard to get negative and to 140 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: get into unbelieve when you're always talking about God's blessings 141 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: and favor in your life. Well, hell, Joel, if God 142 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: would do something like that for me, if he'd bring 143 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: me a beautiful wife, and he'd bring me somebody great. No, 144 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: God has done something for every one of us most 145 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: of the time, we just need to go back and 146 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: remember where we came from. Some of you, at one 147 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: point you were so negative. You were living all depressed 148 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: and defeated. But look at you today, you're rising higher. 149 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: You know you are a victor and not a victim. 150 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: Some of you, at one point you were so broke 151 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: you couldn't even pay attention. But look at you now, 152 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: you're prospering, you're increasing, you got a good job. Some 153 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: of you years ago, you had all kinds of addictions 154 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: and bad habits. You were strung out on this bad attitude, 155 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: hot tempered, but God supernaturally delivered you. Today you're healthy 156 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: and whole. You need to remember how God sets you free, 157 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: remember where there came from. That's one of the best 158 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: ways to keep yourself encouraged. And you may not be 159 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: as far down the road as you would like, but 160 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 1: when you look back and remember, at least you can say, Hey, God, 161 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: you brought me this far. I know you're not gonna 162 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: stop now, You're gonna get me to where I need 163 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: to be now. I believe every one of us today 164 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: can tell of a time when God supernaturally protected us. 165 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: You can tell of a time when God opened up 166 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: a door for you. God caused you to be at 167 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: the right place at the right time. Sometimes we take 168 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: these things for granted. Some people don't even realize that 169 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: was God at work and in their life. We need 170 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: to understand there's no such thing as a coincidence. When 171 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: something good happens to you, be sensitive, recognize that's God. 172 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: Learn to recall it. Often it's like that guy I 173 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: heard about. He was driving around and around in a 174 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: crowded parking lot trying to find a parking space, and 175 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: he finally got so frustrated he said, God, if you 176 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: will give me a parking space, I'll come to church. 177 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: Read Sunday right Then immediately this car backed out on 178 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: the front row. He pulled in. Then he said, God, 179 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: never mind, I just found one. Too often, that's what 180 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: we do. We forget. God is the giver of all 181 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: good things. God is the one that caused us to 182 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: get that quote lucky brake. He's the one that caused 183 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 1: us to be at the right place at the right time. 184 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: How many times have we been driving on the freeway 185 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: and we said to ourself, Man, that car almost hit me. 186 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: Now the split second and I would have had an accident. 187 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: That wasn't a coincidence. That was God's hand of protection. 188 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: I know one time, right after I had gotten married, 189 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 1: I was driving on the freeway by myself. It was 190 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: a Monday afternoon. It had been raining really hard for 191 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: fifteen or twenty minutes. When I went to change lanes 192 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: my car hydroplane, there was a big puddle in the 193 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: road and my front tires lost traction and I was 194 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,719 Speaker 1: driving in the second lane from the left, And when 195 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: I lost control, I was headed straight toward the concrete 196 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: barrier in the center and I hit that thing going 197 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: about fifty miles per hour really hard, and when I did, 198 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: it catapulted me back, spinning across the freeway. And let 199 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: me tell you, I didn't have time to pray. I 200 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: didn't have time to quote the ninety first song. I 201 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: didn't have time to call the twenty four hour prayer hotline. 202 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: All I had time to say was Jesus, just simply Jesus, 203 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: and I'll never forget. As I was spinning back across 204 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: that freeway, I came to a point where I was 205 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: looking at the headlights of this eighteen wheeler. I mean 206 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: I was facing the wrong direction. It looked like I 207 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: could reach out and touch his front grill couldn't have 208 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: been five or six feet away, and I just kind 209 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: of closed my eyes. I kind of thought that was it. 210 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: But somehow, someway I ended up in the ditch on 211 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: the other side of the freeway. I had crossed six 212 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: lanes of traffic during rush hour in Houston, Texas, and 213 00:11:54,840 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: nobody had ran into me. Well after I got stopped 214 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: over there, I noticed that this eighteen wheeler, the man 215 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: that almost hit me, he had pulled over and now 216 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: he was backing up. Took him about ten minutes to 217 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: get back to where I was. The gentleman finally got out. 218 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: The first thing he said was, boy, you must be 219 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: living right. We kind of laughed. I said, what do 220 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: you mean? He said, I don't know how I missed you. 221 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: You were right in front of me. And I tried 222 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: to swerve, but my rig is fully loaded. I couldn't 223 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: do it, and so I just braced myself and got 224 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: ready for the collision. And he said, I know this 225 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: sounds kind of odd, but right at the last moment, 226 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: I felt this pocket of wind push me into the 227 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: other land. Now, I thought to myself, you know he's 228 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: calling it a pocket of wind. But I know that's 229 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: the Angel of the Lord, that's God's end of protection. 230 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: That's another memorial stone that I can put out in 231 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: my life. I know, if it were not for the 232 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: goodness of God, I might not be here to diae. 233 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: Could have been killed, could have been crippled. But once 234 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: again God showed up and made a way when it 235 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: looked like there was no way. I don't take that 236 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: for granted. I remember the great things God has done 237 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: in my life, and I love how in the Old 238 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: Testament they celebrated their victories. They had these big feasts. 239 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 1: They had dancing and music and singing, these festivals. Can 240 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: you imagine today, You're having a big party at your house. 241 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: Music is going, everybody's having fun. One of your neighbors 242 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 1: comes over, he says, hey, what kind of party you 243 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: have in Super Bowl party, wadding party, birthday party. You 244 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: tell them, no, we're just celebrating what God has done. 245 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: Five years ago, he spared my life in an accident, 246 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: we're having a party. Or maybe ten years ago God 247 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: set me free from so many addictions, so we're just 248 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: celebrating it tonight. Or how about twenty five years ago 249 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: God healed my mother of terminal cancer. So we're just 250 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: taking this time to thank him right now. A lot 251 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: of people today they're partying. But we need to learn 252 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: to celebrate the great things God has done in our lives. 253 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: When we really learned to focus on God's goodness, we'll 254 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: get up each morning with a smile on our face, 255 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: a spring in our step. We'll go through that day 256 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: full of praise, full of thanksgiving. My father used to 257 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: tell about this old country farmer. He was always shouting 258 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: and rejoicing, just had that song of thanksgiving coming out 259 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: of his heart. He was kind of a radical praiser 260 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: like some people I know, and his friends were always 261 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: giving him a hard time about why he was so 262 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: happy and why he was always smiling. One day, he 263 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: was out walking with his mule, and those friends came 264 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: up and they say, hey, we just can't figure you out. 265 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: You never look like you're in a bad mood. You're 266 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: never down and depressed, You're always so happy. What is 267 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: it with you? He said, let me tell you what 268 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: it is. Years ago, I was an alcoholic, had so 269 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: many addictions, messed up in my marriage. My kids wouldn't 270 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: talk to me, no joy, no peace. But one day 271 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: I got down on my knees ask God to help me, 272 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: and little by little he began to change me. He 273 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: broke the addictions off my life, He restored my marriage, 274 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: gave me a new sense of purpose, filled me with 275 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: his joy and his peace. And today I'm free, I'm happy, 276 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: I'm whole. The more he talked about it, the more 277 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: excited he got. Finally, he said, guys, God's done so 278 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: much for me. I just can't keep quiet. Will you 279 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: do me a favor? Hold my mule while I shout? 280 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: And really, that's the way we need to be when 281 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: we think about all God's done. We think about his 282 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: goodness and mercy, think about how He's healed us, restored us, 283 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: guided us. Our attitude should be, I just can't keep quiet. 284 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: Will you hold my chevy? 285 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 2: Why? 286 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: I shout? And I realized we all face obstacles in life. 287 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: But what I'm saying today is one of the things 288 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: that helps us to get past the difficulties is we 289 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: go back and we remember the great things God has done. 290 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: That's a key to staying in faith. Remember your victories, 291 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: remember your successes, Remember how God turned it around. And 292 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: know this, if God did it for you once He'll 293 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: do it for you again. We might as well be 294 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: happy today. I believe every one of us can look 295 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: back in life and we can testify to the faithfulness 296 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: of God. You may have been through difficult times, but 297 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: you can say with me, I'm still standing, I've still 298 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: got a smile on my face, I'm still excited about 299 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: my future. Most every one of us, we would not 300 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: be here if it were not for the goodness of God. 301 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: And I'm asking you to get your memorial stones out today. 302 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: Learn to recall often how God has blessed you, guided you, 303 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: protected you, led you, healed you. In fact, the scripture 304 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: tells us we should be so filled with gratitude that 305 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: we tell these things to our children, to our grandchildren. 306 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: We're supposed to pass down the goodness of God. In 307 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: other words, you call your children in, you say, in effect, 308 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: this memorial stone is for when God spared my life 309 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: on the freeway. Is for when God healed my mother. 310 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: This is for when God called my father to preach, 311 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: lifted him out of mediocrity, did something great with his life. 312 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: What are you remembering today? What kind of memorial stones 313 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: do you have out? Some people choose to only remember 314 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: the pain the disappointments, the heartaches, they're failures. They're always 315 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: focused on the negative. All joyed it so hard, and 316 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: my back's hurting, child's off course, dishwasher broke, dog's depressed. 317 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: No quick dwelling on that junk. It's only going to 318 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: make you more depressed. Start thinking about all the times 319 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: that God brought you through. Think about that time where 320 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: you were so tired and worn out you didn't think 321 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 1: you could go on. But God renewed your strength, restored 322 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: your vision, gave you a new beginning. Here you are today, 323 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: still going strong. Think about the time it didn't look 324 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: like your plan was going to work out, didn't look 325 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 1: like you'd get that new position, or maybe it didn't 326 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: look like you'd qualify for that new home. But all 327 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: of a sudden, God intervened. He showed you his people 328 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: went out of their way to help you. Everything fell 329 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: into place. Don't take that for granted. It may have 330 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: happened ten years ago. That's okay. Recall it often, well, Joel, 331 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: if God would just do something big in my life, No, 332 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: if you're not choosing to do it now, then no 333 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: matter what God does, you will find some excuse not 334 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: to do it. That's what the children of Israel did. 335 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: God did so much for them. He supernaturally brought them 336 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: out of slavery. He sent plague after plg on their enemies. 337 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: An amazing thing was they were living right among them. 338 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: Those plagues never bothered them. God eventually brought them out, 339 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: delivered them from years of bondage and abuse. And as 340 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: they were leaving, you know the story, they came to 341 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,880 Speaker 1: a dead end at the Red Sea. Pharaoh changed his mind. 342 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: He was chasing after them. They looked as good as dead, 343 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: looked pretty hopeless. But God supernaturally parted the Red Sea, 344 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: drowned their enemies. Now they're headed toward the Promised Land. 345 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: You would think they would be so grateful, so excited, 346 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: so full of faith. That amazing to me is how 347 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,880 Speaker 1: quickly they got discouraged, How quickly they started complaining. It 348 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: wasn't any time before they were saying, Moses, what are 349 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: we gonna eat out here? What are we gonna drink? 350 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: There's not any food. We're in the wilderness. We may 351 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: starve to death. Now, you would think, since they just 352 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: saw God part the Red Sea, they just saw miracle 353 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: after miracle, surely they would be convinced that God was 354 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: going to take care of them. You know their problem, 355 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: They forgot what God had done. They were so busy 356 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: focused on their present problems they forgot about all the 357 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: miraculous things that God had done in the past. And 358 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: it's one of the few times in the Bible where 359 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 1: it talks about God getting angry. Notice God didn't get 360 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,479 Speaker 1: angry at a bunch of sinners. He got angry at 361 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: people that took for granted his goodness. He got angry 362 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: at people that were not being grateful for what He 363 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: had done. I don't know about you, but no matter 364 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: what comes my way in life, instead of complaining about it, 365 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: instead of thinking, well, well, I'll probably never get out 366 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: of debt, I'll probably never get out of this mess. 367 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: I don't see how my dreams are gonna come to pass. No, 368 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: instead of doing that, I'm gonna go back and remember 369 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: all the red seas that God has parted in my life. 370 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna remember how God spared my life on the freeway. 371 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna remember how God gave me a beautiful wife. 372 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: I will remember how God healed my mother. I'm will 373 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: remember how against all odds God gave us this beautiful facility, 374 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,880 Speaker 1: the compact center. Let's remember what God has done. Let's 375 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: don't do like they did. We have to make a decision. 376 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: We're gonna recall the good things God's done in our lives. Now. 377 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: I would encourage you to keep a notebook, something like 378 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: a diary or a journal. And when something happens that 379 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: you know is God. You know God opened up a door. 380 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: You know God spared your life, or you know God 381 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: spoke to you. You were down and God quickened the scripture, 382 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 1: lifted your spirits. Will write that down. It would do 383 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: us all good to have a record of the good 384 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: things that God has done for us. And I found 385 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: if you don't write it down, it's very easy to 386 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: forget it. I know the other day I was in 387 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: the lobby talking to a gentleman. He was explaining this 388 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: certain situation, and he said one particular phrase that gave 389 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: me clear insight. It gave me clear direction. He didn't 390 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: even realize he had said it. I didn't make a 391 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: big deal about it, but on the inside, it was 392 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 1: like a bomb went off. I knew that was God's 393 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: speaking to me, giving me the answer that I needed. 394 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: And so I went home and I wrote it down. 395 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: I thought, here's another example of how God has directed 396 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: my steps over the years. I've had several dreams at 397 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: night that I knew were from God. When I got 398 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: up the next morning, first thing I did, typed it out, 399 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: put it away in my files. I don't want to 400 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: forget that. Fifty years from now, I'll pass it down 401 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: to my grandchildren. It's another way of saying, here's something 402 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: that God is doing in our family line. And it 403 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 1: may not always be something big, just something little, but 404 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: you know it's God. You bump into somebody, they introduce 405 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: you to another person, and that leads to you getting 406 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: a new client. Write that down. Maybe you're driving down 407 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: the freeway, see a billboard and you get an idea. 408 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: You take it to the office, they like it. It 409 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: leads to a promotion. Recognize that's God at work in 410 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: your life. Write that down, and then on a regular basis, 411 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: you need to get that notebook out and read about 412 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: all the great things God has done in your life. 413 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,640 Speaker 1: You're talking about encouraging you. When you start reading about 414 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: how God opened up this door for you, protected you 415 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: over here, restored you here, healed you there. That's going 416 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: to build your faith learn to meditate on these good things. 417 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: And especially in our times of difficulty, especially when we're 418 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: tempted to get discouraged, we need to get that notebook 419 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: out and read it again and again and again, get 420 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: it deep down on the inside of you. If you 421 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: do that, you will not go through the day discouraged 422 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: and defeated. You will know that, you know that, you 423 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,160 Speaker 1: know that God is in control of your life. He's 424 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: got you in the palm of his hand. He's going 425 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: to bring you through with the victory. And this is 426 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: what they did back in the Old Testament. You remember 427 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: how they used to always carry around their staff. Really, 428 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: that staff was more than a walking stick. It was 429 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 1: more than just something to keep the wild animals away. 430 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: Back in those days, they were a nomadic people. They 431 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: were always on the move, and of course they didn't 432 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: have paper and files and computers like we have today. 433 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: And one of the ways they kept important records and 434 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,679 Speaker 1: important events is that they would carve that on their staff. 435 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: They would etch it in there. That was their personal record. 436 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,919 Speaker 1: For instance, on this date, we defeated the Amalekites. On 437 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: this date, my son was born. On this date, God 438 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: gave us water out of a rock on this date 439 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: God delivered us out of bondage. Their staff was literally 440 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: a record of their history with God. Think about when 441 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: Moses parted the Red Sea. What did he do? He 442 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 1: held up his staff. He was saying, God, I thank 443 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: you for all you've done in the past, and I 444 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: hold this staff up, remembering how time and time again 445 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: you've delivered us supernaturally. You've worked in our lives, and 446 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: we just thank you that you're going to do it again. 447 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: They were remembering the good things God had done. That 448 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: staff was kind of like their journal. You remember, when 449 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: David went to face Goliath, he didn't just take a 450 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: slingshot and some stones. The Bible says he took his staff. 451 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: Why because his staff had his history with God. No 452 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: doubt on that staff he had etched in there on 453 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,400 Speaker 1: this date, I killed a lion with my bare hands. 454 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: God gave me that victory. On this date I killed 455 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: a bear all by myself. When he went to face Goliath, 456 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: he made sure he took his staff because that reminded 457 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: him how much God had helped him in the past. 458 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: And I can imagine just before he went out to fight, 459 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: he read over it one more time. His attitude was God, 460 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: you did it for me back then, and I know 461 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: you're gonna do it for me now. And some of 462 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: you today you need to get your staff out. You're 463 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: facing some big obs too in your life, and instead 464 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: of sitting around getting depressed wondering how it's ever going 465 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: to work out, you need to start meditating on how 466 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: far God's already brought you. Start dwelling on your victories. 467 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 1: Start thinking about the times you've killed the lion in 468 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: the bear, so to speak, in your own life now. 469 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe there were a few lines that 470 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: David didn't kill, Maybe there were a few bears that 471 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: got the best of him. But you notice he wasn't 472 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: talking about it. He wasn't sitting around thinking, oh, yeah, Golia, 473 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: it's pretty big. And one day I did get beat 474 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: up by Josiah's sister. No, his mind wasn't focused on that. 475 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: He was focused on his victories. He was meditating on 476 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: how God had helped him in the past. You know 477 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: the story he went out there and defeated Goliath, and 478 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: I'm sure it's that in his staff. He put that 479 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: in his journal. Here's another thing that God has helped 480 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: me to do. I want to encourage you today to 481 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,959 Speaker 1: get your staff out start remembering the great things that 482 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: God has done in your life. You may not be 483 00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: as far as you would like, but when you look back, 484 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: you need to remember how God has led you, protected you, 485 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: promoted you, increased you all along the way. Don't take 486 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: that for granted. When something good happens, you know it's 487 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,440 Speaker 1: from God. Write it down and then get that book 488 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: out again and again it again. Read over that, meditate 489 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,200 Speaker 1: on it, get it deep down on the inside, fringe. 490 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,479 Speaker 1: There's power in remembery. And if you'll use your memory 491 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: for the right purposes to recall your victories, recall your successes, 492 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: recall what God has done, then that's going to build 493 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: your faith. No matter what comes against you in life. 494 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: Just like David, you'll rise above it. You'll know if 495 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: God did it for you once, he'll do it for 496 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: you again. Amen. Do you receive it today? I know 497 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,719 Speaker 1: you do. And we never like to close our broadcast 498 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 499 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, 500 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 501 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,640 Speaker 1: I make you my lord savior. Friends, if you pray 502 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: that simple prayer. We believe you got born again. Get 503 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 504 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 1: He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. 505 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 2: Our negative thinking can short circuit God's power and blessing 506 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 2: in our lives. When you say, I always seem to worry. 507 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 2: I can't forgive what was done to me. I pray, 508 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 2: but it feels like God doesn't hear. I won't have 509 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 2: enough to provide for me and my family. How do 510 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 2: you overcome this type of negative thinking that limits you 511 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 2: from God's best. 512 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: Our thinking sets the limits for our life. Every morning, 513 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: you have to power up your mind, get it going 514 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: in the right direction, but dwelling on what God says 515 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: about you. When you think thoughts of faith, hope, and victory, 516 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: you'll tap into blessing and favor that belongs to you. Now. 517 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: I love to send you my newest book. It's called 518 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: Power Up. I'll show you how to delete negative thoughts 519 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: and focus on the promises rather than the problem. 520 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 2: You can discover God's unprecedented power in your life. As 521 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,199 Speaker 2: our way of saying thank you for your gift of 522 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 2: any amount to the ministry this month, Joel and Victoria 523 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 2: would like to send you this life altering resource, power Up, 524 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 2: a twenty one day action plan to transformative thinking. God 525 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 2: wants to power up every area of your life, your relationships, career, finances, health. 526 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 2: He wants to bless it all. But sometimes negative thinking 527 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 2: can short circuit the truth. This resource reconnects those power lines, 528 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 2: providing the free flow of God's eternal promises. Remember, wherever 529 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 2: you're at, whatever you're facing, you can make the choice 530 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 2: to power up and access God's promises. 531 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: When your mind is going in the right direction, your 532 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: life will go in the right direction. Start powering up 533 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: each day and watch what God will do. Victory and 534 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: I want you to know that we pray for you 535 00:28:56,040 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: and your family. We appreciate your prayer and support. Generosity 536 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: is impacting so many lives. Remember you can watch the 537 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: services live online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, 538 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: watch our YouTube channel, listen on Serious Exam. But until 539 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. 540 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of power Up, a 541 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 2: twenty one day action plan to transformative thinking today. Visit 542 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 2: Joelustin dot com or call us told free