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See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:34.200 Hi, this is Joel. Thanks so much for downloading the podcast. 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:37.120 I believe you'll be inspired and challenged. I hope you 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:52.360 enjoy the message. Well, I'll bless you. It's a joy 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:54.720 to come into your homes. And if you're ever in 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.280 our area, please stop buying. Be a part of one 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:00.000 of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:03.240 right at home. Not like to start with something funny. 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:07.480 And one day Adam was feeling very lonely. God said 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.680 Adam I'm going to make you a companion. It's going 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:14.080 to be called a woman. This person will cook for 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:18.280 you and wash your clothes. She will bear you children 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.440 and never ask you to get up in the middle 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.680 of the night. She will always agree with you, and 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:26.320 if you have a disagreement, she'll be the first to 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:30.200 admit she was wrong. Adam said, Wile, God, what will 0:02:30.200 --> 0:02:33.240 a woman like this cost? God said an arm and 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:36.960 a leg. Adam said, what can I get for a rib? 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:41.080 And the rest is history? Say it like you mean it. 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.480 This is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.240 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:49.800 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:53.720 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:57.000 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:02.200 the same. In Jesus' name, bless you. I want to 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.840 talk to you today about sleep on. It's easy to 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:09.840 live frustrated because somebody's not doing what we want, or 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:13.919 discouraged because of a disappointment, upset because a dream hasn't 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:18.839 come to pass. But I've learned God doesn't remove every frustration. 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:22.880 He doesn't change every person we don't like and take 0:03:22.919 --> 0:03:27.480 away everything that's bothering us. The scripture says be still 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.799 and know that He is God. This implies if we're 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:36.960 not still, if we're upset, worried, frustrated, we're not going 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:40.560 to know that he is God. Most of the times 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.960 I'm frustrated, I'm trying to change things that only God 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:49.040 can change. I'm trying to be God and fix things 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.880 that I can't control. You can't make people do what's right. 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:56.680 You can't make yourself do well. If you're trying to 0:03:56.960 --> 0:04:01.160 control everything, you're going to be frustrated. You have to 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.800 turn it over to God. Do what you can, then 0:04:04.920 --> 0:04:08.480 let him take care of the rest. Life is too 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:12.400 short to live frustrated because we're not getting our ways, 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:17.960 frustrated because something unfair has happened. God wouldn't have allowed 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:20.760 it if it was going to keep you from your purpose. 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.280 It's a test. Are you going to let it steal 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:27.960 your joy, live stressed out? Or are you going to 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:31.960 be still and know that He is God? If God 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:35.120 is not changing it, you have to be mature enough 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.440 to say, God, I don't like it, but I know 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:41.640 you've allowed it, and until you change it, I'm going 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:45.200 to stay in peace. And enjoy my life. The real 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:50.960 victory when God does everything you want, removes all your frustrations. 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.840 The real victory is when those things happen, but it 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.680 doesn't bother you anymore. You're at peace. You know God 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:03.080 is still in control. Matthew twenty six. Jesus was about 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:06.320 to be betrayed and go to the cross. He went 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:10.440 with his disciples to a place called Gasimone. He was 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:14.400 so troubled and so overwhelmed. He asked his disciples to 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.160 stay there and pray for him. He went away by himself, 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:22.480 fell on the ground, said, Father, if it's possible, take 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:25.279 this cup from me and a little while. He went 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:28.760 back to check on his disciples, hoping to gain some strength, 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.200 some encouragement from them. But when he showed up, he 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:36.600 found that they were all sound asleep. He couldn't believe it. 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:39.599 He woke them up and said, guys, couldn't you stay 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.440 up and pray for me? This is the biggest challenge 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:46.039 I've ever faced. He was kind of frustrated. He asked 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:51.359 them again, even more emphatically, please stay awake. The spirit 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:55.440 is willing, but the flesh is weak. Pray. Jesus went 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:59.160 again by himself, to pray. He thought, for sure, this 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.240 time they got the man. He came back a little later, 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:07.279 same thing, still sleeping. You can imagine how disappointed he was. 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:11.640 He turned around, went back to pray some more. Then 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:14.440 he thought, I'll go check on them one last time. 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.000 This third time, I know they'll be praying. After all 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:20.440 I've done for them. I know they'll be standing in 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.440 faith with me. He went back the third time, but 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:27.760 they were still sleeping. This time, he didn't try to 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:31.200 wake them up. He didn't try to get them to 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:34.640 before him. He looked at them and said sleep on. 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:38.080 He came to the point where he didn't let it 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.719 bother him anymore. He could have kept waking them up, 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:47.280 trying to make it happen, being frustrated. Instead, he accepted 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.960 he wasn't going to have their support. He accepted it 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:54.640 wasn't going to work out his way. He didn't fight it. 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.680 He didn't let it frustrate him anymore. He said sleep 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:03.680 on and moved forward. There are times in life when 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.400 things don't work out the way we want it. The 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:09.720 people we were counting on weren't there for us. The 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:14.480 medical report wasn't good, the dream isn't happening on our timetable. 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:18.480 We could be frustrated. We did the right thing, we 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:22.040 stayed in faith, but it's not working out. You have 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:26.560 to do what Jesus did. Tell the disappointment, tell the delay, 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:31.239 tell the frustration. Sleep on. You're not going to bother 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:34.440 me anymore. I know God is still on the throne. 0:07:34.800 --> 0:07:37.640 I know he's fighting my battles and he will get 0:07:37.640 --> 0:07:40.840 me to where I'm supposed to be. Are there some 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:44.680 things you need to tell? Sleep on? That person you've 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:48.000 been trying to change, No matter how hard you try, 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:51.440 they won't do what you want. It's time to say 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:55.920 sleep on. You can't control people. You can't make them 0:07:55.960 --> 0:08:00.600 do what's right. Pray for them, be respectful, but don't 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:04.480 go the next thirty years letting them frustrate you. Two 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:09.440 simple words can change your life. Sleep on. Jesus wanted 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:13.440 his disciples support. He deserved it, he had been good 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:18.080 to them. But sometimes God will pull back people's support. 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:22.200 He knows if they're there all the time, then you 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:25.480 would become dependent on them. You would think they were 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:29.680 your source, they were your savior. You don't need everyone 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:33.240 you think you need. God has already lined up the 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:36.120 right people to come into your life to help you 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:40.520 reach your destiny. The right people. You don't have to 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:43.599 play up to. You don't have to try to manipulate, 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:47.320 convince them to be for you, convince them to stay away. 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:51.360 They'll be for you through thick and thin. They'll show 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:54.520 up when you didn't ask. They'll encourage you when nobody 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:59.160 else is around. But sometimes we're being frustrated by people 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:03.000 that are going to be for us. We're spending all 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:06.360 this energy trying to win them over, no matter how 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.280 good we are to them. Every time we need them, 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:14.320 they're asleep, they're busy, they're not interested. I've heard it 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:18.160 said quit swimming across an ocean to be good to 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.760 someone that won't walk across a puddle to be good 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:26.439 to you. And I'm all for overcoming evil with good, 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:31.160 blessing our enemies, But the scripture says, don't cast your 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:36.439 pearl among swine. Your pearl is your gift, your personality, 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.600 your annoying, it's who God made you to be. Some 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:44.040 people won't value your pearl. They won't respect your gift, 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:47.720 they won't recognize what you have to offer. The calling, 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:50.920 the favor on your life and your time is too 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:55.400 valuable to waste it with people that discount your pearl. 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:58.959 Don't hang around people that try to lessen you, or 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:00.679 you feel like you have to p Prove to them 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.360 who you are. Prove to them why they should be 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:07.360 your friend. You don't need their approval. You have Almighty 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:12.000 God's approval. He breeds his life into you. He crowned 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:15.920 you with favor. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:20.520 Hang around people that celebrate your pearl, people that polish 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.880 your pearl, people that respect your pearl. Too often we're 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:28.280 trying to drag someone along. Convince them to like us, 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.920 Convince them to stay awake. Do yourself a favor, tell 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:35.559 them sleep on. If you'll let go of the wrong people, 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:40.200 God will bring the right people. He'll send you divine connections, 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:44.800 people that will love you for who you are and 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.320 not for what you can do for them. People that 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:50.120 will inspire you to go further. People that will bring 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.760 out the best in you. People that will cause your 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:57.199 pearl to shine. But Jesus was wise enough to recognize 0:10:57.320 --> 0:11:01.160 the disciples couldn't stop the plant God for his life. 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:05.200 Their lack of support couldn't keep him from doing what 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.559 his father called him to do, and they were good people. 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:13.560 They loved him. But sometimes good people won't be there 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:16.959 for you. It's a test. Are you going to get 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:20.920 frustrated and keep trying to wake them up or are 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.640 you going to recognize it's a new season and say 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:28.920 sleep on. Here's the key. If they didn't wake up, 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.440 you don't need them for this season. If they're not 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:35.840 giving you what they used to give you, that means 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.280 God has taken you to a higher level. He's winning 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:43.439 you off the support, the encouragement. It's like a little baby. 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:47.320 They love to have their bottle, makes them comfortable, makes 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:50.679 them feel secure, and that's fine as long as they're 0:11:50.720 --> 0:11:53.240 a year or too old. But if they're forty seven 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:57.600 walking around with that bottle, that's a problem. But as parents, 0:11:58.160 --> 0:12:01.240 when we take the bottle away from our children, they 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:05.600 don't like it, they're uncomfortable, but we do it so 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:11.200 it won't limit their growth. Sometimes God will make you uncomfortable. 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:15.079 He'll take something away that you were used to. A 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:18.560 friend that always called and encouraged you, a coworker that 0:12:18.679 --> 0:12:21.360 always helped you with the report, a neighbor you could 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:25.520 always count on to go somewhere together. It's because God 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.880 is winning you off that bottle, so to speak. As 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.760 long as you're dependent on people, it will limit how 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:37.520 high you can go when God removes the support. When 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:40.320 he takes away someone that you were used to, don't 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:43.559 get mad at them. Don't keep trying to wake them up. 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:47.040 God put them to sleep. You can't open a door 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.680 that God is closed. That friend that's not there anymore. 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:54.679 The disappointment, you may not like it. It may be painful, 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:59.600 but it's ordained by God. You have to recognize that's 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:03.160 a sign you'll come in up higher. That discomfort means 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:07.280 you'll go into a new level. Everyone that's with you 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:10.520 now may not be able to go where you're going. 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:15.199 Some people are like scaffolding. They come into your life 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.200 for a season to help you reach a certain level. 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:21.400 But at some point God is going to remove the 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:25.320 scaffolding so you can shine. It's not that they're not 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:29.000 good people, but their part in your story is over. 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:33.520 God's taken you to a higher level. Quit being frustrated 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.719 by somebody that's not supporting you like they used to. 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:39.440 Why don't they call me anymore? Joel? Why don't they 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.880 compliment me? The right attitude is I love you, I 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.880 respect you, but I don't have to have your support, 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:51.040 your compliment, your encouragement. Sleep on. We spend too much 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:55.280 time trying to get people's approval, trying to get them 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:58.760 to validate us. Then we'll feel good about ourselves. The 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:03.040 problem with get your validation from people is people can 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:07.280 change their mind. One moment, people were cheering for Jesus, 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:12.640 shouting Hosanna, waving palm branches. A few days later, those 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:18.240 same people were shouting crucifying. People can have a short memory, 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:20.960 people can go to sleep. And if you're getting your 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:24.160 value based on what people give you, how much they 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.680 compliment you, then if for some reason they stop doing that, 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:31.640 you'll forget who you are. Your self worth is coming 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:35.280 from them. Quit relying on people and go to God. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:39.920 You don't need their approval. You have God's approval. But 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:43.880 in life we all go through gasmone. We all have 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.560 disappointments and things we don't understand. But I've learned God 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:53.800 gives us grace for every gosmone grace for every unfair situation. 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.440 It's very freeing when you can look at the people 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:00.600 that have left, you can look at the disappointment and 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:05.120 say sleep on. Amazing things are up ahead if you 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:09.400 don't give up in Gossemone. Yes, there will be crosses 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:13.880 to bear, betrayals, setbacks, but can I encourage you? If 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:17.880 you keep moving forward, there will be resurrections, There will 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:21.240 be new beginnings, times where God pays you back for 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:25.800 what was unfair, Times were God catapult you years ahead. 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:31.160 Don't get stuck in Gasemone. Don't let the sickness cause 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:34.880 you to become bitter. You don't understand it, it's not fair. 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:39.080 You could say God, why this doesn't make sense? Or 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.480 you can look at the frustration, the discouragement, the fear 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.720 and say sleep on. I'm not going to drag through 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:49.080 this day defeated. I may be in Gosemite, but I 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:53.960 know a resurrection is coming. Gasemone doesn't have to stop you. 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:57.720 God wouldn't have allowed it if it wasn't going to 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:02.880 somehow move you towards your The next time that coworker 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.280 is rude to you, instead of being upset, just smile 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:10.480 and say sleep on. When that car cuts you off 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:14.040 in traffic, instead of saying what you normally say, try 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:18.760 a new approach. Sleep on. You're not approving their behavior. 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:23.720 You're not enabling them. You're simply saying your actions are 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.920 not going to control my life. This traffic is not 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:30.200 going to ruin my morning, This setback is not going 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:33.960 to sour the rest of my future. Maybe you need 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:38.360 to tell your past, sleep on. You had a tough childhood, 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.800 you went through a rough divorce, you lost a loved one. 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:46.840 Tell the hurts, tell the questions, tell the failures. Sleep On. 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:51.960 I've learned you're either feeding your history or you're feeding 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:56.400 your destiny. But you can't feed both. You're either looking back, 0:16:57.320 --> 0:17:01.480 living in regrets, thinking of everything that went wrong, or 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:05.240 you're looking ahead saying, God, I know what was meant 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:08.320 for harm. You're turning to my advantage. I know you 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:11.639 have beauty for these ashes. I know weeping indoors for 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:15.160 a night, but joy's coming in the morning. If you're 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:19.720 always feeding your history, you're going to be frustrated, guilty, 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:24.360 angry in self pity. Do yourself a favor. Tell your history, 0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:29.679 sleep On. You can't go forward if you're always looking backwards. 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:33.479 You can't see the new things on the horizon. If 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:37.879 you're focused on what's behind, Start feeding your destiny. Father, 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.679 thank you that your plans for me are for good. 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.359 Thank you that the path of the righteous gets brighter 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:46.040 and brighter. Thank you that you hold victory in store 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:49.280 for the upright. If you'll get your mind going in 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.640 the right direction, your life will go in the right direction. 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.160 I talked to a gentleman last week. He'd gone through 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:59.800 a lot of disappointments. His marriage of many years had ended, 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:04.800 a very successful career went downhill, everything fell apart. He 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:08.119 was so discouraged he was going to end his life. 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:10.320 He got in his car and was driving to a 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:14.040 remote place. He turned the radio on and just so 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.720 happened to tune into our serious exem station. I was 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:21.800 talking about not looking back, not reliving the hurts and failures, 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:25.359 and how God has good things up ahead. He said, 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:29.080 when he heard that, it was like somebody breathed new 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:33.520 life into his spirit. Strongholds in his mind were broken. 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.680 He turned around, went back home. Today he's back on track, 0:18:37.880 --> 0:18:42.000 living a life of victory. What happened He quit feeding 0:18:42.080 --> 0:18:46.600 his history and he started feeding his destiny. If you 0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:50.679 feed your history long enough, it will pull you into depression. 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:54.000 The enemy would love to keep you so focused on 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:57.440 your hurts and what didn't work out that you're too 0:18:57.520 --> 0:19:02.000 discouraged to move forward, fall into that trap. You wouldn't 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:06.119 be alive unless God had something amazing in front of you. 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:10.160 You may be in Yosemite, a place of discouragement frustration, 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.399 but if you'll say sleep on and start thinking some 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:16.920 new thoughts, then you're headed for a resurrection. You're headed 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:20.600 for a new beginning, a place of restoration. A few 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:22.919 years ago, I was flying to an event with some 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:25.639 of our staff, and we were on a smaller plane 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:29.080 that held a couple dozen people. After it took off, 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:31.439 I wanted to open up my tray table so I 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:35.080 could write some notes. The table was in the side 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:38.960 of the plane, right underneath the window. I pulled and pulled, 0:19:38.960 --> 0:19:41.800 but I couldn't get it open. My friend was sitting 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.119 across the aisle. His looked exactly the same, and he 0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:48.600 pulled his straight out no problem. I went back to 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:52.200 mine and I pulled, I yanked, I struggled. I thought, 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:54.520 I'm going to get this table open if it's the 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:58.400 last thing I do. It was stuck. My friend came over. 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:01.040 He started pulling and pulling up other staff member. They 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:04.639 pulled and pulled. It wouldn't budge. I sat across the aisle. 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.600 Kind of frustrated about that time, I looked up and 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:12.000 over the window where we had been pulling, there was 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:16.199 a sign with big bold letters. It read not a 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:23.840 trade table, emergency exit only. Sometimes what we're frustrated about 0:20:24.400 --> 0:20:29.560 is God keeping us from real frustration. In my case, 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:35.639 God keeping me alive. If God answered all of our prayers, 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:39.320 opened every door we asked him to open, brought every 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:43.439 person we begged him to bring, we wouldn't reach our destiny. 0:20:43.720 --> 0:20:46.560 The longer I live, the easier it is for me 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:50.440 to say sleep on. I may not understand it, it 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:53.639 may not make sense, but I've learned God is smarter 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:56.720 than I am. He can see things I cannot see. 0:20:56.760 --> 0:21:01.400 He knows what he's doing. I wonder if what's frustrating 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:05.439 you has an emergency exit only sign on it, and 0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:08.720 you can't see it. You don't understand why God won't 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:11.560 answer the prayer, why the dream is taking so long, 0:21:11.920 --> 0:21:15.000 and why that guy at work you like so much 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:18.840 hasn't even noticed you. You've worn your best clothes, your 0:21:18.880 --> 0:21:21.720 best perfume, given him your best move. He acts like 0:21:21.760 --> 0:21:26.679 he's dead. Maybe it's because God can see something you 0:21:26.760 --> 0:21:31.720 can't see. Maybe under his shirt is an emergency exit 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:37.040 only sign that's hidden from you. God has your best 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:40.720 interests at heart. If he's not giving you what you want, 0:21:41.040 --> 0:21:44.200 that means he has something better. He loves you too 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.840 much to let you miss your destiny. A couple of 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.880 years after I took over from my father, the church 0:21:50.920 --> 0:21:54.520 started to grow and we needed a larger auditorium. We 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:58.080 found one hundred acre tract of land right by the 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:01.359 other location, a few miles away on the freeway. It 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:05.159 seemed perfect. The owner told us the property had been 0:22:05.200 --> 0:22:08.080 on the market for twenty years. We knew God had 0:22:08.080 --> 0:22:11.439 saved that property for us. He said we didn't need 0:22:11.480 --> 0:22:14.000 to sign the contract right then. We could do some 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:18.119 preliminary drawings and do some soil samples while the paperwork 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:21.480 was getting taken care of. Several months later, we went 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:24.560 to close on the property. We had an eight o'clock 0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:27.560 in the morning appointment. We showed up at seven point 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:31.840 forty five. The secretary walked out said, I'm sorry, the 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:35.919 owner sold the property last night. I couldn't believe it. 0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:39.640 He didn't keep his word. I went home so disappointed. 0:22:40.119 --> 0:22:42.840 I told Victoria what happened and how there was no 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:45.680 more property, and how now we were stuck. She looked 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:49.480 at me and said, Joel, this means God has something better. 0:22:50.000 --> 0:22:53.920 He closed this door for a reason. She started preaching 0:22:53.920 --> 0:22:57.120 to me one of my own sermons. I didn't want 0:22:57.119 --> 0:23:00.800 to hear that. She was saying, sleep on. I said, no, no, 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:05.159 wake up, this is bad. I had to do what 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:07.640 I'm asking you to do. I said, God, I don't 0:23:07.760 --> 0:23:11.800 understand it. It doesn't seem fair. But God, I trust you. 0:23:12.480 --> 0:23:16.159 I believe you know what's best. Several months later, we 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:19.199 found another piece of property. It seemed better than the 0:23:19.240 --> 0:23:22.520 first one. We went to close on it. The same 0:23:22.640 --> 0:23:26.320 thing happened. They sold it out from under us. If 0:23:26.400 --> 0:23:28.960 you don't pass the test the first time, you get 0:23:29.000 --> 0:23:32.520 to take it again this time. I said, God, I'm 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:34.840 glad they sold the property. I didn't want it in 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:38.679 the first place. God knew I was lying, but it 0:23:38.680 --> 0:23:44.000 felt good. But six months later, a friend called said, Joel, 0:23:44.600 --> 0:23:47.600 the Houston Rockets basketball team is moving out of the 0:23:47.640 --> 0:23:51.080 Compact Center. That would be a perfect place for Lakewood. 0:23:51.320 --> 0:23:55.040 When he said that, something came alive on the inside. 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:58.280 I knew that's why God had closed those doors. He 0:23:58.359 --> 0:24:01.679 had something bigger. I never dreamed we could have the 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:05.159 compact center. Things fell into place. Here we are today. 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:08.399 What am I saying the things you're tempted to be 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:12.720 frustrated about today? If you will stay in faith, one 0:24:12.800 --> 0:24:17.080 day you'll look back and say, like me, while God, 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:22.240 you outdid yourself. I never dreamed i'd meet somebody this great. 0:24:22.960 --> 0:24:26.200 I never dreamed i'd feel this healthy. I never dreamed 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:29.280 you'd take me this far. God's plan for your life 0:24:29.440 --> 0:24:32.679 is so much bigger than your own. The real question 0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:36.800 is what will you do in Gasemone when it's not 0:24:37.000 --> 0:24:40.200 working out your way, When your friends aren't there for you, 0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:43.199 when the contract doesn't go through, when the medical report 0:24:43.280 --> 0:24:47.320