WEBVTT - Keep Growing 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. 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The unit stap 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.360 makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.160 funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.440 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:33.440 Hi, this is Joel on Wednesdays, we bring you the 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:49.800 best of I hope you enjoy the podcast. God bless 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:52.400 you and thanks for letting us come into your homes. 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:55.360 And if you're ever in our area, please stop by 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.520 and be a part of one of our services. I 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:00.320 promise you we'll make you feel right at home. Thanks 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.280 so much for tuning in, and thank you again for 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:05.280 coming out today. I like to start with something funny, 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.960 and I heard about this lady. She was on an 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:12.280 airplane reading her Bible. The men sitting next to her said, 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:14.440 you don't believe all that stuff in there? Do you? 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:17.840 She said, of course I do. It's the Bible. He said, well, 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:20.320 what about that God that got swallowed by a well? 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.440 She said, oh, you mean Jonah. Yes, I believe that too. 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.160 He said, well, how could he possibly live that long 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:30.480 inside of a well? She thought about it a moment, said, 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:32.720 I don't know. When I get to heaven, I'll have 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.280 to ask him. He said, sarcastically, what if he's not 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:38.840 in heaven? She said, then you're going to have to 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:43.400 ask him. Hold up your Bible, say it like you 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:46.440 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:48.800 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:51.960 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:55.400 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.200 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:02.880 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:07.359 I want to talk to you today about keep growing. 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:13.320 Too many people suffer from destination disease. They've reached a 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:17.440 certain level, attained a goal. Now they're coasting off of 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:21.800 what they've already learned. Studies tell us that fifty percent 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:25.640 of people after they graduate from high school will never 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:29.639 read an entire book the rest of their life. One 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:33.640 reason is we see learning as a period of life 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:36.800 instead of a way of life. We learned when we 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:40.640 were growing up in school, we had teachers, coaches, parents 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:44.320 that taught us, expected us to learn. But now we 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:47.200 think I'm out of school, done with my training, I've 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.920 got my job. But God never created us to reach 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:54.920 one level and stop. Whether you're ninety years old or 0:03:55.080 --> 0:04:00.279 nine years old, we should constantly be learning, improving our skills, 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:03.720 getting better at what we do. You have to take 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:09.680 responsibility for your growth. Growth is not automatic. What steps 0:04:09.720 --> 0:04:13.200 are you taking to get better? Are you reading books, 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:17.200 listening to teaching CDs? Are you taking any courses on 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:21.400 the internet, going to any seminars? Do you have any mentors? 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:24.400 Are you gleaning from people that know more than you? 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.599 Don't just coast through life relying off of what you've 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:34.720 already learned. You have treasure on the inside. There is skill, talent, 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:38.040 potential put in you by the creator of the universe, 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.240 but it's not going to automatically come out. It has 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:45.359 to be developed. Now, I read where the wealthiest places 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.960 on Earth are not the oil fields of the Middle East, 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:53.800 nor the diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:58.760 are the cemeteries buried in the ground are businesses that 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:02.560 were never formed, songs that were never sung, books that 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:06.600 were never written, potential that was never realized, dreams that 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:10.320 never came to pass. Don't let that be. You don't 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.839 go to your grave with your treasure still in you. 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:18.159 Keep growing, keep learning. Pablo Cosas was one of the 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:22.400 greatest cellist players that ever lived. He started playing at 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:25.200 the age of twelve, and he accomplished things that no 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:28.839 other musician did. He was known around the world as 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:32.960 the best in his field. At eighty five, he still 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.240 got up every morning and practiced five hours a day. 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:40.120 A reporter asked him why he still put so much 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:43.760 effort into it. He smiled and said, I think I'm 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:48.480 getting better. He understood this principle. When you stop learning, 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:53.440 you stop growing. Whatever you do, get better at it, 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:57.480 sharpen your skills. Don't you dare be at the same 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:00.880 place next year as you are right now. There is 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:05.640 so much opportunity to learn. There is more knowledge available 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:10.080 today than any time in history. We have no excuse 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:13.320 to not improve. We don't even have to go to 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:16.440 the library like we did in old days. You don't 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.400 even really have to go to the university the Internet 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:23.560 comes right into our living rooms. It wasn't created just 0:06:23.600 --> 0:06:26.880 to share pictures and look up movie times and play games. 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:30.000 That's all fine, but it is a tool to help 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.599 you learn, a tool to help you increase. You have 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:38.240 a responsibility not only to God, not only to your family, 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:42.279 but you owe it to yourself to develop what God's 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:46.640 put in you. If you're in cells, get better at it. 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:51.880 Read books to learn how to communicate more effectively. People 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:55.000 have gone where you're going. Listen to what they have 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:59.120 to say. Take at least fifteen minutes a day, turn 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.800 off the television and invest in yourself. You should be 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:09.520 doing something strategic and something intentional every day to improve 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:12.920 your skills, not vague. All right, Joel, I'll do it 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.960 if I have time. No, you're better than that. You 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.680 have too much in you to stay where you are. 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:23.440 Your destiny is too great to get stuck. A lot 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:27.640 of times we're sitting back saying God, I'm waiting on you, God, 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.920 I'm waiting for my big break. Let me tell you 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:34.440 who gets the big breaks. People that are prepared, people 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:38.040 that have developed their skills. You got to be proactive 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:41.840 and take these steps to grow. When God sees you 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.600 doing your part, developing what He's given you. Then he 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:48.520 will do his part and open doors that no man 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:53.280 can shut by you say, Joel, I'm busy. I don't 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:56.200 have extra time to take training courses. I don't have 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:58.840 time to read books learn something new off all behind. 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.840 Like these two lumberjacks. They were out chopping down trees. 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.040 One said, I'm going to take a break and go 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.080 sharpen my axe. The other said, I don't have time 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:12.400 to do that, got too much work to do. He 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:15.600 kept chopping and chopping. The other man went and sharpened 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:19.320 his axe, came back three hours later and chopped down 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:23.440 twice as many trees. Sometimes you need to take a 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:28.000 break and sharpen your axe. If you'll sharpen your skills, 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:31.360 you'll get more done in less time. If you'll sharpen 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:34.680 your skills, you may not have to work so hard. 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:39.320 Whether you're a teacher, a mechanic, a banker, a doctor. 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:43.160 Don't settle where you are and just coast off of 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.679 what you've already learned. Stir up what God's put in 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:50.920 you and get better at it. Sharpen your axe. This 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:54.679 is a call to action. There are amazing things in 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:58.840 your future. God has shifted things in your favor. Now. 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:02.720 God is looking for people who are prepared, people that 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:06.360 are taking steps to grow, people that are serious about 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:10.480 fulfilling their destiny. This is what David did. He was 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:14.040 out in the shepherd's fields taking care of his father's sheep. 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:19.000 In today's terms, he had a minimum wage job. It 0:09:19.120 --> 0:09:24.440 was boring, no friends, no opportunity for growth. David could 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:29.960 have slacked off, been sloppy, unmotivated, thought no reason to 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:34.320 develop my skills. I'm stuck out here with these sheep now. 0:09:34.440 --> 0:09:38.040 While he was out there all alone, instead of being 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:43.440 lazy killing time, he got his slingshot out and started practicing, 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:47.400 day after day, month after month. I can see him 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:53.360 setting up that target, slinging that stone again and again, practicing, learning, 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:58.520 making adjustments, getting better, sharpening his skills. When a coyote 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:01.240 or wild animal try to attack one of his sheep 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.360 is no problem. David took that sling in that stone 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:10.079 and nailed it. David was a sharpshooter, a marksman so skilled, 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:13.600 so precise, he could hit a bull's eye one hundred 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:18.400 meters away. When God needed someone to slay a giant, 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:22.959 someone to lead his chosen people. He looked to see 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.160 who was prepared, who had developed his skills. God didn't 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:31.560 just choose anybody. He chose a skilled marksman that could 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.400 hit a target with exact precision. In the same way, 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.080 when God is looking for people to promote today, he 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.160 doesn't just close his eyes and randomly say, well, I'll 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.079 pick you. You won the lottery, it's your lucky day. No, 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:49.480 God looks for people who have developed their skills. And 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:54.040 when David stood before Goliath and slung that stone, sometimes 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.600 we think that was all God, and yes, in a sense, 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.000 I know it was God. But the truth is God. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:03.160 God didn't sling the stone. God didn't cause it to 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:06.320 hit at just the right spot. It was the skill 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:11.720 God gave David that he had developed. Like David, God 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:14.319 is put in each one of you skill that can 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.920 slay a giant. You have skill that can open new doors, 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.440 skills that can lead to an abundant life. But the 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:25.240 key is that skill has to be developed. Every day 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:29.960 you spend growing, learning, improving. You're getting prepared for that 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:33.840 new level. You may be at a lower position now 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:37.600 doing something that feels insignificant. You know you have so 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:40.680 much more in you. You could easily slack off and 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:45.160 think there's no future here. I'll get prepared after I 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:48.400 get that promotion. I'll sharp enough after I get that 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:51.560 big break. Then maybe I'll take some courses, lose a 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:55.120 few pounds, have a better attitude, buy some new clothes. No, 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:59.040 you've got it backwards. You've got to start improving right 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:03.640 where you are. Start sharpening your skills while you're waiting. 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:09.760 Study your boss, study your manager, learn that position, be 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:13.840 able to step into their shoes. When God sees you prepared, 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:17.360 that he can open new doors. The scripture says, there 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:21.680 your gifts will make room for you. If no new 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:25.600 doors are opening, don't get discouraged. Just develop your gifts 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:30.359 in a greater way. Improve your skills. Well, Joel, my supervisor, 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:34.000 they have ten years seniority on me. They're not going anywhere. 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:38.240 Let me tell you a secret. If you'll outgrow your position, 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:43.600 outperform them, outproduce them no more than them, then God 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:46.640 will somehow, some way get you to where you're supposed 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.960 to be. Your gifts will make room for you. Don't 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.320 worry about who's in front of you, how long they've 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:55.480 been there, how it's never going to work out. You 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:59.720 just keep growing, learning, getting prepared, and the right doors 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:03.719 will open. The fact is God may not want you 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:07.320 to have your supervisor's position. That may be too low 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:10.160 for you. God may be about to thrust you right 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:13.600 past them into a whole new level. I know a 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:18.920 former receptionist. She used to answer the phone. Today she's 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:23.840 running a multi million dollar worldwide company. You develop what 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.400 God's put in you, and he'll take you further than 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:29.480 you can ever imagine. But it is easy to fall 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:34.160 into destination disease. We're comfortable, we're not stretching, not learning 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:38.000 anything new. There's nothing wrong with this. But you have 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:42.199 so much more in you. You were created to increase. 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:47.120 Studies tell us that the average person only uses eleven 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:51.280 percent of their brain. Think about how much more potential 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:55.800 we could be tapping into. Maybe you're an accountant, that's good, 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.719 but don't settle there. Why don't you go get your 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.720 CPA license. There's a new skill you can develop. That 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:06.840 gift will make more room for you. Maybe you're an electrician, 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:11.360 a mechanic, a plumber. That's great, but what steps are 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:17.000 you taking to improve in today's competitive marketplace, with the 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:21.960 economy so tight, business so bottom line oriented? If you're 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:26.640 not improving, you're falling behind. If you're at the same 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:30.600 skill level today as you were five years ago, you're 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:34.280 at a disadvantage. You need to develop your gifts in 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:37.840 such a way that your company cannot make it without you, 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:41.720 or at least things don't run nearly as smoothly when 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.880 you're not there. If you take a week off and 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:49.200 nobody misses you, all the work gets done, sales are 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:52.480 just as good. If you're the owner, that's a great thing. 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:56.360 But if you're an employee, I need to sound the alarm. 0:14:56.800 --> 0:15:00.000 If you're not being missed, then maybe you're not need 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:03.480 You need to kick it into a new gear. Produce 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.800 more than you're producing. Take classes to improve your skills. 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.760 Step it up a notch. Well, Joel, I'm at a 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:14.080 lower position. Nobody had ever missed me. No, don't use 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:17.560 that as an excuse to slack off. You have treasure 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:21.640 in you. You have skill and talent. Once it's developed, 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:25.480 it will cause you to be noticed. Proverb says, do 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:28.640 you see a man skilled in their work, they will 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:34.080 stand before kings and great men. You keep sharpening your skills, 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:37.040 and like cream, you will rise to the top. God 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:41.040 will cause you to be noticed. This is what Joseph did. 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:45.280 He started at the very bottom in the pith, sold 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:49.520 into slavery by his brothers. But Joseph didn't wait till 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:52.960 he was vindicated before he decided to be his best. 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:57.280 He developed his skills as a slave. He was so 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.400 valuable that he was put in charge of all of 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:04.200 his master's house when he was falsely accused and put 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:09.400 into prison. He was so organized, so skilled, so valuable 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:11.960 there that they put him in charge of a whole prison. 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:16.160 What is that cream rising to the top. When the 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:20.320 pharaoh needed someone to run the country and administer the 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:26.160 nationwide feeding program, Pharaoh didn't choose a cabinet member, didn't 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:31.320 choose his department head. He chose Joseph, a prisoner, a slave. 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:36.440 Why Joseph developed his skills right where he was, and 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:40.760 his gifts made room for him. Don't let where you 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:43.960 are be an excuse to not grow. I don't like 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:48.040 my job, Joel. These people don't treat me right. I'm uncomfortable. 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:51.680 I've had unfair things happen. No, the treasure is still 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.720 in you. God is saying it's time to get it out. 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:59.960 Start stretching, take some new courses, sharpen your skills. We should. 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.880 He's so productive, so full of wisdom that no matter 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:07.320 where we are, like cream, we always rise to the top. 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:12.240 And one way you will be invaluable is learned to 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:16.320 be a problem solver. That's what Joseph was. He was 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:21.040 solution oriented. Don't go to your boss and say, our 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:25.000 department's falling apart, and this manager's about to quit, and 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:28.720 Bob cursed out Jim yesterday, and Sally's never on time, 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:32.080 nobody's paid our taxes. What do you want us to do? No, 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:35.480 you're not gonna get promoted like that. If you're ever 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:40.159 going to present a problem, always present a solution as well. 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.040 If you don't know the solution, that don't present the 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:47.600 problem just yet. Anybody can tell me the building's on fire. 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:51.600 That's easy, that doesn't take any skill. But as an employer, 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:54.840 I want somebody to not only tell me the buildings 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:58.560 on fire, but the fire department's on the way, and 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.479 we got everybody out, and we notified the insurance company 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.520 and we got a new place lined up to meet. 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:10.520 If you want to be invaluable to your organization, present solutions, 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:15.560 not just problems. What steps are you taking to better 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.960 yourself so you can go to the next level. Are 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:22.480 you reading books trade magazines so you can stay up 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:25.400 to date. Can you take a course that would give 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:29.880 you an advantage? You have to stay on the offensive. Well, Joel, 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:31.880 I got my degree, I got my education. I did 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.080 my part. Now do you know how many degrees are 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:39.280 outdated in as little as five years? The world is 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:42.919 changing so fast. If you don't have this attitude to 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:47.400 continue learning, taking these steps to grow, then you'll fall behind. 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.520 And some of you need to be set free from 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:55.000 destination disease. You've reached a certain level. God's blessed you. 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:59.359 Now you're coasting, but you were not created to stay there. 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.600 Break out of the box and learn something new. Will 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:07.200 Rogers said, Even if you're on the right track, if 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:10.520 you just sit there, eventually you're going to get run over. 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:14.480 And yes, God has great things in your future. He 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:16.720 wants to take you where you couldn't go on your own. 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:20.679 But if you're not prepared, if you haven't developed your skills, 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.119 it can hinder you from the fullness of your destiny. 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:29.560 Every one of us should have a personal growth plan, 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.760 not something vague. Okay, j'all, I'll take the training every 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.919 once in a while. No, you need a specific plan 0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:40.720 that lays out how you're going to grow. These are 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:43.880 the steps I'm going to take this year twenty thirteen 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:47.280 to help me improve. Let me give you some ideas. 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:52.040 Driving to work each morning, instead of listening to the radio, 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:56.920 put on some good teaching CDs. Put on training materials 0:19:57.040 --> 0:20:00.720 that will help you improve in your field. The average 0:20:00.760 --> 0:20:04.760 American spends three hundred hours a year in their car. 0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:09.160 You can turn your car into a university. Think about 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:12.080 how much you can learn in three hundred hours. That's 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:16.880 invaluable time. Take advantage of it. Another suggestion, while you're 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:19.600 working out at the gym, make sure you have good 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:23.960 information going into you. People tell me all the time, Joel, 0:20:24.000 --> 0:20:27.160 I listen to you while I'm out running. While I'm exercising, 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:30.480 one lady said, I listen to you every night before 0:20:30.480 --> 0:20:33.359 I go to bed. You always put me right to sleep. 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:37.720 I thought, thanks a lot, But these are simple things. 0:20:39.080 --> 0:20:41.560 I'm not asking you to go study an extra three 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:45.240 hours a day. I'm saying take advantage of the time 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:49.520 that you're not using right now. I love the technology 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:53.560 with the podcast. You can download these messages that you 0:20:53.680 --> 0:20:56.600 hear every week and listen to them wherever you want to. 0:20:57.480 --> 0:21:00.000 This year, we will give away over one hundred mins 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:03.080 million of my messages free of charge. You just go 0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:06.240 to iTunes and sign up for it. It'll automatically come 0:21:06.280 --> 0:21:08.280 to you. You can listen to them again and again. 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:12.760 That's a growth plan. If you're going to continue growing, 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.840 you need to have good mentors, people that know more 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:20.240 than you, people that have gone where you're going. Let 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:25.040 them speak into your life. Listen to their ideas, study them, 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:28.160 find out how they think and how they do what 0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:32.080 they do. You could even learn from their mistakes. I 0:21:32.119 --> 0:21:36.040 heard about this company of sales associates. There were about 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:38.600 three one hundred of them in the same room, all 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:42.280 from the same company. The speaker asked how many of 0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:46.520 them knew who the top three salespeople in the company were. 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:50.480 Every hand went up in the room. He then asked, 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:53.280 how many of you have taken one of them out 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:56.440 to lunch to find out how they do what they do? 0:21:56.880 --> 0:22:00.840 Not one hand went up. There are people all around us. 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:04.800 God has put in our path on purpose so that 0:22:04.840 --> 0:22:09.199 we can gain wisdom, insight, knowledge, But we have to 0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:13.160 stay open. Look around this week and see who God 0:22:13.160 --> 0:22:16.560 put in your life that you could be learning from now. 0:22:16.600 --> 0:22:20.520 I say this respectfully, but don't waste your valuable time 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:24.160 with people that are not adding anything to your growth. 0:22:24.760 --> 0:22:28.000 Life is too short to hang around people that are 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:34.200 not going anywhere. Destination disease is contagious. If you're around 0:22:34.200 --> 0:22:37.719 them long enough, it'll rub off on you. You need 0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:42.120 to associate with people that inspire you, people that challenge 0:22:42.119 --> 0:22:45.600 you to rise higher, people that make you better now, 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:48.919 people that are constantly dragging you down, trying to convince 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:51.800 you to settle where you are. Your destiny is too 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:55.800 important for that. Young people. You may not be the 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:59.440 most popular person in school, but I've learned after twenty 0:22:59.520 --> 0:23:03.040 years nobody really cares who the most popular person was. 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:06.720 And that person that's getting all the attention now maybe 0:23:06.760 --> 0:23:10.879 because they never study. They're far out. They've got more bleing. Listen, 0:23:11.000 --> 0:23:14.280 in twenty years, the bleing doesn't matter. What matters is 0:23:14.520 --> 0:23:16.800 did you get a good education? Did you get a 0:23:16.800 --> 0:23:21.520 good foundation that you can build your life on. It's 0:23:21.560 --> 0:23:25.160 funny in school, the science fair is never the most 0:23:25.200 --> 0:23:29.120 popular event. Being in the math club is never as 0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:32.240 popular as being on the football team. Some of my 0:23:32.359 --> 0:23:35.600 friends that played sports made fun of people that were 0:23:35.640 --> 0:23:39.000 on the debate team, but now they work for people 0:23:39.119 --> 0:23:43.119 that were on the debate team. Listen to high school, 0:23:43.920 --> 0:23:48.680 junior high those are critical formative years, and these days 0:23:48.680 --> 0:23:52.200 there's so much emphasis on sports. And I love sports. 0:23:52.359 --> 0:23:55.480 I grew up playing sports. I still do sports teach 0:23:55.560 --> 0:23:59.520 us teamwork and discipline and camaraderie. That's all great, but 0:23:59.640 --> 0:24:03.320 we need to keep it in perspective. Most people are 0:24:03.359 --> 0:24:06.520 not going to play sports for a living. I read 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:11.359 where one in one million kids will play professional basketball. 0:24:12.040 --> 0:24:14.440 I don't mean to depress you, but if you're white, 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:19.719 it's one in five million kids. I made that up, 0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:27.640 but it's probably right the average. It's not that funny. 0:24:28.000 --> 0:24:33.159 It's funny because it's true. The average professional football career 0:24:33.440 --> 0:24:35.720 is three and a half years. And even if you 0:24:35.720 --> 0:24:38.159 do make it, that's great, but you still need a 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:43.640 good foundation. When you study, you learn, you take school seriously. 0:24:44.080 --> 0:24:48.040 Other students may call you a geek, a bookworm, a nerd. 0:24:48.320 --> 0:24:50.840 Don't worry about it. In a few years they'll call 0:24:50.880 --> 0:24:56.280 your boss. They'll call your CEO, president, senator, pastor doctor. 0:24:58.640 --> 0:25:04.600 I read where Ford, Harry Firestone, and Thomas Edison all 0:25:04.680 --> 0:25:08.159 had homes next door to each other in Florida. They 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:11.719 were close friends, and they spent much of their summers together. 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:16.440 It matters who you associate with now. If your friends 0:25:16.440 --> 0:25:21.639 are Larry Curley and Mow, you may have a good time, 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:26.760 but are they adding anything to your growth? The scripture 0:25:26.800 --> 0:25:31.560 says to redeem the time. You need to see time 0:25:32.080 --> 0:25:36.400