1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,200
Speaker 1: So great to have you with us today. And as

2
00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,960
Speaker 1: we enter into this spring season, just let it be

3
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,719
Speaker 1: a time of new beginnings, letting go of the old,

4
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,160
Speaker 1: getting ready for the new things God's going to do.

5
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,320
Speaker 1: And just really believe you're going to come into a

6
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,239
Speaker 1: blooming and a blossoming season. In Jesus' name. But God

7
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,400
Speaker 1: bless you. Enjoy the podcast, Will God bless you. It's

8
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,840
Speaker 1: a joy to come into your homes. And if you're

9
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,920
Speaker 1: ever in our area, please stop buying. Be a part

10
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,920
Speaker 1: of one of our services. I'll promise you we'll make

11
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,640
Speaker 1: you feel right at home. I like to start with

12
00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,960
Speaker 1: something funny, and I heard about this elderly couple that

13
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,440
Speaker 1: had been married for over sixty years, never had an argument,

14
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,400
Speaker 1: never had a crossword. They were at a church function.

15
00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,720
Speaker 1: Someone asked them the secret of their success. The man

16
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,519
Speaker 1: told how he always treated his wife with respect, and

17
00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,760
Speaker 1: how he took her on trips around the world. He said,

18
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,920
Speaker 1: in fact, for our twenty fifth wedding anniversary, I took

19
00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,440
Speaker 1: her to Beijing, China. Everyone politely applauded. Some one said,

20
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,600
Speaker 1: what'd you do for your fiftieth wedding anniversary? He said,

21
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,880
Speaker 1: I went back and picked her up. Say it like

22
00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,920
Speaker 1: you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what

23
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,720
Speaker 1: it says I am. I have what it says I have.

24
00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,040
Speaker 1: I can do what it says I can do. Today

25
00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,840
Speaker 1: I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess.

26
00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,039
Speaker 1: My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will

27
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,920
Speaker 1: never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you.

28
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,520
Speaker 1: I want to talk to you today about don't be

29
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,920
Speaker 1: defined by your mistakes. We can all look back and

30
00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,679
Speaker 1: see times where we gave in to temptation. We let

31
00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,520
Speaker 1: our guard down and compromised. We were sloppy and didn't

32
00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,240
Speaker 1: handle the situation the way we should. It's easy to

33
00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:53,760
Speaker 1: be defined by one moment in life, by divorce, by business.

34
00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,480
Speaker 1: It didn't make it by how we raised our children.

35
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,680
Speaker 1: The enemy is called the accuser. You would love to

36
00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,920
Speaker 1: convince you to let that one mistake, that one season,

37
00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,080
Speaker 1: to cause you to live down on yourself, not be

38
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,560
Speaker 1: passionate about your dreams. But that mistake didn't stop God's plan.

39
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,160
Speaker 1: You may have failed, but you are not a failure.

40
00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,519
Speaker 1: That was a moment in your life, that was one season.

41
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,720
Speaker 1: It doesn't determine your future. Don't let that mistake define

42
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:34,359
Speaker 1: who you are. If you go around wearing negative labels divorced, addicted, failed, compromised,

43
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,200
Speaker 1: it will keep you from the fullness of what God

44
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,600
Speaker 1: has in store. If you're a baseball fan, you may

45
00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,440
Speaker 1: remember the name Bill Buckner. He was a star player

46
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,040
Speaker 1: for the Boston Red Sox For many years. He had

47
00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,360
Speaker 1: more hits than Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams. One season,

48
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,679
Speaker 1: he won the batting title had the highest batting average

49
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,040
Speaker 1: in all of baseball. He was a great teammate, a

50
00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,880
Speaker 1: leader in the club house. But in nineteen eighty six,

51
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,840
Speaker 1: during the World Series, he went to field a slow

52
00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,040
Speaker 1: rolling ground ball and missed it. It went right between

53
00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,799
Speaker 1: his legs and the other team scored and tied the game.

54
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,320
Speaker 1: That opponent went on to win the World Series. The

55
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,480
Speaker 1: fans were so upset, so disgruntled, they never let him

56
00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,120
Speaker 1: live it down. He became known as the player that

57
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:32,079
Speaker 1: missed the ground ball. Despite his illustrious career, despite all

58
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,360
Speaker 1: of his hits, all the runs he scored, they didn't

59
00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,800
Speaker 1: remember any of that. All they remembered was that one

60
00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,840
Speaker 1: bad play, that one mistake. Bill Buckner passed away earlier

61
00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:48,600
Speaker 1: this year, thirty three years after that game, The first

62
00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:53,800
Speaker 1: line in the National Associated Press article was Bill Buckner,

63
00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,280
Speaker 1: a star hitter who became known for making one of

64
00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,720
Speaker 1: the most infamous plays in baseball. People will try to

65
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,880
Speaker 1: define you by your mistakes. They'll try to stick labels

66
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,120
Speaker 1: on you. Reminds you of all the times you failed,

67
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:15,040
Speaker 1: the times you compromised, the times you didn't measure up. Sadly,

68
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,320
Speaker 1: some people will choose to remember your failures more than

69
00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,360
Speaker 1: your victories, like with Bill Buckner. Despite all the good

70
00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,359
Speaker 1: you do, despite the time you make sacrifices to help others,

71
00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,640
Speaker 1: you're honoring God. But when you make one mistake, when

72
00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,680
Speaker 1: you go through one bad season, don't be surprised if

73
00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,600
Speaker 1: people don't try to convince you to live condemned like

74
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,240
Speaker 1: you're washed up. Well, God's not gonna bless you. You

75
00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,520
Speaker 1: missed the ground ball he went through, the divorce you

76
00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,520
Speaker 1: gave into temptation. Just sit on the sidelines. No, don't

77
00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:55,200
Speaker 1: let people label you. They don't determine your destiny. They

78
00:04:55,279 --> 00:05:00,440
Speaker 1: cannot stop what God has ordained for your life. Only

79
00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,800
Speaker 1: one that can stop you is you. If you let

80
00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,680
Speaker 1: your mistakes define you, if you wear labels that people

81
00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,839
Speaker 1: stick on you, if you believe the lies from the

82
00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,200
Speaker 1: accuser that will keep you from your destiny. And when

83
00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,000
Speaker 1: someone keeps bringing up your past mistakes, trying to get

84
00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,520
Speaker 1: you to live condemned, they may not realize it, but

85
00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:28,320
Speaker 1: they're working for the accuser. The enemy uses people. You

86
00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,479
Speaker 1: can't stop them from putting labels on you, but you

87
00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,240
Speaker 1: can take them right off. I am not defined by

88
00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,640
Speaker 1: my mistakes. I'm defined by what God says about me.

89
00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:44,480
Speaker 1: I'm forgiven, I'm redeemed. My past is over, my mistakes

90
00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,520
Speaker 1: are behind me. My failures are in my yesterday, and

91
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,560
Speaker 1: you know what, I'm not bringing them into today. God's

92
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:57,960
Speaker 1: mercy is new every morning. Receive that mercy and move forward.

93
00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,760
Speaker 1: What about the failure is the past? What about the

94
00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:07,120
Speaker 1: mistake is covered by mercies? What about the divorce, the compromise,

95
00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,119
Speaker 1: the times I've blown it? That's over and done. Life

96
00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,599
Speaker 1: is too short to let what happened in the past

97
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,880
Speaker 1: to keep you from the great things God has in

98
00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:23,360
Speaker 1: your future. After Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead,

99
00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,479
Speaker 1: he appeared to some of the disciples as they were

100
00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,440
Speaker 1: meeting in a room. Thomas wasn't there that day. They

101
00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,719
Speaker 1: went out afterwards and found him. They thought Thomas would

102
00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,440
Speaker 1: be excited to know that they had seen the Lord.

103
00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,560
Speaker 1: Thomas wasn't buying it. He said, unless I see him

104
00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,279
Speaker 1: with my own eyes, unless I feel the nail prints

105
00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:48,159
Speaker 1: in his hands, I'm not going to believe. Eight days later,

106
00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,200
Speaker 1: all the disciples were in a room. Jesus came walking

107
00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,560
Speaker 1: through the door. He went right up to Thomas, held

108
00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,000
Speaker 1: out his hands and said, see the nail, Prince, feel

109
00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,680
Speaker 1: the scars in my side. Thomas fell on his knees

110
00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,920
Speaker 1: and said, Lord, I believe. What's interesting is Thomas doubted

111
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,960
Speaker 1: that one time. But he's become known as doubting Thomas.

112
00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,119
Speaker 1: People have stuck their labels on him. You would think

113
00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,080
Speaker 1: that he had doubted his whole life, that he was

114
00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:23,600
Speaker 1: always questioning his faith. But this was just eight days

115
00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,400
Speaker 1: of his life. It's easy to judge people by one mistake.

116
00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,880
Speaker 1: It's easy to let one failure define who you are.

117
00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:38,520
Speaker 1: If Thomas would have worn that label doubter failure, he

118
00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,640
Speaker 1: would have missed his purpose. And we hear a lot

119
00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,480
Speaker 1: about doubting Thomas. What we don't hear much about is

120
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,840
Speaker 1: Thomas is the one that took the gospel to India.

121
00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,080
Speaker 1: It's believed that he took the message of Christ further

122
00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,320
Speaker 1: than any disciple. I've been to India many times with

123
00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,520
Speaker 1: my father. It seems like every other belief is named Thomas.

124
00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,600
Speaker 1: He made a great impact with his life. We call

125
00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,400
Speaker 1: him doubting Thomas. You know what God calls him, believing Thomas,

126
00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:15,120
Speaker 1: forgiven Thomas, anointed Thomas, favored Thomas. In the same way,

127
00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,920
Speaker 1: God is not judging you by one mistake, by one

128
00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,120
Speaker 1: bad season. Why are you beating yourself up? Why are

129
00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,400
Speaker 1: you wearing labels that people have stuck on you? Why

130
00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,920
Speaker 1: have you settled where you are? There is an incredible

131
00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,840
Speaker 1: future awaiting you. You haven't made too many mistakes. You

132
00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:40,040
Speaker 1: haven't missed your chance. If you'll remove the labels that

133
00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,560
Speaker 1: are telling you everything you're not how you've blown it.

134
00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,600
Speaker 1: You doubted, you failed. That's in the past. That doesn't

135
00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,680
Speaker 1: have to stop you. The enemy would love for you

136
00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:58,520
Speaker 1: to go through life living condemned, wearing negative labels doubter, failure, divorce, unworthy.

137
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,480
Speaker 1: Do yourself a favor, take off those labels and put

138
00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:09,319
Speaker 1: on what God says about you, forgiven, redeemed, blessed, qualified, victorious.

139
00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:15,959
Speaker 1: Sometimes we make mistakes with good intentions. Bill Buckner wasn't

140
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,520
Speaker 1: trying to miss the ground ball. He wasn't being undisciplined

141
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,800
Speaker 1: slacking off. He was being his best and still missed it.

142
00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,280
Speaker 1: You may have done your best, but the relationship didn't

143
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,720
Speaker 1: make it. You gave it your all, but the business

144
00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:36,400
Speaker 1: didn't succeed. Like Thomas, your heart is right, you love God,

145
00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,120
Speaker 1: but you didn't handle the situation the proper way, and

146
00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,240
Speaker 1: now it sets you back. This is what happened to

147
00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,080
Speaker 1: Moses as a young man. God gave him the dream

148
00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,240
Speaker 1: that he would deliver the Israelites out of slavery. He

149
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,880
Speaker 1: knew he was supposed to do it, but he got

150
00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,640
Speaker 1: in a hurry and did it out of God's timing.

151
00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:02,400
Speaker 1: He saw a Hebrew slave being mystery by an Egyptian supervisor.

152
00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:06,480
Speaker 1: He didn't think anyone was watching, and he killed the supervisor.

153
00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,720
Speaker 1: Moses wasn't trying to make a mistake, He wasn't being defiant.

154
00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,280
Speaker 1: He just made a bad choice. He had to flee

155
00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,320
Speaker 1: for his life. He spent forty years on the backside

156
00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,280
Speaker 1: of the desert in hiding. It looked like that one

157
00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:29,400
Speaker 1: mistake stopped his destiny, that that one bad choice disqualified him.

158
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,439
Speaker 1: I'm sure in the desert thoughts told him, Moses, you're

159
00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,920
Speaker 1: a failure. What were you thinking? Why are you so impatient?

160
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,760
Speaker 1: You blew it? He was wearing all these negative labels.

161
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,839
Speaker 1: He thought that mistake would define him. The good news

162
00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,160
Speaker 1: is God doesn't judge us by one mistake, or by

163
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,920
Speaker 1: two mistakes, or for some of us bout ten thousand mistakes.

164
00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:58,320
Speaker 1: God's calling on your life is irrevocable. He doesn't change

165
00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:03,240
Speaker 1: his mind. Had given up, He had accepted that he

166
00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,600
Speaker 1: would never accomplish his dream. But God doesn't give up.

167
00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,000
Speaker 1: You may have counted yourself out. God has already counted

168
00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:16,040
Speaker 1: you in. He chose you before you could choose him.

169
00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:21,080
Speaker 1: That mistake is not who you are, it's what you did.

170
00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,600
Speaker 1: It didn't cancel your destiny. That one bad season doesn't

171
00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,920
Speaker 1: determine the rest of your life. Forty years later, when

172
00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,440
Speaker 1: Moses was eighty years old, God came to him and said, now, Moses,

173
00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:40,079
Speaker 1: it's time go deliver my people. I can imagine Moses

174
00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,800
Speaker 1: nearly passed out. God, are you sure you mean after

175
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,480
Speaker 1: I failed, after I blew it, after I was impatient,

176
00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:51,680
Speaker 1: You're still going to use me. Here's the key. God

177
00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,120
Speaker 1: doesn't define us by our mistakes. He refines us by

178
00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:00,320
Speaker 1: our mistakes. He will take those failures and those long

179
00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,280
Speaker 1: terms and use it to do a work in us.

180
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:09,160
Speaker 1: The scripture says Moses became the most humble man in

181
00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,320
Speaker 1: all the earth, out in the desert. He learned to

182
00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,480
Speaker 1: be patient. He learned to trust God in a new way.

183
00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,640
Speaker 1: If you'll keep the right attitude, God will use your

184
00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,440
Speaker 1: failures to get you prepared for where He's taking you.

185
00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,600
Speaker 1: Like Moses, you may have blown it. You feel like

186
00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,440
Speaker 1: you're out in the desert, convinced that you've seen your

187
00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,839
Speaker 1: best days. No, get ready, Your time is coming. God

188
00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,200
Speaker 1: is about to do a new thing. That relationship that

189
00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,720
Speaker 1: didn't work out, that's not how your story ends. God

190
00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:46,160
Speaker 1: has someone else coming, someone better than you've imagined. That

191
00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:50,240
Speaker 1: addiction that you're struggling with, it is not your destiny.

192
00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,960
Speaker 1: That is a season, not a lifetime. Don't let it

193
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,040
Speaker 1: become permanent. Take off that label that says addicted. Put

194
00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:05,400
Speaker 1: on some new label, free, whole, restored. My father was

195
00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,559
Speaker 1: married at an early age, and unfortunately the marriage didn't

196
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,840
Speaker 1: work out. He had to resign from his church. Denominational

197
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,120
Speaker 1: leaders told him that he had never pastor again. He

198
00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:21,200
Speaker 1: didn't know any better. He put their labels on him, failure,

199
00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:27,320
Speaker 1: washed up, unqualified. He didn't get into the marriage thinking

200
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,040
Speaker 1: it was going to fail. He had good intentions, but

201
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,720
Speaker 1: sometimes life doesn't turn out the way we thought. That's

202
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,679
Speaker 1: when the enemy goes to work over time trying to

203
00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,640
Speaker 1: convince you to let that mistake define who you are.

204
00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:50,120
Speaker 1: My father took the bait. He lived condemned, ashamed, embarrassed.

205
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,200
Speaker 1: He thought that mistake would define the rest of his life.

206
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,360
Speaker 1: So he got out of the ministry and started selling insurance.

207
00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,440
Speaker 1: One day he learned what I'm telling you, that our

208
00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:07,920
Speaker 1: failures don't cancel God's plan. God has already taken into

209
00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:12,400
Speaker 1: account every mistake we would ever make. My father took

210
00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,400
Speaker 1: off the negative labels. He stopped seeing himself as washed

211
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:21,680
Speaker 1: up and started seeing himself as forgiven, as redeemed, as

212
00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,680
Speaker 1: a child of the Most High. He got his passion

213
00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,440
Speaker 1: back and got back in the ministry, started pastoring a church,

214
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,680
Speaker 1: eventually met my mother. They fell in love and were

215
00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:37,120
Speaker 1: married for almost fifty years. Daddy pastored Lakewood for forty years.

216
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,400
Speaker 1: It would have never happened if he had let that

217
00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,880
Speaker 1: mistake define who he was. If he would have gone

218
00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:49,120
Speaker 1: around wearing negative labels down on himself, he would have

219
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,080
Speaker 1: missed his purpose. You may have made mistakes, but you

220
00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,840
Speaker 1: have to learn to forgive yourself. Quit beating yourself up

221
00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:02,440
Speaker 1: over what didn't work out. Sometimes we can forgive others

222
00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,760
Speaker 1: easier than we can forgive ourselves. People tell me, Joel,

223
00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,160
Speaker 1: I didn't raise my children right. I blew my marriage,

224
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,160
Speaker 1: wasted years of my life on drugs. That's in the past.

225
00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,440
Speaker 1: You can't change what's behind you, but you can do

226
00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,880
Speaker 1: something about what's in front of you. God's mercy is

227
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,040
Speaker 1: bigger than any mistake that you've made. He can still

228
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,960
Speaker 1: get you to where you're supposed to be, but you

229
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,880
Speaker 1: have to do something important. Forgive yourself. Quit dwelling on

230
00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,880
Speaker 1: everything you've done wrong, how you should have been more discipline,

231
00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,640
Speaker 1: how you didn't control your temper the moment you ask

232
00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,840
Speaker 1: God to forgive you, He forgave you. Not only that,

233
00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:51,800
Speaker 1: He doesn't remember your mistakes. Why don't you quit remembering

234
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:57,160
Speaker 1: what God has forgotten. Quit replaying your failures, Quit reliving

235
00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,200
Speaker 1: your mistakes thinking of the times that you didn't as

236
00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,960
Speaker 1: you're up. That's just making you more guilty, more condemned.

237
00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,360
Speaker 1: When Jesus was about to be crucified. He told Peter

238
00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,360
Speaker 1: that he would deny him three times before the rooster

239
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,360
Speaker 1: crowed that night. Peter said, not me, Lord, I'm your

240
00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,720
Speaker 1: main disciple. I'll never let you down. Later that evening,

241
00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:26,080
Speaker 1: Peter did exactly what Jesus said. What's interesting is Jesus

242
00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,960
Speaker 1: already knew that Peter was going to fail. He already

243
00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,920
Speaker 1: knew he was going to blow it. But he chose

244
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:38,040
Speaker 1: them as his disciple anyway. You would think God would

245
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:43,080
Speaker 1: choose people more disciplined, more faithful, more committed. But God

246
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,160
Speaker 1: knows we're not perfect. He knows we're going to make mistakes.

247
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,200
Speaker 1: Peter was so down on himself, so ashamed. The scripture

248
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,120
Speaker 1: says he went out and wept bitter tears. Was it

249
00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:00,520
Speaker 1: long after that that Jesus was crucified. Knew ever had

250
00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,600
Speaker 1: the chance to tell him that he was sorry. He

251
00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,640
Speaker 1: had to live with this guilt, this heaviness. Two ladies

252
00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,120
Speaker 1: went to the tomb to check on Jesus's body. An

253
00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:16,160
Speaker 1: angel appeared, said, don't be afraid, Jesus has risen. Now

254
00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,600
Speaker 1: go tell his disciples and Peter that he is alive.

255
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,800
Speaker 1: Of all the people, God could have mentioned at that

256
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:30,080
Speaker 1: critical time. The only one he specifically pointed out was Peter.

257
00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,200
Speaker 1: God was showing us, I don't define you by your mistakes.

258
00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:40,800
Speaker 1: I don't cancel your destiny because you failed. Fifty days later,

259
00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,760
Speaker 1: the church was about to be birthed. They needed someone

260
00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,199
Speaker 1: to give the inaugural address, someone to speak at this

261
00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,600
Speaker 1: historic event. I can imagine the disciples talking, Matthew, you

262
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,320
Speaker 1: should do it. You're a great speaker. You would be good. John,

263
00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,080
Speaker 1: you should do it. You're very powerful. Then someone spoke

264
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,480
Speaker 1: up and said, no, Peter, it's supposed to be you.

265
00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,399
Speaker 1: I remember Jesus said you are Peter, and upon this

266
00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:16,160
Speaker 1: rock I will build my church. All the disciples chimed in, Yes, Peter,

267
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:20,680
Speaker 1: you're definitely the one. He said, there's no way. Fifty

268
00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,920
Speaker 1: days ago I denied him. I blew it. I failed.

269
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,639
Speaker 1: I'm ashamed. It was my worst moment. He was wearing

270
00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:33,359
Speaker 1: all these labels telling him that he had missed his destiny.

271
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,600
Speaker 1: Just as he was about to walk away, condemned, guilty,

272
00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,240
Speaker 1: something rose up on the inside. He said, hey, wait

273
00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,480
Speaker 1: a minute, I'm not defined by my mistakes. One bad

274
00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:48,399
Speaker 1: night doesn't cancel what God has ordained for me. He

275
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,159
Speaker 1: stood up and spoke to the crowd. Three thousand people

276
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,000
Speaker 1: came to know the Lord. Maybe you two have failed.

277
00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,719
Speaker 1: The good news is God already knew it was going

278
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,720
Speaker 1: to happen. It didn't stop your destiny. You're still going

279
00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,840
Speaker 1: to accomplish your dream. You're still going to have a

280
00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,360
Speaker 1: happy family. You're still going to meet the right person.

281
00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,440
Speaker 1: Now do your part. Take off the negative labels. Quit

282
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,720
Speaker 1: dwelling on what you don't deserve. How many times you've

283
00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,720
Speaker 1: blown it. God is saying, get back in the game.

284
00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,360
Speaker 1: If Peter can stand up fifty days after he denied

285
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,440
Speaker 1: Christ and start the church, then you too can still

286
00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:38,440
Speaker 1: become all you were created to be. Matthew Chapter three,

287
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,120
Speaker 1: Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. When he came

288
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:46,280
Speaker 1: up out of the water, this voice boomed out announcing

289
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,679
Speaker 1: that he was the son of God. It was a

290
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:53,879
Speaker 1: significant moment. Jesus ministry was about to begin. You would

291
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,240
Speaker 1: think Jesus would go back to Galilee where all the

292
00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:01,720
Speaker 1: people were start teaching and healing. But right after this

293
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,440
Speaker 1: first public endorsement, right after this sign of God's favor,

294
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:12,119
Speaker 1: the scripture says Jesus was led by the spirit into

295
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:16,159
Speaker 1: the desert to be tempted for forty days. If you

296
00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,400
Speaker 1: would have seen Jesus out in the desert, you could

297
00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,000
Speaker 1: have thought, I just saw him come out of this

298
00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,639
Speaker 1: glorious moment. I just heard the voice saying he was

299
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,840
Speaker 1: the son of God. What's he doing out here? This

300
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,720
Speaker 1: is a mistake, He's off course. Sometimes what we think

301
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,560
Speaker 1: is a mistake is really the hand of God. It

302
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,199
Speaker 1: doesn't say the enemy led him into the desert. It

303
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,560
Speaker 1: says the spirit led him into the desert. There will

304
00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,719
Speaker 1: be times God takes you into things you don't understand.

305
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,720
Speaker 1: Feels like a failure. The door closed, the person walked away,

306
00:20:55,160 --> 00:21:00,119
Speaker 1: the contract didn't go through. You could be down on yourself, thinking, God,

307
00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,320
Speaker 1: I was being my best. What did I do wrong?

308
00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,439
Speaker 1: How do you know that wasn't the spirit leading you

309
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:11,639
Speaker 1: out there. Some doors are supposed to close, Some people

310
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:16,160
Speaker 1: are supposed to walk away. Some opportunities are not supposed

311
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:21,000
Speaker 1: to last. On the way to our destiny life with Jesus.

312
00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,679
Speaker 1: God will lead us into a desert experience, into something

313
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,320
Speaker 1: that doesn't make sense. And if we let what seems

314
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,199
Speaker 1: like a failure define us, then we will miss what

315
00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,240
Speaker 1: God really had in mind. As soon as Jesus passed

316
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,959
Speaker 1: the test. After those forty days, he came out of

317
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,720
Speaker 1: the desert and started his ministry. What looked like a failure,

318
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,320
Speaker 1: what looked like he was off course, was really leading

319
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,520
Speaker 1: him to a new level of his destiny. Quit being

320
00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,520
Speaker 1: discouraged over what didn't work out. You did your best,

321
00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:01,040
Speaker 1: but the business didn't make It feels like a failure.

322
00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,000
Speaker 1: Now that's not how your story ends. God led you

323
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,719
Speaker 1: into the desert because he has something much bigger in

324
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,280
Speaker 1: your future. He had to close that door to get

325
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,720
Speaker 1: you to the fullness of what He has in store.

326
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:21,240
Speaker 1: Every silent season is not the enemy. Every desert experience

327
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,680
Speaker 1: is not a bad thing. You don't know what God

328
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,040
Speaker 1: is up to. When we go through what seems like

329
00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:31,080
Speaker 1: a failure, it's easy to think, Joe, I don't have

330
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,080
Speaker 1: God's favor. Now nothing's working out. No, stay in faith.

331
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,320
Speaker 1: You're on the verge of a new level. God's about

332
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 1: to take you where you've never been. Now keep passing

333
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,560
Speaker 1: these tests. Other people may judge you by where you are.

334
00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:49,760
Speaker 1: Look down on you. Think you're finished. Man, you're in

335
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,800
Speaker 1: the desert. You're way off course. Don't pay any attention.

336
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,640
Speaker 1: God has the final say. They may discount you now,

337
00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,760
Speaker 1: but your time is coming. They will see you from

338
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:04,720
Speaker 1: o honored in a position of greater favor. A friend

339
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:08,680
Speaker 1: of mine pastored a church for thirty years, very successful.

340
00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:11,520
Speaker 1: He poured his heart and soul into it, and he

341
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,160
Speaker 1: saw God's blessings and favor. But a few years back

342
00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 1: things begin to go downhill. So he started working harder

343
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,560
Speaker 1: than ever. He would meet with members in their home

344
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,040
Speaker 1: at night and started a six am prayer meeting. Did

345
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,119
Speaker 1: everything he could to keep it going, but instead of increasing,

346
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:34,479
Speaker 1: it kept decreasing. Eventually he saw the writing on the

347
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,200
Speaker 1: wall and had to turn it over to another group.

348
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,840
Speaker 1: They came and brought their own members and started afresh

349
00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,439
Speaker 1: and anew. After thirty years, he left there feeling like

350
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,679
Speaker 1: a failure. They didn't give him a going away party,

351
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,840
Speaker 1: nobody said thank you. Some of his peers looked down

352
00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,600
Speaker 1: on him, saw him as a quitter. Why didn't you

353
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,159
Speaker 1: stick with it, Why didn't you push through it? He

354
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,160
Speaker 1: felt shame and embarrassed. All those years of work had

355
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,240
Speaker 1: nothing really to show for it. He thought his legacy

356
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:08,639
Speaker 1: would continue, but this new group came in, changed the

357
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,439
Speaker 1: name of the church, basically just bought the building. He

358
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,520
Speaker 1: couldn't understand it. After such a long season of favor,

359
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,040
Speaker 1: how could it come to an end so abruptly. He

360
00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,760
Speaker 1: was certain that was the enemy closing the door. The

361
00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,960
Speaker 1: truth is, it was the spirit leading him into the desert.

362
00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 1: It was God taking him through a silent season, not

363
00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:35,680
Speaker 1: to leave him there, but to increase him, to take

364
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,040
Speaker 1: him somewhere that he had never been. A couple of

365
00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 1: years later, he had the opportunity to work with another ministry. Today,

366
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,560
Speaker 1: he's impacting more people in a week than he would

367
00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,600
Speaker 1: in a whole year at his church. He and his

368
00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,320
Speaker 1: wife never dreamed that see this much influence in favor.

369
00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:58,760
Speaker 1: Some of the same peers that looked down on him

370
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:00,760
Speaker 1: made fun of him. Now how they want him to

371
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,480
Speaker 1: come and help their church. They're celebrating what he's doing.

372
00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:09,399
Speaker 1: Maybe what you think is a failure is really just

373
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,879
Speaker 1: a desert experience. It's all a part of God's plan

374
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,880
Speaker 1: to get you to where you've never dreamed. You think

375
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,360
Speaker 1: you've missed it. Why did this door closed? Why did

376
00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 1: these people walk away? What did I do wrong? Nothing?

377
00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,880
Speaker 1: It's God leading you on the other side of that

378
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:33,080
Speaker 1: silent season is a new level don't judge your future

379
00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,960
Speaker 1: by where you are in the desert. You can't let

380
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,240
Speaker 1: what you don't understand, what doesn't make sense, cause you

381
00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,680
Speaker 1: to get better sour give up on your dreams. No,

382
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,199
Speaker 1: keep doing the right thing, keep being good to people,

383
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,960
Speaker 1: keep honoring God, and like my friend, you're going to

384
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,200
Speaker 1: come into something more than you've imagined. When you look back,

385
00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,439
Speaker 1: you will realize it wasn't the enemy stopping me. It

386
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,600
Speaker 1: was the fear leading me. It was God taking me

387
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,479
Speaker 1: through a silent season so he could launch me further

388
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: than I caught possible. My challenge today, don't let what

389
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:16,119
Speaker 1: you've been through tain't the rest of your life. God

390
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,760
Speaker 1: wouldn't have allowed it if it was going to keep

391
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,000
Speaker 1: you from your purpose, whether you brought the trouble on

392
00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,840
Speaker 1: yourself or whether the spirit led you into the desert.

393
00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:30,000
Speaker 1: One thing I can assure you, God is not finished

394
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:34,720
Speaker 1: with you. Your mistakes did not cancel your destiny. You wouldn't

395
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:38,960
Speaker 1: be alive if there wasn't something awesome in your future. Now,

396
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 1: why don't you take off all the negative labels and

397
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:46,480
Speaker 1: put on some new labels forgiven, redeemed child of the

398
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,119
Speaker 1: Most High God. If you'll do this I believe and

399
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 1: declare despite your mistakes, despite your failures, despite your doubts,

400
00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,560
Speaker 1: you are still going to leave your mark and become

401
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 1: who you were created to be. Right now, Guilt is leaving,

402
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:10,960
Speaker 1: discouragement is leaving. Favor is coming, promotion is coming, breakthroughs

403
00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:15,000
Speaker 1: are coming, healing is coming. The fullness of your destiny

404
00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,480
Speaker 1: in Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you

405
00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:23,000
Speaker 1: say amen? Today? I'd like to give you an opportunity

406
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,359
Speaker 1: to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you

407
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,720
Speaker 1: pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of

408
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,679
Speaker 1: my sins. Come into my heart. I'll make you my

409
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:40,119
Speaker 1: lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer,

410
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,280
Speaker 1: we believe you got born again. Get in a good

411
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 1: Bible based church. Keep God first place.

412
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,199
Speaker 2: When God created the world, he did it specifically with

413
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,800
Speaker 2: you in mind. He used his words. He spoke everything

414
00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:05,520
Speaker 2: into existence, light, oceans and dry land, plans, sun and stars, animals,

415
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,360
Speaker 2: man and woman. Your words have that same creative power.

416
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,000
Speaker 1: If you want to know what you're going to be

417
00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,040
Speaker 1: like five years from now, listen to what you're saying

418
00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,399
Speaker 1: about yourself. You are prophesying your future and too often

419
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,640
Speaker 1: we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll

420
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:30,119
Speaker 1: never get healthy, I'm not attractive, this dreams impossible. Instead

421
00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,360
Speaker 1: of limiting your future, why don't you start blessing your future.

422
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,480
Speaker 1: If you'll change your words, you can change your world.

423
00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,000
Speaker 1: I have a new book called Speak the Blessing and

424
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 1: want to help you to speak positive, faith filled words.

425
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,080
Speaker 1: There are declarations in it that you can make over

426
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:50,240
Speaker 1: your family, your health, your finances, and your future. When

427
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,320
Speaker 1: you get your words aligned with what God says, you'll

428
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,360
Speaker 1: see his favor in greater ways.

429
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,360
Speaker 2: As our thank you for your gift of any amount

430
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,880
Speaker 2: to the ministry this month, I want to send you

431
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,360
Speaker 2: Speak the Blessing. Send your words in the direction you

432
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,480
Speaker 2: want your life to go. You can begin to enjoy

433
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:12,880
Speaker 2: a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity

434
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,960
Speaker 2: as you discover the authority and power of speaking God's word. Yes,

435
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:22,600
Speaker 2: Speak the Blessing will unlock life changing possibilities that are unlimited.

436
00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,480
Speaker 1: When you declare what God says about you. I'm strong,

437
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,280
Speaker 1: I'm healthy, I'm favored. You are blessing your lie. I

438
00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,520
Speaker 1: hope you'll request your copy to day. Remember you can

439
00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:38,480
Speaker 1: watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast,

440
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,160
Speaker 1: watch on YouTube, Listen on serious exam. We'll keep you

441
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:43,640
Speaker 1: encouraged and inspired.

442
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,200
Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of Speak the Blessing Today,

443
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,560
Speaker 2: Visit Joeloscene dot com or call eighty eight five six

444
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:52,560
Speaker 2: seven Joel