WEBVTT - Developing A Growth Plan | Joel Osteen 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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Download the unis stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:34.720 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:37.800 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:38.520 the ministry. 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:40.959 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:42.520 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.600 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:46.080 your life. 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.240 Will God bless you? It's always a joy to come 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:53.840 into your homes. We love you and we know God 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:56.880 has great things in store. If you're ever in our area, 0:01:57.040 --> 0:01:58.760 I hope you'll stop by and be a part of 0:01:58.800 --> 0:01:59.760 one of our services. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:01.680 We'd love to meet you one on one. 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:04.200 But thanks so much for tuning in today and thanks 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:07.000 again for coming out. I like to start with something funny. 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:10.040 And I heard about this pastor. He was greeting people 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:12.800 in the lobby after the service and he saw this 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:15.000 man that he hadn't seen in a long long time. 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:16.040 He pulled him. 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.440 Aside and said, sir, you need to join the Army 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.760 of the Lord. The man said, what do you mean, 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.680 I'm in the Army of the Lord. The pastor said, well, 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:26.240 how come I only see you on Christmas and Easter. 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:31.800 The man whispered back, I'm in the Secret Service. All right, 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:34.000 hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:37.440 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:39.320 I have what it says I have. 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.680 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.280 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:50.600 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:54.560 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:58.359 I want to talk to you today about taking steps 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:02.880 to grow. I have to realize that growth is not automatic. 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:07.200 There are many successful people, but they haven't reached half 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:11.880 of their potential because they stopped growing. There's something called 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:16.760 destination disease. That is, when we reach a certain goal, 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:20.200 when we get our degree, when we get a certain position, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.919 when we get the house paid off, we just kick 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:26.920 back and put our mind in neutral and we coast. 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:29.960 Off of what we've already learned. We may make a. 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:33.520 Little progress here and there, but we're really not learning 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:37.840 anything new. We're really not growing. We're not becoming better 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:41.600 in our careers, better in our personal life. And one 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:44.720 of the reasons is the way we were trained. As 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:49.040 a little child. We grow automatically, we get bigger, we 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:55.280 develop physically mentally. We have parents, teachers, coaches that challenge 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:59.480 us to grow early on. Growth is automatic, it's just 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.800 a part of our life. But the problem is at 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:06.480 one point when we stop growing physically, when we get 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:10.320 out of school, that growth is no longer automatic. If 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:13.240 we're going to continue to grow, we have to take 0:04:13.400 --> 0:04:17.120 responsibility for our own growth. We have to have the 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:21.320 attitude how can I improve? What can I do to 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.640 make me better? We have to stir up that desire 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:28.240 to learn, and we should have a goal to grow 0:04:28.440 --> 0:04:32.359 in some way every day, a goal to learn something 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:35.520 new every single day. A man by the name of 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:38.840 Pablo Casas was one of the greatest c cellists that 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:42.200 ever lived. He started playing at the age of twelve, 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.960 he accomplished things that no other cellist had done. He 0:04:46.040 --> 0:04:48.760 was known as the very best in his field. At 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:51.720 the age of eighty five, he still got up early 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:55.520 every day and practice for five hours. One time, a 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:58.680 reporter asked him why he still put so much effort 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.119 in it. He smiled and said, it's because I think 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:07.240 I'm getting better. He understood this principle. When you stop learning, 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:11.480 you stop growing. When you stop growing, you stop living. 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:16.000 Life becomes very routine. We lose our enthusiasm, we lose 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:19.600 our zeal. Well, let me ask you today, what steps 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:23.920 are you taking to grow? Are you reading books, listening 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:27.719 to teaching CDs? Are you taking any courses on the internet, 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:31.120 going to any seminars? Do you have any good mentors? 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:36.200 Are you doing anything to stretch yourself? Friends, God's given 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.560 you a gift. You have a treasure on the inside. 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:40.760 One of our. 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:44.839 Main goals should be to develop our potential. I read 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:48.719 where the number one magazine in America, the best selling 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:49.760 most read. 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.480 Magazine is TV Guide. 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:56.840 Nothing against TV Guide, but we should use our time wisely. 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:01.240 Fifty percent of people after they graduate from school, either 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:05.520 high school or college, will never read an entire book 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:09.560 the rest of their life. It's because we view learning 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.960 as a period of life instead of as a way 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:16.159 of life. We think, I'm out of school, I'm done learning, 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.520 got my position, I'm a partner in the firm, a 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:20.160 manager at. 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:21.599 The office, pastor of a church. 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:25.920 No, we're never supposed to stop learning today. There are 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.560 so many opportunities to grow with modern technology. 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:33.880 It's easy to increase and expand our thinking. Don't get 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:34.800 stuck in a rut. 0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:37.960 You shouldn't be at the same place next year in 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.320 your career, in your finances, in your relationships as you 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:42.080 are right now. 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:43.200 You should know more. 0:06:43.839 --> 0:06:46.360 If you work in the field of sales, you need 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:50.080 to read books on how to communicate more effectively. People 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.640 have gone where you're trying to go. Listen to what 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:56.360 they have to say. Take courses, go to seminars. There's 0:06:56.520 --> 0:07:00.200 potential in you that has to be drawn out. A 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:03.240 lot of times we're waiting on God to open doors. God, 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:05.280 if you'll give me more favor, God, just give me 0:07:05.320 --> 0:07:09.200 more opportunity. But really God's waiting on us to develop 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.440 what he's put on the inside. We have to tap 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.760 into that potential. When I was in my early twenties. 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:17.920 We were about to buy a significant amount of television 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:21.800 equipment for the ministry, several hundred thousand dollars worth, and 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:25.240 it was between two large manufactures, and the men that 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:29.440 represented this one company was in his mid to late sixties, 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.600 a very kind, friendly man. 0:07:31.760 --> 0:07:33.440 And I had gone up to Dallas. 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.480 To see the equipment and spent the day with him, 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:37.680 and I was about to fly back home to Houston, 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.080 and he said, Joel, I'd like to fly back with 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:42.240 you to just keep you company, and then I'll. 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.280 Turn around fly back to Dallas. I said, no, no, 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:45.080 you don't need to do that. 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:47.920 I'll be fine, but he insisted, and so we got 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:50.520 on the plane and he sat next to me. This 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.840 man knew everything about me. He knew where I had 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.560 grown up, he knew where I'd gone to school, he 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:59.520 knew what my hobbies were. He knew all about the church, 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:03.120 he knew how how it got started outside of my family. 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.520 This man probably knew more about me than anybody. 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.280 It was amazing. I finally said, why do you know 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:11.880 all this? He said, Joel, It's. 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:15.080 Something I learned from one of the greatest salespersons that's 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:15.800 ever lived. 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:17.120 He taught me. 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:20.840 The more I know about my clients, the better I'll 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.800 be able to relate to them. The more I understand 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:26.920 where they're coming from and what their needs are, the 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:29.760 better I'll be able to serve them. He said, Joel, 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:33.480 you're in your twenties. I'm in my sixties. Think about 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.319 how much better I can relate to you. Knowing what 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:39.480 your background is, knowing what your hobbies are, Knowing how 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:40.240 you were raised. 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:41.959 That's why he was. 0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:45.839 The number one salesperson in this huge company. He had 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:50.080 made a lifetime of studying sales. He told how he 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:52.760 went to sales seminars at least twice a year. 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.240 He had been doing that for forty years. He knew 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:58.040 the emotion behind sales. 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:00.760 He had taken courses on how to lay, how to 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:02.319 communicate more effectively. 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:04.520 No wonder he was blessed. 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.600 He was learning, He was growing, developing what God put 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:12.520 on the inside. No matter what fields you're in, even 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.720 if you're a stay at home mom, you need to 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:19.880 always look for ways to improve to become everything God's 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:23.000 created you to be. That means, if you're an accountant, 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:25.600 don't just settle there and think I've reached my goal. 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:27.400 This is where I'm going to be the rest of 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:27.960 my life. 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:32.840 No, that's destination disease coming on strong, trying to limit you. 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:35.439 Take steps to learn more. 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:39.120 Go get your CPA license, get out of the box 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:40.640 and learn something different. 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:42.800 Maybe you work in the field. 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:46.560 As an electrician, as a carpenter, as a mechanic. That's great, 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.960 but what steps are you taking to improve? I read 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:54.120 where if a person will spend an hour a day 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:58.560 on a certain subject, after three years, that person will 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:02.160 be an expert on that. You need to find the 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:05.640 area of your greatest gifting, what you're good at naturally, 0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:10.080 and spend time increasing in that area. If you'll stay 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.320 focused and learn a little more each day, a little 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:17.000 more each year, before long, you'll be one of the experts. 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.360 You'll be a leader in your field. You need to 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:24.080 develop your gifts to the point where your company cannot 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:27.160 make it without you, or at least if you're not there, 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.840 things don't run nearly as smooth, because if you're out 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:34.520 for a week and nobody misses you, and sales are 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.120 just as good and all the work gets done. I 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:39.439 need to sound the alarm right now. You got to 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:42.720 wake up and smell the coffee if they don't miss you, 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:46.120 they may figure you're not necessary. You need to kick 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:49.440 it into a new gear. Produce more than you've been producing. 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:53.040 Take courses to improve your skills. You got to step 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.640 it up a notch. Eh Joel, I have a kind 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.600 of a low level position. If I'm gone, nobody would 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:02.320 ever miss me. Well, maybe so, but make up your mind. 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:05.360 That is not where you're going to stay. Don't build 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:07.920 a house where you should have a tent that is 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:09.240 not a permittent address. 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.319 You're not supposed to live there forever. You're just passing through. 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:16.440 Keep growing, keep learning, do more than you have to 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.120 do overproduce. 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:21.040 Cream always rises to the top. 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:23.800 You do your best each day, and you're going to 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:27.120 get noticed. That's what it says in Proverbs twenty two 0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:31.360 twenty nine. Do you see a person skilled in their work, 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:35.880 they will stand before great men, not obscure people. That's 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:39.840 saying if you will be diligent to develop the gifts 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:42.680 that God's given you and be your best every day, 0:11:43.040 --> 0:11:46.520 then promotion is coming your way. Well, you say, my 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:50.880 supervisor has ten years seniority on me, They're not going anywhere. 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:54.040 There's no room for me to increase, No if you 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:58.280 outperform them, if you outgrow them, if you know more 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:01.720 than them, God says you're gifts, will make room for you. 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:04.800 It may take a year, it may take five years, 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.800 but new doors are going to open. You don't have 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:10.120 to worry about who's in front of you and who's 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.679 blocking you and why it's not going to happen. God 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:16.080 is in complete control. Don't get discouraged and think, well, 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.040 this isn't for me today. There's no room for me 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:18.720 to increase. 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:21.240 No, kick your learning into a new gear. 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:25.000 You're not working under people, You're working under God, and. 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:25.440 You don't know. 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:28.319 God may not want you to have that supervisor's position. 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:31.280 That may be too low for you. God may want 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:32.959 to thrust you far ahead of that and put you 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:34.120 at a whole new level. 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:37.880 I know people right. 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:41.920 Now that used to be former receptionists. They used to 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:45.840 answer the phone. Today they are running multimillion dollar corporations. 0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:46.840 What am I saying? 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:52.640 Develop your skills, don't stop growing, don't stop learning. Well, Joel, 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.240 I'm doing as good as my coworkers. I'm doing as 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:58.240 good as everybody else in my department. No, you're not 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:01.559 supposed to be like everybody else. That thinking will limit you, 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:04.800 that'll convince you to just settle where you are. We're 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:08.360 supposed to be a cut above. We should be so excellent, 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.120 so productive, so filled with wisdom and insight that when 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.720 you're not at work, people say, man, I can't wait 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:15.600 till they get back. 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:17.720 This office is practically falling apart. 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:20.240 Let me tell you a way that you can always 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:22.840 be missed, and that is if you will learn to 0:13:22.920 --> 0:13:26.480 be a problem solver. Don't go to your boss or 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:29.120 your supervisor and say, well, we got a problem over here, 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:32.240 and this person is about to quit, and this manager's mad, 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:37.199 this department is in disarray. Bob cursed out, Larry yesterday, 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.480 Bill's never on time, nobody paid the taxes last month. 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:41.360 What would you like. 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:46.600 Me to do? No, don't present problems, present solutions. I 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:49.840 know as an employer one of the main things we 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:54.199 are looking for is people that can solve problems. Anybody 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.240 can present problems. My nine year old daughter can come 0:13:57.280 --> 0:13:58.240 tell me Daddy. 0:13:57.920 --> 0:13:59.800 The house is on fire. That's easy. 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:02.240 But I want somebody that will not only tell me 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:04.760 the house is on fire, but the fire department's on 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.199 the way and we got everybody out safely. 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:08.960 And I call the insurance company. 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:11.080 They'll be here tomorrow, and here's a hotel to stay in, 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:12.160 here's a car to drive. 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:14.120 What's my point? 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:18.680 If you want to be invaluable to your organization, be 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:24.000 a problem solver, present solutions or at least several different options. 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:27.120 I have four or five main managers that help me here. 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:31.040 Over the last nine years, I cannot remember one time 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.440 that they've ever come to me and said, Joel, we've 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.920 got a problem and we don't know what to do. No, 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:37.960 even if they don't know what to do, they're not 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:39.760 going to tell me. They're going to act like they do. 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.040 This is an area that we can all improve in. 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:48.840 Become more solution oriented and not problem oriented. Even in 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.160 your personal life. Don't go to your spouse and say, 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:51.840 here's a problem. 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:53.240 What are you going to do now? 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:56.520 If you ever present a problem, follow it up by 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:00.240 presenting a solution. I mean, we've had employees in the 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.520 past when they went on vacation, we had a big celebration. 0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:06.080 Thank god, they're gone for a week. We can finally 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:08.680 quit hearing about what's wrong, what's not. Don't let that 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.239 be You present solutions. 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:12.200 Hope they're not here today. 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:17.080 What are you doing to improve so you can go 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:19.880 to the next level. Can you take a course that 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.280 would give you an advantage? You got to stay on 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:25.720 the offensive. Well, Joel, I got my degree, I got 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:29.200 my certification, I got my license. Now do you realize 0:15:29.240 --> 0:15:32.120 how many degrees are outdated in as little. 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:35.360 As five years? The world is changing so fast. 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.680 If you don't have this attitude to continue to learn, 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.160 to take steps to grow, then you can be left behind. 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:45.400 Some of you today need to be set free from 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:49.760 destination disease. You've reached a certain level, but you've stopped growing. 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:52.080 You need to break out of that box and learn 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:55.880 something new. Will Rogers said, even if you're on the 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.800 right track, if you sit down, eventually you'll get run over. 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.000 And if you're not taking steps to grow, don't be 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:06.240 surprised if somebody comes along and takes a promotion that 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.160 belongs to you. Well, bless God, nobody's going to get 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:11.960 my promotion. J You'll know if you're not prepared, if 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:14.960 you're not developing what God's put on the inside, you 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:16.960 can miss out on what rightfully. 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:18.960 Belongs to you. And the good news is it's not 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:20.160 too late to start. 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:24.600 You can become everything God's created you to be. Now, 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:28.200 I want to challenge you to develop a personal growth 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:29.440 plan for your life. 0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:33.320 You need a specific plan that shows how you're going 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:33.800 to grow. 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.680 In other words, these are the steps I'm going to 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:39.240 take each day to improve to get better. 0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:40.840 Not something vague. 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.120 Well, maybe I'll read a book every once in a while. No, 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:45.600 it needs to be a definite plan. It's not going 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:47.880 to happen automatically. You've got to put it into place. 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:49.760 Let me give you some ideas. 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:52.840 Driving to work, instead of listening. 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:56.880 To the radio, listen to good teaching CDs, listen to 0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.280 training materials, things that are going to improve you in 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:01.240 your field, things. 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:02.440 That are going to give you more knowledge. 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:06.800 The average American spends three hundred hours a year in 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:10.400 their car. You can turn your car into a university. 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:13.920 That's valuable time. Take advantage of it. Or how about 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:16.800 at the gym when you're working out. Make sure you 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.960 have good information going into you have. People tell me 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.160 all the time, I listen to you while I run, 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:25.720 listen to you taking my walk each day, listen to 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:28.399 you while I work out. An elderly lady told me 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.479 the other day, Jeel, I listen to you before I 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.600 go to bed at night, you always put me right 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:40.320 to sleep. She meant it as a compliment, but thanks anyway, mother. 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:47.159 These are simple things. I'm not talking about spending an 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:50.399 extra three hours a day studying. I'm talking about taking 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.439 advantage of the time that you're not using right now now, 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.679 I love the new technology with these podcasts. 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:58.760 You can have messages. 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:01.159 Downloaded to your iPod to where you can listen to 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:03.960 them any time you want. This year, we will give 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:07.160 away sixty million messages free of charge. 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:08.440 All you've got to do is. 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:10.920 Sign up and it'll come to you directly to you, 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.480 and you can listen to those messages again and again. 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:15.960 That's a growth plan. 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:19.920 When God sees you putting forth effort, when he sees 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.920 you stretching and doing your part to improve, that's when 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.520 you're going to see supernatural doors open. That's when you're 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:28.200 going to see favor and promotion like you've never seen 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:32.600 it before. Including your plan, go into a seminar at 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:35.680 least once a year. You need to get around other 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.959 people in your same field, listen to their ideas, expand 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.879 your thinking. I'm constantly talking to other ministers of the 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:47.240 leaders twice a year. We have a round table here 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:51.000 with a couple hundred pastors. All we do is share ideas. 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:54.280 Every person gets two minutes to share the most effective 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:55.960 thing that's working in their ministry. 0:18:56.240 --> 0:18:59.240 I've learned so much and gotten so many good ideas. 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:00.840 Want to continue to. 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:03.159 Grow and be your best, you need to get around 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:06.119 other people in your field and be open to learn. 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:10.280 Another important part of any growth plan should be to 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:14.840 have good mentors. Find people that have been where you're 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:17.359 trying to go, people that know more than you, and 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:21.160 let them mentor you. You need good people speaking into 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:21.800 your life. 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.120 When you're around them, ask questions, pick. 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:27.920 Their brain, find out how they got to where they 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:30.679 are and how they think. He you say, Joel, I 0:19:30.680 --> 0:19:34.080 don't need a mentor. I'm very successful. I'm doing really well. 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:37.440 Now think about this. Tiger Woods is probably the greatest 0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:40.520 golfer that's ever played. But do you know Tiger Woods 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.320 has a coach. He has a trainer, people to help 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:45.600 him with his swing, people to help him with his 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.320 exercise routine, people to help him with his mental focus. 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:51.639 If Tiger Woods needs a coach, being as great as 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:54.080 he is in his field, surely we need a coach. 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:58.280 We need mentors and people speaking faith into us. I 0:19:58.359 --> 0:20:01.720 read about this group of self associates. There were several 0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:04.560