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Speaker 1: I'm excited. God has something super natural in store for you, Elevation.

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Speaker 1: Are y'all doing well today? Man? It is the honor

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Speaker 1: of a lifetime to be with you guys today. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna have you stand for just a few more minutes

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Speaker 1: because we're about to go crazy and honor your pastor's

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Speaker 1: pastor Steven and pastor Hollyford. It come on, can you

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Speaker 1: put your hands together? We're grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful for them.

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Speaker 1: A few weeks back, Elevation Nights was in Washington, DC,

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Speaker 1: which is kind of like my home region. So like

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Speaker 1: a whole church all a Union church showed up, and

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Speaker 1: I mean it was unbelievable. And I was in that

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Speaker 1: atmosphere and I ain't gonna lie. I was bawling my

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Speaker 1: eyes out. I was a complete mess. And I began

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Speaker 1: to think in the Old Testament, every time God would

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Speaker 1: do something amazing for people, they would grab stones and

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Speaker 1: they would build an altar and they would worship in

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Speaker 1: that moment. And what that altar was for is as

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Speaker 1: years went by, when they walked past those stones, their

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Speaker 1: kids would act, Dad, mom, what are those stones about?

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Speaker 1: And Dad would say, let me tell you about the

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Speaker 1: time when our God parted the ocean in front of us.

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Speaker 1: Let me about how that time when giants fell, because

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Speaker 1: our God is also Here's the thought that crossed my mind.

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Speaker 1: Here here in the New Testament Church, we don't stack stones,

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Speaker 1: but songs are almost like modern day altars. I promise

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Speaker 1: you you have a worship song that's connected to a

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Speaker 1: victory or a loss that you've experienced in your life.

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Speaker 1: And when you hear that song, it brings you back

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Speaker 1: to the place where God delivers you, where he covered you,

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Speaker 1: where He kept you. And I was just thinking, I

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Speaker 1: am so grateful for this house. I'm so grateful for

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Speaker 1: Pastor Stephen and Pastor and the songs that have come

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Speaker 1: out of this house has carried me and hundreds and

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Speaker 1: thousands of people closer to God through trials, through hardship,

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Speaker 1: through setbacks. And it's because you have pastors that hear

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Speaker 1: from God, that are humbled before the Lord and are

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Speaker 1: leading according to the will of God. So is one

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Speaker 1: more time? Can you put your hands together? Can you?

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Speaker 1: Can you go nuts for your pastor? We love you,

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Speaker 1: Pastor Steve and Pastor Holly. All right, let's reach go ahead,

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Speaker 1: grab your sea, grab your seat, turning your Bible to

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Speaker 1: Luke Luke chapter two, Luke, chapter two, Verse forty one.

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Speaker 1: I have with me the greatest thing that has ever

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Speaker 1: happened to me on planet Earth, next to salvation, and

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Speaker 1: that is my beautiful African clean side. Chandler is in

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Speaker 1: the building, my beautiful wi y'all. Her birthday was on Friday.

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Speaker 1: She just can y'all shout happen birthday? Come on type

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Speaker 1: it in the chat whatever campus you make her blush.

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Speaker 1: I think they have a picture of my family. You

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Speaker 1: can see how much we love each other because we

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Speaker 1: got cheering. And I always feel bad showing this picture

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Speaker 1: because it makes everybody feel bad because they realize that

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Speaker 1: my family is more beautiful than theirs, and that's really

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Speaker 1: mean and offensive. But you see the picture, it's true.

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Speaker 1: Standing next to me is my beautiful daughter. Her name

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Speaker 1: is Zoe, she's five. On my lap is my twin,

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Speaker 1: my homie, he's four. His name is Roman. And then

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Speaker 1: holding my wife's holding our youngest are ten months old.

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Speaker 1: She looks like an angel. She is a fallen angel.

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Speaker 1: She does not know Jesus and she likes to remind us.

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Speaker 1: At about three point thirty in the morning that she

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Speaker 1: is a heathen. So pray for Jade Mariah that she

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Speaker 1: would get some Jesus and some holy ghosts, or at

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Speaker 1: least a little bit of sleep, so that we can

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Speaker 1: enjoy enjoy our rest. We're blessed, we're grateful. We're really

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Speaker 1: blessed because we left them home, so we are in

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Speaker 1: great sleep. Oh, before I appreach, y'all, I've got a

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Speaker 1: book coming out. Come on now. It's called Stop Waiting

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Speaker 1: for Permission, and I'm asking man, grab that book. It

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Speaker 1: will change your life. One of my favorite verses in

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Speaker 1: all of Scripture is Proverbs twenty five to two. Proverbs

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Speaker 1: twenty five to two says it's the glory of God

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Speaker 1: to conceal a matter, and it's the glory of kings

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Speaker 1: to reveal a matter. Here's how I interpret that verse.

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Speaker 1: That God is hidden greatness inside of you. You may

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Speaker 1: not realize this, but there's a genius inside of you.

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Speaker 1: There's an anointing, there's a gifting, and God is hidden

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Speaker 1: it inside. Why the hide it because if you find

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Speaker 1: it without him, you'll abuse it. But when you find

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Speaker 1: it in Him, you will realize that there's something inside

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Speaker 1: of you that will transform this world. And that book

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Speaker 1: literally is a step by step guide. It really is

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Speaker 1: what God, the journey God took me on of just

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Speaker 1: thinking that I'm kind of a nobody and invisible in

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Speaker 1: all this, and then realizing that there's so much that

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Speaker 1: God has placed inside of me. So you could pre

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Speaker 1: order that wherever books are sold. All right, we're done

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Speaker 1: with a QVC commercial. Here we go, Luke, Chapter two,

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Speaker 1: verse forty one. If you're ready for the words, somebody say, yeah,

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Speaker 1: come on, here we go. It says this his parents,

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Speaker 1: and this is Jesus's parents, Mary and Joseph, went to

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Speaker 1: Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. When

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Speaker 1: he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem

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Speaker 1: according to the custom of the feast. When they had

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Speaker 1: finished the days, as they returned, the boy, Jesus lingered, No,

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Speaker 1: I need you to say lingered. Somebody say lingered, Come on,

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Speaker 1: type it in the chat. Somebody say, lingered. It's the

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Speaker 1: whole message. Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and

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Speaker 1: his mother did not know it, but supposing him to

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Speaker 1: have been in the company, they went a day journey

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Speaker 1: and sought him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when

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Speaker 1: they did not find him. They returned to Jerusalem seeking him.

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Speaker 1: Now I gotta pause because y'all not catching the tension

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Speaker 1: in this passage. Y'all marry and Joseph lost God. Now

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Speaker 1: I don't know how you are. Maybe you're one of

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Speaker 1: those people you don't lose anything. You know where your

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Speaker 1: car keys are? Your wallet? All the time. I lose things,

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Speaker 1: I lose car keys, I lose wallets, I lose children sometime,

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Speaker 1: I have never lost God. Listen, you're panicking when you

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Speaker 1: check your pockets and you realize God ain't there, says now.

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Speaker 1: So it was that after three days that they found

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Speaker 1: him in church. He was in the temple, sitting in

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Speaker 1: the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and

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Speaker 1: asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished

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Speaker 1: at his understanding and answers. So when they saw him,

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Speaker 1: they were amazed. And his mother said to him, son,

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Speaker 1: why have you why'd you put us through this? Why?

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Speaker 1: Why get done this to us? Look, your father and

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Speaker 1: I have sought you anxiously. And he said to them, Yo,

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Speaker 1: you gotta understand he was God, but he was also twelve.

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Speaker 1: He's like, what y'all looking for? He said, Why did

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Speaker 1: you seek me? Did you not know that I must

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Speaker 1: be about my father's business. This is a moment where

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Speaker 1: Mary had to decide do I grab them Messiah by

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Speaker 1: his ear or do I just say yes Lord? But

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Speaker 1: they did not They didn't know what he was. They'd

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Speaker 1: understand this statement which he spoke to them. Let's pray, Father, God.

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Speaker 1: We're grateful. God, We're grateful, and we don't take for

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Speaker 1: granted your presence. God. You said, wherever two or three

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Speaker 1: are gothered in your name, there you'll be also. God,

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Speaker 1: there's two in this room. This to what every campus.

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Speaker 1: There's hundreds and thousands of people watching across the world.

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Speaker 1: And God, you you wouldn't show up and not transform,

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Speaker 1: and not speak and not heal. So God we say,

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Speaker 1: have your way, and God, when you speak, we will obey.

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Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, we pray. Somebody shout Amen. Amen. At

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Speaker 1: the end of twenty twenty one, the last week of December,

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Speaker 1: I've been doing this for years. I just took about

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Speaker 1: a week off between Christmas in New Years and kind

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Speaker 1: of just get some time away to pray, to plan

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Speaker 1: my next year and all that other good stuff. And

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Speaker 1: this year it was different. I'm fasting and praying, I'm

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Speaker 1: spending time with God, and God gave me a specific

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Speaker 1: word for twenty twenty two. Now. It's not super deep

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Speaker 1: or super spiritual, whatever is. I don't want to set you.

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Speaker 1: Oh you got a prophecy. It just God just gave

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Speaker 1: me a word. And before I give you that, you

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Speaker 1: just got to understand. This doesn't happen to me often.

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Speaker 1: I'm not the guy that has a word for every

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Speaker 1: single year. This is twenty nineteen the year of harvest,

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty the year of abundance. Didn't see that come

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Speaker 1: in twenty two. I'm just not the guy that gets

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Speaker 1: a word every year. So this was just different for me.

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Speaker 1: But I just felt this still small voice that God said.

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Speaker 1: Twenty twenty two is the year of purpose. He says, Stephen,

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Speaker 1: this is a year where you can't afford to waste

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Speaker 1: a lot of time. This is a year where you

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Speaker 1: have to be intentional. You have to be focused, you

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Speaker 1: have to know what I've called you to do, and

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Speaker 1: you have to be about. Twenty twenty two is the

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Speaker 1: year of no. Come on out, that says some of y'all. Free. No,

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Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I can't make it. No I'm sorry. I

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Speaker 1: can't do that. No, I'm sorry. I'm not even sorry.

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Speaker 1: Actually I won't be there. It's a year where God

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Speaker 1: says if people would lock in on their calling, lock

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Speaker 1: in on their purpose, would be intentional about their life,

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Speaker 1: they would see a wind of favor sweep behind them.

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Speaker 1: You'll see doors open that you didn't even know could

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Speaker 1: open because you're not just living a happenstance life or

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Speaker 1: let's see how it goes or what happens. But I'm

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Speaker 1: locked in on who God's called me to be and

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Speaker 1: what He's called me to do. Somebody say purpose. There's

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Speaker 1: nobody that's walked the planet that has lived a life

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Speaker 1: of more purpose than Jesus. You've got to understand. Even

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Speaker 1: before he was born, it was documented and prophesied the

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Speaker 1: purpose on his life. The Bible says this in Luke,

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Speaker 1: chapter one, verse thirty two. Talking about Jesus, it says,

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Speaker 1: he will be great. Let's not even go any further.

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Speaker 1: Can you imagine the pressure? Hey, no pressure, but you

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Speaker 1: have to be great. If you're not great, your life

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Speaker 1: is a failure. He said he will be great and

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Speaker 1: will be called the Son of the Most High. The

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Speaker 1: Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

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Speaker 1: and he will reign over Jacob's descendants. Watch this forever.

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Speaker 1: His kingdom will never end. Now that's a great Bible,

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Speaker 1: but that's a lot of pressure for a three year old.

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Speaker 1: I mean, let's be real. You are the king of

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Speaker 1: kings of Ludi Wars. You're taking over David's throne and

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Speaker 1: your kingdom can never end. Could you imagine the pressure

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Speaker 1: that Jesus lived under? Could you imagine the focus, the intentionality.

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Speaker 1: Can you imagine he couldn't say what everybody else was saying,

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Speaker 1: He couldn't go where everybody else was going, He couldn't

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Speaker 1: do whatever. Could you imagine being fourteen knowing that there's

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Speaker 1: a cross in your future? Can you imagine the pressure

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Speaker 1: of being the Messiah and having to pick a prom date? Now,

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Speaker 1: you can't just go to problem with anybody like, there's

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Speaker 1: a calling on your life, there's purpose. You have to

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Speaker 1: live with a focus and any No, here's the thing.

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Speaker 1: We look at Jesus, we know he's the Missigh and

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Speaker 1: we're like, well, of course he had to live with

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Speaker 1: purpose because the whole world was counting on him. But

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Speaker 1: what we don't realize is you have purpose as well,

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Speaker 1: that God called you and knows you and has a specific,

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Speaker 1: unique purpose for you here on earth. The Bible says

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Speaker 1: in Acts seventeen that God picts your city, he picked

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Speaker 1: the time in the calendar that you would be born.

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Speaker 1: He picts your family. He sets you up for the

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Speaker 1: kingdom purpose that he has for you. There's even prophecy

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Speaker 1: about you in Scripture and Jeremiah one to five. It

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Speaker 1: says this, God says, I knew you, Steven. I like

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Speaker 1: doing it. Can you just put your name in the Bible,

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Speaker 1: say I knew you, whatever your name is, Gabe or whatever.

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Speaker 1: I knew you before you were formed within your mother's womb,

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Speaker 1: before you were born. I sanctified. What does that mean?

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Speaker 1: He said, I set you aside for special use. He said,

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Speaker 1: you are appointed as my spokesperson to the world. Listen

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Speaker 1: to me. There is purpose on your life. God said,

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Speaker 1: before you were even born, I knew you. I called you.

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Speaker 1: I planned you to have an impact on earth that

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Speaker 1: nobody else could have. I know your parents told you

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Speaker 1: that you were a surprise. They didn't see you come in.

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Speaker 1: But hear me, you were not a surprise to God.

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Speaker 1: God had purpose for you before you knew you. Watch this,

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Speaker 1: God had purpose for you before you made your biggest mistake.

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Speaker 1: So many people, all we can see is the biggest

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Speaker 1: moment of shame in our life. And we say, well,

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Speaker 1: because of that, God can never use me. Watch this.

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Speaker 1: God is all knowing, and he planned your purpose knowing

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Speaker 1: that that mistake would be in your story. And yet

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Speaker 1: he still said, I have purpose for you. He still

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Speaker 1: said I want to use you in a way that

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Speaker 1: you will not even imagine. Somebody say, there's purpose on

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Speaker 1: my life. Now here's the problem with purpose. The problem

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Speaker 1: with purpose is I don't get to do what everybody

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Speaker 1: else does. The problem with purpose is I can't go

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Speaker 1: where everybody else goes. I can't say what everybody else says.

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Speaker 1: And watch this, I have to go through some things

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Speaker 1: that other people don't have to go through because they

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Speaker 1: don't have the same purpose on their life. So I

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Speaker 1: have on my life. I'm a huge football fan. We're

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Speaker 1: getting ready to go in a football season, and we

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Speaker 1: like watching football on TV or high school games or

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Speaker 1: whatever it may be. Before it gets to TV, before

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Speaker 1: they get to the game, they have August, come on,

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Speaker 1: how avery gonna play football? Back in the day, August

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Speaker 1: there's the worst month of the year for a football player.

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Speaker 1: Why because there's no games, there's no television, there's just

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Speaker 1: heat and practice. My football coach, he would say, Steven,

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Speaker 1: go run this hill until I remember you exist and

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Speaker 1: we are out there suffering. Not everybody is going through

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Speaker 1: what we're going through, but not everybody gets to play

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Speaker 1: what we play. Hear me, I know I'm not. I'm like,

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Speaker 1: three minutes in my message. I don't want to tick

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Speaker 1: you off or anything like that. So I'm gonna talk

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Speaker 1: about myself and instead of talk about you, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: throw myself unto the bus and you could jump under

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Speaker 1: the bus with me. But I find myself complaining about

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Speaker 1: how difficult life is. Sometimes the only bit I have

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Speaker 1: to go through and it ain't up there pastor this church,

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Speaker 1: and these people are crazy, you know what. I call

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Speaker 1: it prayer time, But I'm actually I'm actually just complaining.

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Speaker 1: And I feel like the Holy Spirit You've been jacked

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Speaker 1: up in your prayer time at some point. I feel

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Speaker 1: like the Holy Spirit said, yes, you're going through things

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Speaker 1: that other people don't have to go through, but I'm

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Speaker 1: using you in a way that I'm not using other people.

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Speaker 1: So do you want to be normal and unused or

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Speaker 1: do you want to go through some difficult seasons but

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Speaker 1: be used by God in a great way? Hear me?

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Speaker 1: Some of you have been looking around at your life

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Speaker 1: and saying, my siblings aren't going through the same drama

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Speaker 1: that I have to go through. My coworkers aren't running

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Speaker 1: into the same setbacks. Why why? Here's why. Because you're cold,

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Speaker 1: Because there's purpose, because there's destiny, because God's hand is

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Speaker 1: on your life, because you're favored. Yeah, you're going through

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Speaker 1: things that other people don't have to go through. But

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Speaker 1: God's gonna use you in ways, and He's not using somebody.

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Speaker 1: Shall I have purpose? I want to preach a message.

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Speaker 1: You may have thought that I was preaching. I haven't

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Speaker 1: started preaching yet, but I want to preach the message

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Speaker 1: today called I wasn't Left. I lingered. I wasn't left.

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Speaker 1: I lingered. My sophomore year in college at the University

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Speaker 1: of Maryland College Park, the greatest university on planet Earth.

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Speaker 1: Fear the Turtle. It's like the worst mascot ever. But

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Speaker 1: sophomore year in college, it was just I was running

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Speaker 1: like a madman. I was taken to over twenty credits

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Speaker 1: because I was trying to get out of school as

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Speaker 1: fast as possible. I was working for my dad's company,

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Speaker 1: like twenty five hours. I was the student pastor at

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Speaker 1: the church forty five minutes away, so I'm driving up

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Speaker 1: to Maryland. So it was just kind of running racket.

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Speaker 1: Plus I loved Jesus. What do you mean by that?

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Speaker 1: I mean that my idea of college was not being

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Speaker 1: drunk every Friday, laying in a bush on Root one

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Speaker 1: on campus, wondering where my room key was. That just

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Speaker 1: wasn't my idea of a college experience. And sophomore year,

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Speaker 1: I didn't have classes on Friday. So every Thursday night

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Speaker 1: I'd jump in my car, i'd go to work. I'd

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Speaker 1: go home, and I'd be at church leading worship over

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Speaker 1: the weekend and all that kind of stuff that I'd

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Speaker 1: come back Monday morning. And almost every single Monday morning,

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Speaker 1: when I come back to my dorm, my roommates says

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Speaker 1: Stephen Man, you missed a party. Man. This weekend was crazy.

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Speaker 1: I mean, the party was lit, the cops showed up,

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Speaker 1: they were shooting rubber bullets. It was I don't know

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Speaker 1: why every party in Maryland ended with rubber bullets from

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Speaker 1: the like you. He's like, where where you? And it

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Speaker 1: happened week after week, and he got so frustrated that

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Speaker 1: I was missing all these parties, y'all. They staged an intervention, y'all.

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Speaker 1: I walked in my door one Monday. There's a bunch

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Speaker 1: of dudes that Steven, sit down. What's going on? So, Stephen,

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Speaker 1: we're worried about you. You're you're missing out on the

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Speaker 1: college experience, You're missing out on life. And I'm like,

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Speaker 1: I'm having a college experience. I'm can season. D's just like, y'all,

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Speaker 1: I'm in the professor's office begging for seven percentage points.

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Speaker 1: So I'm having a college experience. And he's like, no, no, no,

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Speaker 1: He said, You'll never get to have this season of

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Speaker 1: your life. He said. He got so mad. He said, Steven,

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Speaker 1: this is you, and this is life passing you by.

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Speaker 1: He said, you're getting left behind. I think I ticked

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Speaker 1: them off because I started laughing, and I don't think

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Speaker 1: that's the response that he wanted. But I didn't know

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Speaker 1: how to explain to him, Hey, my entire existence doesn't

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Speaker 1: revolve around four years at this university. Like I'm glad

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Speaker 1: that I'm here, and I'm gonna have a good time,

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Speaker 1: and I'm actually having more fun than you think I am.

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Speaker 1: But I have purpose, I have focused. There's some I

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Speaker 1: wanted to tell him my life is going somewhere, but

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Speaker 1: that was a little bit ignorantcause then it would imply

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Speaker 1: so I didn't. But I kind of did because I

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Speaker 1: had seen something further ahead. I wasn't overwhelmed with the

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Speaker 1: fact that I may have been missing out on what

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Speaker 1: everybody thought that this moment was all about. Here's what

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Speaker 1: I've discovered. People of purpose are not concerned about being

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Speaker 1: left behind. There's this anks, there's this anxiety of men,

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Speaker 1: I gotta keep up with life. I gotta make sure

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Speaker 1: that I'm relevant. I gotta make sure that I don't

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Speaker 1: get left behind. But when you realize that there's a

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Speaker 1: purpose on your life, being left behind is no longer

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Speaker 1: your concern. And this passage, it says that Mary and

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Speaker 1: Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. They were

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Speaker 1: there for seven days, which lets us know that Mary

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Speaker 1: and Joseph they were church folks, not church folks. They

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Speaker 1: were church folks. The religious law only required to beat

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Speaker 1: them to be there for two days, so for them

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Speaker 1: to have been there for seven days, they were like, oh,

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Speaker 1: we going to church every time the doors are open.

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Speaker 1: Seven days they would feast and they would worship, and

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Speaker 1: then they would celebrate. And then the last day it

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Speaker 1: says that they left, but Jesus lingered behind. Now, because

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Speaker 1: we have all the scriptus, we're able to look at it.

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Speaker 1: It's very easy to judge people in the Bible that,

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Speaker 1: come on, now, how do you lose God? Like, that's

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Speaker 1: not that that just just keep an eye on God.

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Speaker 1: But you gotta understand. Because it was such a long journey,

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Speaker 1: they were probably traveling with aunts and uncles and cousins

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Speaker 1: and grant, there's probably fifty to one hundred people they

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Speaker 1: were traveling with. They probably just assumed, oh, Jesus is

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Speaker 1: with his uncle, Jesus is with his aunt. And it

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Speaker 1: wasn't until three days went back and Jesus didn't come

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Speaker 1: to bathe, he didn't come to brush their teeth, he

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Speaker 1: didn't come asking for more money. That they're like, okay,

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Speaker 1: there's a problem here. Three days they search all of

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Speaker 1: Jerusalem and they find him sitting in a temple talking

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Speaker 1: to adults rabbis and explaining scripture, debating theology, and Mary said,

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Speaker 1: how could you do this time? And Jesus says a statement.

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Speaker 1: He said, don't you know, I must be about my

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Speaker 1: father's business. Here's what he was saying. He said, there's

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Speaker 1: a purpose on my life. You gotta understand. I'm a

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Speaker 1: little ignorant, so I only see ignorant things in scripture.

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Speaker 1: I feel like Jesus was saying, and making my mama

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Speaker 1: happy is not the number one purpose in my life.

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Speaker 1: You gotta see the awkwardness of this moment. He said,

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Speaker 1: I must be about my father's business. And Joseph do

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Speaker 1: we call him stepfather? Joseph was like, I've got no business.

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Speaker 1: Jesus understood there's a call of God on my life,

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Speaker 1: and everybody around me may not always understand it. But

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Speaker 1: that's not my problem. A problem is to be locked

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Speaker 1: in on what God's called me. I'm gonna give you

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Speaker 1: just three quick thoughts, three quick thoughts of how do

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Speaker 1: I stay locked in on the purpose that God has

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Speaker 1: for me? If you're taking notes, write this down. If

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Speaker 1: you are not taking notes, write this down. First thing

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Speaker 1: is this purpose cannot be left behind. Purpose cannot be

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Speaker 1: left behind you. You may not realize it that they

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Speaker 1: all live, but this anxiety of next, next, next, next, next,

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Speaker 1: what's gonna happen next? Where do I go next? What's

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Speaker 1: my next opportunity? And that cycle started before you even

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Speaker 1: realized it. You remember being twelve years old. Somebody's twelve.

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Speaker 1: I am twelve right now. I remember being twelve. The

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Speaker 1: only thing you can think about is I can't wait

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Speaker 1: to be thirteen. I'm a teenager, I'm a teen. You

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Speaker 1: go from twelve to thirteen, you realize that you are

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Speaker 1: thirteen and powerless. Being thirteen is about as useless as

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Speaker 1: being twelve. Now, I can't wait to be sixteen because

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna get a driver's license and I'm gonna get

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Speaker 1: my freedom. And then you turn sixteen. You have a

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Speaker 1: driver's license and a curfew. You realize sixteen ain't all

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Speaker 1: that great. Can't wait to be eighteen because when I'm eighteen,

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Speaker 1: I'm out of here. I'm going to college, no more curfew,

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Speaker 1: I'm free. And you turn out to be eighteen and

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Speaker 1: you have freedom and you're broke. All of a sudden,

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Speaker 1: you realize eighteen ain't all that great now. I was like,

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Speaker 1: I can't wait to be twenty two because I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: get out of college. I'm gonna get a job. You

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Speaker 1: get out of college, you got a job, and you

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Speaker 1: got bills, and you're still broke. Two. Ain't that great? Okay?

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Speaker 1: Now I need to get married so I get somebody

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Speaker 1: else to help me pay these bills. The only reason

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Speaker 1: you get married. And then the second you get married,

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Speaker 1: you sign that marriage certificate. The ink isn't even dry.

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Speaker 1: And that aunt, he's saying, so where the baby's at?

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Speaker 1: Even made it to our honeymoon yet? And as soon

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Speaker 1: as the babies come, then you want them to grow up.

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Speaker 1: Can't wait till they leave? Wait, I thought you couldn't

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Speaker 1: wait for them to come. And then as soon as

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Speaker 1: they leave, when y'all gonna get married, And as soon

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Speaker 1: as they get married, when you're gonna make me some

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Speaker 1: grand babies. And it goes on and on and on

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Speaker 1: and on. It doesn't matter where we are. We're always

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Speaker 1: looking at next. Come on, now, you you just got

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Speaker 1: a promotion, and you're already thinking about what the next

423
00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,600
Speaker 1: one is. You're making more money today than you've ever

424
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,119
Speaker 1: made in your life. But you can only obsess on

425
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,439
Speaker 1: the next thing that you can afford. It's next, It's next,

426
00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,960
Speaker 1: and here's what we don't really. It's a prison that

427
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:01,800
Speaker 1: torments us, and then we beg an obsess over why

428
00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 1: I haven't I made it over there yet? Why hasn't

429
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:09,120
Speaker 1: this opportunity I was just thinking. This prison of next,

430
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,400
Speaker 1: it's literally a jail cell that has four walls. One

431
00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,800
Speaker 1: of the walls of that tormenting prison is the wall

432
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:20,760
Speaker 1: of delay. It's just this nauseous feeling of I should

433
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,080
Speaker 1: be further than I am right now. Man, If only

434
00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,240
Speaker 1: I had taken that opportunity, if only I had that favor,

435
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,719
Speaker 1: if only this, if only that, and we end up

436
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,240
Speaker 1: obsessing over why we aren't where we should be. We

437
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,000
Speaker 1: feel delayed. Another wall of that prison is the wall

438
00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:42,480
Speaker 1: that I call of denied. Man, that person turned me down,

439
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,440
Speaker 1: I'd be further along. If they had hired me, I'd

440
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,480
Speaker 1: be further along. If they had opened that door, I'd

441
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,920
Speaker 1: be further along. They just didn't like me, and that's

442
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:56,840
Speaker 1: why I'm stuck here. Another wall of that prison next

443
00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:01,040
Speaker 1: is the wall that I call destroyed. They had not

444
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:04,160
Speaker 1: been for that car accident, if I hadn't gone through

445
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,080
Speaker 1: that sickness, if that divorce hadn't taken place, if we

446
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,680
Speaker 1: hadn't gone through that pandemic. God still have my business

447
00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,959
Speaker 1: or whatever it. Maybe there's some event in my life

448
00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,520
Speaker 1: that has kept me from the next that I think

449
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,160
Speaker 1: I deserve, and then the last, Well, I'm doing well, y'all,

450
00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,000
Speaker 1: they're all d's. You see this. I put my work

451
00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:29,679
Speaker 1: in today, delayed, denied, destroyed, and discouraged. I don't deserve next.

452
00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,239
Speaker 1: I've made too many mistakes. I've blown it too badly up.

453
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,560
Speaker 1: I've messed us up. I've messed that up. I've messed

454
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,640
Speaker 1: us up. I've messed that up. And we find ourselves

455
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,720
Speaker 1: in this prison of obsessing over where we think we

456
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:48,080
Speaker 1: should be instead of looking around and seeing, Wait, where

457
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,560
Speaker 1: am I right now? Hear me, elevation. If God has

458
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 1: not moved you to a new season, it's because there's

459
00:27:54,440 --> 00:28:00,240
Speaker 1: still miracles that are untapped in your current season. God

460
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,560
Speaker 1: hasn't opened the door for next. It's because there's more

461
00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,760
Speaker 1: that He has in the now that he desires to

462
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,959
Speaker 1: do in your life. Hear me. There's miracles that are

463
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,040
Speaker 1: waiting for you in July. There's miracles that are ahead

464
00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,880
Speaker 1: of you in twenty twenty three. But June's still got

465
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,160
Speaker 1: some miracles in it. I'm telling you God still has

466
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 1: some open doors that he's bringing in twenty twenty two.

467
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,520
Speaker 1: There are some things that God is looking to do

468
00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:30,400
Speaker 1: in your life, somebody say now, But so often we're

469
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,320
Speaker 1: so obsessed over next we miss the fact that there's

470
00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:39,520
Speaker 1: a supernatural move of God in the now. People who

471
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,480
Speaker 1: don't realize that there's purpose on their life, they will

472
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:49,320
Speaker 1: actually leave the call of God just to stay relevant,

473
00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,000
Speaker 1: just to feel like that. They will leave where God

474
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,120
Speaker 1: told them to be, just because I've found something that

475
00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,640
Speaker 1: looks like it'll take me forward and move me where

476
00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,959
Speaker 1: I want to go. People of purpose are not concerned

477
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,480
Speaker 1: about keeping up with the Joneses, but realize that if

478
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,200
Speaker 1: this is where God has me, there's something that he's

479
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 1: looking to do now. Ecclesiastpes. Three one says this to

480
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:21,840
Speaker 1: everything there is a season, a time for every purpose

481
00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,320
Speaker 1: under the sun. If God hasn't opened the next door

482
00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 1: for you, it's because there's something that he's looking to

483
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 1: do right now. As I was in college, I knew

484
00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:32,560
Speaker 1: that God had called me to the ministry. I knew

485
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:33,760
Speaker 1: that this is what I was going to do for

486
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:35,720
Speaker 1: the rest of my life. I just didn't know what

487
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,960
Speaker 1: doors would open or how it would happen or whatever.

488
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,040
Speaker 1: So I just started looking for jobs after college. Now

489
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 1: now everyone's like, you know, what were you passionate about?

490
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,040
Speaker 1: What was your purpose? What were you going after? I

491
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:52,000
Speaker 1: was passionate about a paycheck. What industry were you called to?

492
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:56,760
Speaker 1: Whichever industry would pay me. I applied to every single

493
00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,480
Speaker 1: company that showed up at that job fair, and I'm

494
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,120
Speaker 1: telling you in that interview, I was so passionate about

495
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,120
Speaker 1: what they were doing and building it with Oh I

496
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,400
Speaker 1: loved it. I'm giving my life to this on my

497
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,960
Speaker 1: paycheck shows up on the first and the fifteenth, and

498
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,960
Speaker 1: I actually got a job that was and I'm not

499
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,920
Speaker 1: trying to put myself down, but if you see my GPA,

500
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,600
Speaker 1: you'll see he's telling the truth. That was beat on

501
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,880
Speaker 1: my resume like it was a miracle. I got a

502
00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,400
Speaker 1: job from one of the top oil companies in America

503
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,520
Speaker 1: and they, I mean, the job was so sweet. The

504
00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:33,680
Speaker 1: salary came with a signing bonus. I thought only athletes

505
00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:37,479
Speaker 1: got signing bonuses. I'm I'm looking at this paper like, Mama,

506
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:43,840
Speaker 1: we made I mean, biggest salary I've ever seen company

507
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,640
Speaker 1: cars say it was amazing. Only problem was I had

508
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,200
Speaker 1: to move to Louisiana. That's where the message is a

509
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 1: little icky, because I could start trashing Louisiana right now

510
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:56,760
Speaker 1: and get a lot of emails and all that other

511
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,040
Speaker 1: good stuff. There's nothing wrong with Louisiana. I love Louisian

512
00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,520
Speaker 1: I'm good friends, they're great food, cost of living is

513
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:05,440
Speaker 1: less than DC. The only problem is God told me

514
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,880
Speaker 1: to stay in Maryland. The problem is the only Spiry

515
00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,200
Speaker 1: said there's something I've called you to do here in Maryland,

516
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,080
Speaker 1: and I'm sitting and wrestling. I'm like, God, look at

517
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,880
Speaker 1: this job. I could tithe off of this job. You

518
00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,680
Speaker 1: can always bribe God with money, right. I was like, clearly,

519
00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,960
Speaker 1: this is the will of God. And the more I

520
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,320
Speaker 1: tried to pray my way into it, the more discontent

521
00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,200
Speaker 1: I felt. And then I said, Okay, God, you told

522
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,480
Speaker 1: me to stay, Fine, I'll stay. Where's the other job

523
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:44,719
Speaker 1: in Maryland with a comparable salary and my signing bonus? Silence?

524
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,640
Speaker 1: God didn't even say wait six months, He said nothing.

525
00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:53,600
Speaker 1: Do you know how awkward it is turning down a

526
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:58,960
Speaker 1: job and you don't have a good reason. They literally said,

527
00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,440
Speaker 1: tell us what the other their company offered you, and

528
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:13,520
Speaker 1: will beat their offer. They offered me half. You want

529
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,920
Speaker 1: half more? No, the job of taking is paying me half.

530
00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,800
Speaker 1: They're like, this guy's not bright enough to hire. I'm

531
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:27,920
Speaker 1: glad we missed that. And I'm always in trouble. Is

532
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,240
Speaker 1: it bad to say that God's annoying? It is? It is,

533
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,600
Speaker 1: I'll say it. You won't if he hits me with lightning.

534
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:37,520
Speaker 1: You're far enough away. Here's the annoying thing about God.

535
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,600
Speaker 1: And I say that with all reverence and all fear.

536
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:49,120
Speaker 1: He never gives you all the details. Steven, stay in Maryland,

537
00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:57,960
Speaker 1: don't leave the state. Why Abram go to a land?

538
00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:05,520
Speaker 1: What land? I'll show you? How do I know what

539
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:11,120
Speaker 1: I'm there? You know? I mean here eight years or

540
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 1: twelve years later? How many of the years has been union,

541
00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,600
Speaker 1: church people, campuses and all that. Now it makes sense

542
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,840
Speaker 1: why he had me stay in Maryland. But back then,

543
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:24,520
Speaker 1: when when I say nothing was going on, It's just

544
00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:30,080
Speaker 1: like and I realized that people of purpose are willing

545
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:34,720
Speaker 1: to be left behind just because God said I have

546
00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:38,000
Speaker 1: something for you here. If I live in it, think

547
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:39,560
Speaker 1: so got to get to next, got to get to

548
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:44,040
Speaker 1: the next. God get I will find myself outside of

549
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,520
Speaker 1: the will of God. Here's what the Bible says in

550
00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,360
Speaker 1: Matthew chapter six, verse thirty four. Give your entire attention

551
00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:55,600
Speaker 1: to what God is doing right now, and don't get

552
00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,560
Speaker 1: worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

553
00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:06,320
Speaker 1: God will help you deal with whatever hard things come

554
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,400
Speaker 1: up when the time comes. I feel like God is

555
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,240
Speaker 1: saying through this verse, why are you so excited about tomorrow?

556
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,880
Speaker 1: It doesn't get easier because not like tomorrow's a cakewalk.

557
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,560
Speaker 1: I'll help you with tomorrow when we get till tomorrow.

558
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:23,680
Speaker 1: But there's a miracle that is still here today. Y'all

559
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: want to have some fun. Y'all ready to shout. I'm

560
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,600
Speaker 1: reading this passage and here's the thing that blows my mind.

561
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:38,360
Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't left he lingered. Here is Mary and Joseph

562
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,279
Speaker 1: feeling guilty that they lost God. They didn't lose him.

563
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:46,360
Speaker 1: He ditched them. He probably acted like he was in

564
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:51,680
Speaker 1: the caravan, and when they weren't looking, he slipped away.

565
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:57,840
Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't left lingered. I find there's so many people

566
00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,480
Speaker 1: that they live in this position of guilt, They live

567
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:03,839
Speaker 1: in this position of regret because there's an opportunity that

568
00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,480
Speaker 1: you missed out on man, if I had just taken

569
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,479
Speaker 1: that job, if I had just moved to that city,

570
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,400
Speaker 1: if I had just done this, if I had just

571
00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,279
Speaker 1: done that, man, I wish I could have that chance back.

572
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:19,120
Speaker 1: I would do it differently. Three days into their journey,

573
00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,799
Speaker 1: when they realized that Jesus wasn't with them, what did

574
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 1: purpose to purpose turned around and it went back to

575
00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,279
Speaker 1: get what it left because it realized, I can't go

576
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,200
Speaker 1: where I'm going without the person that God has called

577
00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:38,239
Speaker 1: me to go there with. Here's what you need to

578
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,480
Speaker 1: understand elevation. When there's purpose on your life, your opportunity

579
00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:46,160
Speaker 1: cannot leave you behind. And even if it does leave

580
00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,759
Speaker 1: you behind, it's got to come back and get you

581
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,120
Speaker 1: because God has called that for you. And when God

582
00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:55,000
Speaker 1: says it's for you, it doesn't matter who says that

583
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:59,600
Speaker 1: it's not. Hear me. There's some opportunities that you missed

584
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,160
Speaker 1: out on that are gonna come back and find you.

585
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:06,040
Speaker 1: There's some open doors that you walk by ten years ago,

586
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:09,239
Speaker 1: and that door is gonna open again if it's the

587
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:14,239
Speaker 1: door that God has for you. There's some dreams that

588
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:18,320
Speaker 1: you've given up on, and I'm telling you, God's gonna

589
00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:23,040
Speaker 1: start stirring that dream in your heart again. Because when

590
00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: you're a person of purpose, somebody say I can't be

591
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,480
Speaker 1: left behind. Destiny has to come back and get you

592
00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: because it's the call of God in your left. The

593
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:35,600
Speaker 1: second thing is this, write this down, Write this down.

594
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:42,120
Speaker 1: Purpose leads you to learn. Purpose leads you to learn. Now,

595
00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:47,200
Speaker 1: now here's the fun thing about preaching. Every time you preach,

596
00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:51,160
Speaker 1: your preaching to different people. Not everybody in the room

597
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,440
Speaker 1: has the same personality, the same place, all that other

598
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:57,040
Speaker 1: good stuff. So when people are shouting, everybody's shouting for

599
00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:01,759
Speaker 1: a different reason. And when people are shouting, they're not

600
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,480
Speaker 1: shouting for a different reason. Now there's some of you

601
00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,720
Speaker 1: that you're you're like me, You're just like moving forward.

602
00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:09,440
Speaker 1: You're you're ambitious, you like kicking indoors. And then I'm

603
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,320
Speaker 1: telling you to get left behind, and you're like, I

604
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,040
Speaker 1: don't know who these guy is. Bring back the real Stephen,

605
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:20,360
Speaker 1: this isn't black, And then I want to move forward.

606
00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:23,719
Speaker 1: For some people that are shouting yeah, I don't mind

607
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,280
Speaker 1: being left behind, You're not shouting yeah out of faith.

608
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:34,200
Speaker 1: You're shouting yeah out of complacency. They're not gonna like

609
00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:39,160
Speaker 1: me after this one because being left behind is different

610
00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:43,360
Speaker 1: than hanging behind. And it's one thing to say I

611
00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:46,800
Speaker 1: don't need more to define me. It's a completely different

612
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,200
Speaker 1: thing to say I don't want more. See, there's a

613
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:58,440
Speaker 1: major difference between complacency and contentment. Contentment is the next

614
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,440
Speaker 1: promotion doesn't define me. I'm defined in Christ and I

615
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:06,160
Speaker 1: am complete and satisfied in who I am today. But

616
00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:08,960
Speaker 1: I will take that next promotion and when that door opens.

617
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:17,480
Speaker 1: Complacency is I don't want anything else out of life.

618
00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:21,719
Speaker 1: And hear me, complacency is not of God. Psalm says this.

619
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,080
Speaker 1: He said, asks me, and I will give you the

620
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,120
Speaker 1: nations as your inheritance. If I did not withhold my son,

621
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,960
Speaker 1: how much more will I not freely give you all things?

622
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:37,720
Speaker 1: God has more for you. So if I've been left behind,

623
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,120
Speaker 1: if doors aren't opening, if if I'm in a season

624
00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,440
Speaker 1: of waiting, it's not a season of complacency, it's a

625
00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:46,560
Speaker 1: season of God. What are you looking to do in

626
00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:51,880
Speaker 1: this season? How can I maximize this season until next comes?

627
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:57,000
Speaker 1: And here's what Jesus did. Jesus learned. Jesus didn't just

628
00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,520
Speaker 1: hang back and you know, just just eat food and

629
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,600
Speaker 1: hang out. No, no no, no, no, Jesus went to the

630
00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,640
Speaker 1: temple and he began to learn from the rabbis. He

631
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,920
Speaker 1: began to debate, He began to unpack scripture. He began

632
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:12,040
Speaker 1: to learn and develop himself. Hear me, if next hasn't come,

633
00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,399
Speaker 1: there's something that God's trying to teach you in the now,

634
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,560
Speaker 1: if a new opportunity, if a door hasn't opened up

635
00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,040
Speaker 1: in front of you, there's something that God is trying

636
00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,600
Speaker 1: to unpack in your life right now. If there's something

637
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:27,560
Speaker 1: that you want, you don't have it, Ask God, what

638
00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:31,960
Speaker 1: do I need to learn? What revelation am I missing?

639
00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:35,200
Speaker 1: What Kingdom purpose in this area? Have I not been

640
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,040
Speaker 1: made aware of? What am I not seeing here? That

641
00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,000
Speaker 1: You're trying to show me? And help me see it?

642
00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,840
Speaker 1: Because as soon as I see it, I can get

643
00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:47,040
Speaker 1: to where I need to go. If God's left you behind,

644
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:51,399
Speaker 1: it's because He's trying to teach you something where you are.

645
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,520
Speaker 1: I should stay out of trouble right not I like too.

646
00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:56,920
Speaker 1: Let's just let's just go right up to the edge.

647
00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,960
Speaker 1: We all were locked down in this pandemic for twelve months,

648
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,520
Speaker 1: twenty four months, or whatever it may be. Here's what happened.

649
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:09,600
Speaker 1: Some people sat, and some people grew. Some people sat

650
00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:13,200
Speaker 1: in their house and twiddled their thumbs and did nothing.

651
00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:15,759
Speaker 1: Other people said, well, since I can't get on the

652
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,520
Speaker 1: plane and I can't go all these wis God, what

653
00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,000
Speaker 1: is it that you're trying to do in me? What

654
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,200
Speaker 1: are you trying to develop in me? What are you

655
00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:23,600
Speaker 1: trying to heal me off? What are you trying to

656
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,319
Speaker 1: grow me in? God? Since I got a halftime on

657
00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:29,319
Speaker 1: my life, let me use this time to grow so

658
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,279
Speaker 1: that when the doors finally do open back up, I'm

659
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,839
Speaker 1: not the same person that went in. And now that

660
00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:38,080
Speaker 1: things are opening up, we're beginning to see not everybody

661
00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:42,319
Speaker 1: spent the last three years the same way. I can

662
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:46,080
Speaker 1: either sit and complain about what opportunities are not coming

663
00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:49,040
Speaker 1: my way, or, like I said, God, you're trying to

664
00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:52,480
Speaker 1: do something in this moment, and you gotta catch this picture.

665
00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:58,080
Speaker 1: There's a twelve year old kid sitting with grown men.

666
00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:02,839
Speaker 1: These were the educated of the land, These were the

667
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,200
Speaker 1: most learned of the land. And he was holding his

668
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:11,640
Speaker 1: own Why Because purpose will always put you in rooms

669
00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:17,640
Speaker 1: that are above your head. And when purpose puts you

670
00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,719
Speaker 1: in a room that's above your head, you have two choices.

671
00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:25,560
Speaker 1: You could either let insecurity overwhelm you, or you could

672
00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:27,120
Speaker 1: say God has me here because he's trying to teach

673
00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:30,000
Speaker 1: me something. I got to learn something, I gotta see

674
00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,560
Speaker 1: something because he's trying to take me somewhere. I remember

675
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:35,560
Speaker 1: about eight years ago, I was at a pastor's round

676
00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:39,600
Speaker 1: table at one of the largest churches in America, probably

677
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,520
Speaker 1: about sixteen pastors, and I'm telling you, look around these table,

678
00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:44,560
Speaker 1: and it was like the up and coming who's who.

679
00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:46,960
Speaker 1: This guy got four thousand people in his church. This

680
00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:48,840
Speaker 1: guy got ten thousand, this guy got six thousand, this

681
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:50,880
Speaker 1: guy got eight thousands. I had two hundred fifty people.

682
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,440
Speaker 1: You ever, you know one of these things are not

683
00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:58,960
Speaker 1: like the other. I missed half of the round table

684
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:00,799
Speaker 1: because I'm just trying to figure out why I was there.

685
00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:05,040
Speaker 1: And I'm sitting at this table, and y'all they were

686
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:11,279
Speaker 1: talking about concepts that I didn't even know existed. Even

687
00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:14,160
Speaker 1: in a position where people are answering questions that you're

688
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:18,480
Speaker 1: not even smart enough to ask, they're sitting there talk

689
00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:20,040
Speaker 1: about Yeah, we're going going, We're gona build this campus.

690
00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:21,880
Speaker 1: There's gonna be twenty million dollars, and we're building this

691
00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:24,840
Speaker 1: location that's thirty million dollars and fifty million dollars. And

692
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:27,280
Speaker 1: I just needed three hundred bucks to make the payment

693
00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,240
Speaker 1: on the church's copy machine so the church's coffee machine

694
00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:33,040
Speaker 1: didn't get repossessed. And I'm just like, I'm grabbing for

695
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,880
Speaker 1: twenty million dollars, bilding, But how do I get three

696
00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,919
Speaker 1: hundred dollars so I could pay this copy machine bill

697
00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,120
Speaker 1: so that we could keep on printing all the bulletins

698
00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:41,800
Speaker 1: that we can hang on people as they walked to

699
00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:48,640
Speaker 1: the door. Can somebody answer that question? They got to

700
00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:50,600
Speaker 1: this one moment in the round table. We're saying, you

701
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,480
Speaker 1: need to understand the demonic principalities of your city and

702
00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,840
Speaker 1: begin in per circles around the demonic principalities of your city.

703
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:59,120
Speaker 1: And when you bind those principalities, you will be able

704
00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:06,080
Speaker 1: to see growth from if your church, I said, princip Prince, Prince, Prince, Prince,

705
00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:09,600
Speaker 1: I got a demon in my sound system. How do

706
00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:15,680
Speaker 1: you catch how do you cast that out? How do

707
00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:25,440
Speaker 1: you make the feedback stop? But y'all, I'm sitting in

708
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:31,480
Speaker 1: that room and over three days I took eight pages

709
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:39,360
Speaker 1: of notes, no exactly. For the next three years, I

710
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:45,279
Speaker 1: just applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, And next

711
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,719
Speaker 1: thing you know, hundreds are coming, thousands are coming, Revival

712
00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:51,640
Speaker 1: breaks out. I learned what a principality was. I start

713
00:43:51,680 --> 00:44:00,239
Speaker 1: prayer marching instead of obsessing how everybody around tell me

714
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:05,520
Speaker 1: was ahead of me. I realized that we're not in

715
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:09,640
Speaker 1: a competition. This is not a race. I have my calling,

716
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:12,880
Speaker 1: you have yours. I have my purpose, you have yours.

717
00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:18,560
Speaker 1: Your success doesn't intimidate me. Your success inspires me, because

718
00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,000
Speaker 1: if God can do it through you, then God can

719
00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:23,360
Speaker 1: do it through me. So I know you're ahead of me,

720
00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,840
Speaker 1: But do you mind just pausing for one second and

721
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,960
Speaker 1: teach me something You've got to teach me much, Just

722
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:33,400
Speaker 1: teach me. I promise you I'll apply it. Last thing?

723
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:35,120
Speaker 1: Is this right? This time? Right? Just down right? Next end?

724
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:40,600
Speaker 1: All right? That isn't even the best part. Number three.

725
00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:50,520
Speaker 1: Purpose doesn't take things personally. I wanted to say purpose

726
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:54,879
Speaker 1: doesn't get offended, but I didn't. I said this. Luke

727
00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:56,799
Speaker 1: two forty says this. So when they saw him, they

728
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:00,480
Speaker 1: were amazed. And his mother said to him, son, why

729
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:07,560
Speaker 1: have you done this to us? Look your father who's

730
00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:13,480
Speaker 1: standing here, and won't say a word. You ever noticed

731
00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:20,120
Speaker 1: how Joseph never speaks Your father and I have sought you.

732
00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:24,160
Speaker 1: Here's what Mary, she said, Jesus, why did you put

733
00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:30,239
Speaker 1: us through this? It says Mary, was when they walked in.

734
00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:33,120
Speaker 1: Obviously it's church. They're not gonna interrupt. They're watching from

735
00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:35,960
Speaker 1: the side for a moment, and they see Jesus going

736
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,920
Speaker 1: back and forth with the rabbis, and he is holding

737
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:45,040
Speaker 1: his own It says Mary was amazed. Here's a problem

738
00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:49,200
Speaker 1: with having purpose on your life. People who don't have

739
00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:52,640
Speaker 1: purpose will be amazed at God's hand on your life

740
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:59,560
Speaker 1: and offended by it at the same time. Wow, it's

741
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:02,680
Speaker 1: amazing in what God is doing through you, but you've

742
00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:06,560
Speaker 1: forgotten who you are. Well, look at the doors that

743
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:11,439
Speaker 1: are opening up. Don't get a big head now, Wow,

744
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:13,880
Speaker 1: look at your family, Look at the peace, Look at

745
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,799
Speaker 1: the joy. I wish I had a family like that.

746
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:20,760
Speaker 1: But you think you're better than us. People who don't

747
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:28,760
Speaker 1: have purpose are always offended by those who do. Here's

748
00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:36,200
Speaker 1: the problem. If I'm a people pleaser and the purpose

749
00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:40,320
Speaker 1: on my life is offensive to others, I will always

750
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:47,160
Speaker 1: live an apologetic life instead of a boldness of who

751
00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:51,719
Speaker 1: God's called me to be Jesus said, Mom, is not

752
00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,920
Speaker 1: about you. I'm not trying to cause you anxiety. I'm

753
00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:56,200
Speaker 1: not trying to cause you for I'm not trying to

754
00:46:56,239 --> 00:46:58,000
Speaker 1: do it. No, no no, no, no no, no no. This is

755
00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:02,520
Speaker 1: because that's my father's I'm trying to set you up

756
00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:04,919
Speaker 1: that if you're gonna live a life of purpose, you're

757
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:09,319
Speaker 1: gonna have to be okay with some awkward encounters. You're

758
00:47:09,320 --> 00:47:11,520
Speaker 1: gonna people go coming in, Hey, hey, hey, I got

759
00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,919
Speaker 1: this business opportunity. We gotta go fifty to fifty. I'll

760
00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:17,080
Speaker 1: put in half to We'll triple our money in the

761
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:23,200
Speaker 1: next six months. We gotta do it. You got the money?

762
00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:27,560
Speaker 1: M h. Are you doing something else with it? M?

763
00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:33,680
Speaker 1: Do you think this is gonna work? M hm? And

764
00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:38,319
Speaker 1: you're still not gonna do it? You don't think I'm

765
00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:42,719
Speaker 1: good at what? You don't like you? No, that's not

766
00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:46,200
Speaker 1: what God told me to do. No, he has something

767
00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:49,080
Speaker 1: else for me. I can't even explain it more than

768
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:50,680
Speaker 1: that because he hasn't really give me all the information.

769
00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:56,600
Speaker 1: But there's a different purpose of my life. Hey call

770
00:47:56,640 --> 00:48:04,920
Speaker 1: a sinophorees. Hey we should day. M Do you like me?

771
00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:15,759
Speaker 1: You think I'm attractive? Do you have any other options, HM,

772
00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:23,799
Speaker 1: then what's the problem. You're not who God promised to me.

773
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:33,880
Speaker 1: Living a life of purpose is awkward. If you're a

774
00:48:33,920 --> 00:48:38,440
Speaker 1: person that likes every dead body to be happy with you,

775
00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:43,279
Speaker 1: you will compromise on your purpose. But if you live

776
00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:47,759
Speaker 1: a life like Jesus lived. I love my mother and

777
00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:49,279
Speaker 1: I want her to be happy, but that's not the

778
00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:54,120
Speaker 1: primary purpose of my life. I love my kids and

779
00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:55,920
Speaker 1: I want them to be great men and women of God,

780
00:48:55,960 --> 00:49:00,120
Speaker 1: but not the totality of the purpose of my life.

781
00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:03,840
Speaker 1: I like when people like me, but it's not the

782
00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:07,560
Speaker 1: purpose of my life. I'm like everybody else. I love promotion,

783
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:12,759
Speaker 1: I love new titles, but that's not my purpose. A

784
00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:23,200
Speaker 1: purpose is to hear well done, that good and faithful servant.

785
00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:28,120
Speaker 1: When you make a decision, I'm gonna live a life

786
00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:32,080
Speaker 1: to fulfill why he placed me here on earth. You're

787
00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:35,480
Speaker 1: gonna see a peace of joy and a purpose that

788
00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:40,080
Speaker 1: you never thought possible. Father God, we're grateful. God, We're thankful.

789
00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:45,399
Speaker 1: God out of billions of people, got you know us,

790
00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:49,080
Speaker 1: You called us, you set us apart, You put purpose

791
00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:55,120
Speaker 1: on our life. Right where you're sitting watching online, whatever

792
00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:57,440
Speaker 1: location that you're at can you can you pray this

793
00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:01,799
Speaker 1: perth me say, Holy Spirit, what are you saying to me?

794
00:50:03,080 --> 00:50:05,280
Speaker 1: And just give God a moment to make this message

795
00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:09,440
Speaker 1: personal to you. Maybe you're all stressed out about an

796
00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:12,080
Speaker 1: opportunity that you're missing. God says you haven't missed anything.

797
00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:16,640
Speaker 1: Maybe you're complacent in God's saying it's time to learn.

798
00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:20,439
Speaker 1: Maybe you're worried about who doesn't like you or who's

799
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:22,360
Speaker 1: not pleased with your decisions, and God says it's not

800
00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:27,960
Speaker 1: about that. Or maybe if you'd be honest, you would say, Pastor,

801
00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:31,600
Speaker 1: I don't know this God that you're talking about, that

802
00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:35,800
Speaker 1: you say has a purpose for my life. Here's a reality.

803
00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:39,319
Speaker 1: There's a great purpose for your life. But you will

804
00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:43,480
Speaker 1: never discover that purpose until you discover the God of purpose,

805
00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:47,319
Speaker 1: because your greatest existence is only in the palm of

806
00:50:47,360 --> 00:50:50,759
Speaker 1: His hand. Wherever you find yourself. You say, Pastor, I

807
00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:52,879
Speaker 1: can't say that I know God the way that you're

808
00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:55,200
Speaker 1: talking about, but I want to know this God who

809
00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:57,560
Speaker 1: loves me and knows me and has a purpose for

810
00:50:57,680 --> 00:51:00,600
Speaker 1: my life. You can make that decision right where you

811
00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:04,040
Speaker 1: are not going to have you raise your hand or

812
00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:05,480
Speaker 1: type in the chat or anything like that. But write

813
00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:09,520
Speaker 1: where you are. Just pray this perth me say, Father God,

814
00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:16,440
Speaker 1: thank you for seeing me, for wanting me, thank you

815
00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:20,840
Speaker 1: for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross

816
00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:26,920
Speaker 1: so that all my mistakes, all my sin can be raised. Today.

817
00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:32,960
Speaker 1: Right now, I surrender, I give you all of me.

818
00:51:33,760 --> 00:51:38,759
Speaker 1: Be my Lord, be my savior, and use me for

819
00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:44,120
Speaker 1: your glory in Jesus' name. Amen and amen and amen. Hey,

820
00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:46,880
Speaker 1: can you celebrate for every single person that made the

821
00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:54,319
Speaker 1: greatest decision ever? Well, if you enjoyed today's podcast, there

822
00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:56,279
Speaker 1: are a couple of things I'd love for you to do.

823
00:51:56,400 --> 00:52:00,759
Speaker 1: Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You

824
00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:03,200
Speaker 1: can also help us reach others by investing today at

825
00:52:03,239 --> 00:52:07,240
Speaker 1: Elevationchurch dot org, slash give and thanks again for joining

826
00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:08,880
Speaker 1: us on the Elevation Podcast