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Speaker 4: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast.

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Speaker 4: We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll

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Speaker 4: leave inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages

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Speaker 4: every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the

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Speaker 4: ministry going.

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Speaker 5: Enjoy the message.

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Speaker 4: Oh God, bless you. It is always our joy to

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Speaker 4: come into your homes. We love you. We know God

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Speaker 4: has great things in store. He rewards people that seek

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Speaker 4: after him and I believe that's you and you here

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Speaker 4: as well. And if you're ever in our area, I

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Speaker 4: hope you'll stop by and see us. We give you

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Speaker 4: a personal invitation and I promise you We'll make you

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Speaker 4: feel right at home. These are the finest people in

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Speaker 4: all of Houston, right here at Lake Wuist, So come

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Speaker 4: out and be a part of one of our services.

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Speaker 4: I like to get started each week with something kind

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Speaker 4: of funny, so listen to this one. During his wedding rehearsal,

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Speaker 4: the groom approached the pastor and said, I'll give you

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Speaker 4: one hundred dollars if you'll change the wedding vows and

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Speaker 4: leave out all the love, honor, and obey parts. He

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Speaker 4: pressed one hundred dollars bill into the pastor's hand and

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Speaker 4: walked away with a smile. The next day, during the vowels,

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Speaker 4: the pastor asked him, do you promise to bow down

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Speaker 4: before her, fulfill her every wish, and serve her breakfast

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Speaker 4: in bed for as long as you shall live. The

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Speaker 4: groom gulfed in astonishment, and finally, in a weak voice,

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Speaker 4: answered yes. He then leaned toward the pastor and said, hey,

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Speaker 4: I thought we had a deal. The pastor handed him

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Speaker 4: his money back and said she made me a much

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Speaker 4: better offer her. That's what he gets. Hold up your

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Speaker 4: bibles and let's say it together. Ready, this is my bible.

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Speaker 4: I am what it says I am. I have what

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Speaker 4: it says I have. I can do what it says

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Speaker 4: I can do. Today I'll be taught the word of God.

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Speaker 4: I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive.

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Speaker 4: I will never be the same. I am about to

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Speaker 4: receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever living seed of the Word

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Speaker 4: of God. I'll never be the same. Never, never, never,

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Speaker 4: I'll never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you.

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Speaker 4: You sound great as usual. We've been talking about tapping

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Speaker 4: into the potential that's on the inside and really using

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Speaker 4: our God given gifts and talents. I want to focus

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Speaker 4: today on being willing to step out and take a risk.

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Speaker 4: You will never be all God's created you to be

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Speaker 4: if you just live with a play it's safe mentality

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Speaker 4: and you think about it. Peter was the only one

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Speaker 4: that walked on the water, but he also was the

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Speaker 4: only one that was willing to get out of the boat.

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Speaker 4: And you'll never walk on the water in your life.

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Speaker 4: You'll never reach your full potential unless you have the

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Speaker 4: courage and the boldness to take a step of faith

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Speaker 4: and do what God's put in your heart. Some people

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Speaker 4: will stay in a job that they don't like for

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Speaker 4: twenty five years. They're not using their gifts and talents.

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Speaker 4: It's not a good environment. They don't really feel fulfilled,

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Speaker 4: but they'll just stay there year after year, all because

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Speaker 4: it's safe. They're comfortable. They don't want to take a risk.

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Speaker 4: God is opening up new doors, but they're allowing all

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Speaker 4: the what ifs to talk them out of it. What

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Speaker 4: if I take this new job and I don't like it.

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Speaker 4: What if it doesn't work out. What if I don't

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Speaker 4: meet any new friends. What if it's all a big mistake.

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Speaker 4: Now have you ever thought about this? What if you

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Speaker 4: take that job and it thrust you into your God

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Speaker 4: given destiny? What if you love it? What if you

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Speaker 4: can't wait to get there in the morning. What if

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Speaker 4: you find out you have gifts and talents that you

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Speaker 4: never knew you had. You will never know unless you're

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Speaker 4: willing to step out and take a risk. Now, I

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Speaker 4: want to challenge you today to get out of your

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Speaker 4: comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside.

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Speaker 4: God has put gifts and talents in you that you

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Speaker 4: probably don't know anything about. You can rise higher than

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Speaker 4: you can even imagine. You can accomplish things that you

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Speaker 4: never thought possible. But you've got to do your part

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Speaker 4: and have the courage to take advantage of what God

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Speaker 4: brings across your path. See, God made you, He knows

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Speaker 4: what you're capable of, he knows what he's put on

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Speaker 4: the inside of you, and so throughout life, He's going

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Speaker 4: to present you with opportunities that in the natural you

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Speaker 4: may not think you can handle. You may not think

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Speaker 4: you're capable of it, and you'll be tempted to just

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Speaker 4: shrink back in fear. But if you'll look deep down

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Speaker 4: in your heart, there'll be an excitement and enthusiasm. Something

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Speaker 4: down in here will be telling you you know what

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Speaker 4: you can do. This, you have what it takes. And

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Speaker 4: if you'll learn to listen to your heart and not

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Speaker 4: your head and just be bold and take that step

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Speaker 4: of faith, that's when you'll accomplish things that you never

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Speaker 4: thought possible. And I believe some of you, even in

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Speaker 4: the near future, are going to be offered a new

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Speaker 4: position at work, something that sort of in the natural

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Speaker 4: just looks like it's over your head. Listen, don't you

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Speaker 4: dare shrink back in fear. It may be over your head,

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Speaker 4: but the good news is it's not over God's head.

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Speaker 4: And when you come to the end of your own

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Speaker 4: natural ability, that's when you're going to start tapping into

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Speaker 4: God's supernatural ability. You take that step of faith, and

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Speaker 4: God will give you everything you need. He will empower

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Speaker 4: you to do his will. Some of you, I believe,

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Speaker 4: are even going to be offered an opportunity to change

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Speaker 4: careers and get into the field that you're really passionate about.

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Speaker 4: But every voice is going to be telling you, men,

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Speaker 4: you better stay in the boat, you better play it safe.

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Speaker 4: That's a big mistake. You can't handle that. But no,

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Speaker 4: God is saying you can handle it. You do have

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Speaker 4: what it takes. You can fulfill your God given destiny.

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Speaker 4: Dare to take that step of faith, get out of

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Speaker 4: your comfort zone, and you'll begin to see God do

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Speaker 4: great things in your life. One time, Peter and James

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Speaker 4: and John had been out fishing all night long. They

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Speaker 4: hadn't caught anything. The next morning, Jesus came walking by

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Speaker 4: and he said, hey, guys, launch out into the deep

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Speaker 4: and you'll catch a great hall of fish. And they

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Speaker 4: did what he asked, and sure enough, they caught so

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Speaker 4: many fish that their nets begin to break, and I

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Speaker 4: believe that's a spiritual principle. God said, get out into

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Speaker 4: the deep, and that's when you're going to see great

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Speaker 4: things begin to happen. In other words, there will be

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Speaker 4: times in our lives that we feel like we're in

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Speaker 4: over our heads. We think, Man, what have I gotten

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Speaker 4: myself into? Can I really do this? But if you

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Speaker 4: will just stick with it, it's in those deep waters

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Speaker 4: that those seeds of greatness that God has put in

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Speaker 4: you will begin to come out. That's when you'll accomplish

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Speaker 4: things that you didn't think possible. But see, human nature

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Speaker 4: is to always want to stay in the shallow waters,

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Speaker 4: where it's safe, where our feet can touch the ground.

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Speaker 4: For instance, I'll sing in the choir, but don't expect

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Speaker 4: me to do the solo like that young lady today.

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Speaker 4: Or I'll take the new position at work, but man,

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Speaker 4: I can't do the presentation in front of all those people.

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Speaker 4: Or Joe, I've got my business. I've got my one location,

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Speaker 4: but I can't expand. Man, that's risky. You know what

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Speaker 4: the economy's like. See, so often we just want to

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Speaker 4: stay where we're comfortable, where we know where all the

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Speaker 4: money's coming from, where we got everything figured out. We

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Speaker 4: don't want to have to stretch ourselves. We don't want

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Speaker 4: to have to do something that we haven't done before,

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Speaker 4: so we just stay in the shallow waters, play it safe.

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Speaker 4: That way, if something happens, we can always run back

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Speaker 4: to the shore. But no, I believe God is saying

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Speaker 4: to us today, if you want to experience that great hall,

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Speaker 4: if you want to be everything God's created you to be,

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Speaker 4: You're gonna have to be willing to take some risk

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Speaker 4: and get out there into the deep waters. You got

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Speaker 4: to come to that place in your life where you say, God,

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Speaker 4: sink or swim. I'm going all out with you.

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Speaker 5: God.

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Speaker 4: I'm gonna take this step of faith, and I'm counting

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Speaker 4: on you to give me wisdom. I'm counting on you

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Speaker 4: to guide me. I'm trusting you to give me the

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Speaker 4: strength and the ability to do what I can't do

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Speaker 4: on my own. That's the attitude we've got to have

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Speaker 4: if we're going to reach our full potential. But some

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Speaker 4: of you today you're just coasting. You're not even having

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Speaker 4: to use your faith. You're playing it so super safe.

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Speaker 4: But listen, being in God's perfect will is always going

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Speaker 4: to stretch us. God is not going to allow us

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Speaker 4: to get too comfortable. Otherwise we don't have to use

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Speaker 4: our faith. And some of you, everything that you're doing today,

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Speaker 4: really you can do it in your own natural strength,

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Speaker 4: your own natural ability. You're not having to stretch, you

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Speaker 4: don't need God's health. But God wants us to always

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Speaker 4: be growing, always be reaching for new heights. And that's

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Speaker 4: why He's going to put us in situations like I

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Speaker 4: said that we don't think we can do it in

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Speaker 4: the natural. God, this just seems like it's out of

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Speaker 4: my league. But understand this. God would not have brought

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Speaker 4: that opportunity across your path, and he would not have

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Speaker 4: put the desire deep down in your heart if he

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Speaker 4: didn't already know that you were capable of doing that.

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Speaker 4: And if you will just dare to get out of

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Speaker 4: your comfort zone and take that step of faith, you

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Speaker 4: will experience a supernatural strength, a supernatural wisdom, a supernatural

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Speaker 4: ability to do what you haven't done before. But this

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Speaker 4: will only happen when you come to the end of

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Speaker 4: your own natural ability. And too many people today though

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Speaker 4: they're living in the safe zone. But I want to

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Speaker 4: challenge you to get out over into the faith zone.

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Speaker 4: Have some courage, have the boldness to pursue what God

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Speaker 4: has put in your heart. I know this is what

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Speaker 4: I did when my father went to be with the

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Speaker 4: Lord back in nineteen ninety nine. You know, I was

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Speaker 4: in my safe zone. I was working behind the scenes

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Speaker 4: here at the church, doing the television production, and I

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Speaker 4: was comfortable. That was easy for me. I wasn't having

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Speaker 4: to stretch. But when Daddy died, all of a sudden,

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Speaker 4: deep down here, I had a desire to step up

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Speaker 4: and pastor this church. I don't know how to explain it.

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Speaker 4: I just knew that I knew that I knew that

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Speaker 4: I was supposed to do it. But in the natural,

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Speaker 4: I had never really preached before, and I thought of

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Speaker 4: all the reasons why I shouldn't do it. I thought, God,

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Speaker 4: I am not the most qualified, and I've never been

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Speaker 4: to seminary, and on and on. All these excuses begin

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Speaker 4: to fill my mind. But sometimes if you're gonna follow

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Speaker 4: your heart, if you're gonna do what you know you're

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Speaker 4: supposed to do down in here, you're gonna have to

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Speaker 4: turn your mind off, because you can overanalyze something to death.

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Speaker 4: You can figure out all the reasons why you shouldn't

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Speaker 4: do it, and why it's not gonna work out for you.

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Speaker 4: And I could have so easily talked myself out of it,

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Speaker 4: all these negative thoughts, Joel, you're gonna get up there

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Speaker 4: and make a fool out of yourself. Nobody's gonna come

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Speaker 4: listen to you. That church is gonna go down to nothing,

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Speaker 4: on and on. I had to get rid of all

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Speaker 4: that jump and I'd go stand before the mirror and

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Speaker 4: I'd talk to myself. I'd say, Joel, you are strong

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Speaker 4: in the Lord and the power of his mind. You

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Speaker 4: are well able to do what God's called you to do.

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Speaker 4: I would remind myself if God before me, who dared

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Speaker 4: be against me, And as I stepped out and got

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Speaker 4: beyond my own natural ability, that's when God stepped in

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Speaker 4: and gave me his supernatural ability. He brought gifts out

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Speaker 4: of me that I never even knew I had. My

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Speaker 4: father used to try to get me up here to

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Speaker 4: preach for seventeen years, but I'd never do it. I

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Speaker 4: was too nervous, too shy. I didn't know I had

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Speaker 4: the gift to communicate with people. But see, God knew it.

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Speaker 4: He put that on the inside of me, and in

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Speaker 4: the same way. You have incredible things on the inside

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Speaker 4: of you that you probably don't know anything about. You

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Speaker 4: have gifts and talents and abilities that can take you

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Speaker 4: places that you've never even dreamed of. But you've got

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Speaker 4: to do your part and work with God and start

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Speaker 4: taking some of these steps of faith. You can't let

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Speaker 4: the fear of failure or the fear of the unknown

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Speaker 4: keep you from taking a risk. But you say, Joe,

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Speaker 4: if God would just give me a blueprint and show

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Speaker 4: me how everything's going to turn out, then I'll take

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Speaker 4: my step of faith. Or if God'll just show me

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Speaker 4: all the details, then I'll be a little more comfortable.

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Speaker 4: But no, if God did that, it wouldn't take any faith.

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Speaker 4: You are not going to know all the details about

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Speaker 4: your future. You got to take a step of faith

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Speaker 4: and then God lead you. Then God will show you,

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Speaker 4: He said to Abraham, leave the place where you are,

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Speaker 4: and I will show you where I'm sending you. We

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Speaker 4: think just the opposite. God, you show me and I'll go. No,

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Speaker 4: God says, you go and I'll show you. In other words,

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Speaker 4: God wants us to take the first step. And it's interesting.

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Speaker 4: When God parted the Jordan River for the children of Israel.

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Speaker 4: The scripture says that the waters didn't open up until

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Speaker 4: the priest first put their feet in those waters. Don't

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Speaker 4: you know that took faith to go out there and

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Speaker 4: start walking in the water, expecting God to open it up.

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Speaker 4: We think, God, if you part my red sea, you're

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Speaker 4: all go running through it. But no, God says, you

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Speaker 4: get out there and get your feet wet, and then

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Speaker 4: I'll do supernatural things in your life. And I was

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Speaker 4: thinking about had I not stepped up and pastored this church,

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Speaker 4: had I not pursued this God given opportunity, I'm sure

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Speaker 4: I would be doing okay. I'm sure my life would

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Speaker 4: be fine, but I don't believe that I would be

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Speaker 4: as fulfilled as I am today. I don't believe i'd

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Speaker 4: get up each day with the excitement, the enthusiasm, the

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Speaker 4: passion that I do today. And I really believe the

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Speaker 4: reason many people today are just bored with their life

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Speaker 4: and they're not really challenged and they've lost their purpose

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Speaker 4: is simply because they're not stepping out. God is presenting

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Speaker 4: opportunity after opportunity, but they're just shrinking back in fear. Man.

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Speaker 4: I can't do that. I'm too shy I'm not educated enough,

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Speaker 4: I'm not talented in that area. No, you've got to

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Speaker 4: search your heart, and if you believe it's something God

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Speaker 4: is bringing across your path, you got to be willing

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Speaker 4: to be bold and take that risk. Well, you say, Joel,

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Speaker 4: what if I step out and miss it? What if

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Speaker 4: I make a mistake? Listen, I would rather miss it

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Speaker 4: trying than to sit back and play it safe all

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Speaker 4: my life and never really know what I could have

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Speaker 4: been and understand. God please your heart. If you step

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Speaker 4: out in faith with a pure heart toward God, with

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Speaker 4: the right motives, doing your best to please him. Even

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Speaker 4: if you do miss it, God is still gonna get

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Speaker 4: some value out of it. God, in his great mercy,

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Speaker 4: will somehow, some way turn it around and still use

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Speaker 4: it to your advantage. Now I've discovered sometimes you got

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Speaker 4: to find out what's not gonna work before you find

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Speaker 4: out what will work. Sometimes you've got to come to

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Speaker 4: some closed doors before you're ever gonna get to your

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Speaker 4: open doors. But too many people today are just living

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Speaker 4: life bored. They're not challenged, they're not growing, They're just

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Speaker 4: punching that time clock, bringing home a paycheck. But there's

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Speaker 4: no enthusiasm no passion, and it's because they've allowed their

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Speaker 4: lives to get stagnant. They've become stale, and they're just

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Speaker 4: doing the same thing the same way, day after day.

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Speaker 4: And I really believe God is bringing opportunities across their path,

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Speaker 4: opportunities to grow, opportunities for advancement. But they're comfortable, and

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Speaker 4: they let the fear of failure and the fear the unknown,

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Speaker 4: and the fear of what other people might think caused

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Speaker 4: them to stay in that boat. Well, you say, Joel,

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Speaker 4: I'm just real conservative. I'd just rather play it safe

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Speaker 4: than sorry. No, I'm not suggesting that we just be

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Speaker 4: foolish and jump into anything that comes along. You gotta pray,

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Speaker 4: you got to use wisdom, and you got to make

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Speaker 4: sure you know in your heart it's right for you.

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Speaker 4: But what I'm saying is, once you know that you

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Speaker 4: need to act on it, you got to take some

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Speaker 4: steps of faith. The Bible talks about how the children

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Speaker 4: of Israel were to follow the ark of the Covenant

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Speaker 4: that represented God, and so during the day there would

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Speaker 4: be a cloud overhead and they'd get up in the

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Speaker 4: morning and just watch for the cloud. If the cloud moved,

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Speaker 4: they moved. If the cloud stayed, they stayed. Sometimes they

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Speaker 4: would set up their camp and the cloud would stay

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Speaker 4: for several weeks. Other Times the cloud would move overnight.

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Speaker 4: They'd have to pack up and get going. They could

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Speaker 4: have had the attitude, God, we're tired of moving, We're

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Speaker 4: comfortable here, got all the camp set up, got everything

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Speaker 4: just right. No, if they had done that, they would

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Speaker 4: not have had God's blessings in favor. You've got to

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Speaker 4: move when God says move. You've got to be willing

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Speaker 4: to change. Don't get stuck in a rut. God wants

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Speaker 4: you to always be growing, always be learning, always be improving.

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Speaker 4: If you're doing the same thing you did ten years

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Speaker 4: ago without any improvement and you're not even challenged by

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Speaker 4: it now and you can basically just do it in

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Speaker 4: your sleep, then you need to make sure you're where

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Speaker 4: you're supposed to be. Are you following the cloud? You

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Speaker 4: should have to be stretching yourself, trying new things, improving

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Speaker 4: in your field. See God is a progressive god. Once

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Speaker 4: you reach a certain level, he may leave you there

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Speaker 4: for a little while, but he's not gonna let you

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Speaker 4: stay too long. He's gonna push you. He won't let

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Speaker 4: you stay comfortable at one certain place. God wants us

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Speaker 4: to keep growing. He said to the children of Israel

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Speaker 4: and Joshua three verse four. The reason they needed to

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Speaker 4: follow the cloud was because you have not passed this

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Speaker 4: way before. I believe God saying the same thing to

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Speaker 4: every one of us. New things are on the horizon,

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Speaker 4: changes are in the air. Maybe, like I said, it's

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Speaker 4: going to be a new position at work. Maybe you're

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Speaker 4: here and you're single, and God's about to bring somebody

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Speaker 4: new into your life, a new relationship, a new opportunity

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Speaker 4: in business, in ministry, something that you haven't done before.

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Speaker 4: I can tell you all those things are going to

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Speaker 4: involve taking a step of faith. And my prayer today

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Speaker 4: is that God is releasing a spirit of boldness in you,

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Speaker 4: that you will have that pioneering spirit our attitude should be.

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Speaker 4: I may never have done this before, but I'm willing

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Speaker 4: to step out and try. I'm going to go into

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Speaker 4: some of those uncharted territories. And really that's what we've

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Speaker 4: done here at Lakewood for the last few years. We've

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Speaker 4: just sort of followed the cloud. When I first became pastor,

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Speaker 4: I know my main goal was to just try to survive,

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Speaker 4: just try to maintain things. But I can tell you this,

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Speaker 4: when you really follow the cloud, God will do more

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Speaker 4: than you can ask her thing. Your life will be exciting.

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Speaker 4: You know. We didn't just maintain. We begin to grow.

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Speaker 4: On the first Sunday of the year two thousand, we

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Speaker 4: stepped out in faith and started a second Sunday morning service.

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Speaker 4: I didn't know if anybody would come, but at that

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Speaker 4: first service there were over five thousand people there, and

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Speaker 4: it continued to grow. We added several other services through

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Speaker 4: the years, and we still needed more room. And as

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Speaker 4: we were preparing to build a new sanctuary, we got

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Speaker 4: word that the Compact Center was becoming available. God opened

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Speaker 4: up that door and we just followed the cloud. After

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Speaker 4: we did some research, we found out it's gonna cost

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Speaker 4: about eighty million dollars to renovate it. And in the natural,

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Speaker 4: that was kind of over our heads. We could have

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Speaker 4: easily played it saved and said, man, let's don't do that,

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Speaker 4: let's don't take that risk. But no, we decided to

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Speaker 4: get out of our safe zone over into the faith zone.

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Speaker 4: I've discovered, once you're out over your head, doesn't matter

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Speaker 4: how deep the waters are, you might as well just

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Speaker 4: go all out with God. That's where you're going to

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Speaker 4: see the miracles. That's where we're going to see God's

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Speaker 4: favor in God's blessings show up in new ways. Most

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Speaker 4: of you know in a few months we're going to

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Speaker 4: be moving into that new facility. But friends, you've got

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Speaker 4: to fall of the cloud in your own life. Don't

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Speaker 4: be afraid of the new challenges. Have that pioneering spirit.

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Speaker 4: Too often we allow our lives to become stale because

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Speaker 4: of fear. We need to be bold, stay open, and

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Speaker 4: pursue those God given opportunities. Now understand, there is a

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Speaker 4: place that God has specifically designed for you where all

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Speaker 4: your needs will be supplied, where you'll be happy and fulfilled,

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Speaker 4: and where you'll be using your gifts and talents to

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Speaker 4: the full. But many times we're over here playing it

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Speaker 4: safe while God has our place of provision and victory

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Speaker 4: over here. And unless you get to where you're supposed

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Speaker 4: to be in God's perfect will, then life's going to

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Speaker 4: be a struggle and you're not going to have the

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Speaker 4: joy and peace and victory that God really wants.

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Speaker 5: You to have.

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Speaker 4: And I was thinking about the prophet Elijah. God said

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Speaker 4: to him there in first King chapter seventeen, verse three,

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Speaker 4: Leave where you are, go east down to the brook, Cherith,

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Speaker 4: for I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

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Speaker 4: Notice there was a place where God had specifically commanded

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Speaker 4: his needs to be supplied. But what's interesting is it

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Speaker 4: was up to Elijah to get to that place. He

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Speaker 4: had to take a step of faith, he had to

431
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,440
Speaker 4: be obedient. He could have thought, God, I'm comfortable where

432
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,600
Speaker 4: I am. That's a lot of trouble to go down

433
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,479
Speaker 4: to the brook, and I just want to stay in

434
00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,439
Speaker 4: my routine and do what I've always been doing. The

435
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,119
Speaker 4: problem with that is those ravens would have still taken

436
00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,760
Speaker 4: his provision down to the brook. In other words, God

437
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,919
Speaker 4: would have still been supplying his needs. The problem is

438
00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,040
Speaker 4: he's not in the right place. Wasn't God's fault? And

439
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,359
Speaker 4: in the same way, I know God has a place

440
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,359
Speaker 4: where he has commended every one of us to be blessed.

441
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,520
Speaker 4: He has a place where he's commanded those ravens to

442
00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,280
Speaker 4: feed you. But we've got to make sure we get

443
00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,240
Speaker 4: to that place, we stay in that place and fall

444
00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,040
Speaker 4: of the cloud. It goes on to say that eventually

445
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,639
Speaker 4: that the brook dried up and there wasn't any water.

446
00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,560
Speaker 4: God said in verse nine, Elijah, you got to leave

447
00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,359
Speaker 4: this place and go to another city, for I have

448
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,359
Speaker 4: commanded a widow woman to take care of you. Once again,

449
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,879
Speaker 4: there was another place where God had specifically commanded Elijah

450
00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,960
Speaker 4: to be blessed. This time, Elijah could have thought, God,

451
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,280
Speaker 4: I'm comfortable here by the brook. I like it here.

452
00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:27,960
Speaker 4: I know this is where you told me to go.

453
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,159
Speaker 4: I don't know why I can't just stay here. Oh

454
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,119
Speaker 4: here's my point. Just because it was right in your

455
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,399
Speaker 4: life at one time doesn't mean it's going to be

456
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,879
Speaker 4: right forever. You got to follow the cloud, stay open

457
00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,760
Speaker 4: and watch for opportunities. Don't be hard headed. And when

458
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,840
Speaker 4: your brook dries up, so to speak, and God presents

459
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:50,200
Speaker 4: you with another opportunity, be willing to change. You said Joe,

460
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,040
Speaker 4: I'm just so comfortable in this position at work. Now

461
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,800
Speaker 4: they want me to take a management position, or now

462
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,760
Speaker 4: this other company's offered me a job, or now I've

463
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,320
Speaker 4: got an opportunity to go back to school. Well, you've

464
00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 4: got to check your heart, and if you feel good

465
00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,439
Speaker 4: about it down in here, don't let the fact that

466
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,520
Speaker 4: you are comfortable or that you've been doing something a

467
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,280
Speaker 4: long time, keep you from pursuing what God's bringing across

468
00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,199
Speaker 4: your path. As I said, God's always going to be

469
00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,040
Speaker 4: pushing us and stretching us. We got to make sure

470
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,679
Speaker 4: that we learn how to follow the cloud. I know

471
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,520
Speaker 4: my father, after he started this church in nineteen fifty nine,

472
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,439
Speaker 4: he left it for several years and traveled overseas. He

473
00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,520
Speaker 4: was holding these great crusades with thousands and thousands of

474
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,280
Speaker 4: people in him, very successful in that area. He was

475
00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,960
Speaker 4: just as happy as he could be. But Daddy told

476
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,760
Speaker 4: how one day God began to speak to him, not

477
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,600
Speaker 4: out loud, but right down in here about coming back

478
00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,480
Speaker 4: to Houston and pastoring Lakewood once again. That time there

479
00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:49,880
Speaker 4: were only ninety members in the church, and they were

480
00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,800
Speaker 4: still meeting in a little Rundown feed store and in

481
00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,480
Speaker 4: the natural. It didn't look like a very wise decision.

482
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,199
Speaker 4: All of Daddy's friends tried to talk him out of it.

483
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,800
Speaker 4: They said, John, you're making a big mistus take You're

484
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:02,560
Speaker 4: not called to be a pastor, you're called to go

485
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,440
Speaker 4: out all over the world. But deep down in his heart,

486
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,920
Speaker 4: Daddy knew it was what he was supposed to do.

487
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,840
Speaker 4: He knew the brook was drying up. He could see

488
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 4: the cloud moving, and so he just followed his heart

489
00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,680
Speaker 4: and came back to Lakewood, and that's when the church

490
00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:19,800
Speaker 4: began to grow, it prospered, and he ended up touching

491
00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,760
Speaker 4: people all over the world right here from Houston. But

492
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,879
Speaker 4: had Daddy not taken that step of faith, had he

493
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 4: not been willing to take a risk and leave a

494
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,040
Speaker 4: worldwide ministry to come back to ninety people in a

495
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,480
Speaker 4: little feed store, I don't believe that his life would

496
00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,240
Speaker 4: have had the impact that it had. He would have

497
00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,240
Speaker 4: always had to struggle. There would have been a strain

498
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,600
Speaker 4: trying to make the ministry work, always having this burden.

499
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,359
Speaker 4: Because see, when you're out of God's perfect will, you

500
00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,080
Speaker 4: are missing the place where God has commanded you to

501
00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,720
Speaker 4: be blessed, where God has commanded your needs to be supplied.

502
00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,400
Speaker 4: And that's why I'm challenging us today. Make sure you're

503
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,520
Speaker 4: where you're supposed to be. Don't let the fear of

504
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,160
Speaker 4: failure stop you. Don't let other people talk you out

505
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,240
Speaker 4: of it, and don't let how it looks in the

506
00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,399
Speaker 4: natural keep you from taking that step of faith. You

507
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,600
Speaker 4: do what God has put in your heart. And you

508
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,440
Speaker 4: may think you know, I don't know if I can

509
00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,320
Speaker 4: do that. That looks a little difficult. Let me remind

510
00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,080
Speaker 4: you that you and God are a majority. If God

511
00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,600
Speaker 4: be for you, who dare be against you? You step

512
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 4: out and do what you can do. You do the natural,

513
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,520
Speaker 4: and God will step in and do the supernatural. I

514
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,320
Speaker 4: love the story of Esther. She was bold, she had

515
00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 4: that pioneering spirit. She was a young, beautiful Jewish girl,

516
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,920
Speaker 4: and she was presented an opportunity to save the people

517
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,440
Speaker 4: of Israel. Mordecai said to her, Esther, go in there

518
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,840
Speaker 4: and stand before the king and plead with him and

519
00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,840
Speaker 4: tell them that there's somebody trying to destroy us. But

520
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,320
Speaker 4: there was a law that said if you went before

521
00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,640
Speaker 4: the king without him holding up his golden rod, then

522
00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,240
Speaker 4: you would be killed. And I'm sure in the natural

523
00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:58,480
Speaker 4: Esther didn't want to do it. I'm sure in the

524
00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,560
Speaker 4: natural she is thinking about man life. What if I

525
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,400
Speaker 4: go in there and he doesn't hold it up, That'll

526
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,760
Speaker 4: be the end of me. But the word of the

527
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,439
Speaker 4: Lord came to her and said, Esther, if you remain

528
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,639
Speaker 4: silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to

529
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,320
Speaker 4: the Jews from somebody else. But as for you and

530
00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,480
Speaker 4: your family, you will perish. And who knows but that

531
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,879
Speaker 4: you have come to the kingdom for such a time

532
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,359
Speaker 4: as this isn't an interesting God was saying, in effect, Esther,

533
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,959
Speaker 4: if you just play it safe and sit back. If

534
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,240
Speaker 4: you don't take this step of faith, that's fine. I'll

535
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,760
Speaker 4: find somebody else to deliver my people. But the problem is, Esther,

536
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,160
Speaker 4: you're gonna miss out on your divine destiny. See, this

537
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,960
Speaker 4: was not an opportunity that would come to her time

538
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,639
Speaker 4: and time again. This was her one chance to make

539
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,120
Speaker 4: a mark. This was her chance to really fulfill her

540
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 4: purpose in life. And I love what Esther said. She said,

541
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,600
Speaker 4: if I perish, I perish. But I will not let

542
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,719
Speaker 4: this moment pass. She was saying, sink or swim, I'm

543
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,360
Speaker 4: gonna take this step of faith. And because of her courage,

544
00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,840
Speaker 4: because of her boldness. Talking about her today, she's one

545
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:05,720
Speaker 4: of the great heroes of faith. But sometimes we come

546
00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,480
Speaker 4: to a place in our life that is a destiny

547
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:13,000
Speaker 4: altering decision. Many times we'll get another chance, but there

548
00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:16,280
Speaker 4: are times we come to an opportunity that will not

549
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,600
Speaker 4: pass our way again, just like Esther's. I believe stepping

550
00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,119
Speaker 4: up after my father died was one of those times

551
00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:24,560
Speaker 4: for me. Now, I don't know what's going on in

552
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,240
Speaker 4: your life. Maybe you have an opportunity in front of

553
00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 4: you right now that you need to make a decision about.

554
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,199
Speaker 4: Or maybe God is just getting you prepared for some

555
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,320
Speaker 4: things that are come in your way in the future.

556
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,639
Speaker 4: Whatever it is, be bold, have the courage to step

557
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,600
Speaker 4: up and take a risk. Friends, don't live your whole

558
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,560
Speaker 4: life in your comfort zone. Yes you'll be safe, but

559
00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,959
Speaker 4: there are red seas you will have never seen parted.

560
00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,320
Speaker 4: There are golias you will have never defeated. Dare to

561
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,000
Speaker 4: stretch your faith, Dare to take that risk. God has

562
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,120
Speaker 4: so much more in store for every one of you.

563
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,200
Speaker 4: He wants to take you places that you've never dreamed.

564
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,960
Speaker 4: And the good news is He's put the right stuff

565
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,000
Speaker 4: on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness.

566
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 4: You are full of God's incredible potential. You have his

567
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 4: kN do power. Why don't you make a decision with

568
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,040
Speaker 4: me that you're gonna hold your shoulders back and start

569
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,159
Speaker 4: living with more boldness. You're gonna have that pioneering spirit

570
00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,120
Speaker 4: and when those opportunities come, you're gonna step out in faith. Friends,

571
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,200
Speaker 4: if you'll get out of your safe zone and get

572
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,679
Speaker 4: over into the faith zone and just fall of the

573
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,960
Speaker 4: cloud wherever it leads. God has promised he will commend

574
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,919
Speaker 4: you to be blessed and you'll experience the abundant life

575
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,320
Speaker 4: he has in story. Amen, how many ofver receive it

576
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,560
Speaker 4: this morning? I know you do. We never like the

577
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,880
Speaker 4: court of our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to

578
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,600
Speaker 4: make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray

579
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,320
Speaker 4: with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins.

580
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:55,560
Speaker 4: Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends,

581
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,880
Speaker 4: if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got

582
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,000
Speaker 4: born again. Get in a good Bible. Keep God first place.

583
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,680
Speaker 4: He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of.

584
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,000
Speaker 6: Thank you for listening to the joel Ostein podcast. Help

585
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,840
Speaker 6: us continue to share the message of hope with those

586
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588
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Speaker 4: Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope

589
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Speaker 4: you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to

590
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,480
Speaker 4: keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you.

591
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Speaker 4: I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you

592
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Speaker 4: next time.

593
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