Be Selective in What You Feed Yourself

0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.000 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.279 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.239 the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you 0:00:08.280 --> 0:00:11.039 be a blessing and share it with a friend. Reappreciate 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:13.560 you and pray for God's very best in your life. 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:16.760 Now, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:18.400 your homes. We love you. 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.319 If you're ever in our area, please stop by and 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:23.000 be a part of one of our services. 0:00:23.239 --> 0:00:25.640 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:28.120 But thanks so much for tuning in and thank you 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:30.639 again for coming out today. And I like to start 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:33.600 with something funny and I heard about this wealthy man. 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:36.680 He was known for being eccentric. He's having a big 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:39.319 party at his house and in his backyard he had 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:43.520 a huge pool filled with alligators and sharks. He said 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:46.519 to the guests, anyone that'll swim across my pool, I'll 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:49.239 give you anything you want. In a few minutes, there 0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:51.560 was a big splash and a man was in there 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:55.680 going ninety to nothing, dodging alligators, maneuvering around the sharks. 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:57.440 He made it to the other side just. 0:00:57.400 --> 0:00:59.640 In the nick of time and got out as frantic 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.880 as the wealthy man said, I can't believe it. You're 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.240 the bravest person I've ever met. Now, what is it 0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:07.559 that you would want? The man said, what I want 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.040 more than anything else is the name of the person 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:14.920 that pushed me in. Hold up your bibles and say 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:18.040 it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:20.319 am what it says I am. I have what it 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.720 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:25.760 can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:30.520 I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:34.360 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:38.080 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:41.040 being selective with what you feed yourself. 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:45.040 Our ears and our eyes are the gates to our soul. 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:47.920 What we watch, what we listen. 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:52.240 To, who we associate with that's constantly feeding us. You've 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:55.560 heard the saying you are what you eat. If you 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:59.480 eat junk food all the time, twinkie sodas, candy bars 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:03.640 to be very healthy, why you're feeding yourself the wrong 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:07.880 things In the same way, if you're watching things that 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:11.240 are unwholesome, listening to things that are dragging you down, 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:15.520 hanging around people that gossip. Then, because you're feeding your 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:18.400 inner man junk food, you're not going to be as 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:21.040 strong and become all that God's created you to be. 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:24.960 You have to be extremely careful as to what you 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:29.480 take in. Today, more than ever, we have opportunity to 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:33.120 feed on wrong things. There are over five hundred channels 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:38.680 on television, We have the Internet, smartphones, magazines, billboards. Every 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:43.280 place we turn there's information trying to influence us. It's 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:47.120 not all bad, there's nothing wrong with being entertained, but 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:51.240 you have to stay on guard. With the good, wholesome 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:55.760 entertainment comes a bunch of trash programs now have people 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:59.080 airing out their dirty laundry, showing you all the conflict, 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:04.079 the backstaffing, the jealousy, the dysfunction. With so many outlets, 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:08.280 the shock value keeps getting turned up higher and higher. 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:12.440 What we thought was far out and bizarre twenty years 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:13.960 ago is no big deal now. 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.400 It's just totally normal that shock value. 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:20.800 Yes it can get your attention, Yes it can be 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:24.400 entertaining in a sense, but it's also filling your mind 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:28.600 with trash. It's also poisoning your spirit. If you put 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:32.280 trash in, you're going to get trash out. If you're 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:38.760 watching programs where people are constantly compromising, being unfaithful in relationships, 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:42.280 don't be surprised if you find yourself in that situation. 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:47.160 If you're watching people being dishonest, stabbing people in the back, 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:51.120 doing whatever they can to get ahead, that's all going 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:55.640 into your subconscious mind. Little by little is becoming more 0:03:55.720 --> 0:04:00.760 and more acceptable. What's happening is it's desensitizing you. The 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:05.000 shock value is wearing off. Before long, you may think, hey, that's. 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:05.800 Really no big deal. 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.520 A few years ago, a young man walked into his 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:13.360 high school and shot and killed three of his classmates. 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:17.600 He was a model student, had no history of violence 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:21.080 from a well to do family. The authorities were puzzled. 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:24.799 They asked him, how could you kill so easily? He said, 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:28.080 it's no big deal. I kill every day. He was 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.080 talking about the video games he had been playing for years. 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:35.120 He had become desensitized to killing. He'd watched it on 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.520 the screen happen so long that the line between make 0:04:38.600 --> 0:04:43.400 believe and reality had become blurred. The scripture says, don't 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:47.080 give the enemy a foothold notice he can't take it. 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:48.719 We have to open the door. 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:52.240 One of the biggest doors we open is through our 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:58.040 eyes watching things that are unwholesome. Proverbs fifteen says, only 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:02.040 a fool feeds on trash. Friends, You're going to become 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:06.480 what you eat. Take inventory of what you're feeding yourself. 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:10.000 What are you watching, what are you listening to? What 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.000 kind of values is that portraying? Is it building you up? 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:18.760 Is it wholesome? Inspiring you to be better? If not, 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:22.279 make the necessary changes, don't feed on trash. 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:25.000 When you watch something on television. 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.479 You watch a movie, it's just like you're inviting those 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:31.320 people into your house. You need to ask yourself, do 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:34.040 I want them in my home? Do I want to 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.640 hear all their secrets? Do I want to see all 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:40.680 their dirty laundry? Some of what's on TV today is 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:45.359 to appeal to the lowest common denominator. People fighting with 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:49.159 family members, all kinds of bizarre situations. It's kind of 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:51.600 like a wreck out on the freeway where everybody wants 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:54.440 to stop and just see what happened. That bar keeps 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.880 getting set lower and lower. Do yourself a favor, Stay 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.599 far away from that, no matter how off the wall 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:05.320 it gets. I was at a grocery store a few 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.240 months ago at the checkout line and one of the 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:12.919 magazine headlines read two headed men in a love triangle 0:06:13.080 --> 0:06:13.480 with an. 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:14.880 Alien from out of space. 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:19.480 Details Inside, I thought, no thanks, I am not a 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.840 garbage can. I'm not going to fill my mind with poison. 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:26.480 Only a fool feeds on trash. 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:27.160 Listen. 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:32.159 Life is too short, your time is too valuable to 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.520 feed on anything other than what's building you up. So 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:40.240 one nineteen says, God keep me from paying attention to 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:43.640 what's worthless every time we turn on the television. 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:44.679 We should pray that prayer. 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.480 God, keep me from what's worthless every time we get 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:50.840 on the internet, walk by the magazine rack, God help 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.279 me not to waste my time getting hooked on something 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:58.160 that's not adding any value to my life. Here's what 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:01.760 I've learned. If you're not elective in what you watch, 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:04.320 the television will determine your character. 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:09.080 The television will determine who you are. Statistics tell us 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:10.280 the average. 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:14.840 Person will spend more time watching television than anything else 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:18.760 other than working and sleeping. When it's all added up, 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:21.800 ten years of our life will have been spent watching TV. 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:25.960 By the time a child graduates from high school, he 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:29.800 will have watched eighteen thousand hours of television compared to 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:34.240 twelve thousand hours spent in school. Parents, don't let the 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:37.920 television be a babysitter for your children. Don't put your 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.280 five year old in there. Let them watch whatever they want. 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:44.800 You choose something wholesome, something that's going to strengthen their value, 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.280 not something that will erode what you're teaching them. I 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.640 read where the number of violent acts during prime time 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:56.480 is twelve per hour, the number of violent acts during 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:58.600 cartoons is forty two per hour. 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:00.640 If you plant your. 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:03.360 Children in front of the television, they may grow. 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:04.560 Into something that you don't like. 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:12.000 Very often, television glamorizes the wrong things. Most marriages portrayed 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:16.560 on TV are not healthy, loyal, faithful. TV God said 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:21.600 ninety one percent of intimacy shown on television is outside 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:23.160 of marriage. 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:24.520 Nine times out of ten. 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:29.320 What's glamorized is the affair, that's the fun, that's the passion, 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:31.200 being unfaithful running around. 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.960 You only live once. If you watch that long. 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.520 Enough, it's going to chip away at what you know 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:40.960 is right. If you're not careful, it'll cause you to 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:44.520 lower your standard and think, hey, everybody else is doing it. 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:49.839 That's television determining your character. Be selective when something comes 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:52.920 on that you know is not good, be disciplined to 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:56.760 change the channel. That's why God created the remote control. 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:59.000 You don't even have to get up, just push the 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:04.640 button swift on. If not, you're feeding the flesh. Anytime 0:09:04.679 --> 0:09:07.400 you feed the flesh, it's going to lead you away 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:11.360 from God's best. The scripture says, it is the thought 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:15.599 life that pollutes us. If we watch the wrong images, 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:20.000 the wrong thoughts will follow. Before long, you'll find yourself 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.360 in temptation that could have been avoided if you'd have 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.760 just been disciplined in what you watch. I like to 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:31.320 watch television, especially sports, but I've learned sometimes when a 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:35.000 questionable commercial comes on, even during the ball game, I 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:37.839 gotta switch off for thirty seconds and come back when 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:38.320 it's over. 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.200 I'm not going to let that pollute me. 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.520 The other day, I was at a hotel gym working out, 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:47.480 and every TV in this little gem was tuned into 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.600 the making of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:52.280 I asked the young. 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:54.040 Men working there, would he please switch it over to 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.480 the football game. I know he probably thought I'm stiff, 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.840 old fashioned, strange but you got come to the point 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:04.839 where you realize your destiny is too great, your assignment 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:08.720 too important, your future is too bright to let something 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:13.559 pollute your life. We have enough to overcome that we 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:17.080 can't get away from. Let's not make it harder by 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:20.640 putting on wholesome things in. Well, you say, Joe, it's 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:21.920 not hurting me. I'm strong. 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.959 It's just entertainment. Yes, it may be. 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:27.960 Entertaining you, but it's filling you with all kinds of 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:33.319 wrong values. And sooner or later, if you put trash in, somehow, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.720 some way, the trash is going to come out. 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:38.160 Years ago, there was. 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:42.199 A very popular cable television show where every other word 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:44.840 was a curse word and had to be bleeped out. 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:48.840 It was the furthest thing from wholesome and uplifting that 0:10:48.880 --> 0:10:50.080 you could possibly find. 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:54.479 And this person I knew he was hooked. He loved watching. 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:56.760 It, and he was trying to convince me why it 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:59.760 was okay. He said, Joel, if you can just get 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:03.800 asked all the cursing and passed all the cheating, and 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.320 passed all the dysfunction, you'll find that really they're a loving, 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:12.240 caring family. And I don't even doubt that that's true. 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:15.480 But here's the point I'm making. You could go out 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:18.960 to the garbage dumpster today, and if you dig around 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.239 long enough, you could probably find a little piece. 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.240 Of a biscuit that's halfway edible. 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:26.600 But you know as well as I do, it's not 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:29.320 worth digging in the trash trying to find one. 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:32.080 Little morsel of something good. You're better than that. 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:39.520 You are a temple of the most high golf called chosen, appointed, approved. 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:41.760 Now do your best to keep your temple pure. 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:45.360 When I was younger, I had a sports car that 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:46.520 I loved so much. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:47.960 I took great care of it. 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:51.640 It was a performance car, had a big engine. I 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:55.120 would wash that car practically every other day, and I 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:57.520 would only put the very best. 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:00.280 In the engine. Every three months. I would change the 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.200 oil whether it needed it or not. 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.960 I put the high performance oil in it, not regular oil. 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:08.920 But this oil cost about twice as much as regular oil. 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:10.040 Back then. 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:13.200 If you wanted to, you could put regular gasoline, but 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:17.439 I always put the highest octane gasoline. I wanted that 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.800 car to perform at the highest possible level. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:23.680 Well, that's the way you need to see yourself. 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:30.400 You are a high performance, extremely valuable, incredibly talented, uniquely 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:34.600 gifted person. How much better will you run? How much 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:38.000 faster will you go? How much fuller will your life be? 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.480 If you will be selective as to what you put 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:45.720 into your engine. Sure you can get by with watching 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:49.600 things that are questionable, listening to things that drag you down, 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:51.160 hanging around people that. 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:53.800 Erode your values. Your car will run. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:57.640 But I'm talking about reaching your highest potential. I'm talking 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:01.880 about becoming everything that God's created you to be when 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.920 we put the right things in. Not only that, how 0:13:04.960 --> 0:13:09.080 many problems will we avoid? How much temptation will we 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:12.280 not have to deal with? This is where David missed it. 0:13:12.760 --> 0:13:15.920 David was a great leader, He loved God, He wrote 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:20.520 beautiful psalms. But David let his guard down and wasn't 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:23.800 disciplined in what he watched. One night, he was on 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:25.960 the top of his house and he looked out and 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:29.840 saw a beautiful woman taking a bath. All David had 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.240 to do, in modern day terms was change the channel, 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:35.720 turn away, don't even go there. 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.240 God will always give you a chance. 0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:42.360 You will never be tempted beyond what you can handle. 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.720 The scripture says God will make a way of escape 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:49.040 on the inside. You'll hear an alarm going off. You'll 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:51.160 feel an unrest, a little voice telling. 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:52.240 You this is not good. 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:55.559 Change the channel, don't hang out with these people, get 0:13:55.600 --> 0:13:59.000 out of this environment. We will never make a mistake 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:03.040 without God first warning us. In fact, if you look 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:06.720 back over your life the bad choices you've made, most 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:11.319 likely you can remember again and again you heard the alarm. 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.600 God was dealing with you. You knew it wasn't right, 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.559 but you ignored that voice and did it anyway. 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.640 That's what David did. He ignored the warning, and instead 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:23.120 of going away, he did just the opposite. He went 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:24.720 and got the binoculars. God. 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:27.440 While the favor of God the right place, the right time, 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:31.960 not hardly. He had an affair. He ended up having 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:36.600 her husband killed. One bad thing after another. It could 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:39.840 have all been avoided if he would have been disciplined 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:43.960 in what he watched. The good news is David learned 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:47.440 from his mistake. He Salm one O one, verse three. 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:50.440 He made a vow to God. He said, God, I 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:54.000 will set no evil theme before my eyes. 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:56.880 He was saying, in effect, God, I've blown it in 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:57.320 the past. 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:57.960 I've asked for. 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:00.920 Your forgiveness, but God, I'm making a decis decision. I 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:05.040 am not going to look at anything that's unwholesome and impure. 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:08.320 We should all make that same vow. God, I'm gonna 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.200 change the channel when I know it's not good. God, 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:13.520 I'm gonna listen to the alarm. I'm gonna be sensitive. 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:17.160 I'm gonna keep my mind, my thought, life pure. See, 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:20.640 I've learned God's not trying to keep us from something. 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:22.800 He's trying to get us to something. 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.600 In other words, God's not just trying to make our 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:29.040 life miserable. Just be super strict and you can't watch that, 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.040 you can't hang out with them, you can't have any fun. 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:32.840 It's just the opposite. 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.400 If you will do it God's way, you will have 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.480 more fun than you've ever had before. God will take 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:40.680 you places greater than you've ever imagined. 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:43.280 God is trying to get you to an. 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:45.760 Abundant, fulfilled, amazing life. 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:48.280 Now let's do our part and be selective. 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:52.120 All through the scripture, our life is compared to the 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:55.040 life of an eagle, And if you study the egle, 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:59.360 you'll find that its strength is found in its diet. 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:04.760 What's interesting is the eagle will not eat anything dead, unless. 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:05.520 He's in captivity. 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:10.120 The eagle only feeds off of live food. Other birds, 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:14.360 like the buzzard, the vulture, the crow, they feed off 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:18.200 of dead carcasses. They'll eat anything they can not the eagle, 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.600 he doesn't take the easy way out. He flies over 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.880 the stream and looks for fish, and he'll swoop down 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.480 and get a fresh salmon for dinner. The scripture tells 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:32.080 us that we should mount up with wings, not as 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:34.760 the buzzard, not as the vulture, not as the chicken, 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:39.520 with wings, as eagles, And just like the eagle, our 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:43.080 strength is going to be in our diet. Our strength 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:46.040 is going to be what we're taking in. You can't 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:49.160 go around all day eating dead food and expect to 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:50.880 be strong and healthy. 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:52.040 If you're hanging. 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:55.160 Around people that gossip all the time, recognize what they're 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:58.560 feeding you is dead. If you're watching things that are 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:02.760 questionable and unwholesome, you're eating dead food. And yes, the 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:07.600 eagle can survive eating with the chickens, the buzzards, the crows. 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:11.600 But the problem is he's never going to soar, he's 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:14.119 never going to become all God has created him to be. 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:18.520 Some of you today, if you would just change your diet. 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:21.200 You would go to a new level if you would 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:24.480 make the decision to quit watching the programs that are 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:27.600 polluting your mind and causing you to compromise, If you 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.119 quit hanging out with the people that are always gossiping 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:33.240 and keeping your stirred up, if you'd quit eating so 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:36.119 many dead things, you would see God's favor in a 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:36.720 greater way. 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:39.560 You're going to become what you eat. 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:42.959 Maybe you've gone to lunch with the same people at 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:47.920 work year after year. They're negative, they complain, they talk 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:49.280 bad about other people. 0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:51.639 You don't have to hurt their feelings. 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:53.640 You don't have to go in there tomorrow and make 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.120 some big announcement. Man, I heard something at church. I'm 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:59.440 getting away from you. If you do, don't tell them 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:03.800 it was me. Now, just very suddenly, you need to 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:07.960 start spending less and less time with them, gradually, start 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:09.800 breaking away by little. 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.400 You are an eagle. You were never meant to feed 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:14.399 off of dead food. 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:17.119 If they want to be a crow, a chicken, a buzzard, 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:17.800 that's up to them. 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:19.960 That's their choice. But that's not who you are. 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:25.760 Psalone says, do not sit inactive in the path of 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:29.640 the ungodly. You want to be blessed. You can't sit 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:33.879 there passively and let that gossip poison you. It's not 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:36.520 up to God, it's up to you. He's saying, find 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.800 somewhere else to eat lunch. When a program comes on 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:42.720 it's not wholesome and you feel the alarm going off. 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.960 You cannot sit inactive. You've got to pick up the 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.359 remote control and change the channel. God's not going to 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:54.320 do it for you. Be proactive, not inactive. Or maybe 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:56.960 all your friends are going to see a movie you 0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:58.199 don't feel good about it. 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:00.400 There's an alarm going off down here. 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:03.359 Well, you can't just go with the flow and think, well, 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:04.400 they may get upset. 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:05.520 They may not understand. 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:07.800 They may make fun of me, they may think I'm 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:11.400 old fashioned. You have to ask yourself, am I going 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:13.800 to live to please people? Or am I going to 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:16.159 live to please God? Am I going to be a 0:19:16.200 --> 0:19:18.680 buzzard and stay on the ground, or am I. 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:23.439 Going to be an egle and sword? Don't sit inactive? Listen. 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:25.600 If you're going to be an eagle, it's going to 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:29.920 take more work. It's going to take being disciplined. Some 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:33.680 of your friends may not understand. They may get upset. 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:37.880 Here's what I've learned. Not everyone is willing to pay 0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:41.800 the price to be an eagle. Yes, everyone wants to soar, 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:45.760 but not everyone is willing to deny their flesh and 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:48.760 not feed off a dead food. Bottom line is this, 0:19:49.119 --> 0:19:51.520 If you're going to soar with the eagles, you can't 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:54.760 hang out with the chickens. You cannot sit inactive when 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.600 you know something is not God's best. You gotta be bold, 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:01.040 rise up and make that change. Years ago, Victoria and 0:20:01.040 --> 0:20:03.880 I were at a Broadway playing. It was a top 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:07.480 rated show, and somebody had given us very expensive tickets 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:10.720 right up front, and we got there, but every other 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:13.719 word was a curse word for the first fifteen minutes, 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:16.800 and some of the scenes were very risky, and I 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:19.119 kept thinking that it was going to get better, but 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:22.720 it never did. Finally, I whispered to Victoria, I don't 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:26.080 want to feed myself this junk. I value who I am, 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:30.160 and we just very quietly and discreetly stepped out. Yes 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:33.520 the tickets were expensive, Yes it was valuable, but do 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:36.239 you know what's more valuable the temple that God has 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:40.640 given me. I'm not going to sit inactive and let 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:42.520 somebody jump trash into me. 0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:45.160 Friends. We are not garbage cans. 0:20:45.840 --> 0:20:49.639 Our ears and eyes are not trash receptors. People have 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:52.120 every right to make the play, make the movie, make 0:20:52.160 --> 0:20:53.840 the program, but we have every. 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:54.720 Right not to watch. 0:20:55.880 --> 0:20:59.160 If someone's telling off colored jokes around you, you don't 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:01.359 have to try to straighten them out. You don't have 0:21:01.440 --> 0:21:03.959 to go read the Bible to them, but you should 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:08.320 care enough about your temple to quietly step away. Don't 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:12.159 sit inactive. I was driving home years ago in my 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:14.479 car and it had a long day, and lot had 0:21:14.520 --> 0:21:17.760 come against me. And turned the radio on. The first 0:21:17.800 --> 0:21:21.040 thing I heard was You're no good. You're no good, 0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:25.040 You're no good. I thought it was over. Then she said, baby, 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:30.920 you're no good. I thought I've got enough to deal with. 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:34.480 Then having this lady that I don't even know tell 0:21:34.520 --> 0:21:39.320 me four times that I'm no good, I didn't sit inactive. 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:42.240 I pushed the button, turned on the Lakewood CD, and 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:43.240 I heard, I am a. 0:21:43.200 --> 0:21:45.920 Friend of God Lord, you are good all the time. 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:46.560 You are good. 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:53.200 It's amazing the difference between dead food and live food. 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:55.000 It's in a restaurant. 0:21:55.040 --> 0:21:58.280 Once guy was up there playing his guitar and singing, 0:21:58.320 --> 0:22:00.359 and he announced that he had just written an so 0:22:00.680 --> 0:22:03.000 we all turned around to listen, and I'm sure he 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:06.240 meant well, but this was the saddest, most depressing song. 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:08.000 He started singing about. 0:22:07.840 --> 0:22:11.080 How his wife had left him and he was broken, 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:14.600 hard and lonely and had nowhere to go, no friends. 0:22:14.760 --> 0:22:17.800 He's just gonna ride off into the sunset, fade away, 0:22:17.880 --> 0:22:21.520 depressed and defeated. And about halfway through the song, I thought, man. 0:22:21.400 --> 0:22:23.040 I'm coming with you. I'm depressed too. 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:26.719 I didn't want to eat the rest of my dinner. 0:22:28.280 --> 0:22:31.800 All that's doing is feeding your death. I like what 0:22:31.920 --> 0:22:35.679 somebody said, if you play a country Western song backwards, 0:22:36.000 --> 0:22:38.359 the man gets his wife back, his horseback, and his 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:43.080 dog back. If you're going to be an eagle, you 0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:46.720 got to learn to tune things like that out. Can't 0:22:46.760 --> 0:22:49.439 always get away, you may not have a choice, but 0:22:49.520 --> 0:22:50.000 you can. 0:22:50.000 --> 0:22:51.600 Tune it out, not dwell on it. 0:22:51.960 --> 0:22:54.600 In other words, you may work around people that are 0:22:54.640 --> 0:22:57.960 negative and sour. You're in an environment where there's dead 0:22:58.000 --> 0:22:59.760 food and you have no control over it. 0:23:00.080 --> 0:23:00.760 Here's the key. 0:23:01.160 --> 0:23:04.160 Before you get there, you need to put in extra 0:23:04.280 --> 0:23:07.639 amounts of live food to get your inner man built 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:11.280 up and strong. Listen to good praise music, put on 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:14.760 good faith building messages, things that are going to combat 0:23:14.840 --> 0:23:17.840 that negative I know a gentleman that for many years 0:23:17.840 --> 0:23:21.240 he struggled with depression. He got my CDs on not 0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:24.399 Losing your Joy, and every day on the way to work, 0:23:24.600 --> 0:23:27.520 he listened to them over and over, month after month. 0:23:27.320 --> 0:23:28.360 Even year after year. 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:31.600 He said, Joel, I've heard them probably a thousand times. 0:23:31.920 --> 0:23:35.440 I practically have them memorized. But that's what helps me 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:37.520 to stay strong and overcome. 0:23:38.280 --> 0:23:38.480 See. 0:23:38.560 --> 0:23:43.440 He understands the importance of feeding himself live food. Sometimes 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:47.040 what your thoughts will feed you is dead. You cannot 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:50.920 sit inactive. Put something in you that will feed you victory. 0:23:51.400 --> 0:23:53.280 It doesn't have to be my messages. It can be 0:23:53.320 --> 0:23:55.800 somebody else's. They're not as good as mine, but feeds 0:23:55.800 --> 0:23:59.320 you something life. I'm only kidding. 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:04.600 I read where the average American spends four hundred hours 0:24:04.640 --> 0:24:08.199 a year in their car driving back and forth to work. 0:24:08.680 --> 0:24:12.560 Many people use that time to feed themselves the wrong things. 0:24:13.000 --> 0:24:14.439 And I like to listen to the news. 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:17.560 I like to stay informed, but I've learned the news 0:24:17.800 --> 0:24:21.000 doesn't keep you built up. Once you hear what you 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:23.520 need to know, you need to move on and. 0:24:23.560 --> 0:24:26.080 Use that time to feed yourself life. 0:24:26.720 --> 0:24:30.120 Listen to something that's going to help you grow, something that's. 0:24:29.960 --> 0:24:32.040 Going to inspire you to be better. 0:24:33.000 --> 0:24:35.800 One study showed that if you'd take that same drive 0:24:35.920 --> 0:24:40.600 time and listen to good teaching CDs, then after three years, 0:24:40.880 --> 0:24:44.879 it's the equivalent of spending two years in college. People 0:24:44.920 --> 0:24:47.159 tell me all the time, Joel, I listen to your 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:50.520 messages while I run each day while I'm at the gym. 0:24:50.800 --> 0:24:52.760 One lady said, Joel, I listen to you every night 0:24:52.840 --> 0:24:55.200 before I go to bed. You always put me right 0:24:55.240 --> 0:25:00.440 to sleep. I thought, thanks a lot, but I love 0:25:00.520 --> 0:25:04.880 the new technology with these podcasts. You can have them 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:08.800 downloaded to your computer and listen to the messages anytime 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:12.480 you want. This year, we will give away nearly sixty 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:14.000 million of my messages. 0:25:14.280 --> 0:25:15.640 It's all free of charge. 0:25:15.720 --> 0:25:17.720 All you've got to do is sign up and it'll 0:25:17.760 --> 0:25:20.600 come every week to your computer and it's a brand 0:25:20.600 --> 0:25:22.440 new message that will feed you life. 0:25:22.480 --> 0:25:23.720 You should take advantage of it. 0:25:24.640 --> 0:25:28.800 This week, I heard Victoria's cell phone going off on 0:25:28.880 --> 0:25:29.679 the kitchen table. 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:30.359 It was buzzing. 0:25:30.640 --> 0:25:33.239 Went and picked it up and the message read I 0:25:33.280 --> 0:25:36.920 can do all things through Christ. She has programmed her 0:25:37.000 --> 0:25:40.800 phone every two hours to send her a scripture. You 0:25:40.840 --> 0:25:43.240 are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are more than a 0:25:43.280 --> 0:25:47.480 conquer She calls that her text message from God. All 0:25:47.520 --> 0:25:51.240 through the day, she's feeding herself life. Where you said, Joel, 0:25:51.240 --> 0:25:54.280 God's never sent me a text message. Faith without works 0:25:54.359 --> 0:26:00.120 is dead. Program at yourself. Friends, we are going to 0:26:00.240 --> 0:26:02.320 become what we eat. 0:26:02.800 --> 0:26:03.920 Don't feed on trash. 0:26:04.160 --> 0:26:07.080 Be an eagle, Be disciplined, and what you watch, what 0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:09.959 you listen to. Make a decision to get rid of 0:26:10.000 --> 0:26:13.240 anything that's dead. Don't let that poison you. You were 0:26:13.359 --> 0:26:16.520 created to sore some of you today. If you just 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:18.560 change your diet, if you just get rid of the 0:26:18.600 --> 0:26:22.960 negative influences, you would see God's favor in a new way. 0:26:23.119 --> 0:26:26.640 Take inventory of what you're putting in, what are you watching, 0:26:26.800 --> 0:26:28.840 what are you listening to, who you hanging out with? 0:26:29.119 --> 0:26:32.439 And then ask yourself a very important question, what is 0:26:32.520 --> 0:26:36.080 this feeding me? If it's not feeding your life, don't 0:26:36.119 --> 0:26:39.920 sit in active, be bold, make the necessary changes. If 0:26:39.920 --> 0:26:42.919 you will be selective with what you feed yourself. I 0:26:42.920 --> 0:26:46.119 can promise you this, you'll grow, You'll rise higher, and 0:26:46.160 --> 0:26:49.480 I believe and declare you'll become everything God's created you 0:26:49.520 --> 0:26:52.640 to be and you're going to have everything God intended. 0:26:52.200 --> 0:26:54.480 For you to have. Amen. Do you receive it today? 0:26:56.280 --> 0:26:57.640 We never like to close. 0:26:57.320 --> 0:27:00.800 Our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:27:00.840 --> 0:27:01.960 the lord of your life. 0:27:02.119 --> 0:27:03.080 Would you pray with me? 0:27:03.560 --> 0:27:08.960 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come 0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:13.960 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:27:13.960 --> 0:27:16.120 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:27:16.160 --> 0:27:18.920 born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 0:27:18.960 --> 0:27:19.840 God first place. 0:27:20.080 --> 0:27:22.320 He's gonna take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:27:24.440 --> 0:27:28.479 God's healing isn't earned, it's received, and you can discover 0:27:28.600 --> 0:27:30.639 how in the next thirty one days. 0:27:31.280 --> 0:27:35.640 Life has a way of wearing us down physically, mentally, emotionally. 0:27:36.119 --> 0:27:39.320 But God didn't create us to just survive, but to thrive. 0:27:39.800 --> 0:27:43.800 Now I'm excited about our new devotional Happy, healthy and free. 0:27:44.280 --> 0:27:45.800 For thirty one days. 0:27:45.560 --> 0:27:49.120 I'll take you on a wellness journey for your spirit, body, 0:27:49.200 --> 0:27:54.560 and soul. It's filled with daily declarations, scriptures, encouragement. As 0:27:54.600 --> 0:27:57.280 you get your mind in tune with what God says, 0:27:57.520 --> 0:28:03.120 you'll experience a refreshing azation. You are created to be strong, 0:28:03.480 --> 0:28:07.080 to be passionate, to live happy, healthy and free. 0:28:07.680 --> 0:28:11.400 When you contact us today, we'll send you happy, healthy, 0:28:11.520 --> 0:28:14.640 and free a thirty one day wellness journey as our 0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:17.440 way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount. 0:28:17.880 --> 0:28:22.080 This devotional will help you strengthen your faith, declare God's promises, 0:28:22.280 --> 0:28:27.000 and receive the healing He's already made available to you spirit, soul, 0:28:27.119 --> 0:28:30.880 and body. God wants you whole, and this resource will 0:28:30.880 --> 0:28:34.760 help you experience His peace from the inside out. Please 0:28:34.800 --> 0:28:38.800 request your copy today begin a life receiving, life giving 0:28:38.880 --> 0:28:42.640 journey that will transform your spirit, mind, and body. In 0:28:42.800 --> 0:28:44.040 just thirty one days. 0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:47.720 God is going to restore what the enemy tried to steal, 0:28:48.000 --> 0:28:51.680 your joy, your peace, your hell. Detoy and I pray 0:28:51.760 --> 0:28:54.560 for you and your family every day. Thanks so much 0:28:54.600 --> 0:28:58.360 for your prayer and support. Your generosity is bringing hope 0:28:58.440 --> 0:29:00.000 to people around the world. 0:29:00.360 --> 0:29:01.320 Special thank you. 0:29:01.240 --> 0:29:04.280 To our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. 0:29:04.600 --> 0:29:06.480 If you're not a partner, I hope you'll. 0:29:06.360 --> 0:29:10.440 Consider becoming one. Remember you can watch the services online 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:15.120 every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube 0:29:15.480 --> 0:29:18.000 the new Joel Ostein network social media. 0:29:18.320 --> 0:29:20.920 You can listen on Serious XM twenty four hours a day. 0:29:21.320 --> 0:29:24.600 We'll keep you encouraged and inspired until we see you 0:29:24.640 --> 0:29:27.400 next time. Mid The Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:28.640 --> 0:29:32.440 Be sure to request your copy of Happy, Healthy and Free, 0:29:32.680 --> 0:29:36.800 a thirty one day wellness journey. Visit Joelostein dot com 0:29:36.920 --> 0:29:40.640 or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel for 0:29:40.680 --> 0:29:43.600 an additional gift. This month, we are also offering the 0:29:43.680 --> 0:29:47.440 Wholeness and Promise Bundle, which includes the Happy, Healthy and 0:29:47.520 --> 0:29:51.800 Free book plus the Words of Promise Journal, a beautifully 0:29:51.800 --> 0:29:56.320 designed journal where you can reflect, record prayers, and speak life. 0:29:56.120 --> 0:29:57.040 Over your future. 0:29:57.520 --> 0:30:00.840 You can also request the Happy, Healthy and Free Collection, 0:30:01.240 --> 0:30:05.240 featuring the devotional the journal, and a beautifully crafted set 0:30:05.360 --> 0:30:10.360 of three desktop encouragement blocks. Each whitewashed wooden block displays 0:30:10.400 --> 0:30:14.800 one powerful word happy, Healthy, and Free, along with a 0:30:14.840 --> 0:30:18.480 carefully chosen scripture. Place them in your home or workspace 0:30:18.680 --> 0:30:22.560 as daily reminders of God's promises for your life. You 0:30:22.600 --> 0:30:26.400 can request these life changing resources by calling eight eight 0:30:26.400 --> 0:30:30.360 eight five six seven Joel or logging on to Joelosting 0:30:30.480 --> 0:30:34.720 dot com today. Call or click anytime twenty four hours 0:30:34.760 --> 0:30:39.120 a day. This is your season to rise stronger, live lighter, 0:30:39.400 --> 0:30:43.160 and walk daily in God's healing and peace. Request your 0:30:43.200 --> 0:30:44.120 copies today. 0:30:45.000 --> 0:30:47.360 If you're a pastor, we'd like to invite you to 0:30:47.400 --> 0:30:50.440 our Pastor's Gathering. We'd be honored to spend the day 0:30:50.480 --> 0:30:53.120 with you here at Lakewood. We'll share some of the 0:30:53.160 --> 0:30:56.640 things we've learned, insights and behind the scenes. Be a 0:30:56.720 --> 0:31:00.000 time of inspiration and encouragement. We love to meet you. 0:31:00.040 --> 0:31:00.120 Sh