Being Confident In What You Have

0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.880 share it with a friend, reappreciate you and pray for 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:15.040 God's very best in your life. So God bless you. 0:00:15.320 --> 0:00:17.880 It's a joy to come into your homes and you're 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:20.159 ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:22.360 be a part of one of our services. These are 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:25.320 the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, right here 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:27.720 at Lakebrood, So come on out. We'll make you feel 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:31.040 at home. Thanks so for tuning in today, and thank 0:00:31.080 --> 0:00:33.680 you all for coming out as well. I like to 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:37.120 start with something funny, and I heard about this country grandmother. 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.000 She'd go out on a front porch every morning say 0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:43.560 thank you Lord for another day. Her next door neighbor 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.960 didn't believe in God. He'd shout back, there's no such 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:50.680 thing as the Lord. One morning he heard her praying 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:53.479 that God would send her groceries for the week. He 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:55.640 snuck over early in the morning and put groceries on 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:58.120 the front porch. When she came out, she said, thank 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.360 you Lord, you did it again. Begin to laugh and laugh. 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:03.920 He said, God didn't send you those groceries. I put 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:06.759 them there. She looked up to the heavens, said, Lord, 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:09.240 thank you. You not only sent me groceries, but you 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:13.759 made the devil pay for it. Hold up your bibles, 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:16.800 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.480 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:22.000 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.720 I can do. Today I will be talked the word 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:28.800 of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:33.360 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:01:33.800 --> 0:01:37.080 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:41.399 about being confident in what you have. It's easy to 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.520 focus on what we don't have. I don't have the talent, 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:48.040 I don't have the education. I don't have the right personality. 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:51.600 But as long as you think you're lacking, it will 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:54.920 keep you from God's best. It's not enough to just 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:58.680 have faith in God. That's important, but you've got to 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.080 take it one step further and have faith in what 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:06.280 God has given you. You have to believe you are equipped, 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:11.280 you are empowered, you are the right size, the right nationality, 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:15.880 you have the talent, the resources, the personality, everything you 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:20.040 need to fulfill your destiny. I have people tell me, Joel, 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:22.919 I don't have a lot of talent. Here's the key. 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:27.320 You don't need a lot of talent. You have exactly 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.720 what you need. If you'll use what God has given you, 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.359 he'll get you to where you're supposed to be. I've 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:38.160 learned it's not necessarily the amount of talent, the amount 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:41.639 of education, the amount of money. What makes the difference 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.240 is God's anointing on your life. Because you can have 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:49.800 average talent, when God breathes in your direction, you'll go 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:53.800 further than someone that has exceptional talent. You can have 0:02:53.840 --> 0:02:58.160 an extraordinary problem, but with the favor of God, he 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:01.959 can take an ordinary solution and cause you to be victorious. 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:05.760 That's what happened with Sampson. He was surrounded by a 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:10.080 huge army. He had no weapons, no protection. All the 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:13.360 odds were against him. He began to look around to 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:16.640 try to find something to defend himself. All he could 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:20.480 find was the jawbone of a donkey. He could have thought, 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.200 oh great, just my luck. I need a sword, I 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:26.320 need a shield, and all I have is this jawbone. 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:30.840 It was small. It was ordinary, but he didn't dismiss it. 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:34.160 He was smart enough to realize that was a part 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.880 of his divine destiny. He picked it up and used 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:42.400 it to defeat the entire army that jawbone. Even though 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:47.160 it was ordinary, when God breathed on it, it became extraordinary. 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.400 What am I saying? You don't have to be bigger, stronger, 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:55.400 tougher to overcome your obstacles. You don't have to have 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:59.400 great talent in order to do something great. When you 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.080 honor gone God with your life, you have the most 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:06.760 powerful force in the universe breathing in your direction. God 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:11.120 knows how to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:14.880 Now get in agreement with Him and be confident that 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:18.560 you have exactly what you need. Don't ever say I 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.159 don't have the strength, I don't have the looks, I'm 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:24.760 too tall, too short, I'm too young, too old. Zip 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:28.920 that up and start declaring. I am anointed, I am equipped, 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:33.520 I am empowered, I am the right size, the right nationality, 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:36.279 I know the right people. I have the right amount 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.840 of talent. Plus I'm good looking as well. Might as 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:42.960 well throw that in there too. One time Jesus had 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:46.359 been teaching. Thousands of people started to get late in 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.800 the day and the people were hungry. Jesus turned to 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.360 his disciples and said, I want you to give them 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.599 something to eat. They were out in the middle of nowhere. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:59.320 There were no grocery stores, no food. It seemed like 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:03.600 on the s past what Jesus asked was impossible. But 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:06.520 here's the key. God will never ask you to do 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:09.520 something and then not give you the ability to do it. 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.280 I hear people say, I know I need to forgive, 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:15.520 but I just can't do it. It's too hard. I know 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:19.240 I should take that management position, but I don't feel qualified. 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:24.039 That's saying what the disciple said, it's impossible. We don't 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:28.120 see a way. And Jesus heard all their excuses. He 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:31.520 finally said, you've told me all about what you don't have. 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:34.359 All I want to know is what do you have? 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:37.960 He said, Jesus, we just have five loaves of bread 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:41.360 and two fish. But what is that among so many 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:45.440 They looked at what they had and dismissed it. It's 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:49.279 not enough, Joel, I'd believe if I had more talent, 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:52.799 more education, more going for me. No, God is saying 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:55.960 to you what he said to them. Give me what 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.960 you have. Don't make excuses, don't sit on the sideline 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:04.840 of life, intimidating thinking that you're unqualified. Put your life, 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:09.600 your dreams, your goals, your talent into God's hands. Jesus 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:12.400 took the five lows two fish, prayed over it. You 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:16.320 know the story. It multiplied and somehow it fed nearly 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:20.760 fifteen thousand people. That's what happens. When you give God 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:24.560 what you have, He'll multiply it. Now, what you have 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:28.719 may seem small compared to what you're facing, compared to 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:32.680 the financial difficulty, the medical problem, or the size of 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:36.800 your dreams. You could easily be intimidated. But God is saying, 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:41.000 if you'll give me what you have, that means if 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:44.040 you'll be the best you can be right where you are, 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:48.760 living with confidence, believing that God's breathing in your direction, 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:51.920 then God will do for you what he did for them. 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:56.120 He'll take the little and he'll turn it into much. Well, Joel, 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.719 I got a big problem, but I don't have big 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:03.280 resources that so God does. He owns it all. He's 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:06.720 got you in the palm of his hand. Your obstacle 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:09.560 may be high, but our God is the most high. 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:13.320 That enemy may be powerful, but God is all powerful. 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:17.000 He has the final say. Here's what I've learned. God 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:21.080 is not looking for super talented people. He's looking for 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:24.600 ordinary people who will take the limits off of him 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:28.760 so he can show his goodness in extraordinary ways. Be 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:32.840 confident in what you have. When David went out to 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:36.680 face Goliath, all he had was a slingshot and five 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:41.320 smooth stones. Didn't look like much. Goliath was nearly twice 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:45.040 his size. Goliath had been trained in the military, he 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.760 was wearing a full set of armor, had a lot 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:52.600 of experience, extremely powerful. Here, David was a teenager. He 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:56.440 had no formal training, no equipment, no experience. He was 0:07:56.480 --> 0:08:01.000 a shepherd. When Goliath saw David in house, small he was, 0:08:01.720 --> 0:08:05.520 he began to laugh. Goliath said, in effect, David, have 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:08.280 you looked in the mirror lately? You are no match 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:13.360 for me. I am bigger, stronger, tougher. But David understood 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:17.960 this principle, even though it was small. He realized that 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.560 slingshot was given to him by God, a part of 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:26.720 his divine destiny. The scripture says that David ran toward Goliath, 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:29.520 you would think if you're half his size, you would 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:32.160 sneak up, you'd try to surprise and know when you 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:36.520 know you're equipped, You're empowered. God's given you what you need. 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.600 You will not shrink back in fear. You will run 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:45.040 towards your enemies. God used a simple slingshot to thrust 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:48.800 David to a new level of his destiny. My question 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:54.400 today is are you overlooking something small, something ordinary that 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:57.440 God has given you. Are you sitting back thinking I 0:08:57.440 --> 0:09:00.160 don't have the talent, the education, I don't know the 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:04.400 right people. No, you have exactly what you need. It 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:07.880 may seem small, but when you take these steps of faith, 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:10.480 God will do for you what he did for David. 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:14.640 He'll breathe on your life and what was ordinary will 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:18.720 become extraordinary. When my father went to be with the 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:21.600 Lord in nineteen ninety nine, I knew I was supposed 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:24.280 to step up and past through the church, but I 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:27.240 had never ministered before. Now I thought of all the 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.760 reasons I couldn't do it. I don't have the experience, 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:34.520 I don't have the training. I don't have the booming voice, 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.680 I don't have the dynamic personality. On and on I 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.400 came up with all these excuses. One day I heard God, 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.080 say something to me, not out loud, but just down 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:47.120 in here. He said, Joel, you've told me all about 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.760 what you don't have. I'm not interested in that. All 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:54.559 I'm asking you to do is use what you do have. Now. 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:58.199 I stepped out with a little talent, a little ability, 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:02.640 a little experience, confidence. I didn't have much to give, 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:06.760 But I realize now I had exactly what I needed. 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:12.840 It looks small, it seemed ordinary. But when you give 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:16.800 God what you have, he'll take the small and he'll 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:20.000 turn it into much. Now quit telling God what you 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:23.080 don't have, what you can't do, and how if you 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:26.880 just had a better personality. No, be confident that you 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:30.439 have exactly what you need. It may not be as 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:34.480 much as somebody else. That's okay. You're not running their race. 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:39.600 Don't envy their talent, don't covet what they have, wishing 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:43.679 you had their looks, their personality, their opportunities. Now listen, 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:46.480 if God gave that to you, it wouldn't help you, 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.920 it would hinder you. You're not anointed to be them. 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:54.079 You're anointed to be you. And when God, when God 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:57.920 breeded his life into you, he equipped you with everything 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:01.480 you need to fulfill your destiny. You have the talent, 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:06.040 the confidence, the strength, the creativity to fulfill your purpose. 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:12.520 Now it may seem small. When I started, I felt unqualified, intimidated. 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:16.000 But as you take these steps of faith, believing that 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:20.000 you're equipped, confident in what God's given you, God will 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:23.439 take the small and he will multiply it. One day 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:25.400 you'll look up and say, like me, how in the 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:28.199 world did I get to where I am? That's the goodness, 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:32.359 the favor of God. Here's how the scripture puts it. 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:37.000 It's not by might, not by power, but by His spirit. 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:42.040 That's saying. It's not just talent, not just education, not 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:46.120 just what family we come from. What causes us to excel, 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.440 what causes us to go places we've never dreamed of, 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:54.319 is when the most highed God breathes on our life. Sometimes, 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.800 like David, we feel like all I have is a slingshot. 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:01.560 You're up against a huge giant. They've got a machine gun, 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:05.080 so to speak, no comparison. You can stay in faith, 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.680 you don't have to lose any sleep. Your slingshot with 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:12.200 God's annoying is more powerful than a machine gun with 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:14.720 no anoying. Now I know some of you are up 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:19.440 against a major challenge your health, your finances, or relationship. 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:23.719 You say, Joel, I've got this big problem, but I 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:28.120 have just little faith. Let me encourage you. That's okay. 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:32.199 You don't have to have great faith. Just use what 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:36.680 you have. Jesus said, if you have faith as small 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.680 as a mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:43.360 be removed. Nothing is impossible to you. When you use 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:48.040 even small faith, God can move mountains. When you say, God, 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:51.200 I don't know how this is gonna work out. I 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:53.280 don't know how my dreams could come to pass. I 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:55.760 don't know how I could get over this medical situation. 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.960 But God, I trust you. My life is in your hands, 0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:02.960 even if it's small faith. That's what allows the creator 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.480 of the universe to go to work. One time in 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:09.920 their scripture, there were four lepers sitting outside the city gates. 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:12.840 They were contagious, so they had to stay away from people. 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.960 To make matters worse, their city was surrounded by an army. 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:19.600 They had cut off the water supply, and they were 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:21.960 waiting for the people to get so weak then they 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.560 would go in and attack them. These lepers had nothing 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.480 golden for them, no future to speak of But one 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.439 of the lepers said to his three friends, if we 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:35.199 just sit here, we're going to die for sure, why 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.480 don't we take a chance and march toward the enemy's 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:43.120 camp and see what happens. Notice they didn't have great faith. 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.400 They didn't say, we know God's going to protect us, 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:50.280 deliver us, save us. Their attitude was, we are ninety 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.480 nine percent sure we're going to die. What do we 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:57.560 have to lose? They had small faith. They started marching 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:00.560 toward the enemy's camp. Don't you know, God, God saw 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:03.360 them take that journey of faith. They could have been 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:09.040 sitting outside the city gates, depressed, bitter, complaining, blaming God. 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:13.560 Instead they're using what they have, not much, just a 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:17.760 little faith, a little effort, a little strength. The scripture says, 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:22.600 as they marched toward the enemy, God multiplied the sound 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.120 of their footsteps and caused them to sound like a 0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:30.200 vast army. When the enemy army heard it, they thought 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:32.720 they were going to be attacked by thousands of troops. 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:36.280 They panicked and took off, running for their lives. Scared 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:39.320 to death. They left in such a hurry they didn't 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:43.200 even gather up their belongings. They left behind all their treasures, 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:46.920 their livestock, their food. When these lepers got to the camp, 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.840 nobody was there. They were amazed. They went back home 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.840 and told their families. They all came back and gathered 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:56.440 up the spoils. God not only saved their lives, but 0:14:56.520 --> 0:15:00.000 God used them to spare the entire city. That's what happened. 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.360 When you use what you have, it doesn't have to 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:07.760 be great faith, even little faith. Just doing something small, 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:12.000 just showing God that you're trusting him. That's when supernatural 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:16.480 things can begin to happen. God can cause people. God 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:19.960 can cause people to hear what he wants them to hear. 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:23.680 One time, years ago, when I worked in the television 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:26.760 department here at Lakewood, I was meeting with this salesman 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:30.320 about buying a large amount of television equipment. He had 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:33.040 flown in from another state. We had a good meeting. 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:36.000 He called back in a few days and mentioned that 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:38.000 he was going to be able to give us the 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.800 discount that we had requested. He made the statement it 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:45.400 was the largest discount he had ever given he'd been 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:48.680 with the company over thirty years. I said, that's great. 0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:52.280 What amount of discount is it. He seemed kind of confused, 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.640 He said, what do you mean, Joel? You told me 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.560 the exact price, you gave me, the amount that you 0:15:57.640 --> 0:16:00.000 had to buy this equipment for. I thought, I never 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:03.280 told him that. That's not even my personality. That was 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.320 God causing him to hear what he wanted him to hear. 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:11.120 Here's what I found. God can cause you to be 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:14.720 seen the way He wants you to be seen. You 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:19.600 may not feel very powerful, very influential. The good news is, 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:22.400 it's not how you feel that matters. It's how God 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:27.400 causes you to be seen. Now get in agreement with God. 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:30.720 You may not feel it, but part of faith is 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:37.240 acting like it. Act like you're strong, anointed, confident, secure, empowered, blessed. 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:39.560 You've heard that saying you've got to fake it till 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:43.600 you make it. Now, don't ever say I don't have 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:47.480 the strength, I don't have enough money. My company could 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:50.960 never compete with this other business they've been going for years. No, 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.920 you don't know how God is causing you to be seen. 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:58.400 You may feel weak, but because of God's favor on 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:02.720 your life, everyone you encounter thinks you're as strong, as confident, 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.159 as successful as can be. What is that God causing 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:08.439 you to be seen the way He wants you to 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:11.440 be seen. Now, do yourself a favor. Don't go around 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:14.880 telling everyone how you feel. Just put your shoulders back, 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.800 stand up tall, not weak, intimidated, but like a child 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.879 of the most High God. When you stay in faith 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.760 like this, God can do for you what he did 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:27.719 for these four lepers. He will multiply what you have. 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:33.280 He'll multiply your talent, multiply your resources, multiply your influence. 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.600 God is a god of multiplication. What you have may 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:40.080 be small right now, but you need to get ready. 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:43.040 It's not gonna stay small. You're gonna come into increase 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:47.400 to good, break to the right people, to healing, to restoration, 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:52.800 to new opportunities, to favor like you've not seen before. 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.000 That's what happened to this one young lady. She's a 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:59.720 police officer that works in another state. She patrols a 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:03.560 very rough area of town. Her desire was always to 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.720 help children learn how to read. She was the oldest 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.439 of twelve children. She's the one that taught all of 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:12.440 her brothers and sisters. When she'd get called into these 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:17.080 troubled homes, she noticed so often there were no children's books, 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:20.200 nothing for the kids to read, and this really bothered her. 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:23.280 She wanted to do something about it, but what could 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.919 she do? She had limited resources. One night, she answered 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:30.520 a false alarm at a large warehouse. She flipped on 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:34.680 the lights and saw thousands of children's books. They were 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:38.199 brand new, but because of a small blemish, they were 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.560 about to be thrown away. When she saw those, she 0:18:41.680 --> 0:18:44.320 knew they were supposed to be hers. She asked the 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:46.639 owner right then and there if she could have them. 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:50.720 Without missing a beat, he said, they're all yours. That night, 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:54.880 Dropped in her hands were over ten thousand brand new 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:58.840 children's books. Now she goes through the community every weekend, 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:03.360 passing them out. What was that God multiplying? You may 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:06.480 not see away, but God has a way. You keep 0:19:06.640 --> 0:19:09.240 using what you have, being the best you can be 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.280 right where you are, and God will open up your 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:16.640 supernatural doors of opportunity. I love what God said to Moses. 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:20.320 He was leading two million people through the desert trying 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.560 to get to the promised land they had just come 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:25.080 out of Egypt. Didn't look like they had any way 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:28.280 to protect themselves, like they could easily be conquered by 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:33.679 their enemies. Moses was down discouraged. People were complaining. He 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:36.639 was just about to give up, thinking that he didn't 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:40.199 have what it takes. God said to him, Moses, what 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:43.840 do you have in your hand? He was holding a rod. 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:46.600 He looked at it and said, it's nothing. God just 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:50.520 to stick something I picked up along the way. God said, 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.520 throw it down. He threw it down and it turned 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:57.200 into a snake. God said, pick it up. He picked 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:00.560 it up and it turned back into a rod. God 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:05.040 was showing him he had what he needed. It looked ordinary, 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:09.200 it looked insignificant, just a rod. But if it needed 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:11.680 to be a key to open a door, God could 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:14.080 turn it into a key. If it needed to be 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:16.680 a shield to protect him, God could turn it into 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:21.040 a shield. God is saying, I can become what you need. 0:20:21.720 --> 0:20:24.080 Just as I can turn a rod into a snake. 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:28.080 I can take four footsteps and cause them to sound 0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:31.399 like a vast army. I can use a simple slingshot 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:34.639 to defeat a skilled warrior. I can cause you to 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:37.639 stumble to a warehouse that has thousands of books to 0:20:37.680 --> 0:20:41.160 bring your dreams to pass. Let me ask you what 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:45.840 God asked, Moses, what do you have in your hand? Well, Joel, 0:20:45.840 --> 0:20:49.320 I just have average talent. I've got a lot of obstacles. 0:20:49.400 --> 0:20:51.880 I could never get ahead. Now you've got to get 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:56.520 rid of that limited mindset. Almighty God, the creator of 0:20:56.560 --> 0:21:01.320 the universe, breathed his life into you seeds of greatness. 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:05.160 On the inside, God is saying, I have equipped you, 0:21:05.600 --> 0:21:10.080 I've empowered you. I'm going before you making crooked places straight. 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:14.400 I have surrounded you with my favor. Goodness and mercy 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:17.000 are following you. Now you've got to rise up in 0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:20.240 faith and see yourself as who God made you to be. 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:23.120 You may not be able to do this in your 0:21:23.160 --> 0:21:26.399 own strength, but that's okay. When you are weak, He 0:21:26.560 --> 0:21:29.280 is strong. When you don't see a way, God has 0:21:29.320 --> 0:21:33.159 a way. When all you have is a slingshot in 0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:37.520 five smooth stones, you can still defeat a giant. God 0:21:37.640 --> 0:21:41.760 is called the Great. I am I am what, I 0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:45.960 am whatever you need. I am protection, I am promotion, 0:21:46.520 --> 0:21:50.919 I am provision, I am health, I am restoration, I 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:54.840 am favor. You stay in faith and God will become 0:21:54.920 --> 0:21:57.960 what you need. I read a story that took place 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:01.639 during World War II. The middle of the night, this 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:05.359 soldier got separated from his unit. The fighting was so 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:09.679 heavy the smoke so intense he became disoriented. Now he 0:22:09.840 --> 0:22:12.520 was in the jungle all alone. He could hear the 0:22:12.680 --> 0:22:16.360 enemy's soldiers getting closer and closer. He ran up over 0:22:16.400 --> 0:22:19.080 a hill and saw a bunch of caves. He got 0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:22.000 in one, huddled down, hoping that he wouldn't be found. 0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.399 He began to pray and ask God to somehow, some 0:22:25.600 --> 0:22:29.080 way spare his life. As he was sitting there as 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:33.400 nervous as can be, he noticed a spider dropped down 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:37.160 across the entry and begin to spin a web. Kind 0:22:37.160 --> 0:22:40.080 of laughed to himself, to God, I need a brick wall, 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:43.200 I need an iron gate, and you send me a spider. 0:22:44.000 --> 0:22:47.639 He watched that spider spin layer after layer on that web. 0:22:48.200 --> 0:22:51.200 He could hear the soldiers about fifty yards away. They 0:22:51.200 --> 0:22:54.560 were going through each cave checking the He braced himself 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:57.760 for his final stand. When the soldiers got to his 0:22:58.400 --> 0:23:01.560 cave and they saw the spight's web across the entry, 0:23:01.720 --> 0:23:04.240 one of them said, we don't need to check this one. 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:08.000 Nobody could have gotten in without disturbing the spighter's web. 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:11.240 They passed on by. God used a spider to spare 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:16.040 his life. Friends, God knows how to take care of you. 0:23:16.720 --> 0:23:20.399 He's already lined up everything you need to live in victory. 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:23.040 You don't have to worry, you don't have to lose 0:23:23.080 --> 0:23:26.919 any sleep. Just stay in peace, confident that you have 0:23:27.080 --> 0:23:31.640 exactly what you need. Sometimes when we face a big problem, 0:23:31.800 --> 0:23:35.840 we think, God, I need a big solution. This soldier prayed, God, 0:23:35.840 --> 0:23:38.520 give me an iron fence, give me a brick wall. 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:42.240 God says, no, I have ways to protect you, to 0:23:42.359 --> 0:23:45.520 promote you, to heal you that you've never thought of. 0:23:46.080 --> 0:23:50.679 I can take something small, something ordinary, something insignificant, and 0:23:50.800 --> 0:23:54.160 turn it into something great. I don't need a brick wall. 0:23:54.240 --> 0:23:56.399 I don't need an iron fence. I can use a 0:23:56.480 --> 0:23:59.520 spider cause him to spin a web at just the 0:23:59.600 --> 0:24:04.200 right time. What am I saying? God is in complete control. 0:24:04.720 --> 0:24:09.040 What you have may seem small compared to what you're facing, 0:24:09.320 --> 0:24:12.280 but don't let that discourage you. God knows how to 0:24:12.320 --> 0:24:16.680 take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. Well, Joel, I've 0:24:16.720 --> 0:24:19.480 got a big problem. Don't worry. There are some more 0:24:19.520 --> 0:24:23.399 spiders out there. Well, I've got a big enemy. Don't worry. 0:24:23.560 --> 0:24:27.000 You've got your feet. God can multiply the sound. Well, 0:24:27.040 --> 0:24:30.240 my business is kind of slow, don't worry. You've got 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:33.080 five loaves and two fish. Well, I don't see how 0:24:33.119 --> 0:24:36.160 my dreams could come to pass. Don't worry. God has 0:24:36.200 --> 0:24:40.400 another warehouse with resources to bring them to pass. Now 0:24:40.520 --> 0:24:44.359 quit telling God what you don't have and start using 0:24:44.560 --> 0:24:48.800 what you do have. You may have small faith today, 0:24:49.440 --> 0:24:53.359 that's okay, use it and God can move mountains. You 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:57.119 may have average talent, that's all right, use it and 0:24:57.200 --> 0:25:01.920 God can do something exceptional. Weak, but don't you dare 0:25:02.040 --> 0:25:05.680 act weak. Put your shoulders back, hold your head up high, 0:25:05.760 --> 0:25:08.440 and God will cause you to be seen the way 0:25:08.480 --> 0:25:11.040 he wants you to be seen. It's not by your might, 0:25:11.359 --> 0:25:14.480 not by your power. What's going to cause you to 0:25:14.640 --> 0:25:19.720 excel is almighty. God is breathing on your life right now. 0:25:19.760 --> 0:25:23.800 He is breathing on your dreams. He's breathing on your finances. 0:25:24.040 --> 0:25:27.640 He's breathing on your health. He's breathing on your children. 0:25:28.119 --> 0:25:31.080 His favor is going to cause you to go further 0:25:31.359 --> 0:25:34.359 than you ever thought possible. You are going to overcome 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:39.679 obstacles that looked insurmountable, like these four lepers, because you 0:25:39.760 --> 0:25:42.639 are honoring God. He's going to multiply what you have. 0:25:43.040 --> 0:25:47.320 He's going to multiply your talent, multiply your resources, multiply 0:25:47.440 --> 0:25:50.399 your creativity. Now this is not the time to shrink 0:25:50.440 --> 0:25:53.040 back in fear. This is the time to move forward 0:25:53.160 --> 0:25:56.600 in faith. Get up every morning knowing you are anointed, 0:25:56.680 --> 0:26:00.000 you are equipped, you are empowered. If you'll be comfort 0:26:00.240 --> 0:26:03.680 in what God has given you, and I believe and declare, 0:26:04.000 --> 0:26:08.040 you will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, and you 0:26:08.080 --> 0:26:12.119 will become everything God's created you to be. Come on, 0:26:12.200 --> 0:26:13.680 if you believe it, give the Lord a shout of 0:26:13.720 --> 0:26:19.840 praise today. Amen. We never like to close our broadcast 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:22.960 without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:26:22.960 --> 0:26:26.880 of your life. Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:26:28.000 --> 0:26:32.800 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:26:33.000 --> 0:26:36.720 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:26:36.760 --> 0:26:40.080 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:26:40.080 --> 0:26:43.160 in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:45.680 He's going to take your places you've never dreamed of. 0:26:46.840 --> 0:26:52.080 Life throws so much at us disappointments, failures, challenges. We 0:26:52.160 --> 0:26:54.800 can feel so out of touch that we no longer 0:26:54.920 --> 0:26:56.080 recognize ourselves. 0:26:56.840 --> 0:26:59.360 Life has a way of changing us. At one time 0:26:59.400 --> 0:27:02.720 We were out and excited about our dreams. But when 0:27:02.760 --> 0:27:05.840 we go through disappointments and people do us wrong, it's 0:27:05.920 --> 0:27:09.400 easy to lose that positive, passionate person that we used 0:27:09.400 --> 0:27:13.040 to be. In my new book, Rediscovering the Forgotten You, 0:27:13.560 --> 0:27:15.600 I'll help you get back to who you really are, 0:27:15.960 --> 0:27:19.720 the joyful you, the confident you, the talented you. It's 0:27:19.760 --> 0:27:22.760 not too late. You haven't been through too much. You 0:27:22.800 --> 0:27:25.960 may have lost part of yourself, but you can find yourself. 0:27:26.359 --> 0:27:29.240 God is in the business of restoring what was lost, 0:27:29.560 --> 0:27:32.800 healing what was broken. You haven't seen the best version 0:27:32.960 --> 0:27:35.440 of you, yet it's still in front of you. 0:27:36.040 --> 0:27:38.320 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:27:38.359 --> 0:27:40.639 of any amount, we would like to send you a 0:27:40.680 --> 0:27:44.639 copy of Joel's brand new book, Rediscovering the Forgotten You 0:27:45.320 --> 0:27:49.040 take back your passion, reignite your dreams, and embrace the 0:27:49.080 --> 0:27:53.040 life you were created to live. This book shares uplifting 0:27:53.080 --> 0:27:57.560 scripture and personal stories that will help you release bitterness, silence, 0:27:57.680 --> 0:28:01.399 self defeating thoughts, and embrace by faith the vision of 0:28:01.440 --> 0:28:05.080 the life God designed for you. Life's challenges might have 0:28:05.160 --> 0:28:09.480 distorted the true you, but now you can reclaim, revitalize, 0:28:09.520 --> 0:28:12.640 and restore the version of yourself that you once knew, 0:28:13.000 --> 0:28:15.359 or the version that you know God has made you 0:28:15.440 --> 0:28:19.680 to be filled with hopes and dreams, optimism, and confidence. 0:28:20.000 --> 0:28:23.320 Request your copy today and discover the best version of 0:28:23.359 --> 0:28:24.040 you yet. 0:28:24.720 --> 0:28:28.120 God is about to breathe new life, new passion, new 0:28:28.200 --> 0:28:31.960 dreams into your heart. What he started, He's going to finish. 0:28:32.160 --> 0:28:34.760 Thanks so much for being with us today, Victorian and 0:28:34.800 --> 0:28:37.280 I are praying for you and your family for God's 0:28:37.440 --> 0:28:41.040 very best. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. 0:28:41.360 --> 0:28:45.000 Your generosity helps people all over the world. The special 0:28:45.080 --> 0:28:47.920 thank you to our champion of Whope partners for all 0:28:47.960 --> 0:28:50.560 you do to make the ministry possible. If you're not 0:28:50.600 --> 0:28:53.760 a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Until we 0:28:53.800 --> 0:28:56.680 meet again, May the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:28:57.720 --> 0:29:01.160 Be sure to request your copy of Rediscus the Forgotten You, 0:29:01.640 --> 0:29:05.520 available this month by simply visiting us at Joelostein dot 0:29:05.560 --> 0:29:09.000 com or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel. 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:12.960 You can also receive the God's Got You Rediscovery duo. 0:29:13.440 --> 0:29:17.640 You'll receive Rediscovering the Forgotten You and God's Got You 0:29:18.000 --> 0:29:22.280 Promises for overcoming fear. It's the perfect combination to help 0:29:22.320 --> 0:29:26.360 you rekindle your purpose while standing firm in God's promises. 0:29:26.640 --> 0:29:29.920 In addition to these two inspiration books, you can also 0:29:30.040 --> 0:29:34.160 receive the beautifully crafted CSB Thin Line Study Bible in 0:29:34.280 --> 0:29:38.200 camel Swedes, soft leather Touch, an elegant Bible that offers 0:29:38.200 --> 0:29:42.640 a rich, immersive study experience and brings God's Word beautifully 0:29:42.640 --> 0:29:46.840 into your everyday life. This collection is more than encouragement. 0:29:47.160 --> 0:29:51.080 It is a foundation for lasting renewal, rooted in God's Word, 0:29:51.400 --> 0:29:55.520 strengthened by faith, and anchored in his promises. You can 0:29:55.560 --> 0:30:00.920 request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight eight seven Joel. 0:30:01.160 --> 0:30:05.520 We're logging on to Joelostein dot com today m 0:30:08.760 --> 0:30:08.800 M.