Conversation with Joel & Victoria: Peaceful on Purpose Part 2

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This is 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:29.280 not an offer to buy your self securities sn or 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:30.760 is it investment legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:33.720 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:36.520 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:39.000 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:40.600 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:43.600 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:44.160 your line. 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:47.520 Another question again, You know you talk about your dad 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:51.640 a lot and your messages. Is there any key attribute 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:54.520 that you feel you've taken from his life? You know 0:01:54.720 --> 0:01:56.880 from that you go wow that you know that could 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.480 apply to everybody. You know something you've learned that could 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:00.560 apply to any A. 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:03.760 Couple of things, nick One. My dad had a great 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:06.920 love for people. I think that's what taught gave me 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:10.160 that compassion to help people, to lift people. You don't 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:11.600 have to be a minister to do that. But he 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:14.400 just he took time for people. He saw the best 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:17.640 in people. Never heard him criticize, but I don't you know, 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:20.840 We've just found somebody down and out and he just 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.040 he go over and gravitate towards him. He didn't have to, 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:25.960 but he's always believing in lifting people and encouraging them. 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.600 And I think that's what Lakewood was birthed out of, 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:30.640 and that got put in me as well, that just 0:02:31.240 --> 0:02:34.440 we're here to encourage somebody to make somebody else's day 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:36.840 to be a blessing. And it's easy to get busy, 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:38.480 and hey man, I got enough my own problems. I 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:40.520 don't want to deal with yours. And you know what 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:43.639 he taught us to take time for people, To keep 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:45.960 your heart of compassion over and open it to be 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:48.720 good to somebody. I think the other thing that that 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.000 would maybe relevant to you it was to me is 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.239 my dad was a man of integrity. I saw him 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:59.520 stay on the high road a lot opportunities to do 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:01.880 things it wouldn't even have been bad, but he always 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.119 took that high road. And I was impressed with his integrity. 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.440 And you know, for God to trust you with more, 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:11.399 you just have to, you know, make good decisions when 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.440 nobody's watching, and do the right thing, and you know 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:17.240 it's worth it to go the extra mile. And hey, 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:20.239 maybe nobody will know about this, and it's an easy shortcut, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.720 but I think, you know, people may not see it, 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:24.880 but God sees it. So when you live with integrity, 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:28.000 it allows God to entrust you with more. But those 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:31.200 were a couple characteristics of my father, and just working 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.560 with them all those years, it was interesting. Yeah, I 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:36.600 would say faithfulness too. I mean, I think, yeah, I 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:38.320 think that is And I talked about it the other day. 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:39.960 I don't know if y'all watched it on Mother's Day, 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:42.520 but we did a recap because Lakewood's sixty two years 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:45.440 old on Mother's Day, and so we went back to 0:03:45.480 --> 0:03:49.480 the old church. But I think about See, my dad 0:03:49.560 --> 0:03:53.440 was a Baptist minister for many years before I was born, 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:57.040 and he left the church in nineteen fifty nine. That 0:03:57.120 --> 0:03:59.440 it was pastoring to start another church because there was 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:02.120 some there that you know, he thought he had bigger 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:04.600 things in him. So he went after being a very 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:08.280 successful pastor, and he started Lakewood and just had ninety people. 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:10.680 And you probably heard me tell the story. But for 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:14.640 twelve years Lakewood had less than two hundred people, so 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:17.240 it didn't really grow. And my dad had pastored these 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:20.000 large Baptist churches and he was doing really great. Now 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:22.400 it looks like he went from here way down to here. 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.279 But I wasn't born in fifty nine. But growing up, 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:29.000 you know, I remember my earliest memories are being in 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.280 church with one hundred people. But I just remember how, 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:35.920 looking back, how my father was faithful preaching of those 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:39.039 hundred people like he was preaching to thousands and thousands. 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.440 And I just saw him, you know, a week after week. 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:44.240 He didn't take off, He never missed his Sunday. He 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:46.800 was just faithful. And so here's my point. There was 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:49.680 no growth during that time. But in nineteen seventy three, 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:53.159 thirteen years later, the church started to grow and it 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:55.480 went from you know, a couple hundred to a thousand 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.120 to four thousand, you know, too many, many more. But 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:02.080 I believe that faithfulness. That was a time of testing, 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:04.520 a time of proving, and I think we all face 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:06.839 that there are times you're doing the right thing and 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:09.599 nothing's happening. Joel, I've been believed and I've been doing 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:11.520 the right thing. It's been six months, it's been a year. 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:13.520 I've been praying. I don't know how long it's been. 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:15.400 But you know what, that's a time of testing. It's 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:17.560 a time of proving. I don't know if i'd be 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:19.600 here today. I don't think I would if my dad 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:22.360 would have just lacked off and thought, Okay, I tried, 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.680 and God I was up here, I went down. What happened? 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:27.880 He just kept being faithful, kept doing the right thing 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:30.520 when the wrong thing was happening. You don't know how 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:34.599 that's getting you prepared. Every day you passed the test, 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:38.000 you're getting ready to go higher. You're giving God permission 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:40.840 to do something awesome in your life. So you know, 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:43.960 I call it the proving seasons and the testing seasons. 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:47.080 And not to equivalent myself to my dad, but the 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.560 seventeen years I was behind the scenes, I did my 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:52.440 best to make my dad look good, never even dreaming 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:54.839 i'd be up here one day. I'm just saying, be 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:56.560 your best where you are. I said it earlier, but 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.840 you keep being your best where you are because I 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:00.880 think sometimes we think, well, I'm not getting any credit, 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:03.839 you know, somebody stealing my ideas at work, or I'm 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:05.880 doing the right thing in this marriage and nobody says 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.400 thank you. But you know you're not working under people, 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:10.960 You're working under God. You keep doing the right thing 0:06:11.000 --> 0:06:13.919 because your time is coming. There will be doors that 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:17.119 God's open. God will open that you never dream would open. 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.080 He's a faithful God. Is you continue to be faithful, 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:22.480 I believe they'll show out in your life. So good. 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:28.040 Anything that you would anything to speak on personally, like. 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.520 How do you stay fresh? How do you you know? 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:32.840 You guys have a lot that you're doing a lot 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:36.560 of you know things, opportunities come your way, you know, 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:39.560 questions from you know a man who says, you know, 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:41.599 I run a business and I have a lot of 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:44.880 pa you know, plates and I'm spinning. How do you refresh? 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:47.000 How do you recharge? How do you pace yourself? What 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:47.960 does that look like for you? 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:48.320 Guys? 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:49.920 I don't know if you want to even dive into 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:54.200 your weekly schedule or not. But just any any thoughts there, Yeah, 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:54.719 you don't. 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:56.120 Way to go, I'll go. I'm doing all the talking. 0:06:56.200 --> 0:07:00.880 But it's my book, y'all. You know different, well, you 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:03.159 know everybody's different. But one thing that I like to 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:06.760 do is well, first off my schedule, I speak maybe 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:09.560 four weekends and then I have a week where I'm 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.720 not speaking because preparing to speak takes me a lot 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:17.360 of energy. So I paced myself. Nick, I try to 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.320 pace myself. I would love to speak fifty two weeks 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:22.400 a year, but I can't do that and stay healthy 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:25.040 and stay fresh. So you have to know what fits 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:28.000 for you, what works for you. I have friends that pastor. 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:29.880 If we're talking about pastors, some of them take off 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:32.320 a couple months in the summer just to get refreshed. 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:34.320 I like to split mine up and go, you know, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:37.600 four weeks. And I'm not saying I'm off every four weeks, 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:39.320 but I'm not speaking and that allows me to do 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:43.200 other things and to freshen up. I think on a daily, 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:45.800 more of a regular basis. I like to What helps 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.680 me to stay fresh is to get some exercise, to 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:51.119 get outside. I went for a long bike ride today 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:53.200 because it was a busy busy day yesterday as my 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:55.960 book launch. We started early and work late. So I 0:07:55.960 --> 0:07:58.920 think just taking time for yourself because you're not you 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:02.280 know where three part being. We're spiritual, emotional, and we're physical, 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:04.920 and I think you have to keep them all in balance. 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:06.640 I mean, I go pray all day and work all 0:08:06.840 --> 0:08:09.600 and speak every Sunday and be great. But if I'm 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:12.040 not physically good, I'm not going to be as I'm 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:13.840 physically healthy, I'm not going to be as good as 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:17.000 I should be or emotionally. So I just encourage you 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.880 to take time whatever works for you. You know. To me, 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:24.080 it's getting outdoors, doing some exercising, going to play tennis, 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:26.440 go and riding my bike. Jonathan and I'll go work out, 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.840 but I like them. Rather than sit at home at 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:32.480 night sometimes I'd rather go for a walk or something 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:35.560 just to be outside. So that helps me because I 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.200 think I alluded to it. But it's easy to work 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:41.040 all the time. It's easy because we're all busy. You 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:43.720 have children, you got work, you got projects, you have dreams. 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.640 But it's not healthy. I don't think you'll be the 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:49.480 best that you can be. And so that's what helped me, Nick, 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:52.440 because you know what I got, this opportunity God has 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:53.800 give in me. God, I want to be my best 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.360 for you. It's easy to you know, be busy twenty 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:58.000 four hours a day, but I realize I want to 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:00.559 be my best if I'll take time to stay healthy, great, 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.959 to stay refreshed, and to take care of your temple. 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:06.640 And I think one thing that I've observed with your 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.199 life and leadership is it takes just as much faith 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:12.640 to say no as it does to say yes. And 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.560 I think what I've observed from your life is the 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:18.280 ability to say no to things that you don't feel 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:20.800 comfortable with or at peace about that come your way. 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:24.360 And I know many people they get opportunities, whether it's business, 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:28.240 birthday invitations, come to this, come to that. But you 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:31.560 have the consistent ability to say no so that you 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:34.920 can be your best and you can sustain and go 0:09:35.000 --> 0:09:37.240 to long haul with your calling and with your purpose. 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.280 And I find that, I mean, it's amazing. Yeah, it's 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:42.480 important to be able to say no and to know 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:46.360 what you're good at and what your limitations are, because 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.640 we all have them. And even when my dad passed 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:53.840 and we started getting some notoriety and people started watching 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:55.600 and well, I have all these friends that I grew 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:58.600 up with that are pastors and asked me to come 0:09:58.640 --> 0:10:01.160 speak for him. And this was on and I thought, 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:03.320 you know what, I can barely speak on Sunday for 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.800 for Lakewood. And these were good friends and they all understood. 0:10:06.800 --> 0:10:09.040 But I you know, I didn't go speak anywhere for 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.640 you know, I haven't really spoken hardly many places except 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:15.680 the Nights of Hope, except at Lakewood. And I don't 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:17.840 mean not doing it selfishly. I've done it for a 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:22.000 few friends. But it's just that you know, knowing where 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:23.720 to put your energy where you're going to be the 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:27.600 most effective. And I'm my personality type is to want 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.600 to please everybody. I'm nice. You know you want me 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:31.959 to do something, I want to go do it just 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:33.400 because I don't want to tell you now you want 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.360 to go help you move. But I realized I had 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:37.480 to come to a point where I say, you know 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:39.720 what I got. I got to protect what God's given me. 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:42.080 You have to protect what God's given you. And I 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.439 think that's that's a bigger way to look at it, 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:48.080 to say, Okay, God, you say, I say, God, You've 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:50.800 given me this gift, He's given you a gift, whatever 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:53.120 it is, and God, I'm going to protect it. I'm 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:54.720 going to be the best that I can be, because 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:56.160 you know, when we come to the end of life, 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:58.520 you're not going to answer to people. People put their 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:00.400 demands on you, and somebody wants you to do this 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:02.240 and make you feel better if you don't do this, 0:11:02.840 --> 0:11:04.200 but you know you're not going to answer to people. 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:06.320 You're gonna answer to God. And I've learned you can 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:08.720 be respectful, but you can you know, you have to 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:11.080 be able to say no and run your race. And 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:12.600 I think, Nick, if I can just touch on that, 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.960 because I think it's important too. It's one of the 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:17.320 core things that I believe brought me to where I 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.520 am is when my father died. He had pastored Lakewood 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.839 for forty years, and so all of a sudden he 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:26.480 died suddenly at seventy seven years old. I knew I 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:28.280 was supposed to step up to pastor the church, and 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:30.400 I did. I didn't know if I could minister and 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:33.160 didn't know if I could. You know, you've heard that story, 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:36.600 but one important part is when everybody came, I knew 0:11:36.600 --> 0:11:39.120 they were coming because my father, because he had been 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:41.080 there for forty years. So I thought, Joel, they didn't 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:43.559 come to hear you, So you better be like your father. 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:46.560 You better preach like your father and lead like your father, 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.040 and you know, do everything like your dad. And I 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:51.920 loved my dad and I respected him, but we were 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:55.160 different personalities. My dad was a you know, more fiery, 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:57.960 and he was raised Baptist and just came out of 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:01.480 a different generation. He was forty one years older than me. Well, 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.439 you guys know me. I'm more quiet and reserved. I 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:06.400 don't have this big, booming voice, and I'm not going 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:08.920 to get up there. But that's what I felt like 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:11.400 I had to be. In the first month or two, 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:12.880 I thought, Okay, I'm going to try to be like 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.800 my dad. And I realized that, you know what, that's 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:19.400 not who I am. And about six months in I 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.160 read a scripture and Acts that says David fulfilled his 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:25.600 purpose for his generation. And it felt like God said 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.360 to me, Joe, your dad fulfilled his purpose. Now go 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.320 fulfill your purpose. In other words, quit trying to be him, 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:34.559 quit trying to run his race. You can honor your dad. 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:36.720 It's the same message, but it comes out of me 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:38.920 a little bit different. I mean, I realize I'm not 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.559 as traditional as a pastor as some pastors are. My 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.479 dad he might teach the Book of Romans or Colossians 0:12:45.480 --> 0:12:48.679 where I'm talking about subjects in life, but that was Now. 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:51.600 I believe that's my gifting is lifting people, encouraging them, 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:53.920 inspiring them, talking to met how to forgive, how to 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:56.839 have peace and purpose and things like that. Well, when 0:12:56.880 --> 0:13:00.000 I stepped into my own shoes, that's when everything begins 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.520 to grow. And that was some barriers I had to 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:04.440 break in my own mind of not trying to be 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:06.600 like my dad. And I've got people over here telling 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:08.240 me to do this, and you've got to do it 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:09.960 this way. We've been here for years and years. This 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:11.520 is the way the church is supposed to And I 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.600 was I always did it respectfully, but I thought, God, 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:16.960 I'm gonna run my race. I'm going to answer to 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:18.800 you and I'm gonna I'm gonna do what I feel 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:22.360 like is in my own heart. And again I wasn't 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.880 disrespectful to anybody. I was firm though, as nice as 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.120 I am with it. You know what, I didn't say it, 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:29.480 but that's what you want me to do. But no, 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:31.000 I want to be who God called me to be 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:33.000 I'm going to run my race. And when I did that, 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:35.920 you know, doors begin to open and it goes back 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.800 to man, I'm going along, y'all. Sorry, I'm going back 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.320 to It goes back to your anointed to be you. 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:44.760 You're not anointed to be anybody else. You'll never become 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:47.440 who you were created to be, you know, trying to 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:49.640 be what somebody else wants you to be, or trying 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:52.880 to copy somebody else. You've got to flourish in your gifts, 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:54.920 and your gifts don't have to be as big as 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:56.880 somebody else. I mean, I know preachers that are much 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:00.640 greater preachers than they're fantastic. I said, rob break them. 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:02.720 But that doesn't make me feel infurio. I just do 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:04.080 what God has called me. I'm going to be the 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.000 best me that I can be. Nobody can beat you 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:10.400 at being you. So be you. You know you're anointed 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:10.720 to be you. 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:14.600 It's awesome Again, thank you for joining this book. Similian 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:19.320 Virtual event. We're talking about Joel's new book, Peaceful on Purpose. 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:24.560 A lot of personal questions again coming in about just 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.960 how you prepare? You know, is there a certain you know? 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:30.000 How do you prepare your sermon's messages. 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:31.560 How do you come up with the ideas? How do 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:33.160 you come up with the topics? 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:35.120 Is there anything you want to speak to as it 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.120 relates to that, Well, yeah, I. 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:39.440 Don't want to bore you, but I just I just 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.280 you don't feel what I got of? What is today? 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.320 Today's Tuesday. I don't know what I'm going to share 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:47.320 this weekend yet. But on Thursday, I'll go to my 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:51.080 office and I'll read over my notes and I take 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:53.760 time every morning to pray and read my Bible and 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:57.040 just but on Thursdays, I try to really get quiet 0:14:57.080 --> 0:14:59.840 and say, okay, what am I feeling? And uh, some 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.920 then always jump out. And so that's what I do, 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:05.960 and I listen to you know, I listen to CDs, 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:09.200 I read, I you know, different just different things. I 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:11.880 try to take Thursday to just let it be a 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:15.160 day of really peace and putting into me. I may 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.360 go for an hour or two walk and just listen 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:19.800 to CDs or just take that time to pray or 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:22.240 just you know. So anyway, then I do that, then 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.360 something comes out. They don't get up on Friday and 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:26.160 I write out what I'm going to say, and so 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:29.960 I just that's the way I've been doing for twenty 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:32.440 two years, and it's amazing. It used to be so hard, 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:34.720 but now it's now it's better. I've learned a little more, 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.280 but I try to always grow. I don't want to 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.280 be here, you know, I want to be I believe 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:41.520 I'm better today than I was three years ago because 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:43.480 you learn. And I think that's that's the key is 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:45.920 let's you know, let's keep growing. We're not supposed to 0:15:45.920 --> 0:15:49.440 reach one level and stop there, and so that's that's 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:50.040 what I do. 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:54.720 Anyway, there's a chapter in here called all is Well. 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.920 It's the first chapter of the book. Just any any 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:02.280 thoughts on this idea of living all as well, knowing 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:03.160 it's all as well. 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:06.600 Yeah. It comes from the story in the Book of 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.960 First or Second Kings where this lady had a son 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:12.760 and for some reason, I feel like he's around ten 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:16.120 years old, but he had a seizure accident or something, 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.440 and he was, you know, he stopped breathing. So this 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:22.360 lady was a friend of Elijah, the prophet you can 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:24.120 read about there in the scripture. But she got on 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:26.760 her animal and she took off to see Elijah, who 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:30.680 was in another city and She was friends with Elijah, 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:33.360 so several times people stopped her along the way and said, 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:35.040 is anything wrong? You know, why are you coming in 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.040 such a hurry. Each time she answered, all is well. 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:41.000 The truth is all wasn't well. She had this, you know, 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:42.920 her son. She didn't know if her son was alive, 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:46.360 but the principle of that all is well, and let 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:48.280 me finish the story. Elijah came and prayed for him. 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.920 The little boy came back to life, so all became well. 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:54.240 But she spoke all is well before it was well. 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.000 And I think sometimes you hear this joy. How can 0:16:57.040 --> 0:16:59.560 I be at peace? I got this medical report, got 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.800 this situation in my relationship or in my finances. It 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.439 doesn't look good. But I believe you have to speak 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:08.919 to yourself. You have to speak to your spirit and 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:12.719 say all as well, maybe before it is well what 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:14.919 the scripture says. You know, you call things that are 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:17.280 not as if they were. And I believe it does 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:20.119 something to your spirit, to your mind, to your emotions 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:22.800 when you just tell yourself all as well, And it's 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:25.520 not denying the facts. What you're doing is saying God, 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.200 I know you're on the throne. This couldn't have happened. 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:31.879 You know, you're ordering my steps, and so as you 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:35.040 declare that you're putting your trust in God, you're showing him. 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:38.359 And Nick is so much better because the opposite is 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:41.720 I'm gonna go around better discourage loves of barmber. I 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:44.480 can't believe this happened. Worried panic. Now you've got to 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:46.200 come back to the place of peace. And part of 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.720 that is just speaking to yourself to you may have 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.359 to say it by faith, all as well, how you 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:53.919 doing well the medical vote? Know all as well. God's 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.600 on the throne. He's restoring health back into me. I 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.439 think it's just an attitude. I like to keep it 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:01.840 down in my all the time. You know, a lot 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.960 comes against us. All you guys have challenges. We have challenges, 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:09.399 people's circumstances, pandemic, what's gonna happen? All the what is now? 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:12.680 Here's a good phrase, all is well. God's on the throne. 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.160 Hadn't failed me in the past, He's not gonna fail 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:17.399 me in the future. Keep that down in your spirit. 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:20.720 It even says in Isaiah say to the righteous, all 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.640 will be well with you. You're the righteous. I can say 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:25.760 that by faith all will be well with you. The 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:30.600 medical situation is gonna resolve. The difficult with your child, 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:33.879 the finances, it's gonna resolve. All is going to be well. 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.680 So stay in that place of peace. Watch what God 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:38.560 is gonna do is gonna bring you through it. You're 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.640 gonna see it resolve. I don't know when, I don't 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:46.359 know how, but God does. He's in control. It's awesome. Victoria. 0:18:46.440 --> 0:18:50.920 There's some questions in here about if you could go back, 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:54.159 and this is obviously a question for both of you. 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:56.640 If you could go back and tell yourself something when 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.800 you were twenty life advice, wisdom, after all the things 0:18:59.880 --> 0:19:01.920 you have gone through, what would you say? 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:08.240 I mean all as well say from. 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:15.160 Yeah, and that's like, don't you wish we could? But yeah, 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:18.040 I think I think kind of what we're talking about. 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:20.560 We need to stay in peace. We have to understand 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:23.960 that God is working in our life. Everything that we've 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:29.960 talked about. Just I have a tendency to project way 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.760 out in the future, and I have a tendency to 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:37.119 try to solve problems that haven't happened yet or you know, 0:19:37.160 --> 0:19:39.280 I just don't want any roadblocks once I get there, 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:41.640 you know, And so I've really had to learn how 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:44.600 to reel all that in and sometimes I'll be so 0:19:44.680 --> 0:19:47.080 far out in the future I forget to enjoy today. 0:19:47.240 --> 0:19:49.760 It's great, and so I've learned that a lot. I 0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:52.159 would love to say, you know what, let's focus on 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:56.040 today because today is really all you have. And yes, 0:19:56.080 --> 0:19:58.359 there are things that you may try to avoid in 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:02.000 the future. Plan I have more of a strategic kind 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:04.600 of mind. I'm like Joey says, You're just like you 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:07.320 go too deep into everything. You're just like you can't 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:10.320 even watch a show without going deep into it. But 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:13.640 that's just who I am. Yeah, and so I've had 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:16.240 to learn to work with who I am. But I 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:19.040 think I would just say, you know, enjoy more of 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:22.879 the moments and really you squeeze out of them all 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:26.080 that are there for that day and because tomorrow's gonna 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:29.040 The Bible says it has enough problems of its own, 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:31.479 you know, and you can't fix all those. You can 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:32.520 only depend on God. 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:35.800 Yeah, I think Nick, I would tell myself to trust more, 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:40.160 because you know, it's just it's easy to worry, and 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:43.159 more probably more so when we got the camp, when 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:45.240 we started the ministry side of it, because you know, 0:20:45.400 --> 0:20:47.600 starting to learn how to minister and never dream we 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:49.480 would be doing this, and all of a sudden nineteen 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:52.680 ninety nine are our lives changed. And so you know 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:55.480 the first few years as any is anybody gonna come, 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:58.360 are you going to know how to preach? Or then 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:00.000 all of a sudden we got that note riding. There's 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.480 more people that are against us. Oh, maybe the critics 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:04.400 are going to win, a lot of stuff to worry about. 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:06.440 We've got the when we're trying to get the compactsenter, 0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:08.480 we don't have enough votes. How's it going to happen? 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:11.800 But I look back of it now times that you 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:13.639 know I did my best, But there's just times you 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:16.080 just you know, you just feel stressed and you can't sleep, 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:18.160 you wake up in a cold sweat. What's gonna happen? 0:21:18.200 --> 0:21:21.320 And all that? But I realize now God brought me 0:21:21.359 --> 0:21:24.320 through them all. He was in control. He's directing an 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:27.800 ordering our steps. So now I just I live from 0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:30.480 a much more of a place of peace and of trust. 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.560 And that is you know, God hadn't felt failed in 0:21:33.560 --> 0:21:35.359 the past. He's not going to fail you in the future. 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:37.359 And I think we can save ourselves a lot of 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:40.679 worry and sleepless nights if we just trust and it 0:21:40.720 --> 0:21:42.960 helps me too. And I mentioned it earlier, but God 0:21:43.040 --> 0:21:45.119 doesn't always take us in a straight path. It's not 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:47.840 always a B, C, D E. Sometimes you go a 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:50.400 B or A to F and then you come back 0:21:50.440 --> 0:21:52.440 to B and you think, God, I'm going the wrong way. 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:56.400 But God orders our steps, and you know, sometimes there's 0:21:56.480 --> 0:21:59.399 curves along the road, so you look and sometimes you think, well, 0:21:59.440 --> 0:22:01.919 I had this break, I was doing so good, or 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:04.240 I went through this loss or something. But you know what, 0:22:04.560 --> 0:22:06.959 it's all a part of God's plan. He knows how 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:08.639 to get you to where you're supposed to be. So 0:22:09.040 --> 0:22:11.760 those things you don't understand, there's the time to trust. 0:22:12.160 --> 0:22:14.399 You know, Hey, I don't see why this didn't work out. 0:22:14.560 --> 0:22:16.920 Many things that I've prayed about and it didn't work 0:22:16.960 --> 0:22:19.439 out and that I wanted really badly. But you know, 0:22:19.480 --> 0:22:21.520 you wait a few years and you think, oh, God 0:22:21.600 --> 0:22:24.359 had a compact center. That's why those things changed. And 0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:26.919 so there's just these things in life that it's easy 0:22:26.960 --> 0:22:29.480 to fight and live worried. And I'm not saying it's 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:33.080 always easy because you're facing when you face medical issues 0:22:33.160 --> 0:22:35.760 or you know, finances or job, whatever. It is not 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:38.399 always easy, but I'm just telling you it's better to 0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:41.359 stay in a place of peace and trust. Something JJ 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:44.080 Moses said. He was on the program with this weekend 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:47.000 a friend of ours that went through a situation at 0:22:47.040 --> 0:22:49.520 work where he was fired unjustly and he's a great 0:22:49.560 --> 0:22:53.119 guy but God restored him. But during that time that 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:56.600 he was not working and in the middle of the pandemic, 0:22:56.640 --> 0:22:58.679 didn't know why it's going to, you know, take care 0:22:58.720 --> 0:23:00.240 of his family in Awe and he had a very 0:23:00.280 --> 0:23:04.360 prestigious position. But he's one thing he said was how 0:23:04.359 --> 0:23:06.359 he chose to stay in peace and stay in faith 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:08.879 and make declarations. But he made the statement of something 0:23:09.000 --> 0:23:11.560 like this that he said, if I hadn't have done that, 0:23:11.960 --> 0:23:14.399 I don't believe this new door would have opened. And 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:16.160 I think that's a better way to look at it. Well, 0:23:16.200 --> 0:23:17.800 I'm not just saying to stay in peace or to 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:20.600 make it feel better, although that's important, but I believe 0:23:20.680 --> 0:23:23.760 when we're worried and stressed, it's stopping the creator of 0:23:23.800 --> 0:23:26.560 the universe from working. So it's not just hey, it's 0:23:26.600 --> 0:23:29.399 just it's not just a little thing. May maybe if 0:23:29.400 --> 0:23:31.800 you come back to peace and stay in peace and trust. 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:34.040 And it may not be that easy, but when you 0:23:34.119 --> 0:23:37.160 do that, you're allowing God to open your new doors, 0:23:37.200 --> 0:23:40.080 to vindicate you, to heal you, to turn things around. 0:23:40.160 --> 0:23:43.640 So make that decision that you're going to stay in peace. 0:23:43.680 --> 0:23:46.080 You do it on purpose. May not always feel like it, 0:23:46.119 --> 0:23:49.080 because those thoughts are gonna come. Victoria was talking about 0:23:49.680 --> 0:23:52.600 sometimes she projects way out. Her personality is to go 0:23:52.680 --> 0:23:55.960 way out into the future, you know, and it's because 0:23:55.960 --> 0:23:58.639 she thinks deeper and she's very she got discernment. She 0:23:58.720 --> 0:24:01.679 thinks she's very wise, but she can her strength can 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:04.520 become her weakness like all of us, because sometimes you 0:24:04.520 --> 0:24:06.040 can you can look way out there and say, okay, 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:08.480 wait a minute, what if this happens or what if 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:10.919 that happens and what if Well that's good in a 0:24:11.000 --> 0:24:12.840 sense because you know, you want to plan, and like 0:24:12.920 --> 0:24:14.760 I said, she's very wise, but it also can be 0:24:15.520 --> 0:24:17.720 what if nobody comes back to church after the pandemic 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:19.800 and what if the medical report doesn't turn around? You 0:24:19.840 --> 0:24:23.119 don't have grace for tomorrow. Yes, plan be smart, but 0:24:23.200 --> 0:24:25.399 you have grace for today. You have to turn that 0:24:25.480 --> 0:24:27.640 around and just say, you know, just God, I'm gonna 0:24:27.640 --> 0:24:29.960 live in this moment. When you get to that moment, 0:24:30.119 --> 0:24:31.880 you're gonna have the grace that you need for that 0:24:32.119 --> 0:24:35.400 for that day. But I think another important thing too, Victoria. 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:37.880 Now we're talking about if your mind does go out there, 0:24:37.920 --> 0:24:39.840 why don't we always go to the negative mine? Does 0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:42.520 you know, hey, Nick, what if nobody comes back after 0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:45.240 the pandemic got this big auditorium. What if but let's 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:47.480 go to the positive? What if it comes back bigger 0:24:47.480 --> 0:24:49.480 than that or ever? What if I get here? What 0:24:49.560 --> 0:24:51.320 if I do get the promotion, what if I do 0:24:51.400 --> 0:24:54.360 meet the right person sooner than later? I'd rather project 0:24:54.359 --> 0:24:57.080 out in the positive. I think the point that's making 0:24:57.080 --> 0:24:58.880 those stay stay in the now. We don't have grace 0:24:58.880 --> 0:25:00.840 for tomorrow. If you're gonna be in you have to 0:25:00.840 --> 0:25:02.600 see I've got grace for this day. I don't have 0:25:02.600 --> 0:25:04.520 to figure out four weeks from now. I don't have 0:25:04.560 --> 0:25:06.760 to figure out a month from now. I can live 0:25:06.800 --> 0:25:09.000 in the peace and the grace God has for me today. 0:25:09.119 --> 0:25:10.879 You know, in two I was thinking when you were 0:25:10.920 --> 0:25:14.320 talking how sometimes we run into these negative circumstances and 0:25:14.359 --> 0:25:16.760 we're like we're just pushing against them. It's like, why 0:25:16.800 --> 0:25:20.200 is this happening to me. But we've learned that things 0:25:20.240 --> 0:25:24.040 have happened to us that God uses down the road. 0:25:24.520 --> 0:25:27.520 If that wouldn't have happened, we wouldn't have known how 0:25:27.560 --> 0:25:30.679 to do that, And so I think that's a huge 0:25:31.840 --> 0:25:33.959 way to stay in peace. It's like God, I'm going 0:25:34.040 --> 0:25:36.360 to learn from this lesson. I'm going to take everything 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:39.880 that I can from this and because God will always 0:25:40.080 --> 0:25:40.720 use those things. 0:25:40.840 --> 0:25:42.280 I can think through my whole. 0:25:42.040 --> 0:25:45.439 Life how things that were hard God used them to 0:25:45.480 --> 0:25:48.879 help me later know how to navigate. Now we found 0:25:48.880 --> 0:25:52.040 that with even just fighting for the Compact Center and 0:25:52.080 --> 0:25:52.760 things like that. 0:25:52.880 --> 0:25:55.080 So yeah, I think some of those things we're trying 0:25:55.119 --> 0:25:57.679 to pray away, God's using them to get us stronger 0:25:57.960 --> 0:26:00.520 to get prepared for the new things that He has storm. 0:26:00.880 --> 0:26:02.560 I know this is a virtual book signing. I have 0:26:02.640 --> 0:26:05.399 not signed one book, but yesterday or the day before 0:26:05.440 --> 0:26:07.919 I signed a thousand or so. So if you're going 0:26:07.960 --> 0:26:10.240 to get a signed book just for being with us today, thought, 0:26:11.040 --> 0:26:13.040 I appreciate you guys being a part of the ministry 0:26:13.080 --> 0:26:14.200 and taking this time with you. 0:26:14.280 --> 0:26:16.080 I wonder how many people are out there that have 0:26:16.560 --> 0:26:20.560 been to one of our book signings. But isn't it 0:26:20.640 --> 0:26:23.919 interesting how you know, even during the pandemic, how we 0:26:23.960 --> 0:26:27.160 all learned how to use zoom and how we've learned 0:26:27.200 --> 0:26:30.639 how to talk virtually we've adapted to that. Not that 0:26:30.680 --> 0:26:33.320 we want to do that forever, but thank Goodness that 0:26:33.400 --> 0:26:35.760 we can. And it's like at first we're like what 0:26:36.320 --> 0:26:38.040 but now, I mean even to be able to be 0:26:38.080 --> 0:26:40.200 with all of you today and just be able to talk, 0:26:40.280 --> 0:26:42.360 and you know, we can't see your face, but it's 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:44.760 better than not seeing you know, being able to connect 0:26:44.800 --> 0:26:45.160 at all. 0:26:45.240 --> 0:26:47.119 So I want to think it's been great to because 0:26:47.160 --> 0:26:49.000 people get to see you in a different light. You know, 0:26:49.359 --> 0:26:51.480 some oftentimes at the book signing is maybe they don't 0:26:51.480 --> 0:26:54.200 get the opportunity to spend a whole hour with you 0:26:54.320 --> 0:26:58.040 talking about marriage and relationships in life and again how 0:26:58.080 --> 0:27:00.440 God can work things out for good and we can adapt. 0:27:00.520 --> 0:27:05.000 And this is a necessary and needed book for this time. 0:27:05.160 --> 0:27:07.840 And you know, I think with all the things that 0:27:07.880 --> 0:27:12.040 are happening, telling people to be peaceful on purpose is 0:27:12.119 --> 0:27:15.280 so necessary. Any any thoughts that you have as we 0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:17.359 wrap up the call, or want to pray for people 0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:19.320 as we just you know. 0:27:19.720 --> 0:27:21.720 Yeah, I just want to remind you what you hear 0:27:21.760 --> 0:27:23.600 me say a lot. God has you in the palm 0:27:23.640 --> 0:27:26.960 of his hand. I believe that He has something great 0:27:27.000 --> 0:27:30.040 in store. You wouldn't be watching if you didn't honor God, 0:27:30.119 --> 0:27:32.440 if you didn't love him. It says he's a rewarder 0:27:32.480 --> 0:27:34.920 of those that seek after him. So I just hope 0:27:34.920 --> 0:27:37.760 you'll get your expectations up because I think sometimes we 0:27:37.760 --> 0:27:40.520 can put things on hold because of the pandemic or 0:27:40.600 --> 0:27:42.760 because of they've got this challenge. But you know what, 0:27:43.200 --> 0:27:45.760 many times God wants the odds to be against us 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:48.159 on purpose so he can show out. So when he 0:27:48.200 --> 0:27:50.679 turns it around that it's even a greater miracle. So 0:27:51.040 --> 0:27:53.119 I think you got to stir your faith up. We 0:27:53.480 --> 0:27:56.600 have that phrase, you know, hope again, dream again, live again. 0:27:56.640 --> 0:27:59.719 It's time to believe again. You get your faith up 0:27:59.760 --> 0:28:01.959 and get ready for the new things God wants to do. 0:28:02.680 --> 0:28:05.520 I know that you're a person of destiny. You know 0:28:05.560 --> 0:28:08.240 you didn't get here by yourself. It wasn't just your parents. 0:28:08.400 --> 0:28:11.439 God chose you before the foundation of time to be 0:28:11.600 --> 0:28:14.840 here on May eighteen, twenty twenty one. You could have 0:28:14.920 --> 0:28:17.760 lived two hundred years ago, or you could live, you know, 0:28:17.800 --> 0:28:20.399 four hundred years from now. But God puts you here 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:24.560 today because you're well able. He chose you, he could 0:28:24.600 --> 0:28:27.000 count on you. He didn't choose the apostle Paul for 0:28:27.080 --> 0:28:31.240 this day, or Sarah or Ruth or Moses or David. 0:28:31.280 --> 0:28:33.000 That was all great, But when God looked down to 0:28:33.040 --> 0:28:35.680 twenty twenty one, he looked in your eyes, he said, 0:28:35.720 --> 0:28:38.560 that's who I can count on. So know that you're equipped, 0:28:38.760 --> 0:28:41.560 You're empowered, You're armed with strength for every battle. Keep 0:28:41.600 --> 0:28:44.560 your shoulders back. You're a child of the most High God. 0:28:44.600 --> 0:28:47.040 And I just want to pray for you today. Lord. 0:28:47.120 --> 0:28:49.840 Thank you for all of our friends that are watching 0:28:49.880 --> 0:28:52.240 today listening. Lord, I thank you that you do have 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:54.200 them in the palm of your hand. And Lord, those 0:28:54.200 --> 0:28:57.600 that are you know, just in difficult situations, I thank you. 0:28:57.640 --> 0:29:00.680 Even today things are beginning to change. Lord. Let them 0:29:00.720 --> 0:29:03.760 feel your peace as they've never felt before. I think 0:29:03.800 --> 0:29:06.720 it that you are turning those situations around with their 0:29:06.840 --> 0:29:10.120 children and their health and their finances. Lord, I think 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:14.840 it that you're freeing them from addictions, anxiety and depression 0:29:14.960 --> 0:29:17.720 and the fear of the future. Lord, I just think 0:29:17.760 --> 0:29:20.600 it even to just a new thing is happening. Strongholds 0:29:20.600 --> 0:29:23.880 are being broken, that you're restoring with the enemies trying 0:29:23.920 --> 0:29:26.560 to steal or let their gifts and talents come out 0:29:26.600 --> 0:29:28.880 in a new way, or take them where they can't 0:29:28.920 --> 0:29:31.480 go on their own. Lord, you've done it for us. 0:29:31.520 --> 0:29:33.600 I think you that you'll do it for them even 0:29:33.640 --> 0:29:36.200 in a greater way. Lord, we thank you. I just 0:29:36.240 --> 0:29:56.040 declare in Jesus' name that you're strong, healthy, blessed, prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, talented, creative, disciplined, focused, prepared, qualified, motivated, valuable, free, determined, equipped, empowered, anointed, 0:29:56.280 --> 0:30:00.600 accepted and deproved. Not average, not mediocre. I'm looking at 0:30:00.680 --> 0:30:04.760 children of the most Time God, in Jesus' name, Thanks 0:30:04.800 --> 0:30:07.640 so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll 0:30:07.680 --> 0:30:11.120 subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep 0:30:11.120 --> 0:30:13.440 you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:30:13.600 --> 0:30:15.800 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:30:15.840 --> 0:30:19.320 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:30:19.400 --> 0:30:22.000 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:30:22.120 --> 0:30:22.600 us today. 0:30:22.880 --> 0:30:25.320 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:30:25.400 --> 0:30:28.200 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:30:28.280 --> 0:30:31.400 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:30:31.400 --> 0:30:32.480 see you next time. 0:30:34.200 --> 0:30:37.000 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:30:37.000 --> 0:30:41.360 for everyone. For example, Olivia's after learning she has quite 0:30:41.360 --> 0:30:43.800 a lot in common with a ninth century Viking is 0:30:43.840 --> 0:30:48.120 different to Luna's who after the old man narrowly escaped 0:30:48.160 --> 0:30:51.680 being bitten by zombies, which is also different to Jerome's 0:30:51.880 --> 0:30:55.520 ha his eureka moment on finding the perfect new quote 0:30:55.520 --> 0:31:02.400 for his dating profile. 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