Don't Get Sidetracked

0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:03.480 Hi, this is Jolan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:07.080 to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:11.039 believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:14.960 and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. 0:00:15.320 --> 0:00:18.000 God bless you. It's great to be with you today, 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:20.720 and I hope you stay connected with us during the 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.880 week our daily podcast or YouTube channel, social media and 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:27.400 you can come visit us in person. We love to 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:29.600 have you be a part of one of our services. 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:32.040 TI let to salt. It was something funny and I 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:35.800 heard about these brothers, ages four and six. They were 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:38.720 spending the night at their grandmother's house and she told 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:40.760 them before they went to bed to make sure they 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:44.120 said their prayers. They went to their bedroom, got down 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:47.479 on their knees, and the youngest brother started praying at 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.080 the top of his lungs. God, I pray for a 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:52.800 new bicycle. I pray for a PlayStation. I pray for 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:56.000 a puppy. His brother stopped and said, why are you screaming? 0:00:56.320 --> 0:00:59.120 God is not deaf, he said, I know that, but 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:03.520 grandmother is say it like you mean it. This is 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:06.520 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:09.080 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:11.959 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:16.240 the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.639 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:24.440 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:28.679 to you today about not getting sidetracked. God has a 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.600 best path for all of our lives, a path that 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:35.959 leads to our divine purpose. It's filled with opportunity, favor, 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:40.280 and protection. But along the way there will be forces 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:44.839 trying to get us off course, to compromise, hanging around 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:49.480 the wrong people, living offended. These are all distractions to 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:54.200 keep us from our destiny. The enemy cannot stop your purpose, 0:01:54.760 --> 0:01:59.280 but if he can get you sidetracked, entangled fighting battles 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:03.120 that don't matter, busy doing good things but not the best, 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:07.240 then he can keep you from your purpose. Proverbs four says, 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:11.120 look straight ahead, stick to the path, and stay safe. 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:15.639 Do not get sidetracked. God knew there'd be all these 0:02:15.680 --> 0:02:19.160 opportunities to get off course. If you're going to reach 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:23.519 your highest potential, you have to recognize what's a distraction 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.720 and what's important. What you should spend your time on 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:32.080 what's valuable, what's making you better, causing you to grow, 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:35.919 and what's dragging you down and causing you to compromise. 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:40.200 Paulse it in Ephesians, to make the most of your time, 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:45.959 not living vague, but with purpose in every step. Time 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.560 is one of the most valuable things that you have. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.400 Once we live this day, you can never get it back. 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:55.840 And just like you spend your money, you are spending 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:59.920 your time, but your time is more valuable than money. 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:03.560 You can make more money, but you can't make more time. 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:08.880 Are you investing your time living with purpose, on course, 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:15.040 pursuing your dreams or are you wasting your time living vague, distracted, 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:19.320 playing on social media, taking the easy way out. This 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:23.040 day is a gift from God. We have a responsibility 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:27.520 to live focused, wisely, making the most of it, and 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:30.919 on a regular basis, you need to evaluate how you're 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:35.880 spending your time. Are you on that best path, honoring God, 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:38.640 doing what He put in your heart? Or have you 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:43.000 gotten sidetracked holding a grudge, mad at that family member, 0:03:43.640 --> 0:03:47.320 jealous of that co worker, trying to outperform them, hanging 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:50.640 around friends that bring out the worst in you, And 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:53.520 the fact is we've all gotten off course at times, 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:58.520 made mistakes, been distracted. The good news is you can 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:02.360 get back on course. It's not too late. You haven't 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:05.560 gotten too far off. You can still become who you 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.440 were created to be. Now you have to do your 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:13.640 part and make a course correction. Recognize what's a distraction, 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.440 an entanglement, what's got you busy spinning wheels but not 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:23.600 going anywhere. Make the necessary adjustments. You have a destiny 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:27.760 to fulfill. There's a calling on your life, an assignment 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:31.479 for you to accomplish. How you spend your time will 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:35.240 determine whether you fulfill that best plan and see God 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.159 do more than you can imagine, or whether you get 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.800 stuck and have to settle for a life of mediocrity. 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:46.400 In the scripture of Sampson's birth was predicted by the prophets. 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.840 His mother was bearing, an angel appeared and said she 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:53.560 would bear a son and he would lead the Israelites, 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:57.359 and that his hair was never to be cut. The 0:04:57.440 --> 0:04:59.880 long hair was a sign that he was dedicated to 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:04.160 She gave birth to Samson, and I can imagine as 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:07.040 a little boy she told him, Samson, there's a calling 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.839 on your life. The angel appeared to me, you're gonna 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:13.440 do something great. He'd heard this since he was a child. 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:16.279 One time, when he was a young man, he was 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:19.919 walking down a road and this lion attacked him. The 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:23.719 scripture says the spirit of the Lord powerfully took control 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:27.200 of him. He ripped the lion apart with his bare hands. 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:31.360 That was the first time he recognized there was something 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:35.040 different about him. This strength rose up out of nowhere. 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:38.680 He knew he had this incredible calling, that God had 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.279 raised him up to save his people. But whenever you 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:47.120 have a great assignment, the enemy will always come with distractions, 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:52.880 with temptations, opportunities to compromise. He'll bring people to try 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.680 to bait you into conflict. That's not a part of 0:05:55.720 --> 0:06:01.320 your destiny. His goal is to get your sidetracked off course. Well, 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.279 you're not focusing on what you're called to do. You're 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:08.680 entangled in things that don't matter. You may wonder why 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:12.600 people come against you and you struggle with that same temptation. 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:16.919 You don't feel like being disciplined. Is because there's a 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:20.520 great calling on your life. The enemy would leave you 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.240 alone if he didn't know you were a threat. He's 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:26.960 not fighting you for where you are. He's fighting you 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:30.560 for where you're going. He knows there's greatness in you. 0:06:31.480 --> 0:06:34.680 Sometimes he can see our potential better than we can. 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:39.320 He knows you're a giant killer, a history maker, You're 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.600 destined to take your family to new levels. So what's 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:49.240 his strategy? Get you distracted? Jealous, compromising, busy, doing things 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:52.120 that are not a part of your destiny. And you 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:56.600 would think Sampson's since he had this supernatural strength he'd 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:00.320 heard about the angel prophesied his birth, go out of 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:03.760 his way to make good decisions and be responsible with 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:06.920 what God had given him. But he let his guard down, 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.960 started hanging around the wrong people. He married a girl 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:14.440 from the city of Timma. She was a Philistine. Were 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.440 the Philistines were the ones oppressing the Israelites. He was 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:22.840 supposed to deliver them from the Philistines. Instead he's sleeping 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:27.960 with the Philistines. He had this incredible gift, all this power. 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:31.440 What does he do? He starts telling riddles to the enemy. 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.760 He made a bet. If you can figure out my riddle, 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:37.640 I'll give you sixty white robes. If not, you give 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:42.360 me sixty robes. Playing games not focused on the destiny, 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.960 he was called to. This led to all kinds of conflict. 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.880 He killed a thousand Philistines. He tore the gates of 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.280 the city and carried them off. They couldn't figure out 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:56.120 how to stop him. He fell in love with another 0:07:56.200 --> 0:08:00.600 Philistine woman named Delilah. She kept asking him about where 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:03.720 his power came from, and he'd make up things and 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:06.960 tease her, but would never tell her. The secret was 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:11.440 his long hair, and she nagged him, nagged him and 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:14.960 nagged him. Men can only take so much nagging. He 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.600 finally gave in. The Philistines cut his hair while he 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.800 was sleeping. They came to capture him. He stood up, 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:26.240 ready to fight like he always did, but this time 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:31.520 there was no supernatural strength, no power to overcome. He 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:35.760 had lost what God had given him. I can imagine 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:39.200 many times along the way he heard a still small 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:43.600 voice saying, come on, Sampson, get back on course. Quit 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:47.240 playing around with your destiny. Be responsible for what I've 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:52.080 entrusted you with. God will always give us opportunities to 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:56.320 have a course correction. He doesn't hold our faults against us. 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:59.840 He doesn't say, man, you're don You've made too many mistakes. 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.600 But there will come a time where that window of 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.520 grace will close, where if you're not going to be 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:11.160 responsible with the gifts, the favor, the opportunity, God will 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:14.000 force things to change. Doesn't mean you're not going to 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:16.840 have another chance, but he's not going to let you 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:21.560 stay off course and be comfortable. Just ask Jonah sitting 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:25.160 in the bility of a well. Sampson could always count 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:29.120 on this supernatural strength taking I can tell riddles, I 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.760 can compromise, I can hang out with the enemy, No 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:35.160 big deal. I've got a secret weapon. But Paul said 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.600 in Galatians, I do not frustrate the grace of God. 0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:41.959 God will never run out of grace, never run out 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:45.079 of mercy. But if you take it for granted, it 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:49.080 may not be there. In the same way in Samson's story, 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:52.200 it's not in the scripture to depress us. It actually 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.960 has a good ending. It's there to challenge us to 0:09:56.080 --> 0:10:00.959 make course corrections. Pay attention to that's still small, that 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:04.440 thing that's bothering your conscience. You know that friend's not 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:07.120 good for you, Or you need to spend more time 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:10.760 with your children less on the computer, or you need 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:13.560 to ignore that coworker that gets on your nerves and 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:17.080 not let it upset you every day. That's the enemy 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:20.440 trying to get you sidetracked. You don't have time for that. 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:24.760 The Angel may not have prophesied your birth like Sampson, 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:28.600 but before you were formed in your mother's womb, the 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.800 Most High God knew you and planned out your days. 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:37.160 He's given you gifts, talents, opportunities. Are you making the 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:41.080 most of each day, spending your time wisely? Or have 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:46.000 you gotten sidetracked like Sampson, playing with the enemy, compromising, 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:50.880 not serious about your gifts. This is time for course correction, 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:55.840 to get focused, to be on purpose, to make decisions 0:10:55.840 --> 0:11:00.040 that honor God. Life is going by so fast. It 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:03.520 seems like just yesterday I graduated from high school. Look 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.160 up now I'm thirty nine years old. We don't have 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:10.400 time to be distracted. We have a purpose to fulfill. 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:14.160 It's interesting. In the parable, Jesus told about the talents. 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:18.080 One man had one, another had two, and the third 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:21.240 had five. They all went out and doubled what they had, 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:24.960 except the man with one. He was afraid and hid 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:28.520 his talent. The owner said, take from him the one, 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:31.760 and give it to the one who has five. The 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.760 scripture says the man who has used well what was 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:39.880 given him. The point is if you don't use well 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:43.840 what's been given to you, eventually it would be taken away. 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:48.079 That's what happened to Sampson. He didn't fulfill the best plan, 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:52.240 having his eyes gouged out, grinding at the meal, the 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:56.160 enemy making fun of him. That was not God's best. Now, 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:57.840 I don't want us to come to the end of 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:00.960 life and be like Sampson and I made it, but 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:06.600 we're beat up, broke, addicted, lonely. That's not your destiny. 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.559 Sampson would have had a different story if he had 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:14.000 not gotten sidetracked. This should stir us up to stay focused, 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:17.200 to stay on course, to deal with things that we 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:21.360 know are not right. There's no shame in getting off course. 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:25.679 We're human, we make mistakes, but there is shame in 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:29.800 staying of course. No matter what you've done, how much 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:33.440 time you've wasted, you can still get back on course. 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:36.960 You are in a window of grace today. You have 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:40.600 not missed your chance. You would not be hearing this 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:44.360 if God wasn't giving you the mercy, the grace and 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:48.079 the power to make changes. Let's don't be a Sampson. 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:52.440 Have all this talent, favor annoying, and then get sidetracked, 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:57.000 waste our time rather than invest it. If you will 0:12:57.120 --> 0:12:59.880 use well what God has given you, you know what'll happen. 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:03.840 God will give you more when he can trust you 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:07.280 to be a good steward of your gifts, your time, 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:11.560 you stay focused, you get rid of distractions, He'll take 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:15.360 you further than you've ever dreamed. But sometimes it's not 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.920 the major things, not like we got way off course 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:21.120 like Samson, It's just little things that are taking our 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:26.400 time and energy. Jealous of a coworker, competing with them, 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:30.120 trying to prove your worth and prove your talent. If 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:33.560 you live with that proving mentality, it's like you're on 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:37.200 a treadmill that's never going to stop because there always 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:42.160 will be someone more talented, more attractive, more successful. That's 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:46.560 a distraction. You're not running their race. The only person 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:50.600 you should compete with is yourself. Have a goal to 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.680 be better next year than you are right now, to 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:58.760 be healthier, smarter, kinder, more generous, to be closer to God. 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:03.720 You'll never reach your potential if you're competing with others, 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:07.640 basing your worth and value on how you measure up 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:11.640 to them. Successful people are so focused on what they're 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:14.720 doing they don't have time to look around at others. 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.520 One translation of Proverbs Force says, don't look to the 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:21.120 left or to the right, stay focused on the goal. 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:26.400 Quit competing, quit comparing, and run your race. I talked 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.560 to a gentleman after service, and he told how a 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:33.400 relationship he was in didn't last. He'd given it his best, 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:36.480 but the woman had other ideas and walked away and 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:41.320 broke his heart. So angry and bitter, I realize that's 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:44.840 very painful, and things happen in life. We don't understand. 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:48.600 There's a time where we have to heal and give 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:52.320 ourselves grace to get strong again. But you can't let 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.800 a season of mourning turn into a lifetime of morning. 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:00.040 If you don't let it go, it will poison your life. 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:02.920 And he was so raw and so upset. I thought 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:06.280 it happened a month ago. I asked when it took place. 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:10.360 He said, this happened in nineteen ninety seven. I didn't 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:13.040 say anything, but I calculated in my mind two thousand 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:16.800 and seven, twenty seventeen, twenty two, that was twenty seven 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:21.360 years ago. And yes, we all have hurts. Disappointments, bad breaks, 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.240 but at some point you have to move on with 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:28.280 your life. The enemy would love to use that hurt 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:32.040 to get your sidetracked to where you live bitter, a 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:36.800 chip on your shoulder, never expecting anything good. The problem 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:39.800 with not letting it go is it's going to poison 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.760 the next relationship. God said he would give you beauty 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:47.240 for those ashes, but I've learned you have to let 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:51.080 go of the ashes before you'll see the beauty. You're 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:53.760 not making the most of each day. If you're holding 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:58.840 onto unforgiveness trying to pay people back they hurt you once, 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.120 don't let them continue to hurt you by holding on 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:05.440 to it. See, it takes a lot of emotional energy 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:08.720 to think about what they did and how that wasn't right. 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:12.760 You need that energy to love the people God has 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:16.040 given you now, to play with your children, to pursue 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:20.600 your dreams. Maybe the course correction for you is to 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:23.920 forgive the person that did you wrong. Forgive your parents 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:26.760 for what they didn't give you. Forgive the business partner 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:30.280 that cheated you. Life's too short to carry around the 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:34.119 bitterness to hurt. Sure, we're all gonna have these offenses 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:38.000 and people saying things aren't true. Somebody walks away. You 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.320 can't stop that from coming. But you don't have to 0:16:41.440 --> 0:16:45.000 let it stop you. You don't have to get sidetracked. 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:48.120 You can stay on the best path and trust God 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.360 to make it up to you. Years ago, I was 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:54.760 driving with a friend of mine to his house after 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:57.440 we came from the gym. We just played some basketball, 0:16:57.520 --> 0:17:00.440 and he invited some of us over and jumped in 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.280 the car to ride with him. He had a real 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:07.199 nice sports car. He kept it super clean, and on 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.399 the way to his house, I noticed he took the 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:12.320 long way three or four miles out of the way, 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:17.040 winding through this neighborhood, and I ask him why. He said, 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:20.680 my ex girlfriend lives on this street. Now I always 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.840 drive by to make sure she sees what she missed 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:27.520 out on it. They had been broken up for years, 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:30.560 but he was still driving by every chance he got, 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:34.160 trying to prove he was worthy and prove he is successful, 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:37.800 prove he could make it without her. He couldn't see it, 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:42.760 but he was distracted, spending time and energy on something 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:46.520 that didn't matter. Don't let that be you. Are you 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:49.639 using well what God has given you, or have you 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:53.120 gotten sidetracked, trying to prove to people who you are 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.600 jealous of that friend, offended by that coworker. Your time 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:01.560 is too valuable for that. Anything about my friend is 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:05.159 He found out later that his ex girlfriend had moved 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:09.200 to another state. He had been driving by that house 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:13.639 two years and she wasn't even there. God has a 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:17.000 sense of humor. My prayer is, God show us any 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:21.040 areas where we need to have a course correction, where 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:25.560 we don't realize that we're distracted. For Samuel twenty five, 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:28.639 David and his six hundred men were living out in 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:33.040 the countryside. This is when Saul was chasing David. There 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:37.240 was a wealthy man named Nabel that lived right next door, 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:41.000 and he had thousands of sheep and cattle, and David 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:44.639 in his army had been protecting Nabel by just being 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:48.920 in that area. When bandits came they saw David's forces, 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:52.119 they would naturally back down. Well, it was time for 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:56.440 shearing the sheep the harvest season, so David sent messengers 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.760 to Nabel asking for food since they had watched over 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:04.320 him property. But Nabel was very rude and harsh. His 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:08.200 name means fool, and he lived up to it. He said, 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:11.240 who is this man, David, I don't even know him. 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:13.520 You tell him I'm not gonna give him a penny, 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:17.760 he insulted David. When the men came back with that report, 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:21.479 David was furious. He told his men to pack up 0:19:21.520 --> 0:19:24.600 their belongings. They were going to go take care of Nabel. 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:29.000 But here's the key. You're not supposed to fight every battle. 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:33.520 Many of the things that come against us are simply distractions. 0:19:34.080 --> 0:19:37.399 If that battle is not between you and your destiny, 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:41.240 you need to ignore him. That's the enemy trying to 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:46.399 get you sidetracked involved in conflict that doesn't matter. You 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:50.560 have to ask yourself, are there any spoils if you win, 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:53.800 is it gonna move you towards your purpose or is 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:56.639 it just gonna feed your ego make it feel better. 0:19:57.520 --> 0:20:00.760 You don't have time to respond to every credit, to 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:04.720 try to straighten out every coworker. Make that friend stop 0:20:04.800 --> 0:20:08.760 saying things that aren't true. One of the enemy's favorite 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:12.880 tools is debate you into conflict, get you stirred up. 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:17.760 Don't fall into that trap. Your time is valuable, your energy, 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:21.680 your emotions. You have to be selective what you give 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:25.320 that too. If you make the mistake of fighting every battle, 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.520 You're not going to have the time or the emotional 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:32.720 energy to reach you a purpose. The scripture says, God 0:20:32.800 --> 0:20:36.200 will silence the lying lips. If you'll ignore it, God 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:40.720 will take care of your enemies. David headed toward Nabel's house, 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.840 so upset, full speed ahead, about to make a mistake 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:48.399 that would affect his destiny. Here's how good God is. 0:20:48.880 --> 0:20:52.600 Nabel's wife met David on the road with all kinds 0:20:52.600 --> 0:20:56.520 of food and provision. She bowed down before him. In 0:20:56.640 --> 0:20:59.639 verse twenty four, she said, David, you are called to 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.640 be the king of Israel. Why would you even fight 0:21:02.720 --> 0:21:06.800 with this fool. Don't let this needless battle be a 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:11.040 blemish on your record. Notice she called it a needless battle. 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:15.000 She knew it was a distraction. David came to his senses. 0:21:15.600 --> 0:21:18.520 He said, Abigail, the Lord God of Israel, has sent 0:21:18.600 --> 0:21:21.280 you to me today, for if you had not kept 0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:24.840 me from carrying out vengeance, not one of your family 0:21:24.840 --> 0:21:28.919 members would be alive. We're all going to encounter Nabels 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:32.240 in life, people that are rude, hard to get along with, 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:36.000 stir up trouble. I'll ask you what, Abigail asked David, 0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:39.199 why are you fighting with a fool? Why are you 0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:43.280 in conflict with someone that's not between you and your destiny. 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:48.040 They're a distraction trying to get your off course, wasting 0:21:48.119 --> 0:21:51.720 valuable time and energy that you need for your dreams. 0:21:52.680 --> 0:21:56.440 Had Abigail not intervened and kept David out of that conflict, 0:21:56.880 --> 0:22:00.960 we might not be talking about David. I'll always send 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:03.879 you an Abigail to warn you when you're about to 0:22:03.880 --> 0:22:09.080 get sidetracked. Maybe today I'm that Abigail. God sent me 0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:13.600 to remind you not to get baited into conflict. You 0:22:13.640 --> 0:22:17.600 could be upset, offended trying to pay them back. All 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:19.960 that's going to do is get you off course and 0:22:20.080 --> 0:22:22.520 keep you from the great things God has in store. 0:22:23.440 --> 0:22:28.760 What they say can't stop your purpose. They may be loud, jealous, noisy, 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:33.399 they're just anabel. You keep running your race, focused on 0:22:33.440 --> 0:22:36.040 what God's called you to do, and God will take 0:22:36.080 --> 0:22:39.919 care of the Nabels in your life. Elijah in the 0:22:39.960 --> 0:22:44.919 scripture had an assistant named Elisha. He left his family 0:22:45.000 --> 0:22:48.320 business as a young man to take care of Elijah. 0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:52.000 He served them faithfully through the years. When Elijah was 0:22:52.040 --> 0:22:56.400 about to pass, he asked Elisha what he wanted. Elisha said, 0:22:56.440 --> 0:22:59.760 a double portion of his spirit. That's what he received. 0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:05.920 There are twice as many miracles recorded for Elisha than Elijah. Well, 0:23:05.960 --> 0:23:10.720 Elisha had an assistant named Gehzi. He served Elisha year 0:23:10.760 --> 0:23:14.560 after year. Everything was going great. He was next in 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:18.760 line to do amazing things, being mentored by this great prophet. 0:23:19.720 --> 0:23:23.359 One day a captain of the Syrian army came to Elisha. 0:23:24.000 --> 0:23:27.080 He had leprosins. Elisha told him to go washing the 0:23:27.160 --> 0:23:31.119 Jordan river seven times. He would be healed. When he did, 0:23:31.480 --> 0:23:35.200 his skin was perfectly normal. He came back to Elisha 0:23:35.560 --> 0:23:39.080 so grateful him so happy. He tried to pay him 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:42.840 do something to show his gratitude, but Elisha wouldn't take it. 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:46.040 He knew it was God that healed him and not him. 0:23:46.560 --> 0:23:49.720 The captain pleaded with him, He said, please let me 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:53.520 leave you some gold or silver, something to help you. Again, 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:58.400 Elisha refused. Well, gehes I was there overhearing all this, 0:23:59.160 --> 0:24:03.479 the in his entourage headed back home. Gahes I snuck 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:06.639 out of the camp without Elisha knowing. He caught up 0:24:06.640 --> 0:24:09.359 with them. They were so surprised, said what's wrong? He 0:24:09.400 --> 0:24:13.080 said nothing, but we had some unexpected guests show up. 0:24:13.800 --> 0:24:17.080 Elisha changed his mind. It would like some of those 0:24:17.119 --> 0:24:19.960 gifts that you offered. He got the money and came 0:24:20.000 --> 0:24:23.720 back to the house taking Nobody knew anything, but God 0:24:23.800 --> 0:24:28.160 sees everything. He's the one that controls the universe. Promotion 0:24:28.359 --> 0:24:32.840 doesn't come from people, it comes from God. Elisha called 0:24:32.920 --> 0:24:35.600 him in, said, Geheze, where you've been? He said, nowhere. 0:24:35.920 --> 0:24:40.040 I've just been here hanging out. The scripture says immediately 0:24:40.640 --> 0:24:45.919 gahees I's skin was filled with leprosy. What's interesting is 0:24:46.000 --> 0:24:49.840 you never read anything more about Geheze In the scripture. 0:24:50.440 --> 0:24:54.520 We hear all about Elijah, how great he was Elisha, 0:24:54.640 --> 0:24:58.639 or the miracles he performed. Gahes I was next in line. 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:02.880 He should have had four times the anointing of Elijah. 0:25:02.960 --> 0:25:07.520 But distractions can keep you from your purpose. Being sidetracked 0:25:07.880 --> 0:25:11.639 can stop your destiny. Gayes I thought, man, if I 0:25:11.640 --> 0:25:15.640 can just get a few of these gifts underhand, nobody knowing, 0:25:15.680 --> 0:25:19.320 that'll put me way ahead. He didn't realize God would 0:25:19.320 --> 0:25:22.399 have blessed him in much greater ways by being a 0:25:22.440 --> 0:25:26.840 person of honor. Staying on that high road. My father 0:25:26.920 --> 0:25:30.280 had a message about gahes I called the man you 0:25:30.359 --> 0:25:34.199 could have been. Don't miss the greatness God put in 0:25:34.240 --> 0:25:38.560 you because you got sidetracked. Listen to the still small voice, 0:25:39.200 --> 0:25:42.359 pay attention when your conscience is bothered, and learn to 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:46.080 deal with those things God brings to light. We're not 0:25:46.119 --> 0:25:51.040 gonna be here forever. Let's make the most of each day. Well, Joel, 0:25:51.080 --> 0:25:54.600 I think it's too late for me. I'm like gahze I, 0:25:54.600 --> 0:25:57.159 I think I missed my chance. Let me show you 0:25:57.200 --> 0:26:01.080 the beauty of our God. Sampson made mistakes year after year, 0:26:01.920 --> 0:26:04.480 wasn't a good steward with what God gave him, ended 0:26:04.560 --> 0:26:08.959 up blind in captivity. But the scripture says the spirit 0:26:09.040 --> 0:26:13.680 of God came on Samson one more time. Samson defeated 0:26:13.720 --> 0:26:17.800 more Philistines in his death than he did his whole life. 0:26:17.920 --> 0:26:21.840 That's what happens when you get back on course. God 0:26:21.880 --> 0:26:26.199 doesn't hold your mistakes against you, So any area you 0:26:26.280 --> 0:26:30.080 need to make a course correction, hold it onto unforgiveness. 0:26:30.560 --> 0:26:34.240 Trying to prove your worth like Samson playing around with 0:26:34.359 --> 0:26:37.560 your gift. Don't go another week like that. If you 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:39.920 put it off a week, it'll turn into a year, 0:26:40.359 --> 0:26:43.239 a year into twenty years. You can get back on 0:26:43.359 --> 0:26:48.719 course today God's mercy, his grace is available. You just 0:26:48.760 --> 0:26:51.560 have to tap into it. If you'll do this, I 0:26:51.720 --> 0:26:55.040 believe and declare God's going to help you get back 0:26:55.359 --> 0:26:59.200 on the best path for your life. The favor, the ability, 0:26:59.280 --> 0:27:03.000 the blessing. You will fulfill your purpose and become all 0:27:03.160 --> 0:27:07.000 you were created to be in Jesus' name. And if 0:27:07.000 --> 0:27:11.359 you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to 0:27:11.359 --> 0:27:14.240 give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of 0:27:14.280 --> 0:27:18.240 your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:27:18.880 --> 0:27:22.840 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:27:23.000 --> 0:27:26.359 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:26.440 --> 0:27:29.960 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:30.000 --> 0:27:32.320 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:27:32.320 --> 0:27:34.480 with the Lord. You can text the number on the 0:27:34.480 --> 0:27:37.640 screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll 0:27:37.640 --> 0:27:40.960 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:27:41.280 --> 0:27:45.000 first place. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:27:45.040 --> 0:27:47.480 says I am, I have what it says I have. 0:27:48.080 --> 0:27:50.199 I can do this As the first Bible that my 0:27:50.280 --> 0:27:53.720 parents gave me I was six years old. They taught 0:27:53.720 --> 0:27:56.520 me the importance of believing what God says about you. 0:27:56.600 --> 0:27:59.760 And letting that determine your self image to help. Through this, 0:28:00.640 --> 0:28:04.400 you can learn to handle challenges and pursue your dreams. 0:28:05.040 --> 0:28:08.000 Some people tell me that the Bible's not practical for them. 0:28:08.160 --> 0:28:11.280 How they don't understand it. We've created a new resource 0:28:11.359 --> 0:28:14.399 called how to Read Your Bible and Enjoy It. It 0:28:14.480 --> 0:28:17.359 provides twelve distinct lenses that will help you see the 0:28:17.400 --> 0:28:20.520 Bible with fresh eyes, so you can discover the hidden 0:28:20.560 --> 0:28:24.640 treasures that increase your faith, practical truths that will help 0:28:24.640 --> 0:28:27.600 you in your everyday life. When you tap into the 0:28:27.680 --> 0:28:30.680 power of God's word, there's no limit to where He'll 0:28:30.680 --> 0:28:31.040 take you. 0:28:31.800 --> 0:28:34.119 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:36.920 of any size to the ministry this month, Joel would 0:28:36.960 --> 0:28:41.080 like to send you this inspiring new resource. Sometimes reading 0:28:41.120 --> 0:28:44.640 the Bible can feel confusing, out of touch, or even 0:28:44.680 --> 0:28:48.840 produce more fear than faith. But now with this new resource, 0:28:49.120 --> 0:28:51.960 How to Read your Bible and Enjoy It, it will 0:28:51.960 --> 0:28:54.880 make the Word of God come alive in new ways. 0:28:55.400 --> 0:28:58.920 You'll discover fresh inspiration on every page of your Bible. 0:28:59.200 --> 0:29:02.400 The twelve life give you the power to see the 0:29:02.440 --> 0:29:05.960 Scripture in a whole new light. When you experience the 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:09.520 right way to approach God's word. It will ignite renewed 0:29:09.600 --> 0:29:10.800 passion in your life. 0:29:11.240 --> 0:29:13.960 When you get God's Word down in you, it brings 0:29:14.040 --> 0:29:17.560 life and victory. This has a great Bible reading plan 0:29:17.800 --> 0:29:21.600 plus introductions to each book. It'll help you enjoy reading 0:29:21.640 --> 0:29:24.240 the Bible. Thanks so much for being a part of 0:29:24.280 --> 0:29:26.920 the ministry. Victoria and I pray for you and your 0:29:26.960 --> 0:29:30.560 family every day and we appreciate your prayers and support. 0:29:31.000 --> 0:29:34.360 Remember you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, 0:29:34.800 --> 0:29:38.440 download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, or we have 0:29:38.480 --> 0:29:41.760 a new Joel Ostein television network twenty four hours a day, 0:29:41.800 --> 0:29:44.960 and of course SYRIXXM as well. Until we see you 0:29:45.000 --> 0:29:47.840 next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:48.400 --> 0:29:50.920 Be sure to request your copy of How to Read 0:29:50.960 --> 0:29:55.080 your Bible and Enjoy It today. Visit Joelostein dot com 0:29:55.240 --> 0:29:59.000 or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel call 0:29:59.120 --> 0:30:06.080 or click anytime. I'm twenty four hours a day.