Focus Your Faith

0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:03.360 So why don't you just take twenty three seconds since 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:06.320 this year twenty twenty three and praise God for the 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:10.240 opportunity to be in this cressus today. You can do 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:14.760 it online. Hey. By the way, we're probably coming to 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:20.840 a city near you this spring. Elevation Nights twenty twenty three, 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:34.520 April eighteenth through April twenty seventh Austin, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:45.600 Kansas City, Missouri, Denver, Colorado, Saint Louis, Missouri, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:53.280 and Toronto, Toronto, Toronto, Toronto Elevation Nights dot com. Get 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.360 your tickets right now, or you're gonna be sad because 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.440 they're gonna sell. You'll be standing out there in the 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:02.920 parking lot talking about a breakthrough. But God gave you 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:05.120 one and you didn't take it when he gave it. 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:07.600 Gets your ticket, Get your tickets, Get your tickets. Get 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:13.000 your tickets at Elevation Nights dot com dot com dot com. 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:17.120 Oh God, are y'all gonna put up with me like 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:22.200 this all day? Oh? Man? I think it's the bandana? 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:27.240 Did it tell me I need a bandana? Good to 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:32.280 have you, Joel, Hey, I'm excited about the Elevation Rhythm album. 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:38.760 When are we putting that out? Oh? That thing is 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:44.600 it's called this is the Gospel, and I think you 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:50.840 are going to find it to be very very good. 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:55.720 So that'll be coming soon from Elevation Rhythm. God is 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.600 doing a new thing, new songs, new season, new strength, 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:02.560 new series. I start in two weeks ago. Now I 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.880 kind of head faked you. I said I'm starting a series. 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:07.720 Then I was gone. But now I'm back and I'm 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:15.160 ready to bring it Joshua. Chapter one, Chapter one, new chapter. 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:19.760 Somebody say that out loud, new chapter. We're preaching from 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:23.239 this thought, there's so much more to the story and 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:29.840 believing that for every family, every business, every person who 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:33.120 maybe is recovering from a heartbreak or you're hoping for 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:35.600 freedom from an addiction in your life. And we took 0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:38.760 that specific line from a song we've been singing around 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.760 here called More than Apel, and it says, there's so 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:47.640 much more to the story. You're not done with me yet? 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:50.840 How many are glad that God didn't throw you away? 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:56.799 Oh so the people that aren't clapping didn't make mistakes, y'all. 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:00.359 They are in pristine condition. But some of us did 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:03.639 so much stuff. God could have junked us and just 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:07.640 written us off, but he didn't. And there's a reason 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:10.920 for that. If you're breathing, there's a reason for that. 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.680 If you're here, there's a reason for that. There's a 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:17.839 reason for it. I believe there's a reason God sent 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:20.880 you to this message today. You got on this YouTube 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.399 channel and you were looking for a cooking video. Well, 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:28.760 I've been cooking all right, the bread of life. The 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:30.960 Lord wants you to receive this word. Now, let's go 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:37.640 to Joshua Chapter one, verses seven through eleven, and I'll 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:42.840 pick up one other verse as well. It's one of 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:44.800 those scriptures got to breathe before you read it, because 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:48.480 it's good. God is coaching up Joshua to do with it. 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.080 He has to do that Moses couldn't do, but Joshua's 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:56.480 called to do it. Break limitations and break barriers and 0:03:57.120 --> 0:03:59.960 lead the people into something great to glorify his name. 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:04.640 So let me get ready for this verse seven. Be 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:12.320 strong in my imagination, when I said that, y'all are 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:17.160 like shouting and stuff. So we're gonna talk about your 0:04:17.200 --> 0:04:24.360 attitude when we appreciate this message. Be strong and very courageous, 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:30.240 be careful to obey all the law. You're like, well, 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:33.760 that's mine, the careful part. I'm the careful one. You 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:39.559 don't normally see those two together, courageous and careful. Usually 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.920 it's like, don't climb up there on that thing, You're 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:44.719 gonna break your neck. That's the first thing our parents 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:46.240 start telling us is all this stuff we're gonna break 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:49.680 our neck doing and get killed doing so. I thought 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:54.280 it was fascinating that they're right there together. Be courageous, 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:58.159 not just courageous, but very courageous, and be careful. Isn't 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:01.360 that interesting? I love these little tensions in the text. 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:04.600 That's what helps me to really see the truth in it. 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:10.120 Be very courageous and be careful to obey all the law. 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:13.600 My servant Moses gave you, do not turn from it 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.760 to the right or to the left. That you may 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:23.920 be successful. Well, brother Steve, the Lord doesn't care if 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:28.200 we succeed, does he not? Did he say that you 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:31.839 may be successful? I mean, I want this sermon to 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:34.960 succeed today. I hope you do too. I don't want 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:37.480 to just talk and you get put down three notes 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:40.960 and lose the note sheet before you even get to Tuesday. 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.240 I want this sermon to get in your heart, and 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.359 I want you to succeed. I want this sermon to 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.880 work when you have to go to court next month. 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:50.800 I want this sermon to work when you have to negotiate. 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:52.839 I want this sermon to work when you have to 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:55.080 say no to the thing you've been saying yes to 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:57.640 for the last seventeen years. I want this to work 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:02.560 for you in your life. He wants you to be 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.960 successful wherever you go, and look at this. Keep this 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:10.880 book of the Law always on your lips. Meditate on 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:13.680 it day and night, so that you may be careful 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:19.440 to do everything written in it. Then you will be 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:24.960 prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you be strong 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:30.360 and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:38.360 For the Lord your God will be with you wherever. Oh, 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:42.719 that sounds like a blank check to me. Wherever you go, 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:46.760 who We're going to test the limits of that in 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:50.400 a moment. You'll see verse ten. So, Joshua, last time 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:54.960 I preached, I preached now, Joshua, right, God is bringing 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.960 something into your life now, and God is always bringing 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:03.640 something new into your life. So Joshua ordered the officers 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:06.440 of the people. Go through the camp and tell the people. 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:10.480 Get your possessions ready. Three days from now you will 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:13.960 cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.400 of the land. The Lord your God is giving you 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:19.600 for your own. Drop down to chapter two, verse one, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:27.200 last verse. Then Joshua, son of None secretly sh sent 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:35.040 two spies. Secretly, secretly sent two spies from shie Em. 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:46.920 It's a long eye, very important, shteem, y'all are so 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:54.600 bad kind of church is this? Secretly sent two spies 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:59.160 from Shiam. Go look over the land, he said, especially Jericho. 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:04.040 So they went and entered the house of a prostitute 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:12.800 named Rahab and stayed there. Very interesting. The title of 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.360 this message is focus your faith, and that's what I 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.239 want to teach you about today, how to focus your faith. 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:20.880 And then the little subheading is do the thing that 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:24.480 you would do, Do the thing that you would do. 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:28.600 Tell your neighbor, do the thing that you would do, 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.560 Do the thing that you would do. Father, I thank 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:35.439 you for what you spoke. Help me just to step 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:41.600 aside now and let you deliver your word. But you 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:47.000 can use me. God. I'm available to you in Jesus' name, aymn, 0:08:47.960 --> 0:08:50.200 tell somebody focus on your way down to your seat, 0:08:50.280 --> 0:09:00.360 Focus your faith, Focus your faith. I don't know if 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:02.280 you got to hear my last sermon, but I was saying, 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:06.959 how I've been reading through the Bible real slow. With 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:12.080 my oldest boy. We had this conversation where he asked me, 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:16.800 shouldn't every Christian be required to read through the whole 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:20.880 Bible at least once before they die. He said, it's 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.120 so much better when you take the whole thing in 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:29.160 and kind of you get invested in it. And he said, 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:31.319 I realized that now I just used to pick little 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:34.760 scriptures and this would definitely be one to pick. Right, 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.040 be strong and courageous. The Lord will be with you 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:41.240 wherever you go. It's like, all right, going to the club, 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:45.480 I'm going out here. And isn't it crazy that right 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:48.320 after God said that I'll be with you wherever you go, 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:51.800 they went to a prostitute's house. I guess they were 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.600 checking this out like like really like everywhere we go. 0:09:57.640 --> 0:09:59.880 And of course they weren't in the prostitute's house for 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:04.440 any other reason than the fact that Rahab's resume included 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:10.719 a history of hiding men. This is what I mean 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:12.880 by the Bible is so cool when you read it, 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:15.480 why Rayhab's house? And then on one hand you think 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:19.080 maybe they're sinning, but they're not. They're going to a 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:23.680 place that seems unlikely, in a territory that is full 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:30.319 of enemies, and so they go to Rahab's house the Prostitute. Now, 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:32.800 I don't want to speak much about Rehab the Prostitute 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.599 this week, but maybe should show up next week. This 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:36.680 might be a two week or or something like that. 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:40.280 I really want to get on this motivational thing where 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:43.320 he said, be strong and very courageous, be careful to obey, 0:10:43.960 --> 0:10:46.360 do not turn from the right to the left, that 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:49.080 you may be successful. And then did you notice how 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:53.360 he said in verse nine, do not be afraid, do 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:57.800 not be discouraged. I love that sermon I did a 0:10:57.840 --> 0:10:59.880 few weeks ago where I had Graham come up here 0:10:59.880 --> 0:11:02.840 and put his forearm on my neck, and I was 0:11:02.840 --> 0:11:05.839 saying how at a wrestling match I heard a woman's 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:09.480 screaming stand up, and like, how hard it is to 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:11.480 do these things that we read about in the scripture. 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.800 And I have not had so much feedback on a 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.880 sermon in years as I got just going around people 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:20.960 saying I loved when Graham was on top of you 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.199 for like seven minutes, just grinding you into the ground. 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:25.880 That was awesome. That was your best sermon ever. I'm like, 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:27.720 do you remember the scripture? No? But that was really 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.120 cool how Graham was like, because because I feel like that, 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:31.920 because I feel like that in my life, and I 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:33.800 can't say I ever could really name it, but when 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.920 you acted it out, I was like, yes, exactly. You're like, 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:40.480 don't be afraid. It's like, dude, you talk to people 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:43.559 about God for a living. If you went to work 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:46.040 where I went to work, you would understand my fear. 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.520 So I think we found a point of connection there 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:52.320 that is kind of crazy sometimes in your life. And 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.920 so when when he says, don't be afraid, and then 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:59.160 he says God says, not me. God says to Joshua, 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:03.880 don't be discouraged. I'm really thankful that he said that 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:08.680 to Joshua, who had to lead millions of people into 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:13.560 a brand new land to fight a great, big enemy. 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.200 Because you might be able to tell me I don't 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:18.520 have a right to say it, and you might be right, 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:22.400 but how many of you have this level of stress 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:26.280 in your life? You are leading millions of people into 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.480 a land that you have no real map for, and 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:34.520 you're fighting enemies that are twice your size and experience. 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:41.480 So then this applies to you. Do not be afraid. 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.160 I was talking to a friend the other day who 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:47.760 studies sociology, and he said, the thing that has been 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:49.920 different the last few years in the people that he's 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.120 worked with, whether they're millionaire CEOs are people that he's 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:57.559 working with within the prison system, is that fear comes 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:04.200 first when something changes in your life, and then comes discouragement. 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.520 He's telling me this on the phone. Remember you came 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:10.719 over the other day and I was like, I got 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:12.200 this phone call and y'all were talking. I was like, 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:13.360 I gotta go. I got a phone call. So I 0:13:13.400 --> 0:13:15.520 get on the phone with this guy. We had an appointment. 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:19.600 He said, I've been noticing as we help people that 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:24.480 we need to deal with the discouragement because fear is, 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:26.720 oh no, it's changing. I don't know what to do. 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:32.120 I better adapt. But after you've spent a season trying 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:39.479 to adapt and it doesn't work, fear turns into discouragement. 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:46.479 I said, say that again. He said, fear turns into discouragement. 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:51.040 Fear comes first. And then when you've tried to stabilize 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:54.160 through a turn or a transition, or some change, whether 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:56.480 it's big picture change or little picture change in your life, 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:58.960 or just trying to make a change in your life 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:03.080 from the inside. At first you're afraid. But then after 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:06.160 the fear has run his course and you've done all 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:08.679 that you know to do to make this work and 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:12.640 it didn't, then the fear turns to discouragement. And I 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:17.200 interrupted him. I said, that's Joshua one nine. He said, 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.080 is what now? Because he's a Christian, but I preach 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:23.000 the Bible, and he's more fluent in the human mind. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.120 I said, that's Joshua one nine. That's what I'm gonna 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:29.000 be preaching in a few weeks to my church. They're 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:32.360 in the same verse. Y'all aren't gonna believe this, because 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.600 anytime that the Bible says what we're just now finding 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:40.880 out makes me think God's pretty smart, makes me think 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:45.000 God knows stuff, makes me think I can trust him. 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:48.239 How many know you can trust him? In the transition? 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:56.200 Have I not commanded you verse nine? Be strong and courageous, 0:14:56.240 --> 0:15:01.400 Do not be afraid, Do not be afraid, Do not 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:05.000 be discouraged. When you go into this land, you're gonna 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:08.320 be afraid. But when you get in, because God knows 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:11.840 what's ahead in this story. He knows that after they 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.560 all get circumcised, they're gonna be hobbling over trying to 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:17.400 walk around the walls of Jericho, trying to fight the 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:19.760 Battle of Jericho after that surgery. You didn't know they 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:22.560 did that after surgery. See, there's more to the story. 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:24.800 Come back, I'll teach you. I'll teach you all the 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:26.560 cool stuff in the Bible that they didn't put in 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:29.240 your Sunday school. They always taught you to blow the 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:30.920 trumpet around the wall of Jericho. They didn't tell you 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.560 you've just been circumcised before you start walking. There's so 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:40.080 much more to the story. This is not a boring story, 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:42.880 and yours isn't either, which means it's gonna have twist 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:47.520 and turns, which means that God is bringing you into 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:50.840 a place. But the plot, okay, learned, I've learned this. 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:55.520 He said, you're gonna be afraid, and then you're gonna 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.400 fight some battles that you're gonna win. The first one 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:02.560 was Jericho, first one. The second one was called I 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.440 it's spelled A I I, and they did it wrong 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:10.280 and they got beat. So now I'm thinking that what 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.720 God knew when he's talking to Joshua is the first one, 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.400 you're gonna be afraid, but it's gonna work. The second 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.080 one you're gonna go in a little overconfident. It's not 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:22.200 gonna work, and you're gonna be on your face. So 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:28.240 don't be afraid, don't be discouraged. And so y'all have 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.120 a good week. Don't be discouraged, and we just all 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:34.000 go out and we don't be discouraged. Just don't be 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:42.720 just don't be don't be discouraged. Does that mean I 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:50.000 should never feel like like I'm taking for granted. No, 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.800 you're gonna feel like you're taking for granted sometimes. And 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:54.960 Moses led to people forty years and all they did 0:16:55.000 --> 0:16:58.000 was holler at him when they got thirsty. And then 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:00.480 when Joshua took over they were like, hey, just like well, Moses, 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.200 we're gonna obey you. I'd be like, no, thanks, you 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:07.320 show some gratitude. You're gonna be taking for granted. Every 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:11.080 mom say amen, this is my early Mother's Day message. 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:14.200 You're ready, the sign that you're good is that they 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:21.000 take you for granted. How many of y'all think the 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:23.520 person who turned on the lights in the church today. Nope, 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:27.520 they just do it, so you don't never say thank you. 0:17:27.560 --> 0:17:32.240 They're that good. Sometimes you're taking for granted because you're 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.879 that good at it. Sometimes we take God for granted 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:42.119 because he's that good. If God made you do fifty 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:44.280 push ups before every breath he gave you, you'd start 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:45.840 thanking him for the breast to see if you get 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:48.560 down to forty, you start bargaining with God. But he's 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:54.480 come on, y'all, he's that good. He's that good all 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:56.400 the way from the back to the front. Say he's 0:17:56.440 --> 0:18:00.159 that good. Yeah, he's that good at his job. So 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:02.640 he doesn't want us to take his presence for granted. 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.399 And he enunciates said clearly, so there can be no 0:18:06.520 --> 0:18:10.000 mistake about who's doing the work. I the Lord, your 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:14.119 God will be with you wherever you go. And truthfully, 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:18.640 that's why you're here because He was with you. That's 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:21.520 why you survived everything you survived because He was with you. 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:25.200 It really is the only reason that we made it 0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:28.760 through because He was with us. Let's give God praise 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:38.000 that he's with us. When he says do not be afraid, 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:44.400 then he must not be talking about a feeling. Why 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:46.280 would he tell me to do something that I can't 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:49.199 help be like put me out in the rain and 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:51.159 telling me, don't get wet. Where's my umbrella. I'm not 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:52.639 giving you one. Don't get wet. Well, I got to 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:56.439 go inside. Don't go inside, but don't get wet. So 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.040 go into the promised land. Fight the enemies. Don't be afraid, 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:03.560 don't be discouraged. Keep showing up doing the thing that 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:05.400 you know you're supposed to do, but feel like it's 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:07.000 not going anywhere, and you just keep let your big 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.040 balance go down instead of up, going the wrong way 0:19:09.080 --> 0:19:11.280 instead of the right way. But keep showing up and 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:17.640 don't be discouraged. Keep on loving people who are unlikable, 0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:22.520 but don't be discouraged. Let me do this for myself. 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:26.600 Keep on preaching, and keep on preaching and preaching and 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:29.440 preaching and preaching and preaching and preaching. And know that 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:31.640 some of the people that you preach to are never 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:36.160 going to listen to it, but don't be discouraged. Some will, 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:42.080 some won't. Don't be discouraged. Keep sowing words of encouragement. 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:45.439 Don't be discouraged. Keep on trying to do the Okay, 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:47.080 I got to bring it up, the eating right thing, 0:19:47.240 --> 0:19:50.880 step on the scale. Don't be discouraged, keep doing it. 0:19:53.560 --> 0:19:55.920 And so I realized that God is not talking about 0:19:55.920 --> 0:19:59.920 a feeling here at all. He's talking about a folk. 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:06.480 That was the breakthrough for me. As I thought about 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:10.719 what to teach you about when you feel discouraged, I 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:15.080 realize that God is not commanding Joshua or Jimmy saying 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:22.119 don't feel discouraged. He said, don't be discouraged. That means 0:20:22.760 --> 0:20:26.320 there must be a big difference to God between what 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:32.680 I feel and who I am. Between what I feel 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:38.600 and who I am. I'm depressed right now. I've got 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:42.400 joy inside. I just have to learn how to bring 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:46.879 the joy from the inside out forward into my life. 0:20:47.160 --> 0:20:54.159 This condition is not my identity. I'm glad about that, 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:59.560 because I feel some funny feelings. Sometimes I feel some 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:04.800 freaky stuff. Sometimes I feel sometimes some stuff makes me 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:08.960 so frustrated and discouraged. And God says, that's fine, you 0:21:09.119 --> 0:21:15.159 feel it, but don't be it. That's fine that you 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:19.040 feel it, but you don't have to behave like it. 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:25.280 You don't have to believe everything fear tells you. You 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:29.960 don't have to believe everything that you think. Just because 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:32.359 you think it doesn't mean you have to believe it. 0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:34.679 You can check that out. You know, they have like 0:21:34.720 --> 0:21:38.720 airport security, and certain stuff doesn't get through. Certain stuff 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:41.120 you can say to your mind, Ah, that's not coming 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:45.560 through today, not today, Come again tomorrow. Maybe there'd be 0:21:45.560 --> 0:21:47.560 a different TSA agent at the gate. I don't know. 0:21:48.119 --> 0:21:49.960 Maybe you can get it through tomorrow, but not today. 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:54.640 Because I'm in a season that God is doing something 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:59.880 and especial in my life, and I can feel it. 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:03.720 It's coming from my spirit. And I don't have everything 0:22:03.760 --> 0:22:06.840 in the spirit worked out yet in my situation, but 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:10.360 I'm not limited by my situation. And even the very 0:22:10.520 --> 0:22:13.959 language that I use has to be very peculiar in 0:22:14.040 --> 0:22:17.760 this season, because what I say in this season is 0:22:17.840 --> 0:22:30.600 going to determine what I step into. Do not be discouraged, 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:39.240 Do not be afraid. You have seen glimpses of yourself 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:44.919 that reveal your God's potential. You've seen them in certain 0:22:45.000 --> 0:22:48.679 moments where you were kind, You've seen them in certain 0:22:48.680 --> 0:22:51.879 moments where you were hospitable. You've seen it in certain 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:54.280 moments where you said, no, that's fine, you right in 0:22:54.320 --> 0:22:56.879 the front seat, I'll sit in the bag. Not only 0:22:56.960 --> 0:22:59.040 did that once in nineteen eighty eight, but you did 0:22:59.040 --> 0:23:02.720 it once. You have seen seasons when you were disciplined. 0:23:02.840 --> 0:23:05.160 How many of you have gotten a glimpse of yourself 0:23:05.160 --> 0:23:08.159 that went like, oh, that must be the me that 0:23:08.200 --> 0:23:11.639 God sees when he says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 0:23:13.240 --> 0:23:15.640 Now I'm not saying that you don't five minutes later 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:17.680 below the whole thing. But you've seen it right, You've 0:23:17.680 --> 0:23:20.240 glimpsed it. Come on, don't leave me up here. You've 0:23:20.240 --> 0:23:27.560 seen it right. I've met myself strong. Have you met 0:23:27.560 --> 0:23:33.560 yourself strong? I have? I like that guy. Let me 0:23:33.600 --> 0:23:37.919 tell you about strong Stephen gets about strong Stephen, he 0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:40.040 doesn't have to prove his point and win every argument 0:23:42.320 --> 0:23:44.720 because he's coming from a place of strength, not neediness. 0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:48.720 So he can listen to somebody and go like, Okay, wow, 0:23:48.800 --> 0:23:55.000 that's crazy. Let me think about that week. Stephen sounds 0:23:55.040 --> 0:23:59.720 strong because he argues, and a lot of times he 0:23:59.760 --> 0:24:07.960 wins because he's good with these words, mama. But even 0:24:07.960 --> 0:24:13.000 though I win, it's really weakness because when I'm coming 0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:17.080 from a place of strength. I don't need to teach 0:24:17.119 --> 0:24:22.680 you a lesson because it's in God's hands. But weak 0:24:22.840 --> 0:24:27.960 me week Stephen. He's a different He's a whole different situation. 0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:32.960 He is a whole different case study. And that's why 0:24:33.040 --> 0:24:37.560 I was encouraged by verse seven and nine, because I thought, like, Oh, 0:24:38.000 --> 0:24:41.960 Joshua isn't just strong, because God wouldn't tell him not 0:24:42.240 --> 0:24:46.080 to be afraid, and he's not just encouraged or God 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:49.919 wouldn't tell him don't be discouraged. And it gave me 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:52.200 hope for what I've been preaching to you all year 0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:57.879 about do the new you. This passage to me communicates 0:24:57.960 --> 0:25:00.840 the belief of a coach that God had in the 0:25:00.840 --> 0:25:05.560 ones that He's chosen, and it also features some correction 0:25:06.160 --> 0:25:08.560 that's going to help us today. How many of you 0:25:08.600 --> 0:25:11.040 want this help that God has for you today. It's 0:25:11.080 --> 0:25:15.359 going to help us today to understand how to track 0:25:15.480 --> 0:25:19.399 back your discouragement and get back on track with what 0:25:19.440 --> 0:25:21.440 God's called you to do. Some of you are completely 0:25:21.480 --> 0:25:23.400 off track right now in your life. You know it. 0:25:24.680 --> 0:25:26.600 You're discouraged, and you know it. You're down, and you 0:25:26.640 --> 0:25:29.680 know it. You're defeated, and you know it. But if 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:31.840 you track it back, this is what came to me, 0:25:32.040 --> 0:25:34.320 and y'all are going to think, wow, that's not very deep. 0:25:35.320 --> 0:25:39.440 But if you track back your discouragement, it usually has 0:25:39.520 --> 0:25:45.199 to do with your discussions, not just with other people, 0:25:47.480 --> 0:25:51.359 but the conversations that happen inside of your own soul. 0:25:52.480 --> 0:25:55.840 You expect God to give Joshua all the military strategy 0:25:56.359 --> 0:26:00.199 in Joshua one, and yet he focuses way more. I mean, 0:26:00.480 --> 0:26:02.600 he gives him the whole picture. He says, I'm gonna 0:26:02.600 --> 0:26:05.480 give you from the desert to Lebanon, from the Euphrates 0:26:05.680 --> 0:26:09.080 to the Mediterranean. To me, that's like the opening scene 0:26:09.760 --> 0:26:12.639 of a movie where the drone is flying over the 0:26:12.640 --> 0:26:15.520 whole land, or they're showing us one specific place and 0:26:15.560 --> 0:26:18.840 they're giving us a setting. Ah. But then after the 0:26:18.920 --> 0:26:22.000 setting there has to be a good script. And so 0:26:22.080 --> 0:26:25.400 he's given him this script so that he can live 0:26:25.480 --> 0:26:29.560 the story that God wants him to live. And the 0:26:29.600 --> 0:26:33.919 Lord sent me to say some of you, the reason 0:26:33.960 --> 0:26:38.639 that your story feels such a dead end story is 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:44.359 because your script sucks. Tell your neighbor, if you're not 0:26:44.400 --> 0:26:50.879 afraid they'll punch you, say your script sucks. Holly listen Holly. 0:26:51.080 --> 0:26:53.720 Y'all pray for Holly because she says inappropriate things to me. 0:26:54.520 --> 0:26:58.400 She says that I'm a bad actor. Anytime I try 0:26:58.400 --> 0:27:01.480 to like pull a little you lie to the kids 0:27:01.520 --> 0:27:03.320 and make them think something, she's like, you are such 0:27:03.320 --> 0:27:05.520 a bad actor. You're a horrible actor. Like we should 0:27:05.560 --> 0:27:07.280 be glad about that. It means I can't get away 0:27:07.280 --> 0:27:09.600 with anything. She's like, yeah, but you're such a bad actor. 0:27:09.640 --> 0:27:11.320 And so I always be like, well, test me. Give 0:27:11.320 --> 0:27:13.359 me a scene to do, and I'll come in the 0:27:13.400 --> 0:27:15.439 room and do it. So she'd give me something crazy, 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:17.720 like somebody just died that I love or something, and 0:27:17.720 --> 0:27:19.320 I'll come in the room and she's like, and you 0:27:19.359 --> 0:27:21.520 just got the phone call and they died, And so 0:27:21.560 --> 0:27:23.880 I'll come in and the thing that I do every time, 0:27:23.880 --> 0:27:28.080 I start laughing. I cannot I cannot do it without laughing. 0:27:28.080 --> 0:27:30.520 And we play this game often and she's like, you're terrible, 0:27:30.680 --> 0:27:33.000 You're so horrible. Why do you keep making me do this? 0:27:33.000 --> 0:27:35.080 This is so bad, this is so dumb. You laugh 0:27:35.119 --> 0:27:37.160 every time. And one time I looked at her because 0:27:37.160 --> 0:27:38.560 she's like, you're a bad actor, and I was like, 0:27:38.760 --> 0:27:44.640 I need better lines. It's your fault. You didn't give 0:27:44.640 --> 0:27:48.240 me any lines. You didn't give me any you didn't 0:27:48.280 --> 0:27:52.160 give me anything to say. So you know, you gave 0:27:52.200 --> 0:27:54.479 me a setting, you gave me a kind of like 0:27:54.680 --> 0:27:57.080 a scene to work out, but you didn't give me 0:27:57.119 --> 0:27:59.000 a script. Give me a better script, and I'll be 0:27:59.000 --> 0:28:02.719 a better actor. At least that's my excuse, right. So 0:28:02.840 --> 0:28:06.639 God says, I'm going to give you the strategy for 0:28:06.720 --> 0:28:10.000 each city in your life. But first, before I give 0:28:10.040 --> 0:28:12.919 you the strategy for it, I want to give you 0:28:13.000 --> 0:28:17.240 the script so that when you get into it, what 0:28:17.320 --> 0:28:21.600 you say on the inside will empower you to face 0:28:21.680 --> 0:28:28.040 what's on the outside. Joshua, this is going to be 0:28:28.080 --> 0:28:32.600 an inside job. Yes, you're going to face giants. Yes, 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:35.679 there is going to be dry terrain. Yes, there are 0:28:35.760 --> 0:28:39.000 going to be screaming, whining people that will remind you 0:28:39.040 --> 0:28:42.280 of toddlers that you will have to lead. But Joshua, 0:28:43.040 --> 0:28:48.160 be strong and very courageous. How do I be very courageous? God, 0:28:48.440 --> 0:28:55.000 be very careful, be very careful what you let in you, 0:28:55.960 --> 0:28:59.840 and you will be very courageous when you face what's 0:29:00.080 --> 0:29:03.880 in front of you. We keep trying to fix what's 0:29:03.920 --> 0:29:07.680 in front of us. Oh, if they would change. Oh, 0:29:07.960 --> 0:29:10.600 if I were single three years ago? You said if 0:29:10.640 --> 0:29:14.320 I were married? Which one is it? Because we keep 0:29:14.360 --> 0:29:20.280 talking about situations changing, but God is talking about conversations changing. 0:29:20.640 --> 0:29:23.480 The Lord said to Joshua, am I preaching? Or am 0:29:23.480 --> 0:29:29.400 I crazy? Because I think you might be discouraged not 0:29:29.600 --> 0:29:34.280 because of something that you're facing or feeling, but because 0:29:34.320 --> 0:29:37.840 of something that you are saying about what you were facing. 0:29:41.800 --> 0:29:44.240 So here's what you gotta do, Joshua. What do I do? 0:29:44.240 --> 0:29:45.560 Do I shoot them? Do I kill them? Do I 0:29:45.600 --> 0:29:47.280 stab them? Do A choke them? All? Right, before we 0:29:47.280 --> 0:29:48.720 get to all that, because we're gonna do all that. 0:29:49.360 --> 0:29:56.080 Verse eight, keep this Book of the Law. Now, Joshua 0:29:56.200 --> 0:29:57.840 is jealous of you because he had the Book of 0:29:57.880 --> 0:30:02.640 the Law Genesis exits number it's Leviticus Stuteronomy. You got 0:30:02.640 --> 0:30:06.600 the whole story. Hold on, let me see real quick, 0:30:09.160 --> 0:30:11.480 because you got something Joshua doesn't have. And I just 0:30:11.520 --> 0:30:17.680 want to make sure real quick. Oh yeah, you win. 0:30:20.880 --> 0:30:24.720 Spoiler alert. I didn't mean to mess it up for 0:30:24.760 --> 0:30:27.280 you because I know you were gonna read it this week. 0:30:27.520 --> 0:30:31.960 But you win. We win. The grace of God's people 0:30:32.040 --> 0:30:36.600 be with you. Amen, you win. Come Lord Jesus, we win. 0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:41.360 He's already here with us. You win. Wherever you step 0:30:41.480 --> 0:30:50.200 your foot, he's already there. You win. There's fifteen people 0:30:50.240 --> 0:30:55.280 who felt that. When I said it, it's like, oh yeah, 0:30:55.360 --> 0:30:58.560 I read this one. This is a good one. We 0:30:58.680 --> 0:31:01.320 gotta fight a lot, but we're going to have faith, 0:31:01.600 --> 0:31:03.640 and we're not going to feel it every time, and 0:31:03.680 --> 0:31:05.720 we're not going to see it every time, and we're 0:31:05.760 --> 0:31:09.000 not going to always know how. But He always makes 0:31:09.040 --> 0:31:12.320 a way. And we know this by faith because we 0:31:12.400 --> 0:31:17.400 have his word's exceeding great and precious promises. When author 0:31:17.480 --> 0:31:21.640 called down the living Word of God, which never returns void, 0:31:22.120 --> 0:31:25.160 is in your heart. We thank you for your word. Lord. 0:31:26.120 --> 0:31:29.200 I thank you for your word. Lord. I thank you 0:31:29.280 --> 0:31:32.520 for the promises that I have in spite of the 0:31:32.520 --> 0:31:40.360 problems that I face. I thank you Lord. Now with Joshua, 0:31:41.000 --> 0:31:47.280 the instruction is simple. Keep this Book of the Law 0:31:48.040 --> 0:31:53.920 always on your lips. Meditate on it. And it sounds 0:31:54.080 --> 0:31:58.400 Eastern meditation. Isn't that Buddhist or something? Is this a 0:31:58.480 --> 0:32:03.320 yoga class? We need to quit given our definitions of 0:32:03.360 --> 0:32:05.720 words to the world and let them take it from us. 0:32:07.240 --> 0:32:11.800 The Bible is Eastern, dude, I told somebody one day, 0:32:11.800 --> 0:32:14.480 I was like, I'm concentrating on breathing more these days. 0:32:14.480 --> 0:32:19.920 They're like, oh, that's new age. I thought God did 0:32:19.920 --> 0:32:22.040 that in the garden, like the very first page of 0:32:22.080 --> 0:32:26.640 the story. I thought, that's what the word for spirit 0:32:26.760 --> 0:32:32.880 meant when the spirit ruac. God started this. So we 0:32:32.920 --> 0:32:34.800 need to take some of this stuff back, just like 0:32:34.960 --> 0:32:38.520 success when I read that, or prosper, Oh God, let 0:32:38.520 --> 0:32:44.080 a preacher say prosper, Oh God, God said prosper. And 0:32:44.120 --> 0:32:48.080 if you think that refers only to cars and places 0:32:48.080 --> 0:32:50.240 that you can go on vacation, you just need a 0:32:50.240 --> 0:32:55.640 bigger definition of God, because it includes your peace, it 0:32:55.680 --> 0:33:02.200 includes your freedom, it includes the richness of your interior life. 0:33:02.280 --> 0:33:09.880 All that, all of that, all of it. Now, he said, 0:33:09.920 --> 0:33:13.280 let's fix this script you got going on, Joshua, before 0:33:13.360 --> 0:33:16.479 I take you into this place, before I give you 0:33:16.520 --> 0:33:20.120 this strategy, before I can get you this success that 0:33:20.200 --> 0:33:22.920 I want you to have, which is not necessarily the 0:33:22.920 --> 0:33:25.840 success that you imagine. It's going to be much deeper. 0:33:26.120 --> 0:33:29.200 He said, do this, keep this book of the Law 0:33:29.400 --> 0:33:33.400 always on your lips, meditating on it day and night, 0:33:33.680 --> 0:33:39.240 which does not mean hear me, please to quote scriptures 0:33:39.320 --> 0:33:45.720 obnoxiously at people when they're going through stuff. Just for 0:33:45.800 --> 0:33:49.000 a cautionary moment in this sermon, he said, be careful. Okay, 0:33:49.000 --> 0:33:51.680 I'm gonna be careful. This does not mean you walk 0:33:51.720 --> 0:33:54.360 around the house and your kid is like I had 0:33:54.400 --> 0:33:57.320 a bad day. Well, all things work together for the 0:33:57.320 --> 0:33:59.960 good of them that love God and are called according 0:33:59.960 --> 0:34:03.040 to His purpose. For those he for knew, he also predestined, 0:34:03.080 --> 0:34:05.520 and those he predestined he also justified, and those he 0:34:05.680 --> 0:34:08.799 just shut up say I'm sorry you had a bad day. 0:34:08.800 --> 0:34:11.360 You want to talk about it. That's not what the 0:34:11.400 --> 0:34:15.359 word always on your lips means. Somebody said, man, I'm 0:34:15.440 --> 0:34:21.080 really struggling. Well, Judas went and hanged himself, So you 0:34:21.080 --> 0:34:27.440 see how can backfire if you hear me wrong. So 0:34:27.480 --> 0:34:30.560 what does he mean when he says meditate? I got 0:34:30.560 --> 0:34:33.919 a picture of him. I got the picture about seven 0:34:33.960 --> 0:34:35.720 years ago, but I didn't realize it was a picture 0:34:35.760 --> 0:34:39.239 of meditation at the time. I thought it was a 0:34:39.320 --> 0:34:44.759 NASCAR race. I went to a NASCAR race to see 0:34:44.800 --> 0:34:50.840 Joey Logano, the champ, the two time champ, and his 0:34:50.920 --> 0:34:54.560 number on his race car is twenty two. Like Taylor Swift. 0:34:54.680 --> 0:34:57.520 I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty two. 0:34:57.880 --> 0:34:59.600 I know we got a lot of drivers in the church, 0:34:59.640 --> 0:35:02.320 but Joeoe is my guy and I will always cheer 0:35:02.360 --> 0:35:05.239 for him. And he said, come out and see me race. 0:35:05.280 --> 0:35:07.960 I said, I want to. I said, I respect what 0:35:08.000 --> 0:35:10.799 you do, but that sounds really boring. He's like, bring 0:35:10.840 --> 0:35:12.799 the kids, they'll like it. I promise we'll take care 0:35:12.840 --> 0:35:15.399 of them. So, man, they treated us so good. As 0:35:15.400 --> 0:35:17.640 soon as we got there, they gave us these little 0:35:19.520 --> 0:35:22.959 uh like look like a walkie talkie and shout out Warren. 0:35:23.000 --> 0:35:24.920 He gave each of the kids one and we all 0:35:24.920 --> 0:35:27.399 had one and on it we could hear. But show 0:35:27.440 --> 0:35:28.719 them the picture of Abby because we have one of 0:35:28.719 --> 0:35:31.080 Abbey holding it, just to kind of bring it into 0:35:31.080 --> 0:35:34.840 the scene that. Yeah, they gave me a hat, a shirt. 0:35:36.560 --> 0:35:38.759 I think those are Joey Logano jeans or something Joey 0:35:38.800 --> 0:35:42.280 Logano underwear somewhere in there too, and then those yellow 0:35:42.360 --> 0:35:45.319 Joey Logano headphones and all of this that you know, 0:35:45.360 --> 0:35:47.759 because we're right by the track, and we're standing by 0:35:47.760 --> 0:35:50.280 the track and you see that little thing that Abby's holding, 0:35:50.280 --> 0:35:53.320 Do you see it? You see it? Talk to me, Okay, 0:35:53.800 --> 0:35:57.680 that thing is uh, hand it to me, just just yeah, 0:35:58.160 --> 0:36:00.760 just hand it to me. Yeah, yeah, thank you, baby. 0:36:00.880 --> 0:36:04.759 She called, next sermon illustration is me. When I had 0:36:04.840 --> 0:36:07.759 Grandma up here, she said, hey, next sermon illustration is 0:36:07.840 --> 0:36:11.080 me some kind of multitask and parenting and preaching right now? 0:36:14.040 --> 0:36:18.120 All right? So we had this, and I promise you 0:36:18.200 --> 0:36:20.000 this is not a made up sermon illustration because it's 0:36:20.000 --> 0:36:21.600 going to sound like, oh, that's just too perfect. You 0:36:21.640 --> 0:36:24.239 made that up. But I promise you. We had a 0:36:24.320 --> 0:36:25.799 video of it too, but I didn't want to show 0:36:25.840 --> 0:36:29.720 you the video. Abby's five years old and she's holding 0:36:29.760 --> 0:36:31.839 this thing and she's standing there because on this you 0:36:31.880 --> 0:36:35.920 can hear the crew chief of the driver and the 0:36:36.000 --> 0:36:43.080 spotter telling Joey what to do, and you can hear 0:36:43.120 --> 0:36:45.560 what they're saying to him. Is amazing. It's made it 0:36:45.640 --> 0:36:48.480 really fun for me. Give it helped me understand a 0:36:48.520 --> 0:36:51.880 little bit more of what was going on. But Abby, 0:36:52.160 --> 0:36:57.960 she thought that Joey could hear her too, So she's 0:36:58.000 --> 0:37:01.920 standing over there now really how there's cars going fast 0:37:01.960 --> 0:37:06.160 and what they do at NASCAR and she's going five 0:37:06.239 --> 0:37:13.480 years old. Joey Wigano, Joey Wigano, Joey Wigano. Can you 0:37:13.520 --> 0:37:18.560 hear me, Joey Wiggano, Joey Logana. And we let her 0:37:18.560 --> 0:37:21.400 do it for like an hour because it was so cute. 0:37:22.239 --> 0:37:24.680 I know we're going to hell because we let her 0:37:24.719 --> 0:37:28.920 sit there for at least forty five minutes going, Joey Wiganeo, 0:37:29.880 --> 0:37:33.320 joe Ogano? Is that you, Joey wigane Can you hear me? 0:37:33.400 --> 0:37:36.759 Joey Wigano. And finally, after I got the video in 0:37:36.800 --> 0:37:39.880 the picture and we left left and left and left, 0:37:39.920 --> 0:37:44.080 I say, he can't hear you, baby, This is a 0:37:44.120 --> 0:37:54.440 one way device. But what if he could just come 0:37:54.480 --> 0:37:59.400 with me real quick from Palestine to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. 0:38:00.280 --> 0:38:02.600 I'll take you on the journey right now. What if 0:38:02.680 --> 0:38:06.759 Joey did from Joshua to Joey what if he did? 0:38:08.120 --> 0:38:11.960 What if they met every fan at the gate and said, 0:38:12.280 --> 0:38:18.480 here you go, now put this on, and the driver 0:38:18.600 --> 0:38:21.279 has a headset too, and you could put this on. 0:38:21.560 --> 0:38:26.839 Don't want me to put it on. He's gonna mess 0:38:26.880 --> 0:38:32.920 my hair up? Right that way? I should have practiced 0:38:32.960 --> 0:38:41.000 this is it on wrong? It's upside down? What you mean? Oh? 0:38:41.000 --> 0:38:48.120 Strapping the bell? Thank you? Like that? Is it right? 0:38:48.200 --> 0:38:52.440 I can't really hear y'all, these are really really it's wrong. Okay. 0:38:52.520 --> 0:38:57.560 I tried so, but you saw it. Good grief, Okay, 0:38:57.760 --> 0:39:01.799 come back to the Bible. So he's like, Joshua, there 0:39:01.840 --> 0:39:05.600 are certain things that need to be in your heart 0:39:06.920 --> 0:39:11.680 that will enable you to fight the good fight when 0:39:11.760 --> 0:39:16.680 you are discouraged and afraid. Now watch this. What if Joshua, 0:39:18.120 --> 0:39:21.879 when God spoke to him, instead of Verse ten, says 0:39:21.920 --> 0:39:25.000 he went around and told all of the people, get ready, 0:39:25.200 --> 0:39:27.960 get ready. In three days, we're going in. Hey, hey, 0:39:28.000 --> 0:39:31.520 officers go around telling people get ready, get everything packed, 0:39:31.640 --> 0:39:34.399 get your shoes laced, get everything ready. We're going in 0:39:34.400 --> 0:39:36.719 in three days. We're going in in three days, three days. 0:39:36.760 --> 0:39:38.960 I don't know how we're getting across the Jordan. Joshua 0:39:39.120 --> 0:39:40.960 will tell us. I guess we're going in. How are 0:39:40.960 --> 0:39:42.799 we going to get over the walls of Jericho. I 0:39:42.800 --> 0:39:45.080 don't know. Just get ready, We're going in in three days. 0:39:45.120 --> 0:39:49.759 Imagine if he had gone around asking them what'd you think? 0:39:51.880 --> 0:39:55.760 And then I remember they tried that forty years earlier. 0:39:58.320 --> 0:40:02.480 They tried that. The whole nation started saying to Moses, 0:40:02.680 --> 0:40:06.359 we can't do that, we can't be that. We can't 0:40:06.400 --> 0:40:08.560 defeat that, we can't beat them now. And you're like, 0:40:08.600 --> 0:40:11.520 this does not sound like Canaanites and land I understand that. 0:40:11.800 --> 0:40:14.720 It sounds like change you need to break. It sounds 0:40:14.760 --> 0:40:17.520 like impact that you know you can make. It sounds 0:40:17.560 --> 0:40:19.719 like that thing that you have been avoiding that you 0:40:19.880 --> 0:40:22.680 know God is calling you to engage, and you know 0:40:22.760 --> 0:40:27.680 what it is. So imagine Joey meets everybody at the 0:40:27.719 --> 0:40:32.680 gate and says, here, just tell me when you think 0:40:33.360 --> 0:40:37.799 I should turn. Here's your device. Just tell me what 0:40:37.880 --> 0:40:39.319 to do. Because see when you're in the car and 0:40:39.320 --> 0:40:40.719 there've been in one bit. This is what he told me. 0:40:40.920 --> 0:40:44.319 He said, you can only look forward. You can't turn 0:40:44.360 --> 0:40:47.279 your head at all. So that's why the spotter has 0:40:47.360 --> 0:40:50.239 to tell him. Here's what's ahead of you, here's what's 0:40:50.400 --> 0:40:53.839 behind you, Here's what's going on around you. Oh, they're 0:40:53.840 --> 0:40:56.279 about to wreck up there. This is where we need 0:40:56.320 --> 0:40:58.520 to be. That's why the crew chief. Now the crui 0:40:58.560 --> 0:41:00.520 chief doesn't talk as much as the spot but he 0:41:00.560 --> 0:41:02.880 could talk to He could tell him stuff too. But 0:41:03.040 --> 0:41:10.759 imagine if every single NASCAR beer drinking NASCAR fan and 0:41:10.960 --> 0:41:17.640 five year old girl got a device, got a device, 0:41:19.080 --> 0:41:24.840 got a device, got a device to talk to the driver. 0:41:26.239 --> 0:41:31.239 And here we are trying to steer our lives in 0:41:31.360 --> 0:41:35.120 a season we've never been in before. And yet the 0:41:35.160 --> 0:41:37.480 first thing we do when we wake up in the morning, 0:41:37.760 --> 0:41:40.400 Oh what do they think? Oh where are they today? 0:41:40.800 --> 0:41:44.120 Oh where are they vacationing? Oh what is this political 0:41:44.200 --> 0:41:48.160 party up? To? Shut it down? And look up and 0:41:48.400 --> 0:42:03.640 see what God's doing? Lauren, Glory, Glory, Glory, Gord. In 0:42:03.800 --> 0:42:09.520 times of transition, you gotta keep it tight. You gotta 0:42:09.600 --> 0:42:11.680 keep it tight. Touch three. People say, keep it tight 0:42:11.760 --> 0:42:14.760 right now, keep it tight, right now, keep it tighter. 0:42:14.880 --> 0:42:17.400 I'm not saying don't make new friends. I'm not saying 0:42:17.440 --> 0:42:20.240 don't read books. I'm not saying don't take a class. 0:42:20.400 --> 0:42:22.920 I'm not saying don't have counsel on the multitude counselors 0:42:22.920 --> 0:42:25.239 their safety. I know the Bible versus two. But what 0:42:25.280 --> 0:42:31.120 I'm telling you is God is your spotter. Oh I 0:42:31.200 --> 0:42:38.439 got a better one, and Jesus is my CRUSI there's 0:42:38.560 --> 0:42:42.560 more than the story. Baby zas on. What's the only one? 0:42:42.640 --> 0:42:48.680 God sat? Cause three days later, Jesus saying, we're going 0:42:48.760 --> 0:42:54.560 across this sortid, We're crossing over this Cancel from dead 0:42:54.960 --> 0:43:00.680 to life, from dead, so alive, from the long to praise? 0:43:01.280 --> 0:43:13.880 He yes, Lord, But what do you think I should do? 0:43:14.239 --> 0:43:16.120 How do you think I should raise my kids? What 0:43:16.200 --> 0:43:18.080 do you think I should should do? Keto? Should do? 0:43:18.600 --> 0:43:20.960 Should do it? What do you should do? What should 0:43:20.960 --> 0:43:24.480 I feel? What should I feel? It is so crazy 0:43:26.040 --> 0:43:30.719 that we've got so many voices. Some of them aren't 0:43:30.719 --> 0:43:33.040 on our phone. Some of them are from our family, 0:43:33.200 --> 0:43:38.960 from people who are dead, who raised us, still talking. 0:43:41.120 --> 0:43:53.880 I can make the message real simple. Who's in your headset? Who? 0:43:55.480 --> 0:43:59.799 Who gets to you? I don't want to I don't 0:43:59.800 --> 0:44:02.000 want to be stuck up. Then you'd rather be stuck 0:44:04.760 --> 0:44:06.879 I'm not saying don't listen to other people's point of view. 0:44:07.000 --> 0:44:09.920 That is not this message. But the Lord said in 0:44:10.000 --> 0:44:18.680 Transition times you only need to listen to two. How 0:44:18.680 --> 0:44:24.160 many spies did Moses send into the Promised Land? No, Moses, Yeah, 0:44:24.200 --> 0:44:30.200 he sent twelve too many? Too many. Joshua knew that's 0:44:30.239 --> 0:44:34.600 ten too many. Joshua was one of the two. Y'all 0:44:34.600 --> 0:44:36.719 are never gonna forgive me up here in this headset 0:44:36.880 --> 0:44:39.799 with a wired dangling around, looking like I'm five years 0:44:39.800 --> 0:44:41.680 old and I can't even put it on correctly. You 0:44:41.719 --> 0:44:44.239 are never gonna forget this sermon. And that's just the 0:44:44.280 --> 0:44:47.759 way I want it. So the next time that you 0:44:47.880 --> 0:44:50.959 got ten telling you we can't do it. The next 0:44:50.960 --> 0:44:53.440 time you got Twitter telling you who to hate and 0:44:53.480 --> 0:44:56.759 who like, the next time you got Facebook all up 0:44:56.800 --> 0:45:00.000 in your face, sap in your faith making you a friend. 0:45:00.480 --> 0:45:03.319 You remember that preacher. You remember Fredick was up there 0:45:03.320 --> 0:45:06.279 telling me I just need two. I just need my 0:45:06.360 --> 0:45:10.120 spoder that's God. I need my cru sees, that's Jesus. 0:45:10.360 --> 0:45:13.000 And if I got the Holy Spirit, I got an 0:45:13.000 --> 0:45:16.040 engine that will never turn out. And so watch me 0:45:16.200 --> 0:45:20.160 make this turn, watch me turn this corner, watch me 0:45:20.400 --> 0:45:25.440 do this thing, watch me reinovent in this season, discern 0:45:25.520 --> 0:45:29.600 a greater purpose. Watch me be a mentor, watch me 0:45:29.719 --> 0:45:33.320 be a single mom. Watch me break out of these things, 0:45:33.800 --> 0:45:44.239 watch me grow this sort of sada the god. So 0:45:44.400 --> 0:45:51.200 sus us us all yeah, I've been discouraged to change 0:45:51.280 --> 0:45:57.560 the discussion. Get a different scrapped. I got one. I 0:45:57.600 --> 0:45:59.399 got one for you. I got one for you. Gosh, 0:45:59.440 --> 0:46:01.719 that make it per so for? I said, how personal? Lord? 0:46:01.880 --> 0:46:04.960 He said, real personal? I said, embarrassing? He said, as 0:46:05.040 --> 0:46:07.759 deep as you can go without getting fired. I said, 0:46:07.760 --> 0:46:11.160 all right, I share this Richard watch, watch Rotch, watch Roger. 0:46:12.040 --> 0:46:15.279 I've been driving up to this church to preach for 0:46:16.880 --> 0:46:24.160 over seventeen years now, never even really understood that the meditation, 0:46:24.680 --> 0:46:26.680 And I don't want you to use that word like um, 0:46:29.880 --> 0:46:33.120 think of those, think of those the headset that'll help 0:46:33.120 --> 0:46:35.759 you better to understand what I'm saying. Because I said, 0:46:35.800 --> 0:46:37.680 how faster are you going out there? He said two 0:46:37.760 --> 0:46:40.399 hundred miles an hour? I said, wow, Then you can't 0:46:40.440 --> 0:46:44.120 really afford to just have Uncle Billy weighing in on 0:46:44.239 --> 0:46:49.759 what Joey should do. Turn left, turn left, turn left, 0:46:50.680 --> 0:46:53.880 turn left. That's what Uncle Billy knows about racing. Come on. 0:46:53.960 --> 0:46:55.960 The fastest car Billy ever had was a Maxima. You're 0:46:55.960 --> 0:47:00.439 gonna let Billy tell you how to drive. You're gonna 0:47:00.440 --> 0:47:03.600 get Billy of device. Here you go, Here you go, Culture, 0:47:03.840 --> 0:47:06.960 here you go, CNN, here you go, Fox News, here 0:47:07.040 --> 0:47:09.319 you go, Elon, here you go, Kanye. I don't care 0:47:09.360 --> 0:47:12.520 who it is. If they're not the spotter, if they're 0:47:12.600 --> 0:47:18.080 not the crew teeth, I can listen, but I gotta 0:47:18.120 --> 0:47:22.200 keep it tight wide because we're in a season right 0:47:22.280 --> 0:47:26.719 now where we're all trying to turn the corner. Oh, 0:47:26.960 --> 0:47:29.600 are we getting set up for Jericho where you're gonna 0:47:29.640 --> 0:47:34.440 have to go around and around and around and around 0:47:34.880 --> 0:47:39.560 and around and around seven times? And it isn't working. 0:47:39.920 --> 0:47:43.279 And so I'm discouraged. So when you get discouraged and 0:47:43.440 --> 0:47:47.000 you wonder, what's this really? God? Am I really valuable? 0:47:47.320 --> 0:47:50.440 Will I ever heal? Is it gonna get better? Should 0:47:50.480 --> 0:47:53.080 I even live? Am I gonna make it? Is it 0:47:53.160 --> 0:47:56.600 gonna work? Can I recover? Is there still time? As 0:47:56.640 --> 0:47:59.840 you're making those turns? You need to learn how to 0:48:00.239 --> 0:48:04.120 talk with the one who is watching you and who 0:48:04.280 --> 0:48:09.440 knows every hair on your head because he's with you. 0:48:13.840 --> 0:48:16.320 I need two of you. I need a spotter and 0:48:16.320 --> 0:48:21.799 a crew chief. I need goodness and mercy. I need 0:48:21.840 --> 0:48:24.600 to I need to. Everybody get two fingers up. They 0:48:24.640 --> 0:48:27.080 say that's the peace sign. Well, for right now it 0:48:27.239 --> 0:48:29.640 is gonna be the peace sign. It's gonna remind you 0:48:29.960 --> 0:48:33.719 that when you are discouraged is often because you're distracted. 0:48:36.680 --> 0:48:41.760 Stuff it don't matter, stuff is passing. I know exactly 0:48:41.840 --> 0:48:44.280 who I'm saying this for. Right now, you've been telling 0:48:44.360 --> 0:48:50.600 your stuff, craziest stuff. You don't like your story, then 0:48:50.640 --> 0:48:53.839 Why are you sticking with the script that was given 0:48:53.920 --> 0:48:57.040 to you? Why are you letting a five year old 0:48:57.080 --> 0:49:04.120 tell you how to drive? Yeah, I'm talking Paris. I 0:49:04.160 --> 0:49:06.040 don't want to go to bed. Okay, stay up forever 0:49:06.160 --> 0:49:11.520 and die, Like what kind of parenting is that? You 0:49:11.680 --> 0:49:16.200 gotta hand that over? So I was driving up to 0:49:16.200 --> 0:49:18.759 preach every week. You know what, My meditation was not 0:49:19.200 --> 0:49:23.480 um and it was worse some weeks than others, but 0:49:23.640 --> 0:49:27.040 many seasons it ran through the background. I hope I'm 0:49:27.080 --> 0:49:30.520 not a disappointment. I never would have known how to 0:49:30.640 --> 0:49:33.359 name it as I was feeling. See, that's why you come, 0:49:33.640 --> 0:49:35.400 so we can put a name on some of the 0:49:35.480 --> 0:49:38.520 stuff that's going on in here. And you go, oh yeah, 0:49:39.440 --> 0:49:41.840 oh yeah, that's a five year old talking to me. 0:49:43.640 --> 0:49:46.920 That's an earlier version of me somewhere. I'm scared of 0:49:47.000 --> 0:49:50.640 letting these people down. That's not where God put me now, 0:49:50.840 --> 0:49:57.480 That's not who I am now, and recently, very recently, 0:49:57.560 --> 0:49:59.279 but long enough ago that I've been working on it 0:49:59.360 --> 0:50:01.440 so I can share with you you this didn't just 0:50:01.520 --> 0:50:04.720 happen this week. I'm preaching about stuff while was that fresh. 0:50:07.200 --> 0:50:09.239 I drove up to the church and the Lord said, 0:50:10.120 --> 0:50:12.160 change the whole thing that you're thinking, changed the whole 0:50:12.200 --> 0:50:17.040 meditation and say this. Okay, the first part came like 0:50:17.160 --> 0:50:19.480 this took me a minute. I just sat there. He 0:50:19.560 --> 0:50:23.800 gave it to me. Say this, God is not against me, 0:50:26.000 --> 0:50:27.759 and I'm like, well, that's weird. I'm not worried about 0:50:28.040 --> 0:50:29.920 you being against me, God, I'm worried about them being 0:50:30.360 --> 0:50:33.279 against me. The other one said, I'm scared of letting down. 0:50:35.920 --> 0:50:39.480 What if I say something stupid? That's not really a 0:50:39.520 --> 0:50:43.920 what if? Is it? That's kind of just a baseline 0:50:43.960 --> 0:50:47.520 requirement for me to grab this mic? But what if 0:50:47.560 --> 0:50:48.960 I try to let the Holy Spirit flow? If I 0:50:49.000 --> 0:50:52.839 miss it? See all that? You know what else Joey 0:50:52.920 --> 0:50:55.120 told me. He said, one thing about racing is if 0:50:55.160 --> 0:50:58.919 you don't want to hit the wall, don't think about 0:50:58.960 --> 0:51:05.160 hitting the wall, because you hit the wall. And I 0:51:05.200 --> 0:51:07.440 don't know what we're preaching about today, are we Are 0:51:07.480 --> 0:51:10.800 we preaching about a new creation in Christ or a NASCAR? 0:51:10.880 --> 0:51:13.680 You're preaching about all of this because this is you. 0:51:14.080 --> 0:51:18.600 Life is going fast, and not everybody else out there 0:51:19.000 --> 0:51:22.000 is for you. Some of them are against you, but 0:51:22.120 --> 0:51:28.879 God is not. See I'm talking about the secret things, 0:51:30.480 --> 0:51:33.160 not the things that the enemy shouts, the things he whispers, 0:51:33.520 --> 0:51:39.480 sh secret things you can't even you can't even name 0:51:39.520 --> 0:51:41.960 them with language because they're happening at the level of 0:51:42.000 --> 0:51:43.719 a feeling. So you don't even know how to process it. 0:51:44.400 --> 0:51:45.680 You don't even know how to process it. You just 0:51:45.840 --> 0:51:48.080 you're just turning here when you should turn there, and 0:51:48.200 --> 0:51:52.239 you're crashing, and you're losing opportunity, and you don't know 0:51:52.280 --> 0:51:54.960 why and the reason why. I was showing up a 0:51:55.040 --> 0:51:58.879 lot of times so anxious, I must have secretly thought 0:52:00.120 --> 0:52:02.239 that God didn't want to work with me that day 0:52:02.280 --> 0:52:08.360 to communicate his word to people because I study, I prayed. 0:52:09.239 --> 0:52:14.040 I'm not perfect, but I'm sincere. I am passionate. So 0:52:14.120 --> 0:52:16.480 if I gave it to him, and I gave him 0:52:16.480 --> 0:52:19.080 the time that week, and I'm not running around being 0:52:19.080 --> 0:52:21.960 an idiot and blaming it on the sovereignty of God 0:52:22.000 --> 0:52:24.960 that I didn't have a sermon Lord speak, He's like 0:52:25.000 --> 0:52:29.280 I was trying Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You were distracted. 0:52:30.280 --> 0:52:32.800 If I've been with him, and even if I haven't, 0:52:34.120 --> 0:52:36.040 he wants to speak to you more than he wants 0:52:36.160 --> 0:52:40.320 me to study. So even at that moment when you 0:52:40.400 --> 0:52:44.560 screw up. You still got to believe He wants to 0:52:44.680 --> 0:52:48.320 work with you. How can you possibly get up and 0:52:48.440 --> 0:52:54.160 preach or parent, or run a small business, or graduate 0:52:54.239 --> 0:52:57.800 from school, or go back and get your degree, or 0:52:57.880 --> 0:53:00.680 fight diabetes or can and you to show up and 0:53:00.719 --> 0:53:02.840 see your mom three times a week at the nursing 0:53:02.880 --> 0:53:04.600 home and know that she doesn't even know who you are. 0:53:04.719 --> 0:53:07.200 How can you possibly push through that kind of discouragement 0:53:08.120 --> 0:53:13.200 if you don't believe that God is with you and 0:53:13.360 --> 0:53:18.319 for you? He said, sind two spies, not too many. 0:53:19.480 --> 0:53:21.359 You don't need a whole bunch of this right now. 0:53:21.719 --> 0:53:23.640 You need to focus on what God spoke to you. 0:53:24.000 --> 0:53:26.399 So here's the question I want going through your mind. 0:53:26.719 --> 0:53:30.839 What is something I know God spoke that I can 0:53:31.000 --> 0:53:38.040 obey today? Get it? What is something I know God 0:53:38.160 --> 0:53:43.319 spoke that I can obey today? Do you see how 0:53:43.360 --> 0:53:45.560 different that is than what we run around managing a 0:53:45.640 --> 0:53:48.320 lot of times we run around thinking like, oh, I 0:53:48.360 --> 0:53:51.400 got to get my life together. If you do it 0:53:51.560 --> 0:53:56.200 like that, you're gonna fall apart. That's too much. Now. 0:53:56.280 --> 0:53:58.520 The enemy's just listing stuff you need to fix in 0:53:58.600 --> 0:54:01.400 your life. You need to fix your attitude. You need 0:54:01.440 --> 0:54:03.600 to fix your relationships. You need to fix your money. 0:54:03.680 --> 0:54:07.120 You need to fix your kitchen, sink and a toilet 0:54:09.360 --> 0:54:13.359 too much. Watch what Joshua said in chapter two, verse one. 0:54:13.360 --> 0:54:16.920 He said, go to spies. It's an inside job. We're 0:54:17.040 --> 0:54:18.719 gonna We're not gonna make a big deal about this. 0:54:18.800 --> 0:54:22.960 We're just going to focus our faith right now. I 0:54:23.040 --> 0:54:25.520 not only feel that God called me to impart faith 0:54:25.560 --> 0:54:28.760 to you today in this series, but also to impart focus. 0:54:30.719 --> 0:54:33.960 What is the next thing you need to face? Just that? 0:54:35.400 --> 0:54:38.279 What is the one thing? Because Jericho was like the 0:54:38.480 --> 0:54:41.920 key city, it was the strategic command center. It's like 0:54:42.200 --> 0:54:45.360 your mind is to your body. If they got in Jericho, 0:54:45.760 --> 0:54:48.040 they could take the rest of the land. And I 0:54:48.160 --> 0:54:50.480 am telling you the enemy is trying to get you 0:54:50.640 --> 0:54:54.120 to focus on too much so that all you want 0:54:54.160 --> 0:54:57.200 to do is go take a nap and do it tomorrow. 0:54:57.760 --> 0:55:04.480 But no, who cannot call to What can I do today? Oh? 0:55:04.520 --> 0:55:05.880 Well I don't have money. Well what would you do 0:55:05.920 --> 0:55:07.480 if you did have money? Do a little bit of that. 0:55:08.560 --> 0:55:11.080 I don't have time to go work out? Well you know, 0:55:11.680 --> 0:55:14.279 I do it. I don't have time. You got ten minutes, Yeah, 0:55:14.280 --> 0:55:17.920 I got ten minutes. Do ten minutes. I would work 0:55:17.960 --> 0:55:20.320 out for an hour. Okay, do the thing that you 0:55:20.440 --> 0:55:25.080 would do for an hour for ten minutes. You don't 0:55:25.120 --> 0:55:27.640 get it. I heard a guy say the other day, 0:55:27.719 --> 0:55:30.200 if I was a billionaire, i'd build orphanages in Africa. 0:55:30.440 --> 0:55:32.719 I said, do you support the outreach ministry of your church? 0:55:33.719 --> 0:55:36.560 You can go over here. So what in offensive? He's like, 0:55:36.680 --> 0:55:40.879 not explicitly. I'm like, what does that mean? Not explicitly? 0:55:40.920 --> 0:55:43.000 All the stuff we say to avoid doing stuff, you 0:55:43.040 --> 0:55:46.319 wouldn't do it at a billionaire level. If you won't 0:55:46.360 --> 0:55:53.160 do it at this level, that's deception. And this goes deep, 0:55:53.320 --> 0:55:57.120 right because the things that you're really discouraged about are 0:55:57.239 --> 0:56:00.320 running deep. And so you're like, if I had I 0:56:00.360 --> 0:56:05.120 would do that. Okay, do the thing that you would 0:56:05.239 --> 0:56:09.399 do if you had that. What would you do if 0:56:09.440 --> 0:56:13.120 you did? Okay, I don't have Let me make up 0:56:13.160 --> 0:56:15.800 another one. I don't have kids right now, and I 0:56:15.880 --> 0:56:18.600 want kids, Okay, what would you do with your kids 0:56:18.640 --> 0:56:21.160 if you had them? I would love them? Then who 0:56:21.200 --> 0:56:28.600 can you love? I don't have prayer time in the 0:56:28.680 --> 0:56:29.960 morning because I have to leave it at five point 0:56:29.960 --> 0:56:36.800 thirty for my job. The car is the sanctuary. Do 0:56:36.960 --> 0:56:38.719 the thing that you would do sitting there at the 0:56:38.760 --> 0:56:41.919 table anyway, and do it on the road, and plug 0:56:42.040 --> 0:56:45.000 the iPhone in and put me in your device, and 0:56:45.120 --> 0:56:47.560 I'll be your spotter. I'll start talking to you. I 0:56:47.640 --> 0:56:49.440 will preach this same I'll make a deal with you. 0:56:49.840 --> 0:56:53.120 I will meet you tomorrow morning and preach you this 0:56:53.400 --> 0:56:57.520 same sermon word for word on your device. I'll be 0:56:57.680 --> 0:57:02.720 your spotter, and see can be your crutieth. And together 0:57:03.440 --> 0:57:11.279 we're going in to something amazing. So get ready for it, 0:57:13.440 --> 0:57:19.120 get strong for it, and be careful what you led 0:57:20.040 --> 0:57:25.440 in your heart. I've met week Stephen. I've met strong Stephen. 0:57:26.360 --> 0:57:27.960 And you know what the Lord is teaching me to do. 0:57:28.040 --> 0:57:35.040 When I'm weak, say I'm strong, and do the thing 0:57:35.120 --> 0:57:39.320 you would do if you were strong. When you get 0:57:39.400 --> 0:57:42.040 this going in your life, you're going to be able 0:57:42.080 --> 0:57:44.040 to do everything that the Lord commanded you to do, 0:57:44.360 --> 0:57:46.760 not everything he commanded somebody else to do, and not 0:57:47.000 --> 0:57:51.840 everything you're in laws think you should do, and not 0:57:51.960 --> 0:57:53.760 everything that your mom or your dad hoped that you 0:57:53.760 --> 0:57:55.400 would do that they didn't do, so they're taking it 0:57:55.480 --> 0:57:58.200 out on you. But the thing that God made you 0:57:58.440 --> 0:58:03.680 to do, core you. I speak to that you today, 0:58:06.680 --> 0:58:09.760 who's in your head? Say let's get the Holy Spirit 0:58:09.800 --> 0:58:14.960 in there for a minute, telling you, hey, I'll be 0:58:15.080 --> 0:58:18.560 with you. Come on, y'all. They went to Jericho and 0:58:18.680 --> 0:58:21.360 God was with them to knock down walls. You think 0:58:21.400 --> 0:58:24.800 he's not with you. They went to a prostitute's house, 0:58:26.360 --> 0:58:30.080 stayed there. God used even the enemies to confirm his purpose. 0:58:30.440 --> 0:58:32.840 You think he's not with you. So I started showing 0:58:32.880 --> 0:58:36.520 up to the church and I started saying this. I 0:58:36.600 --> 0:58:38.360 say it out loud because there's nobody with me in 0:58:38.440 --> 0:58:41.280 the car. Well. Shoot, if there was somebody, i'd tell him, hey, 0:58:41.320 --> 0:58:44.920 watch this. I don't care anymore. I would rather look 0:58:44.960 --> 0:58:46.760 crazy than be crazy. But that's just the point in 0:58:46.800 --> 0:58:51.000 my life I'm at. I say, God is not against me. 0:58:53.160 --> 0:58:59.720 He is in it with me, working through me, fighting 0:58:59.760 --> 0:59:12.880 for me. God is not against me. Do the thing 0:59:13.000 --> 0:59:15.000 that you would do if you believed God was not 0:59:15.080 --> 0:59:21.320 against you. Do the thing that you the one God knows, 0:59:21.440 --> 0:59:25.760 the knew you the Jeremiah one to five. You do 0:59:25.920 --> 0:59:30.480 the thing that you the kind, you, the whole. You 0:59:30.720 --> 0:59:35.800 do the thing that you would do, one step at 0:59:35.800 --> 0:59:39.400 a time. Joshua told the spies, just Jericho, don't look 0:59:39.440 --> 0:59:43.080 around at the whole land. You're going to get discouraged. 0:59:43.560 --> 0:59:47.240 Just Jericho and do the thing that you would do 0:59:47.480 --> 0:59:50.320 if you knew what to do. Do the thing that 0:59:50.440 --> 0:59:53.800 you would do. Take a step in that direction toward God, 0:59:54.080 --> 0:59:57.120 because I see people in my spirit right now who 0:59:57.240 --> 1:00:02.280 need to take one step forward. And so let's change 1:00:02.320 --> 1:00:07.120 your not medication, but your meditation today. Let's do it 1:00:07.280 --> 1:00:10.920 real quick, say it out loud. God is not against me. 1:00:13.920 --> 1:00:15.840 I really need you to feel that, because if you're 1:00:15.880 --> 1:00:17.280 just like, okay, if we say it, he'll let us go, 1:00:17.360 --> 1:00:20.680 and I'm hungry, then nothing happened. But I want you 1:00:20.760 --> 1:00:22.080 to get this in your headset so I can get 1:00:22.120 --> 1:00:23.919 in your mindset, so it can get in your mouth, 1:00:23.960 --> 1:00:25.440 so it can get in your life, so it can 1:00:25.520 --> 1:00:27.200 get in your marriage, so it can get all up 1:00:27.240 --> 1:00:35.080 in your business. God is not against me. Jesus died 1:00:35.160 --> 1:00:37.280 for me. God sees me through eyes of love. He 1:00:37.360 --> 1:00:39.480 looks at me with the very same affection that he 1:00:39.600 --> 1:00:41.840 looks at his son, who gave his life for me. 1:00:43.040 --> 1:00:46.600 So I know he's not against me. If he was 1:00:46.640 --> 1:00:49.240 against me, he would already because I saw what he 1:00:49.320 --> 1:00:53.880 did to Pharaoh. He was against Pharaoh he not against me. 1:00:55.520 --> 1:00:59.760 God is not against me, but he's in it with me. 1:01:01.320 --> 1:01:03.160 He said, I'll be with you wherever you go. Now 1:01:03.240 --> 1:01:05.200 put that in your heart. God is in this with me. 1:01:05.840 --> 1:01:08.200 God is in this with me. You say that when 1:01:08.240 --> 1:01:10.280 you come to church. I need you to say it 1:01:10.400 --> 1:01:13.560 as you're walking out of here into it. God is 1:01:13.600 --> 1:01:15.680 in this with me. God is in it with me. 1:01:16.120 --> 1:01:18.040 God is in it with me. God is in it 1:01:18.160 --> 1:01:20.200 with me. Three thirty in the morning. Oh, I'm going 1:01:20.280 --> 1:01:22.280 to be in front of that board on Tuesday, and 1:01:22.920 --> 1:01:24.680 God is going to be in it with me. God 1:01:24.720 --> 1:01:27.640 will already have the coffee made when I get there 1:01:27.840 --> 1:01:29.840 because God is in it with me. He will be 1:01:29.960 --> 1:01:34.120 with me wherever I go. He's already preparing for me 1:01:34.520 --> 1:01:37.400 what He is preparing me for. God is in it 1:01:37.560 --> 1:01:39.560 with me. I want it to get in your head. 1:01:39.800 --> 1:01:41.760 I want it to get in your heart. God is 1:01:41.800 --> 1:01:44.960 in it with me. But I'm not selfish. He's working 1:01:45.200 --> 1:01:48.959 through me. God wants to flow through you. God wants 1:01:49.080 --> 1:01:55.960 to use you, and he's fighting for me. I want 1:01:56.000 --> 1:01:59.280 you to get this in your heart so deep this week. 1:01:59.600 --> 1:02:02.560 Put in in that chorus for make Away that you 1:02:02.640 --> 1:02:05.040 can almost make a song out of it where you 1:02:05.080 --> 1:02:07.720 could just walk around. I don't remember how the chorus 1:02:08.120 --> 1:02:10.120 went at the moment, but I was just hearing it, 1:02:10.280 --> 1:02:19.320 like God is not against me. God is not against me. 1:02:20.880 --> 1:02:23.520 That's the key, right, because if I just say it, 1:02:23.560 --> 1:02:25.120 they'll forget it. But if I sing it, we might 1:02:25.200 --> 1:02:31.680 remember it. God is not a guesst me. God is 1:02:31.800 --> 1:02:35.360 not guesst me. I'm gonna do the whole thing. Put 1:02:35.400 --> 1:02:38.120 it on the screen, y'all. Let's turn this real quick. 1:02:39.600 --> 1:02:43.400 I talked to doctor God on your behalf. He said, 1:02:43.440 --> 1:02:46.840 you've been discouraged and it's becoming a disease. So he 1:02:46.960 --> 1:02:50.440 said that you need to come. I'll be the pharmacist. 1:02:50.800 --> 1:02:54.200 He said, this is the pharmacy. He is the doctor, 1:02:54.760 --> 1:02:58.840 and he wants to change not your medication, but your meditation. 1:03:00.120 --> 1:03:02.880 Once you walking around all week saying stuff like this 1:03:03.080 --> 1:03:07.640 to yourself. God is not against me. Let's say it. 1:03:07.960 --> 1:03:13.120 But he's in it with me, working through me, fighting 1:03:13.680 --> 1:03:18.320 for me. Again. God is not against me, but he's 1:03:18.520 --> 1:03:24.280 in it with me, working through me, fighting for me again. 1:03:24.800 --> 1:03:26.960 God is not against me. I want to see it 1:03:27.000 --> 1:03:29.680 all in the chat. But he's in it with me, 1:03:30.320 --> 1:03:34.560 working through me, fighting for me. You feel that faith 1:03:34.640 --> 1:03:37.160 coming right now. Let's do it a couple more times. 1:03:37.640 --> 1:03:41.040 Let the Canaanite snow, let the Hittite snow, Let the 1:03:41.160 --> 1:03:45.360 Jebusite snow. Let the anxiety I know, let the depression 1:03:45.440 --> 1:03:48.920 I snow, Let the loneliness I know. Let him know. 1:03:49.480 --> 1:03:54.400 God is not against me, but he's in it with me. 1:03:55.040 --> 1:03:59.880 He's working through me, fighting for me. Again, God is 1:04:00.000 --> 1:04:04.040 He's not against me, He's in it with me, working 1:04:04.480 --> 1:04:09.000 through me, fighting for me. One more time. God is 1:04:09.160 --> 1:04:14.000 not against me, but he's in it with me. Do 1:04:14.800 --> 1:04:17.600 what you would do if you believe God was in 1:04:17.720 --> 1:04:21.960 it with you? How would you praise him right now? 1:04:22.000 --> 1:04:25.200 If you believe He was in it with you? How 1:04:25.200 --> 1:04:27.800 would you stand in the fire if you knew he 1:04:28.000 --> 1:04:30.520 was in it, if you knew that not only was 1:04:30.560 --> 1:04:33.520 He in it with you, but He was working through you, 1:04:34.240 --> 1:04:38.640 flowing through you, setting generation free through you. I feel 1:04:38.880 --> 1:04:42.240 God working through me right now to come through that 1:04:42.400 --> 1:04:46.640 camera and tell you God is not against me, but 1:04:46.840 --> 1:04:50.840 he's in it with me. He's working through me, and 1:04:51.000 --> 1:04:54.800 he's fighting for me. Do what you would do if 1:04:54.840 --> 1:05:00.200 you believed it shound like you would shout. If you 1:05:00.360 --> 1:05:04.560 believe it, shout like you wouldn't shout in your film, 1:05:05.560 --> 1:05:12.080 that's you do, not you doing? Come on doing what 1:05:12.240 --> 1:05:15.480 you would do if you know do what you would do, 1:05:16.440 --> 1:05:30.800 you would do it, if you will make all right, 1:05:31.880 --> 1:05:34.680 Let's get this medical Let's get this meditation, medication to 1:05:34.720 --> 1:05:39.320 go down. Say, I guess me, but he's in it 1:05:39.480 --> 1:05:45.800 with me, working through me. It's fighting for me. You 1:05:45.960 --> 1:05:49.960 know it's not against me, but he's in it with me, 1:05:51.400 --> 1:05:54.080 fighting for me. Only got two? How are we doing? 1:05:54.760 --> 1:05:59.000 God is not against me, but he's in it with me, 1:05:59.320 --> 1:06:02.560 working through me, fighting for me. Like that. Here we 1:06:02.640 --> 1:06:08.600 go turn this man's wake up. Let's get some meditation. 1:06:09.040 --> 1:06:13.520 Meta follow me. Let's get this discouragement out. God not 1:06:13.840 --> 1:06:17.720 again me, but he's in it with me. You're working 1:06:17.800 --> 1:06:21.320 through me, fighting on the screen, y'all? What it off there? 1:06:21.840 --> 1:06:27.200 God is not right down with me, working through me, 1:06:27.480 --> 1:06:31.400 fighting for me. Sa sa sa sa. Same. God is 1:06:31.560 --> 1:06:36.160 not again me. Why he's anyway with me, working through me, 1:06:36.520 --> 1:06:42.920 fighting for me? Why know God is not again, but 1:06:43.120 --> 1:06:46.040 he did it with me, working through me. Fight. Oh 1:06:46.120 --> 1:06:49.640 wait all week thinking out all way. God is not 1:06:49.960 --> 1:06:54.240 agay me, but he's doing with me, working through me. 1:06:54.560 --> 1:07:00.360 Fight ball of me God is not again for me, 1:07:00.920 --> 1:07:05.640 But he's in it with me working. Do me fight, Yes, 1:07:05.720 --> 1:07:08.960 he's in it with me working, doom me fighting, ball me. 1:07:09.320 --> 1:07:12.000 I know that he's in it with me working. Do 1:07:12.280 --> 1:07:19.720 me fighting? No knowing me working fight. Yes, he's being 1:07:19.800 --> 1:07:45.760 with me working, Do me fighting? Call me well. If 1:07:45.760 --> 1:07:48.040 you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a couple of things 1:07:48.120 --> 1:07:51.400 I'd love for you to do. Make sure to subscribe, rate, 1:07:51.720 --> 1:07:54.680 and review this podcast. You can also help us reach 1:07:54.760 --> 1:07:58.240 others by investing today at Elevation Church dot org. Slash 1:07:58.400 --> 1:08:01.120 GiB and thanks again for joining us on the Elevation 1:08:01.280 --> 1:08:01.760 Podcast