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This is not an 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:29.759 offer to buy your self securities, nor is it investment, 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:30.760 legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:37.160 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:39.840 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.559 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:53.360 for God's very best in your life. This is the 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:57.720 very first weekend here at the new Lakewood Church. We're 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.800 here at the former Compact Center after a year and 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:04.400 a half of renovations. We are celebrating what God has 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:07.480 done and there is so much history in this building. 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:10.560 For nearly thirty years, this has been one of the 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:14.679 premier facilities in our city. I'm told that over two 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:19.200 million people a year visit this building, and practically every 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.400 major musical artist has played here, and of course, the 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.919 Houston Rockets have won two World championships here. I used 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.120 to have season tickets right over there in section one 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:32.320 oh four, and growing up, never in my wildest dreams 0:02:32.520 --> 0:02:35.000 did I ever think that one day this building would 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:38.320 be ours. This is where I brought Victoria on our 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:42.200 first date nineteen years ago. We came in and sat 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:45.120 way up at the top. You may remember the story 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.480 somebody spilled beer all over heard. I thought, surely that 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.480 was the end. But thank God that we made it. 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:53.880 But isn't it great that we can all come together today. 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:56.360 Not for a ball game, not for a concert, nothing 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:59.320 wrong with that, but we can come together to celebrate 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:03.800 the good thing God has done. You know, for for 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:07.680 nearly thirty years, they've crowned champions in the sports field 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:10.320 in this building that I believe for the next thirty 0:03:10.400 --> 0:03:13.399 years we can crown people champions in life. We're gonna 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:16.079 let them know that they are victors and not victims. 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:18.400 We're gonna let them know that they can do all 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:21.960 things through Christ. And really, our message is a message 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:24.920 of hope, it's a message of victory, and it's for 0:03:25.040 --> 0:03:28.560 all people. That's one thing I love about Lakewood. We 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:33.600 have people from every race, every social standing, every background, 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:37.200 every denomination. I mean, that's what Heaven is gonna be like. 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:41.320 People ask me all the time. Reporter asked me last week, 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:44.880 how did y'all get the church so diverse? The truth is, 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:47.880 we never tried to do it. God did it. Really, 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:49.760 it's a testament to each one of you. It's a 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:52.960 testament to the people of Lakewood. That just shows me 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:55.320 you don't look at the outside, you look at the heart. 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:59.040 Daddy used to say, where there's grace, there is no race. 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.680 It's like that story I heard about these two guys 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:06.560 named Archie and Jack. They argued for years whether Jesus 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:09.920 was white or black. Archie was sure he was white, 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:12.320 and Jack was just as certain he was black. And 0:04:12.360 --> 0:04:14.200 his fate would have it, they both died on the 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:17.040 same day. They rushed to the pearly gates and they said, 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:20.120 Saint Peter, please tell us was Jesus white or was 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.760 he black? We've been arguing our whole lifetime. About that time, 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:31.400 Jesus walked up and said, buenos dias. We have to 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:36.680 realize that God likes variety. He made us different on purpose. 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.599 Have you noticed when some people worship, they sing and 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.520 shout and lift the hands. Other people they're more quiet 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:46.200 and reserved. You know what, That's okay. God's given us 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:51.279 different traits, different personalities, different looks. Think about it like this. 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:54.480 The same God that made the poodle made the bulldog. 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:58.880 Same God that made the butterfly made the cockroach. The 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:05.160 same God that made me made my brother. I didn't 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:09.640 say it was ugly. Come on, seriously, I don't believe 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:11.800 that I would be standing here today if it were 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:14.800 not for the faithfulness and the obedience of one man. 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:18.200 And that man was my father. Daddy had a heart 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.880 of compassion. His love for God was seen in his 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:26.080 true love for people. And everywhere that we went, I 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:29.640 would see my father encouraging the bellman at the hotel, 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:33.400 given the security guard twenty dollars. In India, he would 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:35.799 stop just to take time to play with the kids. 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:40.040 He invested in their lives. He loved people, and Daddy 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:43.600 was a man of integrity. He always took the high road, 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:47.279 served in the ministry for some sixty years, and people 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:50.320 that knew him had nothing but respect for him. And 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:52.880 it was those two things that made such an impression 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.360 on me. His love for people and his life of 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:59.680 integrity that really impacted my life. And I know my 0:05:59.760 --> 0:06:03.440 father is looking down on us right now. He's so proud. 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:06.359 He's saying, keep on keeping on, keep on fighting the 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:08.680 good fight of faith. And Daddy, I just want to 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:10.680 tell you that I love you, I miss you, and 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:14.360 I thank you for all that you've sown into my life. See, 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:17.760 I know I'm reaping many benefits because of my mother 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:22.080 and my father and many others that have so sacrificially 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:26.080 and faithfully served it before us. Many of you even 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.560 here today. You've given your time, your energy, your finances 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:33.080 for twenty thirty, even forty years to help us build 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:35.880 this place. And for that we want to say thank 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.760 you for your labor of love. It's like my father 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.000 and that first group of people, they took us right 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:44.280 up to the promised Land. They laid a great foundation 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:46.839 and did so much of the hard work. But now 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.160 you and I get to go into the promised land. 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:51.279 We get to see more of the goodness of God. 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:55.240 And I believe as Lakewood has entered into a new era, 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.880 that the same favor that's on our ministry, the same 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.960 promotion and increase that we've seen, is gonna flow right 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.039 down onto each one of you. And it's my desire 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:07.680 that today would be a time of new beginnings in 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:11.440 your life, a time of refreshing where you'd enlarge your 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:14.480 vision and believe that you can be all God's created 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.560 you to be. I know, I never dreamed that I 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:20.440 would be up here. My father, through the years, he 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.720 tried time and time again to get me up here 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.720 to preach, but I just didn't have the desire. I 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:30.000 remember toward the end of my father's life, people used 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:32.960 to ask him who's gonna take over when you're gone, 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:36.160 who you're grooming to be the next successor? And really, 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:39.360 Daddy didn't have anybody. And I know it sounds kind 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:41.920 of naive, but it didn't seem to bother him in 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.320 the least bit. They would ask him, and he say, oh, 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:46.760 I'm not worried about it. I know God will raise 0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:49.480 up somebody. I know God will not let his work 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:52.000 go down. And I used to think, yeah, God's going 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:56.440 to raise up somebody. Well, I had no idea it 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:58.880 was gonna be me. If I'd have known that, I 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:02.240 may not have agreed so quickly. But when Daddy went 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:04.560 to be with the Lord and we took over, our 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:07.600 goal was just to try to keep the church going, 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:11.600 just try to maintain, try to survive. After all, all 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:13.520 the critics had already told us how we weren't going 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:16.000 to make it. But isn't it great to look around 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.720 today and see what God has done. Really, this is 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:24.160 a testament to the faithfulness of God. The critics said 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:27.120 that we would go under, but God said, you'll go over. 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:30.000 The critics said we would have to shut our doors, 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:32.200 and in a sense, I guess they were right. We 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:34.600 had to shut those doors because they were too small. 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:37.439 We had to shut those doors so we could come 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:44.120 down to a Texas size sanctuary. God has done more 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.040 than we could even ask or think. And I hope 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:49.720 you'll let this be an inspiration in your own life. 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:53.040 God has great things in store for you. There's no 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:57.240 obstacle too big, there's no challenge too difficult. If God 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.560 did this for us, certainly he can bring your dreams 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:03.240 to pass and I know one of the reasons that 0:09:03.320 --> 0:09:06.440 we're seeing this favor in this increase is because of 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:10.320 God's faithfulness to my father. See, when you are faithful 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:13.120 to God, he'll not only be faithful to you, he'll 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:17.120 be faithful to your children. He'll be faithful to your grandchildren. 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:19.640 When you do your best to live a life that's 0:09:19.720 --> 0:09:23.880 pleasing to God, you are so in seeds for future generations. 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.920 I remember a few years ago when our son Jonathan 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:29.440 was about six years old. We were driving here in 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:32.760 front of the freeway and I slowed down and I said, look, Jonathan, 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.240 one day that's going to be your building. That's the 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:37.640 Compact Center. One day you're going to be in their preaching. 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.600 He shook his head and said, no, Daddy, one day, 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:44.400 I'm going to get the Reliant Stadium. And I thought, 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:48.679 I like that. He's got a big vision. And really, 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:51.440 that's what God wants from each one of us. Some 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.920 of you today you're stuck in a rut thinking that 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.640 you've reached your limits. Well, Joel, I've gone as far 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:59.439 as my parents. No God wants you to go further. 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.079 The first year after Daddy died, I wore a pair 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:06.760 of his shoes to speak in every Sunday. I don't 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:08.920 really know why I did it. I guess it just 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:11.840 felt right. I was drawn strength from knowing that he 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.600 had stood in those same shoes. But on the first 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:17.160 Sunday of the year two thousand, I'll never forget, I 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.760 put my father's shoes away and I put on a 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.840 pair of my own shoes, and I've never worn his since. 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:27.000 That time was very significant to me, because up until then, 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:29.720 I know I was being carried by my father's grace 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:33.200 and by your loyalty to my dad. But at that time, 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:36.120 it's like a light turned on in the inside. God 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:38.400 gave me the confidence I needed. I thought, Hey, I 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:40.280 can do this. This is what I was born for. 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:43.480 People used to ask me back then, Joel, do you 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:46.240 really think you can fill your father's shoes? Do you 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.040 really think you can keep the church going? And I 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:51.080 would always tell them, and I didn't say it arrogantly, 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:53.720 but I'd say, you know what, I believe, with God's help, 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.160 we can not only keep the church going, but we 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:58.800 can go further than my dad went. I believe we 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:01.960 can reach new heights. And today, as we celebrate this 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:05.079 great victory, it's just another part of that dream coming 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:08.439 to pass. It's another part of the faithfulness of God. 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:11.920 And I know God has raised Lakewood up as an example. 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:15.800 He's chosen us to be one of the leaders. It's 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:19.000 my prayer that pastors and ministers all over the world 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.720 will get a bigger vision. Letus believe that in every 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:26.000 major city there can be churches just like this, with 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:29.760 fifteen twenty thousand people at each service, not focused on 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:35.400 a denomination, not focused on them, not focused on rules 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:38.959 and regulations, but rather focused on lifting up the name 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:43.959 of Jesus, focused on giving people hope and encouragement. And really, 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:46.960 it's an exciting time to be alive. I've never seen 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:50.320 a hunger for God like I've seen today. Faith in 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:53.040 our society is at an all time high. And yes, 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:55.679 I know there are some negative things happening, but I 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:59.800 believe there is a spiritual awakening taking place. I believe 0:11:59.800 --> 0:12:02.400 God God is on the verge of doing some unusual things, 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:05.640 and I can tell you we are seeing doors open 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:09.520 for us in unprecedented ways. I pray every day for 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:13.440 God's far and beyond favor, not just for me and 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:15.880 my family, but I pray it for every one of you, 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:18.960 all of our friends. Somebody has said, when you go 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:21.760 into a city, you can see what's important to the 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:24.719 people by the buildings they have built. And most of 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:28.800 the time it's office towers and sports arenas stadiums, And 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:32.240 nothing wrong with that. But isn't it great now when 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:34.720 people come into our city the city of Houston, one 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.840 of the major landmarks is a house of worship when 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:43.559 people drive by. When people drive by, they can tell 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.280 their friends, Hey, that's a place of hope, that's a 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.600 place of healing. I want to publicly thank the city 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:53.160 leaders the city government for believing in us enough to 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.720 make it possible that we could be here, not only today, 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:58.839 but for the next sixty years. Says a whole lot 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:01.360 about what our city is stand for. That they would 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:06.280 lease a premier facility to a church. I was thinking 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:09.960 about when my father started Lakewood back in nineteen fifty nine. 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:12.360 They were in that abandoned feed store and they cleaned 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.120 it out, put some chairs in it and started having 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.000 church on Mother's Day. And people came by and told 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:21.319 my dad, John, nobody's gonna come. You got this old 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:24.600 rundown building. You're not in a real good location. You 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:27.720 just can't build a big church out here. But I 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:30.960 love this about my father. He never listened to the naysayers. 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.680 He knew God had put that dream in his heart, 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:37.000 and so he just kept pressing forward. One thing I've 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:39.679 discovered is that people will try to talk you out 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.920 of your dreams. As a rule. More often than not, 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.120 people will tell you what you can't do instead of 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:49.000 what you can do. The scripture says, a wide door 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:53.160 of opportunity is open for me, and there are many adversaries. 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:57.040 In other words, anytime you try to go forward, anytime 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.840 you try to fulfill your God given destiny, there's going 0:13:59.880 --> 0:14:02.800 to be opposition. There's gonna be people telling you that 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.480 you can't do it, and that's why you've got to 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:09.040 stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. People 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.080 give up way too easily these days. If you have 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:14.719 a dream in your heart, my prayer is that that 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.880 dream today is going to really take root, and you're 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.160 gonna know that you know that you know that you 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.360 can be all God's created you to be, and you 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:26.320 can accomplish everything that He's put in your heart. Well, 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.920 five years and fourteen days ago, myself and a handful 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:33.440 of people met for the first time about acquiring the 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.600 Compact Center. We had tried for many months to buy 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:39.600 property to build a new facility, but those doors just 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:42.840 kept closing. And when we got word that the rockets 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:46.280 were moving out and this might be available, I knew, 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.080 deep down in my heart that's what God wanted us 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.520 to pursue, and so we started taking some steps of faith. 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:55.960 But man, when the word got out on the streets, 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:59.200 you would not believe how many people tried to discourage us. 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:02.280 On the main business leaders called me and he meant, well, 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:05.640 but he said, Joel, don't waste your time, don't waste 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:08.120 your money. You don't even have a chance. Don't even 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:12.240 go there, Just like back with my father. People were 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.800 trying to talk us into giving up before we even tried. 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:17.080 And I didn't know for sure that we were going 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.480 to really get this place. But our attitude was God, 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:23.120 we know you put this in our hearts, and if 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:25.240 it doesn't work out, we know you've got something better. 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.680 But we are not going to let people talk us 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:29.800 out of it. We are not going to just give 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.200 up and not even try just because we're listening to 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:36.320 all the naysayers. I like what the apostle Paul said 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:40.200 in Romans three. He said, what if some do not believe? 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.960 Will their unbelief make the faith of God of no 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:48.360 effect in your life? One translation says, so what if 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:52.480 they don't believe? In other words, just because somebody else 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:55.760 doesn't believe in your dream, that doesn't change anything. The 0:15:55.800 --> 0:15:58.640 good news is you don't have to have every person 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.440 on board in order to see your dreams come to pass. 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.800 And you're never gonna get every family member and every 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.680 business associate, neighbor to agree with you and to cheer 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:10.440 you on. In fact, a lot of times they'll say, 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.680 you're gonna do what? I don't think that's possible. You 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:16.720 can't get the compact center. I don't think we should 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:19.680 be disrespectful, but sometimes we got to have an attitude 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:22.040 like the apostle Paul and say, so what if you 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:25.080 don't believe? In other words, I'm not gonna let your 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:27.920 lack of faith still my faith. God didn't put the 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:32.360 dream in you, He put the dream in me. And 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:36.520 that's exactly what we did. Report after report came in, 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:39.320 So and so doesn't think it's a good idea. Our 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:42.480 attitude was, so what if he doesn't believe? Are this 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:46.000 other expert Joe. He just doesn't think it's gonna be possible. Fine, 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:48.720 we know the things that are impossible with men are 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:52.040 possible with God. And it's great to have people to 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.400 believe in you. It's great when people are cheering you on. 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:57.800 But you're not always gonna be able to find somebody 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:00.280 to encourage you. You're gonna have to learn how to 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:03.000 encourage yourselves. You got to learn how to dig your 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.600 heels in and say, God, I know you put this 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.840 dream in my heart. And every circumstance looks like it's 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:11.920 not gonna happen. All my friends are telling me no way. 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:14.439 But God, I know you can make away. I know 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:18.080 you can do what men can't do. I think about David. 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:20.080 You know, when he was just a teenager, he went 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:23.080 out to face Goliath and all of his brothers, all 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:26.320 the people around him. They tried to discourage him. They 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:29.520 laughed at him, kind of made fun of him, ridiculed him. 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:33.440 They said, David, you're gonna do what face Goliath. You're 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:35.400 just a kid. You don't have a chance. You're gonna 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:38.119 embarrass us. Go on back and take care of your sheep. 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:40.760 But I love what David did. He let it go 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.399 in one ear and out the other ear. His attitude was, 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:46.199 so what if you don't believe? And he said to them, 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.720 in effect, guys, you better get a good seat and 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:51.280 don't turn your head, because this battle's not gonna take 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:53.680 me long. I got the power of the most High 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:58.040 God on the inside of me, he said, in effact. 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:01.080 I know Goliath may be big, but my God is 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:03.720 much much bigger. And you know the story. He went 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:06.520 out there and with a slingshot and a few smooth stones, 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.760 he defeated Goliath and became the king. But he could 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:12.159 have so easily let people talk him out of his 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.560 divine destiny. And I know it's good to get advice, 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:19.080 it's good to be open and listen to wise counsel. 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:21.720 But when something is in your heart and you know 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:24.600 God's placed it there, you got to keep pressing on, 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:29.000 keep believing, keep hoping, keep praying. Somebody may say you 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.280 really think you're ever gonna get out of debt. I've 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.240 seen your finances, know, So what if they don't believe? 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:37.239 You really think you're gonna get that promotion. You got 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.719 one hundred people in front of you, So what if 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.640 they don't believe? Or how about this, You really think 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:45.760 you're gonna get well. My aunt had that same sickness 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:48.879 you hadn't. She died in three months. No quit letting 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.840 people discourage you. God didn't put the sea to hope 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:55.600 in them. He put it in you. Keep believing, keep 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:59.960 pressing forward, and you've got to quit looking at what 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:03.080 but you don't have. All David had was a slingshot 0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:06.639 and a few smooth stones. All Moses had was a 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:10.639 rod a stick. He threw it down, it became a snake. 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:13.000 He picked it up, and God's used it to part 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:16.240 the Red sea with just a stick. Every one of 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:19.399 you has more than that. All the disciples had were 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:22.280 a few fish and a few loaves of bread, Yet 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:25.920 God used it to feed the thousands. You have everything 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:29.240 you need to fulfill your God given destiny. You got 0:19:29.240 --> 0:19:31.600 to quit looking at how big your giants are and 0:19:31.640 --> 0:19:34.280 start looking at how big your God is. That's what 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:37.679 we did over these last five years. It has not 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:39.960 been an easy road where we just kicked back and 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:42.840 coasted to victory. No, we had to press through the 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:46.520 discouraging times. We had to not allow ourselves to be 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:50.000 poisoned by the naysayers. We had to believe even though 0:19:50.040 --> 0:19:53.120 we didn't see anything happening, we had to keep moving forward, 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:56.800 even though we felt like giving up. Time after time. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:20:00.160 As we did that, God began to supernaturally change things 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:02.920 and supernaturally make a way where it looked like there 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:05.960 was no way. I remember when it came down to 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.640 the final city council vote, we were one vote shy, 0:20:10.119 --> 0:20:12.600 and it was just a couple days away, and we 0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:15.840 went back and met with another council member, council member Goldberg, 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:18.440 who's here today, and he changed his mind that day, 0:20:18.520 --> 0:20:23.359 voted for us, and here we are this morning. He 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:26.520 said something interesting to me. He's Jewish, he said. Later, 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:29.040 he said, Joe, it's kind of funny here a young 0:20:29.160 --> 0:20:33.360 Jewish man is voting so a young Christian man can 0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:37.200 have your church in my district. God works in mysterious ways, 0:20:37.200 --> 0:20:42.399 doesn't he. When we first started going after this place, 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:45.080 a friend of mine came back from this big business 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:47.480 luncheon and he said, Joel, they were kind of making 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:49.920 fun of you today, thinking that you could really get 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:52.760 the Compact Center. He said, this guy stood up at 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:54.520 my table and he didn't really know that I knew you, 0:20:54.640 --> 0:20:56.640 and he kind of laughed. And he said, yeah, it'll 0:20:56.680 --> 0:20:59.840 be a cold day in Hell before Lakewood ever gets 0:20:59.880 --> 0:21:03.120 the Compact Center. I was thinking today, how it must 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:06.000 be a little bit cold down there, because here we are. 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:13.560 God has done great things. We give him all the praise, 0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:17.000 all the honor, all the glory. Somebody asked me a 0:21:17.040 --> 0:21:20.200 reporter last week, what's next for Lakewood. All I could 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:23.240 say was, I don't know. I never dreamed we'd be here. 0:21:23.800 --> 0:21:26.280 All I've learned through this last six years is you 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:29.359 got to take the limits off of God. In nineteen 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:32.359 eighty eight, when my father built the sanctuary that holds 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:35.480 eight thousand, remember walking in the first time. It was 0:21:35.480 --> 0:21:38.760 so big. I thought to myself, we will never fill 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:42.879 this place. It's huge. Yet seventeen years later it's too small. 0:21:42.920 --> 0:21:45.239 We had to move out. I look around at this 0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:48.440 place today and it already looks too small. I think. 0:21:49.800 --> 0:21:52.080 I think my son Jonathan was right. We may need 0:21:52.119 --> 0:21:58.400 a bigger place. But I know this, this is only 0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:01.679 the beginning, and we could not be more thrilled to 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:03.800 have you as a part of it with us. We 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:06.600 know we're all in this together. So many of you 0:22:06.680 --> 0:22:09.439 watch us by television. Thank you for letting us be 0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:12.080 a part of your lives. Victoria and I want you 0:22:12.119 --> 0:22:14.720 to know how much we love you. We counted a 0:22:14.760 --> 0:22:17.160 great honor to be your pastors and to be able 0:22:17.200 --> 0:22:19.840 to stand before you. It's our goal to see you 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:23.280 grow and become all God's created you to be. Some 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:26.240 of you have supported us from the very beginning. When 0:22:26.240 --> 0:22:28.560 I first started, I didn't even know if I could preach. 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:31.000 I was so nervous. Yet you believed in me. You 0:22:31.080 --> 0:22:33.560 cheered me on. Thank you for that, and many of 0:22:33.560 --> 0:22:36.639 you have written me letters. Just by your being here today, 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:39.520 I see so many great friends that mean so much 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:41.960 to us. Thank you for the bottom of our hearts. 0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:45.160 Our commitment to you is that every time you walk 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:47.679 in these doors, every time you flip us on television, 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.000 we will build you up and not tear you down. 0:22:50.760 --> 0:22:52.800 We will focus on the love and the mercy and 0:22:52.840 --> 0:22:58.159 the goodness of God, not on judgment and condemnation. We 0:22:58.200 --> 0:23:01.359 will be there to lift you when you fall, to 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:03.919 comfort you in the tough times, as well as to 0:23:03.960 --> 0:23:06.760 rejoice with you in the good times, to celebrate the 0:23:06.880 --> 0:23:10.280 victories with you. We commit to you, like my father, 0:23:10.760 --> 0:23:13.720 that we will be people of integrity, that we will 0:23:13.920 --> 0:23:16.280 take the high road like Daddy did, and we'll do 0:23:16.359 --> 0:23:18.919 our best to make you proud to be examples of 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:22.240 what it means to live a holy and a godly life. 0:23:22.280 --> 0:23:24.320 Six and a half years ago, I was working behind 0:23:24.359 --> 0:23:27.160 the scenes here at the church doing the television production, 0:23:28.040 --> 0:23:30.679 just kind of living a nice, quiet, reserved life, and 0:23:31.000 --> 0:23:33.840 I can hardly believe how much God has promoted me. 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:36.840 I'm so humbled. I heard a coach talking to a 0:23:36.880 --> 0:23:40.760 reporter after his team just won a great championship, and 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:44.240 he said, all the glory goes to God, all the 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:47.560 credit goes to my team members, and the privilege has 0:23:47.600 --> 0:23:51.800 been mine. Really, that's how I feel today. Don't congratulate me. 0:23:52.119 --> 0:23:58.640 All the glory goes to God. The all the credit 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:03.040 goes to you, the people of Lakewood. It's because of 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:07.760 your faithfulness, your generosity, your willingness to get behind the vision. 0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:11.200 The credit goes to my mom, my dad, the original 0:24:11.200 --> 0:24:13.800 members that have stuck with us through the years. I 0:24:13.800 --> 0:24:17.120 can honestly say that the privilege has been on mine. 0:24:18.240 --> 0:24:20.400 Would you value heads in prayer with me today? Thank 0:24:20.400 --> 0:24:23.439 you so much. Some of you today have let the 0:24:23.480 --> 0:24:25.800 fire go out on the inside. You've kind of given 0:24:25.880 --> 0:24:29.600 up on your dreams and gotten complacent. But my message 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:32.600 to you is you've got to rekindle that fire. You've 0:24:32.600 --> 0:24:35.439 got to stir your faith. God has great things in 0:24:35.520 --> 0:24:38.320 store for each one of you. And I'm believing that 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:41.000 today is going to be the start of a new 0:24:41.080 --> 0:24:45.120 season in your life, a season of increase, a season 0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:49.520 of refreshing. And on this first weekend at our new facility, 0:24:50.080 --> 0:24:52.440 I want to speak some words of faith and victory 0:24:52.480 --> 0:24:54.960 over your lives. I want to speak a blessing over 0:24:55.000 --> 0:24:58.480 each one of you. You may remember in the Old Testament, 0:24:58.760 --> 0:25:01.480 when the father was getting close to death, he would 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:04.040 call his children in. He would lay his hands on 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:08.520 each child and speak loving faith build words over that child, 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:12.359 and those words could literally help set the direction for 0:25:12.440 --> 0:25:16.479 that child's future. It was called the blessing. I believe 0:25:16.480 --> 0:25:20.040 we can do the same thing today. Unfortunately, many of 0:25:20.080 --> 0:25:23.439 you have had so many negative things spoken over your lives, 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:28.119 and those words, just like seeds, they've taken root and 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:30.720 created a stronghold in your mind. Kind of like I 0:25:30.760 --> 0:25:32.800 was talking about, people telling you what you can't do, 0:25:33.359 --> 0:25:35.480 what you're not gonna be, how you're never gonna go 0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:39.280 any higher, and unless you change your thinking and get 0:25:39.359 --> 0:25:42.720 rid of that junk. You'll never become all God's created 0:25:42.760 --> 0:25:45.600 you to be, so with your heads about in prayer. 0:25:45.640 --> 0:25:48.560 First thing, before I speak words of faith over you, 0:25:48.760 --> 0:25:51.119 I'm gonna ask you to just get rid of every 0:25:51.160 --> 0:25:54.280 negative thing just ever been spoken over you. Doesn't matter 0:25:54.359 --> 0:25:56.520 who it was from. Maybe it was your parents, maybe 0:25:56.520 --> 0:25:59.159 they didn't know any better. Maybe it was from a 0:25:59.240 --> 0:26:02.720 spouse that was always beaten you down, a coach, a 0:26:02.760 --> 0:26:06.680 business associate. Just get rid of every bit of that junk, 0:26:06.720 --> 0:26:09.719 and then listen to these new words and my prayers 0:26:09.760 --> 0:26:12.280 that you'll let them sink deep down onto the inside 0:26:12.280 --> 0:26:15.080 of you, and that you'll not only hear my words, 0:26:15.640 --> 0:26:18.080 but that you'll hear God's words. I believe this is 0:26:18.119 --> 0:26:21.240 God's dream for your life. Father, thank you for this 0:26:21.280 --> 0:26:24.840 beautiful facility, for the opportunity to be here with all 0:26:24.920 --> 0:26:27.520 my friends today. We are so humbled at what you 0:26:27.640 --> 0:26:30.399 have done. And I don't stand up here in my 0:26:30.520 --> 0:26:34.199 authority nor in my own confidence, but I stand up 0:26:34.200 --> 0:26:36.800 here in the name of Jesus. I know I didn't 0:26:36.840 --> 0:26:40.160 choose you, but you chose each one of us. And Father, 0:26:40.280 --> 0:26:43.359 I declare right now the name of Jesus that every 0:26:43.400 --> 0:26:47.439 person under the sound of my voice is blessed. I 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:51.119 declare that you are blessed with God's wisdom, that you 0:26:51.280 --> 0:26:55.160 have clear direction in life, that you will always make 0:26:55.240 --> 0:26:59.680 good choices. I declare that you are blessed with creativity, 0:27:00.400 --> 0:27:06.359 with good ideas, with courage, with strength, with ability. I 0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:10.240 declare that you are blessed with good health, a good family, 0:27:11.040 --> 0:27:16.200 good friends, and a long prosperous life. And I declare 0:27:16.320 --> 0:27:18.439 that you will be blessed when you go in, and 0:27:18.480 --> 0:27:20.880 you will be blessed when you come out. You will 0:27:20.920 --> 0:27:23.320 be blessed in the country, you will be blessed in 0:27:23.359 --> 0:27:26.200 the city. And I declare that whatever you put your 0:27:26.240 --> 0:27:30.520 hands to will prosper and succeed. I declare that you 0:27:30.560 --> 0:27:33.600 will lend only and not have to borrow. That you 0:27:33.640 --> 0:27:36.159 will be the head and not to tell. And I 0:27:36.240 --> 0:27:40.120 declare that every negative thing that has been spoken over you, 0:27:40.600 --> 0:27:44.200 every curse so to speak, that right now that curse 0:27:44.480 --> 0:27:47.359 is being broken. I declare that things that have been 0:27:47.359 --> 0:27:50.280 in your family line for many generations that will no 0:27:50.400 --> 0:27:53.840 longer have any effect upon you and your family friends. 0:27:53.880 --> 0:27:56.879 I declare from this day forward you will sense a 0:27:56.920 --> 0:28:00.439 new sense of freedom, a new sense of joy, a 0:28:00.480 --> 0:28:04.560 new sense of victory. I declare that you are blessed, 0:28:04.600 --> 0:28:06.760 and if you receive it, putch you shout Amen. 0:28:07.359 --> 0:28:10.800 Thank you for listening to the joel Ostine podcast. Help 0:28:10.880 --> 0:28:13.920 us continue to share the message of hope with those. 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.520 All over the world. Visit Joelostin dot. 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:19.359 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:20.640 --> 0:28:23.560 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:23.560 --> 0:28:26.960 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:28:27.040 --> 0:28:30.240 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:28:30.400 --> 0:28:32.840 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:28:32.920 --> 0:28:33.400 next time. 0:28:40.520 --> 0:28:42.520 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:28:42.520 --> 0:28:44.680 as our weekend plans. So get the Sleep you Deserve 0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:46.800 with Lisa. 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