It's Not Too Late To Get Started

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Is it investment, legal or 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:00.560 tax advice. 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:04.440 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.520 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:12.039 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:14.080 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:19.040 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:21.480 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:26.320 forward with Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:30.399 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.160 Hi, this is Joelan Victoria. Thanks for listening to our 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:37.520 podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.160 today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:42.680 it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:55.160 God's very best in your life. Hey, God, bless you 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.640 always a joy that come into your homes. We love 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:01.360 you and we know God has great things in store. 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.000 If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:05.960 by and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:08.359 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:10.960 But thanks so much for tuning in today, and again 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:13.160 thank you for coming out. I like to start with 0:02:13.280 --> 0:02:16.560 something funny. And I heard about this scientist that said 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:20.200 to God, we've decided we no longer need you. We 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:24.040 can clone people, we can transplant hearts, and do all 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.960 kinds of things once considered miraculous. God said, that's fine. 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.280 But to prove that you don't need me, let's have 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.639 a man making contest. The only rule is you have 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.720 to make men out of dirt. The scientist of greed 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:39.200 and quickly reached down to pick up a handful of dirt. 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.280 And God said, not so fast, Go get your own dirt. 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:46.000 All right, let me tell you another one since his 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.320 Mother's day. This is from a viewer. Don't blame me. 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.359 Good mothers let their children lick the mixer when they're 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:59.760 making cookies. Great mothers turn the mixer off first. All right, 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:02.679 of your bible, say it like you mean it. This 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.119 is my Bible. I am what it says. 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:05.440 I am. 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:08.359 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:11.000 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.919 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:18.359 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.799 the same. In Jesus's name, God, bless you. I want 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:25.560 to talk to you today about how it's not too 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:30.040 late to get started. Many times we put off what 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:33.320 we know God wants us to do. Maybe down deep, 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:37.120 God's been dealing with you about forgiving a wrong, getting 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.640 back in shape, having a better attitude, spending more time 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:44.240 with your family. Or maybe it's a dream or goal 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:48.080 that we know we should be pursuing, starting a new business, 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:51.880 writing a book, joining the choir, learning a new hobby. 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:54.960 We know God put it on the inside, but so 0:03:55.200 --> 0:03:58.920 often we make excuses that hold us back, things like 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:03.400 I'm too busy, I tried and felled, I'm not that talented. 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:07.120 They hurt me too badly. It's easy to talk ourselves 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:10.600 out of it. We end up settling for mediocrity. But 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:15.200 the good news is God never aborts a dream. We 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.200 may give up on them, we may quit pursuing new opportunities, 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:24.080 quit believing to overcome an obstacle. But every dream, every 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:27.600 promise God put in your heart, he still has every 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:30.400 intention of bringing it to pass. You may have put 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:33.800 it off a week, a year, or twenty five years, 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:37.560 but God is saying it's not too late to get started. 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:41.240 You can still become everything God created you to be. 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.200 But You've got to do your part and get off 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.280 dead sinner. You're not too old or too young. You 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:52.240 haven't missed your window of opportunity. The dream is still 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:55.480 alive on the inside. Now you've got to rise up 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.560 in faith and say, this is my time. This is 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:02.200 my moment going to settle where I am. I've let 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:06.040 excuses hold me back long enough, But today I'm gonna 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:10.080 start taking steps of faith to pursue new opportunities, to 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.880 explore new hobbies, to break bad habits, to get rid 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.760 of wrong mindsets. I know it's not too late to 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:21.640 accomplish everything God's placed in my heart. If you have 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.120 this kind of attitude, the rest of your life can 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:28.920 be the best of your life. Paul told Timothy stir 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.760 up the gift fan the flame. He was saying, Timothy, 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:38.560 life is flying by. Get busy pursuing your destiny and see. 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:41.280 You have to stay passionate about what God put in 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:46.000 your heart. Don't let one disappointment or even a series 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:49.520 of disappointments, convince you to give up and settle where 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:54.560 you are. I've learned every setback means you're one step 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:57.560 closer to see if the dream come to pass you 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.640 have to come to your closed doors before you'll ever 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.600 get to your open doors. You may have tried and 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:07.320 failled a thousand times, you don't know. Number one thousand 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.000 and one may be the door that swings open wide. 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.960 Get your fire back. Some of you have been through disappointments, 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:17.120 things have not turned out like you'd hope. You've got 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:20.080 to shake that off and get a fresh new vision 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.720 for your life. Because when we get complacent and we're 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:29.400 not pursuing new opportunities, taking on new challenges, life becomes stagnant. 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.720 We lose our passion. We end up just going through 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:36.760 the motions, no zeal, no enthusiasm. Now, I know plenty 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:40.280 of people that are living, but they're not really alive. 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.080 They're breathing, but they can't feel their sense of purpose. 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.440 As long as you're not moving toward what God put 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.960 in your heart, whether it's a dream, overcoming an obstacle, 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:54.800 having a better attitude, if you're not actively pursuing that, 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:57.680 you will not be as fulfilled as you should be. 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.159 In other words, if you know you should be eating 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:04.200 healthier but you're not doing it, there's going to be 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:07.520 a gnawing right down in here. That's God talking to you, 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:10.440 trying to help you come up higher. The good news 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:13.440 is it's not too late to get started. If you 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:16.400 know you're supposed to go back to college but you're 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:20.640 ignoring it, there'll be a sense of dissatisfaction. Or if 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.720 you know you're supposed to take that management position that's 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:26.840 been offered, but you're not doing it because you're afraid 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:28.480 and you don't want to have to speak in front 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.840 of people, you're letting your mind talk you out of it. 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:34.240 There will be an unrest that will keep you from 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:37.320 enjoying life to the full. Now, a lot of people 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.080 think they're not happy because of their spouse or because 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.960 of their circumstances, but the true source of the discontentment 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:48.520 is they're not moving toward their God given destiny. That 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.800 dream that's on the inside is a part of your purpose. 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:54.800 It's who you were created to be. That's why it's 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.840 so important that we don't keep making excuses, that we 0:07:57.960 --> 0:08:01.400 don't keep putting it off. This means you may have 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:04.120 to prune some things out of your life so you 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:06.400 can go back to school at night and get the 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.240 training that you know you need. You may have to 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:11.560 get up early and go to the gym so you 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:14.480 can get back in shape and live a long, healthy life. 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:18.239 You may have to stretch yourself to write that book, 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.120 to start that business, to coach the ball team, to 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:25.400 go on the missionary trip. Whatever it is God is saying, 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.600 now is the time to get started. Now is the 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.560 time to get out of your comfort zone and pursue 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:36.439 those God giving goals. Let me encourage you to start 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:41.040 taking steps toward them, even if they're small steps. If 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:43.959 your dream is to be in ministry, don't wait for 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.840 Billy Graham to call you. Go up to the prison 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:50.000 and encourage the inmates, or start a Bible study at 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:52.599 the office at your home. If your dream is to 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:55.880 have your own business, you can't just sit back and 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.400 expect God to hand it to you on a silver platter. 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:03.800 Start researching it, develop your business plan, learn from others, 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:08.160 get good advice. The scripture says give yourself to your gift. 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:11.079 That means do whatever you can to make it happen. 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:15.000 You may have tried and it not worked out. You say, Joel, 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:17.800 I went to the support group, I went to celebrate 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:21.040 recovery for a whole year, but I still didn't overcome 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:25.560 this addiction. Listen this is a new day. Every disappointment, 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.800 everything that didn't work out, God didn't waste that. He 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:33.600 used that to deposit something on the inside. That's what's 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.760 got you prepared for where you are right now. It 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.280 may not have happened in the past, but the most 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:43.160 important time of your life is the next twenty four hours. 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:45.800 What are you going to do with the time you 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:49.160 have left? You and I can't afford to sit around 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.880 waste another year with no passion, thinking we don't have 0:09:53.000 --> 0:09:56.600 what it takes in a career, we don't enjoy giving 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:59.680 the best of our life to something that doesn't excite us. 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:02.560 Will make up your mind with me that you're gonna 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:06.200 make the changes and you're gonna start moving toward your destiny. 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:09.120 That means we're gonna get out of our comfort zones. 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:13.000 We're gonna start stretching. We're gonna dream bigger, We're gonna 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:16.120 think better, We're gonna act wiser. We're going to rise 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:20.520 up and accomplish everything that God's placed in our heart. Friends, 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.920 life is too short to live complacent. If you're not 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.920 actively moving toward your purpose and taking steps to grow 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:31.719 and improve, then that'll keep you from experiencing life to 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:36.920 the full. The Scripture says in Proverbs, complacency kills. That 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:40.920 means being stuck in a rut, not growing, not pursuing 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:44.720 new opportunities, that will kill your passion, kill your dreams, 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:48.679 kill your sense of purpose. On a regular basis, you 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:52.440 need to reevaluate what you're doing, what your goals are, 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:55.439 what are you pursuing, and be willing to make the 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:59.720 necessary adjustments, because there's nothing worse than going through life 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:04.240 feeling dissatisfied, knowing that we're being less than what God's 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:08.360 created us to be. I read something interesting about an egle. 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:12.200 When it's born, it has a liquid solution in its eyes. 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:17.160 Over time that hardens and becomes a setting that enables 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:20.520 it to find its way home, even if it's thousands 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.640 of miles away, just like having a built in compass. 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:28.439 And somehow, when that liquid solution hardens, they discover the 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:32.200 line between their home and the north pole. That way, 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:34.839 they always have a sense of reference. And if the 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:38.120 egle is going the wrong direction the way he knows 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.920 it is, he will have a low level pain in 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:44.480 his eyes. He'll feel a discomfort, and if he will 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:47.280 turn and start going the right direction, the pain will 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:51.559 go away. Many people today are living with a low 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:55.839 level pain because they're not pursuing their dreams. They're not 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:59.680 following their passions. They keep putting things on hold, making 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:04.439 it and they live with this feeling of dissatisfaction. But 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:07.439 I believe today is a new day. God is lighting 0:12:07.480 --> 0:12:10.960 a new fire on the inside. Dreams are coming back 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:14.600 to life, Hope is being restored, vision is being reignited. 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:19.240 As you start moving toward your purpose, that low level 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:23.679 pain will go, that sense of the blaus no enthusiasm 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:27.079 that will leave, and you'll feel the spring come back 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.440 into your steath. You'll feel the sense of destiny knowing 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:34.080 that God is breathing in your direction. What I'm doing 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:37.680 today is what Paul told Timothy to do. I'm fanning 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:40.760 your flame. I'm helping you to stir up your gifts. 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:44.079 I'm letting you know you were made for more. You 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:49.080 are anointed, equipped, empowered. Don't you dare settle where you are. 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:52.839 God has greater things in your future. It may not 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.000 have happened in the past. You may have put it 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:58.040 on hold for a long time. The good news is 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:01.000 it's not too late to get started. You can begin 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:04.679 right now. If you will make that decision to shake 0:13:04.760 --> 0:13:08.160 off the complacency and start pursuing what God placed in 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:12.400 your heart. You can still become everything God's created you 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:16.320 to be. For many years, even way before my father 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:19.160 went to be with the Lord, Victoria has always had 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:22.680 a dream of writing books. She especially wanted to write 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.239 children's books. She knew God birth this on the inside. 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:29.679 Year after years she would tell me about them, give 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.719 me her idea. She was very passionate about it. But 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:36.040 you know how life can be. We get busy, especially 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:39.520 a mother raising small children. Then, when my father died 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.520 in nineteen ninety nine and we took over as pastors, 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:46.400 our life even got much busier. I noticed Victoria wasn't 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.599 talking about the books anymore. Two thousand and four, I 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:52.440 wrote my first book, and she began to get offers 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:55.679 from different publishers. Down deep, she wanted to do it. 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:59.760 The opportunity was there. She had the desire, but every 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:02.680 always said, you're too busy, it's going to be too 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:04.959 much work. You got too much going on, it's just 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:08.120 not meant to be. She kept putting it off, month 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.880 after month, year after year. One day she was in 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:14.839 the kitchen with our son Jonathan. He was about nine 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:17.880 years old at the time, and somehow this subject came up, 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:21.120 and she began explaining to him how she wanted to 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.560 write these books, but she didn't have the time, and 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:27.520 on and on, listing all the excuses. Jonathan said one 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.720 little phrase that lit a new fire on the inside. 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:35.440 Instead of buying all of her excuses and saying, I understand, Mom, 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:38.360 don't feel bad about yourself. It's okay now, he looked 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:42.120 at her and said, very passionately, mother, you still should. 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:47.040 Those three words rang out in her spirit like Almighty 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:50.920 God had spoke then to her. You still should. The 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:54.080 scripture says, out of the mouth of babes, God can 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:58.080 talk to us. Victoria knew right then and there was 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.200 the time to get started. While she was all fired up. 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.600 I called our publisher and got a contract. I got 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:06.720 her to sign it before she could change her mind. 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:10.000 And she went on to write her first book, Love 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:12.080 Your Life, that made it to the top of the 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:16.400 New York Times bestseller's list, and plus she has written 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:20.160 five children's books already and has a contract to write 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.320 a dozen more. But I believe it all happened from 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.920 those three words of a nine year old boy, You 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:31.000 still should Today, a twenty nine year old boy is 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:33.840 telling you all right, a thirty five year old boy 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:38.080 is telling you you still should. Well, Joel, I wanted 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:40.040 to go back and get my degree, but I've been 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:42.560 out of school for a couple of years. You still 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.520 should well. I wanted to start my own business, but 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:49.160 I've had all these setbacks. You still should. I wanted 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:52.960 to join the choir. I'm just so busy. You still should. Friends. 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.400 God does not abort any dreams, and some of you, 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.880 like in Victoria, at one time you were passionate about 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:02.320 what was in your heart. But now you've thought of 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:06.800 every reason why it can happen. Just like God used 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:10.800 Little Jonathan's words to breathe new life into victorious dreams, 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:14.880 if you'll receive them by faith, these words can breathe 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:18.040 new life into your dreams. It is not too late 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:22.320 to accomplish everything that God's placed in your heart. You 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:26.800 have not missed your window of opportunity. God has moments 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:30.560 of favor in your future. He's getting you prepared right 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.360 now because He is about to release a special grace 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:38.840 to help you accomplish a dream, overcome an obstacle. Birth 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:43.200 What he's placed on the inside. This is your time, 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:46.960 this is your moment. Dare to receive that, dare to 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:50.000 step into it. Not long ago, I met an eighty 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:52.720 six year old woman after the service, and she had 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.000 something that she really wanted to show me in she 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:58.280 opened up this folder and handed me a certificate. It 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:01.840 was her college degree that she had just received a 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.440 few weeks earlier. She graduated from college at eighty six. 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:10.240 I asked her what made her decide to go back 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:13.359 to school. She said, I promised my mother as a 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:16.719 young lady, that I would get my college degree. I said, well, 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.680 I'm sure your mom is up in heaven smiling down 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:22.880 on you as proud of you as can be. She said, yes, Joel, 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:25.520 she's very proud of me. But she's not in heaven. 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:31.560 She's right over there. I looked to my left and 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:34.560 there was this one hundred and four year old mother, 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:38.119 smiling from ear to ear, waving her cane at me. 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:44.280 This daughter told how her whole life she had made excuses. Mom, 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.239 I can't go back to college. I'm too busy. Her 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:50.239 mom wouldn't hear it. You still should, mom, I've got 0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:53.960 too many children to raise. You still should mom, I retired. 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:56.960 I want to relax. You still should, she said. It 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.240 took till I was in my eighties, but my mother 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:02.920 finally can vinced me. And I've never felt better about 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:06.000 myself than right now. It may not be your mother, 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:11.439 but your heavenly Father is saying, quit making excuses that dream, 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:15.840 you stop pursuing, go after it again. Every voice may 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:18.920 tell you no way, impossible, stay in your comfort zone, 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:22.119 but God is saying, take a step of faith and 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:26.159 write that book, go back to school, launch that new website. 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:29.479 You still should. I read about this lady that had 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:32.560 a great gift of painting. It's a little girl. She 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.400 used to paint very beautiful pictures, and her mother's favorite 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.840 one was the painting of Jesus holding the world in 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:43.240 his hands. The lady grew up and pursued a career 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:46.000 in teaching. Did that for many years, and she loved 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:50.520 helping the children, but deep down she was unsatisfied. She 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:53.359 knew she had more in her There was a gift 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:55.520 that she wanted to share with the world, but she 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:59.200 was comfortable where she was. One day, she was writing 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:01.840 on the back of the motorcycle with her husband. They 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:05.240 were on the freeway and eighteen wheeler right in front 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.520 of them all of a sudden lost its load of 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:13.760 large steel pipes. They started bouncing around the freeway like toothpicks, 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:16.439 and they were right in the middle of it. Pipes 0:19:16.480 --> 0:19:20.920 were swooshing over their head right beside them. Miraculously, the 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.840 husband was able to maneuver the motorcycle out of that 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:26.720 and their life was spared. They knew it was the 0:19:26.800 --> 0:19:31.359 hand of God that moment, more than ever, she realized 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:35.639 every day is a gift. She decided to take up 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:39.840 painting once again, and even she was amazed at her ability. 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:43.640 She began to paint the most magnificent paintings you could 0:19:43.680 --> 0:19:47.040 ever imagine. It was just like God was breathing down 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:50.760 on her work. She felt this incredible sense of purpose. 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:55.280 One day, a very well respected and prestigious gallery saw 0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:59.080 her paintings and asked if they could display them right 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.160 next to some of the most famous painters in the world. 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.680 She made the statement later, if I would have died 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:09.360 that day on the motorcycle, no one would have ever 0:20:09.560 --> 0:20:12.960 known what was on the inside of me. Let me 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.359 ask you, if you went to heaven tomorrow, would there 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:19.639 be something we are missing out on a gift that 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:22.480 you're not sharing with the world. Are there things in 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:26.280 your heart you're not pursuing because you're afraid, or you 0:20:26.400 --> 0:20:28.359 think you're too old, you're too busy, you don't have 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:31.040 what it takes. No, now is the time to get 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:34.400 out of your comfort zone and pursue what God's put 0:20:34.440 --> 0:20:38.240 on the inside. This is what the disciple Peter did 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:41.840 when he saw Jesus walking on the water. He said, Lord, 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:45.080 let me do that. Don't you know there were a 0:20:45.200 --> 0:20:49.800 thousand voices saying, Peter, are you crazy? You can't walk 0:20:49.880 --> 0:20:52.719 on the water. In other words, you can't start your 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:55.880 own business, you can't be in management, you can't write 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:58.200 that book. You're going to get out there and sink. 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:02.359 I can imagine there was another small voice whispering, Peter, 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:06.680 you still should. God's in control. You're well able, You've 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:09.399 got what it takes. Peter got out and walked on 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:12.680 the water. Some of you today need to get out 0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:16.800 of your boat. Life is very short. In a few years, 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:20.439 we're all going to be gone. Make sure you're sharing 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:23.960 your gift with the world. If you're not passionate about 0:21:24.000 --> 0:21:27.439 what you're doing, passionate about your career, then you need 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:31.960 to consider making changes. I realize that you know, not 0:21:32.119 --> 0:21:34.920 every day we're jumping up and down with enthusiasm, But 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:38.359 if you're going year after year not enjoying your career, 0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:42.640 not fulfilled, not satisfied, it could be like this, young lady. 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:47.600 Your main gift is lying dormant, and your gifting is 0:21:47.680 --> 0:21:51.000 a part of your purpose. No matter how successful you are, 0:21:51.400 --> 0:21:54.399 if you're not fulfilling your purpose, you will feel that 0:21:54.520 --> 0:21:58.520 sense of dissatisfaction. It's good to write down what you're 0:21:58.600 --> 0:22:02.800 passionate about, write down what you're good at, what you 0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:06.840 excel in, and then evaluate it and see if it 0:22:07.000 --> 0:22:10.200 matches up to how you're spending your life. Are you 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:14.200 in a field that fits your gifts your talent. If not, 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:17.960 you're going to be frustrated. For instance, if you're great 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:22.000 with people and you enjoy interacting with others, you should 0:22:22.040 --> 0:22:25.320 not be in an office alone all day. That's not 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:28.879 using your main gifting. Some of you could sell ice 0:22:29.040 --> 0:22:32.520 to an eskimo. You've got a gift of persuasion, a 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:35.120 gift of communication. You ought to be in some kind 0:22:35.160 --> 0:22:38.040 of cell, some field like that. Some of you are 0:22:38.160 --> 0:22:42.560 great with your hands. You can fix anything. You're mechanically minded. 0:22:42.960 --> 0:22:45.200 That's a part of your purpose. You're not meant to 0:22:45.240 --> 0:22:49.119 be out there selling insurance. Find your dominant gift, what 0:22:49.280 --> 0:22:52.080 you're good at, what you enjoy. If you're not in 0:22:52.160 --> 0:22:56.200 the right field, don't go your whole lifetime there. Start 0:22:56.359 --> 0:22:59.760 taking steps to make a change. I realize it may 0:22:59.840 --> 0:23:03.120 not happen overnight, but if you will do what you can, 0:23:03.760 --> 0:23:06.480 God will show up and do what you can. He 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:09.720 has moments of favor that will help you to get 0:23:09.760 --> 0:23:13.600 into the best plan for your life. Another important thing 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:16.760 to write down is a list of all the things 0:23:16.840 --> 0:23:19.600 you want to do before you go to heaven. Is 0:23:19.720 --> 0:23:23.600 commonly called a bucket list. What sights do you want 0:23:23.640 --> 0:23:26.159 to see? What places do you want to visit, What 0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:29.440 new hobbies do you want to learn? What excites and 0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:33.560 interest you. God has given us this big, beautiful world 0:23:34.160 --> 0:23:38.160 not only to enjoy, but to explore, to learn from, 0:23:38.320 --> 0:23:41.399 to help us grow and expand our vision. I've been 0:23:41.480 --> 0:23:44.320 going to India ever since I was in my early twenties, 0:23:44.400 --> 0:23:47.520 back with my father, and I think about how seeing 0:23:48.040 --> 0:23:51.520 their culture and meeting people that were not just like me, 0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:55.639 and experiencing the beauty of their country, the genuineness of 0:23:55.760 --> 0:23:59.520 those people that has impacted my life and my thinking 0:23:59.600 --> 0:24:02.720 in an amazing way. And sometimes we can get so 0:24:02.960 --> 0:24:06.200 caught up in our own little world. If we're not careful, 0:24:06.480 --> 0:24:09.240 we'll go the next fifty years seeing the same kind 0:24:09.280 --> 0:24:13.120 of people, doing the same hobbies, going to the same places, 0:24:13.520 --> 0:24:16.640 and will miss the fullness of what God has in store. 0:24:17.440 --> 0:24:21.399 I'm asking you to dream big. Don't have a narrow 0:24:21.640 --> 0:24:24.680 vision for your life. When you write down the places 0:24:24.760 --> 0:24:28.200 you want to visit, don't you dare put Walmart in Conroe, 0:24:29.880 --> 0:24:32.560 the Outlet Mall in Katie is not gonna cut it. 0:24:33.200 --> 0:24:36.560 Get outside what you're used to think big, Dream big, 0:24:36.680 --> 0:24:41.359 expand your vision. I've never seen the Grand Canyon. Some 0:24:41.520 --> 0:24:44.760 of my friends recently took the one week trip where 0:24:44.800 --> 0:24:48.560 you raft down the canyon, camp out at night, stay intense, 0:24:49.040 --> 0:24:52.560 no electricity, no running water. As soon as I figure 0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:56.600 out how to power Victoria's seventeen curling irons, We're gonna 0:24:56.600 --> 0:25:00.520 take that trip. I want to enjoy the beauty of 0:25:00.600 --> 0:25:06.840 God's creation. I'm just kidding. She only has sixteen. But 0:25:07.080 --> 0:25:10.639 some of you have been putting off living your life. 0:25:11.000 --> 0:25:14.160 You're working hard, you're being your best, but your life 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:19.040 is too narrow. Try something new, expand your vision. Met 0:25:19.080 --> 0:25:22.080 a young couple not long ago, and they were headed 0:25:22.119 --> 0:25:24.840 to Africa for two weeks. They were going to spend 0:25:24.880 --> 0:25:28.119 the first week helping in an orphanage and the second 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:31.760 week hiking up a famous mountain. They told when they 0:25:31.840 --> 0:25:34.960 got married several years ago, they made a list of 0:25:35.119 --> 0:25:37.920 twenty five things they wanted to do in their lifetime. 0:25:38.400 --> 0:25:41.200 They prayed about it, they researched it. This was one 0:25:41.359 --> 0:25:45.080 of the twenty five friends, life is to be enjoyed. 0:25:45.960 --> 0:25:48.359 Some of you that vacation that you promised you would 0:25:48.359 --> 0:25:50.800 take thirty years ago. You know what God is saying. 0:25:51.320 --> 0:25:54.600 You still should that new hobby you wanted to learn, 0:25:54.720 --> 0:25:57.280 but now you think you're too old. You still should 0:25:58.320 --> 0:26:00.680 that missionary trip you wanted to go on, but you 0:26:00.800 --> 0:26:03.800 keep putting it off. You're too busy, You get too 0:26:03.920 --> 0:26:07.600 behind at the office. No, start taking steps to live 0:26:07.720 --> 0:26:11.120 life to the full. You still should take the vacation, 0:26:11.680 --> 0:26:15.200 go on the missionary trip, hike the mountain, visit the orphanage. 0:26:16.040 --> 0:26:19.760 Tell you something funny. Ever since we got married, Victoria 0:26:19.880 --> 0:26:23.240 has wanted to take ballroom dancing lessons. 0:26:24.240 --> 0:26:25.520 That is so odd to me. 0:26:26.359 --> 0:26:31.640 I could see break dancing, but not ballroom dancing. Every 0:26:31.760 --> 0:26:33.920 year or two she'll bring it up and start asking me, 0:26:33.960 --> 0:26:36.840 come on, Joel, let's do something different. Let's take those lessons. 0:26:37.160 --> 0:26:40.359 She doesn't realize I have white Men's disease, I have 0:26:40.520 --> 0:26:44.280 no sense of rhythm. But I have to tell you 0:26:44.600 --> 0:26:47.800 I love her so much that I have volunteered my 0:26:47.920 --> 0:26:52.760 brother Paul to take those lessons for me. I don't 0:26:52.800 --> 0:26:56.600 know that he's agreed, though, But what am I saying? 0:26:57.160 --> 0:27:00.919 The reason God gives us certain desires different things are 0:27:01.000 --> 0:27:03.200 interesting to us is so that we can live a 0:27:03.320 --> 0:27:08.400 full life, cultivate new interest, explore new hobbies. Bottom line 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:13.200 is this, don't die before you really live. Don't die 0:27:13.600 --> 0:27:18.120 without getting outside your same circle of friends, without experiencing 0:27:18.240 --> 0:27:21.760 people and cultures not just like you, without trying new hobbies, 0:27:22.080 --> 0:27:26.159 and without exploring the wonders of God's creation. Make your 0:27:26.240 --> 0:27:31.119 bucket list and start taking steps to live a full life. Friends, 0:27:31.240 --> 0:27:34.000 it's not too late to get started. Some of you 0:27:34.119 --> 0:27:36.679 have put your dreams on hold, but I believe today 0:27:36.880 --> 0:27:40.000 a new fire has been lit on the inside. God 0:27:40.160 --> 0:27:43.800 has birthed fresh new vision into your spirit. When those 0:27:43.880 --> 0:27:47.640 thoughts come saying it's been too long, you missed your opportunity. 0:27:48.200 --> 0:27:51.760 Remember those three words. You still should. Get rid of 0:27:51.840 --> 0:27:56.080 the excuses. Fan your flame, stir up the gifts. God 0:27:56.200 --> 0:27:59.439 doesn't abort any dreams. He wants the rest of your 0:27:59.520 --> 0:28:02.200 life to be the best of your life. That's why 0:28:02.280 --> 0:28:06.720 He's already released moments of favor in your future to 0:28:06.840 --> 0:28:11.240 accomplish dreams, to overcome obstacles. I'm asking you to get 0:28:11.280 --> 0:28:15.040 in agreement with him, shake off the complacency. If you'll 0:28:15.080 --> 0:28:18.080 start pursuing what He's placed in your heart, God will 0:28:18.119 --> 0:28:21.240 open doors that no man can shut. You'll discover talent 0:28:21.320 --> 0:28:23.480 that you didn't know you had. And I believe in 0:28:23.560 --> 0:28:26.480 declare you will become everything He created you to be, 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:29.399 and you'll have everything He intended for you to have. Amen. 0:28:29.480 --> 0:28:33.199 How many of you received that today? Well, we never 0:28:33.400 --> 0:28:36.480 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:36.640 --> 0:28:39.240 to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you 0:28:39.280 --> 0:28:43.200 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:43.280 --> 0:28:47.560 my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my 0:28:47.680 --> 0:28:51.560 lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:51.720 --> 0:28:54.280 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:54.360 --> 0:28:57.680 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He'll take your 0:28:57.720 --> 0:28:58.920 places you've never dreamed of. 0:29:00.000 --> 0:29:03.200 Thank you for listening to the Joel Loustine podcast. Help 0:29:03.320 --> 0:29:06.000 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:06.120 --> 0:29:10.000 all over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:11.760 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:13.080 --> 0:29:16.000 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:16.000 --> 0:29:19.360 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:19.480 --> 0:29:22.640 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:22.840 --> 0:29:25.240 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:25.360 --> 0:29:25.800 next time. 0:29:32.800 --> 0:29:35.520 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:29:35.560 --> 0:29:39.880 for everyone. 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