Living A Focused Life

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This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it investment Legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.680 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.240 But he'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.240 with the units stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the units stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.120 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.679 dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.640 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:57.800 Enjoy the message. 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:01.560 Oh God, bless you. It is always our joy to 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.520 come into your homes. We love you. We know God 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:06.040 has great things in store. 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:08.799 He rewards people that seek after him, and I believe 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:10.960 that's you and you here as well, and if you're 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:12.959 ever in our area, come by and see us. 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:15.200 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:15.880 But thanks for. 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:16.720 Tuning in today. 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:18.680 And I like to get started each week with something 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:20.840 kind of funny, so listen to this one. A mother 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:24.520 was cooking pancakes for her two young sons, Ryan was 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:25.800 five and Kevin was three. 0:02:26.200 --> 0:02:28.320 They begin to argue over who would get the first one. 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.880 The mother saw it as an opportunity to teach them 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.880 a lesson, and she said, boys, boys, if Jesus were here, 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:36.320 he would say, let my brother have the first one. 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:39.200 Ryan turned to his younger brother and said, okay, Kevin, 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:43.880 you be Jesus. Hold up your bibles. Let's say it 0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:47.160 like we mean it. This is my Bible. I am 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:49.960 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:52.760 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:55.400 Today all be taught the Word of God. 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:57.040 I boldly confess. 0:02:57.480 --> 0:03:01.280 My mind is alert, my heart is res I will 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:07.000 never be the same. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:11.040 ever living seed of the Word of God. I'll never 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.680 be the same, never, never, never, I'll never be the 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:17.760 same in Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:19.120 You sound great as usual. 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:22.200 I want to talk to you today about living a 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:25.840 focused life and making the very most of your time. 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:29.359 Time is one of the most valuable commodities that God 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:32.160 has given us. And we all have the same amount 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.399 of time, twenty four hours in a day. 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:37.320 And one thing about time is you can never get 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:37.720 it back. 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.760 Once we live this day, it's over and gone. And 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:45.640 too many people are not using their time wisely. They're 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:49.120 not focused. They don't get up each day with a 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:52.400 clear cut plan, knowing where they're going and what they 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.960 want to accomplish, and so they're easily sidetracked, running here 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.120 and running there. They're busy, but not making a lot 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:02.280 of progress. But if we're going to reach our full potential, 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:04.600 if we're going to be everything God's made us to be, 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:08.560 we've got to be extremely focused. You've got to know 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.120 what your purpose is, what you want to accomplish, what 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:14.800 relationships you want to build. You've got to have a 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:18.239 plan and then be disciplined to stick with that plan. 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:23.080 You can't get entangled and distracted by all these things 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:24.680 that are going to come along and. 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:26.000 Try to pull you off course. 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:28.800 Because I can tell you there will always be a 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:32.120 thousand ways to spend your time. There will always be 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.200 a thousand good things you can get involved with. But 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.800 we have to ask ourselves, is this a part of 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:41.960 my plan? Is this furthering me toward my God given destiny? 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.560 Or is this just another distraction that's going to end 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.680 up wasting my time? And the scripture says here in 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:52.680 Ephesians five point fifteen, be very careful how you live, 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:54.800 making the most. 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:55.239 Of your time. 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:59.960 The amplified says, don't be vague and thoughtless, but live 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:06.040 purposefully and accurately. Notice, we need to live accurate lives. 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:10.440 We need to be on purpose people. That means we 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:12.520 don't just go out and wait to see what's going 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:13.000 to happen. 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:13.960 We don't just. 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:16.400 Drift through the day and do what everybody else is doing. 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:18.240 Know we know our purpose. 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:22.520 And I know plenty of people today that are extremely talented. 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:26.400 God's blessed them with incredible gifts, but they're not reaching 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:31.080 their highest potential simply because they're not disciplined when it 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:34.080 comes to how they spend their time. They're suffering from 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.120 a lack of focus. And it's so easy to be 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.200 involved in things that we have no business being involved in. 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:42.520 It's easy to get up each day. 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:44.839 And just take care of the thing that screams the 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:48.720 loudest instead of doing the really important things. Now, I 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:52.640 want to encourage you today to take inventory of how 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:56.600 you're spending your time. Examine your week. Do you have 0:05:56.640 --> 0:06:01.599 your priorities in order? Are you investing in solid relationships? 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:06.320 Are you pursuing your dreams, taking steps toward the desires 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:09.800 God's put in your heart? Or have you gotten off course? 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:13.120 Have you lost your aim? Do you find sometimes you're 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:15.480 just so busy you don't have time to do what 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:17.960 you really want to do. No, you've got to take 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:21.200 control of your life. If you don't determine how you're 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:25.520 gonna spend your time, somebody else will. The Apostle Paul said, 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:29.040 in a race, everyone runs, but only one person gets 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:33.120 the prize. So I don't run my race aimlessly. I 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:35.560 run with purpose in every step. 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:38.679 I like that, he was saying. I make the most 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:39.320 of my time. 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:42.160 I don't go out chasing these pig trails just because 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.800 it looks exciting. I don't go hang out with the 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:47.280 group just because everybody else is doing it. 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:49.080 No, my time is valuable. 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.279 He was saying, in effect, I know my purpose, I 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:54.120 know what I'm called to do, and I'm. 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:55.000 Gonna stay focused. 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.200 That's the kind of attitude we need to have. I 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:00.240 don't know about you, but I want to run my 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.719 race to win. I don't want to come to the 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:05.360 end of my life and look back and find out 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.080 I only made it halfway through my course or three 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:08.960 fourths of the way. 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.640 I want to finish my course. I want to reach 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:12.760 my full potential. 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:15.880 The only way that's going to happen is if we 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:18.040 become on purpose people. 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:20.840 And some of you today you've lost your aim. 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:23.680 You've sort of given up on your dreams, and now 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:27.040 you're just sitting back and settling for mediocrity. But I 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.400 believe that God is saying to you, you need to 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:32.640 stir yourself up and get your focus back, get your 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:37.080 aim straightened out, make some adjustments, and start taking steps 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:41.640 towards your god giving goals. It's interesting the only difference 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.800 between a one hundred watt light bulb and a laser 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:48.280 beam is focus. The one hundred watt bulb can light 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.440 up a room, but the laser beam can cut through a. 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:53.680 Sheet of metal. You think about it. 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:57.239 The bulb has the same potential to cut through metal, 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:59.800 it has the same potential to be a powerful force, 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:03.040 but it'll never happen as long as it's all spread out. 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:05.880 And some of you, too, would go to a whole 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:07.720 new level if you'd simply. 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:11.480 Get more focused. God has put so much potential in you. 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.400 You can go further in your career, you can have 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:18.680 better relationships, you can live healthier and happier. But you've 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.040 got to do your part and be disciplined to stick 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:22.600 with the. 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:24.680 Main thing that God has put in your heart. 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:28.200 In other words, we've got to be willing to prone 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:31.120 off any areas in our lives that are not bearing 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:34.720 good fruit. It may be difficult, it may hurt a 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:36.400 few feelings, but that's okay. 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:38.559 You've got to do what you know in your heart 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:39.360 is right for you. 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:42.680 I know, I used to play baseball four or five 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:43.400 nights a week. 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:44.520 I had done this for. 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:46.440 Years and years and had a lot of good friends 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:49.160 out there. But after I got married and we had 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:52.439 our first child, I knew that wasn't the best use 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.360 of my time anymore. I knew down in here I 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:58.720 should be investing that time in my wife and in 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:01.960 my child, and though I love playing ball, I had 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:05.000 to recognize it was a new season in my life 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:06.440 and I had to let that go. 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:08.839 And sure some of the guys weren't happy about it, 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:10.480 but you've got to do what you know in your 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:11.600 heart is right for you. 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:14.880 And you too, today may be involved in things that 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.400 you've been doing for years and years and you've gotten 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:20.640 really attached to it. But now down in here you 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:23.360 feel like that season is over. You know it's not 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.920 the best use of your time anymore, and it may 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:29.920 not be easy, but if you don't make the necessary adjustments, 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:30.520 it'll end. 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:31.559 Up hurting you later on. 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:36.320 And we need to constantly be evaluating how we spend 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:40.440 our time and understand just because something was right in 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.120 your life at one time doesn't mean it's. 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.920 Going to be right forever. Seasons change. 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.000 We need to ask ourselves on a regular basis, is 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:52.960 what I'm doing part of my plan? Is this furthering 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:56.600 me toward my god giving goals? Is this bearing good fruit? 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.439 And if not, we've got to be willing to make 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:03.200 the necessity adjustments. That's what it says in Hebrews twelve, 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.160 verse one that we need to strip off all the 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:10.040 weights and all these other things that entangle us and 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.480 slow us down. And I've discovered they can even be 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:16.440 good things, but the good will end up being the 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:17.520 enemy of the best. 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:18.280 See. 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:21.320 God has given us a certain amount of resources to 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:23.960 work with each day. Like I said, we have a 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.800 certain amount of time, We have a certain amount of 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:31.040 physical energy, a certain amount of mental energy, emotional energy. 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.760 And once you use that energy for the day, you 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.800 can't get it back. And if you're spending all your 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:40.560 energy on things that are not furthering you towards your goals, 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:42.720 then you're not going to have that energy for what 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:45.880 you really need it for. I know some people they 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:49.160 spend all their emotional energy on their friends at work. 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:51.720 When they get home at night, they don't have any 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:55.120 energy for their family, for their children. They've spent all 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:57.640 their emotional energy on the wrong thing. They just want 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.760 to sit on the couch and watch TV. People if 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:02.079 they get caught in traffic in. 0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:06.520 The morning, they get all upset and stressed out, get frustrated. 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:09.199 They don't realize it, but they just spend a whole 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.880 lot of emotional energy that they're gonna need later on 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:15.600 that day. That's what happens when we worry, when we 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:19.280 live upset, stressed out, when we get frustrated, we're spending 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.320 emotional energy and what a shame to waste our God 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:26.319 given resources like that. We have to realize about time. 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:29.560 We are spending our time just like you spend money, 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.760 you're either investing your time or you're wasting your time. 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:36.640 You spend quality time with your family, you're making an 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:39.680 investment into that relationship. If you're called to sing in 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:42.480 the choir and you do that, or if you invest 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:47.040 in improving your skills at work, are staying healthy and exercising, 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:50.839 those are all investments. But on the other hand, if 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.640 you spend your time with people that are dragging you down, 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:55.720 really that's a waste of that time. 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.400 You will not receive a return on that investment. 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.200 If you're doing things, even if they're good things and 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:04.080 it's not a part of your purpose, really that's a 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.000 waste of your time. And as I said, we only 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:09.480 have a certain amount of time. And that's why I'm 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:11.960 challenging right here at the first of the new year, 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:17.199 to use your time wisely. Don't get distracted, don't get entangled, 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:21.200 live a focused on purpose life. And we need to 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.000 evaluate our friendships. 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:24.640 Who are you spending. 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:28.000 Your time with? Are you investing the time or wasting 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:30.720 the time? I want to spend time with people that 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:33.120 are gonna build me up, people that are gonna help 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:36.880 me dream bigger dreams, people that are going to inspire me. Really, 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:40.600 we should associate with people that have what we want, 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:44.040 because the scripture tells us eventually we're going to become 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:45.680 just like the people we hang around. 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.040 That means if you're hanging. 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:51.160 Around people that are always negative and critical, people that 0:12:51.240 --> 0:12:53.880 are always defeated and depressed, people that don't have any 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:57.520 goals and visions, then you are not investing your time 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:01.000 very wisely. And friends, as I said, your time is 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:05.160 extremely valuable. You need to be very picky about who 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:08.200 you choose to associate with. If you're going to reach 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:10.760 your full potential, you're gonna have to prune off the 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:14.640 relationships that aren't going anywhere, prune off the relationships that 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.400 are just dragging you down. And know I'm not talking 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:21.480 about a marriage relationship. Don't go home and tell your 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:24.559 husband I said you could prune him out of your life. 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:28.600 That falls into a different category. But young people, this 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:31.760 is especially important because your friends are going to have 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:33.720 a tremendous impact on your future. 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:35.320 Choose them wisely. 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:40.480 The scripture says bad company corrupts good character. You may 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:42.640 be a good person, I have no doubt about that, 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:45.959 but this is saying if you run with the wrong crowd, 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.200 your good is not gonna rub off on them. 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:50.080 They're bad is gonna rub off on you. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.839 Don't hang around people at school that are always getting 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:56.680 into trouble. Don't hang around people that don't have any 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:59.240 goals and dreams for their life. You were made for 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:01.800 more than that. You are a child of the most 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:06.760 High God. You've got a divine destiny. God has a 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:09.200 bright future in store for every one of you. And 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:11.720 you need to find people that will challenge you to 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:15.439 go higher, like iron sharpens iron. Find people that will 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:17.839 build you up and not tear you down, people that. 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.360 Will inspire you to reach for new heights. 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:23.600 And throughout the Bible it compares our life to the 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.520 life of an eagle many times, and if you study 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.160 the eagle, one thing you'll find is an eagle is 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:34.640 very focused, doesn't get distracted, and an eagle has incredible vision. 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.440 It can see a rabbit in a field over two 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:41.720 miles away, and when it focuses on its prey, when 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:46.080 it locks that rabbit into its vision, then the whole 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.080 way it does not get distracted. I mean, other birds 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.760 may fly by, other stuff may be happening on the ground, 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:52.440 doesn't matter. 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.480 It stays focused on the prey and swoops in there 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:56.840 and gets that rabbit. 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:59.760 And in the same way, we need to set our 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:02.440 gas on what God has put in our hearts. In 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:04.800 other words, we need to keep our dreams and our 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.760 goals in front of us. And when something comes along 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:10.480 during the day, if it doesn't fall in line with that, 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:13.560 even if it's something good, we've got to learn how 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:17.040 to not get distracted. Every morning when we get up, 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:19.440 we should have a plan. This is what I want 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:22.000 to do today, this is what I'm going to accomplish. 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:23.640 Here's who I'm gonna spend my time with. 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:27.360 That's what it means to live a purposeful life. 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:29.560 I won't just get up and drift through the day 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:31.680 and think, well, maybe I'll go to church this morning, 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.320 maybe I'll go down to the mall, or maybe I 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.640 should start that exercise program. Now make a plan and 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:39.600 stick with that plan. If you live that kind of 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.200 vague life, you'll never be all God's called you to be, 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:46.040 and if you have a problem being focused, maybe you 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:48.960 get easily sidetracked. One of the best things you can 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:52.480 do is start writing down your goals, short term goals, 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:55.160 even long term goals. Sunday nights, you can make you 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:57.680 a list. This is what I'm gonna do this week. Monday, 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:00.680 I'm gonna do this, Tuesday, I'm gonna do this. Doesn't 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.720 mean that it's set in stone, doesn't mean you can't 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.880 change it. But by writing it down, it's going to 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:08.560 force you to think about how you're spending your time. 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:11.160 You're not gonna be able to live a vague and 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:12.160 a thoughtless life. 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:14.640 I hear so many people say, man, I just don't 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:16.200 have time to do what I want to do. 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:17.720 I'm just so busy. 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.200 But really that's a cop out, because the truth is 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:24.560 we make our own schedules and nobody is forcing us 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.440 to do everything that we're doing. And you can either 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:31.240 fill your calendar with your priorities or somebody else will. 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:32.840 But either way, you're. 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:35.400 Gonna be busy, you're gonna be doing something. I want 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.840 to challenge you to take inventory and make sure that 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:42.720 you're filling your schedule with your priorities. One thing I 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.960 really appreciated about my father is he took time for 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:46.880 his children. 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:50.000 When we were growing up, my dad was very busy. 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:52.640 He was traveling all over the world, had a lot 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.720 of commitments. But every week he would mark time on 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:59.480 his calendar for his children. He made us a priority, 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.400 and we didn't get daddy's left over time when he 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:04.960 was all tired and worn out. No, he would schedule 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.800 his prime time three or four hours here and there 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:08.840 to do nothing. 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:10.200 More than play with his children. 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:13.480 And if somebody called him and asked him to speak 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:16.080 or to come be a part of an event, if 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.360 it fell during our time, Daddy wouldn't even think twice. 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:21.840 He'd say, I'm sorry, I'm already committed. I got my 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.520 schedule full. No matter how important that event was or 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:29.560 how exciting it looked, he would not change his mind. 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.240 See, he made us a high priority. 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:35.240 He set his goals, and he was disciplined to follow 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:39.000 those goals on purpose. He spent time with his family. 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:43.600 He filled his calendar with his priorities. I read a 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.879 story about this college professor. He was teaching a course 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:50.159 on time management. One day he went to the class 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:53.800 and he pulled out this one gallon glass mason jar, 0:17:54.160 --> 0:17:56.000 and he set it on the desk there in front 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:59.119 of his students, and then he pulled out a dozen 0:17:59.200 --> 0:18:02.399 or so about the size of his hand, and he 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.600 began to put them into the jar, one rock at 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:08.040 a time, and they just barely fit through the opening. 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:09.920 But once they got in there there was a little 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:10.560 more room. 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.399 And after he got the jar filled with as many 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.520 big rocks as possible, he asked his students, is this 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:17.160 jar full? 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:18.760 And of course they said yes. 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:22.199 Then he pulled out a bag of small gravel and 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.840 he began to pour that into the mason jar, and 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.119 he'd have to shake it around to get it around 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:29.560 the other rocks. When he got it full of gravel, 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:31.679 he asked the class again, is this full? And they 0:18:31.720 --> 0:18:34.160 said yes. About that time he pulled out a bag 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:37.200 of very fine sand. Did the same thing. He poured 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:39.040 a little sand in. He'd had to shake it around 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:41.359 to get in the cracks, and then he'd pour some more, 0:18:41.400 --> 0:18:42.760 and finally he got it full of sand. 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.080 He asked his class is it full? They said yes. 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:47.639 About that time he got out a picture of water 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:51.200 and he began to slowly fill the mason jar with water, 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:53.359 and when he got it to the very top, he 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:55.800 said to his students, all right, what's the point of 0:18:55.840 --> 0:18:58.879 this illustration. One of the students quickly jumped up and 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:01.840 he said, oh, that's easy. The point that this illustration 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:05.360 teaches us is, no matter how busy your calendar is, 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:09.240 you can always make room for more. The professor said, no, 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:13.200 you've missed it completely. The truth that this illustration teaches 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:16.320 us is if you don't put the big rocks. 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:19.280 In first, you'll never get the men at all. What 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:21.080 are the big rocks in your life? 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:25.840 I hope it's your family, your relationship to God, your dreams. 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:28.680 Let me ask you, do you have your big rocks 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:31.160 in your jar? Or have they gotten crowded out by 0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:34.840 all the other distractions? Friends, our schedules are always gonna 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:39.080 be full. You'll always have plenty of gravel, plenty of water, 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:42.240 plenty of sand. And if you don't make a decision 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:44.800 to put your big rocks in first, then what's going 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:48.160 to happen is all the other less important things are 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:50.160 gonna take up the space and you'll. 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:51.159 Never get the big rocks in. 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:54.280 And some of you today are not taking time for 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:57.040 the things that mean the very most to you, Your family, 0:19:57.400 --> 0:20:00.960 your children, the people you love the most. You're so busy, 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:05.960 distracted and tangled. You're taken for granted. The people that 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:08.120 you really love the most, you're just giving them your 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:11.160 left over time. I want to challenge you to make 0:20:11.200 --> 0:20:15.760 some adjustments today. Rearrange your schedule, get your priorities back 0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:18.520 in line, take time for the people that you love 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:21.600 the most. Well, you say, Joel, I'm just so busy. 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:23.399 I don't know if I can do that. But no, 0:20:23.520 --> 0:20:25.720 I like to think of it like this. If you 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:28.680 discovered that you only had six months left to live, 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:32.399 how different would your schedule be than it is right now. 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:35.880 Why don't you go ahead and make some of those changes. 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:38.840 Make sure you've got your big rocks in your jar. 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:42.800 Another important thing is we need to learn to stay 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:46.200 focused on the main thing that we're called to do. 0:20:46.840 --> 0:20:49.040 As I said, there's plenty of things that we can 0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:51.920 give our time to, but if we're going to really excel, 0:20:52.440 --> 0:20:54.840 we've got to learn to keep the main thing the 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:59.159 main thing. For instance, as pastor here, I know the 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:01.760 main thing I'm call to do is share with you 0:21:01.800 --> 0:21:04.480 on the weekends and be the best that I possibly 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:07.160 can when I get up here, but during the week 0:21:07.280 --> 0:21:09.240 there are a whole lot of other things that I 0:21:09.280 --> 0:21:12.120 could get involved in. I could do all the weddings, 0:21:12.160 --> 0:21:14.800 all the funerals, all the counseling. I could come to 0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:16.000 all the different classes. 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:17.760 And although that would. 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:21.000 Be good, I know if I do those things, then 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:23.200 I'm going to be average at a bunch of things 0:21:23.359 --> 0:21:27.640 and not excellent at anything. But really, quality is more 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:30.840 important than quantity, and I would rather do one thing 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:34.040 to the very best of my ability than I would 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:37.440 to do a whole bunch of things just average and Mediocrely, 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:41.840 keep the main thing the main thing, and learn to 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:45.520 focus on your strengths. Don't spend all your time on 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:50.600 your weaknesses. Focus on improving your strengths. I know the 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:54.320 gift that God has given me is to communicate, to 0:21:54.440 --> 0:21:57.960 encourage people, to inspire them, and that's the area I 0:21:58.040 --> 0:21:58.560 focus on. 0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:02.040 That's what I try to improve. A lot of people. 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:04.159 Come by and they asked me to counsel them, and 0:22:04.240 --> 0:22:07.040 I love to help people, but really, counseling is not 0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:08.119 one of my strengths. 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:09.720 In fact, I tell them there are. 0:22:09.680 --> 0:22:12.040 People on our staff that can counsel a whole lot 0:22:12.119 --> 0:22:14.760 better than I can, and I don't spend all my 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:19.239 time trying to improve my counseling skills. I've discovered you 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:21.760 can't be great at everything, but you can be. 0:22:21.720 --> 0:22:23.760 Great at something. It's funny. 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:26.000 Somebody came up to Victorian id the other day and 0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:29.520 they were telling us about this very complicated problem that 0:22:29.560 --> 0:22:31.679 they were having, and there were a whole lot of 0:22:31.720 --> 0:22:36.359 people involved, and it was just a very confusing, complicated 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:39.520 set of circumstances and they were telling us this. I 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:41.639 was sitting there thinking, how in the world am I 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:43.600 ever going to advise them? I mean, I don't know 0:22:43.640 --> 0:22:46.040 what to tell them. It seems like everybody's right. But 0:22:46.160 --> 0:22:49.520 before they even got finished talking, Victoria jumped in there 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:50.960 and she said, all right, here's. 0:22:50.720 --> 0:22:51.440 What you need to do. 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:53.480 You need to do this, and then you need to 0:22:53.480 --> 0:22:56.119 tell that person to do this, and then that's going 0:22:56.200 --> 0:22:57.800 to open up, and then you'll be able to do 0:22:57.840 --> 0:22:59.800 this and then this will change and that way things 0:22:59.800 --> 0:23:02.320 will begin to resolve. And men, I'm sitting back thinking, 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:04.120 how in the world can she figure. 0:23:03.880 --> 0:23:05.800 All that out? I mean, it was great. 0:23:05.840 --> 0:23:10.560 I was saying, you go go, you know, but see, 0:23:10.840 --> 0:23:13.639 that is an area where Victoria has a strength end 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:16.320 that I don't. He's probably the only one, but that's 0:23:16.320 --> 0:23:19.840 one of them. 0:23:20.359 --> 0:23:21.119 I'm only kidding. 0:23:21.160 --> 0:23:27.320 But I do need to write home though, But I 0:23:27.359 --> 0:23:29.679 don't try to improve in all these other areas. I 0:23:29.680 --> 0:23:32.160 could probably be a pretty good administrator of the church. 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:34.440 I could probably run the children's department. 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:34.920 Okay. 0:23:35.240 --> 0:23:37.680 The point I'm making is you cannot do it all. 0:23:38.119 --> 0:23:40.840 I heard somebody say, you can have anything you want, 0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:43.800 but you can't have everything you want. You have to 0:23:43.880 --> 0:23:47.080 eliminate the non essentials. Quit trying to do it all 0:23:47.320 --> 0:23:50.240 par down and focus on the main thing. Don't make 0:23:50.280 --> 0:23:52.520 that mistake of being average at a bunch of things. 0:23:52.720 --> 0:23:55.600 Be excellent at one thing. He's talking to a man 0:23:55.640 --> 0:23:58.400 the other day. He was a diesel mechanic. He works 0:23:58.440 --> 0:24:01.560 on these big diesel engines, and he was a specialist 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:04.600 in the area of the fuel system. In fact, people 0:24:04.640 --> 0:24:06.879 would bring their big diesel rigs from all over the 0:24:06.920 --> 0:24:09.720 country just so he could work on them. And as 0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:11.600 we were talking, that was kind of interesting to me, 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:13.600 and I asked him about it, and he told me 0:24:13.680 --> 0:24:16.159 how as a young man, when he first started working, 0:24:16.720 --> 0:24:20.679 he realized he had a very natural gift in that 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:22.959 one area of the fuel system. And so he just 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:25.200 stayed focused on that one aspect. 0:24:25.440 --> 0:24:27.000 He went back to school and got. 0:24:26.840 --> 0:24:30.320 More training, He studied, he read books, he had people 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:31.160 mentor him. 0:24:31.320 --> 0:24:33.399 And today he said, Joe, I'm one of the leading 0:24:33.480 --> 0:24:34.879 experts in my field. 0:24:35.480 --> 0:24:37.840 See, instead of being average at a bunch of things, 0:24:37.960 --> 0:24:40.360 he found the one thing he was good at, the 0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:43.000 one area God had really gifted him in, and he 0:24:43.040 --> 0:24:45.840 poured all of his time and energy into it, and 0:24:45.880 --> 0:24:48.640 today he's excelling. You got to keep the main thing, 0:24:48.680 --> 0:24:51.520 the main thing, focus on your strengths. And some of 0:24:51.520 --> 0:24:54.280 you today you have a dream deep down in your heart, 0:24:54.680 --> 0:24:58.320 but you're really not pursuing it anymore. And as long 0:24:58.440 --> 0:25:01.440 as you're allowing that dream to lie dormant and you're 0:25:01.480 --> 0:25:04.880 not actively taking any steps toward it, I don't believe 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:05.720 that you're going to be. 0:25:05.680 --> 0:25:07.399 As fulfilled as you could be. 0:25:08.160 --> 0:25:11.000 In fact, many people think that the reason they're not 0:25:11.160 --> 0:25:14.720 happy is because of a marriage or because of another circumstance. 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:19.200 But the real discontentment is coming because they're not taking 0:25:19.280 --> 0:25:20.560 steps toward. 0:25:20.200 --> 0:25:21.400 Their God given dreams. 0:25:22.119 --> 0:25:24.720 We have to understand God is the one that has 0:25:24.720 --> 0:25:26.280 put the dream in our hearts. 0:25:26.600 --> 0:25:28.120 That's a part of your purpose. 0:25:28.560 --> 0:25:31.439 God put it there, and there will always be a 0:25:31.560 --> 0:25:36.000 source of discontentment unless you stir yourself up and start 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:38.760 pursuing what God has put in your heart. Start pursuing 0:25:38.800 --> 0:25:41.600 those gifts and talents, and nobody can do it for 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:43.800 you. You have to start taking. 0:25:43.480 --> 0:25:45.080 Steps toward your dreams. 0:25:45.640 --> 0:25:48.199 You may have to prone off some things out of 0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:50.880 your life so that you can go back to school 0:25:50.960 --> 0:25:54.000 and get more training like you've always wanted to. Maybe 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:56.600 it's a dream to start a business, a dream to 0:25:56.640 --> 0:25:59.000 be in ministry, even a dream to get out of death. 0:25:59.240 --> 0:26:02.560 Whatever it is is, start taking steps toward it, even 0:26:02.600 --> 0:26:05.480 if they're small steps. You want to be in ministry. 0:26:05.720 --> 0:26:07.560 Get involved in our prison. 0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:08.560 Outrage, that's great training. 0:26:08.960 --> 0:26:12.240 You want to start a business, start researching it, look 0:26:12.320 --> 0:26:14.960 for opportunities, pick other people's brains. 0:26:15.400 --> 0:26:18.440 You will not be fulfilled until you give. 0:26:18.240 --> 0:26:20.680 Birth to what God's put on the inside. And the 0:26:20.720 --> 0:26:23.400 scripture says we need to give ourselves to our gifts. 0:26:23.720 --> 0:26:27.280 That means you got to start pursuing those God given desires, 0:26:27.280 --> 0:26:29.320 those God given goals. And let me tell you, you 0:26:29.400 --> 0:26:31.119 take a step, and God will take a step. 0:26:31.400 --> 0:26:33.720 You do the natural, and God will do the supernatural. 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:37.720 Another interesting thing about an egle is when an eagle 0:26:37.800 --> 0:26:40.920 is born, it has a liquid solution in its eyes, 0:26:41.440 --> 0:26:45.240 and over time it hardens and becomes a setting that 0:26:45.440 --> 0:26:48.120 enables it to find its way home, even if it's 0:26:48.160 --> 0:26:49.480 thousands of miles away. 0:26:49.720 --> 0:26:53.119 It acts just like a built in compass. Somehow. 0:26:53.160 --> 0:26:57.439 As that solution hardens, the eagle discovers the line between 0:26:57.480 --> 0:27:00.000 his home and the North Pole, and that way it's 0:27:00.080 --> 0:27:02.720 always got a reference. And if the eagle is going 0:27:02.760 --> 0:27:05.520 in the wrong direction the way it knows it is, 0:27:05.560 --> 0:27:08.560 it will have a low level pain in its eyes. 0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:10.960 It'll have a sense of discomfort. 0:27:11.400 --> 0:27:13.640 And if the eagle will just change directions and get 0:27:13.680 --> 0:27:16.600 back on course, then the pain will go away. And 0:27:16.640 --> 0:27:19.520 I believe that many people today are living with a 0:27:19.600 --> 0:27:22.760 low level pain because they're not going in the right direction, 0:27:23.200 --> 0:27:27.040 they're not pursuing their dreams, they don't have their priorities 0:27:27.119 --> 0:27:31.280 in order. And until they make a change, until they 0:27:31.280 --> 0:27:34.320 get back on course, they're gonna have that sense of discontentment. 0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:35.320 But I want to. 0:27:35.359 --> 0:27:39.280 Challenge you today to make the necessary adjustments. Do you 0:27:39.359 --> 0:27:42.560 know it's never too late to change. You can always 0:27:42.560 --> 0:27:44.760 get back on course. You may have made a thousand 0:27:44.840 --> 0:27:47.680 mistakes in the past, but today is a new day. 0:27:47.800 --> 0:27:49.040 You can have a new beginning. 0:27:50.480 --> 0:27:52.840 So why don't you make a decision with me that 0:27:52.960 --> 0:27:55.680 in this new year, you're gonna use your time more wisely. 0:27:56.040 --> 0:27:59.120 You're not gonna get distracted and entangled by all these 0:27:59.119 --> 0:27:59.880 things that try. 0:27:59.680 --> 0:28:00.760 To pull you off course. 0:28:01.040 --> 0:28:03.080 You're gonna prone off the areas in your life that 0:28:03.080 --> 0:28:04.200 aren't bearing good fruit. 0:28:04.520 --> 0:28:05.920 You're gonna choose good. 0:28:05.760 --> 0:28:08.040 Friends, and you're gonna make sure that you keep your 0:28:08.040 --> 0:28:12.399 big rocks in first. Friends, If you'll live a focused, disciplined, 0:28:12.480 --> 0:28:15.800 on purpose life, having a plan and work in that plan, 0:28:16.080 --> 0:28:18.360 there's no limit to what God will do. He'll take 0:28:18.400 --> 0:28:20.800 your places that you've never even dreamed of, and you'll 0:28:20.840 --> 0:28:23.200 experience the abundant life He has in store. 0:28:23.240 --> 0:28:25.720 How many of you receive it this morning? Amen? I 0:28:25.800 --> 0:28:26.320 know you doing. 0:28:27.840 --> 0:28:30.800 We never like the clothes are broadcast without giving you 0:28:30.840 --> 0:28:33.720 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:33.920 --> 0:28:38.040 Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:38.200 --> 0:28:39.280 repent of my sins. 0:28:40.360 --> 0:28:44.040 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:45.160 --> 0:28:47.680 Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you. 0:28:47.640 --> 0:28:48.400 Got born again. 0:28:48.760 --> 0:28:50.520 Get in a good Bible based church. 0:28:50.760 --> 0:28:53.440 Keep God first place. He's going to take your places 0:28:53.560 --> 0:28:54.560 that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:55.400 --> 0:28:58.280 Thank you for listening to the Julus Dean podcast. 0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:01.240 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:29:01.360 --> 0:29:02.719 those all over the world. 0:29:03.040 --> 0:29:04.600 Visit joelostein dot. 0:29:04.400 --> 0:29:07.440 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:08.720 --> 0:29:11.160 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:11.280 --> 0:29:14.000 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:14.080 --> 0:29:15.480 podcast to keep. 0:29:15.320 --> 0:29:18.280 You inspired all through the week. 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