Living In The Faith Zone

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This is not an 0:00:57.520 --> 0:00:58.920 offer to buy your self securities sn or is it 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:00.000 investment legal or tax fives. 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:02.240 He'll forget about the video game you gave him on 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:02.840 his birthday. 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:05.039 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.280 But He'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:08.280 with the uns stapp. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:10.480 Wow. Thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.600 The units stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:16.319 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:18.760 a limited time. Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.920 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.360 leave inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.280 ministry going. 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:57.400 Enjoy the message. 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:01.120 Oh God, bless you. It is always our joy to 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:04.040 come into your homes. We love you. We know God 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:07.280 has great things in store. He rewards people that seek 0:02:07.320 --> 0:02:09.480 after him and I believe that's you and you here 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.280 as well. And if you're ever in our area, I 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:13.160 hope you'll stop by and see us. We give you 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:16.120 a personal invitation and I promise you We'll make you 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:18.320 feel right at home. These are the finest people in 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.240 all of Houston, right here at Lake Wuist, So come 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:22.399 out and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:24.760 I like to get started each week with something kind 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:27.720 of funny, so listen to this one. During his wedding rehearsal, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:30.359 the groom approached the pastor and said, I'll give you 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.400 one hundred dollars if you'll change the wedding vows and 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:36.920 leave out all the love, honor, and obey parts. He 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.000 pressed one hundred dollars bill into the pastor's hand and 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.720 walked away with a smile. The next day, during the vowels, 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.320 the pastor asked him, do you promise to bow down 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.720 before her, fulfill her every wish, and serve her breakfast 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:50.560 in bed for as long as you shall live. The 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:53.040 groom gulfed in astonishment, and finally, in a weak voice, 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:55.640 answered yes. He then leaned toward the pastor and said, hey, 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:57.960 I thought we had a deal. The pastor handed him 0:02:57.960 --> 0:03:00.280 his money back and said she made me a much 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:05.960 better offer her. That's what he gets. Hold up your 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:09.520 bibles and let's say it together. Ready, this is my bible. 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.640 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:15.280 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:18.519 I can do. Today I'll be taught the word of God. 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:23.600 I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:26.600 I will never be the same. I am about to 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:32.320 receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever living seed of the Word 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:36.120 of God. I'll never be the same. Never, never, never, 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:40.720 I'll never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:44.440 You sound great as usual. We've been talking about tapping 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.880 into the potential that's on the inside and really using 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:50.960 our God given gifts and talents. I want to focus 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:54.600 today on being willing to step out and take a risk. 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:58.000 You will never be all God's created you to be 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.360 if you just live with a play it's safe mentality 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:04.360 and you think about it. Peter was the only one 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:07.120 that walked on the water, but he also was the 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.560 only one that was willing to get out of the boat. 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:12.440 And you'll never walk on the water in your life. 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:15.920 You'll never reach your full potential unless you have the 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:19.440 courage and the boldness to take a step of faith 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:22.560 and do what God's put in your heart. Some people 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:24.479 will stay in a job that they don't like for 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:27.920 twenty five years. They're not using their gifts and talents. 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:30.839 It's not a good environment. They don't really feel fulfilled, 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:34.279 but they'll just stay there year after year, all because 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:38.000 it's safe. They're comfortable. They don't want to take a risk. 0:04:38.600 --> 0:04:41.680 God is opening up new doors, but they're allowing all 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.320 the what ifs to talk them out of it. What 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:46.600 if I take this new job and I don't like it. 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:49.480 What if it doesn't work out. What if I don't 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:52.000 meet any new friends. What if it's all a big mistake. 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:54.880 Now have you ever thought about this? What if you 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.599 take that job and it thrust you into your God 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.600 given destiny? What if you love it? What if you 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.840 can't wait to get there in the morning. What if 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.080 you find out you have gifts and talents that you 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:08.400 never knew you had. You will never know unless you're 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:11.520 willing to step out and take a risk. Now, I 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:13.920 want to challenge you today to get out of your 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:19.400 comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:21.960 God has put gifts and talents in you that you 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:25.520 probably don't know anything about. You can rise higher than 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:28.440 you can even imagine. You can accomplish things that you 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:31.440 never thought possible. But you've got to do your part 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:35.440 and have the courage to take advantage of what God 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:39.640 brings across your path. See, God made you, He knows 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:41.960 what you're capable of, he knows what he's put on 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.280 the inside of you, and so throughout life, He's going 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.400 to present you with opportunities that in the natural you 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.720 may not think you can handle. You may not think 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.000 you're capable of it, and you'll be tempted to just 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:56.200 shrink back in fear. But if you'll look deep down 0:05:56.360 --> 0:06:00.359 in your heart, there'll be an excitement and enthusiasm. Something 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:02.200 down in here will be telling you you know what 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:04.839 you can do. This, you have what it takes. And 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:07.200 if you'll learn to listen to your heart and not 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.119 your head and just be bold and take that step 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:12.560 of faith, that's when you'll accomplish things that you never 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:15.479 thought possible. And I believe some of you, even in 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.479 the near future, are going to be offered a new 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:21.520 position at work, something that sort of in the natural 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:24.040 just looks like it's over your head. Listen, don't you 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.040 dare shrink back in fear. It may be over your head, 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.280 but the good news is it's not over God's head. 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:32.479 And when you come to the end of your own 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:35.760 natural ability, that's when you're going to start tapping into 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:39.200 God's supernatural ability. You take that step of faith, and 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:42.159 God will give you everything you need. He will empower 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:45.000 you to do his will. Some of you, I believe, 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.320 are even going to be offered an opportunity to change 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:51.839 careers and get into the field that you're really passionate about. 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:54.280 But every voice is going to be telling you, men, 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:56.920 you better stay in the boat, you better play it safe. 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:59.520 That's a big mistake. You can't handle that. But no, 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:02.520 God is saying you can handle it. You do have 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.680 what it takes. You can fulfill your God given destiny. 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.720 Dare to take that step of faith, get out of 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:11.360 your comfort zone, and you'll begin to see God do 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:15.160 great things in your life. One time, Peter and James 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:18.120 and John had been out fishing all night long. They 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:21.280 hadn't caught anything. The next morning, Jesus came walking by 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:24.360 and he said, hey, guys, launch out into the deep 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.480 and you'll catch a great hall of fish. And they 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:30.120 did what he asked, and sure enough, they caught so 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:33.200 many fish that their nets begin to break, and I 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:36.720 believe that's a spiritual principle. God said, get out into 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:39.080 the deep, and that's when you're going to see great 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.120 things begin to happen. In other words, there will be 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:44.480 times in our lives that we feel like we're in 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.000 over our heads. We think, Man, what have I gotten 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:50.240 myself into? Can I really do this? But if you 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:53.480 will just stick with it, it's in those deep waters 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:56.280 that those seeds of greatness that God has put in 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:59.000 you will begin to come out. That's when you'll accomplish 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:02.280 things that you didn't think possible. But see, human nature 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:04.480 is to always want to stay in the shallow waters, 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.400 where it's safe, where our feet can touch the ground. 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.800 For instance, I'll sing in the choir, but don't expect 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:12.760 me to do the solo like that young lady today. 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:15.800 Or I'll take the new position at work, but man, 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:18.040 I can't do the presentation in front of all those people. 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:20.640 Or Joe, I've got my business. I've got my one location, 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:23.760 but I can't expand. Man, that's risky. You know what 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:27.080 the economy's like. See, so often we just want to 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.880 stay where we're comfortable, where we know where all the 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:33.400 money's coming from, where we got everything figured out. We 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:36.120 don't want to have to stretch ourselves. We don't want 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:38.560 to have to do something that we haven't done before, 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:41.800 so we just stay in the shallow waters, play it safe. 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.440 That way, if something happens, we can always run back 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.800 to the shore. But no, I believe God is saying 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:49.800 to us today, if you want to experience that great hall, 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:52.880 if you want to be everything God's created you to be, 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:55.280 You're gonna have to be willing to take some risk 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:57.679 and get out there into the deep waters. You got 0:08:57.720 --> 0:08:59.760 to come to that place in your life where you say, God, 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:01.840 sink or swim. I'm going all out with you. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:02.880 God. 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:05.320 I'm gonna take this step of faith, and I'm counting 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:07.800 on you to give me wisdom. I'm counting on you 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:10.360 to guide me. I'm trusting you to give me the 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.720 strength and the ability to do what I can't do 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:15.240 on my own. That's the attitude we've got to have 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:18.400 if we're going to reach our full potential. But some 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.520 of you today you're just coasting. You're not even having 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:24.439 to use your faith. You're playing it so super safe. 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:28.440 But listen, being in God's perfect will is always going 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:31.480 to stretch us. God is not going to allow us 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:35.000 to get too comfortable. Otherwise we don't have to use 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:38.400 our faith. And some of you, everything that you're doing today, 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:40.760 really you can do it in your own natural strength, 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.599 your own natural ability. You're not having to stretch, you 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:47.040 don't need God's health. But God wants us to always 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:50.840 be growing, always be reaching for new heights. And that's 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.840 why He's going to put us in situations like I 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:55.960 said that we don't think we can do it in 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:58.120 the natural. God, this just seems like it's out of 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:01.920 my league. But understand this. God would not have brought 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.840 that opportunity across your path, and he would not have 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:07.320 put the desire deep down in your heart if he 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.080 didn't already know that you were capable of doing that. 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:12.160 And if you will just dare to get out of 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:15.520 your comfort zone and take that step of faith, you 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:21.040 will experience a supernatural strength, a supernatural wisdom, a supernatural 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.280 ability to do what you haven't done before. But this 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.960 will only happen when you come to the end of 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:30.720 your own natural ability. And too many people today though 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.079 they're living in the safe zone. But I want to 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:35.640 challenge you to get out over into the faith zone. 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:39.720 Have some courage, have the boldness to pursue what God 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:42.120 has put in your heart. I know this is what 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:44.360 I did when my father went to be with the 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.200 Lord back in nineteen ninety nine. You know, I was 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:50.320 in my safe zone. I was working behind the scenes 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.920 here at the church, doing the television production, and I 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:56.120 was comfortable. That was easy for me. I wasn't having 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:59.400 to stretch. But when Daddy died, all of a sudden, 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.760 deep down here, I had a desire to step up 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.960 and pastor this church. I don't know how to explain it. 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:08.400 I just knew that I knew that I knew that 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:10.960 I was supposed to do it. But in the natural, 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:13.600 I had never really preached before, and I thought of 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:16.400 all the reasons why I shouldn't do it. I thought, God, 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:18.960 I am not the most qualified, and I've never been 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.000 to seminary, and on and on. All these excuses begin 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:25.160 to fill my mind. But sometimes if you're gonna follow 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:27.640 your heart, if you're gonna do what you know you're 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:29.839 supposed to do down in here, you're gonna have to 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:33.480 turn your mind off, because you can overanalyze something to death. 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:36.200 You can figure out all the reasons why you shouldn't 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:38.360 do it, and why it's not gonna work out for you. 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:41.199 And I could have so easily talked myself out of it, 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:43.760 all these negative thoughts, Joel, you're gonna get up there 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:46.360 and make a fool out of yourself. Nobody's gonna come 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.480 listen to you. That church is gonna go down to nothing, 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:50.520 on and on. I had to get rid of all 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:52.959 that jump and I'd go stand before the mirror and 0:11:53.000 --> 0:11:55.640 I'd talk to myself. I'd say, Joel, you are strong 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:57.960 in the Lord and the power of his mind. You 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:00.199 are well able to do what God's called you to do. 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.560 I would remind myself if God before me, who dared 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:07.160 be against me, And as I stepped out and got 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:10.760 beyond my own natural ability, that's when God stepped in 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:14.480 and gave me his supernatural ability. He brought gifts out 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:17.200 of me that I never even knew I had. My 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:19.360 father used to try to get me up here to 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:22.400 preach for seventeen years, but I'd never do it. I 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:25.240 was too nervous, too shy. I didn't know I had 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:28.200 the gift to communicate with people. But see, God knew it. 0:12:28.559 --> 0:12:31.200 He put that on the inside of me, and in 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:34.240 the same way. You have incredible things on the inside 0:12:34.240 --> 0:12:36.760 of you that you probably don't know anything about. You 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:40.200 have gifts and talents and abilities that can take you 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:42.839 places that you've never even dreamed of. But you've got 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.720 to do your part and work with God and start 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.400 taking some of these steps of faith. You can't let 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:51.319 the fear of failure or the fear of the unknown 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.360 keep you from taking a risk. But you say, Joe, 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:56.760 if God would just give me a blueprint and show 0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:58.720 me how everything's going to turn out, then I'll take 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.079 my step of faith. Or if God'll just show me 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.439 all the details, then I'll be a little more comfortable. 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:06.240 But no, if God did that, it wouldn't take any faith. 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:09.280 You are not going to know all the details about 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:11.640 your future. You got to take a step of faith 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:14.439 and then God lead you. Then God will show you, 0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:17.840 He said to Abraham, leave the place where you are, 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:21.160 and I will show you where I'm sending you. We 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.120 think just the opposite. God, you show me and I'll go. No, 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:27.280 God says, you go and I'll show you. In other words, 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:30.920 God wants us to take the first step. And it's interesting. 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:33.720 When God parted the Jordan River for the children of Israel. 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:37.560 The scripture says that the waters didn't open up until 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.160 the priest first put their feet in those waters. Don't 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:43.040 you know that took faith to go out there and 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.959 start walking in the water, expecting God to open it up. 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:48.600 We think, God, if you part my red sea, you're 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:50.679 all go running through it. But no, God says, you 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:53.000 get out there and get your feet wet, and then 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.800 I'll do supernatural things in your life. And I was 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:59.080 thinking about had I not stepped up and pastored this church, 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:02.640 had I not pursued this God given opportunity, I'm sure 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:05.640 I would be doing okay. I'm sure my life would 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:08.360 be fine, but I don't believe that I would be 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:11.560 as fulfilled as I am today. I don't believe i'd 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.760 get up each day with the excitement, the enthusiasm, the 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.800 passion that I do today. And I really believe the 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:22.000 reason many people today are just bored with their life 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:25.080 and they're not really challenged and they've lost their purpose 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:29.000 is simply because they're not stepping out. God is presenting 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:33.200 opportunity after opportunity, but they're just shrinking back in fear. Man. 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:36.720 I can't do that. I'm too shy I'm not educated enough, 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:39.520 I'm not talented in that area. No, you've got to 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.280 search your heart, and if you believe it's something God 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:45.000 is bringing across your path, you got to be willing 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:48.440 to be bold and take that risk. Well, you say, Joel, 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:50.120 what if I step out and miss it? What if 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:52.840 I make a mistake? Listen, I would rather miss it 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:55.520 trying than to sit back and play it safe all 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:57.720 my life and never really know what I could have 0:14:57.760 --> 0:15:01.880 been and understand. God please your heart. If you step 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:05.120 out in faith with a pure heart toward God, with 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:08.480 the right motives, doing your best to please him. Even 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:10.800 if you do miss it, God is still gonna get 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.600 some value out of it. God, in his great mercy, 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.760 will somehow, some way turn it around and still use 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:20.120 it to your advantage. Now I've discovered sometimes you got 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.440 to find out what's not gonna work before you find 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.000 out what will work. Sometimes you've got to come to 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:27.360 some closed doors before you're ever gonna get to your 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:30.320 open doors. But too many people today are just living 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:34.440 life bored. They're not challenged, they're not growing, They're just 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:38.120 punching that time clock, bringing home a paycheck. But there's 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:42.440 no enthusiasm no passion, and it's because they've allowed their 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:45.600 lives to get stagnant. They've become stale, and they're just 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.120 doing the same thing the same way, day after day. 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:53.280 And I really believe God is bringing opportunities across their path, 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.880 opportunities to grow, opportunities for advancement. But they're comfortable, and 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:00.720 they let the fear of failure and the fear the unknown, 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:03.400 and the fear of what other people might think caused 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:06.040 them to stay in that boat. Well, you say, Joel, 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:08.480 I'm just real conservative. I'd just rather play it safe 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:12.080 than sorry. No, I'm not suggesting that we just be 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:15.200 foolish and jump into anything that comes along. You gotta pray, 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:18.000 you got to use wisdom, and you got to make 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.120 sure you know in your heart it's right for you. 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:22.400 But what I'm saying is, once you know that you 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.400 need to act on it, you got to take some 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.720 steps of faith. The Bible talks about how the children 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.520 of Israel were to follow the ark of the Covenant 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.920 that represented God, and so during the day there would 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:36.120 be a cloud overhead and they'd get up in the 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:39.160 morning and just watch for the cloud. If the cloud moved, 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:43.040 they moved. If the cloud stayed, they stayed. Sometimes they 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:45.320 would set up their camp and the cloud would stay 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:48.840 for several weeks. Other Times the cloud would move overnight. 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:51.400 They'd have to pack up and get going. They could 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:54.080 have had the attitude, God, we're tired of moving, We're 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:57.080 comfortable here, got all the camp set up, got everything 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:59.680 just right. No, if they had done that, they would 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:02.480 not have had God's blessings in favor. You've got to 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.480 move when God says move. You've got to be willing 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.880 to change. Don't get stuck in a rut. God wants 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:13.960 you to always be growing, always be learning, always be improving. 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:17.399 If you're doing the same thing you did ten years 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:21.280 ago without any improvement and you're not even challenged by 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.000 it now and you can basically just do it in 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:25.760 your sleep, then you need to make sure you're where 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:29.280 you're supposed to be. Are you following the cloud? You 0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:34.120 should have to be stretching yourself, trying new things, improving 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:38.000 in your field. See God is a progressive god. Once 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:40.120 you reach a certain level, he may leave you there 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:42.040 for a little while, but he's not gonna let you 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:44.760 stay too long. He's gonna push you. He won't let 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:47.920 you stay comfortable at one certain place. God wants us 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:50.840 to keep growing. He said to the children of Israel 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:53.679 and Joshua three verse four. The reason they needed to 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:56.879 follow the cloud was because you have not passed this 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.760 way before. I believe God saying the same thing to 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:03.200 every one of us. New things are on the horizon, 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:06.800 changes are in the air. Maybe, like I said, it's 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:09.480 going to be a new position at work. Maybe you're 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.080 here and you're single, and God's about to bring somebody 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:16.040 new into your life, a new relationship, a new opportunity 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:19.679 in business, in ministry, something that you haven't done before. 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.679 I can tell you all those things are going to 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:26.120 involve taking a step of faith. And my prayer today 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.199 is that God is releasing a spirit of boldness in you, 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:33.480 that you will have that pioneering spirit our attitude should be. 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:36.040 I may never have done this before, but I'm willing 0:18:36.080 --> 0:18:38.080 to step out and try. I'm going to go into 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:41.760 some of those uncharted territories. And really that's what we've 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:44.800 done here at Lakewood for the last few years. We've 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:48.240 just sort of followed the cloud. When I first became pastor, 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:50.840 I know my main goal was to just try to survive, 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:54.159 just try to maintain things. But I can tell you this, 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:56.840 when you really follow the cloud, God will do more 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.680 than you can ask her thing. Your life will be exciting. 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:03.800 You know. We didn't just maintain. We begin to grow. 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:06.600 On the first Sunday of the year two thousand, we 0:19:06.640 --> 0:19:10.120 stepped out in faith and started a second Sunday morning service. 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:12.439 I didn't know if anybody would come, but at that 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:15.239 first service there were over five thousand people there, and 0:19:15.280 --> 0:19:18.880 it continued to grow. We added several other services through 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.640 the years, and we still needed more room. And as 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:24.680 we were preparing to build a new sanctuary, we got 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:28.040 word that the Compact Center was becoming available. God opened 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:30.920 up that door and we just followed the cloud. After 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:33.560 we did some research, we found out it's gonna cost 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:36.840 about eighty million dollars to renovate it. And in the natural, 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:39.040 that was kind of over our heads. We could have 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:41.520 easily played it saved and said, man, let's don't do that, 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:44.600 let's don't take that risk. But no, we decided to 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:47.880 get out of our safe zone over into the faith zone. 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:50.680 I've discovered, once you're out over your head, doesn't matter 0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:53.439 how deep the waters are, you might as well just 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:58.119 go all out with God. That's where you're going to 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:00.840 see the miracles. That's where we're going to see God's 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.960 favor in God's blessings show up in new ways. Most 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:05.720 of you know in a few months we're going to 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:08.320 be moving into that new facility. But friends, you've got 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.120 to fall of the cloud in your own life. Don't 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:14.919 be afraid of the new challenges. Have that pioneering spirit. 0:20:15.600 --> 0:20:19.280 Too often we allow our lives to become stale because 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:22.399 of fear. We need to be bold, stay open, and 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:26.280 pursue those God given opportunities. Now understand, there is a 0:20:26.400 --> 0:20:30.520 place that God has specifically designed for you where all 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:34.240 your needs will be supplied, where you'll be happy and fulfilled, 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:37.280 and where you'll be using your gifts and talents to 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:40.480 the full. But many times we're over here playing it 0:20:40.640 --> 0:20:44.440 safe while God has our place of provision and victory 0:20:44.480 --> 0:20:47.480 over here. And unless you get to where you're supposed 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:50.480 to be in God's perfect will, then life's going to 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:52.240 be a struggle and you're not going to have the 0:20:52.359 --> 0:20:55.080 joy and peace and victory that God really wants. 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:55.239 You to have. 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:58.760 And I was thinking about the prophet Elijah. God said 0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:01.640 to him there in first King chapter seventeen, verse three, 0:21:02.280 --> 0:21:06.640 Leave where you are, go east down to the brook, Cherith, 0:21:07.040 --> 0:21:10.240 for I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:14.720 Notice there was a place where God had specifically commanded 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.359 his needs to be supplied. But what's interesting is it 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:21.400 was up to Elijah to get to that place. He 0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:23.199 had to take a step of faith, he had to 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:26.440 be obedient. He could have thought, God, I'm comfortable where 0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:28.600 I am. That's a lot of trouble to go down 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:30.479 to the brook, and I just want to stay in 0:21:30.480 --> 0:21:33.439 my routine and do what I've always been doing. The 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:37.119 problem with that is those ravens would have still taken 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:39.760 his provision down to the brook. In other words, God 0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:42.919 would have still been supplying his needs. The problem is 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:46.040 he's not in the right place. Wasn't God's fault? And 0:21:46.080 --> 0:21:48.359 in the same way, I know God has a place 0:21:48.560 --> 0:21:51.359 where he has commended every one of us to be blessed. 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:54.520 He has a place where he's commanded those ravens to 0:21:54.560 --> 0:21:57.280 feed you. But we've got to make sure we get 0:21:57.280 --> 0:22:00.240 to that place, we stay in that place and fall 0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:03.040 of the cloud. It goes on to say that eventually 0:22:03.280 --> 0:22:05.639 that the brook dried up and there wasn't any water. 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:08.560 God said in verse nine, Elijah, you got to leave 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:11.359 this place and go to another city, for I have 0:22:11.520 --> 0:22:15.359 commanded a widow woman to take care of you. Once again, 0:22:15.440 --> 0:22:19.879 there was another place where God had specifically commanded Elijah 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:22.960 to be blessed. This time, Elijah could have thought, God, 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:26.280 I'm comfortable here by the brook. I like it here. 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:27.960 I know this is where you told me to go. 0:22:28.000 --> 0:22:30.159 I don't know why I can't just stay here. Oh 0:22:30.200 --> 0:22:33.119 here's my point. Just because it was right in your 0:22:33.160 --> 0:22:35.399 life at one time doesn't mean it's going to be 0:22:35.480 --> 0:22:38.879 right forever. You got to follow the cloud, stay open 0:22:38.960 --> 0:22:42.760 and watch for opportunities. Don't be hard headed. And when 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:45.840 your brook dries up, so to speak, and God presents 0:22:45.880 --> 0:22:50.200 you with another opportunity, be willing to change. You said Joe, 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:53.040 I'm just so comfortable in this position at work. Now 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:55.800 they want me to take a management position, or now 0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:58.760 this other company's offered me a job, or now I've 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:01.320 got an opportunity to go back to school. Well, you've 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:03.600 got to check your heart, and if you feel good 0:23:03.640 --> 0:23:06.439 about it down in here, don't let the fact that 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:09.520 you are comfortable or that you've been doing something a 0:23:09.600 --> 0:23:13.280 long time, keep you from pursuing what God's bringing across 0:23:13.320 --> 0:23:16.199 your path. As I said, God's always going to be 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:19.040 pushing us and stretching us. We got to make sure 0:23:19.320 --> 0:23:21.679 that we learn how to follow the cloud. I know 0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:25.520 my father, after he started this church in nineteen fifty nine, 0:23:25.720 --> 0:23:29.439 he left it for several years and traveled overseas. He 0:23:29.520 --> 0:23:32.520 was holding these great crusades with thousands and thousands of 0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:35.280 people in him, very successful in that area. He was 0:23:35.359 --> 0:23:37.960 just as happy as he could be. But Daddy told 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:40.760 how one day God began to speak to him, not 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:43.600 out loud, but right down in here about coming back 0:23:43.840 --> 0:23:47.480 to Houston and pastoring Lakewood once again. That time there 0:23:47.480 --> 0:23:49.880 were only ninety members in the church, and they were 0:23:49.920 --> 0:23:52.800 still meeting in a little Rundown feed store and in 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:55.480 the natural. It didn't look like a very wise decision. 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:58.199 All of Daddy's friends tried to talk him out of it. 0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:00.800 They said, John, you're making a big mistus take You're 0:24:00.840 --> 0:24:02.560 not called to be a pastor, you're called to go 0:24:02.600 --> 0:24:05.440 out all over the world. But deep down in his heart, 0:24:05.520 --> 0:24:07.920 Daddy knew it was what he was supposed to do. 0:24:08.240 --> 0:24:10.840 He knew the brook was drying up. He could see 0:24:10.880 --> 0:24:14.040 the cloud moving, and so he just followed his heart 0:24:14.240 --> 0:24:16.680 and came back to Lakewood, and that's when the church 0:24:16.760 --> 0:24:19.800 began to grow, it prospered, and he ended up touching 0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:22.760 people all over the world right here from Houston. But 0:24:22.880 --> 0:24:25.879 had Daddy not taken that step of faith, had he 0:24:25.960 --> 0:24:28.840 not been willing to take a risk and leave a 0:24:28.920 --> 0:24:32.040 worldwide ministry to come back to ninety people in a 0:24:32.080 --> 0:24:35.480 little feed store, I don't believe that his life would 0:24:35.480 --> 0:24:38.240 have had the impact that it had. He would have 0:24:38.359 --> 0:24:41.240 always had to struggle. There would have been a strain 0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:44.600 trying to make the ministry work, always having this burden. 0:24:45.040 --> 0:24:48.359 Because see, when you're out of God's perfect will, you 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:51.080 are missing the place where God has commanded you to 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:54.720 be blessed, where God has commanded your needs to be supplied. 0:24:55.040 --> 0:24:58.400 And that's why I'm challenging us today. Make sure you're 0:24:58.440 --> 0:25:01.520 where you're supposed to be. Don't let the fear of 0:25:01.600 --> 0:25:05.160 failure stop you. Don't let other people talk you out 0:25:05.160 --> 0:25:07.240 of it, and don't let how it looks in the 0:25:07.359 --> 0:25:10.399 natural keep you from taking that step of faith. You 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:12.600 do what God has put in your heart. And you 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:14.440 may think you know, I don't know if I can 0:25:14.560 --> 0:25:17.320 do that. That looks a little difficult. Let me remind 0:25:17.359 --> 0:25:20.080 you that you and God are a majority. If God 0:25:20.119 --> 0:25:22.600 be for you, who dare be against you? You step 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:25.480 out and do what you can do. You do the natural, 0:25:25.520 --> 0:25:28.520 and God will step in and do the supernatural. I 0:25:28.520 --> 0:25:31.320 love the story of Esther. She was bold, she had 0:25:31.320 --> 0:25:35.600 that pioneering spirit. She was a young, beautiful Jewish girl, 0:25:35.960 --> 0:25:38.920 and she was presented an opportunity to save the people 0:25:38.960 --> 0:25:42.440 of Israel. Mordecai said to her, Esther, go in there 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:44.840 and stand before the king and plead with him and 0:25:44.960 --> 0:25:47.840 tell them that there's somebody trying to destroy us. But 0:25:47.920 --> 0:25:50.320 there was a law that said if you went before 0:25:50.359 --> 0:25:53.640 the king without him holding up his golden rod, then 0:25:53.680 --> 0:25:56.240 you would be killed. And I'm sure in the natural 0:25:56.480 --> 0:25:58.480 Esther didn't want to do it. I'm sure in the 0:25:58.520 --> 0:26:00.560 natural she is thinking about man life. What if I 0:26:00.640 --> 0:26:02.400 go in there and he doesn't hold it up, That'll 0:26:02.440 --> 0:26:04.760 be the end of me. But the word of the 0:26:04.800 --> 0:26:08.439 Lord came to her and said, Esther, if you remain 0:26:08.720 --> 0:26:12.639 silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:15.320 the Jews from somebody else. But as for you and 0:26:15.359 --> 0:26:18.480 your family, you will perish. And who knows but that 0:26:18.520 --> 0:26:20.879 you have come to the kingdom for such a time 0:26:21.000 --> 0:26:24.359 as this isn't an interesting God was saying, in effect, Esther, 0:26:24.520 --> 0:26:26.959 if you just play it safe and sit back. If 0:26:27.040 --> 0:26:29.240 you don't take this step of faith, that's fine. I'll 0:26:29.280 --> 0:26:32.760 find somebody else to deliver my people. But the problem is, Esther, 0:26:33.000 --> 0:26:36.160 you're gonna miss out on your divine destiny. See, this 0:26:36.359 --> 0:26:38.960 was not an opportunity that would come to her time 0:26:39.000 --> 0:26:41.639 and time again. This was her one chance to make 0:26:41.680 --> 0:26:45.120 a mark. This was her chance to really fulfill her 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.560 purpose in life. And I love what Esther said. She said, 0:26:48.800 --> 0:26:51.600 if I perish, I perish. But I will not let 0:26:51.680 --> 0:26:54.719 this moment pass. She was saying, sink or swim, I'm 0:26:54.760 --> 0:26:58.360 gonna take this step of faith. And because of her courage, 0:26:58.359 --> 0:27:01.840 because of her boldness. Talking about her today, she's one 0:27:01.880 --> 0:27:05.720 of the great heroes of faith. But sometimes we come 0:27:05.760 --> 0:27:08.480 to a place in our life that is a destiny 0:27:08.600 --> 0:27:13.000 altering decision. Many times we'll get another chance, but there 0:27:13.040 --> 0:27:16.280 are times we come to an opportunity that will not 0:27:16.400 --> 0:27:19.600 pass our way again, just like Esther's. I believe stepping 0:27:19.640 --> 0:27:22.119 up after my father died was one of those times 0:27:22.119 --> 0:27:24.560 for me. Now, I don't know what's going on in 0:27:24.600 --> 0:27:27.240 your life. Maybe you have an opportunity in front of 0:27:27.240 --> 0:27:29.600 you right now that you need to make a decision about. 0:27:30.200 --> 0:27:33.199 Or maybe God is just getting you prepared for some 0:27:33.280 --> 0:27:35.320 things that are come in your way in the future. 0:27:35.880 --> 0:27:39.639 Whatever it is, be bold, have the courage to step 0:27:39.720 --> 0:27:42.600 up and take a risk. Friends, don't live your whole 0:27:42.640 --> 0:27:45.560 life in your comfort zone. Yes you'll be safe, but 0:27:45.640 --> 0:27:47.959 there are red seas you will have never seen parted. 0:27:48.359 --> 0:27:51.320 There are golias you will have never defeated. Dare to 0:27:51.359 --> 0:27:55.000 stretch your faith, Dare to take that risk. God has 0:27:55.000 --> 0:27:57.120 so much more in store for every one of you. 0:27:57.600 --> 0:28:00.200 He wants to take you places that you've never dreamed. 0:28:00.680 --> 0:28:02.960 And the good news is He's put the right stuff 0:28:03.000 --> 0:28:06.000 on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness. 0:28:06.240 --> 0:28:09.320 You are full of God's incredible potential. You have his 0:28:09.600 --> 0:28:12.600 kN do power. Why don't you make a decision with 0:28:12.680 --> 0:28:15.040 me that you're gonna hold your shoulders back and start 0:28:15.080 --> 0:28:18.159 living with more boldness. You're gonna have that pioneering spirit 0:28:18.359 --> 0:28:22.120 and when those opportunities come, you're gonna step out in faith. Friends, 0:28:22.160 --> 0:28:24.200 if you'll get out of your safe zone and get 0:28:24.240 --> 0:28:26.679 over into the faith zone and just fall of the 0:28:26.720 --> 0:28:29.960 cloud wherever it leads. God has promised he will commend 0:28:30.040 --> 0:28:32.919 you to be blessed and you'll experience the abundant life 0:28:33.000 --> 0:28:35.320 he has in story. Amen, how many ofver receive it 0:28:35.400 --> 0:28:38.560 this morning? I know you do. We never like the 0:28:38.600 --> 0:28:41.880 court of our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to 0:28:41.920 --> 0:28:44.600 make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray 0:28:44.640 --> 0:28:49.320 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:28:50.440 --> 0:28:55.560 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:28:55.560 --> 0:28:57.880 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:57.880 --> 0:29:02.000 born again. Get in a good Bible. Keep God first place. 0:29:02.240 --> 0:29:04.680 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:05.560 --> 0:29:09.000 Thank you for listening to the joel Ostein podcast. 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