Living Without Crutches

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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 --> 0:01:05.000 Wow, thanks Grandpa, But. 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.200 He'll never forget how you invest it in his future 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.240 with the uns 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 --> 0:01:16.480 friends to give funds to a child's investment account. 0:01:16.200 --> 0:01:17.080 For a limited time. 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:19.319 Download the uns stapp and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.680 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.240 when you find your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:27.240 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:30.080 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:31.399 Hi. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:33.000 This is Joel and Victoria. 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:36.080 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:36.759 the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.920 blessing and share it with a friends. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:58.600 your life. Well, God bless you always a joy to 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:01.160 come into your homes. I love you and we know 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.920 God has great things in store. If you're ever in 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:06.080 our area, I hope you'll come out and be a 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:07.240 part of one of our services. 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:08.200 We'd love to have you. 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:10.560 I promise you'll We'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:13.200 But thanks so much for tuning in today. I like 0:02:13.280 --> 0:02:15.359 to get started each week with something kind of funny, 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.720 and I heard about this groom at the wedding rehearsal. 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:21.840 He said to the minister, I'll make a deal with you. 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.079 If you'll change my wedding vows and leave out all 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:27.960 that love, honor and obey stuff, I'll give you one 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:31.000 hundred dollars. He pressed one hundred dollar bill into the 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.000 minister's hand and walked away quietly with a big smile. 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:37.680 The next day, during the ceremony, the minister said, do 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:41.240 you promise to bow down before your wife, take her 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:45.200 breakfast in bed every day, fulfill her every desire. He 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:47.760 gulped in astonishment, said, in a weak voice, I do. 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:49.960 Then he leaned forward and said I thought we had 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:53.080 a deal. The minister handed him the money back and said, 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:54.959 your wife made me a much better offer. 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.600 All right, hold up your bible. 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:02.280 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:03:02.680 --> 0:03:03.679 I am what it says. 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:04.079 I am. 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:07.240 I have what it says I have, I can do 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:08.160 what it says I. 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:11.320 Can do today. I will be taught the word of God. 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:16.359 I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.440 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:23.880 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:29.440 living without crutches. A crutch is something or someone we 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:33.640 rely on too much. It's supposed to be temporary, just 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.320 there till we heal up, or until we're able to 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:39.360 do it on our own. It's not supposed to be permanent. 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:43.000 One of the hardest things for us to accept is 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:46.520 everyone was not meant to be in our lives forever. 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.360 Some people are, of course, our husband, our wife, our children. 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.680 But then there are other people that God brings across 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:57.360 our path for a season. They weren't meant to always 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.720 be there. Maybe for a season. There's sod there to 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.760 help mentor you, to help you grow, or to help 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:06.000 you raise your children, to help you make it through 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:09.160 a difficult time. But too often we think this is 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:11.640 the way it's always going to be. They're not going 0:04:11.720 --> 0:04:15.200 to leave. I couldn't make it without them. What happens 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:18.520 is we become too dependent on them. If God didn't 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:22.080 move them away instead of helping us, they would end 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:25.640 up actually hindering us. They were good for a time, 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.680 but now they're limiting our growth. We have to be 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:33.920 big enough to recognize when somebody's part in our story 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:36.720 is over, does it mean they're not a good person? 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:38.520 Does it mean we still can't. 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.719 Be friends, love and respect them? But we have to 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.640 accept the fact that things are changing. This is a 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.360 new season, and if we're going to go forward, we've 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:49.159 got to be willing to. 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:49.760 Let that go. 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.200 And this is very difficult for most people because we 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:56.760 don't like change. We don't like the uncertainty that comes 0:04:56.839 --> 0:04:59.719 from things being shaken up. But if we could just 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:03.440 see change in the right way and realize when God 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:07.160 closes a door, it's because he has something better in store. 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:10.520 And when a person has served their purpose in your. 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:14.000 Life, if you don't freely let them go, it's going 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:16.240 to keep you from the new things God wants to do. 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.480 I hear people say, well, I couldn't make it. 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:22.480 Without this person that trains me at work, I. 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:25.200 Couldn't make it without this friend that calls me every 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:28.120 week and encourages me. Or I don't know what I 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:31.800 do without this neighbor that drives me around everywhere, and 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:32.359 that's great. 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:34.920 Those are divine connections. But what I'm. 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:38.960 Saying is, don't be surprised if that doesn't last forever. 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:43.160 If God allowed them to always be there, you wouldn't 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:46.719 become everything He's created you to be. And just as 0:05:46.760 --> 0:05:52.320 God supernaturally brings people into our lives, God will supernaturally. 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:53.240 Move people out of our lives. 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:57.200 And if we don't stay open and recognize what's happening, 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.640 we'll try to hold on to someone not supposed to 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.840 be there. We'll think, why are they trying to leave? 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:06.800 I thought they were my friend? Why won't he mentor 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:10.080 me anymore? Why doesn't she call me as much? I 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:13.920 guess I'm not important enough? Or have you ever thought that? 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.880 May be God moving them away because they're limiting your growth? 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.440 Could it be God is saying it's time for you 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:24.479 to go to a new level. You don't need them anymore. 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:27.440 They have fulfilled their purpose. Now it's time for you 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:31.000 to step up. It's time for you to start encouraging yourself. 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:34.320 It's time for you to run that business on your own. 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.360 It's time for you to learn that new skill. You 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:42.000 don't need someone to constantly think for you and drive 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:43.480 for you and believe for. 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.120 You and encourage you. 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:48.000 You can do that for yourself, and if we're going 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:50.560 to continue to grow, we have to get rid of 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:55.680 these crutches. God has equipped you with everything you need 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:59.080 to succeed, and yes, for a season, God will have 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:02.200 people there to help us. But at some point God's 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:05.040 going to say, I've given you a pair. 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:05.880 Of eagles wings. 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:09.440 I don't want you to be pushed along and just 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.200 admire everybody that's ahead of you and wish you could 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:15.200 do what they were doing. No, it's time to stretch 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.400 out your wings. You can rise. 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:18.320 Higher than you think. 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:22.360 I remember when I came back from college to start 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:25.920 the television outreach here at Lakewood. I was nineteen years old. 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.920 I didn't know a whole lot about television production, and 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:31.040 so we hired this gentleman from California. 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.000 He was in his sixties, very experienced. 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:37.160 He'd produced a lot of Major League sports and some 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:41.360 of the national morning shows. He was not only extremely gifted, 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:44.040 but he had a great personality. It was fun to 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:47.200 be around, and we hit it off from the very start. 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:51.200 I would come in early back, then stay late, go 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:55.120 to dinner, hang out together. I watched very carefully how 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:59.120 he put the programs together, and how he chose certain shots. 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:00.720 And why did it this way, why he did it 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:01.120 that way. 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:04.480 I was learning so much. He was so good at 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:08.280 what he did. I used to think I could never do. 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:08.880 What he does. 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:12.840 He is so creative. He can write, he can direct. 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:16.800 I'm just not that talented. Well, one morning he came in, 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:20.480 about a year after he started working there, and he said, Joel, 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:24.440 I'm leaving next month. I'm going back home. I said, 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:27.000 no way, you cannot leave me with this job. I 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.120 don't know what to do. Everything's going to fall apart. 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.959 He said, sure you do. You've watched me for a year, 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:34.560 and I've watched you. 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:37.520 There's no reason you can't do what I'm doing, no 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:40.160 reason you can't handle this by yourself. I said that 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.920 is not true. You're just being kind, and I begged 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.840 him to stay. I said, we'll pay you more money, 0:08:46.679 --> 0:08:49.120 we'll give you more time off. You can go home, 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:52.120 but then come on back again. He said, no, I 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:53.640 know this is the right decision. 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:57.319 He left. That first couple of weeks, I was so nervous. 0:08:57.320 --> 0:08:58.480 I didn't know what I was doing. 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:03.280 I called him every other hour asking him questions. But 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.920 in a month I started to feel more comfortable. In 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:10.240 six months, I thought I'm pretty good at this. A 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:12.480 year later I said, what did I ever even need 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:18.679 him for? I realize now him leaving was the best 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:22.600 thing for me. If he had not left and forced 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:26.680 me to stretch, forced me to use my God given talents, 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:29.880 then I would have never stepped in to my divine destiny. 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.800 If somebody walks away in your life, whether it's a 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:37.080 business relationship like that or a personal. 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:39.520 Friendship, don't beg them to stay. 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.280 Don't try to talk people into working for you, or 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:45.480 loving you or coming to see you. 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:48.680 Here's a phrase you need to remember. Let them go. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.760 Your destiny is not tied to the people that walked away. 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:58.960 Just like in my case, them leaving somehow, some way 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:01.960 is going to launch you into a new dimension of 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:04.760 your life. You're not gonna step back. You're going to 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:08.600 step up to who you really are. And understand if 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:12.480 they walked away, it wasn't an accident. If you tried 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:14.280 to make it work and it didn't. 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.920 Happen, accept it as God's plan. Let it go. 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.560 God is going to open up new doors. You're going 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.000 to discover new strengths and talents. Perhaps God's going to 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.920 give you new friends that are more appropriate for where 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:28.439 you are in this time in life. 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:30.960 After all, things are always changing. 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:33.959 The people that were your friends when your children were 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.800 in school together, they may not be your same best 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:40.280 friends when their children are not in school. You know what, 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:43.640 That's okay, accept it and allow God to bring you 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:44.640 new friends. 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:45.240 Too. 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:48.480 Many people today are trying to ride a dead horse. 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:51.240 They're holding on to something that God's been done with 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.160 for five years. They wonder why they don't have any joy, 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:57.200 why they can't get along. Listen, if the horse is dead, 0:10:57.480 --> 0:11:00.680 it's time to dismount and allow God to do something new. 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:05.440 When that man left my life, I had a choice. 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:08.200 I could either sit around in self pity and think 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:11.680 it's not fair, look what I've lost. Or I could say, God, 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:14.400 I know you would not have allowed him to leave 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:17.240 unless you had a plan for me to go forward. 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:19.760 So I'm going to step into a new level of 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:23.840 my destiny. I've learned since then. Don't try to talk 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:25.520 people into staying. 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:26.280 That want to leave. 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:30.560 If you do, you're only delaying the inevitable. They're still 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:32.400 going to go, whether it's a week, or a year 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.240 or five years. Because when God is done with something, 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.720 there's no amount of superglue that can hold it together. 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:44.320 There's something called the gift of goodbye some people. You 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.320 may not realize it, but them leaving you is God 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:50.480 giving you a gift. You shouldn't be sad, you should 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:54.280 be rejoicing. I know some of you are thinking, God, 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:55.120 give me that gift. 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:58.800 Right now. I can tell you their name. I know 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:00.760 my father as a pastor. 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.360 When people would come and tell him they were leaving 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:08.080 the church, they would give him their sad story, tell 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:11.520 them everything that had gone wrong there. They expected my 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.840 father to be down and discouraged. They were always shocked. 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.800 My father was just as happy as could be. He 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:20.840 never tried to talk them into staying. He didn't try 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:23.000 to convince them they were making a big mistake. 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.040 Oh please don't leave. I'm sure we'll change. 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:26.360 Oh. 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:28.079 He was always very gracious. 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.600 He always thanked them, prayed over them, and then he 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.600 walked them to the door. He didn't say it, but 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:36.440 I know what he was thinking. The sooner you go, 0:12:36.520 --> 0:12:40.160 the better off for both of us. You want people 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:43.560 in your life that are supposed to be there when 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:46.480 God has them there. They don't find fault in everything 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:49.280 you do. When God puts them there, you don't have 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.560 to manipulate them to stay. That's what I love about 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.160 all of you. I don't even know most of you 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:57.880 by name. I can't call you personally. I can't come 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:01.840 to your children's ballgames. You don't come because you need 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:03.920 me to stroke you, and you need all this time 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:07.560 and attention. You come because God puts you here. And 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.160 you're mature enough to know you don't need Joe to 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:10.600 touch you. 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:11.880 You just need God to touch you. 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:17.120 When God joins people to you, you don't have to 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:20.560 play up to them and do everything perfect or they're 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:24.320 gonna leave. I know people that walk on eggshells trying 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:27.800 not to offend their friends, making sure they don't get 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:30.520 on the bad side at the person at the office. 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:31.319 Well, hell, if I. 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:33.120 Don't go to lunch with them each day, Joel, they'll 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:36.160 get upset and probably start talking about me. Listen, you 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.840 don't need friends like that. That's not a true friend. 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:42.360 That's somebody trying to manipulate you. They're trying to control 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.840 you to do everything they want you to do. Let 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:50.280 them walk away. You don't need them to fulfill your destiny. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:54.080 Those kinds of people, if they're not talking about you now, 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:56.440 don't let it fool you. It's just a matter of 0:13:56.440 --> 0:14:00.120 time before they will. You cannot keep people like that 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:02.720 that happy. The sooner they go, the better off you're 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:05.200 going to be. I think about in my own life 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.240 how I've tried to win people over, tried to keep 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:11.200 them as my friend. I thought the church wouldn't continue 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.040 without them, so I played up to them, let them 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.120 control me. One day I realized what I'm telling you, 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:20.120 I can't live my life like that. I don't have 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.920 enough energy and my time is too valuable to try 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.760 to keep somebody happy that's never going to be happy. 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:29.200 I knew, no matter what I did, no matter how 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.520 hard I tried, they were going to find some reason 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:34.680 to complain, some reason to find fault. They're gonna give 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.480 me a new problem to fix. I love this scripture 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:41.200 in one John two nineteen. It says they went out 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:44.760 from us because they were not a part of us. 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.440 That tells me when somebody leaves your life, they are 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:51.880 no longer a part of your destiny. Their time is over. 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:55.880 If you'll stay open, God will give you people that 0:14:55.920 --> 0:15:00.000 are not just with you, but people that are for you. 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:00.880 It's a big difference. 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:04.360 When you're with me, you're there as long as I 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.920 perform perfectly, as long as I give you everything you need, 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:11.000 as long as I don't make any mistakes. But when 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:14.440 you're not just with me, but you're for me, you 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:17.640 believe the best in me. You don't try to control me, 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.880 You give me room to make mistakes. You don't need 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:23.800 my attention all the time. You give more to the 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.600 relationship than you take away. That's the kind of people 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:29.480 God wants to bring into your life. 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:31.400 You don't have to try to make this happen. 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:34.440 Just be your best each day and God will bring 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:38.480 you divine connections. And then when that season is over, 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:41.560 you don't have to get upset. You can let them 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:45.000 leave with your blessing, continuing to love and respect them. 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:48.800 I have people we were friends way back, used to 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:52.240 spend all this time together, but now my path has 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.440 gone a different direction. They've had changes in their life. 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:58.240 We may see each other only once every two or. 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:01.480 Three years, but when we do, it's just like old times. 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:05.640 You know why, we understand this principle. God had us 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:09.640 in each other's lives for a season. We recognize when 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.320 things were changing. We didn't try to make something work out. 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:16.160 When we knew down deep it was over and done, 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.720 we accepted it, and today we're both better off and 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:20.680 we're still friends. 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:24.720 That's the way it's supposed to be. Don't fight change. 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:29.040 My father used to say, nothing is forever when you 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:31.520 hold on to someone, when you know, down and here 0:16:31.600 --> 0:16:33.600 God is done with it, it's going to be nothing 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:34.280 but a headache. 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:35.560 Now I've learned this. 0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:39.560 God will always bring the right people into your life. 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:42.040 But the key is you've got to let the wrong 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:45.360 ones walk away. If you don't let the wrong ones go, 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:47.000 the right ones will never show up. 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:49.440 And sometimes people. 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:52.320 Play up to our weaknesses to try to convince us 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.600 that we have to have them in our lives. They'll 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:57.800 try to make you think that you're not smart enough 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:00.560 on your own, you're not talented enough, and you need 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:02.920 them to make up for what you're lacking. 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:04.480 Don't believe those lies. 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.320 Years ago, there was a young lady that worked for 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:09.639 us here at the ministry. She grew up in a 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.520 small town, moved here in her mid twenties. She was 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:16.760 very smart, very bright, talented young girl. But I noticed 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:20.040 that she never drove to work. She always had a 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:22.920 young man drop her off every morning. And one day 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:25.159 we were just talking and passing. I said, hey, are 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:27.840 you thinking about getting a car. She said, oh, Joel, 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:30.520 I have a car, and I drove everywhere in my 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:34.000 small town. But when I got here, my friend told 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:38.159 me because the city is so big and so complicated, 0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:41.040 and because I'm not used to driving on the freeways, 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.960 he would have to bring me to work every day. 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:45.840 I thought, all right, that's fine. 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:47.959 That's nice for a while, but I said, when are 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:50.960 you planning on driving? She said, oh, I don't think 0:17:51.000 --> 0:17:53.480 I'll ever be able to drive in this city. He said, 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.640 it's so bad, it's so congested. I looked at her 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:00.600 and said, can I tell you something. You are extremely talented. 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:05.120 Do not allow some yo yo to convince you that 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:10.040 you cannot drive on our freeways. I told her, I 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:13.400 know people that are eighteen years old. They are no smarter, 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.800 no brighter, no more talented than you, and they drive 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:19.920 up and down these freeways every single day. She went 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.879 back and told that young man what I said. He said, 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.159 I don't know about that. You use the kind of 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:27.639 dangers you may get lost. Listen you've got to be 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.879 able to see through that. That's somebody wanting you to 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:33.879 stay in that limitation so they can have a place 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:37.360 in your life. That is not a true friend. That's manipulation. 0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:40.600 And it's fine. You know, it's great that they want 0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:43.760 to drive you, but a true friend will not only 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:46.479 give you assistance, they'll say, you know what, you can 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:48.560 do this on your own. I'll take you out on 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:51.239 the weekends and we'll practice driving on the freeways, but 0:18:51.320 --> 0:18:54.439 you should be able to drive by yourself. About a 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:55.240 month later. 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:55.680 I saw her. 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:59.080 She said, Joel, I drove to work today by myself. 0:18:59.440 --> 0:19:01.119 I said, that's great. I knew you could do it. 0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:03.800 I asked her how it was driving on the freeways. 0:19:03.920 --> 0:19:05.960 She said, oh, I don't drive on the freeways. I 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:11.000 drive on the side streets. It took her an hour 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:13.080 to get here. It should have taken her a half hour. 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:15.840 And I encouraged her, that's great, but you keep it 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:19.320 up and don't settle for the side streets. A month later, 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:22.080 she is driving on the freeways today. She goes everywhere. 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:23.360 Here's what's interesting. 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:27.520 That young man that wanted her to stay off the roads, 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:31.520 he's no longer around. He was only interested in her 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.480 if he could keep her push down so she could 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:37.080 feel like she always owed him something. 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:40.400 Those are not true friends. They are not helping you. 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:43.480 They are hindering you. You don't need. 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:47.760 People in your life that are enabling a limitation, people 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:51.919 that are enabling a dysfunction. If you will let them go, 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:55.280 God will bring you the right people. I think about 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:59.080 Moses when God told him to go tell Feroh, let 0:19:59.080 --> 0:19:59.840 my people go. 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:03.400 Moses said, God, I can't do that. I stutter. 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:06.639 I'm not a good speaker. God, let me take my 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:10.280 brother erin. He's a good communicator. He's got a lot 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:13.280 more confidence than me. If I have him, I know 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:17.040 I'll be able to pull it off. What was Moses saying, God, 0:20:17.080 --> 0:20:19.920 I need a crutch. I need somebody to make up 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.880 for my weakness. And so he took erin with him. 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:26.200 But I love what happened when they got before Pharaoh. 0:20:27.080 --> 0:20:30.240 Just as Aaron was gonna step up to speak, something 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:33.760 rose up on the inside of Moses that said, Moses, 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:36.960 this is your time. You do not need somebody to 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:40.720 speak for you. I've given you everything you need. Moses 0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:43.840 put his shoulders back, held his head up high. He 0:20:43.840 --> 0:20:46.640 said hold on, Erin, I've changed my mind. I've got 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:51.200 something to say, Pharaoh, Let God's people go. It's interesting 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:55.360 the scripture never says that Erin actually spoke for Moses. 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:58.360 I believe God is saying that to each one of us. 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:01.240 You don't need your friend to say speak for you. 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:03.640 You don't need your neighbor to drive for you. You don't 0:21:03.640 --> 0:21:06.119 need your cousin to tell you what to do. You 0:21:06.520 --> 0:21:10.480 are equipped. God wouldn't have presented you with that opportunity 0:21:10.920 --> 0:21:13.800 if he had not already given you everything that you 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:17.320 need and some of you. Today you're relying on other 0:21:17.359 --> 0:21:20.639 people to carry you. For instance, let me do the 0:21:20.720 --> 0:21:22.080 report at the office. 0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:24.960 You don't write well enough. Don't believe that lie. 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:28.000 Let me drive you everywhere you're not able to it's 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:28.679 just too bad. 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:30.720 Let me speak for you at the meeting. 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:33.320 You're not very good in front of people. Now, how 0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:35.320 do they know what God's put on the inside of you? 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:38.560 Next time that happens, you need to rise up like 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.600 Moses and say, hey, wait a minute, this is my time, 0:21:42.040 --> 0:21:44.679 this is my moment. I don't need you to speak 0:21:44.680 --> 0:21:47.399 for me, to write, for me, to believe, for me, 0:21:47.560 --> 0:21:49.240 to drive for me, to encourage me. 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:50.760 I don't even need you to. 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:52.920 Pray for me. I can pray for myself. I am 0:21:52.960 --> 0:21:59.280 getting rid of these crutches. Friends, God has equipped you. 0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:03.639 You are anointed, you are empowered, you are well able. 0:22:04.080 --> 0:22:06.679 Don't let people play up to what you think are 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:10.720 your weaknesses. And I understand some older people need somewhere 0:22:10.760 --> 0:22:12.760 to drive for them, but I'm talking about when we 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:15.359 shrink back and don't do it because of fear, and 0:22:15.400 --> 0:22:19.320 it's easy to become too dependent on somebody else. And 0:22:19.359 --> 0:22:21.280 if we don't break out of that rut and get 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:24.280 rid of those crutches, we can go year after year 0:22:24.600 --> 0:22:28.120 allowing other people to keep us from our destiny. Well, 0:22:28.160 --> 0:22:30.639 you say, Joel, I kind of feel like Moses. I 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:33.119 don't feel like I have what it takes. I'm quiet, 0:22:33.160 --> 0:22:36.800 I'm reserved, I'm shy. That's just how I felt when 0:22:36.840 --> 0:22:38.919 my father went to be with the Lord back in 0:22:39.000 --> 0:22:41.919 nineteen ninety nine. I didn't think I could get up 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:44.760 here in minister. I was afraid to get up in public, 0:22:45.080 --> 0:22:47.920 had all these thoughts telling me that I couldn't do it. 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:51.240 But down in here I had a strong desire. I 0:22:51.359 --> 0:22:53.679 knew that I was supposed to step up and pastor 0:22:53.800 --> 0:22:57.159 the church. And again, God will never give you the 0:22:57.240 --> 0:22:59.400 desire without giving you the ability. 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:00.640 God would have. 0:23:00.560 --> 0:23:03.240 Never told Moses to go speak in front of Phaiah 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:07.040 unless he knew Moses could do it. And so the 0:23:07.080 --> 0:23:10.119 first couple of Sundays after my father went home to 0:23:10.119 --> 0:23:11.720 be with the Lord, I got up. 0:23:11.600 --> 0:23:12.360 In a ministry. 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:14.680 I did the best that I could do, but I 0:23:14.760 --> 0:23:17.119 still trying to figure out if I was able to 0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:18.120 and if I really. 0:23:17.920 --> 0:23:18.800 Had what it takes. 0:23:19.520 --> 0:23:23.080 One Sunday, I was sitting there listening to a guest minister, 0:23:23.760 --> 0:23:26.800 and as he was speaking, something rose up in me 0:23:26.960 --> 0:23:30.960 so strongly that said, Joel, this is your time, this 0:23:31.040 --> 0:23:34.000 is your moment. But if you shrink back in fear, 0:23:34.400 --> 0:23:39.000 you will miss your destiny. And some opportunities only come 0:23:39.040 --> 0:23:43.000 around once. Driving home from that service, I told Victoria, 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:46.119 I'm going to pastor the church. I made the decision 0:23:46.520 --> 0:23:49.000 and I took that step of faith, and even though 0:23:49.040 --> 0:23:52.360 I was nervous, I discovered, like Moses, I didn't need 0:23:52.440 --> 0:23:53.639 anybody to speak for me. 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:56.520 I was well able to do what God called me 0:23:56.600 --> 0:24:01.800 to do. You may have some limitations, but let me 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:03.919 tell you, you don't need a Crutch. 0:24:05.000 --> 0:24:07.520 Erin may be by your side, and that's great, but 0:24:07.560 --> 0:24:10.120 you don't need Erin to speak for you. You don't 0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:12.560 need Erin to drive for you. You don't need Erin 0:24:12.640 --> 0:24:15.560 to tell you what to do. You have been equipped 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:20.119 with everything you need to fulfill your destiny. That means 0:24:20.400 --> 0:24:23.760 you can make your own decisions. God has given you 0:24:23.880 --> 0:24:27.480 wisdom to run your own life. You don't need somebody 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:30.520 constantly telling you what to do and what not to do. 0:24:30.960 --> 0:24:33.680 And yes, it's good to get other people's opinions, it's 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:37.280 good to listen to it vice, but understand, God talks 0:24:37.320 --> 0:24:41.359 to you. You can hear that still small voice. You 0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:43.919 don't have to go through anybody else. You have a 0:24:44.000 --> 0:24:47.240 direct line to the throne of God. And if somebody 0:24:47.280 --> 0:24:49.320 is always trying to tell you what to do, just 0:24:49.359 --> 0:24:52.080 say thanks, but no thanks. Me and God we're on 0:24:52.160 --> 0:24:55.480 speaking terms. One time a man came up to my 0:24:55.600 --> 0:24:58.879 father and said, this man prayed for me, and he 0:24:58.960 --> 0:25:02.080 said that God told him to tell me that I 0:25:02.160 --> 0:25:04.960 was supposed to go to Africa and be a missionary. 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:07.840 What do you think, my father said, I don't know, 0:25:08.160 --> 0:25:10.800 but I do know this. If you do go, make 0:25:10.840 --> 0:25:12.840 sure you take him with you so he can tell 0:25:12.840 --> 0:25:17.600 you when to come back home. You don't need somebody 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:19.199 to tell you what God wants you to do. 0:25:20.320 --> 0:25:22.159 It's like this young lady came up to me a 0:25:22.200 --> 0:25:24.320 few weeks back, and she said, you're old. 0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:27.600 This man that I hardly even know he told me 0:25:28.000 --> 0:25:30.520 God told him to tell me that I was supposed 0:25:30.560 --> 0:25:34.960 to marry him. She was a beautiful young lady. I 0:25:35.200 --> 0:25:37.240 kind of laughed. I said, don't worry about that. Every 0:25:37.320 --> 0:25:39.840 single guy things they hear God's saying that. He's just 0:25:39.920 --> 0:25:43.960 dumb enough to tell you. Anytime you hear that phrase 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:48.000 God told me to tell you, an alarm should go 0:25:48.119 --> 0:25:51.719 off in your mind. Something should start blinking. Flake alert, 0:25:51.840 --> 0:25:56.840 Flake alert, Flake alert. You can hear from God for yourself. 0:25:57.160 --> 0:26:00.359 You don't need a crutch. Listen on the inside to 0:26:00.400 --> 0:26:03.919 that still small voice right down in here. That knowing 0:26:04.000 --> 0:26:07.280 that the impression, that's God talking directly to you. 0:26:08.440 --> 0:26:09.879 In the Scripture, a man by the. 0:26:09.920 --> 0:26:13.320 Name of Gideon had three armies coming against him. As 0:26:13.320 --> 0:26:16.520 he prepared for the battle, God said, Gideon, you've got 0:26:16.560 --> 0:26:19.760 too many people with you. If you win with this many, 0:26:20.160 --> 0:26:21.919 you'll be tempted to think you did it in your 0:26:21.960 --> 0:26:24.719 own strength, and I won't get the credit that I deserve. 0:26:25.240 --> 0:26:28.240 And so God told him to let everybody go home 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:31.479 that was afraid. There were thirty two thousand people in 0:26:31.520 --> 0:26:35.760 his army that day, twenty two thousand went home. I 0:26:35.800 --> 0:26:40.040 can imagine Gideon was depressed. God, everybody is leaving. What 0:26:40.080 --> 0:26:44.199 am I gonna do? It's interesting. God didn't say, don't worry, Gideon, 0:26:44.240 --> 0:26:47.240 I'll bring you some more people. God said just the opposite. 0:26:47.600 --> 0:26:50.439 He said, Gideon, you still have too many people. He 0:26:50.480 --> 0:26:53.760 had him do something else. This time, all but three 0:26:53.840 --> 0:26:57.640 hundred people walked away. Think about it, he went from 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:01.240 thirty two thousand to three hundred. I'm sure he thought 0:27:01.440 --> 0:27:04.520 we are going to get totally wiped out. Practically my 0:27:04.640 --> 0:27:08.440 whole army has gone. But no, it's not important how 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:11.520 many people you have. What's important is do you have 0:27:11.600 --> 0:27:16.640 the right ones. That night, those three hundred defeated tens 0:27:16.720 --> 0:27:18.920 of thousands of the enemy troops. 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:20.320 What am I saying? 0:27:20.880 --> 0:27:24.080 If you're not willing to let people walk away, you'll 0:27:24.080 --> 0:27:27.639 miss out on God's best. Don't be surprised in the 0:27:27.680 --> 0:27:32.320 coming days if God streamlines things and begins to weed 0:27:32.359 --> 0:27:35.679 out certain people. He's not trying to take you backwards. 0:27:35.880 --> 0:27:38.240 He's getting you prepared to go to a new level. 0:27:38.760 --> 0:27:42.399 You're going to see victories that looked impossible. You're going 0:27:42.480 --> 0:27:44.480 to think, like, get in, how did I do this? 0:27:45.040 --> 0:27:47.320 I could understand it if I had my whole army, 0:27:47.920 --> 0:27:50.760 if I had my neighbor driving for me, and my 0:27:50.800 --> 0:27:53.800 friend helping me, and my coworker writing the report. 0:27:53.920 --> 0:27:56.280 But I did it all on my own. Yes, But 0:27:56.480 --> 0:27:58.520 you and God are a majority. 0:27:58.920 --> 0:28:02.199 And what happened is you quit depending on others and 0:28:02.280 --> 0:28:04.280 you stepped into a greater anointing. 0:28:05.000 --> 0:28:06.960 When you put a demand on your. 0:28:06.760 --> 0:28:10.160 Faith, that's what pleases God, not when we sit back 0:28:10.200 --> 0:28:13.600 and expect others to do it. You don't need anyone 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.160 to make up for what you think are your weaknesses. 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:18.800 I didn't think I could get up and speak in public. 0:28:18.840 --> 0:28:19.520 I'm too shy. 0:28:20.080 --> 0:28:23.320 But yet today, almost every week I speak to thousands. 0:28:23.480 --> 0:28:25.880 That tells me God didn't give. 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:27.639 Us half the talent we needed. 0:28:28.240 --> 0:28:32.240 God never made us dependent on somebody else. Quit relying 0:28:32.320 --> 0:28:34.959 on another person to pray for you, to speak, for you, 0:28:35.040 --> 0:28:38.520 to believe, for you, to encourage you do like Moses 0:28:38.600 --> 0:28:41.280 and say, Aaron, I appreciate your coming, but you know what. 0:28:41.640 --> 0:28:43.800 This is my time, this is my season. 0:28:43.960 --> 0:28:48.320 I'm stepping into my God given destiny. Recognize if somebody 0:28:48.360 --> 0:28:51.640 walked away, it was not an accident. It was a 0:28:51.680 --> 0:28:54.360 part of God's plan to get you to a new level. 0:28:54.920 --> 0:28:58.240 Don't let people control you. Don't let them manipulate you 0:28:58.480 --> 0:29:01.080 into thinking you can't do it with that them. God 0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:03.800 would not have let them walk away if he didn't 0:29:03.840 --> 0:29:06.000 know you could do it on your own. And some 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:09.240 people are with you, but they're not for you. And 0:29:09.280 --> 0:29:11.200 the sooner you let them go, the better off you're 0:29:11.200 --> 0:29:14.360 going to be. I'm asking us today to get rid 0:29:14.440 --> 0:29:18.160 of these crutches. Quit depending on somebody else to do 0:29:18.240 --> 0:29:21.200 what you know you should be doing for yourself. If 0:29:21.280 --> 0:29:23.840 you'll look inside and tap into the power that God's 0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:26.800 put in you, and like Moses, you'll rise up with 0:29:26.880 --> 0:29:30.240 a new confidence. Yes it may stretch you, but you're 0:29:30.280 --> 0:29:33.040 going to discover new gifts and talents. God's going to 0:29:33.080 --> 0:29:35.640 bring new friends, the right people at the right time. 0:29:36.160 --> 0:29:39.280 I believe and declare you're going to become everything that 0:29:39.360 --> 0:29:42.040 He's created you to be. Amen. Do you receive it today? 0:29:44.000 --> 0:29:44.480 I know you do. 0:29:46.040 --> 0:29:49.480 Thank you for listening to the Joel Osteine podcast. Help 0:29:49.560 --> 0:29:52.280 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:52.400 --> 0:29:56.280 all over the world. Visit Joeloustein dot com slash give 0:29:56.400 --> 0:29:58.080 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:59.320 --> 0:30:01.840 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:30:01.920 --> 0:30:04.680 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:30:04.720 --> 0:30:07.760 podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. 0:30:08.000 --> 0:30:10.840 We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. 0:30:11.080 --> 0:30:12.200 We'll see you next time. 0:30:19.120 --> 0:30:21.640 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:30:21.680 --> 0:30:25.400 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:30:25.480 --> 0:30:28.720 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 0:30:28.800 --> 0:30:31.880 yourly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:30:31.880 --> 0:30:35.040 the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to 0:30:35.120 --> 0:30:38.000 health for a limited time. 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