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Next Level Thinking Book Q&A
Joel OsteenAbout this sermon
Joel and Victoria discuss topics and answer questions from Next Level Thinking, Joel's latest book. You can get Next Level Thinking now at JoelOsteen.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Source: Joel Osteen
Transcript
0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military e
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0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.680 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.800 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:46.920 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.600 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.040 and career. Make it count with Perdue Global produce online 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.720 University for working adults. 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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:44.720 Hey welcome everybody. We are so glad to have your 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:48.120 tuning in. We loved you, We're praying for you. We 0:01:48.160 --> 0:01:50.760 believe that twenty eighteen is going to be an amazing 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:54.240 year in your life, a year where God exceeds your expectations. 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:57.120 Thanks for tuning in. I'm here with my beautiful wife Victoria, 0:01:57.360 --> 0:01:59.440 my friend Nick Nielson. Nick. Can I see that I've 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.240 got a new book out. It's called Next Level Thinking. 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:05.960 It's ten powerful thoughts for a successful and Abundant Life, 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:08.799 and it comes out this Tuesday, but hope you'll pick 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:10.880 up a copy and we'll talk a little bit about it. Today. 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.640 I'm sitting here with a couple of hundred of the finest, 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:18.200 most powerful anointed pastors and all of America right here. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.400 So guys and ladies, thank you so much for being 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:22.239 with us. We're going to have a great time. But Nick, 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:24.560 thanks for being a part in Victoria. Say hello, Dinbo, No. 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:27.120 I'm excited about this webcast. We're going to have a 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:28.840 great time. And who doesn't want to go to the 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:30.920 next level in they're thinking, I know, I do. 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:32.320 So we have. 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.760 Amazing people here and Pastor Nick, you're always so great 0:02:35.760 --> 0:02:39.080 at like bringing out those great points and so you know, 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.440 we're glad that you tuned in because you're really special 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.760 to this webcast. We know that we pray for you, 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.440 know that we are for you. We know that God 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:49.240 has amazing things in your future. So thank you for 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:50.840 tuning in, and we're all going to go to the 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:51.480 next level. 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:54.200 You know, we just want to have a conversation about 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:57.040 this book, Pastor and I just I think it's a 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:01.000 very relevant book, applicable book. But what what do you 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.600 hope people grab from this book. I mean, what's what's 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:05.519 the heart, what's the what's the biggest thing that you'd 0:03:05.520 --> 0:03:06.600 hope people receive from it? 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:09.320 Well, Nick, that I believe our life follows our thoughts, 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.800 and so so many times we're thinking defeating thoughts and 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.200 negative thoughts or limiting thoughts, and it's not God limiting us. 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:19.800 We're limiting ourselves worth our thinking. And so I'm encouraging 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:21.960 people in the book to you know, let's take the 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.360 limits off of God. My father used to say, you 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:27.400 will never rise any higher than the way you see yourself, 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:29.840 than what's going on in your mind. And most of 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.360 us know. But there's a recording that's constantly playing. You know. 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.800 The experts tell us that we talk to ourselves more 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:39.440 than we talk to anybody else because there's something playing it. 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:42.200 Sometimes we don't realize it, but the recording is negative. 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:44.080 It's just how we've grown up. As you know what. 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:46.680 I'll never be successful or Joey, You've got a big church, 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.120 but I'll never do anything great. I'll never get well, 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:51.840 I'll never break the addiction, or you know, I'm not 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:54.120 as talented as my brother, I'm not as good looking, 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:56.880 as my friend. As long as those thoughts are negative, 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:00.960 we are limiting ourselves. And so I'm just encouraging us 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:03.120 to turn on the right recording. And that's what God 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:06.040 says about us. That we are blessed, that we are strong, 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.960 that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that we're not average, 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.000 we are masterpieces. And even I think about sitting in 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.880 this building, you know what one thing we had to do. 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:18.480 When they told me the Compact Center was coming available. 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:21.479 My first thought, I told the guy, said, there's no 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:24.240 way we could afford that. That'll be two hundred million dollars. 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:26.000 My first thought was, you know, I wasn't even going 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.520 to pursue it. He said, no, Joel, the city only 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:31.039 owes seven and a half million dollars, and that cost 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:32.440 a little bit more than that for us to get it. 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.599 But you know, when I heard that, I thought, you 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:36.520 know what, I can believe for seven and a half 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:38.479 million dollars. But you know what I had to take 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:40.840 the limits off of God. You know, I had grown 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:44.320 up here watching the Rockets play basketball, had season tickets 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:47.320 right back over there. In my wildest dreams. If you 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:49.719 would have told me, you know, twenty thirty years ago 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.640 that one day we would own the Compact Center. I said, 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.520 there's no way. That's not even fathomable. This is where 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:58.520 the Rockets won two world championships. It's the premier auditorium 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.359 in our facility. But you know what, only thing that 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:04.080 limits us is our own thinking. I just said, God, 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:05.920 you know what, I don't see how it can work out, 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:07.919 but I know you're on the throne. I know you 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.680 controlled the universe. So I took the limits off of God. 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:14.680 And it doesn't happen automatically. But you know, when you 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:17.240 think like God thinks, when you take the limits off 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:19.080 of him, that's what allows God to do great things. 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:21.040 So that's what the book is about. Wherever you are, 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:23.919 God wants us to rise higher. He doesn't want us 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:26.360 to be at this same level next year as we 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.560 are right now. He wants us to go further. So 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:30.560 I think the first thing we have to do is 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:32.280 we have to take the limits off in our thinking 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:34.520 and say, God, I'm goost start thinking at the next level. 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.760 I almost start believing for bigger things. Yeah, God, you 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:39.360 being good to me. I'm not saying, you know, you 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:41.680 don't have to have a dediction or have some big 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:44.680 kind of problem. But sometimes you know how I do. 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:47.280 Sometimes life can just get routine and okay, I kind 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:48.840 of reach that level and that's kind of as good 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:50.600 as it gets and all that. But you know what, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:53.039 you take the limits off of God and you watch 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:53.960 where God will take you. 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:57.760 There's ten thoughts, so each of them are phenomenal on 0:05:57.760 --> 0:05:59.920 their own. Right there, there's chapter two years when I 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:01.880 I'm gonna just read a sentence. 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:02.520 That you wrote. 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:06.000 It says you are fully loaded and completely equipped for 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:09.240 the race that God's designed for. You talk a little 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:11.200 bit about what that means to you, being fully loaded. 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.040 So many people that we meet feel inadequate to do 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:16.479 the certain things that God's designed to do, step up 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:17.800 in the workplace, wherever they may be. 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.640 It's exactly how I felt, nick when my father went 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:23.039 to be with the Lord, and I knew down in 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:25.599 here I was supposed to step up and pasture the church. 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:27.680 I don't know how to explain it. I just knew 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:31.040 that I was supposed to. But every thought told me, Joe, 0:06:31.160 --> 0:06:33.880 you can't pass the church. You never been to seminary, 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:36.960 you don't have the training. You've ministered one time, and 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:39.400 you're going to take over your father's church of six 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.640 thousand people. I mean, everything in my mind said there 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:45.000 was no way. And part of it was just, you know, 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.800 I didn't feel equipped. I didn't feel empowered. I mean, 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:52.120 I'm naturally more quiet and reserved. I like being behind 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:54.200 the scenes. I was the one running the camera and 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.279 doing all the production. And you know, I used to 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:58.960 watch my dad and he was my hero. You know, 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:02.200 he could get up there speak and so powerful, and 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:04.839 you know he came out of that generation before me, 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:07.560 and they were fiery and man, he'd give you goosebumps. 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:08.960 And I thought, God, I don't have any of that. 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.280 I don't have the personality, I don't have that fire 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.760 in me. But I realized that God would not have 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.800 given you the dream if he had not already equipped 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:21.720 you and empowered you. And so many of us have 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:24.880 things on the inside, gifts and talents that we've not 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.160 yet tapped into their line dormant and even for me, 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:31.040 I don't think I was supposed to be ministering those 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:33.840 seventeen years. I was behind the scenes. It was all 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.120 a part of God's timing. But I can say this, 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:38.960 there are gifts in you that are dormant and at 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:41.080 the right time, God's going to open some things up 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:42.920 for you. He's going to open some new doors. But 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:46.080 I think it's important rather than feeling you know, I 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:51.120 kind of feel inadequate, not qualified, you know that insecure. 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:54.239 You've got to change that recording again and know that, hey, 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.840 I am equipped, I am empowered, I am fully loaded 0:07:57.920 --> 0:07:59.960 with everything I need to fulfill my desk. 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:03.040 That's kind of the preparation part, isn't it. That whole 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:06.880 speaking to yourself when that potential is calling out, you're scared, 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.280 But it's when you start that recording going in the 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.440 right direction. It's part of the preparation because you said 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.120 yourself that. It took a little while and you had 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:16.720 to look at yourself in the mirror and you had 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:18.520 to just start talking to yourself and say, I. 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:19.480 Can do this today. 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:20.200 I have you know. 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.080 So I think sometimes people think, well, what's happening when 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:27.240 I'm doing this, or you're preparing yourself. When God opens 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.400 that door, then you're going to be ready to walk 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:29.800 through it. 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:32.960 Yeah, I've learned you can talk yourself into your dreams 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:35.360 or you can talk yourself out of your dreams. I 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:37.840 would have to go on Saturday nights when I first started, 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:39.960 and look myself in the mirror and said, Joe, you 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:42.480 can do this. You are strong in the Lord. You 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:44.840 are well able, you were equipped. You've been raised up 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:47.240 for such a time as this. If I hadn't done that, 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:49.400 if I would have let those thoughts play that you 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:52.040 know what, you don't have what it takes. You're not 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:54.920 as talented, you're not, I wouldn't be standing here today. 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:57.640 So I just encourage those of you and those of 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.600 you watching, take the limits. Take the limit off of God, 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:03.720 but take the limits off of yourself. Quit telling yourself 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.440 that you're lacking or you don't have enough talent or 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.920 enough experience. You may not, but God does. What He's 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.359 put in you is what you need to fulfill your destiny. 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:16.160 You are not lacking. You didn't get left out. God 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:18.640 didn't make a mistake when he made you. You were 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.400 not short changed. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's amazing. 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:25.880 You talk a lot about knowing your value and knowing 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:29.079 that your value doesn't come from you do or your paycheck, 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:32.200 but just knowing that your value comes from your creator. 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:33.079 Talk about that. 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:35.320 It's here in chapter five, but just talk a little 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.000 bit about recognizing your value and just where your value 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.200 comes from, where it's based from. 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.360 You know, Nick, just what you said that sometimes we're 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:45.360 trying to get our value out of what we do, 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:47.480 or how big my church is, or how big the 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:50.240 you know, out of people as well. And you know, 0:09:50.280 --> 0:09:53.280 I think that's a hard way to live because you know, 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:55.680 when you try to get your approval from people, the 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:58.880 problem is people can change, you know. You think about Jesus. 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:01.520 One day, wasn't Jesus coming into the town and they 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.000 were all saying Hosanna. It seems like it was three 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.960 days later. A week later they were saying crucifying. And 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:09.640 if you try to get your value out of other things, 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.120 even people. As much as I love Victoria, people can't 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:14.439 fill you with everything you need. So you've got to 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:17.120 go back to know that, you know what my approval 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.120 comes from the most high God. People may not approve me, 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:22.720 or you know, those thoughts try to push me down, 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:25.240 but you know what, it's not. I love that even 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:27.640 about Jesus here you know this, all these pastors, but 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.880 Jesus when he was baptized in water, when John the 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:34.280 Baptist baptized him, Jesus came up out of the water, 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:37.760 and the voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son, 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.600 whom I am well pleased. But when you think about it, 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:43.520 at that point, Jesus hadn't done one miracle, he hadn't 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:45.880 turned the water into wine, he hadn't opened a blind eye. 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:48.880 His father was pleased of him because of who he was. 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:51.400 And sometimes we think, well, God's not pleased to me, Joe, 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.520 I've got an addiction, or I've wasted years of my life, 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:57.160 or I've made these mistakes. Listen, that's what you did. 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.240 That's not who you are. God is smiling down on 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:02.880 you right now. He's made you in his image. And 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:04.880 if you'd get those thoughts out of your mind about 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:07.600 you know what, God's not pleased with me, And you 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:09.360 know what I'm not. I don't I don't measure up 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:11.679 to other people. Well, you don't have to measure up 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.079 to other people. You are uniquely made in your in 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:17.160 who God made you to be. So turn tune all 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.600 that out and know again that you are fearfully and 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.000 wonderfully made, that the creator of the universe breeds his 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:25.760 life into you. He knew you before you were formed 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:28.000 in your mother's womb. He didn't have you here in 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:30.920 this by accident. And if you'd turn off that that 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:33.360 old thinking and put some new thoughts that you know what, 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:37.400 I'm approved, I'm valuable, I'm accepted. I am a masterpiece 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:40.520 that's going to cause you to rise higher and become 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:45.240 who God's created you to be. So Chester Charles used 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:47.840 to leave us off. My friend, Pastor Charles Nieman. Pastor's 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.280 a great church, abundant living in el Pastor, I've been 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:51.920 there with you and we're very honored to have you here. 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:55.280 Pastor Charles, here, go ahead, Pastor. 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:58.439 Yeah, my uh. As you were talking today, and as 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:00.839 I was reading the book, and in particular I kind 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:04.120 of got caught up in the fifth chapter as you 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.320 were just mentioning there about value, and I couldn't help 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:13.480 but think about speaking of your dad. An incredible series 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.080 of teachings he did that really impacted my life years ago, 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:23.960 called thinking the thoughts of God and bringing that idea 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.360 I think is coming full circle in your book, this 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:29.520 idea that you know we all. 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:30.160 Have these thoughts. 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:34.559 But how do people hearing what you just said, how 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:38.000 would you say that people need to move from this 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:43.680 life of negativity or a moment of negativity that is 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:47.200 now taking control of their thinking. And you know, as 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:49.480 you know Solomon said, as a man thinking in his heart, 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:53.040 so is he. But where do they go? How do 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:56.840 they get the thoughts of God into their mind? 0:12:57.040 --> 0:12:59.800 Yeah, Pastor, you know, I believe they go back to 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.439 this scripture. They find out what God says about them. 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:04.600 And I think you do it one, one thought at 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:07.480 a time. You know, some people were, as I said, 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:10.120 they're just naturally negative. That's just the way they grew 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:12.760 up with. But I don't think we always realize that 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:15.160 we don't have to think whatever comes to our mind. 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:16.520 You know, you can get up in the morning thing, 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:18.360 oh there's gonna be a lousy day and I don't 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:20.880 feel like going to work. You don't have to think that. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:23.960 That next level thinking says, No, I'm wanna tune that out. Lord, 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:25.480 I want to think you this is a great day. 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:29.040 I'm grateful to be alive today. It's just taking control 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.520 of our mind. Even the scripture. You know, y'all teach 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:34.160 it better than me, But just about guarding your mind 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:36.520 and what's playing all day and again going back to 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:39.280 what God says about you and That's that's why every 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:42.040 service I tell the congregation, here I go, I want 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:43.640 to go over them all. But I am blessed, I 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:49.480 am prosperous, I am redeemed, forgiven, talented, creative discipline, focus, accepted, approved. 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:51.600 That's what needs to be playing in our mind all 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:53.720 through the day. And just because the thought comes doesn't 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:54.640 mean you have to think it. 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:57.280 You know too, it's a habit. When you start to 0:13:57.400 --> 0:14:00.920 start thinking the right thoughts, you start recognizing when the 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:03.760 wrong thoughts come. And it's not a matter of you know, 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:05.520 you just stop, you say, oh, that's not the thoughts 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:07.360 I want to think. So I think the more you 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:09.240 do it, it's like you said, just a thought at 0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:11.880 a time, you can catch when the wrong thoughts come. 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:12.960 And that's so important. 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:14.600 I like to think of it. I've heard the example 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:16.760 of it's like a river bed. Maybe that river bed 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:20.640 has been flowing one way for forty years, just negative thoughts. Well, 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.920 one thought at a time. Every day you think the 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:26.800 right thoughts, you think positive faith, field, think on things 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:29.040 that are truth. Well, you're digging that riverbed the other way. 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.680 May not turn around overnight, but I believe over time, 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:34.840 and I've talked to people that have been negative their 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:38.240 whole life and just doubters and just down on themselves. Insecure, 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:40.800 you start turning it one day at a time, one 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.480 thought at a time, that riverbed is going to start 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.760 running the other way. And two I think, you know, 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:48.760 God's given us all different personalities, and I've naturally been 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.840 optimistic and positive. You know, other people have a friend 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:54.720 tell me, he says, I can take a positive message 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.240 and preach it a negative way. I'm just negative, you know, 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:00.520 But I think you can naturally. You can naturally change. 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:02.840 And I think it's you know, so much of life 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:06.840 is is perspective. You know, it's what we're looking at today. 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:08.920 We're looking at what's wrong or you know what I'm 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:10.920 looking at what's right, looking at what I don't have, 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:12.400 or looking at what I do have, And it's just 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:16.240 back to our thinking, and you know, thinking those right thoughts. 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:18.520 You don't even have to be a negative person per se. 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.000 I'm not a negative person. I would consider myself a 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:24.760 positive person. But I know when I think positive thoughts 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:29.400 on purpose, it changes the atmosphere of my mind. It 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:33.040 takes and elevates me to that next level. So it's 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:35.680 not that you can be saying, well, I'm not necessarily negative, 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:38.520 but are you thinking positive thoughts on purpose? And I 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:40.320 think that's that's a great key as well. 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:42.640 I just like how you alluded to it's a journey. 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.040 It's a process that we don't have to get this 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:47.080 thing right away, that it's one thing at a time. 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.400 Maybe maybe you think better right now than you did 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:52.880 a year ago, and it's just a journey for people. 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.360 Some people expect to be so perfect in their thought 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:57.840 life right away, right around the corner, and it's like, 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:00.520 this is a process, this is a journey beginning habitually 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:01.200 do it. 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:06.280 So that's awesome, Pastor Torey Roberts One Church LA One 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:10.280 Church is what Potter's House Denver, and awesome to have you, tore. 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.120 Thank you so much, and thank you for writing this book. 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:14.240 I like it. 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:16.960 It's next level thinking. And we all know that our 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:20.400 insides determine our outsides, and so a lot of times 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:23.840 the barrier, as you so eloquently wrote about in this book, 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.640 the barrier is not that the opportunity isn't there, it's 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:30.200 just their restrictions in our thinking. One chapter that really 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:32.640 stood out to me was a chapter where you dealt 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.480 with shame because a lot of times the opportunity is 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:38.280 there and we want to think positively, but there's almost 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:40.480 like a cap on what we believe that God can 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:43.880 do for us because we've got shame about something that happened. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:45.680 How do you if there's. 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:47.640 Someone out there that's dealing with shame, how do you 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:51.320 attack shame? Get that cap off of your life so 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:52.280 that you can move forward. 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:55.360 Yeah, I think Torey again, it goes back to that 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.360 thought of you know, you are not what you did, 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:00.960 You are not what happened to you. You you were 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:03.400 a child of the Most High God. And I think 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:06.439 even you know, from when we were little children, sometimes 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:08.160 you know, shame on you. You shouldn't have done a shame 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:09.680 on you, But you just got to rise up and say, 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:11.720 you know what, shame off me. I am a child 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:13.879 of the Most High God. I'm going to I'm not 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:17.120 going to live beating myself up. And you know it's 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:19.679 funny how people beat themselves up and it wasn't their fault, 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:22.760 you know, it's just a natural tendency. And so these 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:25.640 are decisions we have to make. It starts in our 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:28.440 mind and life is too short to live it. You know, 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.399 full of shame and guilt, and you know whether you 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.000 messed up or whether somebody didn't treat you right or 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:37.119 whatever it is. It's a new day. God's mercies are 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:39.240 fresh and new every morning. Why don't you, you know, 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:41.359 shame off you and start saying, you know what I'm 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:43.440 going to be who God's called me to be. There's 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:46.440 no mistake you made that has to keep you from 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:49.680 your destiny. And I really believe there's nothing somebody else 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.000 has done to you that has to keep you from 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:53.760 your purpose as well. It may not have been fair, 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.600 and I'm not saying that life is always fair, but 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.480 God has that way of giving you beauty for ashes 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:01.520 take and what was meant for harm in using it 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:05.160 to your advantage. Pastor Keith and Sheila Kraft pastor Elevate 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:08.160 Life Church in Frisco, Texas, and been friends of ours 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.200 for many years. Thanks for being here and go ahead. 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:13.080 Keith, thank you. It's an honor. I love the title 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:15.240 of your book because we believe in you elevate your thinking, 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:18.560 you elevate your life. So it's masterful. 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:18.919 Really. 0:18:19.359 --> 0:18:23.160 In the first chapter, you tell a story about your 0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:27.920 dad and that he really did you a great service 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.879 by taking you to the place where he was born 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:34.600 and to the neighborhood where he was born, to know 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:37.720 the house that he lived in wasn't there. There was 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:41.840 a neighbor who had lived there his whole life. Was 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:45.119 actually sitting on the front porch when you guys drove 0:18:45.240 --> 0:18:48.320 up and your dad addressed him. And one of the 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:51.200 things you say in your book is you say, when 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:54.640 you break a barrier, you make it easier for those 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:59.320 who come after you. And so talk about that because 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.199 just about thinking a certain way, but it's understanding the 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:07.719 way that you think, your next level thinking is going 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:09.920 to determine how those that come after you think. 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:12.800 Yeah, that's a powerful point, Keith, You're exactly right. And 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:14.679 I want you to tell that story about your dad too, 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:16.680 real quick in a second, because that's real powerful. I've 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:20.720 used that. But yeah, So my father was raised in poverty. 0:19:21.480 --> 0:19:23.800 He grew up during the Great Depression and his family 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:27.280 had lost everything and just there were great people, but 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:30.760 they were poor. He barely had enough food and you know, 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.600 clothing to go to school. But at seventeen years of age, 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:36.120 my father gave his life to Christ and the first 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:39.320 one in his family and he you know, he felt 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:41.399 like God called him to preach. He hitchhiked and he 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:43.760 started preaching. And his family thought, you know, he's crazy. 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:45.800 Why would you leave the farm. This is all you 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:48.240 know how to do. But my dad went on, obviously 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:51.359 to found Lakewood and pastor great churches all over the world. 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.960 But one thing that what he told me, He said, Joel, 0:19:55.160 --> 0:19:57.080 I when I gave my life to Christ at seventeen, 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:00.600 I made a decision that my children would never be 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:03.200 raised in the poverty that I was raised in. So 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.520 my father he rose up by the decisions that he 0:20:06.640 --> 0:20:08.680 made and by the grace of God, and he broke 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.520 the curse of poverty in our family. And you know, today, 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:14.359 you know what, we're blessed because my father took a stand. 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:16.280 So I am. I mean, I'll be the first to 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:18.720 tell you I'm reaping seeds because my mother and my 0:20:18.800 --> 0:20:21.760 father have planted and sewed, and you know, broke that 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:25.439 curse of poverty. But later in life, my dad, you know, 0:20:25.480 --> 0:20:28.560 he loved to reminisce his Joel Victoria drive back to Paris, Texas, 0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:30.679 where he grew up. And so we went back and 0:20:30.720 --> 0:20:33.560 we found the old farm where he lived on the 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:35.840 house was gone, but we found the well was still there. 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:37.600 And he used to tell me he had to walk 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:39.680 two miles to school. And we looked in this school 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:43.479 was like one hundred yards away, not so big in 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:46.680 your mind, but he could not convince the guy said, no, 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:48.960 that was the school. No, it was two miles away. 0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:50.840 But anyway, so we got there, you know, then we 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:53.119 drove around. He went to find some friends and this 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:56.080 guy sitting on his front porch and house had a whole, 0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:58.479 you know, roof had leaks in and it was one 0:20:58.480 --> 0:21:00.320 of even hardly a house. It was a shit. And 0:21:00.359 --> 0:21:02.560 the guy was out there without his shirt on, just 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:04.639 kind of killing time. And I said, you wasn't a 0:21:04.720 --> 0:21:06.760 good person. But my dad walked up and said, you 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:08.760 know whatever his name was, and he said, hey, this 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:12.199 is John Ostein. Hadn't spoken to him in like sixty years. 0:21:12.840 --> 0:21:14.960 And you know, my dad got to talk and what 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:17.760 did you do? Sh worked at the boat shop a 0:21:17.800 --> 0:21:20.040 little way, and I did this for a little while, 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:22.040 you know, and got laid off back then. My back's 0:21:22.080 --> 0:21:24.600 been hurting, but I just thought, man, what a difference 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:28.359 when somebody raises up and sets a new standard. It 0:21:28.400 --> 0:21:31.520 didn't you know what, nothing against the gentleman there. You know, 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:33.199 he didn't do it, But I thought, look at the 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:35.560 two My dad had touched people all over the world, 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:38.280 had a you know, a family that was doing great things. 0:21:38.320 --> 0:21:41.359 So it's so important that man. You can become a 0:21:41.400 --> 0:21:44.520 burier breaker, you can rise out of any dysfunction or 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:47.440 just out of the I believe God wants every generation 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:49.960 to increase. That's why when my dad went to be 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:52.680 with Lord, people used to ask me, do you think 0:21:52.720 --> 0:21:55.880 you can continue on what your father started? And here 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:58.760 I didn't have any experience, but something down in here. 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:02.000 I would tell them, not arrogantly at all, I'd say, 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:03.760 you know what, I think I can not only carry 0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:06.399 it on, but I think we can go further because 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:08.719 it's the way God designed it. He didn't want us 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:11.200 to go backwards. He wants every generation to increase. We 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:14.120 want our children to go further as well. So why 0:22:14.160 --> 0:22:17.320 don't you go break some barriers for your family. You know, 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:19.960 nobody broke the four minute mile for you know, forever 0:22:20.200 --> 0:22:22.639 in history. Then the guy broke it, and then after that, 0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:25.879 within like six months, forty three other people broke it. 0:22:25.960 --> 0:22:27.680 And it's like the burial was in our mind that 0:22:27.760 --> 0:22:30.760 we can't break a four minute mile. I can't be successful, 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:32.760 I can't break this addiction. You know what, you have 0:22:32.840 --> 0:22:35.440 the power of the most time God on the inside 0:22:35.440 --> 0:22:38.160 of you. You'd be amazed at what you can do. Keith, 0:22:38.200 --> 0:22:39.720 tell us that story. It's really powerful. 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:42.199 My dad. I was about eleven years old, and my 0:22:42.320 --> 0:22:44.480 dad said, hey, come get in the car, and I 0:22:44.480 --> 0:22:46.679 had no idea where we were going. Three hours later, 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:49.639 we were in front of a house that was very similar 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:53.000 to what you described shack. No wind is on the 0:22:53.240 --> 0:22:55.840 on the on the you know, no glass on the 0:22:55.880 --> 0:22:58.880 wind is the door is broken down going in the house, 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.719 and we walk in the house and this floor was dirt. 0:23:01.800 --> 0:23:03.840 There was a one piece of furniture, and there was 0:23:03.840 --> 0:23:06.480 an old man sitting over in the corner. And we 0:23:06.520 --> 0:23:08.640 walked over there and I was holding my dad's hand, 0:23:08.680 --> 0:23:13.840 and he said, hey, Dad, I never I'd never met 0:23:13.880 --> 0:23:17.280 my grandfather. And my dad had a bag of money 0:23:17.320 --> 0:23:20.760 for him and some candy and my grandfather, which I 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:23.359 didn't even know that's who it was, but didn't really 0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:27.160 if you acknowledged me, didn't say hello, but my dad 0:23:27.200 --> 0:23:28.439 just talked to him for a minute. I kind of 0:23:28.440 --> 0:23:30.560 walked away, and we were there for about ten minutes 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:32.960 and we walked out of the house and I remember 0:23:33.000 --> 0:23:35.000 looking up at my dad and I said, Dad, I 0:23:35.040 --> 0:23:37.480 never want to go back there, and he said, that's 0:23:37.480 --> 0:23:40.639 why I brought you here, because this is where we're from. 0:23:40.920 --> 0:23:43.560 But this is not who we are. And it's so 0:23:43.800 --> 0:23:47.280 impacted my life that I said, you know what, I 0:23:47.320 --> 0:23:50.400 can be somebody. I can be somebody, And not that 0:23:50.400 --> 0:23:54.480 that my grandfather that I never saw again, never met again, 0:23:54.640 --> 0:23:57.320 never talked to him, Not that he wasn't a good man, 0:23:57.400 --> 0:24:00.200 that's not the The point is is that where wherever 0:24:00.240 --> 0:24:02.840 you come from, that doesn't have to be who you are. 0:24:03.000 --> 0:24:04.000 You can break a barrier. 0:24:04.560 --> 0:24:09.840 Yes, So right, wow, Tester Chad You up next, Sir 0:24:10.160 --> 0:24:14.800 Pester chad Row from Destiny World, Outreaching Colleen, Texas ministers 0:24:14.840 --> 0:24:17.320 to a lot of the soldiers and people that have 0:24:17.760 --> 0:24:19.320 away at the military. 0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:22.160 Largest armored base in the free world there in Colleen. 0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:26.720 So almost all the soldiers of military are come from there. 0:24:26.760 --> 0:24:29.080 And so we've taken an honor, you know, pastor Joe 0:24:29.080 --> 0:24:32.800 in your book next level thinking, it's just so amazing. 0:24:32.880 --> 0:24:35.800 And I noticed in the chapter two about being fully loaded, 0:24:35.840 --> 0:24:39.199 and how what I took out of that is about 0:24:39.359 --> 0:24:42.520 running your race and staying in your lane and not 0:24:42.600 --> 0:24:45.960 trying to run other people's races, because it's easy, I 0:24:46.000 --> 0:24:47.920 know in my life, to get caught up and seeing 0:24:47.960 --> 0:24:50.639 what everybody else is doing, how great everybody else is, 0:24:51.040 --> 0:24:53.520 and you might try to get in that race and 0:24:53.640 --> 0:24:57.520 run their race and their lane instead of being fully 0:24:57.560 --> 0:25:00.520 loaded and annoying it. As you've said, for the race 0:25:00.840 --> 0:25:03.760 that God has put in you. I grew up to 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:07.639 honor vessels men of God. But one thing I noticed 0:25:07.640 --> 0:25:10.440 in reading your book, it's not so much the vessel 0:25:10.720 --> 0:25:13.760 but the anointing on the vessel. And that's what I 0:25:13.760 --> 0:25:17.520 loved about that is how how does somebody recognize that 0:25:17.880 --> 0:25:21.160 and stay focused on their race and in their lane 0:25:21.200 --> 0:25:23.800 when there's so much other things going on around you. 0:25:24.119 --> 0:25:27.119 Yeah, that's such an important point, Chad, it really is. 0:25:27.280 --> 0:25:28.480 Let me get to that question a minute, but it 0:25:28.520 --> 0:25:30.800 reminds me that I think I used the analogy in 0:25:30.840 --> 0:25:35.640 the Book of you know when King Saul killed thousands 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:39.080 and then they started, well, yeah, the people started singing 0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:42.200 after this great victory. King Saul has killed thousands, and 0:25:42.680 --> 0:25:45.919 David had killed tens of thousands. I can only imagine 0:25:45.960 --> 0:25:49.200 when King King Saul has killed thousands, they're singing about me. Man, 0:25:49.240 --> 0:25:52.800 that's great. Everything was fine, I can imagine until he 0:25:52.800 --> 0:25:55.960 heard what they say David's killed tens of thousands. His 0:25:56.040 --> 0:26:00.000 whole attitude changed. He wasn't content with being one thousand 0:26:01.160 --> 0:26:05.080 person versus ten thousand, you know, defeated person. So you know, 0:26:05.400 --> 0:26:07.800 sometimes you have to accept, Hey, God, this is who 0:26:08.119 --> 0:26:10.600 you made me to be. I may not have killed 0:26:10.640 --> 0:26:12.680 ten thousand, but I've killed a thousand. I'm gonna be 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:14.760 happy with with what you've given me to do with 0:26:14.800 --> 0:26:17.640 the gifts you've given me. And I really believe Saul 0:26:17.720 --> 0:26:20.359 missed his destiny because he was jealous of somebody else 0:26:20.800 --> 0:26:23.240 if he could have just celebrated them. And I think 0:26:23.240 --> 0:26:25.600 it is. And when you're talking about being fully loaded 0:26:25.600 --> 0:26:28.119 and totally equipped, hey, you may not be I may 0:26:28.160 --> 0:26:30.400 not be Tdjake, so I may not be somebody else, 0:26:30.440 --> 0:26:31.640 But you know what, You've got to be the best 0:26:31.640 --> 0:26:35.320 that you can be and celebrate somebody else. That's what 0:26:35.359 --> 0:26:37.040 I love about it. I've got a great team around me. 0:26:37.080 --> 0:26:39.639 I've got brothers and sisters and brothers in laws. You 0:26:39.640 --> 0:26:43.000 know what I'm the younger brother, the younger than some 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:45.119 of them, but they all celebrate me. But when you 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:47.920 recognize who you are and you're content and who God 0:26:47.960 --> 0:26:50.520 made you to be, I think it's so important. You know, Chad, 0:26:50.560 --> 0:26:53.679 it's the distractions. It's looking at that and you know 0:26:53.800 --> 0:26:55.760 somebody else, Well, God, why didn't you give me that? 0:26:55.960 --> 0:26:57.840 Or God, why am my church bigger? Well? God, why 0:26:57.920 --> 0:26:59.719 can't I? You know what, you got to tune all 0:26:59.760 --> 0:27:02.280 that up out and be content and be happy with 0:27:02.320 --> 0:27:04.520 who God made you to be. The fact is somebody 0:27:04.560 --> 0:27:07.120 would love to have what you have. Somebody would gladly 0:27:07.160 --> 0:27:09.919 trade places with you. And it's easy to be happy 0:27:10.000 --> 0:27:13.639 until you start comparing and competing with other people. I 0:27:13.680 --> 0:27:15.679 remember one time I was running through my neighborhood and 0:27:15.680 --> 0:27:18.040 I have this path I run. It's two mile path, 0:27:18.119 --> 0:27:21.639 and when there's this long boulevard, probably a mile, and 0:27:22.080 --> 0:27:25.000 I saw a guy about all two blocks in front 0:27:25.040 --> 0:27:26.840 of me, you know, a few hundred yards, and I 0:27:26.920 --> 0:27:29.119 just I just you know, I'm just feeling competitive. I 0:27:29.119 --> 0:27:30.800 want to raise somebody. I thought I'm gonna race him. 0:27:31.080 --> 0:27:33.560 And so he's running up there, and man, he's going 0:27:33.560 --> 0:27:35.919 pretty good, but I'm gaining on him and gaining on him, 0:27:36.119 --> 0:27:38.880 panting I'm just trying to beat him, and I finally 0:27:38.960 --> 0:27:41.679 just kept going and going and going. I finally beat him. 0:27:41.920 --> 0:27:43.760 Now he didn't know we're racing, but I beat him. 0:27:43.880 --> 0:27:46.159 But you know, the funny thing is when I finally 0:27:46.200 --> 0:27:48.240 beat him, I looked up and I thought, oh man, 0:27:48.240 --> 0:27:50.719 I'm this my turn. It was way back there. I 0:27:50.760 --> 0:27:53.119 was supposed to turn it three blocks before, but I 0:27:53.240 --> 0:27:55.560 was so focused and I'm gonna beat this guy that 0:27:55.720 --> 0:27:58.840 doesn't even know I'm racing him, but you know, you know, 0:27:58.960 --> 0:28:00.679 and I just turn. But I think that's what we 0:28:00.720 --> 0:28:02.919 do in life. A lot of times. I'm not racing 0:28:02.960 --> 0:28:05.920 after any of y'all. I'm not racing after anybody else. 0:28:06.000 --> 0:28:08.600 I'm racing against myself to be the best that God's 0:28:08.640 --> 0:28:10.720 called me to be. So I love that scripture. Don't 0:28:10.720 --> 0:28:12.360 look to the left nor to the right. Be who 0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:15.479 God's called you to be. Celebrate somebody that's ahead of you. 0:28:16.080 --> 0:28:21.240 God blessing them doesn't stop God from blessing you. Like 0:28:21.359 --> 0:28:23.760 God ran out of favor because he gave them so much, 0:28:23.920 --> 0:28:27.560 God has favor, and really, unlike Saul and David, God 0:28:27.600 --> 0:28:29.600 can do for you what he did for the others, 0:28:30.000 --> 0:28:32.639 God can take you further. We talked about earlier. I 0:28:32.640 --> 0:28:34.720 think off camera that did a lot of those times. 0:28:34.720 --> 0:28:37.320 It's just a test. I wonder if Saul would have 0:28:37.720 --> 0:28:40.840 celebrated King David. I don't know, but I just encourage 0:28:40.840 --> 0:28:43.200 you to be content with what God's given you. You're 0:28:43.240 --> 0:28:46.200 not lacking, but God's given us all different gifts and 0:28:46.240 --> 0:28:48.200 you have to be we have to be wise enough 0:28:48.200 --> 0:28:53.200 and contend enough to accept it. How you Joe Evan Connor, 0:28:53.560 --> 0:28:54.880 pastor of Tell Then of your church. 0:28:54.880 --> 0:28:57.640 We're a truth family church. We're in Arlington, Texas. 0:28:57.360 --> 0:29:00.280 And you got your new building opening up this in 0:29:00.360 --> 0:29:02.160 six weeks. That's awesome. 0:29:02.240 --> 0:29:03.040 We're excited about it. 0:29:03.080 --> 0:29:06.480 We are so happy for you. These guys, Evan and 0:29:06.520 --> 0:29:09.720 Sarah are great pastors there and just faithful people. And 0:29:09.760 --> 0:29:12.440 I love what God's doing. And you know, thirteen years 0:29:12.440 --> 0:29:15.800 being in a mobile church, setting up, tearing down a 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:17.800 lot of people would have gotten discouraged. But man, I 0:29:17.880 --> 0:29:18.600 admire you guys. 0:29:18.680 --> 0:29:21.360 Almost seven hundred times we've had to do that. Wow, 0:29:21.600 --> 0:29:22.720 but God's been faithful. 0:29:22.920 --> 0:29:24.320 Well, we're blessed to have you here. 0:29:24.360 --> 0:29:29.240 Yeah, I'm excited about your new book. I'm just excited 0:29:29.320 --> 0:29:32.320 that you let me read the pre released version. It's 0:29:32.320 --> 0:29:33.920 so good, I'm going to buy the real one when 0:29:33.920 --> 0:29:34.440 it comes out. 0:29:36.680 --> 0:29:37.520 I was reading. 0:29:37.360 --> 0:29:41.080 Chapter eight and Approve Yourself, and you said something I 0:29:41.080 --> 0:29:43.840 thought was powerful. You said, the problem with not liking 0:29:43.880 --> 0:29:46.760 yourself is that you're the only person who can you 0:29:46.800 --> 0:29:48.400 can never get away from. 0:29:48.640 --> 0:29:49.680 And I thought, wow. 0:29:50.000 --> 0:29:52.040 I think that's one of the biggest things that hold 0:29:52.040 --> 0:29:53.880 people back, is that we. 0:29:53.840 --> 0:29:55.320 Don't like ourselves. 0:29:55.360 --> 0:29:58.600 And I think it's because we think God doesn't like us. 0:29:59.440 --> 0:30:02.600 And in your book, you really help us understand. One 0:30:02.600 --> 0:30:05.080 of the things you say in the book is God 0:30:05.120 --> 0:30:07.720 said about Jesus, this is my beloved son and whom 0:30:07.720 --> 0:30:10.280 I'm well pleased. And Jesus hadn't done one miracle. 0:30:11.160 --> 0:30:12.280 And I think if we. 0:30:12.240 --> 0:30:16.240 See through God's lenses like he sees us, then we 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:17.400 will accept ourselves. 0:30:17.520 --> 0:30:18.760 He's not looking for perfection. 0:30:18.920 --> 0:30:22.040 Jesus already done that. He's looking you know, maturity is 0:30:22.040 --> 0:30:24.080 the life that we are to live and not perfection. 0:30:24.160 --> 0:30:25.720 And maturity is a destination. 0:30:26.240 --> 0:30:27.040 It's not a journey. 0:30:27.080 --> 0:30:28.640 It's a journey, not of destination. 0:30:28.760 --> 0:30:30.240 So I'm excited. 0:30:29.840 --> 0:30:31.920 About your new book, and I do believe it's going 0:30:31.960 --> 0:30:34.640 to bless a whole lot of people. My question would be, 0:30:35.920 --> 0:30:39.280 how important do you feel it's necessary for someone to 0:30:39.400 --> 0:30:40.640 approve of themselves? 0:30:40.760 --> 0:30:44.200 Yeah? I think Evan, it's incredibly important, because you can't 0:30:44.440 --> 0:30:46.720 if you go through life you got enough people, and 0:30:46.800 --> 0:30:49.680 we have enough people in life against us. You can't 0:30:49.680 --> 0:30:52.880 go through life being against yourself. I mean, I think 0:30:52.920 --> 0:30:56.480 the reason we don't have healthy relationships and a lot 0:30:56.520 --> 0:30:58.600 of times and not because somebody else, is because we 0:30:59.080 --> 0:31:01.440 don't get along with our selves, so we can't get 0:31:01.440 --> 0:31:04.160 along with somebody else. So again it goes back to 0:31:04.240 --> 0:31:07.600 what we've been talking about turning off the negative recording. Hey, 0:31:07.640 --> 0:31:09.600 you have some flaws and weakness, say so do I 0:31:10.120 --> 0:31:12.360 soor to Victorian more than me? So you all got 0:31:12.920 --> 0:31:15.320 we all have put we all have plenty of these. 0:31:15.320 --> 0:31:17.560 Why don't you turn off that recording and put beating 0:31:17.640 --> 0:31:21.000 yourself up? My goodness, life is too short to live 0:31:21.120 --> 0:31:24.280 beating yourself down and just being against yourself and thinking 0:31:24.360 --> 0:31:27.480 how everybody else is greater. But I just think you 0:31:27.520 --> 0:31:31.040 know everything you said, Evan is so important that you 0:31:31.080 --> 0:31:33.760 know when you're against yourself, you're not going to reach 0:31:33.880 --> 0:31:37.320 your full potential. Well, I'll explain it better in the book. 0:31:37.400 --> 0:31:39.920 But you know, I think the key is turning off. 0:31:39.960 --> 0:31:42.720 Get the right recording in your mind. Our thoughts are 0:31:42.760 --> 0:31:45.760 limiting us. It's not the enemy, it's not others. It's 0:31:45.840 --> 0:31:46.600 people like you. 0:31:46.800 --> 0:31:48.880 I like that you look at people like they all 0:31:49.000 --> 0:31:49.959 like you. 0:31:49.720 --> 0:31:52.320 You see people the way you see yourself. So you 0:31:52.360 --> 0:31:55.440 see your self defeated, you see yourself insecure, you see 0:31:55.440 --> 0:31:58.800 yourself unattractive. Then you're putting that out everywhere you go, 0:31:59.240 --> 0:32:02.120 even bodyline, you know, and this I don't measure up 0:32:02.120 --> 0:32:05.240 and stuff. You got to see yourself differently. And the 0:32:05.280 --> 0:32:07.360 story of the Ten Spies. They came back and they 0:32:07.360 --> 0:32:10.880 said we were in our own sits as grasshoppers as 0:32:10.880 --> 0:32:13.200 we were in their sights. They didn't say those guys 0:32:13.240 --> 0:32:16.120 over there in the Promised Land they called us grasshoppers. 0:32:16.200 --> 0:32:19.120 They said we felt like we were grasshoppers. And I 0:32:19.120 --> 0:32:21.920 think there's a lot of people living with that grasshopper mentality. 0:32:22.160 --> 0:32:24.480 When you're a child of the most taied God, when 0:32:24.520 --> 0:32:27.120 he's breathed life into you, when he's crowned you with favor, 0:32:27.360 --> 0:32:31.040 when you have seeds of greatness, imagine God, or imagine 0:32:31.280 --> 0:32:33.840 you know, an analogy of imagine your child coming up 0:32:33.880 --> 0:32:36.640 and oh Dad, please can I have something to eat? Please? 0:32:36.680 --> 0:32:39.440 Can I do this? I'm not worthy man. We would think, 0:32:39.760 --> 0:32:42.520 who are you? You know? Stand up tall, You're my son. 0:32:42.560 --> 0:32:44.480 And that's what God said to all of us, Stand 0:32:44.560 --> 0:32:47.800 up tall. I made you, I created you. Yeah, we've 0:32:47.840 --> 0:32:50.960 all made mistakes, we all have weaknesses, but I can't 0:32:51.000 --> 0:32:54.400 find hardly, hardly anybody in the Bible God's used that 0:32:54.480 --> 0:32:57.360 didn't have flaws and weaknesses, you know, that didn't make 0:32:57.400 --> 0:33:00.760 some mistakes, but that didn't disqualify them. God used them 0:33:00.760 --> 0:33:02.960 in spite of that. But you have to turn off 0:33:03.000 --> 0:33:05.680 that recording. If I'm not good enough and the insecurity 0:33:05.720 --> 0:33:07.720 and God could never use me, you turn that off. 0:33:07.760 --> 0:33:10.960 And that's what allows God to do great things. It's 0:33:11.040 --> 0:33:13.800 not that God's holding us back. So many times, were 0:33:13.800 --> 0:33:18.760 holding us back with the wrong thinking. Pastor rich Wilkerson 0:33:18.840 --> 0:33:23.680 from Trinity Trinity Fellowship in what city, CA? You? Miami? Yeah, 0:33:23.680 --> 0:33:25.840 I been friends of mine for friends of ours for 0:33:25.920 --> 0:33:30.240 so many years. Rich and Robert, your son Richie pastors in. 0:33:31.680 --> 0:33:33.000 About ten miles from us. 0:33:32.840 --> 0:33:35.040 Ten miles from you have another son pastors in New York. 0:33:35.160 --> 0:33:37.000 Yeah, hard with him the other day and I got 0:33:37.040 --> 0:33:39.080 another one pastoring in the Seattle area. 0:33:39.360 --> 0:33:41.720 Well, so we're real blessed. Well thanks for being here. 0:33:42.320 --> 0:33:45.320 I was really impressed with the chapter on Live as 0:33:45.320 --> 0:33:51.480 a bold Son. I just thought about your family because 0:33:51.640 --> 0:33:54.280 it was in nineteen eighty five and I was just 0:33:54.320 --> 0:33:57.200 about bleeding to death in the hospital and your dad, 0:33:57.360 --> 0:33:59.680 I don't even know how you got my number in 0:33:59.760 --> 0:34:05.240 a hospital, and brother John called and said, brother Rich, 0:34:06.080 --> 0:34:10.000 this is brother O's thing, and he said, Dode, he's 0:34:10.080 --> 0:34:11.279 got something to tell you. 0:34:12.680 --> 0:34:14.360 I'm like bleeding, you know. 0:34:15.239 --> 0:34:18.600 And your mom got on the phone said Rich, get 0:34:18.640 --> 0:34:20.000 out of that hospital. 0:34:20.200 --> 0:34:24.080 Now, that place may kill you. Get out. 0:34:24.120 --> 0:34:26.280 I'm gonna pray for you right now. She started praying, 0:34:26.800 --> 0:34:30.239 quoting verses over me. And I really I checked out 0:34:30.280 --> 0:34:32.880 that day. I literally checked out that day, and God 0:34:32.920 --> 0:34:36.880 heal me of a blood disease. And I think about 0:34:37.120 --> 0:34:41.400 that legacy that's on you. And I was just in 0:34:41.440 --> 0:34:45.279 Brooklyn and saw Jonathan and Alexandria on the stage and 0:34:45.360 --> 0:34:48.840 Jonathan got up and just started kind of preaching and 0:34:48.920 --> 0:34:51.239 everyone's just gonna go WHOA. And it just seems like 0:34:51.239 --> 0:34:55.239 it was a generational thing. And I want you to 0:34:55.280 --> 0:34:57.960 talk to that. But the chapter that got me was 0:34:58.160 --> 0:35:01.400 move up to next level thinking. The book is called 0:35:01.520 --> 0:35:03.080 next Level Thinking. 0:35:03.560 --> 0:35:07.600 But the chapter that I like, do it? Yeah, now 0:35:07.800 --> 0:35:08.120 do it? 0:35:08.160 --> 0:35:10.479 I mean, and I think that is where so many 0:35:10.480 --> 0:35:13.480 of us kind of have a roadblock. Yeah we want 0:35:13.520 --> 0:35:15.120 to have next level thinking? 0:35:15.200 --> 0:35:17.200 But how do you do that? 0:35:17.400 --> 0:35:19.839 And and in that chapter you just talk about, Hey, 0:35:19.880 --> 0:35:22.640 let's let's make the let's make a decision. Let's still 0:35:22.800 --> 0:35:23.600 talk about that, Joe. 0:35:23.800 --> 0:35:26.319 Yeah, I think Rich just what you said, It's just 0:35:26.360 --> 0:35:28.960 a decision we have to make. It's not maybe not 0:35:29.000 --> 0:35:31.080 going to fall on us, not going to you know, 0:35:31.200 --> 0:35:34.359 something supernaturally happened, but just by the act of your 0:35:34.400 --> 0:35:36.680 will to say, you know what I am going to 0:35:37.040 --> 0:35:38.839 you know, talk a lot about in that chapter about 0:35:38.840 --> 0:35:41.879 it is finished. This, this function is finished. This, this 0:35:42.080 --> 0:35:45.479 mediocrity is finished. This bad attitude is finished. This living 0:35:45.600 --> 0:35:48.080 negative and not enjoying my life, it is finished. Well, 0:35:48.080 --> 0:35:50.200 you've got to just like Jesus said on the cross 0:35:50.360 --> 0:35:52.319 when he said it is finished, he wasn't just talking 0:35:52.360 --> 0:35:54.520 about his life. He was talking about all the shame, 0:35:54.680 --> 0:35:57.680 the guilt, all the stuff that's trying to hold us back. 0:35:58.000 --> 0:35:59.920 Doesn't do us any good though, unless we get an 0:36:00.040 --> 0:36:03.000 agreement with God and say, Okay, tonight is going to 0:36:03.000 --> 0:36:05.040 be a new night of victory in my life. You 0:36:05.080 --> 0:36:07.640 just draw that line in the sand and you decide 0:36:07.680 --> 0:36:10.960 to make you start making better decision. But when I've 0:36:11.000 --> 0:36:12.880 learned this, when you do your part, God will do 0:36:12.960 --> 0:36:15.359 his part. He will kick in. But sometimes we're waiting 0:36:15.360 --> 0:36:17.640 with Joe when I feel better, or when I get 0:36:17.680 --> 0:36:19.839 a break, or when my husband starts treating me better. 0:36:19.880 --> 0:36:21.719 But you know what, you got to say, No, I'm 0:36:21.719 --> 0:36:24.120 gonna make the first move right now. I'm going to 0:36:24.800 --> 0:36:27.480 you know, change the way I'm thinking. I'm gonna look 0:36:27.520 --> 0:36:30.160 at things from a new perspective. I'm gonna thank God 0:36:30.200 --> 0:36:32.600 for what's right and not what's wrong. And really rich 0:36:32.719 --> 0:36:34.640 is a lot like my father when he gave his 0:36:34.719 --> 0:36:37.200 life to Christ. You know, I don't know what came 0:36:37.239 --> 0:36:39.279 over him, and maybe just the decision he made, but 0:36:39.320 --> 0:36:41.560 he said, you know what poverty has finished in my life. 0:36:41.920 --> 0:36:45.120 Seventeen years old, in the Great Depression, no money, no education, 0:36:45.680 --> 0:36:48.279 his parents telling him, don't leave the farm. But you 0:36:48.320 --> 0:36:51.520 know what, he made that decision. I know God gave 0:36:51.560 --> 0:36:53.080 him the grace to do it, but he had to 0:36:53.120 --> 0:36:55.400 step into it and Again, it's not like he had 0:36:55.440 --> 0:36:57.160 a big Oh I got a scholarship now to go 0:36:57.200 --> 0:36:59.680 to school or something. He hitchies and started preaching in 0:36:59.719 --> 0:37:02.480 prison and on the street corners and things like that. 0:37:02.600 --> 0:37:05.880 But again, when you make that decision, it's amazing what 0:37:06.000 --> 0:37:08.000 God will do. And I like that. I think that's 0:37:08.520 --> 0:37:10.800 part of that. I talked about that son or a slave, 0:37:10.880 --> 0:37:14.160 and it reminded me because because so many times, you 0:37:14.239 --> 0:37:17.600 know how the Israelites, God brought them out of slavery, 0:37:17.920 --> 0:37:20.520 but as they went toward the Promised Land, they never 0:37:20.560 --> 0:37:23.560 got rid of a slave mentality. God had called them 0:37:23.600 --> 0:37:26.040 a son. But it's like the enemy kept calling you 0:37:26.080 --> 0:37:28.360 a slave. And so it's like, you know, God is 0:37:28.400 --> 0:37:30.480 calling you a son, the enemy is calling you a slave. 0:37:30.840 --> 0:37:32.960 Who you're going to say you are a son or 0:37:33.000 --> 0:37:35.440 a slave? Well, we are sons, we are daughters of 0:37:35.480 --> 0:37:37.560 the Most High God. But as long as you have 0:37:37.640 --> 0:37:41.680 a slave mentality, a defeated mentality, look what I've been through, Joel, 0:37:42.120 --> 0:37:44.960 or look look at these giants on my promised land. Listen, 0:37:45.200 --> 0:37:46.799 God has brought you through in the past, He's going 0:37:46.880 --> 0:37:48.880 to bring you through in the future. Don't have a 0:37:48.920 --> 0:37:57.960 slave mentality. Have a son mentality. Stephen Hayes, pastor of 0:37:58.000 --> 0:38:00.879 Covenant Church, with his mom and dad said next to them, 0:38:01.200 --> 0:38:05.279 great people. And Mike and Kathy Hayes have passed there 0:38:05.280 --> 0:38:09.279 how many years forty years they transitioned to Steve and 0:38:09.320 --> 0:38:12.080 he has not run it down yet, but he's doing great. 0:38:12.280 --> 0:38:15.120 But these guys have pastors. Mike and Kathy are just 0:38:15.160 --> 0:38:18.000 great friends and great leaders and just been friends of 0:38:18.040 --> 0:38:20.399 ours and Steve. I love. We were talking even last 0:38:20.480 --> 0:38:23.600 night about how the church you've transitioned the last couple 0:38:23.600 --> 0:38:26.560 of years. The church is strong, and I love to 0:38:26.600 --> 0:38:29.560 see healthy transitions. That's what happened at Lakewood, and I 0:38:29.600 --> 0:38:31.560 believe that's what's going to continue to happen with our 0:38:31.640 --> 0:38:34.520 church and other churches. But thanks for being here, y'all. 0:38:34.520 --> 0:38:35.480 Great blessing to us. 0:38:35.640 --> 0:38:38.040 Absolutely, And just as you wrapped up your last point, 0:38:38.040 --> 0:38:41.640 Pastor Joel, while it's so clear from what Pasor Keith 0:38:41.680 --> 0:38:45.000 said and others on breaking barriers and blazing new trail, 0:38:45.520 --> 0:38:47.839 what he's done now for his children, what you're doing 0:38:47.840 --> 0:38:50.000 for yours and in your church. I told you last 0:38:50.040 --> 0:38:52.600 night that just what you've done as a son, succeeding 0:38:52.680 --> 0:38:55.920 your father and doing an amazing job. Taking it further 0:38:56.080 --> 0:38:58.239 has helped to blaze a trail for me as well 0:38:58.280 --> 0:39:01.000 as a son coming in and thank you for that. 0:39:02.040 --> 0:39:03.960 But as much as all that's so important, in the 0:39:03.960 --> 0:39:06.440 next level thinking the chapter chapter six, it stood out 0:39:06.440 --> 0:39:08.400 to me that you just alluded to not thinking like 0:39:08.400 --> 0:39:10.719 a slave but thinking like a son. It comes back, 0:39:10.760 --> 0:39:12.840 I think so much to being able to really connect 0:39:12.880 --> 0:39:15.880 to what's possible is knowing who you are. You know, 0:39:15.920 --> 0:39:17.920 you can have good strategies about loving yourself, that's all 0:39:17.960 --> 0:39:19.480 so important, But if you don't know that you are 0:39:19.520 --> 0:39:21.920 a son and a daughter of God, and your approval 0:39:22.080 --> 0:39:25.600 is not based on your performance, it's based on His greatness, 0:39:25.640 --> 0:39:28.000 his goodness, and until you can really connect to that, 0:39:28.120 --> 0:39:30.160 I don't know that any of the other stuff's even possible. 0:39:30.280 --> 0:39:31.719 I don't know that I can really fully even love 0:39:31.800 --> 0:39:34.239 myself if I don't know that He loves me. And 0:39:34.280 --> 0:39:36.440 so that old chapter really got me, and specifically the 0:39:36.480 --> 0:39:38.600 story you told about the maintenance guy coming to your 0:39:38.600 --> 0:39:41.120 house to fix an air conditioner, and he said, you know, 0:39:41.400 --> 0:39:43.319 maintenance guy shows up, He's not going to go to 0:39:43.320 --> 0:39:44.920 the fridge, He's not going to go sit down and 0:39:44.960 --> 0:39:47.640 watch TV. Because it's not his home, right, He's going 0:39:47.680 --> 0:39:49.120 to go and do the job I hired him to do. 0:39:49.320 --> 0:39:51.640 But when Jonathan comes home from college, he's not going 0:39:51.680 --> 0:39:53.880 to ask permission to go to the fridge. He's not 0:39:53.880 --> 0:39:56.160 going to ask permission to watch TV. Because he's a son. 0:39:56.239 --> 0:39:58.640 He knows who he is. And I was talking to 0:39:58.680 --> 0:40:01.320 Pastor Phil before this, and he reminded me of a 0:40:01.360 --> 0:40:03.960 story I shared with him back in high school. My 0:40:04.040 --> 0:40:06.160 parents told me, Steven, your job is to be a 0:40:06.200 --> 0:40:08.640 good student and be an athlete and be faithful at church. 0:40:08.719 --> 0:40:11.359 And and so they helped me get my first car. 0:40:11.400 --> 0:40:12.960 But I worked to raise some money and they made 0:40:12.960 --> 0:40:15.360 me put my you know, put my money forward for 0:40:15.440 --> 0:40:17.640 it and raise money. Well, then when I got the car, 0:40:17.760 --> 0:40:19.759 I was the only one of my friends that had 0:40:19.760 --> 0:40:22.000 a car. So I became the car pool guy, right. 0:40:22.080 --> 0:40:24.480 I took everybody to practice. And so then my dad 0:40:24.520 --> 0:40:26.400 got me. He made the mistake of giving me a 0:40:26.520 --> 0:40:29.399 Chevron gas card, and then all of a sudden, any 0:40:29.400 --> 0:40:31.840 of my friends that needed some snacks were buying Gatorade 0:40:31.880 --> 0:40:35.120 after practice. I the first month, the first month, it 0:40:35.160 --> 0:40:37.640 was like one thousand dollars I spent at Chevron I 0:40:37.680 --> 0:40:39.560 got creative. You could you could feed a few guys 0:40:39.600 --> 0:40:43.200 at Chevron, you know. And they sat me down, said Steve, 0:40:43.200 --> 0:40:44.959 when we understand what you're doing. But listen, you can't 0:40:45.000 --> 0:40:48.360 just feed everybody at the gas station. But I recognized 0:40:48.440 --> 0:40:51.200 I ordered it, but my dad's covering the bill, Like 0:40:51.280 --> 0:40:53.680 I know who my dad is, and he's paying the bill. 0:40:54.000 --> 0:40:55.920 And it taught me a lesson later in life that 0:40:56.400 --> 0:40:58.400 not everyone that was raised with great parents, but I was, 0:40:58.480 --> 0:41:00.840 and I had a father and mother that were providing 0:41:00.880 --> 0:41:03.320 for me. And because of that relationship, I was able 0:41:03.520 --> 0:41:06.359 to walk into boldness and a faith that otherwise I've 0:41:06.360 --> 0:41:08.880 seen people not be able to do. And your analogy 0:41:08.920 --> 0:41:13.040 with the Israelites having been rescued through miracles of the 0:41:13.040 --> 0:41:15.799 plagues and then even the cloud by day, fire by night, 0:41:16.080 --> 0:41:19.479 incredible red sea parted, but then they forgot who they were. 0:41:20.320 --> 0:41:22.840 And I've heard it said before that Jesus or that 0:41:22.880 --> 0:41:25.560 God took them out of Egypt, but it took forty 0:41:25.600 --> 0:41:27.879 years to take the Egypt out of them. I feel 0:41:27.880 --> 0:41:29.399 like a lot of people I experienced at a church 0:41:29.440 --> 0:41:31.879 where or people will leave a place because they think 0:41:31.920 --> 0:41:34.719 the place was the problem, but they wherever you go there, 0:41:34.760 --> 0:41:37.920 you are. I think that mentality is a big limiting factor. 0:41:38.040 --> 0:41:40.080 How do you help encourage people even when they come 0:41:40.120 --> 0:41:41.960 and they're excited to be here, but you recognize they 0:41:42.040 --> 0:41:44.160 still got some Egypt on them. How do you get 0:41:44.160 --> 0:41:45.799 them really to get over the fact that you know, 0:41:45.840 --> 0:41:47.520 you left and that may have been good, but you 0:41:47.840 --> 0:41:49.120 still brought some of that with you. 0:41:49.320 --> 0:41:51.520 Yeah. I think what you're saying is true. It's just 0:41:51.560 --> 0:41:54.160 a day at a time. Keep teaching them, keep encouraging them. 0:41:54.560 --> 0:41:57.800 And you know you said it so beautifully. But knowing 0:41:57.880 --> 0:42:00.000 that we are I like going back to that bay, 0:42:00.160 --> 0:42:02.319 knowing that we are children of the Most High God, 0:42:02.360 --> 0:42:04.799 that we are approved, that we are accepted, knowing that 0:42:04.840 --> 0:42:07.480 we are loved, knowing that we are masterpieces. That's that 0:42:07.600 --> 0:42:11.200 foundation for the next level thinking. So Stephen, thanks for 0:42:11.239 --> 0:42:14.279 sharing that. Thanks for all of our great pastors here 0:42:14.320 --> 0:42:16.960 and Victoria, Nick, and thank you guys for watching. Nick. 0:42:16.960 --> 0:42:18.560 Can I see a copy of my book one more time? 0:42:18.600 --> 0:42:20.120 I know it's out in a hard copy now, but 0:42:20.520 --> 0:42:22.600 next level thinking if you'll want to pick up a copy, 0:42:22.640 --> 0:42:25.400 But we loved you. Thanks being a part of our webcast, 0:42:25.520 --> 0:42:28.040 and we're going to be praying that you know, God's 0:42:28.080 --> 0:42:31.160 going to take you to new levels. As you think better, 0:42:31.280 --> 0:42:33.560 you're going to live better. You're going to see God's 0:42:33.600 --> 0:42:36.759 goodness in new ways. You're not watching this by accident. 0:42:37.000 --> 0:42:39.279 God had you hearing this. So why don't you take 0:42:39.320 --> 0:42:42.400 some principles, take these principles to heart, and let it 0:42:42.440 --> 0:42:45.839 be a new beginning, and just kind of reevaluate and say, God, 0:42:46.000 --> 0:42:47.960 I'm taking the limits off of you tonight. I know 0:42:48.000 --> 0:42:50.600 you've made me, you breathe life into me, and just 0:42:50.680 --> 0:42:52.839 kind of like that computer. You've got to get all 0:42:52.840 --> 0:42:55.520 the viruses out of your brain and all the wrong 0:42:55.600 --> 0:42:58.040 things people have said. You're not who people said you are. 0:42:58.080 --> 0:43:00.880 You are who God says you are. He says you're blessed, 0:43:00.920 --> 0:43:04.560 you're prosperous, your redeemed, You're forgiven. You're a child of 0:43:04.600 --> 0:43:06.719 the Most Time. God, Thanks so much. We'll see you 0:43:06.800 --> 0:43:11.000 next time. One touch of God's favor can catapult you 0:43:11.080 --> 0:43:11.960 to the next level. 0:43:12.160 --> 0:43:16.000 Number one New York Times bestselling author Joe Loastein delivers 0:43:16.000 --> 0:43:17.600 his new book Next Level. 0:43:17.640 --> 0:43:20.760 Thinking you're about to take off to a new level 0:43:20.760 --> 0:43:23.640 and start rising high. You'll see God promote you and 0:43:23.719 --> 0:43:26.160 take you to a new level of your destiny. 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