Running Your Race

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:33.360 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.400 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.399 the ministry. If you enjoyed today's MESSI, why don't you 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:41.199 be a blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.240 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:49.600 your line. Well, God bless you. 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:52.080 It's always a joy to come into your homes, and 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.040 if you're ever in our area, please stop buy and 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:56.800 be a part of one of our services. 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.360 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.800 But thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:03.120 again for coming out today. 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:05.240 And I like to start with something funny. 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.920 And I heard about these two famous baseball players. They 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.800 were discussing whether or not there would be baseball up 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.400 in heaven. They made an agreement that whoever died first 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.240 would come back and tell the other one if there 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:21.560 was indeed baseball in heaven. A few months later, one 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.160 of the players died, and just like he promised, he 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:26.959 came back and he said to his friend, I've got 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.280 good news and I've got bad news. The good news 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.560 is there is baseball up in heaven. The bad news 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:38.440 is you're scheduled to pitch next Thursday. Hold up your Bible. 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.240 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:42.560 I am what it says. 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:42.880 I am. 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.640 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:48.440 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:52.400 taught the word of God. I boldly confessed. My mind 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:55.880 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:56.000 --> 0:03:00.000 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:01.160 I want to talk to you. 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:06.200 Today about running your race in life. There will always 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:09.240 be people that try to squeeze you into their mold. 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.720 People that try to pressure you into being who they 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.600 want you to be. And they may be good people, 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:20.040 they may mean well, but the problem is they didn't 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:24.240 breathe life into you. They didn't equip you, empower you, 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:28.480 anoint you Almighty God did. If you're going to become 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:31.360 who God created you to be, you have to have 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:36.040 a boldness. You can't be insecure and worry about what 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:41.240 everybody thinks. If you change with every criticism, you play 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:44.560 up to people to try to win their favor, then 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:48.720 you'll go through life being manipulated, letting people squeeze you 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:52.760 into their box. You have to realize you can't keep 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:57.440 every person happy, you can't make everyone like you. 0:03:57.440 --> 0:03:59.800 You'll never win over all of your critics. 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.920 Even if you changed and did exactly what they ask, 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:08.680 they would still find fault. You're not really free until 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:14.240 you're free from trying to please everybody. You're kind, you're respectful, 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:16.400 but you're not living to please people. 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:17.919 You're living to please God. 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:20.919 When you get up in the morning, you should search 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:24.480 your heart and if you're doing to the best of 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:27.920 your ability what you know God wants you to do, 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:30.640 and you don't have to look to the left nor 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:34.400 to the right. Just stay focused on your goals. If 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.599 people don't understand you, that's okay. If you lose some 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:42.599 friends because you wouldn't let them control you, they weren't 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:44.080 true friends anyway. 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:45.240 You're better off without them. 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:49.680 If people start talking critical, jealous, trying to make you 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:51.159 look bad, don't. 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:54.160 Let that change you. You don't need their approval. 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:57.760 You have Almighty God's approval, and some of you would 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.520 go to a new level if you would get free 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:04.720 from what everybody thinks and start being true to who 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:08.159 God made you to be. We spend too much time 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:12.719 trying to impress people, trying to gain their approval, wondering 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:15.520 what they're going to think if I take this job, 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:17.960 if I wear my hair this way, if I move 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:22.719 into this neighborhood. We make decisions based on these superficial things. 0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:24.360 I heard somebody say. 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:29.120 At twenty years old, we wonder what everybody thinks about us. 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:33.000 At forty years old, we don't care what anybody thinks 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.200 about us. At sixty years old, we realize nobody was 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:41.719 thinking about us. I read a report from a nurse 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.200 that takes care of people that are close to death. 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:49.600 She asked hundreds of patients in the last twelve weeks 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:53.840 of their life what their biggest regret was. The number 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:57.600 one regret was, I wish I had been true to 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:01.160 who I was and not just lived to meet the 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:06.200 expectations of others. How many people today are not being 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.560 true to who they are because they're afraid. 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:10.920 They're going to disappoint somebody. 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:13.880 They're afraid they may fall out of their good grace, 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:17.680 they may not be accepted in a certain group. I 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:21.560 say this respectfully, but you cannot live trying to be 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:24.880 who your parents want you to be, or your boss wants. 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:26.800 You to be, or your friends want you to be. 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:30.000 You've got to stay true to who God has called 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:32.520 you to be. When my father went to be with 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.840 the Lord, I had to accept the fact that God's 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:39.920 purpose for my life was not the same purpose as 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:43.919 my father's. His calling was to help bring down the 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.480 denominational walls and let people know about the. 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:48.640 Fullness of the Spirit. 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.640 When I took over, I felt pressured to be like 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.920 my father to fit into that mold. I thought I 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.080 had to minister like him, and run the church like him, 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:02.080 and go down there that same path. But when I 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:05.880 searched my heart. I knew my calling was to plant 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:09.640 a seed of hope, to encourage people, to let them 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:11.240 know about the goodness of God. 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:12.920 And at first it was. 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:16.120 Difficult because some people had been in the church for 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:17.000 forty years. 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:21.320 I thought, I can't be anything different. What would they think. 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.080 They may not like me, they may not accept me. 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:28.080 One day I read a scripture talking about David. It 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:34.200 said David fulfilled his purpose for his generation. I heard 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:38.240 God say, right down in here, Joel, your father fulfilled 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:41.560 his purpose. Now quit trying to be like him and 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:45.239 go out and fulfill your purpose. And when I heard that, 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.760 it was like a light turned on. I realized, I 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:52.280 don't have to try to be like my father. I 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:55.480 don't have to fit into a certain mold. It's okay 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:59.240 to run my race. I am free to be me. 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.080 After all, God doesn't want us to be an imitation 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:05.840 of somebody else, be the original. 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.840 God created you to be friends. 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:11.680 There is an anointing on your life not to be 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:12.559 someone else. 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:15.000 You are anointed to be you. 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:18.960 But if you let people squeeze you into their mold, 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:22.120 and you bow do under that pressure and you change 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:25.520 with every criticism, that's not only going to take away 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:29.480 your uniqueness, but it's going to lessen God's favor. It's 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:33.199 going to reduce his anointing on your life. Now, as 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:36.200 the church started to grow and more people were watching 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:40.640 on television, the critics came out of the woodwork, people saying, 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:44.319 he's not like his father, he's too young, he doesn't 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.840 have the experience. Even now, Joel's too much of this, 0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:52.640 not enough of that. If you change with every criticism, 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:56.240 you won't have a chance. I believe one reason that 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:59.520 God has promoted me is I have tuned out the 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:03.199 negative voices, and I've done my best to stay true 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:07.360 to who God's called me to be. I don't try 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:11.240 to compete with somebody else. I don't let people control 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:14.280 me feel guilty if I don't fit into their box. 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:18.400 I don't get upset because somebody said something negative. I 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:22.240 look straight ahead, like the apostle Paul. I do my 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:26.080 best to run with purpose in every step. Now, I 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:30.520 learned early on, in order to please God, you may 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:34.920 have to disappoint a few people. There were several members 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.680 that had been at the church for many, many years, 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:42.439 longtime friends of our family. But because I wasn't exactly 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.760 like my father. Because I wouldn't let them squeeze me 0:09:45.920 --> 0:09:49.160 into their mold. They got upset and left the church, 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:53.040 and that was difficult for me because I wanted their approval. 0:09:53.720 --> 0:09:57.400 But looking back now, I realized had I let them 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.400 pressure me into being who they wanted me to be, 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:04.440 I wouldn't be standing here today. The scripture talks about 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:08.080 how they love the praise of people more than they 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.960 love the praise of God. One of the tests that 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:14.160 we all have to face is someone in our life 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:18.200 that we love. We look up to, a friend, a boss, 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:21.480 a family member. They want us to go a certain direction, 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.600 but we know in our heart God wants us to 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:28.760 go another direction. We don't want to lose their friendship. 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.960 We don't want to disappoint them. We want their approval. 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:35.640 But if you're going to fulfill your destiny, you've got 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:36.400 to be strong. 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:38.440 You have to have this attitude. 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:41.520 I want the praise of God more than I want 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:42.480 the praise of people. 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:43.440 I have an. 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:46.520 Assignment, I have a purpose, I have a destiny. I'm 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:48.880 going to become who God's created. 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:52.160 Me to be. What I found is, if you will. 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:55.040 Please God, if you will be true to who He's 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:58.960 made you to be. Eventually you will have the praise 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:02.440 of people. You may lose a few friends. Early on, 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:06.280 people don't understand you, think you're making a big mistake. 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:09.560 But later on they will see you walking in the 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:13.160 fullness of your destiny. Some of you would see God's 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:18.559 favor increase. You would see new opportunities, new relationships. If 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:22.000 you just get free from what people think and start 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:25.840 doing what God's put in your own heart. I've learned 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:29.880 everyone has an opinion. People will be quick to tell 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.760 you how to run your life, what to wear, what 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.680 to drive, how to comb your hair, how to raise 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:39.000 your children, how to spend your money. If you try 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:43.080 to please everybody one thing, I can guarantee. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:44.800 You one hundred percent, you'll be confused. 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:48.880 You'll be frustrated, life will be miserable. I live by 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:52.839 this motto. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:56.720 I have every right to not listen to it if 0:11:56.760 --> 0:11:59.679 it doesn't match what God's put in your heart. Let 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:02.520 it go in one ear and out the other. I 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.520 heard about a man that fell into a pit. Different 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:09.520 people came along with their opinions. The pharisee said, you 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:13.000 deserve to be in the pit. The Catholic said, you 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:16.440 need to suffer while you're in the pit. The Baptist said, 0:12:16.520 --> 0:12:17.920 if you'd get saved. 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:18.960 You wouldn't have fallen into the pit. 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:23.200 The Charismatics said, just confess, I'm not in the pit. 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.400 The mathematician said, let me calculate how you. 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:28.240 Fell into the pit. 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.320 The RS agent said, have you paid taxes on that pit? 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:37.600 The optimist said things could be worse. The pessimist said, 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:42.120 things will get worse. Everyone has an opinion. If you 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:46.559 try to please every person, the one person that will 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.160 not be happy is you. And it's funny sometimes the 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.360 people that are trying to run your life, if you 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.320 study them, they can't even run their own life, much 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:57.040 less yours. 0:12:57.760 --> 0:12:58.719 And it's good. 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:03.960 It's good to get advice. It's good to listen to opinions. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.160 But you've got to be confident enough in who God 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:10.640 made you to be that when something doesn't bear a 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:14.720 witness with your spirit, you have a boldness to say thanks, 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:15.840 but no thanks. 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:19.520 I love you, I appreciate your advice, but this time 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:20.319 it's not for me. 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:23.679 I have a friend that's on staff here with us, 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:27.240 and several years ago this man came up to him 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.880 and said, I feel very strongly that you're supposed to 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:34.920 go out and start your own church. You're a great minister, 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:38.880 you're anointed. I know it would be a success. And 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:43.800 while my friend appreciated his encouragement, that didn't bear witness 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:47.120 at all. He knows he's called to be here. This 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:50.920 is exactly where God wants him to be. Month after month, 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.520 this man kept coming up, when are you gonna start 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:55.959 your church? When are you gonna take that stuff of faith? 0:13:56.480 --> 0:14:00.560 It went from being encouraging to pressuring him, trying to 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:04.720 squeeze him into his mold. My friend finally said to him, 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:07.920 let me ask you. Will you rent me an auditorium? 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:11.040 Will you buy me a sound system? Will you pay 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:14.080 my staff? Will you pay the utilities? Will you pay 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.080 all the advertising costs? That man looked at him like 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:19.600 he had lost his mind. He said, no, I can't 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.480 do that. I can't afford it. My friend said, well, 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:26.240 if God calls me, he'll take care of me. He'll 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:29.080 pay my bills, he'll bring the right people, he'll line 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:32.200 up the auditorium. But if I do it because you 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.200 call me, I'm going to have to rely on you. 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:41.040 And I can tell I'd be very disappointed. The reason 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:44.000 some people are not a joy in their life is 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:46.200 they've stepped out of their anointing. 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:51.320 Everything's a struggle. It's because they'd let people talk them 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:51.840 into it. 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:55.400 No matter how good of an idea it is, no 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:59.320 matter how exciting it sounds, if it doesn't bear witness 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:02.040 to what you're feeling in your own spirit, do like 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:06.880 my friend, be strong and run your own race. Growing up, 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:09.400 my parents knew this couple on them. They had been 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:12.360 friends for a long long time, and this couple really 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:16.280 loved my parents. But they didn't attend at Lakewood. They 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:18.680 thought it was too far. They lived on the other 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.240 side of town. It's about a thirty minute drive, no 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.800 big deal now, but for years they told my father, 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:28.560 if you ever bring Lakewood to our side of town, 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:32.240 we will be there every time the door's open. There 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.760 are so many people, thousands on this side of town 0:15:36.040 --> 0:15:39.680 that would love to attend Lakewood. My father heard that 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.680 so much he was convinced that there was this mass 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:47.240 of people on the other side of town waiting for Lakewood. 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:51.680 So he rented an auditorium less than five minutes from 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:55.760 their house, spent thousands of dollars on the building, the 0:15:55.800 --> 0:16:01.400 sound system, the advertising. For one month, every Thursday night 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:04.520 he brought lakewood to that side of town. And the 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.960 truth is God didn't call him to do it. These 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:11.440 people called him to do it. They talked him into it. 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:14.920 It was a good idea, but it wasn't a God idea. 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:18.240 There's a difference. There can be a lot of things 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.400 that look fine on the surface, but you got to 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.360 search your heart and say, God, is this from me? 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.920 Is this a part of my destiny? Is this a 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:28.840 God idea? 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.400 Or is this just a distraction? Is this just people 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.880 trying to squeeze me into their mold. My father had 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:40.360 his big service across town, spent thousands on the advertising, 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:44.200 and do you know, practically nobody showed up, less. 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:45.040 Than two hundred people. 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.840 The amazing thing is that couple did not attend one service. 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:54.000 First week they had a little league. Second week they 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:56.760 had guessed in from out of town. Third week their 0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:00.880 goldfish was sick, fourth week was depressed. 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:03.359 They had the most lame excuses. 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:07.560 My father left there kicking himself all the way back 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:11.159 across town. He learned his lesson, if people call you, 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:13.280 people will have to take care of you. 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:16.399 But when God calls you, God will take care of you. 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:22.000 I've heard it said what God orders he will pay 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:26.159 for just because something is good. If it's not God's 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.320 plan for your life, there won't be an anoying on it. 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:33.000 Listen to what you're feeling down in here. Don't go 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:37.400 against that still small voice. You're not anointed to be everywhere. 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:41.359 You're anointed to be where God's called you to be. Now, 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:45.240 don't let people talk you in to leaving your sweet spot. 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.240 I see too many people hopping from church to church, 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:55.399 relationship to relationship, job to job, always chasing the latest fad. Now. 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:58.199 I know there are times to change, but so often 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.240 it's not God moving us, it's people moving us. 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:03.840 Some people will even. 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:07.480 Use the scripture, they'll use spiritual language to try to 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:09.720 convince you to do what they want you to do. 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:13.879 How many times have I heard Joel, God told me 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.000 to tell you how to run the church. 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.040 God told me to tell you to do less. 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:22.080 Of this some people listening to them, you'd think God 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:25.760 speaks to them more than he spoke to Moses. David Esther, 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:30.760 Sarah Combine. I had a man every Sunday that gave 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.560 me a word from the Lord. When I would see 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:36.359 him in the lobby. I do my best to hide. God, 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:39.280 give me a break this week, please. He would always 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:43.000 find me. He was frustrated because I wouldn't run the 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:44.479 church like he wanted me to. 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:46.280 And I finally told him, very. 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:49.919 Nice, but sir, I appreciate your advice, but I'm on 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:53.560 speaking terms with God. He can talk directly to me. 0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:55.840 Matter of fact, I spoke with him this morning. 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:59.040 Everything's just fine. See. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:03.560 God will give you direction for your life more than 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:07.639 anyone else. God's not going to tell me something about 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:09.280 you and then not tell you. 0:19:09.920 --> 0:19:11.360 If someone speaks into. 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:15.920 Your life, they should confirm what you already know, you say, Joel. 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:16.600 In the Old. 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:20.040 Testament, the prophets told people what to do, yes, But 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:23.840 in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit lives on the inside. 0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:24.320 Of each one of us. 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:29.040 A man came to my father and said, Pastor Ostein, 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:31.600 a man gave me a word from the Lord that 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:33.200 I'm supposed to go to Africa. 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:35.959 Should I go? My father said, I don't know if 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:37.280 you should go or not, but. 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:39.480 If you do go, make sure you take him with 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:43.879 you so you'll know when to come back home. You 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:45.639 don't need anybody to tell you what. 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:46.800 To do or not to do. 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.320 We have to realize when we come to the end 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:53.720 of life, we're not going to stand before any person 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:57.720 and give our account. We're going to stand before Almighty God. 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:00.439 He's not going to say, why didn't you do what 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:03.200 they said? Why didn't you fit into their mold? Why 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:06.560 didn't you take their opinion. He's going to ask, did 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:10.080 you become who I created you to be? Did you 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.680 stay true to what I put in your heart? This 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:17.359 is where Saul missed it. Saul had a big destiny. 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:20.919 God had great things in his future. But Saul was 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:25.080 so insecure he let people squeeze him into their mold. 0:20:25.320 --> 0:20:28.280 He was afraid he was going to disappoint somebody. He 0:20:28.359 --> 0:20:32.480 said in First Samuel fifteen twenty four. I disobeyed the 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:37.199 Lord's instructions because I was afraid of the people, so 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:41.160 I did what they ask. Notice, Saul knew what to do. 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:45.000 He even admitted it, I disobeyed God's instructions. 0:20:45.400 --> 0:20:47.480 Why he was a people pleaser. 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:51.919 He thought somebody might get their feelings hurt, somebody may 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.560 be disappointed, somebody may not like me. 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:57.639 So he forfeited his destiny. 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:02.240 In order to please people, don't let that be you. 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:06.119 You have to especially be aware of high maintenance people. 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:08.600 I believe that's who Sau's dealing with. 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:12.560 These people are almost impossible to keep happy. You have 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:16.280 to call them on schedule, keep them cheered up, run 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:20.359 their errands, meet their demands, be available twenty four to seven. 0:21:20.960 --> 0:21:24.320 If not, they get upset, and they'll do their best 0:21:24.400 --> 0:21:28.240 to make you feel guilty about it. High maintenance people 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:33.600 are almost always controllers. They're not interested in you, They're 0:21:33.680 --> 0:21:36.640 interested in what you can do for them. Now, if 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:39.560 you fall into that trap of trying to keep them happy, 0:21:40.119 --> 0:21:43.160 it'll wear you out and you'll live life frustrated. 0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:44.119 I know. 0:21:44.440 --> 0:21:47.520 I knew this couple years ago. I really liked them, 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:50.639 and I was so good to them. They moved to 0:21:50.720 --> 0:21:54.240 another city. I helped them move, I gave them money, 0:21:54.760 --> 0:21:57.920 I'd called a check on them. I was always available, 0:21:58.400 --> 0:22:00.919 But the feeling I got from them is I was 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:05.480 never doing enough. They were never satisfied, always had a 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:06.760 complaint here. 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:08.920 I had gone overboard. 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:12.919 To be kind and generous, but they were constantly finding fault, 0:22:13.200 --> 0:22:16.240 trying to make me feel guilty. And one day I 0:22:16.359 --> 0:22:20.199 learned what I'm sharing with you. They're just high maintenance people. 0:22:20.640 --> 0:22:23.520 I am not responsible to keep them happy. I'm going 0:22:23.560 --> 0:22:26.280 to run my own race and not let them steal 0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:29.360 my joy. And that was a great day in my life. 0:22:29.600 --> 0:22:33.840 Matter of fact, I get happy just thinking about it. Friends, 0:22:33.880 --> 0:22:37.479 your time is too valuable to go around trying to 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:41.520 figure out how to keep everybody happy. I know people 0:22:41.760 --> 0:22:45.440 that spend more time worrying about what people are going 0:22:45.480 --> 0:22:49.200 to think about them than they do pursuing their own dreams, 0:22:49.320 --> 0:22:51.919 their own goals. You got a break free from that. 0:22:52.800 --> 0:22:56.119 If you're going to do anything great in life, if 0:22:56.119 --> 0:22:59.320 you're going to be a great business person, a great teacher, 0:22:59.640 --> 0:23:03.520 a great parents, not everybody is going to cheer you on. 0:23:04.359 --> 0:23:07.160 I'd love to tell you that all your family, friends, 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:10.480 co workers will celebrate you, but that's not the case. 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:15.520 Some people can't handle your success. If you were where 0:23:15.520 --> 0:23:17.040 you were ten years ago. 0:23:16.960 --> 0:23:18.600 They'd have no problem with you. 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:22.520 But as you succeed, as God pours out his favor, 0:23:22.920 --> 0:23:27.240 somebody will get jealous. Somebody will start finding fault. Don't 0:23:27.240 --> 0:23:31.000 be surprised if a family member, a relative tries to 0:23:31.040 --> 0:23:34.760 belittle you, discredit you a friend. You've been good to 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:36.920 for years, all of a sudden, won't speak to you. 0:23:37.760 --> 0:23:39.400 Let that bounce off of you. 0:23:39.280 --> 0:23:40.760 Like water off of a duck's back. 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:46.560 If you don't, you'll start changing, being defensive, trying to prove. 0:23:46.320 --> 0:23:48.160 To them that you really are okay. 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:52.440 What's happening is you're letting them squeeze you into their mold. 0:23:53.560 --> 0:23:57.760 Your destiny is too great to be distracted by people 0:23:57.800 --> 0:23:59.480 that are never going to like you. 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:03.320 Don't take it personally. It's not about you. 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:06.720 It's about the favor God put on your life that 0:24:06.880 --> 0:24:10.640 stirs up the jealousy in them. Until they deal with it, 0:24:10.840 --> 0:24:13.520 nothing's going to change. You might as well just shake 0:24:13.600 --> 0:24:17.000 it off, be happy and run your race, because no 0:24:17.040 --> 0:24:19.680 matter how good you are to them, they're still going 0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:23.200 to find fault. No matter how much kindness you show, 0:24:23.760 --> 0:24:27.400 they will still find some reason to be critical. It's 0:24:27.440 --> 0:24:30.280 like this grandfather I heard about. He and his small 0:24:30.320 --> 0:24:33.680 grandson were taking a trip into town, and he started off, 0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:38.640 letting the grandson ride the donkey, and he was walking alongside. 0:24:38.680 --> 0:24:42.080 Somebody came along and said, look at that selfish little 0:24:42.080 --> 0:24:45.800 boy making the old man walk. The grandfather heard it, 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:48.479 took the boy off and he got on the donkey 0:24:48.480 --> 0:24:52.000 and wrote it and had his little grandson walking alongside. 0:24:52.040 --> 0:24:54.640 In a few minutes, somebody came along and said, look 0:24:54.680 --> 0:24:58.640 at that selfish old man making the little boy walk 0:24:58.680 --> 0:24:59.440 while he rides. 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:00.400 That is not right. 0:25:01.080 --> 0:25:04.000 Hearing that, the grandfather picked up the boy and put 0:25:04.080 --> 0:25:05.199 him on the back of the donkey. 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:06.200 They were both writing. 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:10.000 A few minutes, somebody came by and said, how cruel 0:25:10.200 --> 0:25:12.639 of the two of you to put that heavy load 0:25:12.720 --> 0:25:16.080 on that little donkey. By that time they got to town, 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:21.879 the grandfather and grandson were carrying the donkey. You know 0:25:21.960 --> 0:25:25.359 the point, No matter what you do, you're not going 0:25:25.400 --> 0:25:30.240 to please everyone. You might as well accept the fact 0:25:30.720 --> 0:25:33.840 that not every person is going to understand you, and 0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:37.040 that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and 0:25:37.080 --> 0:25:38.800 you have every right to ignore it. 0:25:39.400 --> 0:25:40.080 One more key. 0:25:40.520 --> 0:25:43.560 If you're going to run your race, don't share your 0:25:43.640 --> 0:25:48.919 dreams with everyone. Don't go around telling people what's in 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:51.360 your heart and all your goals. 0:25:51.400 --> 0:25:53.680 Some things you're supposed to keep to yourself. 0:25:54.240 --> 0:25:57.840 The scripture even talks about the hidden petitions of your 0:25:57.880 --> 0:26:01.679 heart that's supposed to be between you and God. What 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:05.040 gets us off course sometimes is we share our dreams 0:26:05.040 --> 0:26:05.960 with people. 0:26:05.800 --> 0:26:06.919 That can't handle it. 0:26:07.520 --> 0:26:10.200 If Joseph would have understood, this would have saved him 0:26:10.200 --> 0:26:13.200 a lot of heartache. As a teenager, he had the 0:26:13.320 --> 0:26:16.520 dream that his older brothers were going to bow down 0:26:16.560 --> 0:26:19.320 before him. He was going to lead a nation and 0:26:19.480 --> 0:26:23.119 have all this success. The mistake he made is he 0:26:23.160 --> 0:26:26.960 went out and told everyone, and somehow his older brothers 0:26:27.320 --> 0:26:29.800 didn't celebrate the fact that they were going to bow down. 0:26:30.320 --> 0:26:33.960 That didn't go over very big. Certain dreams you should 0:26:34.000 --> 0:26:37.440 keep to yourself. You may be excited, but other people 0:26:37.520 --> 0:26:41.120 are not going to be excited, like Joseph's family, They're 0:26:41.160 --> 0:26:43.680 not going to celebrate what God's put in your heart. 0:26:44.080 --> 0:26:46.199 Be much better off to just learn to keep it 0:26:46.240 --> 0:26:46.879 to yourself. 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:49.159 This is what Mary did. 0:26:49.200 --> 0:26:52.080 The mother of Christ, when she was a teenager, the 0:26:52.119 --> 0:26:54.960 angel appeared unto her and told her she was going 0:26:55.000 --> 0:26:58.480 to have a baby without knowing a man. Mary didn't 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:01.080 go out and announce it to the world. She didn't 0:27:01.119 --> 0:27:03.520 run called TMZ and say I got some big news. 0:27:04.960 --> 0:27:08.800 The scripture says she pondered it in her heart. 0:27:09.440 --> 0:27:12.000 She kept it between her and God. 0:27:12.480 --> 0:27:16.280 She was wise enough to know not everybody would understand it. 0:27:16.840 --> 0:27:18.679 Some people would try to talk her out of it. 0:27:18.760 --> 0:27:21.760 Some people would make fun of it. Learn to keep 0:27:21.800 --> 0:27:25.320 your dreams to yourself. Let them take root in your 0:27:25.359 --> 0:27:29.760 own spirit. Ponder it on the inside between you and God. 0:27:30.280 --> 0:27:32.880 When it's time to bring it to pass, God will 0:27:32.920 --> 0:27:36.040 help you to give birth to every dream He's placed 0:27:36.040 --> 0:27:37.040 in your heart. 0:27:37.320 --> 0:27:39.800 My challenge to you run your race. 0:27:40.280 --> 0:27:43.160 Don't you dare let people squeeze you into their mold. 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:47.280 Always be kind, but be confident enough in who God 0:27:47.320 --> 0:27:50.119 made you to be that you don't live to please people, 0:27:50.320 --> 0:27:51.560 You live to please God. 0:27:52.000 --> 0:27:53.520 Our attitude should be. 0:27:53.640 --> 0:27:56.679 I'm free to be me, and I'm going to be 0:27:56.760 --> 0:28:00.680 the best me that I possibly can. Remember, you don't 0:28:00.680 --> 0:28:02.680 have to try to play up to people to try 0:28:02.680 --> 0:28:03.760 to win their approval. 0:28:04.080 --> 0:28:06.040 You have Almighty God's approval. 0:28:06.359 --> 0:28:09.800 Quit worrying about what everybody thinks as long as you're 0:28:09.840 --> 0:28:12.520 being true to what God's put in your heart. Don't 0:28:12.560 --> 0:28:15.240 look to the left nor to the right. Stay focused 0:28:15.240 --> 0:28:18.159 on your goals. If you'll make this decision with me 0:28:18.480 --> 0:28:21.080 that you're going to run your race that I believe in, 0:28:21.160 --> 0:28:24.440 declare God will get you to where you're supposed to be. 0:28:24.720 --> 0:28:28.919 You will overcome every obstacle and accomplish every God given. 0:28:28.720 --> 0:28:31.960 Dream in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you 0:28:32.000 --> 0:28:35.800 say him in today? We never like to close. 0:28:35.520 --> 0:28:39.240 Our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:39.320 --> 0:28:40.360 the lord of your life. 0:28:40.600 --> 0:28:45.160 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:45.280 --> 0:28:50.240 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:28:50.280 --> 0:28:51.480 you my Lord and savior. 0:28:52.400 --> 0:28:54.960 Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you 0:28:55.000 --> 0:28:58.000 got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. 0:28:58.400 --> 0:29:01.200 Keep God first place. He's going to take your places 0:29:01.280 --> 0:29:02.400 that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:02.640 --> 0:29:05.200 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:05.320 --> 0:29:08.120 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:08.160 --> 0:29:11.600 podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:11.800 --> 0:29:14.000 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:14.040 --> 0:29:15.520 with those all around the world. 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:18.600 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:29:18.640 --> 0:29:20.800 description to partner with us today. 0:29:21.040 --> 0:29:23.520 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:23.600 --> 0:29:25.560 be sure to follow us on social media. 0:29:25.840 --> 0:29:29.120 We're praying for you. 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