Shine Brightly

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. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:02.200 He'll forget about the video game you gave him on 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:02.800 his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.000 Wow, thanks Grandpa, but. 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.319 He'll never forget how you invested in his future with 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:08.240 the units stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the units stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.120 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.679 dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.640 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:02:00.120 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:02.600 Well, God bless you. If it's always a joy to 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.200 come into your homes, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:07.080 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:09.800 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.480 at home. Thanks so much for tuning in, and thank 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:14.880 you again for coming out. I like to start with 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:18.040 something funny, and I heard about this reporter that was 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:22.240 visiting churches across the nation. While in the Northeast, he 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:25.640 saw this golden telephone on the wall with the sign 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:29.520 that said calls ten thousand dollars a minute. He asked 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.680 the pastor what it meant. The pastor explained that was 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:35.160 a direct line to Heaven. If you were willing to 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:38.160 pay the price, you could talk directly to God. He 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:41.720 continued visiting different churches and saw the same golden phone 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:45.200 the same sign. Finally made it to Texas and he 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:48.040 saw the phone, but the sign said calls twenty five 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:51.799 cents a minute. Intrigued, he asked the pastor why it 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.959 was so much cheaper. The pastor said, you're in Texas now, 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:59.880 it's a local call. Say it like you mean it. 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:03.160 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:05.880 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:08.480 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:12.280 taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.400 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:20.600 the same. In Jesus's name, God bless you. I want 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:24.640 to talk to you today about shining brightly. How you 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:27.800 live your life is sending a message to those around you. 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:31.840 More than your words, more than what you say. People 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:35.760 are watching, how you live, how you respond to adversity, 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:39.800 how you treat others, how consistent you are when you 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.160 go out each day with a smile on your face. 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:45.960 You're kind, you're in a good mood, You're always doing 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:49.320 things for others. That's one of the best witnesses you 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:53.480 can have. Our actions speak much louder than our words. 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:57.920 I've heard it said, preach at all times, use words 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:02.640 only when necessary. Life is your message, and the scripture 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:05.800 tells us we have the power to be a witness. 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.480 It doesn't say to witness to preach a sermon, to 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:12.800 straighten people out, to tell them what they're doing wrong. No, 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:16.640 the real power is to be a witness. When people 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:21.120 see you living a life of excellence and integrity day 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:25.120 in and day out. You're happy, friendly, good natured. That 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.480 has a greater impact than anything we could ever say. 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.440 We can quote scriptures all day long, come to church 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:35.240 every time the doors are open, keep a praise music 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:39.400 on but if you complain about the boss, get upset 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:43.159 because of the traffic, play politics to get ahead. Your 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:48.400 example will override anything that you say. Parents, we can 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:52.240 tell our children be kind, be respectful, but if they 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:56.080 see us being disrespectful, not treating people right, it will 0:04:56.080 --> 0:04:58.839 go in one ear and out the other. The power 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:02.599 is in what you do. Most people are not reading 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:06.480 their bibles. They're reading your life. They may never listen 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:08.599 to a minister, they may never come to church, but 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.520 they're watching how you live. And we should have so 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:15.560 much joy, so much peace. We should be so kind, 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:19.279 so generous, so good natured that people want what we have. 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.040 That's what it means to be the light of the world. 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:25.200 And we come to church each week to get our 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:29.480 batteries charged, to get filled back up, to be encouraged, 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.719 to grow, to learn. But our real assignment begins when 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:38.000 we leave this auditorium. There's already plenty of light in here. 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.840 Most of us are believers, we have faith, we're expecting 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:46.719 good things. Our light is not very effective around other light. 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:50.279 It's like this little boy. His father bought him a 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:53.800 new flashlight. He was outside on a bright sunny day 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:57.240 and he turned it on shined it around, couldn't see anything. Said, 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:01.560 daddy doesn't work. Something's wrong. Oh, son, it's fine. It 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.800 wasn't designed to work in the light. It was made 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.479 to work in the darkness. That's when you'll see what 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.920 it can really do. Too often we complain about the darkness. 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:15.360 I don't like this job. These people are so negative. 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:18.560 Nobody has a good attitude. Let me ask you, why 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:21.440 do you think God puts you there? They don't need 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:25.040 more light in the bright places. That's an opportunity for 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:28.640 you to shine. I've heard it said. You can either 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:32.719 be a thermometer and just measure the temperature, become like 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:36.520 everyone else, or you can be a thermostat and change 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:40.440 the temperature. When you hear people complaining about the company, 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.839 don't join in. Yeah it's really bad around here. Be 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:46.479 a thermostat. Turn it around. Things may not be perfect, 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.239 but I'm grateful that I have a job. I'm thankful 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.760 that I can come to work each day. You are 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:55.240 the light of the world. Don't add to the darkness. 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:59.159 Turn your light on. It works best in the dark 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:05.599 places when you're around negative influences, gossiping, complaining, people playing politics. 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:09.560 Don't turn it off. Don't hide it. Realize that's what 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:13.720 your light was designed for. Let it shine brightly. The 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:17.880 scripture talks about wives that have husbands that are not believers. 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:22.320 It says, don't try to win them over with your speech. 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:26.840 Your godly life will speak to them better than any words. 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.280 They will be won over by watching how you live. 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:33.480 In other words, you don't have to preach to people. 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:35.760 You don't have to try to straighten them out. Hey, 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.200 you need to have a better attitude, you need to 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:42.080 have a new perspective. No, just be happy, be friendly, 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:45.840 be a person of excellence. That's how you let your 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.880 light shine with your actions, not just with your words. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.360 Everybody's discouraged, but you've got a spring in your step. 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:57.000 You're in a good mood. Everybody's slacking off, but you're 0:07:57.040 --> 0:08:00.560 giving it your best. Everybody's upset at the company because 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:02.760 they have to work late, but you're just the same. 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.760 Happy in the good times, happy in the tough times. 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:10.520 That's letting your light shine brightly. My father told how 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:13.480 when he was a young man, this one church where 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:18.040 he went to minister was so dead. Nobody clapped, nobody saying, 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.760 nobody responded. He thought, God, what am I doing here. 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:24.840 These people don't want to be in church. They certainly 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.920 don't want to listen to me. It's dead. He heard 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:30.480 God say, right down in here, son, why do you 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.480 think I sent you there? They don't need more light 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:36.839 where it's already bright. I sent you to stir them up. 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:40.920 I sent you to be a thermostat, to ignite that spark, 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:45.160 that fleeing that's on the inside. God will send us 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:48.560 into dark places so we can make a difference, so 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:53.040 our light will shine brightly. Quit complaining about the family 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:56.880 you married in too. God, These in laws, these outlaws, 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:58.920 this mother in law. God, they get on my nerves 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:04.280 by accident. God has you there on purpose. He's counting 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:07.120 on you to brighten it up. Now. Don't add to 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.720 the darkness, don't make it worse. Be a light. Do 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:14.000 the right thing even when the wrong thing's happening. Be 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:18.560 respectful even when they're disrespectful. Keep a good attitude even 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:21.600 when you feel like being sour. Stay on the high road. 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:27.160 They need your light shine brightly. Well, Joel, I'm so 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:31.120 dreading going to my family reunion this year. My relatives 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:34.080 are so sarcastic. They make fun of me because I 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:36.559 want party with them. They give me a hard time 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.480 because I go to church. I don't feel like putting 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.160 up with it. Do have a new perspective. That's an 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:45.199 opportunity for you to shine. It's easy to shine around 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:48.520 everybody that loves you, everybody that celebrates you and thinks 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:52.600 like you. The problem is your light is not nearly 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:57.120 effective around those people because it's already so bright. The 0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:01.480 darker the situation, the brighter your light will. You don't 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:03.960 have to try to change their minds. You don't have 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.520 to tell them everything they're doing wrong. All you've got 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:10.440 to do is be happy. When they make fun of you, 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.720 just laugh and let it bounce off. When they're sarcastic, 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.520 just smile and move forward. No big deal. Don't let 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:21.120 it affect you. People push buttons expecting to get a 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:25.160 certain response. I'll say this and they'll get upset. I'll 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.600 leave them out and they'll get their feelings hurt. I'll 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.000 be disrespectful and they'll argue, they'll be rude. Don't fall 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:34.520 into that trap. Turn your buttons off, let them push 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:38.120 all they want. Just keep being kind, keep being respectful, 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:42.959 stay on the high road. Love never fails. Light will 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:46.800 always overcome darkness. It may not happen this year or 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.839 even next year, but at some point they will come 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:54.240 to the place where they get tired of living negative, defeated, sarcastic, 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.600 and they'll think, you know what I want what they have. 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:00.440 I want that joy, I want that peace, I want 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:05.160 that spirit of excellence. Your example, more than your words, 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.720 will be what causes him to change. Don't complain about 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:12.600 that neighborhood you're in God, These neighbors, these people, they're 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:15.840 involved in things they shouldn't be involved in. They curse, 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:19.760 they're disrespectful, they don't take care of their property. That's 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:23.040 why God has you there. It's dark. He's counting on 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:26.800 you to turn on the light instead of complaining. While 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:30.040 God had you there, why don't you pray? God, help 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.560 my light to shine with greater intensity. God, help me 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:36.880 to be a greater influence. Let your love, your kindness, 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:41.120 your mercy be seen in everything that I do. In 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:45.640 the scripture, David worked for King Saul. Saul became jealous 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:48.720 of David and tried to kill him. One day, David 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:50.800 was playing the heart for Saul, trying to make him 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:55.240 feel better. Saul, through a spear, barely missed David. He 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:58.800 took off, running for his life. Saul ended up chasing 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:03.079 David through the wildernes, making his life miserable. What's interesting 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.800 is David never complained about Saul. He never said, God, 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:10.360 why is this man trying to kill me? This is 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.720 not right. I haven't done anything wrong. David just kept 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:18.280 doing the right thing, letting his light shine brightly. One night, 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.280 while David was on the run, he saw Saul and 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:26.480 his men asleep in the desert. This was David's big 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.600 opportunity to put an end to it. He could have 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:32.720 killed Saul easily once and for all, been done with it, 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:35.959 and nobody would have faulted him. But David wouldn't do it. 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:39.240 He knew Saul had been anointed to be the king. 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.400 He said, God, I'm not going to touch your anointed. 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:45.680 I'm going to let you fight my battles. When Saul 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.719 woke up and realized what had happened, that David could 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:52.560 have easily killed him, Saul said, David, you're a better 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.880 man than me. He was ashamed and went back home. 0:12:56.760 --> 0:13:00.000 This didn't happen because of David's words, because of something 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:02.960 that he said. Come on, Saul, I'm a good person. 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.640 I'm not gonna harm you. Leave me alone. No, David 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:10.400 let his actions do the talking. He became a witness. 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:14.520 People believe a sermon that they see more than a 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:17.640 sermon that they hear. Quit trying to pray away the 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:22.559 darkness and just start being a brighter light. Do it consistently. 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:27.840 People don't change overnight. Saul chase David for a long time. 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:31.719 Month after month, year after year, David stayed on the 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:35.800 high road. God eventually vindicated him. He became the King. 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:39.560 There may be people in your life that you have 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:43.400 to let your light shine year after year. You have 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.880 to be willing to invest in them. Keep doing the 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.520 right thing, even when it seems like it's not making 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.040 a difference. Keep being respectful, even though they're giving you 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:57.400 the cold shoulder. Your consistency being a witness day in 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.880 and day out, than just like Saul, that's going to 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:05.199 cause one day that light to overtake the darkness. Think 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:07.880 about when Jesus was on the earth. He didn't spend 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.160 all of his time in the temples and the synagogues, 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.560 in the churches, in the safe places. He didn't only 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:18.359 associate with people that believed in him, people that celebrated 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:21.320 who he was. He went to the people that were 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:25.080 not on the right track, the tax collectors, they were 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.880 known for being dishonest. He went to the fishermen, they 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.960 were rough and used bad language. He went to the 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:35.760 people that had failed morally. He showed them mercy, was 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:39.480 kind to them. He was called a friend of sinners. 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:44.440 The religious people didn't like it. They criticized Jesus because 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:47.720 they thought that he was associating with what they considered 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:51.560 to be the wrong kind of people. They didn't understand 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:56.360 this principle that light is the most effective in dark places. 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:00.320 And because Jesus let his light shine, many of those 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:05.240 sinners became believers. Sometimes we think, God, keep me away 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:09.520 from anyone that's struggling with a bad habit, an addiction 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.560 and anger issue. God, don't make me have to deal 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:16.000 with that person that's dishonest, not faithful in a relationship. 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:19.560 Keep me away from the darkness. But Jesus showed just 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:23.360 the opposite. He said, it's the sick who need a doctor, 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.600 not the healthy. God will bring people across your path 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:32.520 that need your light. Don't have a holier than now attitude, 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:37.280 Thinking I can't be contamidated. He uses bad language, she's 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:40.320 kind of loose. He doesn't have integrity. I got to 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:44.200 keep my distance. Now you've got the light. God's counting 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.760 on you to make a difference. You don't have to 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:49.560 become best friends with them. I'm not saying to spend 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:51.960 all your time with them, but you can be kind. 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.800 You can show them that your care. You can be 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:58.680 a positive influence in their life. That's what a minister 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:01.760 friend of mine did. This young lady that cut his hair. 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:05.200 She was a good person, but she had some issues. 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:08.360 She was struggling with addictions, and she'd been in and 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:10.480 out of a bunch of relationships, and now she was 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.560 living with another boyfriend. And when he came in to 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:17.200 get his hair cut, she was very uncomfortable because she 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.560 knew there were some things in her life that were 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:22.960 not right. Him being a minister, she was certain that 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.760 he was going to judge her, give her a sermon, 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:28.680 tell her everything that she was doing wrong. But he 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:32.840 didn't do this. He was just kind, friendly, likable. When 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:36.120 he left that first day, she was so relieved. I 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:40.560 found most people already know what they're doing wrong. You 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:42.160 don't have to tell the man you need to break 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:45.400 this addiction. You need to get out of that toxic relationship. 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:48.320 You need to start being more honest. You don't have 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:52.080 to convict people of their sin. That's not your job. 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:55.360 That's what the Holy Spirit does. Our job is to 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:58.280 love people, to let her light shine, to be kind, 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:02.920 to be friendly, to be good to. My friend noticed 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:05.760 that this young lady, the hairdresser, she liked a certain 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:08.800 kind of coffee, and before he'd come get his haircut, 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:11.520 he'd always stopped by and bring her that cup of coffee, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.920 just being kind. She had a son, a little boy, 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:19.000 and every time around his birthday, Christmas, special holidays, he 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:21.720 would pick up gift certificates to a toy store and 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.520 give that to his mother. He was always encouraging this 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:29.040 young lady, letting her know that he believed in her. 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:33.000 It was about two years later she asked where his 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.200 church was located, the first sign that he was having 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:39.680 any kind of effect. That next Sunday, she and her 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.520 boyfriend showed up at church. She hadn't been to church 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:45.639 since she was a little girl. That day she felt 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:49.159 a love like she had never felt. Their hearts were touched. 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.000 Both she and her boyfriend gave their life to Christ. 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.600 After the service, they said to the minister, we've been 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.600 living together for a long time. We need to set 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:02.040 a better example for our son. We'd like to get married. 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:07.400 Several months later, this minister performed their wedding ceremony. Today. 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:10.200 That was years ago. They're still married, still happy, still 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:13.640 in church. Here's how Jesus put it, let your light 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:18.080 shine before men so they may see your good works. 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:22.199 It doesn't say let your light shine before people that 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:25.600 deserve it, people that have it all together, people that 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:29.560 don't have any issues. No, let it shine before all people. 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:32.760 How do you do it by letting them see your 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:36.480 good works? Can the people God's put in your life, 0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:38.960 not the ones that have it all together, but the 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:42.080 ones that are struggling, the ones that you could easily 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:44.080 judge and ride off and think, Man, you need to 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:47.040 get it together. You need to straighten up. Can they 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:51.040 see your good works? Maybe the reason they don't have 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:54.960 it together just yet is because they're waiting for your light, 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:59.120 your love, your kindness, your mercy. When they see your 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:02.880 good works, they'll begin to change. If my friend would 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:05.200 have gone in there and preached to her, you need 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:07.879 to straighten up. God is not pleased you need to 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:11.240 make some changes. She wouldn't have received it. She would 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:14.440 have become defensive, would have pushed her away. She would 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:17.440 have found somebody else to cut his hair. I've heard 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:21.399 it said people don't care how much you know until 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:24.880 they know how much you care. When you take time 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:28.120 to shine light in their life. You give a smile, 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:30.919 you bring them a cup of coffee, you give their 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:35.040 child a gift. You're kind, you're helpful. They feel your love. 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:39.320 That's what opens the door to their heart. Look around 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:42.800 at who's in your life. Where is there some light 0:19:43.000 --> 0:19:46.600 that you can shine? Will you be a friend to sinners? 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:50.840 Will you take off judgmental glasses and help love people 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:53.800 back onto the right track. Will you be willing to 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.919 overlook some flaws, not focus on what they're doing wrong, 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:00.560 and instead show a little mercy, Be a light in 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:05.119 their life, a positive influence, a difference maker. After all, 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:07.600 if it had not been for the grace of God, 0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:11.640 that could be you and me. Somebody shine some light 0:20:11.680 --> 0:20:14.240 in your life. Somebody helps you get to where you are. 0:20:14.600 --> 0:20:18.720 Somebody overlooked some flaws, Somebody showed mercy. Why don't you 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:21.960 pass on that same light that's been given to you? 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:25.000 When I was in my twenties, I used to play 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:27.679 basketball at this gym and there were a lot of 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:31.520 guys there that were very rough. They would curse and argue, 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:34.399 and a lot of times fights would break out. He 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:38.280 was very competitive and very intense. I didn't go in 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:41.600 there and start telling everybody what they're doing wrong. Plus 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:43.800 they're a lot bigger than me. I didn't try to 0:20:43.960 --> 0:20:46.439 straighten everybody out. I just went in there being me, 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:50.600 just living my life, consistently happy, in a good mood, 0:20:51.040 --> 0:20:55.159 always kind to others. Over time, they started noticing that 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:58.560 there was something different about me. I wouldn't argue, I 0:20:58.600 --> 0:21:02.360 didn't get upset. I was kind to everyone. It got 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:05.240 to the point if there was ever a questionable call, 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.159 even if I wasn't in the game, I was on 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:10.960 the sidelines waiting to play next just watching. They would 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:15.480 always say, ask Joel, we know he won't lie. I 0:21:15.600 --> 0:21:17.920 never told them that my father was the pastor of 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:20.600 a big church in town. I worked at a ministry. 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.920 I just let my actions do the talking. There was 0:21:23.960 --> 0:21:26.600 a young man there that had some addictions and some 0:21:26.680 --> 0:21:31.359 real anger issues. He was very explosive. He would lose 0:21:31.400 --> 0:21:34.040 his temper and get into fights. And I had not 0:21:34.200 --> 0:21:37.040 talked to him that much over the years, just nothing 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:39.840 more than hello and how's it going. But one day 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:42.000 he came over in the locker room and ask if 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:44.480 I would help him. I thought he wanted me to 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:46.719 help him find a basketball or help him pull out 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:49.040 the bleachers so we could sit on. But he looked 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:51.960 at me and said, Joel, I got all these anger issues. 0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:55.120 It's messing up my marriage. It's causing me problems at home. 0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:57.800 And you always seem to be so calm, so friendly, 0:21:57.880 --> 0:22:00.560 so good natured. I thought maybe you could give me 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:03.520 some advice. I was like twenty years old. I didn't 0:22:03.520 --> 0:22:05.600 know how to solve his anger problems. But I ended 0:22:05.680 --> 0:22:09.320 up invited him to come to church. He came to Lakewood. 0:22:09.359 --> 0:22:11.880 Long story short, he gave his life to Christ God 0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:15.359 in some of the classes overcame those addictions. Today he's 0:22:15.440 --> 0:22:20.160 like a different person, calm, half, be respectful. I still 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:23.679 see him here all the time. Here's my point. I 0:22:23.720 --> 0:22:26.439 could have prayed, God, get all these sinners out of 0:22:26.480 --> 0:22:30.399 the gym. God, they're arguing, they're fighting, they got addictions. 0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:34.440 God deliver me from these people. I could have tried 0:22:34.480 --> 0:22:38.240 to pray away the darkness. But instead I said, God, 0:22:38.800 --> 0:22:41.280 this is where you have me right now. I know 0:22:41.400 --> 0:22:43.840 my steps are ordered by the Lord. You brought these 0:22:43.880 --> 0:22:46.679 people into my life. So God, my prayer is that 0:22:46.800 --> 0:22:50.439 my light will shine with greater intensity. God, let me 0:22:50.480 --> 0:22:53.480 be a greater influence. Let them see something in me 0:22:53.840 --> 0:22:57.280 that they want. Year after year, I just kept being 0:22:57.280 --> 0:23:01.439 a witness, being kind, being respectful, being honest, being a 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:05.040 person of excellence. One by one, those young men would 0:23:05.040 --> 0:23:07.000 come up, Joel, would you pray for me? Can you 0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:09.159 give me some advice? Can I bring my family to 0:23:09.200 --> 0:23:12.560 your church? Now? Many of them are here. When you 0:23:12.680 --> 0:23:16.000 become a friend of sinners, when you take time to 0:23:16.040 --> 0:23:20.280 shine light into the darkness, that's what has the greatest impact. 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:23.240 And the truth is we all have a ministry, we 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:25.520 all have a pulpit. May not look like this one, 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:29.320 but your life is sending out a message. Me just 0:23:29.400 --> 0:23:34.440 living a life of kindness, respect, integrity. That spoke more 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:37.760 to those young men than anything I could have ever said. 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:40.800 I could have told them, Gods, straighten up, man, break 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:44.359 these addictions, quit fighting. That would have had very little impact. 0:23:45.000 --> 0:23:49.280 Talk is cheap. People are watching how you live. What 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:53.560 kind of example are you? Setting second Corinthians five says 0:23:53.840 --> 0:23:58.479 we are God's personal representatives on the earth. We have 0:23:58.520 --> 0:24:03.280 to realize I can't see God, they see us. The 0:24:03.400 --> 0:24:07.080 question is are we making God look good? Are we 0:24:07.200 --> 0:24:10.080 representing him the right way? Do people want what we 0:24:10.200 --> 0:24:14.640 have or are we pushing them away? A few years ago, 0:24:15.119 --> 0:24:18.080 I was driving in my car with six small children 0:24:18.440 --> 0:24:21.760 with me, two of my own, plus nieces and nephews. 0:24:22.160 --> 0:24:24.399 They all wanted to go to McDonald's to get something 0:24:24.440 --> 0:24:26.879 to eat. So I pulled in the drive through and 0:24:27.240 --> 0:24:29.760 I was about to place my order at the little speaker. 0:24:30.400 --> 0:24:33.119 My nephew, Christopher was about four years old, and he 0:24:33.359 --> 0:24:37.600 likes his hamburger with nothing on it, completely dry. So 0:24:37.640 --> 0:24:40.280 I told the lady, the young girl through the speaker there, 0:24:40.600 --> 0:24:43.439 that I wanted a kid's hamburger with nothing but the 0:24:43.520 --> 0:24:46.800 bond and a piece of meat. She said, would you 0:24:46.920 --> 0:24:50.000 like pickles with that? I said no, ma'am, I don't 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:53.480 want anything on it. She said, okay, would you like mayonnaise? 0:24:53.800 --> 0:24:56.920 I said no, I want it completely dry. She said, 0:24:56.920 --> 0:24:59.600 all right, would you like mustard? I thought she was kidding. 0:25:00.000 --> 0:25:01.960 I kind of laughed. I said, ma'am, I just want 0:25:01.960 --> 0:25:05.040 the bond and a piece of meat. She said, okay, 0:25:05.080 --> 0:25:08.159 so you don't want to let us, do you? This 0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:10.399 was my first order. I had five more to go. 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:16.040 I had to remind myself I am God's personal representative 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:19.880 here on this earth. What would God do? How would 0:25:19.880 --> 0:25:22.800 he act? What do he get upset? Would he lose 0:25:22.880 --> 0:25:25.399 his cool? Give her a piece of his mind? I 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:28.159 was tempted to, but I stayed calm and ended up 0:25:28.200 --> 0:25:30.840 placing my order and finally pulled up there to the 0:25:30.880 --> 0:25:33.879 window to pay. First thing the young girl said was 0:25:33.960 --> 0:25:44.399 Pastor Joel. My first thought was, thank you Jesus. You 0:25:44.560 --> 0:25:48.000 never know who's watching? Oh you said, Joel, you know 0:25:48.040 --> 0:25:49.960 you're on TV. I don't have to worry about that. No, 0:25:50.040 --> 0:25:54.160 don't kid yourself. Your children are watching, your neighbors, your 0:25:54.200 --> 0:25:57.919 co workers. Every time you interact with someone, you're preaching 0:25:57.960 --> 0:26:01.679 a sermon. They may not remembermember what you say, but 0:26:01.720 --> 0:26:05.600 they'll remember how you made them feel. Do they feel loved? 0:26:05.760 --> 0:26:09.760 Do they feel respected? Be careful what kind of example 0:26:09.840 --> 0:26:13.960 you're setting. You're representing Almighty God. When I was a 0:26:14.000 --> 0:26:16.760 little boy, my father took me and my brothers and 0:26:16.800 --> 0:26:20.120 sisters to see the Astros play baseball. At the Astrodome, 0:26:20.520 --> 0:26:23.040 and there were these two guys behind us that were 0:26:23.119 --> 0:26:26.639 very loud and obnoxious. They had too much to drink. 0:26:27.200 --> 0:26:29.840 When the Astros would do something wrong, they would stand 0:26:29.880 --> 0:26:33.160 up and curse the players. You blankety blank player, can't 0:26:33.200 --> 0:26:35.920 you hit the ball? This went on for about an hour. 0:26:36.400 --> 0:26:39.199 Every time they did that, I would squirm in my 0:26:39.359 --> 0:26:42.760 seat because I knew eventually my father was going to 0:26:42.800 --> 0:26:47.359 say something. Daddy was very bold, is very strong. Sure enough, 0:26:47.560 --> 0:26:49.960 the Astros made another mistake, and they stood up and 0:26:50.040 --> 0:26:54.240 cursed and cursed. My father turned around, I remember it 0:26:54.320 --> 0:26:57.600 like it was yesterday, with this big smile on his face, 0:26:57.840 --> 0:27:01.000 as friendly as can be. He said, listen, fellas, the 0:27:01.119 --> 0:27:03.760 name of the Lord is to be praised, not to 0:27:03.800 --> 0:27:07.200 be cursed. They looked at him, kind of strained, shook 0:27:07.240 --> 0:27:10.080 their head. A few minutes one of the Astros hit 0:27:10.119 --> 0:27:12.920 a home run. They both stood up. By this time 0:27:12.920 --> 0:27:15.720 they had weigh too much to drink. They lifted both 0:27:15.760 --> 0:27:23.320 hands in the air and shouted, Hallelujah. They slapped my 0:27:23.400 --> 0:27:27.240 dad on the back and said, how's that, preacher. The 0:27:27.320 --> 0:27:29.520 rest of that game, all we heard from them was 0:27:29.560 --> 0:27:33.800 praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus. My point is 0:27:34.800 --> 0:27:38.480 to represent God. You don't have to be mean, you 0:27:38.520 --> 0:27:41.360 don't have to jump down people's throats. My father used 0:27:41.359 --> 0:27:44.080 to say, don't be a fire hose and try to 0:27:44.119 --> 0:27:47.399 knock people down. Just be a sprinkler. Just let your 0:27:47.480 --> 0:27:51.639 light shine, Be kind, keep a smile on your face. 0:27:51.880 --> 0:27:56.440 Let people see your good works. Remember your actions speak 0:27:56.560 --> 0:28:00.520 louder than your words. Your life is your message. When 0:28:00.560 --> 0:28:04.800 you're in those dark places, don't complain. Have a new perspective. 0:28:05.000 --> 0:28:08.840 That's an opportunity for your light to shine brightly. When 0:28:08.880 --> 0:28:12.359 you go out each day, represent God in a great way, 0:28:12.920 --> 0:28:16.600 be a witness, be a positive influence in people's lives. 0:28:16.880 --> 0:28:20.840 And if you'll put this simple principle into action, shining brightly, 0:28:21.160 --> 0:28:23.639 you'll not only make a difference in other people's lives, 0:28:23.720 --> 0:28:26.200 but it'll make a difference in your own life. You'll 0:28:26.200 --> 0:28:29.240 have more favor, people will be drawn to you. I 0:28:29.400 --> 0:28:33.200 believe and declare you will fulfill your destiny and become 0:28:33.320 --> 0:28:37.400 everything God's created you to be in Jesus's name, If 0:28:37.400 --> 0:28:41.160 you receive it, can you say them in today? We 0:28:41.280 --> 0:28:44.320 never like to close our broadcast without giving you an 0:28:44.360 --> 0:28:47.840 opportunity to make Jesus, the Lord of your life. Would 0:28:47.840 --> 0:28:52.280 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:56.640 of my sins, Come into my heart. I make you 0:28:56.760 --> 0:29:00.600 my Lord and savior. If you pray that simple prayer, 0:29:00.680 --> 0:29:03.040 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:03.040 --> 0:29:06.400 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to 0:29:06.480 --> 0:29:08.320 take you places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:09.280 --> 0:29:12.120 Thank you for listening to the Joel Los Deine podcast. 0:29:12.480 --> 0:29:15.080 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:29:15.200 --> 0:29:16.560 those all over the world. 0:29:16.880 --> 0:29:18.440 Visit Joelostin dot. 0:29:18.240 --> 0:29:21.280 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:22.560 --> 0:29:25.480 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:25.480 --> 0:29:28.840 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:28.960 --> 0:29:32.160 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:32.320 --> 0:29:34.760 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:34.840 --> 0:29:35.320 next time. 0:29:42.320 --> 0:29:44.840 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:44.880 --> 0:29:48.600 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:48.680 --> 0:29:51.920 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 0:29:52.000 --> 0:29:55.040 yourly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:29:55.080 --> 0:29:58.240 the Mental Health Coach Training program and become equipped to 0:29:58.320 --> 0:30:01.160 help for a limited time, apply for a full tuition 0:30:01.280 --> 0:30:03.640 scholarship and you only pay a one time tech fee 0:30:03.680 --> 0:30:07.800 of fifty four dollars if accepted. Apply now at mentalhealthcoach 0:30:07.920 --> 0:30:11.320 dot org. Again, that's mentalhealthcoach dot org. 0:30:13.360 --> 0:30:17.480 Be a barbecue Hero with delicious ultralow netcar Hero Bread 0:30:17.560 --> 0:30:21.040 buns and tortillas, soft and fluffy, high in fiber, and 0:30:21.120 --> 0:30:23.360 with zero grams of sugar and up to ten grams 0:30:23.360 --> 0:30:26.600 of protein coming in at under one hundred calories per serving. 0:30:26.880 --> 0:30:29.440 Oh and did I mention they taste like their mouthwatering 0:30:29.440 --> 0:30:33.120 traditional versions. It's enough to have the neighbors asking for seconds. 0:30:33.400 --> 0:30:36.120 Use code ih M ten for ten percent off your 0:30:36.160 --> 0:30:39.400 first Hero Bread purchase at hero dot co. That's I 0:30:39.560 --> 0:30:42.480 eight M ten for ten percent off at hero dot co. 0:30:43.440 --> 0:30:45.440 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:30:45.440 --> 0:30:47.600 as our weekend plans. So get the sleep you deserve 0:30:47.640 --> 0:30:49.760 with Lisa. For a limited time, save up to seven 0:30:49.800 --> 0:30:52.680 hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows during 0:30:52.680 --> 0:30:55.360 our summer sale. Check out our hybrid mattress designed to 0:30:55.440 --> 0:30:57.960 keep you cool during those hot summer nights. Lisa also 0:30:58.000 --> 0:31:01.240 offers free shipping and a Rispbrey one night trial. Get 0:31:01.280 --> 0:31:03.720 the sleep you deserve. Shop our summer Sale now and 0:31:03.760 --> 0:31:06.520 save up to seven hundred dollars off select mattresses plus 0:31:06.560 --> 0:31:09.080 two free pill ups at Lisa dot com. That's l 0:31:09.120 --> 0:31:12.160 e e S a dot Com exclusion supply. Visit Lisa 0:31:12.160 --> 0:31:13.040 dot com for details