Sowing A Seed In Your Time of Need

0:00:00.200 --> 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 0:00:10.400 --> 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. 0:00:23.400 --> 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. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:50.960 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:55.840 forward with Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.920 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:03.480 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:06.679 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:09.360 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:12.040 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:26.360 for God's very best in your life. Now, God bless you. 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:29.720 It's a joy to come into your homes. We love you, 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.120 and we know God has great things in store for 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:34.800 each one of you. He rewards people that seek after him. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:36.839 If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:39.200 by and see us. We give you a personal invitation. 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:41.760 I promise you will make you feel right at home, 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:43.400 But come by and be a part of one of 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:45.880 our services. I'd like to get started each week with 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:48.200 something kind of funny. And I heard about this mother. 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:52.080 She was cooking pancakes for her two young sons. Ryan 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:55.680 was five and Kevin was three. They begin to argue 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:58.440 over who should get the first pencake, and she saw 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:02.600 this as an opportunity to teach them a lesson. She said, boys, boys, 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:05.800 if Jesus were here, he would say, let my brother 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.160 have the first pancake. Ryan turned to his younger brother 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:11.639 and said, okay, Kevin, you be Jesus. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.240 All right, hold up your Bible, say it like you 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.640 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:21.280 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:24.600 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:28.200 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:32.560 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:33.520 never be the same. 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:37.839 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:43.480 to you today about being seed oriented rather than need oriented. 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.240 Too often, when we have a need, we get focused 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.280 on it. That's all we talk about. All we think 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.720 about my problems, my bills, my health, my hurt, my pains. 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.720 But as long as we are ingrown, as long as 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.600 we're only focused on our we're going to live a 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:06.080 very miserable life. God created us to be givers, and 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:08.800 in our time of need, we have to learn to 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.440 sow a seed. Rather than turning inward, we need to 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:16.079 turn outward. If you're in tough times today, don't sit 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:20.080 around depressed. Go help somebody else. If you want God 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:23.880 to solve your problems, go help solve somebody else's problems. 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:28.800 Sow that seed I've found. If we'll make somebody else's day, 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:32.239 God will always make our own day. And the way 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:35.400 to really get what you want is by giving away 0:03:35.600 --> 0:03:39.160 what you need. If you need happiness, go make somebody 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:42.480 else happy. If you need friends, go be a friend 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:45.840 to someone this lonely. If you're struggling in your finances, 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:48.760 it's not enough to just pray to just believe. You've 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:53.000 got to sow that seed. Buy somebody's dinner, help somebody 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:55.760 pay their rent, give a little extra in the offering. 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:59.560 When you reach out to others, that's the seed God 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:02.240 will you use to bring a harvest into your own life. 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:06.320 We need to learn to be more seed minded rather 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:09.640 than need minded. How many times do we go before 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.800 God and give him our long list of needs? God, 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.360 I need healing from my back. I need my child 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:17.479 to straighten up. God, I need more money, And God, 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:20.800 I need some more friends. I'm lonely. No, God already 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.560 knows our needs. He's waiting on us to sow a 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:26.960 seed so he can begin to do something well, Joel, 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:28.800 as soon as I get out of these problems, I'll 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:31.520 go help somebody else. Soon as I get more money, 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.280 I'll be a giver. Soon as I get a better car, 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:37.599 I'll go give somebody a ride. Soon as my teenager 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:41.080 straightens up, then I'll go mentor these other young people. No, 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:44.880 you've got it backwards. You've got to help somebody else first. 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:49.039 Then God will begin to turn your situation around. Something 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:52.920 supernatural happens when we turn our attention away from our 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:56.400 own needs to the needs of those around us. When 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:59.520 we're in difficult times, first thing we should think about 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:02.520 is what kind of seed can I sow? Who can 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.280 I bless, who can I encourage? Where is a need 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:07.839 that I can meet today? This is what the people 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:10.440 did back in the Book of Corinthians. They were in 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:14.440 tough times. The scripture says they were in deep poverty 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:18.880 and in great trouble. In other words, they were struggling financially, 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:21.960 had all kinds of things coming against them. But what 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.600 did they do in their time of need? Did they 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:28.440 complain God, why is this happening? Did they sit back 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:31.080 and wait for somebody to come rescue them? No, the 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:33.920 scripture goes on to say, in the midst of their 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.920 great trouble, they stayed full of joy and they gave 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:42.160 generously to others. Notice they sowed a seed in their 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.280 time of need. They knew if they would meet other 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:48.880 people's needs, then God would meet their own needs. We 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:52.120 need to learn to do the same thing in difficult times. 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:55.640 Number one, let's stay full of joy. And number two, 0:05:56.440 --> 0:06:00.160 go out and be a blessing to somebody else lost 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.239 your job. Don't sit at home all day feeling sorry 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:07.080 for yourself. Go volunteer someplace while you're waiting for the 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.680 next thing to open up. If you're believing for a 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.880 better car instead of complaining about the one you've got, 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.640 go so as seeded by giving somebody a ride. If 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:20.080 you want your business to increase, then so a seeded 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:24.279 by helping somebody else's business increase. Some of you today, 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:27.799 you have major needs, you have big obstacles in your path. 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:30.440 The best thing you could do is get your mind 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:34.200 off yourself and go do something good for somebody else. 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.799 What you may happen for others, God will make happen 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.400 for you. If you want to see your dreams come 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:44.480 to pass, I challenge you so a seed by helping 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:48.240 somebody else's dreams come to pass. For instance, maybe you're 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:52.839 skilled in a certain profession, well take time to mentor 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:55.520 another young person that's trying to get to where you are. 0:06:56.240 --> 0:07:01.040 Share your talents, share your time, share what you know. Well, Joel, 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:03.960 I'm so busy and I've got so many problems of 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:07.640 my own. I can't waste by time helping everybody else. No, 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:11.520 you're not wasting your time. You're sowing a seed. And 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:16.240 the scripture says here in Ecclesiastes eleven, verse one, give generously, 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:20.680 for your gifts will come back to you. When you 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:26.560 give of your time, your energy, your talents, your resources, someday, 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:31.120 in some way, shape or form, your gifts will come 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.400 back to you. You will reap what you sew when 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.240 you need wisdom, when you need a good break, when 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:40.880 you need God's favor. Because of the gifts you've given, 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:44.480 God will make sure you have everything that you need. 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:48.360 Your gifts will come back to you. I know when 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.280 we were in the first stages of raising funds to 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.960 renovate this place, at times it seemed kind of overwhelming. 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.960 It was a one hundred million dollar project. We had 0:07:57.960 --> 0:08:01.720 a huge need. We were pray, believing, doing everything that 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:04.560 we could, and one day we got a call from 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:07.840 another ministry. They were good friends of ours, and they 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:10.880 told how they were trying to close on this piece 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:14.080 of property and this building that they were buying. This 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:17.400 was their dream come true. They had been working on 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:20.200 it for over two years, and they had done very well, 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.520 raised a lot of funds, but at the last moment, 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.600 something that they were counting on didn't come together, and 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:29.800 now it looked like they were not going to be 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:33.240 able to close. They were still a significant amount short, 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.520 and somebody was standing in line waiting to take that 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:39.280 property if they didn't get it. As you can imagine, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:43.120 they were just devastated. Well, when we heard that, I knew, 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:45.520 deep down in here we were supposed to help them. 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:48.960 But in the natural, I thought, God, we need the 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.959 money more than they do. We have a bigger project. God, 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:54.080 I want to see how we can do this. But 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:56.520 down in here I could not get away from it. 0:08:57.040 --> 0:09:00.600 Something kept telling me, Joel, if you'll take this step 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:04.080 of faith, if you'll help make their dreams come to pass, 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:08.559 I'll make sure your dreams come to pass. So we sacrificed, 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:12.200 and we sowed that seed into their ministry, and they 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:14.760 were able to close on that property and they got 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:18.800 their new facility. Well two years later, when we were 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:21.920 trying to acquire this place, it came down to the 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.640 final city council vote. Most of you know how we 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:29.640 needed ten votes, but the night before we only had nine. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:32.200 It looked like it was all over, but one of 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:35.880 the council members, he had been against us for two years. 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.280 For some reason, he changed his mind and it was 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:43.200 his vote that gave us this facility. Leaving City Hall 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:45.920 that day after we had just won the victory, I 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:48.360 was so excited. I was on cloud nine, and I 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:52.040 began to reflect on all the great things God had done, 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:55.720 and my mind immediately went back to that gift that 0:09:55.760 --> 0:10:00.160 we'd given that other ministry. God reminded me how the 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:03.720 last minute we helped make their dreams come to pass. 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.640 And it was as if God was saying, Joel, because 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:10.439 you're sowed in your time of need, because you sacrificed 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:15.000 and help them accomplish their dreams. Now you're reaping this harvest. 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:19.080 That's why I cause that council member to change his mind. See, 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:22.280 when you make other people's dreams come to pass, God 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.920 will make sure your own dreams come to pass. Really, 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:30.800 we never know what we're sowing a seed for. You 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.679 don't know what you're gonna need in the future. But 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:36.920 when you're a giver, when you take time to care, 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:41.000 when you help others accomplish their dreams, then when you 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.280 need God's favor. He'll make sure you have plenty of it. 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:47.520 Your gifts will come back to you. Now I've learned 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:52.200 Now anytime I can use my influence, my favor to 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.520 help someone else come up higher, I gladly do it. 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.800 I realize I'm sowing a seed, and I know in 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.440 the future I'm gonna need a good break. I'm going 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:04.120 to need God's favor. So I want to make sure 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:06.760 I have plenty of seed in the ground. I want 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:09.760 to have an abundant harvest that God can draw from. 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:12.440 A couple of years ago, I was talking to a 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:16.720 young couple and they were having terrible tax problems. Somebody 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.360 had given them poor advice, and now they were in 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:21.760 a big mess. They were so discouraged they didn't know 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:25.360 what to do. As we were praying, I remembered a 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:28.520 man that owed me a big favor. He was in 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:32.280 the tax business, very knowledgeable, very experience, and I knew 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:34.880 if they called him as a favor to me, he 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:37.440 would help them out. But while we were praying, I 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:39.880 kind of thought to myself, do I want to use 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:43.560 my favor this way? After all, I don't even know 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:46.320 this couple, and what if I need this man in 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:49.439 the future. This battle was going on in my thoughts. 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:53.320 But thank God, I've learned anytime I can be a blessing. 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.599 Anytime you can do good for somebody, you are so 0:11:56.760 --> 0:12:00.480 in a seed and your gifts will come back to you. 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:03.480 So I said, hey, you call this man, and I 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:05.840 know he's going to help you out. See, you know 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.559 how to get favor by giving favor. When you can 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:13.000 do good for someone, and you extend your hand of 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.080 kindness when you need favor, God will make sure that 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:19.000 you have it. A friend is about to move, Hey, 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:21.320 you want to borrow my truck? How about I help you. 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:24.320 Next weekend, somebody's going on a trip. Hey, let me 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.240 give you a ride to the airport. Let me save 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:29.200 you those parking fees. Just little things. You know what 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:33.600 you're doing, sowing seeds of favor. But too many people 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:37.280 have this attitude. I've got enough problems on my own, 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:40.560 don't bother me with yours. But what a miserable way 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:44.440 to live? Life is all about giving some of you. 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:47.120 The reason you're not as happy as you should be, 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:49.439 the reason you're not as fulfilled as you should be, 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.439 is because you've gotten self centered. You've got to get 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:57.280 your mind off your own needs and start sowing some seeds. 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.040 If you want God to solve your problems, I challenge you, 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:05.640 go help solve somebody else's problems. I was talking to 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.560 a father the other day and he told how for 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:12.680 years he had struggled with his teenage son, seemed like 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:16.319 they were on different wavelengths. But this whole time, he 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:19.280 was the coach of their baseball team. And there was 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:22.280 this other young man. He just happened to come from 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:25.000 a single parent family. He was having a lot of 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:29.280 trouble in school. So many times after practice or a ballgame, 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:32.240 this father would bring this other young man home with 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:35.120 his son and he would help him do his schoolwork. 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:39.160 He tutored him, he mentored him. He actually became the 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:42.280 father figure in his life. And this single parent mom 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:45.960 was so grateful, so appreciative. And do you know as 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:50.000 this father reached out to this other young man, his 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:54.240 relationship with his own son began to improve, got better 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.560 and better. Today it is totally turned around. They are 0:13:57.559 --> 0:14:00.400 the best of friends. And he told me, Joe, I 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:04.240 know God honored me because I sewed into this other 0:14:04.320 --> 0:14:08.920 young man. I found sometimes God will enable us to 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:12.480 solve somebody else's problem, even when we're not able to 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:16.480 solve our own. You have the answer that somebody needs. 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:19.600 Don't live in grown. A lot of times, I know 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.480 I've got wisdom, I know just what to tell somebody 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:24.760 to do. But then I thank God, I'm not sure 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:27.280 what I'm supposed to do. The whole key is to 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.840 keep sowing those seeds. As long as you're reaching out 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.640 to others than when you need wisdom in your time 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.520 of need, God will make sure somebody will be there 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.960 for you. I think about Job. He had all kinds 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:44.640 of problems. He lost his health, lost his business, and 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:47.560 I'm sure he was tempted, like we are, to sit 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:50.160 around and have a pity party. God is not fair. 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:52.120 Why do this happen to me? I'm a good person. 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:55.320 Now do you know what Job did in the middle 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:59.320 of his greatest adversity. The scripture says he went out 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:03.200 and pray aid for his friends. Think about that, he 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:05.840 needed prayer more than any of them. What was he 0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:08.920 doing so in a seed in his time of need? 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.720 And that's when his situation began to turn around? Or 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.360 what do you need today? If you need encouragement? Rather 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:18.840 than saying God, I need some joy. God, I need 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.600 you to cheer me up. I can't go on like this. No, 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.480 you're waiting on God. But God is waiting on you. 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.640 If you need to be encouraged, so a seed, pick 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:30.400 up the phone when you leave, and cheer somebody else up. 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.800 If you need healing, why don't you go pray for 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:37.120 somebody else that's not feeling well. That's what my mother 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:41.080 did back in nineteen eighty one when she was diagnosed 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:44.400 with cancer. Instead of just sitting at home feeling sorry 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.120 for herself all day, she would go out and pray 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:50.720 for other people that were sick. God used that seed 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:53.840 to bring healing into her own life. When you get 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:56.560 your mind off of yourself and you begin to reach 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.720 out to others, it's that act of faith that's the 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.040 seed God will use to meet your own needs. I 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:06.200 hear a lot of people say, well, Joe White and 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.040 God doing anything in my life? Why don't I see 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:12.200 his blessings in favor? My question to you would be, 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:15.560 are you so in any seeds? Are you doing anything 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:20.240 good for anybody else? We cannot live ingrown focused on 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.520 my wants and my needs and expect to live a happy, 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:27.080 fulfilled life now. I believe one of the main reasons 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:31.560 people don't have joy today is because they've become self centered. 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.560 They've fallen into this trap of me, need me, and 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:39.840 this is so easy to do, especially when we're having difficulties. 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:43.400 I've known people that have gone through hurts in life. 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:47.840 They've had disappointments and had unfair things happen to them, 0:16:48.120 --> 0:16:51.520 and the problem is they never really get over these hurts. 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.800 Ten years later, they're still talking about it, still thinking 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:58.600 about it, and it's because they're ingrown. They don't have 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:01.440 the joy and the victory that they should have. And 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:03.600 if you've been through tough times today, I'm not making 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:06.679 light of that, but one of the main ways to 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:10.840 overcome a hurt, the way to get the healing process started, 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:14.240 is to go out and help somebody else that's hurting. 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:18.560 This is what my sister Lisa did years ago. She 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:22.480 went through an unwanted divorce. She was in her early twenties, 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:26.160 and she was devastated. She never dreamed her life would 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.240 turn out like that, and for months she just sat 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:33.000 in her room at home, discouraged and depressed. She didn't 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:35.520 think it would ever get any better. In fact, she 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:39.040 thought she was having a nervous breakdown, and we, as 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.680 her family, tried to cheer up, We tried to encourage her. 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:45.719 But at some point, every person has to stand on 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.919 their own two feet. Nobody can make you be happy. 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:51.480 You have to decide. You've got to draw the line 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.440 in the sand, say you know what, enough is enough. 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.199 I'm not living my life like this anymore. And this 0:17:56.280 --> 0:18:00.359 is what Lisa began to do. She started realizing sitting 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.200 in that self pity wasn't going to make anything better. 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:05.960 So one day she rose up and began to shake 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:09.199 that off. She shook off the defeat and discouragement. And 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:12.399 you know what she did. She sewed a seed. She 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:16.080 started a class every week for people that were struggling 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:20.240 in their marriages, people just like her. Every week she 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.360 would give them hope, she would encourage them, she would 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:27.320 share the scriptures. She needed that that whole time, probably 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:30.040 just as much or more than they did. What was 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:32.960 she doing so in a seed in her time of need? 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:37.160 She stayed faithful year after year, and Lisa not only 0:18:37.200 --> 0:18:39.960 came out of that healthy and home, but one day 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:43.280 God brought another fine man into her life. And today 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.600 she and Kevin have been happily married for many, many years. 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:52.679 And I know sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's not fair, 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.840 but don't fall into that trap of staying focused on yourself. 0:18:57.119 --> 0:18:59.440 That's when you have to dig your heels in and say, 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:02.919 you know what, I'm hurting. This isn't fair, but I 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:05.400 am not gonna live my life in self pity. If 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:07.960 it takes every ounce of strength I've got, I'm gonna 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:11.240 go out and encourage somebody else. I may be having 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:13.880 a bad day, but I'm gonna go make somebody else's day. 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:16.960 My future may not look too bright for me, but 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:20.280 I'm gonna go give somebody else hope. So those seeds 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.920 says in the Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty eight, when 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:28.000 you feed the hungry, when you clothe the poor, then 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:31.040 your light will break forth like the dawn, and your 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:34.280 healing will quickly come. In other words, when you meet 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:38.080 other people's needs, God will always meet your own needs. 0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:41.640 And we all have difficult times, but you can let 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:45.199 your test become your testimony. The way you do that 0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:47.720 is by reaching out to others right where you are. 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:52.000 In Lisa's darkest hour, she reached out to other people 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:55.600 in her same situation. When you do that, God will 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.680 not only turn your situation around, but he'll use you 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:02.080 to be a blessing others as well. I loved the 0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:05.960 story of my friend Dan. They're faithful members of our church. 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:09.080 In fact, he was one of my high school baseball coaches. 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:12.280 And a while back he lost his wife of many, 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:16.360 many years, and as you can imagine, he was just devastated. 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.560 In the natural, he didn't see much of a future 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:22.439 for his life. He could have easily just kind of 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:26.200 given up on life and going around depressed and discouraged. 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:29.359 But no, he decided to sow a seed in his 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:32.520 time of need. Rather than staying focused on his own 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:36.000 hurts and pains, he decided to go help other people 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:38.680 that were hurting. And he didn't know exactly what he 0:20:38.720 --> 0:20:41.000 could do. He's not a minister, he's retired from the 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:44.080 phone company. But he said, Joel, all I really knew 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:47.639 that I could do was comfort other people that had 0:20:47.680 --> 0:20:50.479 been through some kind of loss. His attitude was, I've 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.000 been there, I know what they're going through. And so 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:56.440 he started showing up at the funerals where my dad 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.480 was doing the ceremony. Nobody asked him to. He was 0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:02.399 an invite. He just showed up and he would minister 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:06.159 to the people, show them compassion, be a friend that 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:09.399 they could talk to. After a while, my dad started 0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:12.000 seeing him there all the time, and he invited him 0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:16.000 to join the volunteer ministry team. Long story short, a 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:19.639 few years back we put Daniel on staff, and today 0:21:19.760 --> 0:21:22.800 he's in charge of our Comfort ministry that takes care 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:25.680 of all of our funerals. And the point I want 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:29.919 you to see is that Daniel didn't sit around focused 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:34.480 on his problems. He didn't stay ingrown with that attitude, 0:21:34.640 --> 0:21:36.720 Who's gonna come make my life better, Who's gonna come 0:21:36.760 --> 0:21:39.359 cheer me up today? No, he was on the offensive, 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:42.320 and as he began to help other people in need, 0:21:42.880 --> 0:21:46.080 that's when his own situation began to turn around. And 0:21:46.119 --> 0:21:49.280 God not only brought him through that difficult time, but 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:53.320 several years back, God brought another beautiful lady into his life. 0:21:53.359 --> 0:21:56.560 And today he and Shirley are happily married and they 0:21:56.600 --> 0:22:01.080 still go around showing God's goodness everywhere they go. Now, 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:05.440 I love the fact that Daniel let his test become 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:09.200 his testimony, the very thing that could have destroyed him, 0:22:09.280 --> 0:22:11.960 the thing that could have brought him down, because he 0:22:12.080 --> 0:22:16.040 reached out to others. That's the very area God's using 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:19.520 him in to make such a difference. When you're hurting, 0:22:19.880 --> 0:22:22.200 one of the most powerful things you can ever do 0:22:22.760 --> 0:22:25.200 is go out and be a blessing to somebody else. 0:22:25.640 --> 0:22:29.040 Don't sit in that little box and think about me, me, me, No, 0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:32.480 rise up and say who can I encourage today? Where 0:22:32.520 --> 0:22:35.240 is a need that I can meet? Yes, I'm hurting, 0:22:35.359 --> 0:22:38.719 but I'm gonna go cheer somebody else up. Yes I'm lonely, 0:22:38.800 --> 0:22:40.399 but I'm not sitting here. I'm going up to the 0:22:40.440 --> 0:22:43.800 retirement home. I'm gonna be a friend to some seniors. Yes, 0:22:43.920 --> 0:22:46.320 I feel kind of discouraged today, Joel, but I'm gonna 0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:48.760 shake it off and do something good anyway. I'm gonna 0:22:48.760 --> 0:22:51.800 bake a cake and take it to my neighbor this afternoon. See, 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:54.639 in our tough times, we have to be aggressive. We 0:22:54.720 --> 0:22:57.480 have to dig our heels in and make a decision. No, 0:22:57.560 --> 0:22:59.600 I'm not gonna stay in this self pity. I'm gonna 0:22:59.640 --> 0:23:03.280 go out and be a blessing to somebody anyway. And 0:23:03.359 --> 0:23:07.159 I know sometimes life is not fair, sometimes people do 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:11.320 us wrong. But the way to overcome a hurt, the 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:15.600 way to overcome evil is by doing good. You don't 0:23:15.640 --> 0:23:18.440 overcome a hurt by staying hurt and nursing your wounds. 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:22.560 You don't overcome an injustice by trying to pay people 0:23:22.600 --> 0:23:25.200 back and trying to get even. The way to really 0:23:25.280 --> 0:23:28.480 overcome is to go out and be a blessing to 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:32.560 somebody else. The scripture says this in Psalm thirty seven. 0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.480 In our times of trouble, trust in the Lord and 0:23:36.560 --> 0:23:40.680 do good. Notice it's not enough to just trust in 0:23:40.720 --> 0:23:43.040 the Lord. Of course that's important, but we need to 0:23:43.040 --> 0:23:46.760 take it one step further and do good. That means 0:23:47.000 --> 0:23:51.720 go help somebody else. Well, Joel, I'm kind of lonely today, 0:23:51.800 --> 0:23:53.800 I'm kind of depressed. I want somebody to cheer me 0:23:53.920 --> 0:23:57.560 up now. So is see, as you help others, then 0:23:57.640 --> 0:24:00.399 God will help you. And it's a powerful thing to 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:03.199 have an attitude that, no matter what comes against me, 0:24:03.720 --> 0:24:06.520 I'm gonna keep being a giver. My child may not 0:24:06.640 --> 0:24:08.440 be doing right, but I'm gonna keep serving in the 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:12.239 children's ministry. My teenager may be off course, but I'm 0:24:12.280 --> 0:24:15.720 gonna keep sewing into these other teenagers. Or my finances 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:17.560 have gone down a little bit, Joel, but I'm gonna 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:20.040 keep on giving. I'm gonna keep being a blessing everywhere 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:23.800 I go. When you do that, you're sowing seeds. When 0:24:23.840 --> 0:24:26.720 you meet other people's needs, God will meet your needs. 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:30.240 He'll make sure that your gifts come back to you. 0:24:31.320 --> 0:24:35.320 I remember back in the early nineteen sixties, Lakewood was 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:37.920 just a few years old. In fact, I wasn't even 0:24:37.960 --> 0:24:41.400 born yet, and they were in need of renovating their 0:24:41.440 --> 0:24:45.600 little building. My parents started the church in nineteen fifty 0:24:45.680 --> 0:24:49.560 nine in an abandoned feed store, was very rundown, had 0:24:49.600 --> 0:24:52.680 holes in the floor, really needed repair, and so they 0:24:52.680 --> 0:24:56.440 were saving up money to make these renovations. One day, 0:24:56.600 --> 0:25:00.879 a young couple came through visiting. They were missionary in Mexico, 0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:03.439 and my father called them up on the platform and 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:05.959 had them share a few words, like he did so often. 0:25:06.560 --> 0:25:08.880 At the end of the service, Daddy said, I think 0:25:08.960 --> 0:25:11.960 we should take an offering for this young missionary couple. 0:25:12.720 --> 0:25:16.040 In the natural, Lakewood needed the money more than they did, 0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:20.639 but my father understood this principle of sowing a seed 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:24.600 in your time of need. That little congregation, probably not 0:25:24.720 --> 0:25:27.480 more than a hundred of them, took up an offering 0:25:27.600 --> 0:25:31.119 of six hundred dollars. That was huge back then, and 0:25:31.160 --> 0:25:33.560 they gave it to this missionary couple and they were 0:25:33.560 --> 0:25:37.200 so excited they took it back to Mexico and used 0:25:37.240 --> 0:25:40.840 that money to start a Bible school. Well, some forty 0:25:40.920 --> 0:25:44.719 years later, a young man came across our path. He 0:25:44.800 --> 0:25:47.560 was going to hold a concert in Spanish on a 0:25:47.600 --> 0:25:51.479 Sunday night at our other location. His name was Marcos Witt, 0:25:51.960 --> 0:25:58.800 and we had We had never met before, but I 0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:01.720 knew he was well known throughout Latin America and how 0:26:01.720 --> 0:26:04.879 he filled up stadiums everywhere he went down there. And 0:26:04.920 --> 0:26:07.240 I got to meet him that night, and we invited 0:26:07.280 --> 0:26:09.359 he and his wife Mary him out to dinner. A 0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:12.040 few nights later, we were talking. I didn't even plan 0:26:12.119 --> 0:26:14.600 on saying it. Just out of the blue, I said, Marcos, 0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:17.600 why don't you come back to Lakewood and start a 0:26:17.680 --> 0:26:21.040 Spanish speaking service. I never dreamed he would. He was 0:26:21.080 --> 0:26:23.879 busy traveling all over the world, but things began to 0:26:23.920 --> 0:26:26.960 fall into place. Long story short, A few years back 0:26:27.119 --> 0:26:30.480 we started the Spanish service, and today every Sunday afternoon 0:26:30.560 --> 0:26:33.480 we have thousands of Spanish speaking people that come out 0:26:33.520 --> 0:26:38.919 and enjoy that service. But what I didn't know until 0:26:39.040 --> 0:26:42.359 just maybe a year or two ago. Was that young 0:26:42.480 --> 0:26:46.280 missionary couple that my parents in the first Little Congregation 0:26:46.400 --> 0:26:48.640 gave that six hundred dollars to. Do you know who 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:55.040 that was? That was Marcos WIT's parents. See, when you 0:26:55.200 --> 0:26:59.840 give your gifts will always come back to you. That 0:27:00.160 --> 0:27:03.320 little congregation, so does seed in their time of need. 0:27:03.840 --> 0:27:06.800 And I believe Marcus is with us here today because 0:27:06.800 --> 0:27:09.880 of their active faith. And sometimes when you do good 0:27:09.920 --> 0:27:12.439 for people, your children are going to reap the harvest. 0:27:13.600 --> 0:27:16.359 But I know I'm reaping a lot of benefits today 0:27:16.480 --> 0:27:22.320 because of the seeds that my parent's upsong. I'm reaping 0:27:22.320 --> 0:27:27.359 the rewards of the seeds that first Little Congregations has sown. 0:27:27.880 --> 0:27:31.560 Sometimes maybe your grandchildren are going to see the harvest 0:27:31.600 --> 0:27:35.120 that you've sown, But your acts of kindness do not 0:27:35.200 --> 0:27:38.480 go unnoticed. God is keeping the records when you sow, 0:27:38.760 --> 0:27:41.359 He'll always make sure that harvest comes back to you. 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:45.439 I was thinking about how God has taken care of 0:27:45.520 --> 0:27:48.320 us here at Lakewood. We not only renovated the little 0:27:48.320 --> 0:27:51.800 feed store, but now we've renovated the Compact Center. We've 0:27:51.840 --> 0:27:56.119 come a long way, haven't we. So my challenge to 0:27:56.200 --> 0:28:00.200 you today is to be more seed minded, of the 0:28:00.280 --> 0:28:04.040 need minded. When you have difficulties, don't be ingrown. Get 0:28:04.040 --> 0:28:06.480 your mind off yourself and go do something good for 0:28:06.560 --> 0:28:09.280 somebody else. As you meet their needs. God's going to 0:28:09.280 --> 0:28:12.080 meet your needs. Remember the way you get favor is 0:28:12.119 --> 0:28:16.080 by giving away favor. Be good to people, live generously. 0:28:16.680 --> 0:28:19.560 Look for ways you can be a blessing, especially in 0:28:19.600 --> 0:28:22.879 your times of need. If you do this, God promises 0:28:23.160 --> 0:28:25.720 your gifts will come back to you. He'll not only 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:28.439 meet your needs, but he'll fight your battles for you. 0:28:28.480 --> 0:28:31.120 And I found God will take you places that you've 0:28:31.160 --> 0:28:33.560 never even dreamed of. Amen. Do you receive it today? 0:28:34.040 --> 0:28:38.000 I know you do. We've never liked to close our 0:28:38.040 --> 0:28:41.480 broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:41.520 --> 0:28:44.360 lord of your life. Would you pray with me, say 0:28:44.440 --> 0:28:49.920 Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:28:50.960 --> 0:28:54.640 I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you 0:28:54.720 --> 0:28:57.560 prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. 0:28:57.880 --> 0:29:01.080 Get in a good Bible based church. God first place. 0:29:01.280 --> 0:29:03.520 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:03.800 --> 0:29:07.200 Thank you for listening to the joel Osteine podcast. Help 0:29:07.320 --> 0:29:10.040 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:11.080 all over the world. 0:29:11.400 --> 0:29:12.960 Visit jolostein dot. 0:29:12.760 --> 0:29:15.800 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:17.080 --> 0:29:20.000 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:20.000 --> 0:29:23.360 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:23.480 --> 0:29:26.640 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:26.840 --> 0:29:29.280 I know God's best is still ahead. 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