Staying Passionate About Life

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.800 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:58.080 your life. Well, God bless you the joy to come 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:01.120 into your homes. We love you. If you're ever in 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:03.160 our area, please stop by it and be a part 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:05.400 of one of our services. I promise you we'll make 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:07.360 you feel right at home. But thanks so much for 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:09.799 tuning in today, and thank you again for coming out. 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.080 And I like to start with something funny each week. 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:15.000 And I heard about these three men that were traveling together, 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:19.960 a Hindu priest, a Jewish rabbi, and a televangelist. They 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:23.000 stopped at a farmhouse for lodging and the farmer said, 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.880 I only have room for two in the house. Someone's 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:28.359 going to have to stay in the barn. Hindu priest said, 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:30.360 I'll do it. A few minutes, there was a knock 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:32.640 on the door. He said, I can't stay out there. 0:02:32.760 --> 0:02:35.480 There's a cow, and cows are sacred in our religion. 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:38.360 Jewish rabbi said, I'll do it. A few minutes, there 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:40.800 was a knock on the door. He said, I can't 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:43.800 stay out there. There's a pig and that wouldn't be kosher. 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:46.960 The televangelist finally said, all right, I'll do it. In 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:48.800 a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:53.360 It was the cow and the pig. Hold up your Bible. 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.760 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.360 I am what it says, I am, I have what 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.960 it says, I I can do what it says I 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.000 can do today. I will be taught the word of God. 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:09.680 I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.560 I will never be the same. In Jesus's name, God 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:17.160 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:22.080 staying passionate about life. The word enthusiasm comes from the 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:27.520 Greek word in theos. Theos is God. When you're enthusiastic, 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:31.000 it simply means you are full of God. When you 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:35.200 get up in the morning excited about your future, recognizing 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.560 that day as a gift, and you go out with 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:41.600 the spring in your step, pursuing your goals passionate about life, 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:45.920 then God will breathe in your direction. Studies even tell 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:50.440 us people that are enthusiastic get better breaks, they're promoted 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:54.440 more often. That's not a coincidence. When you're full of passion, 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:58.000 you have the favor of God. But too many people 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:02.480 have lost their enthusiasm. At one time, they were excited 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:07.120 about their dreams, excited about their marriage, excited about their future. 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:11.120 But along the way they had some setbacks. They didn't 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:14.400 get the promotion they wanted, they went through a health issue, 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:18.599 a relationship didn't work out. Now it's taken the wind 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.480 out of their cells. They're just going through the motions 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.799 of life, getting up, going to work, coming home, going 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:29.600 to bed, no zeal, no enthusiasm. But God didn't breathe 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:32.880 his life into us to drag through the day. He 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:36.080 didn't create us in his image, crown us with his 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:39.200 favor and equip us with his power to just go 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:43.000 through the motions with no enthusiasm. You may have had 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.039 some setbacks, the wind may have been taken out of 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:49.160 your cell. But this is a new day. God wants 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:52.120 to breathe new life back into you. If you'll get 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:56.280 your fireback, get your passion back, the wind will start 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.480 blowing once again, not against you. But when you're in 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:02.760 agreement with God, he can cause the wind to shift 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.839 in your direction. A couple of years ago, I was 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:10.360 watching the news when Captain Sullenberger successfully landed a jet 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:14.200 airplane in the Hudson River. All one hundred and fifty 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:18.000 five passengers survived. It's known as the Miracle on the Hudson. 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:21.720 A reporter asked this one passenger, a man that had 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:24.720 just been rescued, what he thought about it all. He 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:28.839 was soaking wet, freezing cold, A little bit frazzled, but 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.440 he had this incredible glow about him and excitement in 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.760 his voice. I'll never forget what he said. He told 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:41.040 a reporter, I was alive before, but now I'm really alive. 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.880 My question to you, are you really alive? Are you 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.000 passionate about the life God's given you? Do you get 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:53.840 up every morning with enthusiasm, pursuing your dreams? Or are 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:57.160 you stuck in a rut, going through the motions, letting 0:05:57.200 --> 0:06:00.760 the pressures of life weigh you down. God doesn't want 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:04.120 you to just be alive, just to exist, just endure. 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.440 He wants you to be really alive. You have seeds 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:12.400 of greatness on the inside. There's something more for you 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:16.400 to accomplish. The day you quit being excited about your 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:19.839 future is the day you quit living. The day you 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.960 quit being passionate about what's in front of you is 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:26.360 the day you go from living to existing. And in 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:30.279 the natural, there may not be anything exciting in your future. 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:32.599 When you look out, you may see just more of 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:35.800 the same. You could easily have the blaws. You've got 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.800 to dig your heels in and say, like David, this 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:42.159 is another day the Lord has made I refuse to 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:45.919 drag through it with no passion. I am grateful that 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:49.880 I'm alive. I'm grateful that I can breathe without pain. 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:53.159 I'm grateful that I have a family. I'm grateful that 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:56.039 I wasn't harmed in that accident. I'm not just alive, 0:06:56.279 --> 0:07:00.440 I'm really alive. When you release your passion life like that, 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:04.680 then your faith allows God to do amazing things. And 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:08.160 that's what the apostle Paul told Timothy in this passage. 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:12.560 Stir up the gift, fan the flame. Every day we 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.000 have to make the decision. I am not going to 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.360 get stuck in a rut. I am not going to 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:19.960 take this day for granted and just go through the motions. 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:23.520 I'm going to stay passionate about the life God's given me. 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:28.760 The truth is, most of life is routine. You can't 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:32.320 wait for something exciting to happen before you decide to 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:36.600 be excited. Faith says, I'm going to stay passionate just 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:39.400 knowing that my God is still on the throne and 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.920 what He's promised is in my future it will be 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.520 greater than my past. I was talking to a professional 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:47.800 baseball player a while back, and he's been in the 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:52.120 big leagues about fifteen years. His life seems so exciting, 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:56.240 far from routine, far from ordinary. He said, no, Joel, 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:59.600 it's not what you think. We travel all the time. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:03.559 We're always on the road, in hotels, eating out, away 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:07.920 from our family. My point is anything can become routine 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:10.920 if we let it. We have to keep it fresh. 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:14.000 And if you're going to stay passionate about life, you 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:19.320 can't let what once was a miracle become ordinary. When 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.760 God opened the door and gave you that new job, 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:25.320 that promotion, you were so excited you called your friends. 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:28.720 You knew it was God's favor. Well, don't let the 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.600 passion where all just because you've had it five years. 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:35.440 When you met that person and fell in love, you 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:38.520 were on cloud nine. You knew it was God's goodness. 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:42.360 Don't take it for granted. Remember what God has done. 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:46.040 When your children were born, you cried for joy. You 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:48.880 knew their birth was a miracle, that was God's favor. 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:51.880 Now they're a teenager and you think, God, why did 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:56.040 you do this to me? Now, don't let it becomes 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.720 so common that you lose your enthusiasm. Free time you 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.400 see your children, you should say thank you Lord. Your 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:06.160 children are a gift from God. When we were trying 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.480 to acquire this new facility, the form of Compact Center, 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:13.080 it was a three year process. Many times, if there 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:16.079 wasn't a ballgame going on or a concert, Victoria and 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:18.199 I would come up late at night where nobody could 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.839 see us, and we'd walk around the building and pray 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.839 and ask God for favor and dream. When the city 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.559 voted for us to have the facility, we were so excited. 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:32.000 We all celebrated. Now, seven years later, it's easy to 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:36.640 get used to. It can become common, ordinary routine. After all, 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.000 this is where we always have our services. No, every 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.800 time I walk into this building, anytime I even drive by, 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:45.880 I can't help but say, Lord, thank you for your goodness. 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:50.319 You've done more than I could ask the thing. Every 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:53.720 one of you has seen God's goodness in your life. 0:09:53.760 --> 0:09:56.920 In some way. God opened the door and gave you 0:09:56.960 --> 0:10:00.199 a promotion, or he caused you to meet someone, had 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:02.640 you at the right place at the right time. It 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:06.520 was God's hand of favor. Don't let it become ordinary. 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:10.160 We should live in amazement at what God has done. 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:13.600 Every time I see my children, I thank God, You're amazing. 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:16.520 When I see Victoria Lord, Thank you for your goodness 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:18.480 when I look at it, all of you. Lord, thank 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:22.360 you for bringing incredible people into my life. Don't let 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:26.360 your miracles become so common that you lose the excitement. 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:30.480 I read about this medical doctor. He was in his 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:33.800 late eighties and he still went to the office every day. 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.679 He loved to operate. His friends and family tried to 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:38.679 get him to retire, but he just wouldn't do it. 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.680 He'd invented a procedure that he had performed over ten 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:46.320 thousand times. He was asking an interview if he ever 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:48.920 got tired of doing it, if it ever got old. 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:52.920 He said no. The reason why is because I act 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:57.680 like every operation is my very first one. He was saying. 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:01.240 I don't let it become so calm that I lose 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:05.440 the awe. What has God done in your life? Do 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:09.000 you have healthy children? Do you have people in your 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:12.360 life to love? Do you recognize what you thought was 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.680 a lucky break was really God directing your steps? There 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:19.800 are miracles all around us. Don't lose the amazement of 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:23.640 what God has done in your own life. See, sometimes 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:26.320 we're waiting for the next big thing to come along. 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.000 Then we're going to be excited then we're going to 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:31.880 get the spring back in our steps. But I've learned 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.200 if you don't get happy where you are, you won't 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:37.319 get to where you want to be. You've got to 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:42.920 so esceived. Maybe today nothing exciting is going on in 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:47.079 your life. Perhaps you're even facing challenges. You could easily 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:50.040 be discouraged and give up on your dreams and quit believing. 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.000 But when you go to work each day with a 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:55.880 smile on your face and you give it your best, 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:59.240 and you're good to other people, and you're always thanking 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:02.360 God for what he's done, you are sowing a seed. 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:05.880 God will take that seed and use it to bring 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:09.840 something exciting into your life. The scripture tells how God 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:14.320 will take us from glory to glory, from victory to victory. 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:17.880 Now you may be in between a victory right now, 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:21.400 but keep your passion, keep your enthusiasm. The good news 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.840 is another victory is coming your way, another level of glory, 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:30.960 another level of God's favor, says in Ecclesiastes, whatever you do, 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:33.760 do it with all of your heart, and you honor 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:37.640 God when you give something one hundred percent, when you 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:40.800 do it to the best of your ability, because you're 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:44.880 honoring God, you will have his blessing. That means it 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.480 will be easier, it'll go better, and you'll accomplish more. 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.640 Let's make it practical. When you do the dishes, don't complain. 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.000 Do it with all of your heart, and you honor God. 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:58.640 When you mow the lawn, don't drag around all sour. 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:01.960 Mow it with enthusiasm, moet like you're on a mission 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:05.280 from God. With every step, thank God that your legs work, 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:07.360 Thank Him that you're healthy, Thank Him that you're strong. 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:11.560 At the office. Don't just do what you have to 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.800 in order to get by. You're not working under people, 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.400 You're working under God. Do it with your whole heart 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.480 to the best of your ability. When you're usher, when 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:23.280 you're singing the choir, not all man, it's Sunday again. 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:25.760 Why did I volunteer? I don't want to go to church. No, 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.520 Usher with all your heart, sing like these people with 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:31.040 all your heart. Teach our children with all your heart. 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:33.960 When you do it with all your heart, yall honor God. 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.960 I remember growing up there was this police officer that 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:41.040 directed traffic by the Gallery of Maude. He was at 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.720 one of the busiest intersections in the city, and he 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:48.040 didn't just direct traffic. He practically danced while he directed. 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:51.920 His feet would be shuffling, his hands, constantly moving. He 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:53.679 had that whistle and he'd turn his head like a 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:57.160 drum major. He could direct traffic and moonwalk at the 0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:01.440 same time. He literally put on a show. People would 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.120 pull over into the parking lots just to watch him. 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.160 See he wasn't dragging through the day all man, I 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:09.679 gotta go to work, gotta direct traffic, got to make 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:12.679 a living. He was passionate. That's the way we should be. 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:15.480 Don't drag through life. Put a smile on your face, 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:18.640 have a spring in your step, moonwalk if you have to, 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:21.160 But when you do it to the best of your ability, 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:24.920 you are honoring God. Well, you say, Joel, I'd be 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:28.480 passionate if I had your life, I'd be excited if 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.000 I was married to a beautiful girl like Victoria. No, 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:35.960 run your race. You will never stay passionate as long 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:39.560 as you're comparing your life to someone else's. Don't fall 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:44.000 into that traff You could be. You could be all 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:47.120 excited about the big vacation you have planned, looking so 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.520 forward to it, until your friend tells how she's going 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.320 to Europe for two weeks with her family. They're gonna 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:56.120 take a train through the Swiss Alps and meet friends 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:58.960 in Paris and celebrate her birthday in Italy. And all 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:02.080 of a sudden, your vacation to Conrod doesn't seem so exciting. 0:15:05.360 --> 0:15:12.760 You could be, that's funny. You could be all excited 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:19.640 about your husband until you meet your coworker's husband. He's tall, dark, handsome, 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:25.200 Your husband short, white, not so handsome. Her husband looks 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:28.000 like he just stepped out of GQ, and your husband 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:33.160 just looks like he stepped out of DQ. Very queen, No, 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:38.840 that's not in the Bible, but it's good. Don't compare 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:44.040 your spouse, your talent, your looks, your car, your house. 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:47.560 This is what keeps many people from staying passionate about life. 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.920 The problem is if you're comparing, you will always see 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:55.840 someone more talented, more beautiful, more successful. Run your own rights, 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:58.960 be the best that you can be. The Scripture talks 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:02.120 about how God God has given us the power to 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:07.240 enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us. That simply 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:11.040 means I don't have the power to enjoy your life. 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:14.000 You may have more success, more money, more friends, a 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.880 better job, but if you put me in your life, 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:20.520 I'm not going to enjoy it. We are uniquely designed 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:23.280 to run our own race. Now, quit wishing you were 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.680 someone else. If I had his talent, no, if God 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:28.840 wanted you to have his talent, he would have given 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:31.800 it to you. Take what you have and develop it, 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.880 make the most of it. If I had her looks, No, 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.560 God gave you your looks. That's not an accident. The 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.800 life you have has been perfectly matched for you. Now 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.560 you've got to do your part and get excited about 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:50.400 your life. Be excited about your looks, your talent, your ability, 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:54.680 your personality. When you're passionate about who you are, it 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.960 brings honor to God, and that's when God will breathe 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:01.160 in your direction and the seeds of greatness in you 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:05.080 will take root and begin to flourish. Really, it's an 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:09.440 insult to God to wish we were someone else. We're saying, God, 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.400 why did you make me subpar? Why did you make 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:17.240 me less than? Listen, God didn't make anyone inferior. He 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:20.719 didn't make any person second class. Every one of you 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:25.320 is a masterpiece. You are fully loaded and totally equipped 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:30.040 for the race that's been designed for you. Our attitude 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:32.840 should be I may not be as tall, as dark, 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:37.000 as successful as someone else. That's okay. Nobody will ever 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:40.320 be a better me. I'm annointed to be me. I'm 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:43.560 equipped to be me. Not only that it's easy to 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:47.560 be me. It's easy to be yourself because you're equipped 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.600 with what you need. So often we're trying to be 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.840 something that we're not. I've seen dark skinned people put 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:56.520 cream on them to try to become lighter. Then I 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.720 know light skinned people go to the tanning bed every 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:02.760 day try to become darker. This elderly lady stopped me 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:04.359 at the book signing last week and she touched my 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:06.840 hair and said, Joel, I wish I had that curly hair. 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:09.840 It's funny these days. You can do something about it. 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:13.280 If you have straight hair and you want curly hair, permit. 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.560 If you have gray hair and you want dark hair, dyet. 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.040 And if you have no hair and you want hair, 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:27.399 buy it. Another key to stay in passionate about life 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.760 is you have to stay productive. You have to have 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.400 a reason to get out of bed every morning. Keep 0:18:33.400 --> 0:18:36.440 your goals in front of you. You may retire from 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:40.119 the job, but don't ever retire from life. Stay busy. 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:44.680 Keep your mind active, keep growing, keep learning, keep helping others. 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:49.639 Find some way to stay productive. When you stop producing, 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:54.240 you start slowly dying. God promises us, if we'll keep 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:58.280 in first place, he will give us a long satisfied life, 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:01.960 He said, Joel, How long is a long life until 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:06.920 you're satisfied. If you quit producing at fifty and you're satisfied, 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:10.080 then the promise is fulfilled. I don't know about you, 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:12.879 but I've got too much in me to die right now. 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:16.760 I'm not satisfied. I've got dreams that haven't come to pass. 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.320 I've got messages I haven't given. I've got children to enjoy, 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:22.720 a wife to raise, I mean, a wife to enjoy. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.439 I've got grinned. I'm on need to ride home today. 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:33.320 I've got grandchildren i've not yet seen. When I get 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:36.240 to be about ninety years old and I'm still strong, 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:39.160 still healthy, still full of joy, then I'll say, all right, God, 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:42.600 I'm satisfied. I'm ready for my change of address. Let's go. 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:46.919 But I know people that are too easily satisfied. They 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.639 quit living at fifty. We don't bury them until they're eighty. 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:54.440 They're alive, but they're not really living. They went through 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.719 a disappointment, they had a failure, somebody did them wrong. 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:01.960 Now they've lost their joy, settled where they are now, 0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:05.240 God has another victory in front of you. You wouldn't 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:08.560 be breathing unless God had something amazing in your future. 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.679 You've got to get your passion back. The scripture says, 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:15.679 God will bring us to a flourishing finish, not a 0:20:15.680 --> 0:20:19.480 fizzled out finish. You got to do your pardon, shake 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:23.840 off the self pity, shake off the disappointment. You may 0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:26.760 have a good reason to feel sorry for yourself. Now 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.240 I say this respectfully, but you don't have a right. 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:32.760 God is promised what was meant for your harm. He 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:35.120 will turn it around and not only bring you out, 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:36.879 but it will bring you out better off than you 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:41.760 were before. You now get in agreement with God. David said, 0:20:42.119 --> 0:20:45.280 lift up your head and the King of Glory will 0:20:45.280 --> 0:20:48.160 come in. As long as your head is down, discour 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.399 is no joy, no passion, no enthusiasm. The King of 0:20:51.440 --> 0:20:54.280 Glory will not come in. But when you get up 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:57.600 in the morning and say, Father, thank you for another day, 0:20:57.760 --> 0:21:01.240 thank you for another sun rise. Lord, I'm about this day. 0:21:01.800 --> 0:21:07.000 When you're really alive, hopeful, grateful, passionate, productive. Then the 0:21:07.119 --> 0:21:09.600 King of Glory, the most High God, will come in 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:12.520 and make a way even when you don't see away. 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:17.280 The truth is we all face disappointments, we all have 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:21.080 unfair things happen to us. Don't let that sour your life. 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:26.600 I love the saying trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. 0:21:27.480 --> 0:21:29.960 And just because you had a bad break doesn't mean 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:33.159 that your life is over. I know this well known minister. 0:21:33.680 --> 0:21:36.280 He's well up into his eighties, and for many years 0:21:36.320 --> 0:21:39.480 he pastored his church. He was a great speaker, is 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:43.000 in great demand. But a few years ago he came 0:21:43.040 --> 0:21:46.120 down with Parkinson's disease. It got to the place where 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:48.920 he could not speak anymore. He had to resign from 0:21:48.920 --> 0:21:53.320 his church. He once was so eloquent and strong and vibrant. 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:56.520 Now it looked like he was finished. It looked like 0:21:56.760 --> 0:22:00.240 his best days were behind him. But not long after that, 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:03.280 I received a package in the mail from him. It 0:22:03.320 --> 0:22:07.399 was a manuscript. The cover letter said, Joel, as you know, 0:22:07.640 --> 0:22:11.120 I cannot speak anymore, so I have taken up writing. 0:22:11.640 --> 0:22:15.240 Here's a copy of my new book. See just because 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.160 you can't do what you used to do doesn't mean 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:22.119 you're supposed to sit on the sidelines. If you can't speak, write, 0:22:22.560 --> 0:22:26.040 if you can't run, walk, you can't stand up, sit up, 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:29.760 if you can't sing, tap your foot, if you can't dance, 0:22:29.800 --> 0:22:32.199 at least shake your head. But as long as you 0:22:32.320 --> 0:22:35.720 have breath, you have something to offer. Don't lose your passion. 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:42.200 Think about the apostle Paul. He was thrown into prison 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:45.959 at the height of his career, the very peak, just 0:22:46.000 --> 0:22:50.120 when everything was going great. He had this incredible disappointment. 0:22:50.600 --> 0:22:54.040 He could have easily gotten discouraged, thought too bad for me, 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:57.399 given up on his dreams, given up on life. No, 0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:00.720 Paul kept his passion, and it was in that very 0:23:00.800 --> 0:23:04.200 prison that he wrote nearly half of the New Testament. 0:23:04.880 --> 0:23:08.360 What looked like a setback was really a set up 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:11.560 for God to do something greater. You may have gone 0:23:11.640 --> 0:23:15.760 through a disappointment or had unfair situation, but keep your passion. 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:18.960 Nothing that's happened to you is a surprise to God. 0:23:19.240 --> 0:23:22.359 He is still on the throne. If you'll lift up 0:23:22.359 --> 0:23:25.520 your head, the King of Glory will still get you 0:23:25.720 --> 0:23:29.120 to where he wants you to be. Pastor Dutch Sheets 0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:31.800 told a story about a forty year old woman that 0:23:31.960 --> 0:23:35.040 was having open heart surgery. There was blockage in one 0:23:35.080 --> 0:23:37.200 of her arteries and she had to have what's known 0:23:37.240 --> 0:23:41.920 as bypass surgery. Although it's a delicate procedure, it's become 0:23:41.960 --> 0:23:46.760 a routine operation. It's performed thousands of times successfully every year. 0:23:47.480 --> 0:23:51.960 During the operation, the surgeon clamps off the main artery 0:23:52.000 --> 0:23:54.440 to the heart and hooks it up to a machine, 0:23:54.880 --> 0:23:58.040 and the machine pumps the blood and keeps the lungs working. 0:23:58.680 --> 0:24:03.119 The heart actually stops beating during the surgery, and once 0:24:03.200 --> 0:24:07.440 the operation is over they removed the machine. The warmth 0:24:07.520 --> 0:24:11.000 from the blood usually causes the heart to wake back 0:24:11.080 --> 0:24:13.679 up and start beating again. If not, they have some 0:24:13.800 --> 0:24:16.440 drugs that they can give the heart to wake it up. Well. 0:24:16.440 --> 0:24:20.120 This lady was on the operating table the bypass was finished, 0:24:20.320 --> 0:24:24.120 but when they removed the machine, for some reason, her 0:24:24.200 --> 0:24:27.840 blood didn't cause her heart to wake back up. No heartbeat. 0:24:28.200 --> 0:24:31.439 They gave her this drug, another drug, another drug, with 0:24:31.560 --> 0:24:35.639 no success. The surgeon was so troubled, so concerned, he 0:24:35.720 --> 0:24:39.600 actually reached in and began massaging her heart, trying to 0:24:39.640 --> 0:24:44.440 stimulate that muscle. Still no heartbeat. After doing everything he 0:24:44.480 --> 0:24:48.600 could medically. He leaned over the patient and whispered in 0:24:48.640 --> 0:24:53.439 her ear, Mary, this is the doctor. I've done everything 0:24:53.560 --> 0:24:56.960 I can do. Now I need you to tell your 0:24:56.960 --> 0:25:00.560 heart to beat again. He stepped back, and just a 0:25:00.600 --> 0:25:03.440 couple of seconds he heard that boom bom bom bump. 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:06.720 The heart kicked in started beating once again. To some 0:25:06.760 --> 0:25:10.679 of you today, you've been through disappointments and life hasn't 0:25:10.720 --> 0:25:13.360 turned out the way you would hoped. You could easily 0:25:13.400 --> 0:25:16.639 just sit on the sidelines, but God is telling you 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:19.600 you need to tell your heart to beat again, tell 0:25:19.640 --> 0:25:22.960 your heart to dream again, tell your heart to believe again. 0:25:24.760 --> 0:25:27.760 I have a friend. After twenty six years of marriage, 0:25:27.840 --> 0:25:30.680 he went through a divorce. His wife left a note 0:25:30.720 --> 0:25:33.840 on the kitchen table saying she had found somebody else. 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:38.560 He was once so outgoing and fun and energetic, but 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:43.480 after this he was solemn depressed. No joy. I told 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:46.320 him what I'm telling you. That is not the end. 0:25:46.800 --> 0:25:49.280 God has a new beginning. But you have to tell 0:25:49.320 --> 0:25:52.560 your heart to beat again. And little by little he 0:25:52.640 --> 0:25:55.399 began to get his joy back, his vision back, his 0:25:55.560 --> 0:25:59.320 passion back, And not long after that, God brought a 0:25:59.680 --> 0:26:02.760 beauty lady into his life. And he got married, and 0:26:02.800 --> 0:26:05.240 he told me a while back that he's happier today 0:26:05.480 --> 0:26:08.479 than he's ever been before. You too may have been 0:26:08.520 --> 0:26:11.600 through a setback, but don't sit around in self pity. 0:26:11.880 --> 0:26:14.960 Tell your heart to beat again. Tell your heart to 0:26:15.080 --> 0:26:18.760 love again. Maybe somebody did you wrong. Don't let that 0:26:18.840 --> 0:26:22.600 poison you. Tell your heart to forgive again. A dream 0:26:22.680 --> 0:26:26.199 didn't work out, nothing's going to change if you just 0:26:26.320 --> 0:26:28.800 expect more of the same. You got to tell your 0:26:28.800 --> 0:26:32.199 heart to dream again. Some of you have allowed the 0:26:32.240 --> 0:26:35.160 pressures of life to weigh you down. Your solemn, you're 0:26:35.200 --> 0:26:37.720 serious all the time. You need to tell your heart 0:26:37.880 --> 0:26:41.360 to laugh again. Tell your heart to smile again. Get 0:26:41.400 --> 0:26:45.280 your joy back, get your enthusiasm back. This day is 0:26:45.320 --> 0:26:49.160 a gift from God. If you'll get excited about your future, 0:26:50.200 --> 0:26:54.280 you'll start expecting God's goodness. Then, like that lady, when 0:26:54.320 --> 0:26:57.600 you tell your heart to beat again, the creator of 0:26:57.600 --> 0:27:01.200 the universe goes to work. Door will open, the right 0:27:01.280 --> 0:27:03.960 people will show up. You'll see God's favor in a 0:27:03.960 --> 0:27:08.560 greater way. Jesus said in Revelation Too, I have one 0:27:08.600 --> 0:27:13.480 thing against you. You have left your first love. Doesn't 0:27:13.520 --> 0:27:16.800 say you've lost it. It says you've left it. That 0:27:16.960 --> 0:27:21.080 means you can go get it. You haven't lost your passion. 0:27:21.440 --> 0:27:24.679 You just left it. Now go get it. You haven't 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:27.640 lost the love for your family. You just left it. 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:30.960 Why don't you go get it. You haven't lost that dream. 0:27:31.160 --> 0:27:34.040 It's still in you. You just have to stir up 0:27:34.080 --> 0:27:37.560 what's on the inside. Fan that flame. Don't just be alive. 0:27:37.800 --> 0:27:40.800 God wants you to be really alive. I'm asking you 0:27:40.840 --> 0:27:44.400 today to stay passionate about your life. Get up every 0:27:44.400 --> 0:27:48.480 morning excited about that day, recognizing that it's a gift. 0:27:48.960 --> 0:27:51.840 Then don't compare. Be happy with who God made you 0:27:51.920 --> 0:27:54.240 to be. Whatever you do, do it with all your 0:27:54.280 --> 0:27:58.480 heart and your honor God. Remember there are miracles all 0:27:58.520 --> 0:28:03.120 around you make them for granted. Stay amazed at God's goodness. 0:28:03.760 --> 0:28:06.520 You may have had some setbacks, but I believe today 0:28:06.960 --> 0:28:09.920 is a new day. Hearts are starting to beat again, 0:28:10.119 --> 0:28:13.160 Dreams are coming back to life. Passion is being restored. 0:28:13.400 --> 0:28:16.160 Get ready for God's goodness, Get ready for his favor. 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:20.000 Your greatest victories are still in your future. Amen. Do 0:28:20.040 --> 0:28:25.040 you receive it today? I know you do. We never 0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:28.240 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:28.320 --> 0:28:30.879 to make Jesus, the Lord of your life. Would you 0:28:30.880 --> 0:28:35.399 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:35.440 --> 0:28:39.920 my sins, Come into my heart. I make you my 0:28:40.040 --> 0:28:44.200 Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:44.280 --> 0:28:46.520 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:46.520 --> 0:28:49.680 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to 0:28:49.760 --> 0:28:51.400 take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:52.240 --> 0:28:55.680 Thank you for listening to the Julus Dean podcast. Help 0:28:55.760 --> 0:28:58.480 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:02.160 all over the world. Is at Joelostein dot com slash 0:29:02.280 --> 0:29:04.280 give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:05.560 --> 0:29:08.480 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:08.480 --> 0:29:11.840 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:11.920 --> 0:29:15.120 keep you inspired all through the week. 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