The Power Of Your Vision

0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.000 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.279 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:05.920 the ministry. 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:08.440 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:10.040 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:13.040 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:13.600 your life. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.439 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:19.160 Your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:21.560 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:23.959 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:26.720 I say it often, but these are the finest people 0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:29.360 in all of Houston, Texas, right here at Lakewood, So 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:32.279 come out whenever you can. But thanks for tuning in. 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:34.800 Thank you again for coming out. And I like to 0:00:34.840 --> 0:00:37.360 start with something funny. And I heard about this husband 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.680 and wife. They'd been arguing for a long time about 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:43.880 who should make the coffee in the morning. The man 0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:46.479 definitely thought it was his wife's job, but she just 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:50.800 didn't agree. After several heated debates, the wife finally said 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:53.640 to him, I can prove to you from the scripture 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:55.920 that the man is supposed to make the coffee in 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:56.360 the morning. 0:00:56.840 --> 0:00:58.280 He said, what are you talking about? 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.440 Nothing in the scripture about me the man making the coffee. 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:02.720 She said, sure, there is. 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:06.600 She opened her bible and pointed to the Book of Hebrews. 0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:11.280 All right, hold up your bible. Say it like you 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.400 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.800 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:19.880 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.360 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:27.199 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:31.000 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:34.760 I want to talk to you today about the power 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:39.000 of your vision. Too many people are stuck in a rut, 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:42.240 not because they're not talented, not because they don't have 0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:47.040 God's favor, but because their vision is limited. They don't 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:52.880 see themselves accomplishing their dreams, being promoted, living healthier. They 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:56.840 just see more of the same. What you see is 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.840 what you're going to move toward. We all have the 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:03.800 Every one of us has a picture in our mind 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:08.280 of our self, our family, our future. The real question 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.919 is what does your picture look like. Do you see 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:18.160 yourself rising higher, overcoming obstacles, living an abundant life, or 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:23.760 is the picture you have of yourself struggling, defeated, addicted, overweight, 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:27.520 never getting good breaks. The pictures you allow in your 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:31.280 mind will determine what kind of life you live. You 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:35.680 have to protect your vision. If your vision is limited, 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:39.840 your life will be limited. Seven times in the scripture, 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:44.000 God asks what do you see? God is interested in 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:48.079 our vision. Before your dream comes to pass, you have 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:51.480 to see yourself accomplishing that dream. Got to get a 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:54.920 picture of it before you lose the weight, before you 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:58.160 break the addiction, you have to see it happening in 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:02.440 your imagination. The pictures you keep in front of you 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:06.360 your vision not only drops down into your spirit, but 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:10.720 it gets into your subconscious mind. Once something is in 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:15.960 the subconscious without even thinking about it, just like gravity. 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:17.200 It will pull you toward it. 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:22.480 Many people have negative images in their subconscious mind. They 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:27.200 see themselves weak, defeated, inferior, and they wonder why it 0:03:27.240 --> 0:03:31.760 feels like something's always pulling against them, it's always a struggle, 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:33.639 and never feel good about themselves. 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:36.360 It's because they have the wrong images. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:41.000 If you will change those pictures and start seeing yourself 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:47.840 the way God sees you, blessed, prosperous, healthy, strong, talented, successful, 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:51.000 then instead of having something pulling against you. 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:52.960 It'll be pulling for you. 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:58.440 You'll be moving toward blessing, favor, promotion, increase. Our imagination 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:03.640 is incredibly powerful. In fact, it says in Genesis nothing 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:06.240 they imagined was impossible to them. 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:08.960 Once you get a picture. 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.360 Of it, either good or bad, you're going to move 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.480 toward it. I read this study that was done with 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:19.200 people that needed arthroscopic knee surgery. Their knees were worn 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.640 down and they needed the joint to be cleaned out. 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:26.680 These doctors, with permission from the family, on a certain 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:31.520 number of patients. Instead of actually performing the surgery, they 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:36.200 simply put the patients under anesthesia and made three tiny 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:40.560 incisions around the knee, but they didn't do anything. Of course, 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.000 when the patient woke up, they thought they had had 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:47.720 the full surgery. What's interesting is two years later, the 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:52.040 patients that had the fake surgery reported just as much 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:54.880 relief from the pain as the patients that had the 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:59.479 actual surgery. And it wasn't just in their mind. When 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:03.440 the doctor examined their knees over time, they could see 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:08.240 how their knees had improved. The doctor's conclusion was since 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.840 the brain expected. 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:13.159 The need to get better, it got better. It helped 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:13.640 it to heal. 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:19.000 You could say those doctors tricked the patience into having 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:22.120 a new image, and just like gravity, they. 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.599 Move toward it. Let's make it practical. 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:28.039 You may not feel blessed, but if you'll get in 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.920 agreement with God and get a picture of yourself blessed, 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.760 you're gonna move toward it. Your brain is gonna say, 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:37.000 come on now, let's get going. They're supposed to be blessed. 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:41.400 The medical report may not look good, but instead of 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:46.880 seeing yourself going downhill, start seeing yourself strong, healthy, full 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:48.600 of energy, full of vitality. 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:50.239 That's what you're moving toward. 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:55.039 Your dream in the natural may look impossible, but I'm 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.960 asking you to look out through your eyes of faith 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:03.120 and see yourself into that new home, see yourself getting married, 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:07.720 see yourself taking that mission's trip. When you see yourself 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:12.000 accomplish in your dreams, all these unseen forces begin to 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:16.039 move in your direction. This is what happened with Abraham. 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:18.800 God gave him the promise that he was going to 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:22.680 be the father of many nations. In the natural, it 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:26.440 was impossible. Abraham was eighty years old and didn't have 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:27.560 one child. 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:29.280 But what's interesting is. 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.320 God didn't just give him the promise. God gave him 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:37.320 a picture to look at. God said, Abraham, go outside 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:39.320 and look up at the stars. 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:41.600 That's how many descendants you will have. 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.160 I read where there are six thousand stars in the 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:50.360 eastern sky where Abraham was that night. It's not a 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:54.400 coincidence that there are six thousand promises in the scripture. 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:58.200 God was saying, any promise that you can get a 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:01.719 vision for, I will bring it to pay. God told 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:04.560 Abraham go down to the beach and look at the 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:08.200 grains of sand. That's how many relatives you're going to have. 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:12.840 Why did God give him a picture. God knew there 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:16.040 would be times when it seemed like the promise wasn't 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:19.320 going to come to pass. When Abraham was tempted to 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.680 get discouraged and to start thinking it's never going to happen, 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:25.760 he would go outside and look up at the sky. 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:29.600 When he saw the stars, faith would rise. 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:30.200 In his heart. 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:32.760 Something would tell him it's going to happen. I can 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.480 see it in the morning. The thoughts came telling him 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:40.280 you're too old, Abraham, it's too late. You didn't hear 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:43.560 God write. Abraham would go down to the beach and 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:46.760 look at the grains of sand. Something would come alive 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:48.000 on the inside. 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.160 His faith would be restored. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:54.720 Just like with Abraham. There will be times when it 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:57.800 seems like your dream is not going to come to pass. 0:07:58.320 --> 0:08:01.600 It's been too long, the medical report looks too bad. 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:05.400 You don't have the money, the connections. You could easily 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:10.040 get discouraged and give up. Now, just like Abraham, you 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:12.440 got to go back to the picture God gave you. 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:16.240 When you close your eyes, you have to see yourself 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:21.120 strong and healthy, See the problem turning around, see your 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:24.160 family restored, See yourself paying. 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:24.720 Off your house. 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:29.040 Your vision is what's going to keep you encouraged. God 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:31.960 is saying to us what he said to Abraham. If 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:33.080 you can see it. 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:35.839 I will do it. If you'll get a vision for it, 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:37.120 I will bring it to pass. 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.800 Several years ago, a lady came down to the altar 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.920 for prayer, and she had just gone through a very 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:47.599 painful divorce. Her husband of many years left her for 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:52.080 another woman, and she was very devastated, very heartbroken. She 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:54.520 didn't see how she could ever be happy again. And 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.600 I did my best to encourage her, tell her that 0:08:57.640 --> 0:08:59.960 God was going to give her beauty for those ashes 0:09:00.120 --> 0:09:02.120 is God was going to pay her back for that 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:03.319 unfair situation. 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.400 She listened, but didn't seem like. 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.760 My words had much of an impact. She was very depressed. 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:12.600 She couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.560 When our vision is negative, our life is going to 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:21.760 fallow that same direction. Sometimes it's difficult, you don't feel 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:25.160 like doing it, but you cannot afford to sit around 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:29.000 in self pity. Life may not be fair, but God 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:33.240 is fair. You got to shake off the disappointments and 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.640 get a fresh new vision. 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:40.000 Your life is not over because somebody left you. 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.200 If they walked out on you, you didn't need them. 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:47.240 God's plan was not canceled because of a disappointment, an 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:52.560 unfair situation, or even because of a mistake you made. 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:55.480 If you'll get a new vision, instead of being. 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.320 A setback, God will turn it into a setup to 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:02.600 do something greater. She was weeping and weeping and telling 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:05.320 me all the reasons she would never meet anybody, and 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.920 how she was too old and just too unattractive, on 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:10.680 and on, none of which were true. 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:13.520 I asked her to do something that would help her 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:14.800 to have a new image. 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.960 I said, get a picture frame and put it on 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:20.959 the table by your bed with no picture in it, 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.880 just an empty frame. And every time you see that frame, 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.760 you just imagine that's going to be a picture of 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:31.560 you with the new person God brings into your life. 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.280 As an act of faith, she put that picture frame there. 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.760 Every time she saw it, she would begin to thank 0:10:37.800 --> 0:10:41.000 God that he was directing her steps, bringing the right 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.120 person into her life, giving her beauty for her ashes. 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:46.000 She got rid of. 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:50.440 The picture of defeat, being lonely, being depressed. She started 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:54.840 seeing herself beautiful, happy with the person of her dreams. 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:59.600 Three years later, she showed up to the altar once again, 0:11:00.200 --> 0:11:03.880 weeping and weeping, but this time they were not tears 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:06.079 of sadness. They were tears of joy. 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:08.160 You see. She had this very. 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:11.880 Handsome gentleman by her side. She said, Joel, this is 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:14.960 the man that I saw in that picture frame that 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:15.959 you had me put up. 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:18.400 We're gonna get married next Saturday. 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:23.800 The scripture says, weeping may endure for a night, but 0:11:23.960 --> 0:11:28.880 joy is coming in the morning. My question is what's 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:32.200 in your picture frame? What do you see when you 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:35.840 look out into your future? More of the same. I've 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:39.920 reached my limits. My business will never succeed. I'll always 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:43.760 be lonely, overweight, addicted. That's going to keep you where 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:47.080 you are. You've got to change what's in the frame. 0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:50.400 Got to put a new picture in there. Start seeing 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:56.320 yourself strong, beautiful, successful, fulfilled. Your life is not going 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:58.559 to change until you change the picture. 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:00.720 This is what my father did. 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:05.960 He grew up extremely poor, had no money, no education, 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:10.160 no real future to speak of. But at seventeen years old, 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:12.400 my father gave his life to Christ. 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:14.160 God called him to preach. 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:18.840 He began to see himself ministering to thousands of people. 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:22.720 That was unheard of back there in the nineteen thirties. 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.240 There weren't big churches like we have today. Daddy had 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.560 never been to seminary, especially not at seventeen, never had 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:32.760 any formal training. All he knew how to do was 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:37.360 pitt cotton. But my father changed the picture in the frame. 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:43.160 Instead of seeing himself poor, defeated, barely getting by, he 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:47.040 started seeing himself touching the world. He went on to 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.560 do exactly that. Friends, your life is going to fall 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:54.040 at your vision. If you have a small vision, you're 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:56.679 going to have a small life. But if you will 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.920 let the seeds of greatness that God's planning on the 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:03.840 inside take root. If you'll have a big vision, God 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:07.600 will take you places you never thought possible. I remember 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:11.319 as a little boy, Lakewood was in our very first auditorium. 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.680 It held two hundred people. My father would get up 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.840 on Sundays. He would point to the right and say 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:21.960 to the congregation, can you see that new sanctuary seating 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:23.000 a thousand people? 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:25.360 Can you see it totally paid off? 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:28.800 All that was out there was an empty field with 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:32.120 cows grazing in it. The visitors thought my father had 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.960 lost his mind, but he wasn't looking at it in 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:39.400 the natural. He was looking out through his eyes of faith. Eventually, 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:43.920 that sanctuary came into reality, plus many many others. Some 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:47.359 of you today, If you would just put new pictures 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.319 in your frame, your life would go to a new level. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.160 You don't have to figure out how it's going to happen. 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:56.679 All you've got to do is believe. One touch of 0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.520 God's favor can bring any dream to pass, could break 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:04.040 one promotion, one phone call, and what looked like an 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:08.520 impossibility all of a sudden is a reality. You've heard 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:11.719 the saying, if you can see the invisible God can 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:15.920 do the impossible. When we were trying to acquire this place, 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:18.559 the former Compact Center, it was a three and a 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:21.800 half year battle, and all kinds of things came against us, 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.760 and at times in the natural it looked like. 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:25.880 It wasn't going to happen. 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:30.360 But instead of worrying about it, letting those negative pictures 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:34.560 take root. All through the day, just like my father did, 0:14:35.000 --> 0:14:39.600 I would see this place as being ours in my imagination. 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:43.000 I could see the lake would sign out front. I 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:46.400 could see myself up here ministry. I could see all 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:50.840 of you long before you got here. Many times at night, 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:53.240 Victoria and I would drive up to the building, if 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:56.240 nothing was going on, we'd get out and walk around 0:14:56.280 --> 0:15:01.400 it and pray, believe, and dream. That image was becoming 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:05.360 ingrained in our thinking. The more we saw it, the 0:15:05.360 --> 0:15:09.520 more faith rose in our hearts. In my imagination, I 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:13.280 could already see the mayor handing us the keys. I 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:17.240 could already see the confetti falling during the groundbreaking service. 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:21.480 I could already see it full of thousands of victors 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:25.920 and not victims. For three and a half years, we 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:29.280 kept that image in front of us. On December first, 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.320 two thousand and three, when the mayor handed us the key. 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:37.080 It was just like I had seen it before. On 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:42.560 December thirteenth, when the confetti fell on the groundbreaking services, 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:47.400 it was just like I had seen it before. In 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:49.840 two thousand and five, the week of the grand opening, 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.000 a reporter asked me what it was going to be 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:55.760 like to stand up and minister here for the first time. 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:58.840 I didn't say it, but I thought to myself. 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:02.720 I'd ministered in this build thousands of times before. Friends, 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:05.200 you got to see it on the inside before it's 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:07.760 going to come to pass on the outside. Have you 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:12.560 ever seen yourself accomplishing your dreams, graduating from college? Have 0:16:12.640 --> 0:16:17.040 you ever seen yourself healthy, whole, free from addictions, free 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:20.880 from any kind of sicknesses. In nineteen eighty one, my 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:23.920 mother was very sick with cancer of the liver. She 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.160 weighed eighty nine pounds and her skin was as yellow 0:16:27.200 --> 0:16:29.960 as can be. And I was away at college, and 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:33.160 when I came back home, I hardly recognized my mother. 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:34.600 She looked so bad. 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:38.440 One thing my mother did was she put up pictures 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:41.640 all over the house from a time when she was healthy. 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.520 She had her wedding pictures up on the refrigerator all 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.360 over the den. In her bathroom mirror, she had a 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:52.440 picture of herself riding a horse in Montana with a 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:53.840 big pink cowboy hat. 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:56.040 I thought, what are all these pictures doing up? 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.920 My mother had put them there to create a new 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.160 image on the inside. You see, when she looked in 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:06.480 the mirror, she saw death staring back at her. She 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:10.760 didn't want that image to become ingrained in her thinking. Now, 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:16.520 everywhere she looked all over the house, she saw herself, healthy, strong, happy, 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:22.960 fulfilling her destiny. That's the image she let take root. Today, 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.960 thirty one years later, she looks just like she did 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:29.840 in those pictures, as strong and healthy as conven it. 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:36.639 I've found life tries to push us down. Life tries 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.760 to put out the fire that God lights on the inside, 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:45.560 through disappointments, bad breaks, people discouraging us. Too often we 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:49.240 settle for mediocrity. We miss out on the fullness of 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.680 what God has in store. Some of you today your 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:56.439 vision is too small. God has a much bigger life 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:57.200 than your living. 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:00.240 But you're letting how you were raised, your. 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:03.919 Environment, Perhaps the disappointments of the past to set the 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:07.000 limits for your life. You've got to enlarge your vision 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.399 your parents may have reached a certain level, but God 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:13.320 wants you to go further. And there should be something 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:17.240 you're dreaming about that's too big for you to accomplish 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:21.119 on your own, something that you cannot afford, something that 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:24.400 you're not qualified for. It's going to take God's favor, 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:26.000 God's blessing to bring. 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:26.399 It to pass. 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:30.480 Friends, have a big vision. That's your faith being released. 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.280 Heard a story about a little frog that was born 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:37.359 at the bottom of a wellnes a small circular well 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:39.359 like you'd see at a farm, and it was he 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:42.359 and his family that lived down there. And this little 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:45.960 frog was so happy, so content all day long to 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:49.639 swim and splash in the water. He thought, life is good. 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:53.320 We've got all the water in the world to ourselves. 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.560 As he got a little older, he noticed the light 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.760 at the top of the well, then wondered what was 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:02.760 up there. One day, very carefully, he climbed up the 0:19:02.800 --> 0:19:06.320 side of the well, and with great caution, he looked 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:09.639 over the edge and the first thing he saw was 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:10.280 a pond. 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:12.120 He couldn't believe it. 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:14.840 It was thousands of times more water than he had. 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:17.840 He hopped a little more and came to a lake. 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:22.000 He stood there in amazement, hopped a little more and 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:25.080 came to the ocean, where as far as he could 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:29.760 see miles and miles of water. He began to realize 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:33.560 his vision was so limited. He thought he had it all, 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:36.840 but all he really had was a drop in the 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:39.639 bucket compared to what God wanted him to enjoy. 0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:42.720 God's dream for your life. 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:47.359 Is so much bigger, so much larger, so much more rewarding. 0:19:46.880 --> 0:19:48.199 Than you can imagine. 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:51.760 You haven't touched the surface of what God has in store. 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:55.800 But too often we're like that little frog. We've been 0:19:55.920 --> 0:19:59.800 enclosed in our own little well. Our vision is very limited. 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:04.240 It's called our environment. How we were raised. All we've 0:20:04.280 --> 0:20:07.879 known is certain way of thinking, certain way of living. 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:10.920 It may not be bad, but God has much more 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:11.719 in store. 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:14.360 I'm asking all. 0:20:14.160 --> 0:20:16.680 Of us, like that little frog, to go a little 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:19.720 further than you used to break out of your box 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:24.720 and look out over the horizon. Dream bigger, Think bigger, 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:29.840 See bigger. God has oceans that he wants you to enjoy. 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:32.919 I have friends that pastor a church in another state. 0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:36.960 When they first started their church, they barely had anything. 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:41.800 They were living in a tiny apartment, no furniture. Practically 0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:45.120 could hardly pay their rent each month. They would both 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:48.919 work during the day and then on Sundays about fifteen 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:49.840 people would come. 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:52.280 To their apartment and they would have church. This went 0:20:52.320 --> 0:20:56.280 on year after year with no growth. They were very 0:20:56.480 --> 0:20:57.960 tempted to get discouraged. 0:20:58.280 --> 0:21:00.760 They knew God had put something bigger in their heart, 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:03.720 but didn't look like it was going to happen. But 0:21:03.880 --> 0:21:06.840 rather than sit around in their little apartment every night 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:11.919 feel sorry for themselves feel like failures, they did something interesting. 0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:15.920 They would drive down to one of the big fancy 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:19.280 hotels in their area. They didn't even have money to 0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:21.960 pay for parking. They'd have to park way down the 0:21:22.040 --> 0:21:25.040 road and walk the rest of the way. They would 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:29.040 go into that hotel lobby and night after night just 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:33.760 sit there and dream. They wanted to put themselves in 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:39.040 an atmosphere of victory, an atmosphere of success. As they 0:21:39.040 --> 0:21:42.360 would look around at all the beautiful surroundings, they would 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:44.719 begin to thank God, one day you're going to bring 0:21:44.800 --> 0:21:47.080 our dreams to pass. One day we're going to be 0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:48.840 pastoring a church with thousands. 0:21:49.240 --> 0:21:51.840 What were they doing enlarging their vision? 0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:55.880 They got out of their well to help expand their thinking. 0:21:56.560 --> 0:22:00.560 Today twenty five years later, their living their dream, pastoring 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:04.399 a very successful church like them. You may be at 0:22:04.400 --> 0:22:07.760 a place that doesn't seem very good. What you see 0:22:08.160 --> 0:22:11.920 on the outside doesn't match what God's put on the inside. 0:22:12.400 --> 0:22:16.920 But don't sit around in self pity, depress, discourage. Go 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:20.919 out and find someplace you can dream. Go to the 0:22:21.000 --> 0:22:24.680 park and watch the sunset, look up at the stars. 0:22:24.240 --> 0:22:27.040 And think about God's goodness. You've got to get out 0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:27.760 of that well. 0:22:28.119 --> 0:22:32.440 Find someplace that inspires you, someplace where your faith will 0:22:32.440 --> 0:22:35.639 be elevated. And that's why it's important to come to 0:22:35.680 --> 0:22:38.919 a church like Lakewood, where people are gonna build you 0:22:39.080 --> 0:22:41.720 up and not tear you down, where people are gonna 0:22:41.800 --> 0:22:47.400 challenge you to rise higher, to become all God's created. 0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:48.840 You to be becaus. 0:22:48.680 --> 0:22:51.040 Now, I know people they come home from work every 0:22:51.119 --> 0:22:54.920 night and watch the same depressing TV shows week after 0:22:55.040 --> 0:22:57.919 week and wonder why nothing gets better. Now. 0:22:58.040 --> 0:23:00.160 If you're gonna enlarge your vision. 0:23:00.160 --> 0:23:02.560 You got to get out of a limited environment. 0:23:02.880 --> 0:23:04.920 Put yourself somewhere. 0:23:04.520 --> 0:23:07.680 Bigger than you are right now, that atmosphere of victory 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:11.919 of success. I heard a famous rapper being interviewed on 0:23:11.960 --> 0:23:16.920 television years ago. The interviewer asked him why his lyrics 0:23:16.920 --> 0:23:20.119 were so filled with hatred and violence, and why he 0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:24.639 always talked about killings and shootings and muggings. He said, Oh, man, 0:23:24.960 --> 0:23:28.879 I'm just rapping about life. That's the way the world is. 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:32.479 The truth is, that's not the way the world is. 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:35.719 That's the way his world is. That's the way it is. 0:23:35.720 --> 0:23:38.640 The six blocks around his house, if he had drive 0:23:38.760 --> 0:23:42.320 three miles down the freeway, he'd see people loving their families, 0:23:42.400 --> 0:23:46.920 people going to colleges, people starting businesses, people fulfilling their destiny. 0:23:48.520 --> 0:23:49.960 What's the problem. 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:55.080 His vision is being limited by his environment. All he's 0:23:55.119 --> 0:23:57.560 got to do is get in a different environment, an 0:23:57.680 --> 0:23:59.840 environment that inspires him in. 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:01.480 That it depresses him. 0:24:02.119 --> 0:24:04.840 I have friends that run an orphanage in a very 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:09.080 poor nation. Every Friday, they go down to the slums 0:24:09.359 --> 0:24:12.320 and they take these children to the beach. They call 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:15.760 it dream Day. As the children play in the sand 0:24:15.840 --> 0:24:18.440 and the water, and they look at the beautiful ocean 0:24:18.480 --> 0:24:22.160 and they watch the magnificent sunsets. They talk to them 0:24:22.200 --> 0:24:25.320 about how God knew them before they were formed in 0:24:25.359 --> 0:24:28.520 their mother's womb, how they have seeds of greatness, on 0:24:28.560 --> 0:24:29.400 the inside. 0:24:29.520 --> 0:24:31.320 They speak vision into them. 0:24:32.000 --> 0:24:36.440 They're finding that these children from the slums are overcoming 0:24:36.560 --> 0:24:41.280 incredible odds, getting scholarships to colleges, breaking out of poverty, 0:24:41.560 --> 0:24:43.359 becoming leaders in the community. 0:24:44.640 --> 0:24:48.360 Proverbs twenty nine eighteen says where there is no vision, 0:24:48.720 --> 0:24:49.680 the people perish. 0:24:50.200 --> 0:24:53.320 Doesn't say where there's no money, where there's no opportunity, 0:24:53.520 --> 0:24:54.440 where there's no talent. 0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:57.320 What limits us is a lack of vision. 0:24:58.080 --> 0:25:00.720 If you're going to enlarge your vision, you need to 0:25:00.760 --> 0:25:05.800 get around other dreamers, get around people that are going places, 0:25:06.119 --> 0:25:09.879 people that inspire you to rise higher. If you're the 0:25:09.960 --> 0:25:13.280 smartest one in your group, your group is too small. 0:25:13.840 --> 0:25:15.160 You got to get out of your well. 0:25:15.960 --> 0:25:18.240 You need to be around people that know more than you, 0:25:18.640 --> 0:25:21.119 people that are doing more than you, and don't be 0:25:21.200 --> 0:25:25.280 intimidated by them. God brings people into our life to 0:25:25.359 --> 0:25:30.320 help expand our vision. Only small minded people get jealous. 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:33.760 Only small minded people try to compete and prove that 0:25:33.760 --> 0:25:38.000 they're really better now. Don't be insecure, be inspired. The 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:40.680 right attitude is, Hey, God, if you did it for them, 0:25:40.760 --> 0:25:43.480 you can do it for me. It makes a difference 0:25:43.480 --> 0:25:48.520 who you associate with. Elisha hung around Elijah and he 0:25:48.600 --> 0:25:52.439 got a double portion. Joshua Will hung around Moses and 0:25:52.480 --> 0:25:56.919 he went into the promised land. Samson hung around compromisers, 0:25:57.080 --> 0:25:58.880 and he missed his destiny. 0:25:59.000 --> 0:26:00.800 You got to get around the dreamers. 0:26:01.080 --> 0:26:04.320 Your vision is going to be greatly impacted by. 0:26:04.119 --> 0:26:07.800 Who you choose to associate with friends. 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:11.120 What's in your future has much to do with what 0:26:11.200 --> 0:26:20.040 you can see. I'm asking you to see yourself blessed, prosperous, strong, healthy, talented, successful, 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:23.560 accomplishing your dreams. Don't get stuck in a rut and 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:26.160 just see more of the same. You may have been 0:26:26.200 --> 0:26:29.000 through disappointments, but this is a new day. 0:26:29.080 --> 0:26:31.320 Your greatest victories are still in your future. 0:26:31.880 --> 0:26:35.040 Now make sure what you put in that picture frame 0:26:35.680 --> 0:26:39.359 is too big for you to accomplish on your own dream. 0:26:39.480 --> 0:26:41.280 Big enlarger vision. 0:26:42.080 --> 0:26:44.520 If you'll keep the right picture in front of you, 0:26:45.000 --> 0:26:47.919 instead of having something pulling against you, it'll be pulling 0:26:48.000 --> 0:26:48.440 for you. 0:26:48.960 --> 0:26:49.719 Like Abraham. 0:26:49.960 --> 0:26:52.879 Even though it looks impossible, God will bring the promise 0:26:52.920 --> 0:26:55.639 to pass, and one day, instead of just having the dream, 0:26:55.880 --> 0:26:57.119 you'll be living the dream. 0:26:57.359 --> 0:27:00.880 What you see will become a reality. In Jesus' name. 0:27:01.200 --> 0:27:02.320 Do you receive it today? 0:27:04.000 --> 0:27:06.840 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:27:06.920 --> 0:27:09.880 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:27:10.119 --> 0:27:14.720 Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:20.200 repent of my sins. Come into my heart, wash me clean. 0:27:21.240 --> 0:27:24.960 I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you 0:27:25.000 --> 0:27:27.600 prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. 0:27:27.920 --> 0:27:30.920 Get in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. 0:27:31.240 --> 0:27:33.199 He's going to take your place as you've never dreamed of. 0:27:34.520 --> 0:27:38.840 What if every plan you set, every habit you formed, 0:27:39.200 --> 0:27:42.880 and every decision you made became a pathway to see 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:45.560 God move in your life. 0:27:45.600 --> 0:27:48.480 We all have hopes and dreams things were believing for. 0:27:49.040 --> 0:27:52.400 When you start the year in faith, expecting God's goodness, 0:27:52.560 --> 0:27:55.120 you are setting the tone for a blessed new year. 0:27:55.600 --> 0:27:57.640 And we'd love to send you our twenty twenty six 0:27:57.840 --> 0:28:01.199 Faith for Today Planner and write down your dreams and 0:28:01.280 --> 0:28:05.160 goals and plus use it for your everyday activities and reminders. 0:28:05.359 --> 0:28:08.320 It's important to feed your faith on a daily basis. 0:28:08.680 --> 0:28:11.520 This planner it's not just a calendar. It's filled with 0:28:11.560 --> 0:28:15.320 scriptures and inspiration to help you stay encouraged and keep 0:28:15.359 --> 0:28:17.480 believing for what God has put in your heart. 0:28:17.640 --> 0:28:20.240 Twenty twenty six is your year to see the goodness 0:28:20.240 --> 0:28:23.000 of God in greater ways, let go of what didn't 0:28:23.080 --> 0:28:25.560 work out, and get ready for the new things God 0:28:25.600 --> 0:28:26.359 has in store. 0:28:27.240 --> 0:28:29.680 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:29.720 --> 0:28:32.320 of any amount this month, we would like to send 0:28:32.320 --> 0:28:34.879 you a copy of the twenty twenty six Faith for 0:28:34.960 --> 0:28:39.360 Today Planner. Each month features a fresh theme of encouragement, 0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:44.080 a guiding scripture to stand on, room to write your goals, prayers, 0:28:44.120 --> 0:28:48.440 and vision space for faith steps. Because faith isn't passive, 0:28:48.760 --> 0:28:52.560 it's active. A monthly QR code linking to a message 0:28:52.640 --> 0:28:55.880 or video to keep your spirit lifted. With a twenty 0:28:55.920 --> 0:28:59.480 twenty six Faith for Today Planner, you'll be reminded that 0:28:59.600 --> 0:29:02.920 living by faith makes room for God to do what 0:29:03.120 --> 0:29:07.080 only He can do. Break through in your business, God's 0:29:07.120 --> 0:29:11.920 healing touch. Loved ones returning to faith. Request your copy 0:29:11.960 --> 0:29:14.400 of the planner and step into the new year with 0:29:14.600 --> 0:29:19.040 bold faith, fresh hope, and daily encouragement. To strengthen your 0:29:19.080 --> 0:29:22.000 spirit and face every challenge with confidence. 0:29:22.680 --> 0:29:25.760 No matter what's happening around you, faith can rise up 0:29:25.800 --> 0:29:29.440 in you. Keep believing and expecting a blessed twenty twenty 0:29:29.480 --> 0:29:32.400 six Victoria and I pray for you and your family 0:29:32.480 --> 0:29:35.920 every day. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. 0:29:36.280 --> 0:29:39.880 Your generosity is helping people around the world. As we 0:29:39.960 --> 0:29:43.080 finish this year, I hope you'll consider making a special 0:29:43.280 --> 0:29:46.640 year in gift to help keep the ministry strong. We 0:29:46.680 --> 0:29:49.520 so appreciate all the Champion of Hope partners. 0:29:49.120 --> 0:29:51.680 For your monthly support. We wish you and. 0:29:51.640 --> 0:29:54.680 Your family a very merry Christmas. Till we see you 0:29:54.680 --> 0:29:56.640 next time, May the Lord bless you. 0:29:56.720 --> 0:29:57.440 And keep you. 0:29:58.240 --> 0:30:01.160 Be sure to request your copy the twenty twenty six 0:30:01.360 --> 0:30:05.320 Faith for Today Planner. Visit joelostein dot com or call 0:30:05.560 --> 0:30:09.080 eight eight eight five six seven Joel for a special 0:30:09.200 --> 0:30:12.120 year end gift. This month, we are also offering the 0:30:12.240 --> 0:30:16.240 Faith to Share Bundle, Keep One, Give One, Give the 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:20.520 gift of faith, focus and fresh hope for someone special 0:30:20.560 --> 0:30:24.000 in your life. You can also request the God's Word 0:30:24.120 --> 0:30:29.680 Work Study Collection. This empowering collection includes the NIV, the Message, 0:30:29.800 --> 0:30:34.160 Parallel Bible, a beautifully crafted leather bookmark in ten, and 0:30:34.240 --> 0:30:37.040 how to Read your Bible and Enjoy It, along with 0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:41.400 two planners. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 0:30:41.560 --> 0:30:44.920 eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging on 0:30:45.000 --> 0:30:49.560 to joelostein dot com today, Call or click anytime, twenty 0:30:49.600 --> 0:30:53.680 four hours a day, Stay organized, encouraged, and full of 0:30:53.800 --> 0:31:16.440 faith all year long. Request these resources today, any thing,