You are Not Damaged Goods

0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.680 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.800 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:46.920 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.600 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.040 and career. Make it count with Perdue Global produce online 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.720 University for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:02.200 He'll forget about the video game you gave him on 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:02.800 his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.000 Wow, thanks Grandpa, but. 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.240 He'll never forget how you invest it in his future 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.240 with the uns stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the units stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.120 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:23.679 dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.640 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:38.720 leave Inspire. 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:41.959 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:45.240 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:02:00.160 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:03.120 Well, God bless you. There's always a joy to come 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:05.600 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:07.760 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:10.680 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:13.160 at home. But thanks so much for tuning in. Thank 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:15.600 you again for coming out. I like to start with 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:18.600 something funny, and I heard about this group of school children. 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:23.240 They were in the cafeteria line at their Catholic elementary school. 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:25.560 At the first of the line, there was a big 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:29.280 bowl of apples. A nun had written a note, take 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:32.680 only one God is watching. At the end of the 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.079 line there was a big bowl of chocolate chip cookies. 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.720 One of the children had written a note, take all 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:42.240 you want. God is watching the apples. Hold up your 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:44.600 Bible and say it like you mean it. This is 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:47.520 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:49.960 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:52.640 it says I can do. Today I will be talked 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:56.600 the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.840 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:04.480 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:07.840 to you today about how you are not damaged goods. 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:10.919 I was in a grocery store and down one of 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:14.400 the aisles there was a whole section called damage goods. 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.600 It was mostly canned products that had been marked down 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:22.120 because of some kind of flaw. The can was dented, 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:25.760 the label was torn, the color was off. The store 0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:28.720 couldn't sell it for the full price because they had 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:35.480 an imperfection. They were considered less valuable, inferior damaged goods. 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:39.400 What's interesting is if you bought one of those cans, 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:44.520 you opened it up, cannicorn canopies, canipeaches, you'd find there's 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:48.800 nothing wrong with the inside. The can may have been dented, 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:52.320 but it didn't affect the contents. The label may have 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:55.960 been torn. On the outside, it wasn't perfect, but on 0:03:56.000 --> 0:04:00.760 the inside, where it matters, there was no difference damaged goods. 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:04.080 Peaches that were sold for half price tasted just as 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:06.560 good as the peaches that were sold for full price. 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:11.640 The corn, the peas may have been labeled inferior, less than, 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:14.920 but that's all. It was just a label. It's the 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:18.600 same principle in life. All of us in some way 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.599 have been damaged. You can't live very long without making 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:26.680 a mistake, being hurt by someone going through a breakup, 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:32.160 damaged by divorce, damaged by an unhealthy childhood, damaged by 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:36.839 an addiction. Too many people go around wearing the damaged 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:42.000 goods label, feeling washed up less than focused on their mistakes, 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:45.280 focused on what they've been through. No, you've got to 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:48.400 get out of that section. That's not where you belong. 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:52.120 You may have been dented on the outside, but like 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:56.800 those cans, there's nothing wrong with the inside. That setback 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:01.599 did not affect your DNA, that law, that disappointment didn't 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:05.320 change who you are. That mistake, the failure, the weakness 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:09.200 didn't stop your destiny. You may have been bruised on 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:12.960 the outside, but on the inside you still have the 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.520 blood of a winner. You still have the DNA of 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:21.039 Almighty God. You've been crowned with favor. You are full 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:26.359 of potential, talent, creativity, wisdom. There is nothing wrong with 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:30.800 your contents. Listen. People can't keep you from your destiny. 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:35.480 Bad breaks can't stop you. Weaknesses can't stop you. The 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:39.760 only thing that can really stop you is you. If 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.640 you wear the damaged goods label, it can keep you 0:05:42.680 --> 0:05:45.960 from becoming all God's created you to be. Now, I 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:49.080 don't believe in giving anyone the right to feel sorry 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:53.040 for themselves. Life happens to us all. If you get 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:56.640 knocked down, get back up and go again. If you 0:05:56.720 --> 0:05:59.839 have a bad break, don't sit around and self pity. 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:03.680 Shake it off and move forward. If you make a mistake, 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.279 don't go through life beating yourself up. Receive God's mercy 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:11.760 and do better next time. You may have failed, but 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.880 you're not a failure. You may have lost, but you're 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:18.040 not a loser. You may have had unfair things happen, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:23.159 but you're not a victim. You're a victor. Now do 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:28.799 yourself a favor. Take off the damaged goods label. Quit 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:32.640 thinking about your mistakes, who hurt you, what didn't work out. 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:37.120 God knows every person that's done you wrong, every disappointment, 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:40.839 every struggle, every bad break, and He's promised if you 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.560 will stay in faith, he will pay you back double 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.480 for the unfair things that have happened. I've heard it 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:51.960 said God can bring greatness out of a great mess. 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:56.480 Sometimes we focus on the mess, the dysfunction, the broken dream, 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:00.360 the weakness, But in all the mess God sees greatness. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:03.000 He knows how to take your troubles and turn them 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:06.120 into trophies, how to take the test and make it 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.640 your testimony. This is what happened to a young boy 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:14.720 named Ishmael. He was the child that Abraham had out 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:20.600 of wedlock with Sarah's maid, Hagar. Ishmael wasn't the promised child. 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:25.480 He was born out of Abraham and Sarah's impatience. They 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.720 got tired of waiting year after year. They knew they 0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:31.520 had a promise, but it wasn't happening as fast as 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.800 they would like. So Sarah talked to her husband Abraham 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.520 into sleeping with her maid, Hagar, and they had this 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:43.120 little baby boy named Ishmael. Ishmael was born into a 0:07:43.240 --> 0:07:49.960 dysfunctional home. He was born into distrust, confusion, chaos. He 0:07:50.000 --> 0:07:53.600 would have been considered damaged goods, a mistake, not the 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:57.880 right one. The funny thing is it was Sarah's idea, 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:01.520 but she got mad at Abraham for having a baby 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:07.000 with another woman. Sarah turned on Hagar, her once trusted maid, 0:08:07.240 --> 0:08:10.640 and now she can't stand the woman. She told Abraham, 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:13.600 you better get your mistress and her son out of 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:16.520 my life, really, really fast. You're talking about a messed 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:20.280 up situation. They were in a love triangle and they 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.840 were all living in the same house. You think there's 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:26.920 drama in your home, you should have been in Abraham's home. 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:32.199 And he's called the father of our faith. That gives 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:36.360 me hope for my own family. It got so bad 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:42.080 that Sarah gave Abraham an ultimatum, either your mistress and 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:46.200 her son leaves, or I'm out of here. Abraham ended 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:50.120 up sending Hagar and his son Ishmael out into the desert. 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:54.439 Now think about Ishmael. He's the innocent one in this 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:57.880 whole ordeal. He didn't get to choose who his parents 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:00.840 would be. He didn't choose what family he would be 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:04.040 born into. He didn't do anything wrong. He just showed 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:07.520 up and life threw him out into the cord. Could 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:10.040 have had a chip on his shoulder. God, this is 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:13.800 not fair. Why was I born into this mess? Why 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:17.640 is my mother a mistress? Why couldn't I be Isaac 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:20.960 the promised child and stay here with my family. He 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:25.440 had all these disadvantages. He could have seen himself as 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:29.800 damaged goods and just faded off into the unset. But 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:34.440 here's the mercy of God. God said in Genesis twenty one, 0:09:35.000 --> 0:09:39.720 I will bring out of Ishmael a great nation. We 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:42.600 know God did great things with Isaac, but we don't 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:47.840 always realize God did something great with Ishmael. God was saying, 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:52.400 this child that has been born into dysfunction, This child 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:56.480 that's had bad breaks, been put at a disadvantage, seen 0:09:56.520 --> 0:10:00.360 as damaged goods. I haven't written him off. He's not 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:03.840 a mistake. I still have a plan. I'm going to 0:10:03.880 --> 0:10:07.959 bring greatness out of this great mess. You may be 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:12.720 in a situation now that feels dysfunctional, seems like a 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:16.080 mess in your family, your health, your finances, your career. 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:18.680 You don't see how any good could ever come out 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:22.120 of it. But if Ishmael were standing here today, he 0:10:22.160 --> 0:10:25.080 would say, hey, let me tell you firsthand. God still 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:28.319 has a plan. Doesn't matter how you were raised, how 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:32.080 many bad breaks you've had, how insignificant you may feel. 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:37.400 No dysfunction, no injustice, no disappointment can keep you from 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:41.760 your destiny. God can bring greatness out of a great mess. 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.440 Most of the time we see Ishmael as a mistake, 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:50.160 an accident. Sarah and Abraham didn't wait for the promised child. 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:54.640 But the truth is, no baby is a mistake. A 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:59.160 child cannot be born without God breathing life into their lungs. 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:03.280 Your parents say, we weren't expecting this baby. They were 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.400 a surprise, And yes they may have been a surprise 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:09.080 to you, but they were not a surprise to the 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:13.680 giver of life. In God's eyes, there's no such thing 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.960 as an unwarned pregnancy. You didn't just happen to show 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.120 up on planet Earth. God had a plan for you 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:26.400 long before you arrived. God told Jeremiah, before you were 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:30.800 formed in your mother's womb, I knew you and called 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:34.040 you to be a prophet to the nations. God already 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:38.080 had an assignment for him before he got here. God 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:42.040 was saying, Jeremiah, you didn't start when your mother gave 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:45.920 birth to you. Before you were formed, you were with me. 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.480 In other words, our past didn't start with our family. 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:55.319 It started with our God. I didn't come from my mother, 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:57.959 and I love and honor my mother. But I didn't 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:01.959 come from her. I came through her. I came from 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:08.680 Almighty God. That means your destiny, your assignment, your purpose 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:13.079 cannot be messed up by who you came through. You 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:17.280 came from the most High God. He has the ultimate say. 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:22.160 In nineteen forty three, a teenager here in Houston became 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:26.440 pregnant from a forced violent act. The young lady was 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:30.960 distraught and confused. She planned on aboording the child, but 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:34.000 some friends talked her into having the baby and putting 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:37.160 it up for adoption. The little boy was born at 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.960 the charity ward at Saint Joseph's Hospital. He grew up 0:12:40.960 --> 0:12:45.319 in extreme poverty. His father was an alcoholic. More than 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:49.880 once he threatened to kill his mother. Like Ishmael, this 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.840 little boy could have been seen as damaged goods, a mistake, 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:57.800 no future to speak of. But God doesn't give life 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:02.040 to someone without giving them a divine destiny. And with 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:05.760 the help of some loving foster parents, this little boy 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.080 grew up to become one of the greatest ministers of 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:14.000 our time. Today, over seventy years later, our friend James 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:18.120 Robinson has made a difference in people's lives around the world. 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:23.640 What am I saying? What looked like a mistake was 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:27.520 not a mistake at all. If you're breathing today, if 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.440 you're alive, and I believe you are, you are not 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:36.080 an accident. No matter how functional or dysfunctional your situation is, 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.640 God has a destiny for you to fulfill. You may 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:42.080 have had a negative past, but you don't have to 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.120 have a negative future. This is a new day, and 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:49.560 if you will take all the damaged goods label, get 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:53.679 rid of the victim mentality, and have a victor mentality. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.240 God will take what's meant for harm and he'll use 0:13:57.280 --> 0:14:00.160 it for your good. Now, I love the fact that 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:05.040 with Ishmael, God brought something significant out of a child 0:14:05.160 --> 0:14:09.360 that was considered insignificant. That tells me you don't have 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.720 to come from the most influential family. You don't have 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:16.360 to have a perfect upbringing. The truth is there is 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:19.880 dysfunction in every family. I would love to tell you 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:22.640 that our family is perfect, but then my brother Paul 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:28.960 came along. I heard somebody say, our family put the 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:33.920 funk in dysfunction. But here's the key. Seriously, don't let 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:38.560 your heredity stop your destiny. Don't let how you were raised, 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.800 what your parents did or didn't give you, how somebody 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:45.480 treated you set the limits for your life. They may 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.200 have put you at a disadvantage, but you don't have 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:50.080 to stay at a disadvantage. 0:14:50.480 --> 0:14:50.600 Now. 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:54.000 I know people sixty years old still talking about what 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:57.560 Mama didn't give them, how Daddy wasn't there. Now, not 0:14:57.640 --> 0:14:59.840 making light of that, because those can be real hurts, 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.720 but talking about it's not gonna make it any better. 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:06.520 Having a poor old me damage goods mentality is not 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.920 gonna help you. Gotta take the hand you've been dealt 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:14.120 and make the most of it. Your situation most likely 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:20.120 is no worse than ishmeels. He had all kinds of disadvantages, 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:23.200 kicked out of his home, seen as a mistake. Yet 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:26.560 God brought a great nation out of him. If you 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.800 will remove the damaged goods label, shake off the self pity, 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.920 move forward in faith. God will make something significant out 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:38.080 of your life. You will leave your mark on this generation. 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:41.840 I read about a young lady. She was born into 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:46.560 a dysfunctional home. She was neglected, abused, never had any 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:49.720 kind of stability. Got so bad as a little girl 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:53.280 she asked the authorities at school to be removed from 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:57.600 her home. The judge placed her in foster care. Several 0:15:57.640 --> 0:16:01.440 months later, she was adopted by a single parent mother 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:06.800 living in a small community dedicated to helping foster care children. 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.680 She began to thrive in school, became an honor student, 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:14.400 someone that the other young ladies looked up to. One day, 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.480 she was invited, along with the other people that ran 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.480 the foster care community, to be a guest on a 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:25.120 national television talk show. The host asked the young ladies 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:28.840 what their hopes and dreams were. She said My dream 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:32.240 is to one day go to Harvard University get a 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:35.880 good education so I can help other people like those 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:39.160 that have helped me. A few days later, she received 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.960 a phone call from out of state. The lady said, 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.200 I saw you on the talk show. I have a 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:48.160 question for you. Would you consider a scholarship to Yale 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:52.280 University instead of Harvard? She said, I think I would. 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:57.000 She went on to graduate from Yale and today is 0:16:57.040 --> 0:17:01.440 doing great things. Don't let your heredity stop your destiny. 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.439 God can bring greatness out of a great mess. Now, 0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:07.879 I wonder how many of us would rise to a 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:11.400 new level if we quit blaming the past, how we 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.720 were raised, what somebody said. If we'd take off the 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.480 damaged goods label, we would see God's favor in a 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:21.960 new way. Now I found there's always something to try 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.480 to make us feel badly about ourselves. It's because the 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:29.960 enemy is called the accuser of the brethren. He'll remind 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:34.119 you of every mistake you've made, every unfair situation, every 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:37.080 negative comment about you. He would love for you to 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:42.040 go through life feeling damaged, guilty, less than you. Gotta 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:44.240 put your foot down and say no, I'm not falling 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.640 into that trap. I'm not bitter because of what happened. 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.240 I'm not dwelling on their negative comments. I'm not beating 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.760 myself up over past mistakes. I'm gonna keep that label 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.199 off and move forward with my life. When I was 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:01.399 growing up, I played bass fall all through Little League 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:04.600 and junior high. I was a second baseman and I 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.119 was pretty good. I always made the all star team. 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:10.320 Like most Little leaguers. My dream was to one day 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:14.119 play professional baseball, but when I got in high school, 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.119 it was a whole new level of talent. I was 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:21.159 very small. I grew six inches. After high school, I 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:24.000 tried out for the baseball team along with one hundred 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:27.200 and fifty other young men, for less than twenty spots. 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:30.240 I gave it my best. The coach called us all 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.159 into the gym to announce who made the team. My 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:36.920 name wasn't called. I was so disappointed. The coach told 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.040 me that afterwards, Joel, I'd love to have you on 0:18:39.080 --> 0:18:42.920 the team. You're just too little, And he didn't mean 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:45.120 anything by it because I was small, but I took 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.880 it the wrong way. Week after week, month after month, 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.280 that phrase would play in my mind. You heard the 0:18:51.320 --> 0:18:54.520 coach Joel you're too small, you don't measure up, You're 0:18:54.520 --> 0:18:58.320 not good enough, There's something wrong with you. Negative voices 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.600 will always play the loudest if you don't take control 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:05.760 of your thought life, Every hurt, every critic, every derogatory 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:09.440 comment will play again and again. Now, I was tempted 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:14.480 to let the damaged goods label stick feel inferior, insecure. 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:17.760 I had to keep reminding myself. People may have said 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:20.959 that I'm too small, but God says I'm fearfully and 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.399 wonderfully made. People may have said I'm not good enough, 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:28.480 but God says I'm a masterpiece. People may have rejected me, 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:32.200 but I know God accepts me first. Peter Too says 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:37.520 you have been chosen by God himself. One translation says 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:43.200 He has hand picked you. That means you weren't randomly selected. 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:47.640 God on purpose said, I choose him, I choose her. 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:50.639 That's who I want to be on my team. And 0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:53.119 people may tell you you don't measure up, you're not 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:57.560 tall enough, smart enough, talented enough, creative enough. Let it 0:19:57.640 --> 0:20:00.560 go in one ear and out the other. You are 0:20:00.600 --> 0:20:03.520 not who people say you are. You are who God 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:07.879 says you are. God says you're just the right size. 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:13.840 You're one of a kind, equipped, empowered, valuable. Our attitude 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:16.560 should be. I may not have been chosen by the coach, 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:20.080 the teacher, the friend, the supervisor, the boss, but that's okay. 0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:23.680 I know the one who matters most, the one who 0:20:23.720 --> 0:20:27.880 controls the universe, the one who spoke worlds into existence, 0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:31.400 has hand picked me. I've been chosen by the most 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:35.680 high God. Friends, God has the final say. If you'll 0:20:35.720 --> 0:20:38.200 stay in faith, he'll get you to where he wants 0:20:38.200 --> 0:20:42.000 you to be. My dream of playing professional baseball may 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:44.560 not have worked out, but do you know some thirty 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:48.760 years later, I stood at second base at Yankee Stadium. 0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:52.200 Wasn't playing baseball. We were having a night of hope. 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:56.440 But I still like that too. It would have never 0:20:56.560 --> 0:20:59.840 happened if I would have warned the damaged goods label. 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:02.760 Long as we feel less than inferior, washed up, it 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:05.960 will keep you from the amazing things God has in store. 0:21:07.000 --> 0:21:09.600 And sometimes we feel damaged, not because how we were 0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:13.600 raised or what somebody said, but because of our own mistakes. 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:17.399 Our own weaknesses are shortcomings. We think, oh, Joel, I 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:21.080 can't expect anything good. God would never use me. You 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.119 don't know what I've done. But if that were the case, 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:27.080 if God could only use you, if you didn't have 0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:29.760 any negative baggage, then none of us would have had 0:21:29.760 --> 0:21:33.119 a chance. Think about Peter, one of the disciples. He 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:37.320 was hot tempered, he used bad language, he denied he 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:41.119 knew Christ. Three times, when Jesus needed him the most, 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:43.040 he turned his back and said, no, I don't even 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:46.960 know the man. Surely Jesus would say, fine, Peter, you 0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:50.440 turn your back on me, and I'm done with you. You 0:21:49.880 --> 0:21:53.119 had your chance, your damaged goods. No, God never writes 0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:57.200 anybody off. Jesus when he arose from the grave and 0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:01.200 angel appeared to marry at the tomb and said, Mary, 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:05.200 Jesus has risen. Now go tell his disciples, and Mary, 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:10.160 make sure that you tell Peter. The only one God 0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:15.240 specifically called out at that historic time was Peter. Why 0:22:15.640 --> 0:22:19.040 God knew the accuser would work over time trying to 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:22.520 stick that damaged goods label on Peter. If he had 0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.280 warned it, he had never fulfilled his destiny. So God 0:22:25.359 --> 0:22:30.560 specifically called his name like Peter. You may have made mistakes, 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:35.879 blown it failed, You're not expecting anything good. Imagine right now, 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:41.600 God is specifically calling your name, saying tell James, tell Susan, 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:45.800 Tell Maria. I've already forgiven you. My mercy is bigger 0:22:45.800 --> 0:22:48.920 than that mistake. I've got a destiny for you to fulfill. 0:22:49.720 --> 0:22:52.960 Now you've got to shake off the guilt. Quit living condemned, 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:56.680 take off the damaged goods label. You wouldn't be alive 0:22:56.880 --> 0:23:00.199 unless God had something amazing in your future. If you 0:23:00.240 --> 0:23:04.359 were truly damaged goods unusable, God would have taken you 0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:08.840 on home. God has a purpose for you. Your assignment is 0:23:08.880 --> 0:23:13.359 too important, your destiny too great, your time too valuable 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:17.720 to live another moment thinking that you're damaged goods. Shake 0:23:17.800 --> 0:23:20.760 it off and move forward into the bright future God 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:24.119 has In story. This is what my father had to do. 0:23:25.119 --> 0:23:28.639 Daddy was married at a very early age. It wasn't 0:23:28.680 --> 0:23:33.000 a good choice. The marriage didn't last. He was devastated. 0:23:33.520 --> 0:23:36.600 He thought his ministry was over, didn't think he'd ever 0:23:36.640 --> 0:23:40.719 have a family, And unfortunately, some of the people in 0:23:40.760 --> 0:23:44.320 his life weren't very merciful. They told him you're not 0:23:44.480 --> 0:23:47.359 welcome in our church. You had your chance, but you 0:23:47.400 --> 0:23:51.280 blew it. They stuck the damaged goods label on my father, 0:23:51.520 --> 0:23:55.600 washed up, unusable Daddy didn't know any better. He ended 0:23:55.640 --> 0:24:00.720 up resigning from the church and started selling insurance. Sometimes 0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:05.080 your own thoughts will accuse you. Other times the enemy 0:24:05.160 --> 0:24:08.680 will use people to accuse you. They'll tell you all 0:24:08.800 --> 0:24:11.800 the reasons you could never become what you were created 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:15.600 to be. Don't believe those lies. God knew every mistake 0:24:15.640 --> 0:24:20.280 you'd ever make, and He's already arranged a comeback. And 0:24:20.320 --> 0:24:22.720 when you're tempted and we all are to look down 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:26.119 on people find fault, be critical, you need to realize 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:31.560 where that's coming from. That's the accuser's influence. Jesus always 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:35.760 lifted the fallen, restored the broken, showed mercy to those 0:24:35.840 --> 0:24:40.400 that had failed. For several years, my father lived depressed, defeated, 0:24:40.480 --> 0:24:44.880 no passion. One day he realized what I'm telling you. 0:24:44.880 --> 0:24:48.000 You don't have to wear the damaged goods labeled. You 0:24:48.080 --> 0:24:51.720 may have made poor choices, gone through failures, but our 0:24:51.760 --> 0:24:55.520 God is the God of another chance. His mercy is 0:24:55.520 --> 0:25:00.679 from everlasting to everlasting. His calling will never leave your life. 0:25:01.320 --> 0:25:01.480 Now. 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:05.280 Quit listening to the accusing voices. Quit letting people make 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:08.920 you feel washed up. They don't determine your destiny. God does. 0:25:09.920 --> 0:25:12.520 My father got back in the ministry. He went on 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:15.720 to pastor churches for over fifty years, was married to 0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:19.120 my mother for forty four years. He saw God restore 0:25:19.200 --> 0:25:22.240 him and do amazing things. God can do the same 0:25:22.280 --> 0:25:25.520 thing for each one of us. The scripture talks about 0:25:25.640 --> 0:25:29.320 how Jeremiah went down to the potter's house. He was 0:25:29.359 --> 0:25:32.760 watching this potter working at the wheel, spinning around this 0:25:32.880 --> 0:25:36.919 clay pot this vessel again and again. At one point, 0:25:36.960 --> 0:25:41.320 it says the vessel became marred in the potter's hands. 0:25:41.720 --> 0:25:45.520 That means it was broken, had flaws, defects, but the 0:25:45.560 --> 0:25:49.080 potter didn't throw it into the damaged goods pile say 0:25:49.080 --> 0:25:52.040 too bad, I've got to get something better to work with. 0:25:52.240 --> 0:25:56.359 This is not usable. No, it says, the potter began 0:25:56.480 --> 0:25:59.880 to remake the vessel once again. When it was all 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:02.960 said and done, it came out stronger, more beautiful than 0:26:02.960 --> 0:26:07.640 it was before. The potter, of course, represents God. We 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:11.560 are the clay. All of us have flaws and weaknesses. 0:26:12.160 --> 0:26:18.040 We go through failures, disappointments, unfair situations. At times, it's 0:26:18.119 --> 0:26:22.800 like we end up broken, hurt, disappointed. But that is 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:25.720 not the end of your story. If you will stay 0:26:25.760 --> 0:26:30.000 in faith and not get bitter, not get down on yourself. 0:26:30.440 --> 0:26:34.959 God will take your broken pieces, your hurts, the weaknesses, 0:26:35.000 --> 0:26:38.800 the unfair situations, and he will use them to not 0:26:39.000 --> 0:26:41.760 just put you back together, but he'll make you into 0:26:41.800 --> 0:26:46.480 something better, stronger, more beautiful than if it had not happened. 0:26:47.320 --> 0:26:50.359 I've heard it said like this. Any chef can cook 0:26:50.440 --> 0:26:53.879 something good when they have good ingredients, a good oven, 0:26:54.400 --> 0:26:57.960 good recipes, good tools. That's easy. But it takes a 0:26:58.080 --> 0:27:02.760 master chef to take ingredients that are not perfect, ingredients 0:27:02.760 --> 0:27:05.760 that are bitter sour, and still make something good out 0:27:05.760 --> 0:27:08.800 of it. That's the way God is. He's not just 0:27:08.840 --> 0:27:12.679 a chef, He's a master chef. He can take any 0:27:13.000 --> 0:27:16.879 ingredient that you give him, anything you've been through, your hurts, 0:27:16.960 --> 0:27:21.440 the disappointments, the unfair situation, and mix them together and 0:27:21.560 --> 0:27:24.080 still make something out of your life, more than you 0:27:24.200 --> 0:27:27.440 ever dreamed of. Why don't you take off the damage 0:27:27.480 --> 0:27:31.040 goods label. You're not working with an ordinary chef. You're 0:27:31.080 --> 0:27:34.800 working with the master chef, the creator of the universe. 0:27:36.000 --> 0:27:39.920 At times, if times, in life, you may get dented, 0:27:40.080 --> 0:27:42.520 but you've got to remember, just like those cans, there's 0:27:42.560 --> 0:27:46.040 nothing wrong on the inside. You are still a child 0:27:46.160 --> 0:27:49.639 of the Most High God, filled with possibility. Now do 0:27:49.760 --> 0:27:52.800 your part, shake off the guilt, quit listening to the 0:27:52.880 --> 0:27:56.639 accusing voices, and move forward with your life. If you 0:27:56.760 --> 0:28:01.200 do this, I believe and declare God will bring greatness 0:28:01.520 --> 0:28:04.760 out of a great mess. Like Ishmael. He will make 0:28:04.840 --> 0:28:08.159 something significant out of your life, like with my father. 0:28:08.440 --> 0:28:11.240 God will not only restore you, but he'll bring you 0:28:11.320 --> 0:28:14.640 out better off than you were before. In Jesus' name, 0:28:14.920 --> 0:28:19.080 if you receive it, can you say amen? Today? We 0:28:19.160 --> 0:28:21.959 never like to close our broadcast without giving you an 0:28:21.960 --> 0:28:25.639 opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would 0:28:25.680 --> 0:28:30.240 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:28:30.280 --> 0:28:34.919 of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you 0:28:35.040 --> 0:28:39.400 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:39.560 --> 0:28:42.280 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:42.320 --> 0:28:45.760 Bible based church, keep God first place. He'll take your 0:28:45.800 --> 0:28:47.360 places that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:48.280 --> 0:28:51.160 Thank you for listening to the Jolus Deine podcast. 0:28:51.520 --> 0:28:54.120 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:28:54.240 --> 0:28:55.600 those all over the world. 0:28:55.920 --> 0:28:57.480 Visit Jolus dein dot. 0:28:57.280 --> 0:29:00.280 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:01.600 --> 0:29:04.520 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:04.520 --> 0:29:07.880 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:07.960 --> 0:29:11.200 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:11.360 --> 0:29:13.800 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:13.880 --> 0:29:14.440 next time. 0:29:21.320 --> 0:29:23.800 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:27.600 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:27.640 --> 0:29:30.920 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 0:29:31.000 --> 0:29:34.040 nearly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:29:34.080 --> 0:29:37.240 the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to 0:29:37.320 --> 0:29:40.160 help for a limited time. Apply for a full tuition 0:29:40.280 --> 0:29:42.760 scholarship and only pay a one time tech fee of 0:29:42.760 --> 0:29:46.840 fifty four dollars if accepted. Apply now at mentalhealth coach 0:29:46.920 --> 0:29:50.280 dot org. Again, that's mentalhealth coach dot org. 0:29:52.440 --> 0:29:57.040 Nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralow net carbs Discover hero 0:29:57.200 --> 0:30:01.040 Bread the delicious ultra low net carbbread with incredible taste 0:30:01.080 --> 0:30:04.280 and texture. Hero Bread has zero grams of sugar and 0:30:04.440 --> 0:30:07.080 is under one hundred calories per serving, plus high end 0:30:07.120 --> 0:30:09.800 fiber and up to ten grams of protein per serving. 0:30:10.000 --> 0:30:13.120 Available on Amazon dot com, Walmart dot com, and hero 0:30:13.280 --> 0:30:16.600 dot co. That's h ro O dot co order from 0:30:16.640 --> 0:30:19.640 Hero dot Co now and get ten percent off your 0:30:19.640 --> 0:30:21.800 purchase with promo code IHM ten. 0:30:22.760 --> 0:30:24.760 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:30:24.800 --> 0:30:26.920 as our weekend plans, So get the sleep you deserve 0:30:27.000 --> 0:30:29.080 with Lisa. For a limited time, save up to seven 0:30:29.160 --> 0:30:32.040 hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows during 0:30:32.040 --> 0:30:34.720 our summer sale. Check out our hybrid mattress designed to 0:30:34.760 --> 0:30:37.320 keep you cool during those hot summer nights. Lisa also 0:30:37.320 --> 0:30:40.200 offers free shipping and a risk free one hundred night trial. 0:30:40.400 --> 0:30:43.000 Get the Sleep you deserve. Shop our summer sale now 0:30:43.000 --> 0:30:45.440 and save up to seven hundred dollars off select mattresses 0:30:45.560 --> 0:30:48.400 plus two free pillows at Lisa dot com. That's l 0:30:48.480 --> 0:30:51.480 e e s A dot Com. Exclusions apply. Visit Lisa 0:30:51.520 --> 0:30:52.400 dot com for details.