I’d like to start with something funny. I heard about these 3 men, a Baptist, a Catholic, and a Charismatic. They died on the same day and went to heaven. Saint Peter met them at the gates and said, I’m sorry men, your rooms are not available yet. He didn’t know what to do, and he decided to call Satan and see if he would keep them for a little while. Satan reluctantly agreed. A few hours later, Satan called back and said, Peter, you’ve got to come get these guys. The Baptist man is saving everybody, the Catholic man is forgiving everybody, and the Charismatic has already raised enough money for air conditioning.
I want to talk to you today about no more excuses. It’s easy to come up with a reason why we can’t accomplish a dream, why we can’t be happy, why we can’t overcome a problem. Excuses are a dime a dozen. We think, I’ve got an excuse to be sour; traffic was bad, my boss was rude, my coworker left me out. I’ve got an excuse to be offended; these people hurt me, they didn’t keep their word, they betrayed me. Or, I’ve got an excuse to settle where I am; I had a bad childhood, I lost a loved one, went through a breakup.
As long as you’re making excuses, you will justify staying where you are. Excuses give us permission to settle for less than God’s best. You can find an excuse about anything. When my nephew Matthew was about 4 years old, he was out walking through the woods with my father down this trail. They came across this big granddaddy longlegs spider on the ground. Matt was about to stomp it with his shoe. My father said, Matt don’t do that, we’re out here where he lives, he didn’t do anything wrong, let’s leave him alone. Matt contemplated it for a little while and he wasn’t fully convinced but he finally turned and walked off.
He got about 15 steps away, he turned around, ran back and smashed that spider as hard as he could with his foot. My dad said, Matt why’d you do that? He looked up and said, granddaddy the Devil made me do it.
It’s easy to find an excuse. I can’t lose this weight, my metabolism is too slow. One man said, my metabolism is not slow, it’s in a coma. I can’t break this addiction, everybody in my family has it, it’s in my genes, it’s been passed down to me. Yes, it may be in your genes but the good news is you can turn off those genes. You have the power to overcome it, but the only way it’s going to happen is if you get rid of the excuses.
As long as you’re blaming the past, blaming a neighbor, blaming the traffic, the weather, then you’re going to get stuck. I’m asking you to throw out the excuses. It may be a valid excuse; it wasn’t fair, you went through a disappointment, a sickness, a betrayal, but you have to draw the line in the sand and say I refuse to live my life with a chip on my shoulder, angry, upset with no passion.
If you’ll get rid of the excuses, God will be your vindicator. God will pay you back for the unfair things. This is your year to step up to a new level, to see God’s favor in a new way. Now, have this attitude, no more excuses. No excuses to be unhappy, this day is a gift from God. I’m going to enjoy it, in spite of what’s going on. No excuses to settle for mediocrity, give up on my dreams. I’m pursuing my goals, overcoming obstacles, breaking these bad habits.
Or, how about, no more excuses to go around feeling inferior. I know who I am, a child of the Most High God. Well, Joel, I don’t think I can accomplish my goals. I’m not that talented, I don’t really have the connections. I didn’t get what my friends got; they have the looks, the personality, the good breaks. Here’s the key: if you didn’t get it then you don’t need it. You have exactly what you need. If you needed what they had, God would have given it to you. Now, quit comparing yourself and start running your own race. You are anointed to be you. Nobody can beat you at being you. You are fully loaded, totally equipped, uniquely designed for the race that’s been laid out for you.
And get rid of those excuses. I’m too tall, too short, too old, wrong nationality. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Step up to who you were created to be.
When my father went to be with the Lord, I knew I was supposed to step up and Pastor the Church. But all of these excuses flooded my mind. I don’t have the training, I’ve never ministered before, my personality’s too laid back, my voice is not strong enough. If I would have held onto those excuses, I wouldn’t be standing here today. Anytime God is about to take you to a new level, there will be excuses you will have to first get rid of. Before you see promotion, you have to get rid of that excuse, I’m not qualified, I’m not that talented, I can’t do that.
Before you break the addiction, get rid of the excuse. I’ve had it too long. I’m not disciplined enough. Friends, God wants to do something new in your life. He wants to take you to a new level in your destiny. Are you allowing excuses to hold you back? When I stepped up and started ministering, I would write out all of my sermons by hand. I would have 20 pages of notes scribbled here and there, all over the desk. On Saturday, I would try to put them all together and hope that somehow it made sense.
A couple of months in, Victoria came and said, Joel you’re wasting so much time writing this all out by hand. You need to get a computer and start typing it. That way you can cut, paste, move it around; it’d be so much easier.
Well, I had taken typing in high school but I hadn’t typed in 20 years. I reached into my excuse bag and I pulled a couple out. I said, Victoria I can’t do that. I don’t know how to type. I was saying, in effect, I’m limited, I’m not up to par, I can’t learn anything new. She looked at me and said, Joel you are 36 years old you can do anything you put your mind to; we’re going to get a computer and you’re going to start typing out these messages. She didn’t ask me; she told me. All I could say was yes ma’am.
But sometimes you need someone to speak the truth in love to you. Maybe you’re coasting like I was, thinking that you can’t step up, you’ve reached your limits. No, you have gifts and talents on the inside that you’ve not tapped into. I’m telling you like Victoria told me, no ifs, ands or buts, it’s time to lose the excuse bag, step up to a new level, start learning something new. Start training for that next program, start taking on more responsibility. Or how about start writing that book, start writing those songs, start developing that business plan. You have potential lying dormant on the inside right now. It’s seeds of greatness. The enemy would love to use excuses to keep it from ever coming out.
You’ve got to stir up what God put on the inside. Quit telling yourself what you can’t do, how you don’t have the discipline, the training and the education. You have everything you need. You are well able; God has already put it in you.
I started typing my messages on the computer and it was like night and day difference. In a couple of weeks it all came back. I remembered how to type. It saved me hours every week. Since then, I’ve typed 7 books, hundreds of messages, and I’m so glad I had that idea. But you’ve heard that saying, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But I’ve learned that it depends on what kind of dog you have. If your dog thinks, I’m limited, I’m lacking, I can’t learn anything new, then that dog’ll get stuck. But if you have a dog that says, I’m well able, I’m equipped, empowered, nothing’s too hard for me that dog will learn new tricks. My message: make sure you’re the right kind of dog.
Are you stuck doing something the old-fashioned way because like I did you think you don’t have the talent, the knowhow, the ability to step into the new? Well, quit discounting yourself. You have what you need to live in this generation. Quit shrinking back. Don’t let those excuses convince you that you’re lacking. You’re too old, too young, not up to speed, not up to par. God put in you what you need for this day. This is your time to shine. Get rid of those limiting excuses and stay open for new ideas and new ways to do things.
The thing I love about my mom. She’s 81 years old, she sends us kids group texts all through the day. Most of them make sense. But I love the fact that she’s not intimidated to learn something new. I’m just praying she doesn’t discover Instagram.
But, seriously, when we keep making excuses, they become a crutch. That way we can justify why we’re not where we’re supposed to be. They hurt me. They did me wrong. Now I have to use this self-pity crutch to hobble along. I’ve got a reason to be this way. Or, my friend is more talented; they got the looks, the personality, so I’ve got to use this inferior crutch, this not up to par crutch. Or, I made some mistakes in life, didn’t raise my kids right, blew my relationship; that’s why I’m using this regret crutch, this not up to par crutch.
Every time you make an excuse, it’s slowing you down. It’s causing you to hobble. The tragedy is some people spend their whole life on crutches. Don’t let that be you. If you’ll get rid of the excuses, believe that you have what it takes, trust God to make your wrongs right. Then, instead of hobbling, barely getting by, you’ll keep stepping into new levels of your destiny.
That’s what a young lady did named Wilma. She was born prematurely back in the 1940s, the 20th of 22 children. When she was 4 years old, she developed polio in her left leg. It shriveled up so badly that doctors told her parents she would probably never walk again. When other kids were out playing and having fun, she was at home not able to walk.
She spent 2 years bedridden. She could have thought, hey this is my lot in life, I’ve had a bad break, got a good reason to settle where I am. No, Wilma had this no excuses mentality. A caring doctor made her a special leg brace and a shoe. Against all odds, she learned how to walk. At 11 years of age, without her parents knowing it, she started taking off the brace and going out and playing with the other kids. She developed a great passion for running. Some days she’d go out and run for hours at a time.
One day, a coach from Tennessee State University noticed how much she loved to run and how fast she was. He invited her to try out for the team. She not only made that team but, at 16 years old, she qualified for the 1956 Olympics and went on to win a Bronze medal. Four years later in the 1960 Olympics Wilma Rudolph won 3 Gold medals and went on to become a national hero.
That’s what happens when you don’t let self-pity become a crutch. You don’t sit around thinking about what you didn’t get, how you don’t measure up. You’ll beat the odds. God will get you to where you’re supposed to be. We’ve all had bad breaks, things we don’t understand. But if that was going to keep you from your destiny, God would have never permitted it. Don’t let it become a crutch. Don’t use it as an excuse to settle where you are. Do like Wilma, stir up what God’s put on the inside. You’ll go places that you’ve never dreamed.
In the Scripture, there was a man that had been blind since his birth. Some people asked Jesus, why was he born this way? Whose fault was it, his or his parents? They wanted somebody to blame. An excuse, a reason. Jesus said to them, it’s nobody’s fault; he was born this way so that the goodness of God might be displayed in his life. Jesus touched his eyes and instantly he could see.
When you have a bad break, a disadvantage, don’t get stuck looking for someone or something to blame; you’re not always going to understand why things happen in life. But if you’ll stay in faith it won’t work against you it will work for you. God will use it to show out in your life.
Like these people, it’s easy to want to blame the parents; it’s their fault, that’s why he’s blind. Blame the man, blame the neighbor, blame a friend. All that’s going to do is give you a reason to feel sorry for yourself. Before long you’ll have that crutch. But nothing that’s happened to you is a surprise to God. You have to take the hand you’ve been dealt and make the most of it.
It may not have been fair but God is fair. He is a God of justice. He sees every wrong that’s been done to you, every hurt, every disadvantage. If you won’t let it become an excuse to get bitter, to have a chip on your shoulder, then God said He’ll take that wrong and He’ll turn it around and use it to your advantage. He will pay you back for the unfair things.
See, people can’t stop your destiny. What they said about you, what they did to you, how they tried to make you feel doesn’t have to affect you. The only power that has over you is the power that you give it. If you sit around nursing your wounds, thinking about the wrong, about how bad it was, that’s going to become a crutch that will hold you back. But if you will let it go, God will fight your battles. God will be your vindicator.
We see this principle in the light of Joseph. He went through one unfair situation after another.
His brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. He could have become bitter, thought I’ve got a good excuse to live my life angry. He was lied about, falsely accused, and put in prison. Another excuse to have a chip on his shoulder. He spent years in that prison for something that he didn’t do. He could have come up with excuse after excuse to settle where he was. But Joseph knew those excuses would become crutches that would keep him from his destiny.
He had this no excuse mentality. He kept shaking off the disappointments, overlooking the offenses, doing the right thing when the wrong thing was happening. In the end, he came out vindicated, promoted, in a place of honor, prestige, influence. You may have had some bad breaks, things you don’t understand, but don’t get stuck looking back, reliving the negative. That is a distraction.
If you’ll do like Joseph and keep moving forward, taking the high road, doing the right thing, God will get you to where you’re supposed to be. No bad break can stop you, a disadvantage, an injustice. God has the final say. But you say, Joel, they hurt me, they did me wrong. I say this respectfully, everybody’s been hurt, and you have to get over it. Well they left me out. Everybody’s been left out. They lied about me. Everybody’s been lied about. It’s not worth missing your destiny over.
I’m not saying what they did was okay. What I’m saying is it doesn’t have to control the rest of your life. It would be easy to live with a chip on your shoulder, thinking about how wrong it is.
Before long you’ll have that crutch that will cause you to hobble when God created you to run. You’ve got to draw the line in the sand and say that’s it no more excuses. Can’t do anything about the past but I can do something about right now and I am going to live my life in faith, trusting God to make it up to me. Friends, this day is a gift. Once we live it, we can never get it back. Life is too short to waste another day angry, offended, in self-pity.
Like Joseph, you may have had a rough start but you don’t have to have a rough finish. God wants to pay you back. He wants to give you beauty for the ashes, double for the injustice. Now, realize it’s not always easy to get over it. It’s not necessarily easy to move forward. But here’s the key. The pain of letting it go is less than the pain of holding on and missing your destiny.
In the Scripture, it tells us to be imitators of Christ; His life should be our example. If we’re going to be like Jesus, that means we’re going to have people come against us, try to make us look bad. It means we’re going to be misunderstood and criticized. We’re going to have a Garden of Gethsemane, times we feel alone and abandoned. And yes we may even have a Judas, people that betray us, turn their back and walk away.
It’s interesting, when Judas came with the soldiers to betray Jesus, Jesus said to him, friend what have you come here to do? Jesus knew he was going to betray Him but He still called him friend. His attitude was, I’ve already gotten over what you’re about to do. Your poor choice is not going to steal my joy, nor stop my destiny. My Father has the final say. It may get a little rough but I know in the end I’m going to come out wearing that victor’s crown.
If we will do like Jesus and not get bitter when unfair things happen, trust our Father to make it up to us, at some point we too will be wearing the victor’s crown. Like Joseph, you’ll come out vindicated, promoted, in a place of honor and influence.
John 5, there’s this story of a crippled man; he’d been lying at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. Every once in a while, an angel would come by and move the water. The first person in would be healed. The Amplified version describes his man’s condition as a deep-seated, lingering disorder.
What is a lingering disorder? It’s not just physical but when we stay focused on negative things of the past, we keep making excuses and not move forward, those lingering disorders can keep us from our destiny. One day, Jesus came by and saw the man lying there. It was obvious he was crippled. Jesus knew the reason he was by the pool was to try to get well. But He asked him what seemed to be a strange question.
He said to the man, do you want to get well? One version says, are you serious about getting well? By the way this man responded, it shows us why he’d been that way for so long. He said, yes, but I don’t have anybody to help me, I’m at a disadvantage, I’m all alone, you see my legs, when the angel comes everybody gets in, in front of me. He used excuse after excuse. He’d used those excuses so long they had become a crutch. I love the way Jesus answered back. He didn’t respond to the man’s sad story.
He didn’t say, well I feel sorry for you, you’ve had a rough life. He looked him in the eyes and said, in effect, if you’re serious about getting well, if you’re serious about moving forward, then pick up your bed, get up, and be on your way. He spoke faith over the man. And for the first time when that man heard that something came alive on the inside, he thought, you mean, I don’t have to keep making excuses? You mean, I don’t have to just sit here and wait for something to change? I can make something happen?
This man got up, took up his bed. He walked out of there, healthy and whole. I wonder how many things we would get out of, defeat, depression, bad habits, if we would just quit feeling sorry for ourselves, quit making excuses, and start moving forward.
God is asking us today what He asked this man: Are you serious about getting well? Are you serious about overcoming that addiction, about finishing school, about moving past that disappointment? Then there’s something that you have to do. Get up on the inside, in your attitude, in your thoughts, in your countenance, in how you talk. In other words, shake off the self-pity. Quit reliving the negative. You’re waiting on God, but God is waiting on you. If you will get up, take up your bed, so to speak, start moving forward, that’s when you’ll see things begin to change in your favor.
God said, in Isaiah 42, the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare. Sing a new song unto the Lord. God is saying, the things you’ve been struggling with are coming to an end. The discouragement, the loneliness, the bad breaks, the depression. God is about to put a stop to it. He’s going to do a new thing. But, there is one requirement. The last part of this verse is the whole key. If you want to see the negative end, and God do a new thing, then you have to sing a new song. You can’t keep singing that old song of who hurt me, and I’ve been by this pool 38 years, I’m never going to get well.
No, throw out that song of self-pity. Get rid of that song of defeat. Erase that song of it’s never going to work out. Start singing a song of victory. I may have had a season of bad breaks, but I know this is my due season year. Things are changing in my favor. I am armed with the strength of this battle. I will overcome this illness. I will break this bad habit. I will finish school. I will live healthy, whole, and victorious. If you want to see the new, you’ve got to start singing the new song.
In other words, no more sad songs. No more talking about what hurt you, what didn’t work out. God knows everything you’ve been through. You don’t need to constantly remind Him. If you’ll lose the sad song, and start singing a new song, God will turn your mourning into dancing. He’ll take your setback and use it as a setup to take you somewhere great.
But, I wonder, how many of us today, like this man, have these lingering disorders? We went through a hurt, a disappointment; instead of letting go, moving forward, trusting in God, we started making excuses. Now it’s gone on year after year. The good news is, if you will get rid of the excuses, it’s just a matter of time before those lingering disorders will leave. That’s when God will show up and begin to turn things around.
Is there something that you need to get over today? A childhood that wasn’t so great, a friend that betrayed you, a business that didn’t make it? Now you’re using it as a crutch to stay where you are? Why don’t you make this decision to say with me, no more excuses? You can’t do anything about your past but you can do something about your future. And because you have this new song, I believe and declare that things that have held you back are coming to an end. God is doing a new thing, you’re going to see beauty for those ashes, you’re going to overcome the illness, see new relationships, new opportunities, a new level of your destiny. In Jesus name, I you believe it and if you receive it can you say Amen today?
We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins, come into my heart, I’ll make you my Lord and Savior.
Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based Church, keep God in first place, He’s going to take you places that you’ve never dreamed.
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-God’s blessings in the past, but you need to get ready, you haven’t seen anything yet. Where God is going to take you, the doors He’s going to open, the people you’re going to meet, the promotion, the good breaks, the influence, tt’s going to supersede anything that you’ve ever imagined. God’s prepared a wide, spacious life for you.
Now my challenge is don’t live with a small mentality. Don’t water down your dreams, accepting less, when you know that God has created you for more. But you say, Joel, I’m doing okay, can’t complain, got a roof over my head, got a job, I’m making it. That’s good, we should be grateful, we should be content.
What I’m saying is don’t settle there, don’t let that become permanent in your thinking. I’ve learned if we live in mediocrity long enough, it can become normal to us to where we think that’s all there is.
If you see lack, dysfunction, struggle, addictions on a regular basis, it can become ingrained in you to the point where you think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. We adapt to our environment. If you take a fish that’s supposed to grow to 2 feet long and you put him in a small aquarium that fish will never become what it was created to be. Not because there’s something wrong with the fish but because of the environment that it’s in. You may be in a limited environment right now; perhaps you can’t do anything about that. The key is, don’t let the environment get in you.
Don’t let mediocrity become the norm. That may be where you are, but that is not who you are. You are a child of the Most High God, the Creator of the Universe has breathed His life into you. Let these words sink down into your spirit. A wide-open, spacious life. That means a life free from addictions and bad habits. A life where you’re happy, healthy, whole, fulfilled. A life of abundance, more than enough, an overflow life.
See, the enemy wants to contain you but God wants to enlarge you. Break out in your thinking. Stay open to new possibilities. One time in the Scripture, Peter had been fishing all night. The next morning, Jesus came to him and asked him if He could borrow his boat to teach the people from the shores. When He finished teaching, He wanted to pay Peter for the use of his boat.
He said to Peter, launch out into the deep and let down your nets. Nets with an ‘s’ – plural. Well, Peter began to reason it out. He said, Jesus we fished all night, we didn’t catch anything, and morning’s not the best time to fish. He came up with excuse after excuse. Almost talked himself out of it.
At the last minute he decided to go ahead and do it. But the Scripture says Peter went out and let down his net, singular. In other words, Jesus said, Peter I’ve got an abundant life for you, I’ve got a wide, spacious life. But Peter thought, ah, it’s not going to happen for me, there’s no fish out there; I never get any good breaks. So, he went out and let down his net. He caught so many fish that it began to break.
A lot of times, we’re like Peter. God says I want you to live a big life. An abundant, fulfilled life, where you’re gaining new ground. I want to take you where you’ve never been. Show you influence, favor, good breaks that you’ve never seen. But, there is a catch. You have to let down your nets. You have to make room for it in your thinking. You can’t think small, believe small, expect small, and expect to live this large life.
If you just let down your net, thinking God help me survive, help me to make it through this month, help me to live with this addiction, help me to maintain where I am, you will miss the fullness of what God has in store.
Why don’t you start letting down your nets? Why don’t you say, God I’m in agreement with you. I believe you have a wide-open, spacious, abundant life in store for me. So, I’m going to believe that my whole family is going to serve you. I’m going to believe that I’m going to come out of debt, be a blessing to others, believing I’m going to start my business, to build that orphanage, to meet the person of my dreams. If you’ll start letting down your nets, God will open doors that you could never open, bring the right people across your path. He’ll take you where you’ve never dreamed.
But, too often, we let how we were raised, what we saw modeled growing up, set the limits for our life. If our parents had addictions, bad habits, the people that raised us lived in lack and mediocrity, we think that’s our lot in life. People tell me, Joel, I’ve gone as far as my parents. I’ve accomplished as much as my grandparents. I’m doing good enough. No, God is a progressive God. He wants every generation to increase. Your parents, your relatives, they laid the foundation. You’re not supposed to settle there; you’re supposed to build off of what they did. That’s not a resting place where you can put down your stakes; that’s a stepping stone for you to rise higher, a launching pad for you to go further. Don’t get comfortable and settle there.
Yes, you may have seen some mediocrity growing up, but God is counting on you to be the difference maker. In other words, maybe nobody in your family made good grades in school. You be the one to make good grades. Maybe none of them went to college; you be the one to go to college. They didn’t live in a nice house; that’s okay. They did the best they could with what they had. But don’t you settle there. You have more advantages than they have. You have more wisdom, you have more opportunity, there is more available to you.
Your relatives may have let down their net, singular, but the good news is you know better; you can let down your nets. You can dream bigger. You can believe bigger. Start living large. Start taking steps of faith. Stretching, growing, learning. There’s a wide, spacious life prepared for you.
I saw a documentary about a professional thief. This man was extremely intelligent. The way he planned his burglaries was very fascinating. He used incredible strategy. For 21 years, he burglarized homes without being caught. He never hurt anyone; he would only do it if the people weren’t there. The police were so frustrated, they brought in federal agents, some of the most skilled detectives around. They still couldn’t catch him. After 21 years because of this fluke he was caught. This man did not look like a thief. He looked like a typical middle-class business person.
The police were very puzzled. They asked him, with all of your talent, your expertise, your skill, why did you choose a life of crime? I’ll never forget his answer. He said, this is all that I know how to do. He went on to tell how he came out of a dysfunctional family, other relatives were involved in the same type of things. What was his problem? He had been raised in a limited environment. He made the mistake of letting the environment get in him. He saw dysfunction growing up and thought that was his lot in life.
And, like that fish in a small aquarium, there was nothing wrong with him. He had the talent, the intellect. God had a wide life planned for him. But, because of limited thinking, he was living it in a small way. Don’t let how you were raised or even the environment you’re in right now convince you to settle where you are. Get rid of that old wineskin.
I wanted to say to this man, if you could successfully steal for 21 years, outsmarting some of the brightest minds around, don’t you think you could run your own business? Don’t you think you could earn your Master’s Degree? Don’t you think that you could help businesses develop strategies to grow? Use your gifts for productive purposes?
I had a young man tell me after the service a while back how the only thing he knew how to do was sell drugs. He came out of a rough neighborhood, dropped out of high school, his parents were never around. A lot of odds were against him. He said, Joel, I don’t like doing it. I know it’s not right but I don’t have any special skills. This is the only way I know how to make a living. I said, no, you’re selling yourself short. You’re smarter than you think. Selling drugs is not the only thing you can do.
Think about this. If you can sell drugs, you have to know how to market your product. That’s marketing. You have to know how to get the word out. That’s advertising. You have to take care of your clients. That’s customer service. You have to know when to sell, when not to sell. That’s a management decision. The truth is, if you can sell drugs, you can sell stocks and bonds. You can sell medical equipment, you can sell electronics.
God has a big life waiting for you. He has a purpose for you to fulfill, an assignment for you to accomplish. He’s put the right gifts and talents in you. He’s already lined up the right people, the right opportunities. Here’s the key. Don’t let your heredity stop your destiny. Don’t let what was passed down to you keep you down. Break out of a limited mindset. There is greatness in you. Your destiny is calling out; it’s time to start living large.
If you’ll start throwing out your nets, having a bigger vision, believing that you’re well able, like Peter you’ll come into a great haul. God will amaze you with His goodness.
This is what my father had to do. He was raised in a limited environment. His parents were cotton farmers. They lost everything during the Great Depression. They didn’t have enough food to eat. My dad would go to high school with holes in his pants, holes in his shoes. This poverty mentality had become ingrained in his thinking. We’re poor, we’re defeated; this is all I’ll ever have. This is my lot in life. That’s all he had ever seen.
He didn’t know any better but at 17 years of age my dad gave his life to Christ. God called him to be a Minister. Something came alive on the inside. Those seeds of greatness begin to take root. He heard a voice saying, this is not your destiny. You are not made to live a defeated life but rather an overcoming, victorious, fulfilling life; there’s something more in store. In his mind, this battle of containment was taking place. Negative voices telling him just the opposite. This is all there is, you’ll never get out, just accept it.
His parents, my grandparents, were very loving people. Kind, hardworking people, but they had a limited vision. They were living a small life. They said, John, you’d better not leave the farm, all you know how to do is pick cotton. He could have thought, yeah, you’re right; I don’t have the education, the talent, the connections, the money. I’d better just stay here. No, don’t let people put their limitations on you.
Something rose up in my father. He said, this is where I am but this is not who I am. I may be in a limited environment, but I’m not going to let this environment get in me. I know I’m a child of the Most High God. I’m destined to leave my mark on this generation. He started throwing out his nets, believing he could take new ground for his family. Believing to step into the wide-open, spacious life. At 17, he left home and that’s just what happened. God opened up big doors. He pastored big places, touched people all over the world. God took him places he could never imagine.
Here’s the beauty. Because he stepped up and broke that poverty mentality, now my family, my brother, my sisters, we don’t have to deal with it. Like my father, you can be the one to break the cycle of lack and defeat in your family. You can break the addictions, the bad habits. You can rise to a new level and go where no one in your family has ever gone. There’s a large life waiting for you; don’t stay contained. Don’t talk yourself out of it. If you’ll think bigger, you’ll live bigger.
I saw an experiment that was done with 4 monkeys. They placed them in a room with a large pole in the center. At the top of the pole was a bunch of bananas. The first monkey hurried up the pole, so excited. Couldn’t wait to get a banana. But just when he was about to reach for one, a large bucket of cold water was pulled on him. He scurried down that pole as fast as he could. He didn’t want to have anything to do with those bananas.
After a few minutes, the second monkey went up. The same thing happened. Poured the cold water on him. He turned around, ran back. Over the next hour, the other 2 monkeys went up. But, once again, they were doused with water, came running back down. Day after day went by. Even though those monkeys loved bananas, they wouldn’t dare go up that pole. At that point, the researchers removed one monkey and brought a new monkey in.
This new monkey started going up the pole. When he did, the other 3 monkeys grabbed him, pulled him down, and wouldn’t let him go up. He tried again and again and again. They wouldn’t let him. Finally, he gave up, quit trying. Researchers brought in another monkey, and removed an original one. Same thing. When he went up, the 3 other monkeys grabbed him. Eventually, the room was filled with dozens of monkeys. None of them the original. None of them had felt the dousing of water. But, not one of them would go up that pole. They didn’t know why; they just knew they couldn’t have those bananas.
Sometimes, we’re like these monkeys. We don’t know why we can’t do something great, why we can’t accomplish a dream, why we can’t break an addiction. All we know is nobody in our family has done it, now they’re pulling us down, telling us how we can’t be successful, throwing water on our passion. Generation after generation being limited, pulled down, because of wrong thinking.
My message today is very simple. Go get your bananas. Somebody may have told you, you can’t do it. Nobody in your family did it; daddy didn’t do it, granddaddy didn’t do it, great-grandaddy didn’t do it, that’s okay. This is a new day. You’re the difference maker, rise up and go get what belongs to you. Quit letting people pull you down. Your friends, your relatives, your coworkers, they may mean well but God didn’t put the dream in them, He put the dream in you. Don’t let them talk you out of it. Don’t settle where you are because everybody around you is stuck. Go get your bananas. And get me one while you’re there.
But you’ve got to learn how to encourage yourself. You can’t rely on people to keep you built up and cheer you on. Sometimes people will let you down. They’ll try to keep you at the same level. They may not see what you can see. Paul said in Romans 3, what if they don’t believe? Will their unbelief make the faith of God of no effect?
One version says, so what if they don’t believe? Just because somebody doesn’t believe that you can do what God put in your heart, that doesn’t change everything. You don’t have to have everybody on board. You’re never going to get all of your relatives, friends, and coworkers to cheer you on and support you. In fact, sometimes, and I say this respectfully, they’ll be like these monkeys. They’ll tell you, you really think you can do that? You really think you can break that addiction, start that business, write that book? I don’t think so; nobody can climb that pole. Your attitude should be, again respectfully, so what if they don’t believe. I don’t need their encouragement, their support, and their prayers.
I know this, me and God are a majority. If God be for me, who dare be against me? I’m going to go get my bananas. Start encouraging yourself. I’m strong, I’m talented, I’m well able. I’m coming into my wide-open, spacious life.
A friend of mine told how when he was 6 years old the teacher gave the class an assignment. They had to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up. He had seen a man on television that was very funny. That was his dream as a little boy. He knew he wanted to be on television making people laugh. He wrote it down. He came from a low-income family, wore hand-me-down clothes, plus he had a problem with stuttering.
The teacher started calling out the kids’ names out loud and reading what they had written down. But, when she came to his, she stopped and said, Stevie, will you please come up here? He walked to the front of the class so proud, thinking that she was going to encourage him, cheer him on. It was just the opposite.
She said, Stevie, what did you write down? He said, I wrote down that I want to be on television making people laugh. She said, now Stevie do you know anybody on television? He said, no ma’am. She said, Stevie has anyone in your family ever been on television? He said, no ma’am. She said, then you need to take this back and write down something more realistic.
As a 6 year old body, he was confused. Up to that point, nobody had ever told him what he couldn’t become. And his teacher, I’m sure she meant well but like these monkeys she was pulling him down. You can’t do that; nobody in this school does that.
That night, Stevie told his father what had happened. He showed him the paper where he had written down he wanted to be on television. His father said, Stevie put this is your top drawer. Every morning before you go to school, every night before you go to bed, you get this paper out and read it and thank God that one day you will be on television.
He did that, year after year after year. Today, many years later, my friend Steve Harvey is on television 7 days a week making people laugh. A great inspiration. Who told you, you can’t do something great? Who told you, you can’t accomplish your dreams? Who told you, you’ll never overcome that illness? Don’t let the monkeys of life keep you from your destiny.
Steve could easily be living a small life. If he’d have let those words take root, gone around thinking about them that would have kept him from being God’s best. If you’re going to live a large life, you have to delete the negative things that were spoken over you. You are not who people say you are; you are who God says you are. Don’t let what they said contain you.
For instance, you’re just a C student. Delete that. You’re an A student. You’ll never get out of debt. Delete that. You will lend and not borrow. You can’t accomplish your dreams. Delete that. You can do all things through Christ. You’re not talented, you’re not attractive. Delete that. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Friends, people don’t have the final say. God does. And He says, I’ve prepared for you a wide-open, spacious life. Now, get rid of the old wineskins, start throwing out your nets, this is a new day. God wants to take you where you’ve never been. He wants to show you something that you’ve never seen.
If you will start living large, I believe and declare, you’re going to see new doors begin to open. New talent come out of you, new friendships, new opportunities, a new level of your destiny, in Jesus’ name. And, if you receive it, can you say Amen?
We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I’ll repent of my sins, come into my heart, I’ll make you my Lord and Savior.
Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based Church, keep God in first place, He’s going to take you where you’ve never dreamed.
Things that we know God could change. We know He could open the door. He could remove the temptation. He could give us the baby we’ve been dreaming about. But it’s not happening. We have to realize God is a sovereign God. We’re not going to understand why everything happens. There are some things that God doesn’t remove. Some situations, He waits a long time to change. You have to trust that He knows what’s best for you.
Everything that He’s not changing, what He’s not removing, if you keep the right attitude, it won’t work against you, it will work for you. Don’t let the contradictions of life cause you to be sour and give up on your dreams.
The Apostle Paul wrote over half of the New Testament. He came from an influential family, was highly educated. God used him in incredible ways. But as effective as Paul was, he had this secret frustration; he called it a thorn in his flesh. Scholars had debated for years whether that was a physical condition, some kind of illness, or whether it was emotional.
Whatever this thorn was, whatever was bothering Paul, he asked God 3 times to remove it. One version says he implored God to take it away. That means he gave it his best argument. God, you know I’m doing my best serving you, writing all of these books, the least you can do is heal me. If anybody had pull with God, it would have been Paul. But what’s interesting is God didn’t remove the thorn. He said, Paul my grace is sufficient for you. My power shows up best in weakness.
Is there something you’ve been imploring God to change? Situations in your health, your finance, your relationships? You’ve asked again and again, nothings improving. I’m not saying to give up and settle there. What I’m saying is until God removes it, don’t let it steal your joy. Don’t let it sour your life. You have the grace to be there. The right attitude is I’m not going to let this secret frustration, this thorn in my flesh, so to speak, frustrate me anymore. God, I believe your grace is sufficient. Now I know at the right time you’ll change it, but even if you don’t change it, I’m still going to be my best and honor you.
You have to make up your mind that if your spouse never changes, if your health never improves, if you have to put up with that grouchy boss the rest of your life, you are not going to complain, you’re not going to use it as an excuse to slack off. You’re going to tap into this grace. It is sufficient for you. Here’s the key. Don’t stay focused on the frustration. If Paul would have gone around thinking, God why won’t you remove this thorn, why won’t you change my child, why won’t you help my business grow? If he would have stayed focused in the why’s of life, he would have never fulfilled his destiny. Faith is trusting God when life doesn’t make sense.
A man named Smith Wigglesworth was one of the great ministers of the early 1900s. He would have large readings where he would see hundreds of people heal all kinds of miracles. But most of Wigglesworth’s life, he suffered from kidney stones.
Many times he would leave the services in so much pain that he couldn’t walk, had to go home and lay down, hour after hour, to try to get some form of relief. Here he had just seen all of these great miracles, but he didn’t see his own miracle. He could have gotten bitter; God this is not fair, you healed them, why don’t you heal me? No, he had this attitude your grace is sufficient for every situation, even when I don’t understand it. Even when it doesn’t make sense, God I trust you. I’m not going to let this secret frustration keep me from my destiny.
If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you can’t be a weakling. You have to be a warrior. There will be things you don’t understand, things that don’t make sense. But God knows what He’s doing. His ways are better than our ways. He is the potter, we are the clay. When it’s time to be removed He will remove it. Until then, dig your heels in, fight the good fight of faith. You have the grace you need for every situation.
When Jesus healed the man that had been crippled for 38 years, there by the Pool of Bethesda, God told him to get up and take his bed and walk. I believe that it was significant that he asked him to take his bed with him. He didn’t need it anymore, after all, but God was saying this thing that’s held you back, this thing that’s held you from being your best for so many years, I want you to take it with you as a reminder of what I’ve done in your life. Even though he couldn’t walk, even though he didn’t need the bed, it remained a part of his life. It was a contradiction; I’m healed, I’m healthy, I can walk, but I’ve still got my bed.
Imagine him going to help someone else that is struggling. They’d look at him and go how can you help me? You’ve still got the bed. You’re still carrying around that thing that held you back. He said, no, it’s not what you think. It’s not a limitation to slow me down, it’s a testimony of what God has done in my life. This bed may look like a liability, but really it’s an asset. Every time I see it, it reminds me to give God thanks; it reminds me where He brought me from. It reminds me that if He can do it for me once, He can do it for me again.
What am I saying? Even though God frees you of certain things, you may still have your bed. You may still be tempted in that same area. The weakness, the limitation, may not totally go away. One reason God doesn’t remove the bed totally is not to slow you down, give you an excuse to go back, but rather to remind you of where you came from. That bed is not there to discourage you but to inspire you.
I’ve been ministering now for close to 15 years. When I started, I was so nervous, intimidated. I was – thank you but, I was insecure, and I didn’t really feel qualified. Over the last few years, of course, I’ve grown and become more confident. But the truth is God didn’t make me into a different person. When I get up here, you may not see it but I still have my bed. Those weaknesses, those limitations, come back from time to time. But I don’t see them the same way. They don’t intimidate me. They remind me of my dependency on God.
Another reason God doesn’t totally remove the bed is because if you think you can do it all on your own, you can do it all on your own, you don’t need His help, before long you’ll be back to where you were. But if you’ll see the weakness, the temptation, as a reminder to ask God for His help, to show your dependency on Him, then you will continue to rise higher in spite of what comes against you.
Now, I can say I’ve got my bed but I’m the pastor of the church. I’ve got my bed but I’m healthy, happy, victoriously. In the Old Testament, God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let the people go. Moses said, God how would he know that you sent me? I don’t come from an influential family. What makes you think Pharaoh’s going to listen to me? God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground. When he did, it turned into a snake. He picked it back up and it turned back into a staff.
He told him to put his arm in his coat. When he pulled it out it was filled with leprosy. He pulled it back in and then pulled it back out; it was clean as can be. God was showing him these signs so he would go in with confidence, knowing that Pharaoh would listen to him. But Moses had another concern. He said, God I can’t stand before Pharaoh, I stutter; I’ve got a problem with my speech. You would think since God just showed him these great miraculous signs, God would simply touch his tongue, make him normal, and take away the stuttering. But God didn’t do that. He didn’t remove the problem. He was saying to Paul what he said to Moses.
My grace is sufficient and my power shows up best in weaknesses. And Moses if I needed to remove that stuttering so that you could fulfill your destiny, I would have removed it. Are you waiting for God to remove something before you can be happy? Before you can pursue a dream? Before you can finish school? If God hasn’t removed it, it’s not an accident. You don’t have to put your life on hold because you have a secret frustration. You have everything you need to fulfill your destiny.
The scripture talks about how we have treasure in these earthen vessels. All of us have imperfections in our clay vessels. In other words, there’s probably at least one thing that God is not removing that we could easily by irritated by, live frustrated. Lord, if I didn’t have this back pain, have to struggle with this weight issue, have this coworker that gets on my nerves, this legal problem. Or how about if I hadn’t have gone through a bad childhood, divorce, the hurt, the pain. Whatever your thorn is, God is saying to us what He said to Paul, my grace is sufficient. Quit fighting it, quit letting it steal your joy.
When it’s time to be removed, God will remove it. Until then, tap into this grace. God, my life is in your hands. You know what I want, you know my dreams, you know what’s bothering me; I may not understand it, it may not make sense, but God I trust you.
Here’s a key. If God is not removing it, it’s not an accident. There is a reason. Paul thought the thorn in his flesh was to keep him from being puffed up and too proud. Maybe that was true. Only God knows. But that secret frustration may just be a time of testing where you have to prove to God that you’re going to be content and do your best even though it’s not going your way. You’re going to keep giving, even though you’re not receiving.
You’re going to keep honoring Him, even though you’re not seeing things change. God could be using that to grow you up, develop your character. Some things we can only learn through experience, we can’t learn through reading a book or listening to a message. The scripture says, our faith is tried in the fire of affliction. That’s where our spiritual muscles are developed. You can’t get stronger if you’re not put under any pressure. You have to work out, exercise your faith; it may not be comfortable, you may not like it, but if you’ll stick with it, it’s not working against you, it’s working for you. You’re growing, you’re coming up higher, and you’re getting prepared for new levels.
See, you can’t be promoted without preparation. God won’t give you a 100lb blessing if He knows you can only lift 50lbs. If He gave you the 100lbs, it wouldn’t be a blessing, it would be a burden. It wouldn’t help you; it would hurt you. He’s got to get your prepared. Your gifts can take you to a certain level but if you don’t have the character to match you won’t stay there very long. Character is developed in the tough times. When we’re not getting our way, but we keep doing the right thing. Like Paul, we’ve asked God a lot more than 3 times to remove it. God, get this person out of my life that gets on my nerves. God, give me that child. God, change my spouse. While God is changing it, until He removes it, if you will stay in faith, not get bitter, not give up on your dreams, here’s the beauty: even if the situation doesn’t change, you will change. God is growing you up, getting you prepared for new levels of your destiny.
I’ve learned, your character is more important than your talent. You can have all of the talent in the world but if you don’t have strong character you’re not going to go very far. We can all trust God in the good times, that’s easy. I’m asking you, can you trust Him with the secret frustrations? The things that are not changing. You’ve prayed and believed but He’s not removing them. The question is not only can you trust God but, more importantly, can God trust you? Will you pass the test, stay in faith, even when you don’t understand it?
My parents started Lakewood Church with 90 people in 1959. A few years later, my father put somebody else in charge so he could leave the church and travel the world. He would go hold these large crusades, 50,000 people in other countries. He was living his dream. Life was good. But around 1966 he knew he was supposed to come back and pastor Lakewood once again. My mom said, John when Houston hears you’re back, they’re going to come out by the thousands. Well Houston heard but Houston didn’t care. They stayed away by the thousands.
Now, instead of speaking to big crowds like my dad was used to, he was speaking to these 90 people. Three times a week, year after year. He thought, oh, I know I have more in me. I’m being my best, I’m honoring you, but nothing’s changing, I’m not seeing any growth. A secret frustration. But what my father didn’t realize is something was changing. Not the size of the congregation. He was changing. He was developing character. He was proving to God that he would be faithful in the tough times. If you’re not faithful in the tough wilderness, how can God trust you to be faithful in the promise land?
My father on the outside was happy; he gave his best to those 90 people. But deep down he has to deal with this secret frustration. In 1972, it was like God opened up a faucet. People started coming to Lakewood from all over the city; it grew and grew to a church of thousands. It’s still growing today.
But maybe like my father you’re doing the right thing but not seeing any growth, not being promoted; it’s frustrating. It may not look like anything’s happening on the inside but if you keep doing your best, something’s happening on the outside but if you keep doing your best something is happening on the inside. God is changing you. He is growing you up. He’s getting you prepared.
Now, keep doing the right thing. Keep being good to other people. Keep having that spirit of excellence. Too many people let these secret frustrations cause them to get bitter, give up on their dreams, lose their path. Recognize it’s a test. If you will stay in faith, God will get you to where you’re supposed to be.
Genesis 29, there’s this story of 2 sisters, Rachel and Leah. When a young man named Jacob saw Rachel, he fell head over heels for her. It was love at first sight. You see, Rachel was extremely attractive. The Scripture says, she was beautiful in every way, with a lovely face and a shapely figure. Let me tell you, when God says you are fine, you are bad to the bone. Rachel had it going on.
Jacob, he didn’t even think twice. He went straight to her dad Laban and said, can I marry your daughter? Laban said, yes you can but you have to first work for me for 7 years. He worked for 7 years, was so excited, but Laban tricked Jacob. At the weddings in those days they wore very thick veils. You couldn’t tell who was in there. And of course he thought it was Rachel but in fact it was Leah. The scripture says, Leah had weak eyes and was dog looking. I’m not sure what weak eyes means but I know what dog looking is, I’ve got a brother named Paul. I couldn’t resist. Don’t show Paul anymore.
No offence to Leah but Rachel got the looks in the family. I forgot what I’m talking about now. So, at the wedding Jacob had a little too much to drink. He woke up the next morning, looked over in bed and there was weak eyes staring back at him. He nearly passed out. He ran to Laban’s house, what do you mean? This is not the deal we cut. I wanted Rachel, not Leah. He said, I understand Jacob, but it’s our custom that the oldest daughter has to get married off first. Work for me for another 7 years and I’ll let you marry Rachel. He did it and finally got to marry her. Love makes you do dumb things.
But I’m sure when people saw Rachel around town, so beautiful, they thought, that’s one blessed woman. She’s so stunning, she has a husband that adores her, she comes from a good family, but what they couldn’t see was Rachel had a secret frustration. Her dream was to have a baby but she was barren. She couldn’t conceive. Year after year, no baby. I can hear her every night, God please give me a child. Please remove this baroness. God, I want a baby.
On the other hand, her sister Leah gave Jacob one son after another. Four boys, strong, handsome, good looking; life was good for Leah. She was seeing a dream come to pass, a healthy family. But Leah too had a secret frustration. The Scripture says that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. I can hear Leah every night, God I want my husband to love me more.
The point is, everyone is dealing with something, whether you’re a Rachel blessed in this area or a Leah blessed in this area. There will be areas that can frustrate you, things you don’t understand. Things that God is not removing. You have to make up your mind you are not going to let it sour your mind. Do what you can, trust God to do what you can. The right attitude is God I’m not going to live my life sour if this never changes. If I never have a child, I’m still going to be happy. If my life never improves, I’m still not going to be sour. If I see somebody that’s more talented, more beautiful, has more, I’m not going to be envious or jealous. I’m at peace with who I am.
When you stay in peace, not trying to figure out why they could have the baby, why she’s more beautiful, why her husband loves her more, no, let that go. You’re never going to understand it. If you live in peace, God will remove what needs to be removed. He will change what needs to be changed.
This is what happened with Rachel. Years later, God removed the barrenness. She had a son named Joseph. That secret frustration was taken away. For most of my father’s life, he suffered with high blood pressure. He was constantly trying to find new medicines to control it. Many times the side effects would make him feel bad. Nobody knew the Scripture more than my dad and nobody had more faith. But for some reason God didn’t take it away. I never heard my dad complain. His attitude was God I’m going to be my best, whether you heal me from this high blood pressure or don’t. He had a made-up mind.
Toward the end of his life, the medicine would make him dizzy. He couldn’t sleep a lot of nights. He would come in on Sundays and preach his heart out. Nobody even knew it. He could have though, God I’ve served you for over 50 years, and the least you could do is answer my prayer.
No, he didn’t let a secret frustration keep him from his destiny. He trusted God when it didn’t make sense. When he was 77 years old, he had to go on dialysis. He couldn’t sleep one night. He called my brother-in-law Gary and asked him if he’d come over and visit with him. Around one in the morning, they were talking and Gary asked my father what he thought about the difficulties he was going through. My dad said, Gary I don’t understand it all but I know this, His mercy endures forever.
Those were the last words my father ever spoke. A few seconds later, he had a heart attack and went to be with the Lord. That was 16 years ago Friday. But I love the fact that even though God didn’t remove it daddy didn’t get bitter. He died in faith. Whatever secret frustration you’re facing, you have to make this decision like my father that even if it never changes you’re going to keep believing. We too are going to die in faith.
This is what 3 teenagers did in the Scripture. They wouldn’t bow down to the King’s golden idle. He was so furious he was going to have them thrown into a fiery furnace. They said, King, we’re not worried, we know our God will deliver us, but even if He doesn’t we’re still not going to bow down. That’s the key. Believe for your dreams. Believe for God to turn the situation around. Then take it one step further. Even if it doesn’t happen my way, even if I don’t get delivered, God, I’m still going to be happy. God, if you turn it around I’m going to give you praise and if you don’t turn it around I’m still going to give you praise.
You live like that and all of the forces of darkness aren’t going to stop you. Friends, don’t let these secret frustrations keep you from your destiny. Have a new perspective. You have the grace you need for every situation. If God is not removing it, there’s a reason. Don’t try to figure it out; trust in it. If you do this, I believe and declare, God is going to change what needs to be changed. He’s going to remove what needs to be removed. You’re going to rise higher, overcome obstacles, and become everything God’s created you to be. In Jesus name. If you receive it, can you say it? Amen today.
We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I’ll repent of my sins, come into my heart, I’ll make you my Lord and Savior.
Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based Church, keep God in first place, He’s going to take you places that you’ve never dreamed.
Let me pray for you, as well. Stay with me for 5 minutes. Lord, I thank you for what we’ve heard. I know it falls on great ground the faithful people of Lakewood and so many that are listening, as well. Lord we’re going out of here today with a greater trust for you, knowing that you’re in complete control. With our heads bowed in prayer, let me ask you. If your heart stopped beating in the next few minutes, are you at peace with God? Do you know where you’d spend eternity? If not, I would love to pray for you. In just a moment, if you’re not at peace, I’m going to ask you to take a step of faith and stand right where you are. Maybe you just need to rededicate your life to Christ, a new beginning, whatever that is.
The good news is, God’s not mad at you. Your sins have already been forgiven. Will you accept this free gift of Christ salvation? The enemy in your thoughts will says don’t stand up, do it next week or you’ll be a hypocrite, you haven’t lived the right kind of life. Listen, you don’t come to Christ because you’re perfect. You come to Him just as you are. He’s standing before you with His arms held open wide. You say, Joel it’s embarrassing to stand in front of everyone. This is what Jesus said, if you won’t be ashamed of me, before people, I won’t be ashamed of you before my Father in heaven.
I want to give you a great opportunity to show God that you’re not ashamed of Him. When I ask you if you’re not at peace with the Lord or you just need to rededicate and recommit your life to Christ, if that’s you, would you be bold, take a step of faith, and stand right where you are, would you do that? Come on, Lakewood. Let’s give Him a hand, as we stand all in the building. Come on. How about up at the top? Anybody else? Take a step of faith, be bold, and get on the road to victory. You can do it this morning.
Well, God bless you. Please remain standing, if you would. Let me tell you, we’re proud of you. More importantly, I know the angels are rejoicing in the heavens right now. It’s going to be a new beginning in your life.
We prayed once but let’s do it one more time.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins, come into my heart, I’ll make you my Lord and Savior. Amen. Remain standing one more moment. Let me tell you how much we love you. We give you a personal invitation and a challenge to come back and be with us on a regular basis. We ask new believers, give us at least a year of your life. Come as often as you can; your life will never be the same.
We’ve got a great reception up here with my brother Paul. I’ll be in the lobby. When you come back next week, don’t come alone. Bring somebody with you, your friends, and your family members. Know this. The moment you stood up, God washed away all of your sins, all of your mistakes, all of your failures. You’re starting with a fresh clean slate. Write it down in your Bible, January 25, 2015, a new day of victory in your life. Amen. Let’s all stand together, if you would please. Thanks so much for coming out. How many of you are going out much better than you were before? Amen.
Alright, I’ll speak a final blessing. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord show you His mercy and have favor on you. May the Lord watch over you and give you His peace. God bless you. Have a great week, a faith-filled week. We’ll see you back soon. We love you.
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And we know you are alive. Lord, we thank you that you didn’t stay in the grave but you came out of that grave and today we celebrate your goodness. Lord we thank you for the opportunity to be here in your presence, Lord, with family and friends. We know that you did give us the strength to get out of bed today. You said you chose us before we could choose you. So, we stand here as people of destiny, knowing who we are and whose we are, children of the Most High God, redeemed and forgiven. As we start this new week off, Lord we commit our lives fresh and renewed into your hands. We say you’re our Lord, our God, and our Savior. Make us and mold us into who you want us to be.
Lord, I thank you that you’re opening the right doors, closing the wrong doors, bringing the right people across our path, weeding out those who should not be there. Lord, I thank you that we will fulfill the best path that you’ve laid out for each one of us. Lord, we’ve all made mistakes, made wrong turns, but we believe your mercy is bigger than any mistake we’ve ever made. That you can still get us to where we’re supposed to be.
So, we’re shaking off the old, the guilt, the condemnation, the voices that try to push us down. And, Lord, we know who you say we are, that we are redeemed, that we are more than conquerors. That we are well able to do what you called us to do. Lord, I think that in 2015 we’ll step into a new level of our destiny.
That we will not be at this same place next year as we are right now but we are moving forward, closer in our walk with you, healthier and stronger, better off in our career, our finances, better off in our relationships. Lord, I thank you that we will not get stagnant but you said the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter.
Lord, I believe that’s each one of us, every person under the sound of my voice, and Lord I thank you right now that you’re reigning down healing on all those that need it. Lord, we know that you made our bodies, there’s nothing too hard for you. I thank you Lord the number of our days you will fulfill. That you’re bigger than sickness, cancer, heart trouble, diabetes, whatever it may be. Lord, we commit our lives into your hands.
We thank you that you’re restoring health into us, that we will finish our course healthy, whole, and strong. Not only physically but Lord restore the relationships, restore joy and peace. Lord I thank you that not one of us will go out of here in the same way we came in but you are filling us to overflowing right now.
And I declare for us all that we are strong in the Lord. We are blessed, we are prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, talented, creative, disciplined, focused, confident, secure, prepared, qualified, motivated, equipped, empowered, anointed, accepted, and approved. No average, not mediocre, but masterpieces handpicked by the Creator of the Universe.
Lord, we thank you for all that you’ve done in the past but we thank you in advance, 2015 will be our due season year, our best year so far. In Jesus’ name. Come on, give the Lord one more shout of praise to that. Victors, not victims.
I tell you, what I believe is happening in the unseen world while we worship God and sing these songs of praise and victory, God is breaking chains that have held you back. He’s going before you, moving the wrong people out of the way, opening up the right doors. Praise precedes the victory. Sometimes you may not see it, you may not even feel it, but you’ve got to walk by faith and say God I know you’re on the throne of my life, that you can get me to where I’m supposed to be.
Let’s be believers and not doubters. I think it’s so important how we start the New Year. I know I’ve been talking about it a lot but many times how we start the year will determine what kind of a year we’re going to have. We can’t afford to start the year off in neutral, Joel I’m just believing to make it through 2015 like I made it through 2014. Why don’t you take the limits off of God? Say, God I believe 2015’s going to be my best year, a year where I’ll step up into new levels of my destiny.
A due season year. It means that promises come to pass that you’ve been standing on. It means you break bad habits that have held you back. It means that your family members come to know the Lord and serve Him with their whole hearts.
So, let’s take the limits off of God. You know, doubts and things will come but you’ve just got to get up every morning and say God I know you’re bigger than anything that I’m facing. You may have a big problem but let me encourage you like we’re singing, we have a big God, one touch of His favor can turn any situation around. When you believe, all things are possible. How many of you are believers in here today and not doubters? I know you are victors, not victims. It’s going to be an amazing year and a blessed year.