Better Together

What is Your God-Given Dream? - Episode 1021

December 30, 2024 | S7:E1021 | 50:59

What is your God-given dream? How does it shape who you are becoming? Step into the journey with faith, knowing that even the smallest steps are guiding you toward God's purpose and revealing more of His plan for your life! | TBN Prayer Line: 714-731-1000

#PersonalStory #LaurieCrouch #Faith #HolySpirit #Visions/Dreams #TrustGod #Purpose #RelationshipwithGod #LoveofGod #WomeninMinistry #Grace #Gospel #Missionary #TalkShow #PresenceofGod #Calling #Ephesians3:20 #Discipline #BetterTogether #Christian #SheilaWalsh #RobynWilkerson #Transformation #BlyndaLane #Failure #Psalm37:23 #Hebrews12:2 #Matthew9:37 #Proverbs3:5-6 #DonnaPisani #FaithEuryCho #Journey #NaomiRaine

Closed captions

Show Timecode

Better Together | What is Your God-Given Dream? - Episode 1021 | December 30, 2024

- think about what brings you the most joy
00:01:29.789 --> 00:00:01.858
Or when you feel most fulfilled.
00:00:01.858 --> 00:00:03.960
You know, god makes no mistakes.
00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:05.862
He plants dreams and passions in our hearts
00:00:05.862 --> 00:00:08.665
To help us follow his plan for our lives.
00:00:08.665 --> 00:00:11.434
Come on, let's talk about it.
00:00:11.434 --> 00:00:13.403
(upbeat uplifting music)
00:00:13.403 --> 00:00:39.729
- usually around this time of the year,
00:00:40.597 --> 00:00:43.266
People get very excited
00:00:43.266 --> 00:00:44.934
To be able to look forward to things, make new goals,
00:00:44.934 --> 00:00:48.404
Set new hopes, right?
00:00:48.404 --> 00:00:50.373
And i just got to thinking about god-given dreams,
00:00:50.373 --> 00:00:55.078
And what is a god-given dream, and how do we even discern
00:00:55.078 --> 00:00:59.582
Whether the dream is from god?
00:00:59.582 --> 00:01:01.751
I remember when i got saved
00:01:01.751 --> 00:01:05.121
And i was just ruined for this world in a sense, you know?
00:01:05.121 --> 00:01:09.926
- how old were you when you were saved?
00:01:09.926 --> 00:01:11.394
- i was 16. - oh my gosh.
00:01:11.394 --> 00:01:13.163
- you know, and, you know, when you just get baptized
00:01:13.163 --> 00:01:15.698
By the holy spirit like that, and just the world
00:01:15.698 --> 00:01:19.602
Just kind of lost its flavor.
00:01:19.602 --> 00:01:21.137
You know what i mean?
00:01:21.137 --> 00:01:22.405
And so i just knew from the beginning,
00:01:22.405 --> 00:01:24.974
Without having the language for it,
00:01:24.974 --> 00:01:27.076
That i was called to be a preacher of the gospel.
00:01:27.076 --> 00:01:30.079
- wow. - i just knew
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:31.514
That i was meant to give my whole life into ministry.
00:01:31.514 --> 00:01:34.117
I didn't have the language for it, and also,
00:01:34.117 --> 00:01:36.986
I never met a woman minister,
00:01:36.986 --> 00:01:40.056
I've never seen a woman in ministry,
00:01:40.056 --> 00:01:41.925
I've never seen a woman with a microphone before,
00:01:41.925 --> 00:01:44.194
And so for me it was this stir, this hope, this, in a way,
00:01:44.194 --> 00:01:49.632
This god-given dream, that had no place, right?
00:01:50.567 --> 00:01:53.603
That had no language, that had no words.
00:01:53.603 --> 00:01:56.005
And so i remember trying to articulate it
00:01:56.005 --> 00:01:59.142
To church members, to pastors, and, you know,
00:01:59.142 --> 00:02:03.780
It's not like the red carpet got rolled out
00:02:03.780 --> 00:02:06.849
And people were like, absolutely, go for it.
00:02:06.849 --> 00:02:10.520
That's from god.
00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:11.821
If anything, i was met with a lot of resistance
00:02:11.821 --> 00:02:14.057
Because people could not imagine what i was dreaming of.
00:02:14.057 --> 00:02:19.395
People could not foresee what i was feeling
00:02:20.230 --> 00:02:23.299
That i felt like i was supposed to walk into.
00:02:23.299 --> 00:02:26.436
It took many years for me to feel like,
00:02:26.436 --> 00:02:30.306
Oh, this is really from god actually.
00:02:30.306 --> 00:02:34.978
It took many years of sifting through my own motivations.
00:02:34.978 --> 00:02:39.682
When i have said like, i feel called by god to serve him,
00:02:39.682 --> 00:02:45.021
And preach the gospel, and deliver the good news,
00:02:46.022 --> 00:02:49.025
Then, you know, sometimes it'd be like,
00:02:49.025 --> 00:02:50.827
Well, there's so many other ways to serve jesus.
00:02:50.827 --> 00:02:53.796
Why do you feel so called?
00:02:53.796 --> 00:02:55.765
How do you know you felt called by god, right?
00:02:55.765 --> 00:02:58.534
And so it often made me question like,
00:02:58.534 --> 00:03:01.271
Is this really from god?
00:03:01.271 --> 00:03:03.172
Is this right?
00:03:03.172 --> 00:03:04.440
Is god pleased with it even?
00:03:04.440 --> 00:03:07.110
You know, and so i wanna be able to talk about this
00:03:07.110 --> 00:03:10.480
And really sift this through.
00:03:10.480 --> 00:03:12.582
I know for me what it took
00:03:12.582 --> 00:03:15.084
Was not just one momentous occasion,
00:03:15.084 --> 00:03:18.321
It wasn't just a dramatic encounter that i got
00:03:18.321 --> 00:03:22.325
That hundred percent convinced me that this was the way.
00:03:22.325 --> 00:03:26.095
For me, it was years of trusting the lord
00:03:26.095 --> 00:03:30.266
With all your heart.
00:03:30.266 --> 00:03:31.634
Lean not on your own understanding.
00:03:31.634 --> 00:03:33.636
In all your ways, acknowledge him
00:03:33.636 --> 00:03:36.439
And he will make your path straight.
00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.841
So it was just a step at a time, a choice at a time.
00:03:38.841 --> 00:03:43.012
You know, do i take this internship with
00:03:43.012 --> 00:03:44.847
This youth group?
00:03:44.847 --> 00:03:46.082
Yes god, or no god?
00:03:46.082 --> 00:03:47.684
Should i not go to law school
00:03:47.684 --> 00:03:50.553
And really take this pastoral position?
00:03:50.553 --> 00:03:53.323
Should i preach and take up this preaching position?
00:03:53.323 --> 00:03:56.926
Should i do this?
00:03:56.926 --> 00:03:57.860
And it was just step by step
00:03:57.860 --> 00:03:59.329
Just leaning on the holy spirit,
00:03:59.329 --> 00:04:01.998
And just hoping that i'm making the right call.
00:04:01.998 --> 00:04:05.034
I don't think there was ever a moment,
00:04:05.034 --> 00:04:08.037
At least in the first five years of it,
00:04:08.037 --> 00:04:09.872
Where i was convinced a hundred percent
00:04:09.872 --> 00:04:12.775
That i was on the right track.
00:04:12.775 --> 00:04:15.611
But yet in retrospect, i just see god's merciful hands
00:04:15.611 --> 00:04:19.349
All over it, and i just knew from that moment
00:04:19.349 --> 00:04:24.620
When i received that god-given dream
00:04:25.421 --> 00:04:27.023
That it was from the lord, but it took faith
00:04:27.023 --> 00:04:29.692
To walk it through.
00:04:29.692 --> 00:04:32.228
- one of the things that's been important to me
00:04:33.196 --> 00:04:34.397
Since i was a teenager
00:04:34.397 --> 00:04:36.065
Is to really run everything by the lord.
00:04:36.065 --> 00:04:37.667
You know, i gave my life to christ when i was 11,
00:04:37.667 --> 00:04:40.470
And there was all sorts of different things.
00:04:40.470 --> 00:04:42.505
I liked to sing, i liked to do lots of different things,
00:04:42.505 --> 00:04:45.675
But i really wanted my life to count for god.
00:04:45.675 --> 00:04:48.778
So i would often bring things back
00:04:48.778 --> 00:04:51.647
And kind of surrender them to the lord and say,
00:04:51.647 --> 00:04:53.616
Is this really something that you want?
00:04:53.616 --> 00:04:55.852
Because the whole purpose of my life
00:04:55.852 --> 00:04:58.121
Isn't to write another book or be in another tv show.
00:04:58.121 --> 00:05:01.958
It's to glorify god, and that's your purpose too.
00:05:01.958 --> 00:05:05.294
That's what god wants for you,
00:05:05.294 --> 00:05:06.696
To use your life to bring glory to his name.
00:05:06.696 --> 00:05:09.832
Only heaven will reveal how important that really was.
00:05:09.832 --> 00:05:13.569
- have you ever had to discern
00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:15.905
Whether your dreams were from god,
00:05:15.905 --> 00:05:18.141
Or whether it was your own passions,
00:05:18.141 --> 00:05:20.843
And how do you know the difference?
00:05:20.843 --> 00:05:22.712
- it's a great question.
00:05:22.712 --> 00:05:24.347
Is god's dream for you apart from your own desires,
00:05:24.347 --> 00:05:27.550
Or do those kind of meld together?
00:05:27.550 --> 00:05:30.052
Because when i was, i don't know, maybe 16
00:05:30.052 --> 00:05:32.422
If i'm thinking about the same age as you,
00:05:32.422 --> 00:05:33.756
There was no blueprint at all.
00:05:33.756 --> 00:05:35.591
I was a girl growing up in scotland, and as far as i knew,
00:05:35.591 --> 00:05:39.796
I was the only one in my high school who was a believer.
00:05:39.796 --> 00:05:41.898
None of my friends went to church.
00:05:41.898 --> 00:05:43.766
So the whole idea of being in ministry was like,
00:05:43.766 --> 00:05:47.403
Well, what does that look like?
00:05:47.403 --> 00:05:48.704
And i remember talking to my pastor and saying,
00:05:48.704 --> 00:05:50.807
I really feel as if i'm supposed to spend my life
00:05:50.807 --> 00:05:53.609
Telling people about the goodness of god,
00:05:53.609 --> 00:05:56.045
But i don't know what that looks like because i was a girl.
00:05:56.045 --> 00:05:59.916
And so the recommendation was,
00:05:59.916 --> 00:06:01.451
Well, you'll become a missionary,
00:06:01.451 --> 00:06:03.052
And that's what i went to seminary for when i was 19.
00:06:03.052 --> 00:06:05.988
I went off to seminary thinking i was heading towards india
00:06:05.988 --> 00:06:09.292
Because i remember asking friends of mine
00:06:09.292 --> 00:06:12.128
Who were in the mission field,
00:06:12.128 --> 00:06:13.863
"where's life hardest for women at the moment in the world?"
00:06:13.863 --> 00:06:17.333
And at that point they were saying, women, you know,
00:06:17.333 --> 00:06:19.936
That women don't get a lot of attention
00:06:19.936 --> 00:06:22.071
And they're looked on as less than.
00:06:22.071 --> 00:06:24.340
So that was, i mean, i remember my first week
00:06:24.340 --> 00:06:26.542
At london theological seminary buying a map of india
00:06:26.542 --> 00:06:29.378
And putting up on my wall in my dorm
00:06:29.378 --> 00:06:31.881
And praying and just saying, and honestly i had no desire
00:06:31.881 --> 00:06:36.018
To go to india 'cause i wasn't good
00:06:36.018 --> 00:06:37.887
With traveling at that point.
00:06:37.887 --> 00:06:39.188
I would get very carsick or i would get air sick.
00:06:39.188 --> 00:06:41.657
- why did you look for the worst place?
00:06:41.657 --> 00:06:43.993
- i know.
00:06:43.993 --> 00:06:45.127
- well, that's actually a good question
00:06:45.127 --> 00:06:46.762
Because i thought that that would please god more.
00:06:46.762 --> 00:06:51.000
You know, sometimes people who have childhoods
00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.036
That are kind of healthy and, you know,
00:06:54.036 --> 00:06:56.739
We all have stuff in our childhood, but, you know,
00:06:56.739 --> 00:06:58.708
Where you've got a mom and dad there and, you know,
00:06:58.708 --> 00:07:01.110
You believing for the best.
00:07:01.110 --> 00:07:02.512
Because of the trauma in my childhood,
00:07:02.512 --> 00:07:04.280
I felt as if it's possible
00:07:04.280 --> 00:07:06.215
To lose the love of an earthly father,
00:07:06.215 --> 00:07:08.084
Although mine was a brain injury,
00:07:08.084 --> 00:07:09.685
It's possible to lose the love of a heavenly father.
00:07:09.685 --> 00:07:12.989
So my thing was, honestly, lori, what could i do
00:07:12.989 --> 00:07:17.059
That i'd probably dislike the most?
00:07:17.059 --> 00:07:19.128
And it was like going to india,
00:07:19.128 --> 00:07:21.063
But i thought that would show god how much i loved him.
00:07:21.063 --> 00:07:25.001
As if somehow, something i did would impress the lord.
00:07:25.001 --> 00:07:29.472
But when you talk about taking the next step
00:07:29.472 --> 00:07:31.674
And taking the next step,
00:07:31.674 --> 00:07:33.543
That's absolutely the story of my life,
00:07:33.543 --> 00:07:35.511
And i wouldn't be surprised
00:07:35.511 --> 00:07:36.679
If it's not the story of all of ours.
00:07:36.679 --> 00:07:38.214
That you look back 'cause god redirected my steps then,
00:07:38.214 --> 00:07:40.583
And you don't always know a hundred percent.
00:07:40.583 --> 00:07:44.420
This is, you know, it's not like
00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:46.589
This great writing on the wall.
00:07:46.589 --> 00:07:47.590
It's faith.
00:07:47.590 --> 00:07:48.858
- yeah, i don't know that you ever know.
00:07:48.858 --> 00:07:50.626
All i knew is that i was supposed to be in ministry.
00:07:50.626 --> 00:07:54.163
I knew that all of my life, but i did not know
00:07:54.163 --> 00:07:57.600
What that looked like just like you.
00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:59.335
So i homeschooled through my high school years
00:07:59.335 --> 00:08:02.672
'cause we traveled full-time in ministry with my family,
00:08:02.672 --> 00:08:06.008
And then it was like, i sang,
00:08:06.008 --> 00:08:08.611
But i'm not gonna sing by myself 'cause i can't do that,
00:08:08.611 --> 00:08:11.714
But i love to sing with everybody else
00:08:11.714 --> 00:08:13.482
And i can harmonize and all that.
00:08:13.482 --> 00:08:14.917
So i'm not a soloist,
00:08:14.917 --> 00:08:16.218
So i'm not gonna make a living doing that
00:08:16.218 --> 00:08:17.587
And i knew i was called to the ministry.
00:08:17.587 --> 00:08:19.322
I begged god not to make me a pastor's wife.
00:08:19.322 --> 00:08:21.891
I did not wanna do that.
00:08:21.891 --> 00:08:23.426
I watched my mom, not that anything was wrong with that,
00:08:23.426 --> 00:08:25.728
I just did not wanna do that.
00:08:25.728 --> 00:08:26.762
- it was hard. - it's hard.
00:08:26.762 --> 00:08:27.997
- and but i did not have any idea,
00:08:27.997 --> 00:08:31.367
And so it was like, do i go to bible school?
00:08:31.367 --> 00:08:34.437
Didn't have any desire to go to a university or anything
00:08:34.437 --> 00:08:38.674
Except a bible school and just waiting on the lord,
00:08:38.674 --> 00:08:42.612
And then those little steps of my grandma saying,
00:08:42.612 --> 00:08:46.916
"i'm praying that you meet paul and jan's son."
00:08:46.916 --> 00:08:49.518
Well, that was a clue.
00:08:49.518 --> 00:08:50.686
- wow. - you know,
00:08:50.686 --> 00:08:52.121
And then me finding my mother-in-law in an elevator
00:08:52.121 --> 00:08:55.524
And her saying, "i need you, i want you to meet my son."
00:08:55.524 --> 00:08:58.394
That was a clue, you know?
00:08:58.394 --> 00:08:59.795
And then we broke up for a year.
00:08:59.795 --> 00:09:01.764
A lot of people don't know that.
00:09:01.764 --> 00:09:03.132
Then that fell back into place
00:09:03.132 --> 00:09:04.600
Accidentally re-meeting in a church.
00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:06.369
So then here we are today.
00:09:06.369 --> 00:09:09.672
You know, i didn't have that dream in my heart
00:09:09.672 --> 00:09:12.708
To go marry somebody that, you know, that was on television,
00:09:12.708 --> 00:09:18.047
And that was never a plan for me.
00:09:18.781 --> 00:09:21.684
That was never in my heart.
00:09:21.684 --> 00:09:22.885
I knew i was born from ministry,
00:09:22.885 --> 00:09:26.088
And i think a lot of us, and it is that stepping
00:09:26.088 --> 00:09:28.891
One step at a time.
00:09:28.891 --> 00:09:30.926
Oh, okay, okay, and the bible says
00:09:30.926 --> 00:09:33.529
That the righteous men's steps
00:09:33.529 --> 00:09:34.897
Are ordered by the lord,
00:09:34.897 --> 00:09:36.932
And we are here for his purpose, not our purpose.
00:09:36.932 --> 00:09:41.137
God has a purpose for us.
00:09:41.137 --> 00:09:43.806
Anyone who's born, not an accident.
00:09:43.806 --> 00:09:47.109
You're here on purpose, for purpose.
00:09:47.109 --> 00:09:50.980
I'm gonna encourage you.
00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.049
If you don't know or you don't feel like
00:09:53.049 --> 00:09:55.584
You have a dream from god, i want you to pray about it.
00:09:55.584 --> 00:09:59.255
That's the only answer i can give you.
00:09:59.255 --> 00:10:02.158
I can't think of something for you except pray.
00:10:02.158 --> 00:10:05.494
Pray, ask god the father to show you
00:10:05.494 --> 00:10:08.631
And to lead you in all your ways.
00:10:08.631 --> 00:10:12.068
If you have the holy spirit on the inside of you, he says,
00:10:12.068 --> 00:10:14.570
I will guide you and i will help you.
00:10:14.570 --> 00:10:17.540
So all we have to do is ask.
00:10:17.540 --> 00:10:20.009
Call on me and i will answer you, and he'll show you a way.
00:10:20.009 --> 00:10:22.378
He'll show you the way because there is a purpose
00:10:22.378 --> 00:10:26.282
That god wants you to fulfill.
00:10:26.282 --> 00:10:28.818
And so i think it's okay
00:10:29.318 --> 00:10:31.754
That we don't know quite what it looks like
00:10:31.754 --> 00:10:34.090
Because even today, your steps of faith are very unknown.
00:10:34.090 --> 00:10:38.894
It's like, okay, i think i can see it.
00:10:38.894 --> 00:10:42.231
Let's head towards it,
00:10:42.231 --> 00:10:43.999
But i can't tell you exactly what it looks like,
00:10:43.999 --> 00:10:46.635
And sure can't tell you the road getting there.
00:10:46.635 --> 00:10:48.971
- yeah.
00:10:48.971 --> 00:10:49.805
- for me, very similar.
00:10:49.805 --> 00:10:51.874
I grew up in a denomination
00:10:51.874 --> 00:10:53.375
Where if you wanted to serve the lord in any capacity,
00:10:53.375 --> 00:10:56.645
It was missionary, it was children's worker,
00:10:56.645 --> 00:10:59.448
Or it was pastor's wife.
00:10:59.448 --> 00:11:00.616
Those were kind of your three.
00:11:00.616 --> 00:11:01.884
- play the piano. - oh, play the piano.
00:11:01.884 --> 00:11:03.652
Play the piano. - play the organ.
00:11:03.652 --> 00:11:04.653
- sing. yeah, sing.
00:11:04.653 --> 00:11:06.355
Because i had to choose one,
00:11:06.355 --> 00:11:07.890
I just knew i was gonna be a pastor's wife my whole life.
00:11:07.890 --> 00:11:10.326
That's just kind of how that
00:11:10.326 --> 00:11:11.527
Because i knew it was 16 years old.
00:11:11.527 --> 00:11:13.162
I came back from church camp, and 16 felt like
00:11:13.162 --> 00:11:16.065
The lord had a call to ministry.
00:11:16.065 --> 00:11:17.933
So it was a different thing.
00:11:17.933 --> 00:11:19.001
It was different than just
00:11:19.001 --> 00:11:20.569
I have received jesus as my savior.
00:11:21.370 --> 00:11:22.671
I knew that i knew there was something in my life
00:11:22.671 --> 00:11:24.840
That i wanted to be an ambassador.
00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:26.876
- yes. yes. - for him.
00:11:26.876 --> 00:11:27.977
I wanted to represent him.
00:11:27.977 --> 00:11:30.780
- everything that i did,
00:11:31.280 --> 00:11:32.548
I just didn't know what it was gonna be,
00:11:32.548 --> 00:11:33.983
And i wasn't sure that i loved any of those categories,
00:11:33.983 --> 00:11:35.518
But pastor's wife seemed to be the best way.
00:11:35.518 --> 00:11:38.154
So i kind of thought,
00:11:38.154 --> 00:11:39.455
"oh, i'll just always be a pastor's wife."
00:11:39.455 --> 00:11:40.456
And what's so interesting is
00:11:40.456 --> 00:11:41.724
All the while very different than that is
00:11:41.724 --> 00:11:43.659
I was in high school, part of a television show
00:11:43.659 --> 00:11:48.063
Through our school.
00:11:48.063 --> 00:11:49.698
And i was anchoring the news at 16,
00:11:49.698 --> 00:11:51.333
And all those kind of things.
00:11:51.333 --> 00:11:52.401
And it's just funny because
00:11:52.401 --> 00:11:53.969
I never thought the two could come together,
00:11:53.969 --> 00:11:55.104
I never saw a path. - mm-hmm.
00:11:55.104 --> 00:11:57.039
- and so the thing i'm picking up on is
00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:59.742
How many women now, but would've been young girls,
00:11:59.742 --> 00:12:04.246
So starting at your generation all the way through,
00:12:04.246 --> 00:12:06.382
That women have had a hard time
00:12:06.382 --> 00:12:08.818
Understanding their role.
00:12:08.818 --> 00:12:11.720
- yeah, that's a good point. - in ministry.
00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:12.855
How much has that been a struggle
00:12:12.855 --> 00:12:14.824
For so many girls and women saying,
00:12:14.824 --> 00:12:17.793
"i really feel something
00:12:17.793 --> 00:12:19.461
"impressed on my heart really strongly."
00:12:19.461 --> 00:12:21.697
- yeah. - "but there seems to be a lot
00:12:21.697 --> 00:12:23.365
"of narrow ways to get there."
00:12:23.365 --> 00:12:25.034
"or the ways that i feel drawn to,
00:12:25.034 --> 00:12:27.469
"there's a lot of negative opinion toward those things."
00:12:27.469 --> 00:12:31.307
So i appreciate about you that you kind of
00:12:31.307 --> 00:12:33.275
Broke through the barriers of negative opinions or not.
00:12:33.275 --> 00:12:36.312
This is what i feel i'm gonna do.
00:12:36.312 --> 00:12:37.713
- yeah. - and you just kind of
00:12:37.713 --> 00:12:39.882
Went after it.
00:12:39.882 --> 00:12:40.816
- and let me just say this,
00:12:40.816 --> 00:12:42.117
Back then i don't know that we even thought
00:12:42.117 --> 00:12:43.953
I could be a hair hairdresser and still be a ministrate.
00:12:43.953 --> 00:12:45.988
- right. - right.
00:12:45.988 --> 00:12:47.289
- that's a good point.
00:12:47.289 --> 00:12:48.624
- where i could go into the market place
00:12:48.624 --> 00:12:50.059
And still be full on ministry.
00:12:50.059 --> 00:12:52.461
I can stay home with my kid,
00:12:52.461 --> 00:12:54.096
And minister all day.
00:12:54.096 --> 00:12:55.130
- yeah.
00:12:55.130 --> 00:12:56.365
You're exactly right.
00:12:56.365 --> 00:12:57.333
- we are all in the ministry.
00:12:57.333 --> 00:12:59.501
- that's right.
00:12:59.501 --> 00:13:01.036
- somehow, someway you carry that whole kingdom building
00:13:01.036 --> 00:13:04.807
On the inside of you.
00:13:04.807 --> 00:13:06.075
Back in that day we thought it was going
00:13:06.075 --> 00:13:08.978
And being a missionary,
00:13:08.978 --> 00:13:10.045
And singing in the choir.
00:13:10.045 --> 00:13:11.413
It's all of it.
00:13:11.413 --> 00:13:14.016
- so there could be a question
00:13:14.650 --> 00:13:15.985
"well what if i don't feel called to ministry,
00:13:15.985 --> 00:13:18.387
Like vocational ministry?
00:13:18.387 --> 00:13:19.722
I maybe am in a vocation that is more secular,
00:13:19.722 --> 00:13:22.858
Or one that doesn't necessarily always,
00:13:22.858 --> 00:13:25.895
You don't think of ministry when you hear it.
00:13:25.895 --> 00:13:27.897
And i wanna say there is so much impact
00:13:27.897 --> 00:13:31.233
That you can make in that field.
00:13:31.233 --> 00:13:33.269
That me remind you what matthew says in matthew 9:35,
00:13:33.269 --> 00:13:37.806
Actually 37.
00:13:37.806 --> 00:13:39.074
It says then jesus said to his disciples
00:13:39.074 --> 00:13:41.277
The harvest is plentiful,
00:13:41.277 --> 00:13:43.746
But the workers are few.
00:13:43.746 --> 00:13:45.714
Ask the lord of the harvest therefore
00:13:45.714 --> 00:13:48.584
To send out workers into his harvest field.
00:13:48.584 --> 00:13:53.455
So what the lord is saying there is
00:13:53.455 --> 00:13:55.291
There is this massive field,
00:13:55.291 --> 00:13:57.059
And there are not enough workers.
00:13:57.059 --> 00:13:59.895
He's not saying that is reserved
00:13:59.895 --> 00:14:01.764
Just for vocational ministry,
00:14:01.764 --> 00:14:02.998
In fact it's the actual opposite.
00:14:02.998 --> 00:14:04.400
He's saying there is such a field of people
00:14:04.400 --> 00:14:07.269
From all different walks of life,
00:14:07.269 --> 00:14:08.771
From all different vocations,
00:14:08.771 --> 00:14:09.972
From all different areas.
00:14:09.972 --> 00:14:11.307
And we need you to go into that world,
00:14:11.307 --> 00:14:14.376
Into those areas, into that vocation
00:14:14.376 --> 00:14:17.479
To preach the good news.
00:14:17.479 --> 00:14:19.515
How else will they know
00:14:19.515 --> 00:14:21.016
If you don't go into those areas and preach the news?
00:14:21.016 --> 00:14:24.820
(upbeat music)
00:14:24.820 --> 00:14:25.955
- god wants us to do life together
00:14:25.955 --> 00:14:27.456
Because we are better together.
00:14:27.456 --> 00:14:29.258
- connect with us on social media,
00:14:29.258 --> 00:14:31.126
And share your favorite moments from today.
00:14:31.126 --> 00:14:32.962
- we can't wait for you to join us.
00:14:32.962 --> 00:14:35.130
- lori, we have got to tell everyone
00:14:35.130 --> 00:14:37.633
About the better together podcast.
00:14:37.633 --> 00:14:39.501
- every week you will find new conversations
00:14:39.501 --> 00:14:41.870
On your favorite listening platform.
00:14:41.870 --> 00:14:44.139
You can find us on apple podcasts, spotify,
00:14:44.139 --> 00:14:46.842
Google podcasts and more.
00:14:46.842 --> 00:14:48.410
Subscribe today and never miss a new upload.
00:14:48.410 --> 00:14:51.009
(gentle music)
00:14:51.009 --> 00:14:54.150
- i met jesus when i was 19,
00:14:54.751 --> 00:14:57.053
And i was so radically touched by god.
00:14:57.053 --> 00:15:00.123
Such a transformation in that moment,
00:15:00.123 --> 00:15:02.325
So i did have that moment.
00:15:02.325 --> 00:15:03.593
But i still had a lot of insecurities and fears.
00:15:03.593 --> 00:15:06.262
And, again, in an enviornment that there was no
00:15:06.262 --> 00:15:09.232
Without walls dream.
00:15:09.232 --> 00:15:10.967
There was just you can dream within this container.
00:15:10.967 --> 00:15:13.536
This is what you can do.
00:15:13.536 --> 00:15:14.704
Within that though we had people
00:15:14.704 --> 00:15:17.307
Coming and praying for us,
00:15:17.307 --> 00:15:18.341
And would speak over us
00:15:18.341 --> 00:15:19.909
"we just see god using you,
00:15:19.909 --> 00:15:21.411
"and you can minister to thousands of people."
00:15:21.411 --> 00:15:23.313
So that was a dream,
00:15:23.313 --> 00:15:24.748
But then i was torn with the insecurity
00:15:24.748 --> 00:15:26.683
Of i can't do that.
00:15:26.683 --> 00:15:28.218
- yeah. - right, yeah.
00:15:28.218 --> 00:15:29.152
- so somebody better come
00:15:29.152 --> 00:15:29.986
And help me do this dream.
00:15:29.986 --> 00:15:31.287
So kind of waiting for someone to discover me.
00:15:31.287 --> 00:15:33.423
It's great to have the encouragement,
00:15:33.423 --> 00:15:34.958
But sometimes you just have to pull up your boot straps,
00:15:34.958 --> 00:15:36.726
And say "first of all it's not about being seen,
00:15:36.726 --> 00:15:39.496
"what is the one step i can take now?"
00:15:39.496 --> 00:15:42.499
'cause that was years before i saw any of that fulfilled.
00:15:42.499 --> 00:15:46.236
The calling is who am i supposed to see today?
00:15:46.236 --> 00:15:49.205
Who am i supposed to encourage?
00:15:49.205 --> 00:15:52.042
I think not only do we have dreams
00:15:52.042 --> 00:15:53.410
It is us stepping into god's dream for us.
00:15:53.410 --> 00:15:56.413
- right.
00:15:56.413 --> 00:15:57.580
- what is his dream over our life?
00:15:57.580 --> 00:15:58.548
And discovering what that is.
00:15:58.548 --> 00:16:00.450
And it's always gonna come in seed form.
00:16:00.450 --> 00:16:02.185
- right.
00:16:02.185 --> 00:16:03.453
- it's never gonna come úfully blossomed.
00:16:03.453 --> 00:16:04.387
- it's always gonna start small.
00:16:04.387 --> 00:16:05.188
- yeah.
00:16:05.188 --> 00:16:06.156
And it's that, i love that,
00:16:06.156 --> 00:16:08.358
I've been sitting in this, eugene peterson,
00:16:08.358 --> 00:16:10.427
A long obedience in the same direction.
00:16:10.427 --> 00:16:13.029
- i love that book.
00:16:13.029 --> 00:16:14.464
- and you're sitting at the work site
00:16:14.464 --> 00:16:16.232
Of a master craftsman who begins to shape you
00:16:16.232 --> 00:16:19.035
Into the dream god already has for you.
00:16:19.035 --> 00:16:21.471
So pretty soon you not only look like the dream
00:16:21.471 --> 00:16:24.541
That god has for your life,
00:16:24.541 --> 00:16:25.975
You begin to look like him in the process.
00:16:25.975 --> 00:16:28.144
But to your point, faith, a lot of my life
00:16:28.144 --> 00:16:30.747
I had to just keep saying yes.
00:16:30.747 --> 00:16:32.215
I didn't often feel qualified to step into anything
00:16:32.215 --> 00:16:35.385
Other than what i was just doing at that moment.
00:16:35.385 --> 00:16:38.822
So i think a lot of times it's good,
00:16:38.822 --> 00:16:42.058
Allow god to give you big dreams,
00:16:42.058 --> 00:16:44.294
But also be present where you are right now
00:16:44.294 --> 00:16:46.329
So that he can build in you the muscles
00:16:46.329 --> 00:16:48.698
To step into wherever he's taking you.
00:16:48.698 --> 00:16:50.533
- so good.
00:16:50.533 --> 00:16:51.434
- perhaps you're like me,
00:16:51.434 --> 00:16:52.836
And you're feeling a little bit unqualified
00:16:52.836 --> 00:16:54.971
Or like you don't have what it takes
00:16:54.971 --> 00:16:57.707
To actually walk out the god dream,
00:16:57.707 --> 00:17:00.210
God's dream for your life,
00:17:00.210 --> 00:17:02.011
And i can tell you this from experience,
00:17:02.011 --> 00:17:05.281
I wasted way too much time overthinking it,
00:17:05.281 --> 00:17:08.151
Allowing the fear of what i would consider
00:17:08.151 --> 00:17:11.221
Not enough to stop me.
00:17:11.221 --> 00:17:13.022
But what i've discovered in reading the bible
00:17:13.022 --> 00:17:16.659
From genesis to revelation is god always
00:17:16.659 --> 00:17:18.695
Uses people who don't have necessarily
00:17:18.695 --> 00:17:21.998
The natural gifting to begin with,
00:17:21.998 --> 00:17:24.400
They just say yes.
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:25.635
And in the process of saying yes
00:17:25.635 --> 00:17:27.437
With whatever that little gift looks like a seed,
00:17:27.437 --> 00:17:29.973
God begins to grow that seed into something
00:17:29.973 --> 00:17:31.908
That bears fruit.
00:17:31.908 --> 00:17:33.843
So don't let what you think you don't have stop you.
00:17:34.911 --> 00:17:36.980
We all need what you have.
00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:38.615
In fact, god's entrusted you with it
00:17:38.615 --> 00:17:40.783
So that we can all benefit
00:17:40.783 --> 00:17:41.985
From what he wants to do through you.
00:17:41.985 --> 00:17:44.387
- and don't be discouraged if it doesn't look like-
00:17:45.421 --> 00:17:47.690
- right. - yeah.
00:17:47.690 --> 00:17:49.492
- i think a lot of us have these imaginations
00:17:49.492 --> 00:17:51.861
Like we wanna be able to reach as many people as we can.
00:17:51.861 --> 00:17:54.264
There's so many people that don't know jesus,
00:17:54.264 --> 00:17:57.000
How do we reach out to them?
00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:58.501
Take the small steps so that you can actually
00:17:58.501 --> 00:18:01.237
Move into the large space.
00:18:01.237 --> 00:18:02.739
- yeah. - yeah.
00:18:02.739 --> 00:18:03.573
- and it's not a quick.
00:18:03.573 --> 00:18:05.308
Sometimes god does it like that.
00:18:05.308 --> 00:18:07.343
I mean i'm seeing fulfillment of dreams
00:18:07.343 --> 00:18:08.711
That we had 30 years ago now.
00:18:08.711 --> 00:18:10.380
- right, right.
00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:12.015
- i think what i love about what you're sharing
00:18:12.015 --> 00:18:14.083
Is we get so taken by god when we see
00:18:14.083 --> 00:18:18.488
Or almost see the final product,
00:18:18.488 --> 00:18:22.892
When we pray
00:18:22.892 --> 00:18:24.260
And when we can imagine the masses getting saved.
00:18:24.260 --> 00:18:27.130
When we can imagine that business that you build
00:18:27.130 --> 00:18:30.533
Or that town that gets revived.
00:18:30.533 --> 00:18:32.735
When we imagine the dream
00:18:32.735 --> 00:18:35.004
In and out itself, often we get so taken by god,
00:18:35.004 --> 00:18:38.508
Like "wow, you called me to this,
00:18:38.508 --> 00:18:40.376
"this is amazing."
00:18:40.376 --> 00:18:41.711
But just as much as we fall in love with god
00:18:41.711 --> 00:18:45.882
Because of the dream we must fall in love with god,
00:18:45.882 --> 00:18:49.085
And remain intimate with him in the process.
00:18:49.085 --> 00:18:52.422
- yeah.
00:18:52.422 --> 00:18:53.590
- because it's actually the process
00:18:53.590 --> 00:18:54.924
Where the dream gets clarified.
00:18:54.924 --> 00:18:57.694
And i think people respond to that god-given function,
00:18:57.694 --> 00:19:02.198
The vision, the dream, however you wanna see it
00:19:02.198 --> 00:19:05.134
Or whatever your experience is.
00:19:05.134 --> 00:19:06.636
We respond to it a little differently.
00:19:06.636 --> 00:19:08.771
Some people get scared
00:19:08.771 --> 00:19:09.939
And they're like jonah, they wanna run.
00:19:09.939 --> 00:19:11.841
Some people they feel so honored,
00:19:11.841 --> 00:19:13.376
Like god, me?
00:19:13.376 --> 00:19:14.744
Whatever your response to this god-sized dream is,
00:19:14.744 --> 00:19:19.682
I think more than the magnitude of the dream,
00:19:20.650 --> 00:19:23.953
It has to be in the depth of our intimacy
00:19:23.953 --> 00:19:27.390
With his presence that takes us there.
00:19:27.390 --> 00:19:29.892
- yeah, yeah.
00:19:29.892 --> 00:19:31.194
- because there's no way,
00:19:31.194 --> 00:19:32.395
I mean maybe.
00:19:32.395 --> 00:19:33.663
They get the perfect picture
00:19:33.663 --> 00:19:36.299
In the very beginning,
00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:37.667
And it gets fulfilled
00:19:37.667 --> 00:19:38.935
Exactly the way they saw it in the beginning.
00:19:38.935 --> 00:19:40.803
But more often than not we're left with so many mysteries
00:19:40.803 --> 00:19:45.341
From the start.
00:19:45.341 --> 00:19:47.343
- yeah.
00:19:47.343 --> 00:19:48.544
- and the only thing that is sure
00:19:48.544 --> 00:19:49.912
Is the nearness of god.
00:19:49.912 --> 00:19:52.081
- right.
00:19:52.081 --> 00:19:52.915
So think about joseph,
00:19:52.915 --> 00:19:54.317
He was the dreamer. - i was thinking about that.
00:19:54.317 --> 00:19:55.451
- and so joseph has these dreams,
00:19:55.451 --> 00:19:58.488
Tells everybody.
00:19:58.488 --> 00:20:00.023
I'm sure he didn't think i'm gonna have to go to the pit,
00:20:00.023 --> 00:20:02.392
I'm gonna have to be sold,
00:20:02.392 --> 00:20:03.559
I'm gonna have to go to prison
00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:05.962
And accused.
00:20:05.962 --> 00:20:07.263
So the hell he went through.
00:20:07.263 --> 00:20:10.066
- yeah, yeah.
00:20:10.066 --> 00:20:11.567
- but every step of the way it said god was with him.
00:20:11.567 --> 00:20:13.736
In prison when he's telling everybody their dreams,
00:20:13.736 --> 00:20:16.973
God was with him.
00:20:16.973 --> 00:20:21.244
And so his purpose was to come out of all of that
00:20:18.941 --> 00:20:24.213
To be molded and shaped in all of that
00:20:24.213 --> 00:20:28.184
To be able to come and save a nation.
00:20:28.184 --> 00:20:30.887
- and i'm sure somewhere along the line
00:20:30.887 --> 00:20:33.189
He was like "but god, that dream you gave me.
00:20:33.189 --> 00:20:34.957
"nothing that i'm in currently
00:20:34.957 --> 00:20:36.959
"looks anything like the dream that you gave me."
00:20:36.959 --> 00:20:39.162
- what about the dream?
00:20:39.162 --> 00:20:41.297
Yeah.
00:20:41.297 --> 00:20:42.565
- i think sometimes even what you're saying,
00:20:42.565 --> 00:20:44.067
If we're not careful we can make an idol of the dream.
00:20:44.067 --> 00:20:45.702
- totally.
00:20:45.702 --> 00:20:46.969
- instead of becoming infatuated
00:20:46.969 --> 00:20:49.472
And purposeful and loving
00:20:49.472 --> 00:20:51.741
And knowing the dream giver
00:20:51.741 --> 00:20:53.109
We become really focused on
00:20:53.109 --> 00:20:55.078
We gotta make this dream happen.
00:20:55.078 --> 00:20:56.879
And i think that's a real caution
00:20:56.879 --> 00:20:59.515
When you're dreaming is to remember
00:20:59.515 --> 00:21:02.585
He's the giver of the dream-
00:21:02.585 --> 00:21:04.253
- yeah, exactly.
00:21:04.253 --> 00:21:05.188
- and in his time.
00:21:05.188 --> 00:21:06.155
And so you might find yourself
00:21:06.155 --> 00:21:07.557
In a circumstance that looks nothing like the dream.
00:21:07.557 --> 00:21:09.325
What are you gonna do then?
00:21:09.325 --> 00:21:10.526
If you've made an idol of the dream
00:21:10.526 --> 00:21:11.828
You're gonna feel very lost.
00:21:11.828 --> 00:21:13.429
- mm-hmm. - yeah.
00:21:13.429 --> 00:21:14.697
- but if you have made it your intention
00:21:14.697 --> 00:21:15.665
To put your heart and minds
00:21:15.665 --> 00:21:17.934
On the intimacy of your relationship with him
00:21:17.934 --> 00:21:19.802
Then even when it doesn't look like the dream
00:21:19.802 --> 00:21:22.939
You can trust everything he's doing
00:21:22.939 --> 00:21:25.074
Is a step to get there.
00:21:25.074 --> 00:21:27.143
- a relationship with god
00:21:27.677 --> 00:21:28.878
Deeply impacts our ability to discern
00:21:28.878 --> 00:21:31.381
Whether our dream is actually from god
00:21:31.381 --> 00:21:33.549
Because ultimately the real dream,
00:21:33.549 --> 00:21:36.486
The ultimate dream is to know jesus
00:21:36.486 --> 00:21:39.188
Intimately, authentically, passionately.
00:21:39.188 --> 00:21:41.724
So our communion with the presence of god
00:21:41.724 --> 00:21:44.660
Has to be the ultimate dream.
00:21:44.660 --> 00:21:47.563
And anything else, any other ambition that we have
00:21:47.563 --> 00:21:50.333
Really falls second to that.
00:21:50.333 --> 00:21:52.702
And so without having a relationship with god,
00:21:52.702 --> 00:21:56.205
Really our dreams and ambitions are really out of order.
00:21:56.205 --> 00:22:01.043
- you mentioned joseph,
00:22:01.043 --> 00:22:02.645
There's a reference to joseph in the book of acts
00:22:02.645 --> 00:22:05.381
Where it says that god was with them in all his ways.
00:22:05.381 --> 00:22:08.117
It's not exact, but it's 12 words.
00:22:08.117 --> 00:22:10.520
14 years, that's how long it took from when he got the dream
00:22:10.520 --> 00:22:14.257
To suddenly being raised up in the dream becoming a reality.
00:22:14.257 --> 00:22:18.060
So i think there's something about the dream
00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:21.798
That is more about who god is calling us to be,
00:22:21.798 --> 00:22:24.434
Who we're becoming in the process.
00:22:24.434 --> 00:22:25.835
- that's so true.
00:22:25.835 --> 00:22:27.103
- and some days i'm thinking of people
00:22:27.103 --> 00:22:28.905
Watching, thinking "well something devastating
00:22:28.905 --> 00:22:30.907
"happened in my life, there was some trauma,
00:22:30.907 --> 00:22:32.408
"some tragedy so the dream is gone."
00:22:32.408 --> 00:22:34.210
That is not true.
00:22:34.210 --> 00:22:35.611
- yeah. - absolutely not true.
00:22:35.611 --> 00:22:37.246
Sometimes the very thing that you think
00:22:37.246 --> 00:22:38.581
Was the worst thing that could happen,
00:22:38.581 --> 00:22:41.083
It's like joseph at the end saying
00:22:41.083 --> 00:22:42.752
You intended this for evil,
00:22:42.752 --> 00:22:43.753
But god intended it for good.
00:22:43.753 --> 00:22:45.688
- yeah. - but in retrospect you see
00:22:45.688 --> 00:22:47.623
"wow, that thing i would run a million miles from
00:22:47.623 --> 00:22:49.959
"is the very thing that god is now using you
00:22:49.959 --> 00:22:52.295
"to communicate his love to other people."
00:22:52.295 --> 00:22:54.797
- it's probably why he doesn't give us the blueprint
00:22:54.797 --> 00:22:57.333
'cause if we saw what we were gonna have to go through
00:22:57.333 --> 00:22:59.502
To get there we'd be like no thanks.
00:22:59.502 --> 00:23:00.937
- 100%.
00:23:00.937 --> 00:23:02.438
That's what i used to say to my mom when i was little
00:23:02.438 --> 00:23:04.974
'cause she had this big text up on her wall
00:23:04.974 --> 00:23:06.576
About "i know the plans i have for you, says the lord."
00:23:06.576 --> 00:23:08.311
I was just like "can i see the plans?"
00:23:08.311 --> 00:23:10.379
"can i make a few suggestions?"
00:23:10.379 --> 00:23:12.081
"i'll sign off on the plans."
00:23:12.081 --> 00:23:13.883
But now at this age looking back,
00:23:13.883 --> 00:23:16.219
You just see the goodness and faithfulness of god.
00:23:16.219 --> 00:23:18.688
And you're right, faith is investing in his presence.
00:23:18.688 --> 00:23:22.024
Somebody stopped me in the mall the other day,
00:23:22.024 --> 00:23:24.594
And they said "okay, how did you find god's will?"
00:23:24.594 --> 00:23:26.696
- in the mall?
00:23:26.696 --> 00:23:28.130
- in the mall, yeah.
00:23:28.130 --> 00:23:29.499
And i said "honestly i don't think it's lost.
00:23:29.499 --> 00:23:31.334
"i think for me it's a case of staying close to jesus
00:23:31.334 --> 00:23:35.171
"every single day."
00:23:35.171 --> 00:23:36.439
And then you find yourself right there.
00:23:36.439 --> 00:23:38.040
'cause he opens doors you never thought would open,
00:23:38.040 --> 00:23:40.343
And he closes doors,
00:23:40.343 --> 00:23:41.143
You go "okay, i thought
00:23:41.143 --> 00:23:42.378
"i was going there but apparently not."
00:23:42.378 --> 00:23:44.347
Just being in his presence to me
00:23:44.347 --> 00:23:47.116
Is what makes a difference.
00:23:47.116 --> 00:23:49.352
- i love what it says, hebrews 12:2 says
00:23:49.352 --> 00:23:52.088
"keeping our eyes on jesus,
00:23:52.088 --> 00:23:53.322
"author and finisher of our faith."
00:23:53.322 --> 00:23:55.892
- and i do think it's very easy
00:23:55.892 --> 00:23:57.827
To become consumed with seeing,
00:23:57.827 --> 00:24:00.563
Because you become excited about it,
00:24:00.563 --> 00:24:02.832
But he is the fuel.
00:24:02.832 --> 00:24:05.234
I don't wanna ever accomplish a dream without him
00:24:05.234 --> 00:24:09.472
'cause he'll only be in my strength.
00:24:09.472 --> 00:24:11.874
- he's the fuel, yeah.
00:24:11.874 --> 00:24:12.942
- but what he adds to that,
00:24:12.942 --> 00:24:14.510
He takes it way beyond what i could have ever.
00:24:14.510 --> 00:24:16.379
And he's always consistently done that.
00:24:16.379 --> 00:24:18.047
And so i understand now that everything i've walked through
00:24:18.047 --> 00:24:23.152
In the past 40,
00:24:23.553 --> 00:24:24.253
Well i'm 65 now,
00:24:24.253 --> 00:24:25.555
And even in those spaces that felt confining,
00:24:25.555 --> 00:24:28.558
You're like "why have this big dream"...
00:24:28.558 --> 00:24:29.992
- but i feel so confined right now.
00:24:30.793 --> 00:24:32.929
It's being able to connect
00:24:32.929 --> 00:24:35.131
And keep that intimacy with jesus.
00:24:35.131 --> 00:24:37.567
Because it's his endurance, his strength,
00:24:37.567 --> 00:24:40.436
His patience, his character.
00:24:40.436 --> 00:24:42.872
- and all those things along the way are refining.
00:24:42.872 --> 00:24:44.640
- yes.
00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.075
- they're refining those things in us that must die so
00:24:46.075 --> 00:24:48.844
That when he's ready to move us to that next step,
00:24:48.844 --> 00:24:51.914
Our hearts are pure.
00:24:51.914 --> 00:24:54.150
I mean, that's what we pray all the time in our family.
00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:56.786
Clean hands, pure heart, lord, just refine, refine, refine.
00:24:56.786 --> 00:25:01.691
- what it looks like to draw near to god, really,
00:25:02.658 --> 00:25:05.628
Is growing in awareness of his nearness.
00:25:05.628 --> 00:25:09.198
And so, we could live our lives with somebody,
00:25:09.198 --> 00:25:12.001
But that does not mean that we are aware of their nearness,
00:25:12.001 --> 00:25:15.137
That we are aware that they are there.
00:25:15.137 --> 00:25:16.739
God is with you right now. he's hearing you breathe.
00:25:16.739 --> 00:25:20.109
He could hear your thoughts. he could see your heart.
00:25:20.109 --> 00:25:23.279
And so growing in awareness of that and giving him
00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:27.249
Our attention in that allows us
00:25:27.249 --> 00:25:29.952
To draw near to his presence.
00:25:29.952 --> 00:25:32.254
- you've been on a special diet plan to build
00:25:33.189 --> 00:25:36.792
Your muscles, right?
00:25:36.792 --> 00:25:38.127
(hosts laughing)
00:25:38.127 --> 00:25:39.495
- [blynda] terrible time. i know. (hosts laughing)
00:25:39.495 --> 00:25:41.030
But you look phenomenal, but you had to change your diet.
00:25:41.030 --> 00:25:43.833
And i think part of keeping our gaze
00:25:43.833 --> 00:25:46.268
On jesus is changing our diet.
00:25:46.268 --> 00:25:48.237
What are we putting in?
00:25:48.237 --> 00:25:49.772
- yeah.
00:25:49.772 --> 00:25:50.873
- and not just the intentionality,
00:25:50.873 --> 00:25:51.807
I had to become so intentional.
00:25:51.807 --> 00:25:53.209
We had to start preparing meals ahead of time so
00:25:53.209 --> 00:25:56.512
That we would have enough of the food prepared for us
00:25:56.512 --> 00:26:00.082
That we could take it when we needed because if we waited
00:26:00.082 --> 00:26:03.252
For that moment to make it, we were gonna make a bad choice.
00:26:03.252 --> 00:26:06.222
- so if you only ate the food and didn't work out,
00:26:06.222 --> 00:26:09.959
You still wouldn't have built the muscle.
00:26:09.959 --> 00:26:11.861
You needed to combine the discipline on every level.
00:26:11.861 --> 00:26:15.531
And i think that discipline starts with jesus.
00:26:15.531 --> 00:26:19.402
Like, i wanna see you.
00:26:19.402 --> 00:26:21.470
- [blynda] yeah. that's so good.
00:26:21.470 --> 00:26:23.305
- even if the dream doesn't happen,
00:26:23.305 --> 00:26:24.774
I wanna see the dream happen, but i wanna see you.
00:26:24.774 --> 00:26:26.876
Like, i tell this all the time,
00:26:26.876 --> 00:26:29.211
Over 40 years of serving jesus,
00:26:29.211 --> 00:26:30.646
My most important meeting is every morning i sit down
00:26:30.646 --> 00:26:33.416
And have a cup of coffee and i'm sitting
00:26:33.416 --> 00:26:34.884
With my best friend.
00:26:34.884 --> 00:26:35.951
- yeah.
00:26:35.951 --> 00:26:37.486
- there's still mornings where i may hear nothing,
00:26:38.454 --> 00:26:41.757
But he's there.
00:26:41.757 --> 00:26:42.925
And it's reassessing.
00:26:42.925 --> 00:26:44.126
It's like you said, he's with us.
00:26:44.126 --> 00:26:46.696
You have to walk with that knowing
00:26:46.696 --> 00:26:48.330
That he's good and he's with us.
00:26:48.330 --> 00:26:51.000
And you don't have to do anything to please him.
00:26:51.934 --> 00:26:52.735
You already do.
00:26:52.735 --> 00:26:54.036
That shifts the whole dynamic of a dream.
00:26:54.036 --> 00:26:56.439
- well, and when you think about being responsible
00:26:56.439 --> 00:27:00.342
To make it happen, you're not responsible to make it happen.
00:27:00.342 --> 00:27:03.779
- right.
00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:05.347
- your will, what do you want today? where do i go today?
00:27:05.347 --> 00:27:08.317
And the holy spirit will lead and guide us.
00:27:08.317 --> 00:27:10.352
That's what he's there for. he's our helper.
00:27:10.352 --> 00:27:13.155
To help us in all of our ways.
00:27:13.155 --> 00:27:15.791
And so you're not left alone.
00:27:15.791 --> 00:27:18.661
It's not up to you to fulfill your purpose and your destiny.
00:27:18.661 --> 00:27:22.465
- so true.
00:27:22.465 --> 00:27:23.699
- [donna] it's up to god to do that
00:27:23.699 --> 00:27:25.735
And surrendering to god's will.
00:27:25.735 --> 00:27:28.504
- and really understanding even what you're saying, donna,
00:27:29.605 --> 00:27:30.973
Is if you've ever sat with an elderly person
00:27:30.973 --> 00:27:33.976
Who is so in love with jesus, that's like my grandmother,
00:27:33.976 --> 00:27:38.414
I'm thinking of her, and on paper, very simple woman.
00:27:38.414 --> 00:27:43.085
She never led any massive ministries.
00:27:43.919 --> 00:27:45.654
She would've sat there and said she fulfilled
00:27:45.654 --> 00:27:48.991
Everything god had for her life
00:27:48.991 --> 00:27:50.793
Because she kept him at the center.
00:27:50.793 --> 00:27:52.728
So that was reflected in how she raised her children.
00:27:52.728 --> 00:27:54.930
It was reflected in how loyal she was to her church,
00:27:54.930 --> 00:27:57.032
To serving it and to just being a faithful church member.
00:27:57.032 --> 00:28:00.236
So i think sometimes we forget if we take it
00:28:00.236 --> 00:28:03.172
Down to the nth degree, it's how much did we love him?
00:28:03.172 --> 00:28:06.475
Was he enough for us?
00:28:06.475 --> 00:28:08.177
- yeah.
00:28:08.177 --> 00:28:09.011
- just give me jesus.
00:28:09.011 --> 00:28:10.980
All the other stuff, that's great.
00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:12.715
In fact, ephesians 3:20 says,
00:28:12.715 --> 00:28:15.184
He'll do immeasurably more than we could imagine.
00:28:15.184 --> 00:28:16.886
So when we just put it in his hands,
00:28:16.886 --> 00:28:18.621
He'll do more than we could ever think or imagine,
00:28:18.621 --> 00:28:20.523
But are we okay when jesus is enough?
00:28:20.523 --> 00:28:23.359
- yeah.
00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.027
- when he's everything, and i think about my grandmother,
00:28:25.027 --> 00:28:25.995
And i think, on paper, yeah.
00:28:25.995 --> 00:28:28.164
- [faith] yeah.
00:28:28.164 --> 00:28:29.431
- jesus was enough.
00:28:29.899 --> 00:28:31.400
Because every dream that she had in her heart was fulfilled
00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:32.501
By the time she passed away.
00:28:32.501 --> 00:28:34.170
I think it's important that our dreams always point
00:28:35.237 --> 00:28:37.506
Back to god because our heart is fallible.
00:28:37.506 --> 00:28:39.942
Man's heart is fallible.
00:28:39.942 --> 00:28:41.510
And so it can be driven by emotion,
00:28:41.510 --> 00:28:42.912
Or can be driven by insecurity.
00:28:42.912 --> 00:28:44.480
There's a lot of things that can drive the things
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:47.082
That fuel our dreams.
00:28:47.082 --> 00:28:48.684
But if it's centered in god,
00:28:48.684 --> 00:28:50.753
If every dream we have is surrendered to god
00:28:50.753 --> 00:28:53.656
And then moved forward by god, we know
00:28:53.656 --> 00:28:56.458
That god's word is infallible.
00:28:56.458 --> 00:28:58.694
We know that his heart toward us is unconditional love.
00:28:58.694 --> 00:29:02.331
And so we can always trust that our dream is in
00:29:02.331 --> 00:29:05.601
The best hands when we point it exactly toward our father.
00:29:05.601 --> 00:29:09.605
- so i wanna bring up a question that i know
00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:13.242
That a lot of women really struggle with,
00:29:13.242 --> 00:29:16.045
Which is, what if i got it wrong?
00:29:16.045 --> 00:29:19.148
- yeah. it's good.
00:29:19.148 --> 00:29:20.716
- you know, and it's that nagging question
00:29:20.716 --> 00:29:23.085
That often plagues people in a way, refrain,
00:29:23.085 --> 00:29:27.923
From wanting to take a risk, try something new.
00:29:27.923 --> 00:29:31.894
Kind of like, who do i think i am?
00:29:31.894 --> 00:29:34.830
(person laughing) you know, what made me think
00:29:34.830 --> 00:29:37.066
That this could be really from god, you know?
00:29:37.066 --> 00:29:39.602
And i know that, you know, as people are probably listening
00:29:39.602 --> 00:29:43.939
In, some may be like, well, they seem really sure
00:29:43.939 --> 00:29:47.543
That this was from god,
00:29:47.543 --> 00:29:49.778
At least like the start of it, right?
00:29:49.778 --> 00:29:52.014
So if somebody were to bring this question to the table,
00:29:52.014 --> 00:29:56.252
What if i got it wrong?
00:29:56.252 --> 00:29:58.087
What if i really did think that this was from god
00:29:58.087 --> 00:30:01.056
And i made the steps, i took the risks,
00:30:01.924 --> 00:30:04.193
But it probably wasn't from god.
00:30:04.193 --> 00:30:06.929
You know, when they find themselves in the guilt
00:30:06.929 --> 00:30:08.964
And shame in that.
00:30:08.964 --> 00:30:10.833
- so good.
00:30:11.133 --> 00:30:12.268
- [faith] how do we counsel someone?
00:30:12.268 --> 00:30:13.369
- and that's never from god.
00:30:13.369 --> 00:30:14.536
I don't think that's ever from god.
00:30:14.536 --> 00:30:16.238
I mean, that's why i love in romans chapter eight verse one
00:30:16.238 --> 00:30:19.541
Where it talks about, there is now,
00:30:19.541 --> 00:30:21.143
Therefore no condemnation.
00:30:21.143 --> 00:30:22.444
There might be conviction,
00:30:22.444 --> 00:30:23.746
But conviction draws me closer to the lord.
00:30:23.746 --> 00:30:24.680
Condemnation pushes me away.
00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:26.782
- [guest] right.
00:30:26.782 --> 00:30:27.883
- and i think it all comes down to
00:30:27.883 --> 00:30:29.184
Whether we believe god is sovereign or not.
00:30:29.184 --> 00:30:30.619
- yeah.
00:30:30.619 --> 00:30:31.987
- if i believe as i do, as deep as the marrow
00:30:31.987 --> 00:30:34.123
In my bones, that god is in control, that god is good.
00:30:34.123 --> 00:30:36.592
I'm human. i'm sinner. i'll make mistakes.
00:30:36.592 --> 00:30:39.895
But god knows my heart.
00:30:39.895 --> 00:30:41.030
- [guest] right.
00:30:41.030 --> 00:30:42.398
- you know, i want to do the things that honor him.
00:30:42.398 --> 00:30:43.832
And i love what tozer wrote in one of his books.
00:30:43.832 --> 00:30:45.601
What comes to your mind when you think about god,
00:30:45.601 --> 00:30:48.570
Is the most important thing about you.
00:30:48.570 --> 00:30:51.073
And for so long, what came to my mind when i thought
00:30:51.073 --> 00:30:54.510
About god was, i'll try really hard to get it right.
00:30:54.510 --> 00:30:56.712
And then when that shifted massively,
00:30:56.712 --> 00:31:00.816
And then it became, you know what, you are good
00:31:00.816 --> 00:31:02.685
And you are in control and you've already done this.
00:31:02.685 --> 00:31:05.521
And i'm showing up every day.
00:31:05.521 --> 00:31:06.956
And i've made that a prayer.
00:31:06.956 --> 00:31:08.891
It was one of our better togethers,
00:31:08.891 --> 00:31:10.159
I can't remember who it was who said it,
00:31:10.159 --> 00:31:11.260
But they said, my daily prayer is,
00:31:11.260 --> 00:31:14.129
Holy spirit, what do you want me to do today?
00:31:14.129 --> 00:31:15.898
And i've started doing that every day, now.
00:31:15.898 --> 00:31:18.434
I've just like, holy spirit give me eyes to see
00:31:18.434 --> 00:31:19.935
What i should do today, conversations i should have.
00:31:19.935 --> 00:31:23.072
Rather than this, i think we make it very complicated.
00:31:24.173 --> 00:31:26.809
And i don't think it's complicated.
00:31:27.543 --> 00:31:28.744
I think we just take the next step.
00:31:28.744 --> 00:31:31.747
- which is why women are stopping you in the mall saying,
00:31:31.747 --> 00:31:33.782
Tell me about the will of god. (people laughing)
00:31:33.782 --> 00:31:35.818
Because you said, keep my eyes open to conversations.
00:31:35.818 --> 00:31:40.155
I think often it's an okay and common question to say,
00:31:41.256 --> 00:31:44.293
Am i going in the right direction?
00:31:44.293 --> 00:31:45.794
Have i heard god about this dream?
00:31:45.794 --> 00:31:47.997
And i think, though it's a good question,
00:31:47.997 --> 00:31:48.931
I think the bigger question is,
00:31:48.931 --> 00:31:50.766
What do you think about who god is?
00:31:50.766 --> 00:31:53.168
Because if you think of him as a demanding father
00:31:53.168 --> 00:31:57.573
Who makes sure that you don't ever step out of line
00:31:57.573 --> 00:32:00.976
And you don't ever choose the wrong thing,
00:32:00.976 --> 00:32:02.878
Then you're going to have a lot of trepidation
00:32:02.878 --> 00:32:05.647
About stepping out in faith into the dream
00:32:05.647 --> 00:32:06.915
That you have in your heart.
00:32:06.915 --> 00:32:08.450
But if you believe that god is a god of mercy and grace,
00:32:08.450 --> 00:32:12.554
In fact, it's grace upon grace that there's no
00:32:12.554 --> 00:32:15.424
End to his unconditional love, there's no end to his grace,
00:32:15.424 --> 00:32:18.861
Then you have an expansive area to move in,
00:32:18.861 --> 00:32:23.365
To walk into that next step
00:32:23.365 --> 00:32:25.334
And try what you think god is saying to do.
00:32:25.334 --> 00:32:29.905
And this is what i love about the lord,
00:32:29.905 --> 00:32:31.073
Is if it is a misstep of some way,
00:32:31.073 --> 00:32:33.575
He just is a gentle father that will redirect you.
00:32:33.575 --> 00:32:36.812
But don't be afraid to take that step
00:32:36.812 --> 00:32:38.847
Because you think there's not enough grace from the lord
00:32:38.847 --> 00:32:41.450
That you might make a misstep.
00:32:41.450 --> 00:32:43.485
Don't think of it that way.
00:32:43.485 --> 00:32:44.887
Think about a loving father that has so much grace.
00:32:44.887 --> 00:32:48.223
All he's saying is, go for it, girl.
00:32:48.223 --> 00:32:50.492
You've got it. just go for it.
00:32:50.492 --> 00:32:54.063
I just had this image.
00:32:54.563 --> 00:32:56.265
I saw these like young toddlers playing in the park,
00:32:56.265 --> 00:32:59.835
You know, a parent, as you would take
00:32:59.835 --> 00:33:01.437
Your kids to the park and play and near the park was a pond.
00:33:01.437 --> 00:33:04.073
And the parent is saying, there's swings
00:33:04.073 --> 00:33:05.941
And there's slides,
00:33:05.941 --> 00:33:07.342
There's, you know, the little fire pole you can go down,
00:33:07.342 --> 00:33:10.479
Play, play, play, do what you want.
00:33:10.479 --> 00:33:12.681
There's a pond over there and you can't go over there.
00:33:12.681 --> 00:33:16.151
And it's almost as if in some way,
00:33:16.151 --> 00:33:17.719
I don't think we give god credit for
00:33:17.719 --> 00:33:20.255
How wide he gives us to explore in all the gifting
00:33:20.255 --> 00:33:25.594
And all the things, because that child is gonna go
00:33:26.628 --> 00:33:28.931
Down the slide and go on the swings
00:33:28.931 --> 00:33:30.132
And find something they like better.
00:33:30.132 --> 00:33:31.733
And then they wanna go on the swings over and over and over
00:33:31.733 --> 00:33:34.670
'cause they loved it and it's almost in that regard.
00:33:34.670 --> 00:33:36.905
Okay, the pond could be dangerous
00:33:36.905 --> 00:33:39.508
'cause you don't know how to swim.
00:33:39.508 --> 00:33:40.976
So he gives us boundaries, but also within that park,
00:33:40.976 --> 00:33:43.712
He lets us play.
00:33:43.712 --> 00:33:45.114
- it's freedom, yeah.
00:33:45.614 --> 00:33:46.748
- find the thing that you like to do.
00:33:46.748 --> 00:33:48.083
Find the bent and the gifting that you have.
00:33:48.083 --> 00:33:49.751
Don't be so concerned that we have a god
00:33:49.751 --> 00:33:51.954
Who is a yes and a no and if you, by chance,
00:33:51.954 --> 00:33:54.823
Go the wrong way, it's all over.
00:33:54.823 --> 00:33:57.025
That's not how i see him.
00:33:57.025 --> 00:33:58.627
That's never how i've felt in my life that he has operated.
00:33:58.627 --> 00:34:02.397
That it's been a little bit like, okay, go down this slide.
00:34:02.397 --> 00:34:05.167
Did you like that? did you feel my presence there?
00:34:05.167 --> 00:34:08.403
Did you feel a gifting there?
00:34:08.403 --> 00:34:10.572
No, okay, let's try the swings.
00:34:10.572 --> 00:34:12.074
It's the idea that i think sometimes he uses our bents
00:34:12.074 --> 00:34:15.611
And our giftings to kind of direct us.
00:34:15.611 --> 00:34:18.247
And as long as it, like i said earlier,
00:34:18.247 --> 00:34:20.749
We come with a pure heart, that says, god,
00:34:20.749 --> 00:34:23.385
I'm just here to serve you.
00:34:23.385 --> 00:34:24.620
Open the doors that only you can open
00:34:24.620 --> 00:34:26.488
And close the doors that you want to close.
00:34:26.488 --> 00:34:28.657
I think it's a little bit less about wrong or right.
00:34:28.657 --> 00:34:31.560
And more about just taking the the next yes step
00:34:31.560 --> 00:34:35.664
And trusting that he'll close the door.
00:34:35.664 --> 00:34:38.901
(gentle music)
00:34:39.268 --> 00:34:42.104
- to step out in faith, it's an action.
00:34:42.938 --> 00:34:46.708
And how we begin is by simply knowing
00:34:46.708 --> 00:34:50.279
That nothing happens to me, it only happens for me.
00:34:50.279 --> 00:34:55.551
That's based on my favorite scripture, romans 8:28,
00:34:56.618 --> 00:34:59.821
Where all things work together for good,
00:34:59.821 --> 00:35:02.991
To those who are called by god, that's you.
00:35:02.991 --> 00:35:06.828
And to step into your calling,
00:35:07.462 --> 00:35:09.998
You overcome fear by walking it out,
00:35:09.998 --> 00:35:14.736
Being aware that god has a better plan for you
00:35:14.736 --> 00:35:18.774
Than you can even dream of.
00:35:18.774 --> 00:35:21.710
In ephesians 3:20, it says, now glory be to god,
00:35:21.710 --> 00:35:25.847
Who by his mighty power at work within us,
00:35:25.847 --> 00:35:28.383
Is able to do far more than we can even dare to dream of.
00:35:29.551 --> 00:35:34.156
God has something magnificent planned for you
00:35:35.123 --> 00:35:38.694
And it begins by saying, i start now.
00:35:38.694 --> 00:35:42.731
I'm ready god, because i know nothing happens to me,
00:35:42.731 --> 00:35:48.070
It only happens for me, and you are with me, god.
00:35:49.037 --> 00:35:52.074
I encourage you.
00:35:52.074 --> 00:35:54.843
- [narrator] be the first to know
00:35:55.544 --> 00:35:56.812
All the latest better together updates.
00:35:56.812 --> 00:35:59.181
Visit bettertogether.tv to sign up for our weekly emails
00:35:59.181 --> 00:36:02.150
And never miss the latest news.
00:36:02.150 --> 00:36:05.007
And never miss the latest news.
00:36:05.007 --> 00:36:06.154
(gentle music)
00:36:06.521 --> 00:36:09.558
- there have been things that my husband and i have done,
00:36:10.726 --> 00:36:12.361
Now looking back on it, probably every person
00:36:12.361 --> 00:36:16.298
Around us would say, that was a horrible mistake,
00:36:16.298 --> 00:36:20.202
That didn't work out the way you thought
00:36:20.202 --> 00:36:22.904
It was gonna work out.
00:36:23.405 --> 00:36:24.606
God will turn everything for our good.
00:36:24.606 --> 00:36:27.342
- absolutely.
00:36:27.342 --> 00:36:28.677
- right, so nothing, if we can get the mindset
00:36:28.677 --> 00:36:31.346
That everything belongs to god,
00:36:31.346 --> 00:36:34.182
There is nothing lost in his kingdom
00:36:34.182 --> 00:36:37.619
And everything belongs to god.
00:36:37.619 --> 00:36:40.922
So our steps of faith are going after something
00:36:40.922 --> 00:36:45.494
That maybe you did feel god had called you to
00:36:45.494 --> 00:36:48.830
And then that looks like it failed.
00:36:49.631 --> 00:36:52.000
And it's like, it's happened to us.
00:36:52.801 --> 00:36:54.269
- sure.
00:36:54.269 --> 00:36:55.370
- big time, but through those circumstances,
00:36:56.305 --> 00:36:59.441
God has taught us things.
00:36:59.441 --> 00:37:01.810
We see god in a different way.
00:37:01.810 --> 00:37:04.012
We know him in a different way and was that valuable?
00:37:04.012 --> 00:37:08.417
That was priceless.
00:37:08.417 --> 00:37:10.252
- right.
00:37:10.252 --> 00:37:11.520
- right? to where god wants to take you.
00:37:11.520 --> 00:37:13.522
It's never what we do for god.
00:37:13.522 --> 00:37:15.757
It's what god does on the inside of us.
00:37:15.757 --> 00:37:18.393
- and so if we keep that mindset, we can fall,
00:37:18.393 --> 00:37:23.332
I believe you fall forwards every time.
00:37:23.332 --> 00:37:26.101
If you think you have fallen, if you think you have failed,
00:37:27.302 --> 00:37:28.837
- believe if you did it in faith,
00:37:29.504 --> 00:37:30.806
God knows your heart, and you only go forward,
00:37:30.806 --> 00:37:33.241
You fall forward.
00:37:33.241 --> 00:37:34.476
And you'll look back on those mistakes,
00:37:34.476 --> 00:37:36.578
And say, "if it had not been for that,
00:37:36.578 --> 00:37:39.481
I would not be where i am today.
00:37:39.481 --> 00:37:41.950
Look what god has done." (gentle music)
00:37:41.950 --> 00:37:44.586
Yeah, i think god's detours, or those interrupted times
00:37:44.586 --> 00:37:48.690
That we've talked about here on "better together"
00:37:48.690 --> 00:37:51.360
Can be the greatest thing that's ever happened to you.
00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:55.063
And in those times, and maybe it's shaken your world,
00:37:55.063 --> 00:37:58.300
Give god those times,
00:37:58.300 --> 00:38:00.102
Ask god to bring the good,
00:38:00.102 --> 00:38:05.040
Let you see the good, focus on the good in those times,
00:38:05.040 --> 00:38:08.844
Because that's what his promise is.
00:38:08.844 --> 00:38:10.545
He will take everything, that means the good times,
00:38:10.545 --> 00:38:13.248
The bad times, the times of sorrow, times of shame,
00:38:13.248 --> 00:38:16.451
He will turn them somehow for your good
00:38:16.451 --> 00:38:20.822
So that he gets the glory.
00:38:20.822 --> 00:38:22.524
- speak to that fear of failure,
00:38:23.158 --> 00:38:24.526
As somebody who has had that,
00:38:24.526 --> 00:38:26.428
I think that is gripping for women,
00:38:26.428 --> 00:38:28.830
That idea of failure and that all could be lost.
00:38:29.765 --> 00:38:32.234
- you know what happened to me?
00:38:32.234 --> 00:38:33.869
Something that looked like, and it hurt,
00:38:33.869 --> 00:38:36.872
It was something that was just painful for me personally.
00:38:36.872 --> 00:38:40.342
And it was kind of a sore subject too,
00:38:40.342 --> 00:38:42.978
(chuckles) when i prayed about it,
00:38:42.978 --> 00:38:44.379
Because it felt like we lost something.
00:38:44.379 --> 00:38:47.749
And i didn't understand it for years,
00:38:47.749 --> 00:38:50.318
And so it was like, "god, you own it, it's yours,
00:38:50.318 --> 00:38:53.755
It belongs to you anyway,"
00:38:53.755 --> 00:38:55.257
And it didn't belong to me anyway,
00:38:55.257 --> 00:38:57.225
It was always yours, and now it's gone."
00:38:57.225 --> 00:39:00.929
And a few years later, god spoke to me and said,
00:39:00.929 --> 00:39:06.268
"you got what you'd prayed for, didn't you?"
00:39:07.135 --> 00:39:09.137
And i said, "i got exactly what i prayed for."
00:39:09.137 --> 00:39:12.207
I had believed god for that.
00:39:12.207 --> 00:39:14.843
I got exactly, he said, "why don't you ask me for more?"
00:39:14.843 --> 00:39:18.713
- wow. so good, lori.
00:39:18.713 --> 00:39:20.782
- "ask me for more."
00:39:20.782 --> 00:39:22.784
And i'm telling you guys,
00:39:23.318 --> 00:39:27.856
That changed my life.
00:39:28.356 --> 00:39:29.758
And there comes a point
00:39:29.758 --> 00:39:31.526
Where the sting of that is not there anymore,
00:39:31.526 --> 00:39:33.962
I wouldn't have it back if i could, and i ask god for more.
00:39:33.962 --> 00:39:38.233
And you know what? he gave it to me.
00:39:38.233 --> 00:39:40.702
He gave me more.
00:39:40.702 --> 00:39:42.070
And so i think everything is driving us,
00:39:42.070 --> 00:39:44.606
Everything is baiting, god is always baiting our passion
00:39:44.606 --> 00:39:48.743
For more of him.
00:39:48.743 --> 00:39:50.245
Dig deeper, dig your roots down.
00:39:50.245 --> 00:39:52.447
When you feel like you have maybe lost your dream,
00:39:52.447 --> 00:39:55.750
If maybe you think, well, you have failed god
00:39:55.750 --> 00:39:58.286
And everybody else around you,
00:39:58.286 --> 00:40:00.388
Dig your roots deeper into god.
00:40:00.388 --> 00:40:03.792
Throw yourself, lean on god and say, "god, i need you
00:40:03.792 --> 00:40:09.130
To show me where i am, to help me see something
00:40:10.031 --> 00:40:13.235
To change my perspective of where i'm living,
00:40:13.235 --> 00:40:16.371
And to change what i'm thinking about
00:40:16.371 --> 00:40:18.607
And help me get out of this despair,
00:40:18.607 --> 00:40:21.476
Help me get out of this pit."
00:40:21.476 --> 00:40:23.211
And god will bring you out,
00:40:23.211 --> 00:40:25.447
I believe that with all my heart.
00:40:25.447 --> 00:40:26.848
- yeah. - i do too.
00:40:26.848 --> 00:40:27.682
- and ask him for more.
00:40:27.682 --> 00:40:29.184
Don't ask him for less, ask him for more.
00:40:29.184 --> 00:40:32.254
- psalm 61, "when my heart is overwhelmed,
00:40:32.254 --> 00:40:34.923
Lead me to the rock that is higher than i."
00:40:34.923 --> 00:40:37.659
I turn to that scripture so often.
00:40:37.659 --> 00:40:40.028
Because it's just, yeah,
00:40:40.028 --> 00:40:42.130
What you're saying is absolutely right.
00:40:42.130 --> 00:40:44.165
And there's times when we shelter
00:40:44.165 --> 00:40:46.568
Simply in the goodness of god.
00:40:46.568 --> 00:40:48.436
And even if if it has blown,
00:40:48.436 --> 00:40:50.572
And it seems like it's all fallen apart,
00:40:50.572 --> 00:40:52.874
Where do we take our refuge?
00:40:52.874 --> 00:40:54.509
- and he's not there to punish us.
00:40:54.509 --> 00:40:55.877
- [all] no.
00:40:55.877 --> 00:40:57.045
- we're not in trouble. that's it.
00:40:57.045 --> 00:40:59.080
You're never in trouble.
00:40:59.080 --> 00:41:00.615
If you come to god, he is never gonna hit you over the head.
00:41:00.615 --> 00:41:03.985
He is going to go, "what do you need, baby?"
00:41:03.985 --> 00:41:06.655
- yes, exactly.
00:41:06.655 --> 00:41:07.656
- "what is it that you need?"
00:41:07.656 --> 00:41:09.724
- i think this conversation is really gonna
00:41:09.724 --> 00:41:11.393
Set a lot of people free.
00:41:11.393 --> 00:41:12.894
Because i think, like the through line
00:41:12.894 --> 00:41:15.363
Of a lot of what we're sharing is
00:41:15.363 --> 00:41:17.566
That god allows for a learning curve.
00:41:17.566 --> 00:41:21.036
- yes. - yes.
00:41:21.036 --> 00:41:22.304
- yes.
00:41:22.304 --> 00:41:23.438
- and it's good. (all chuckle)
00:41:23.438 --> 00:41:24.973
- no, he wants us to. - yeah.
00:41:24.973 --> 00:41:26.708
- it's not even allows it, he wants us.
00:41:26.708 --> 00:41:29.277
- oh, absolutely.
00:41:29.277 --> 00:41:30.278
- because we grow and we mature
00:41:30.278 --> 00:41:31.846
And we show fruit, and we bear fruit.
00:41:31.846 --> 00:41:35.150
- and as parents, we would never look at our kindergartner
00:41:35.150 --> 00:41:38.420
Who wasn't able to read, you know, steinbeck or whatever,
00:41:38.420 --> 00:41:42.591
And be like, "why are you not reading this
00:41:42.591 --> 00:41:45.260
At this level yet?"
00:41:45.260 --> 00:41:47.095
We would never shame them for being at a stage
00:41:47.095 --> 00:41:50.465
Where they're learning and growing.
00:41:50.465 --> 00:41:52.334
In fact, we applaud every little thing they do
00:41:52.334 --> 00:41:56.771
That shows that they're learning and they're growing.
00:41:56.771 --> 00:42:00.141
- we have a father who loves even better
00:42:00.141 --> 00:42:02.777
Than we ever could as parents,
00:42:02.777 --> 00:42:04.579
And it's like, do we stop enough to think
00:42:04.579 --> 00:42:06.414
That he's up in heaven going, (taps hands)
00:42:06.414 --> 00:42:08.316
"good, you're doing it, keep going, keep going."
00:42:08.316 --> 00:42:11.052
I know for me, when things are harder,
00:42:11.052 --> 00:42:13.922
I don't see him as the cheerleader, you know?
00:42:13.922 --> 00:42:16.191
- the advocate. - yes, the advocate.
00:42:16.191 --> 00:42:18.426
I'm like, "ouch, this hurts. why are you allowing this?"
00:42:18.426 --> 00:42:22.430
But he's advocating for us in every step, it's so beautiful.
00:42:22.430 --> 00:42:26.301
(gentle music)
00:42:26.301 --> 00:42:27.869
- i think one of the things that can be a little confusing
00:42:27.869 --> 00:42:30.338
About having a dream that god has given you,
00:42:30.338 --> 00:42:32.641
Or maybe even comparing the dream that god has given you
00:42:32.641 --> 00:42:35.443
To dreams that maybe god has given someone else.
00:42:35.443 --> 00:42:37.646
Maybe you look at somebody else's life and think,
00:42:37.646 --> 00:42:39.648
"gosh, they're so much more gifted."
00:42:39.648 --> 00:42:42.984
But every single one of us, i love this,
00:42:42.984 --> 00:42:45.153
We're all made in the image of god,
00:42:45.153 --> 00:42:47.022
And we're made for purpose.
00:42:47.022 --> 00:42:49.257
So whatever god has gifted you with,
00:42:49.257 --> 00:42:51.159
Whatever dream he's put in your heart,
00:42:51.159 --> 00:42:52.761
Whether you think it's a big dream or a small dream,
00:42:52.761 --> 00:42:55.897
As long as you're faithful in that, god will use that,
00:42:55.897 --> 00:42:59.234
And you kind of find it,
00:42:59.234 --> 00:43:01.903
This is why i was put on this earth to do this,
00:43:01.903 --> 00:43:04.472
And then just do it with all your heart.
00:43:04.472 --> 00:43:07.208
- right, like the great commission was never,
00:43:07.208 --> 00:43:09.244
"now go and make perfect decisions
00:43:09.244 --> 00:43:10.912
For the rest of your life," you know? (chuckles)
00:43:10.912 --> 00:43:13.648
But we're here because we're called to love god
00:43:13.648 --> 00:43:17.052
And to love people.
00:43:17.052 --> 00:43:18.319
And i think sometimes in the fear
00:43:18.319 --> 00:43:20.522
Of making the wrong decision,
00:43:20.522 --> 00:43:23.658
So many of us find ourselves holding back from god.
00:43:24.693 --> 00:43:28.296
Kind of like, i don't even wanna try in fear of failure.
00:43:28.296 --> 00:43:33.201
I once had a friend who went on a trip,
00:43:33.201 --> 00:43:36.905
And you know, she came back and she was like,
00:43:37.839 --> 00:43:40.875
"i wanted to get you something,
00:43:40.875 --> 00:43:42.911
But nothing was good enough.
00:43:42.911 --> 00:43:44.779
(all chuckle)
00:43:44.779 --> 00:43:46.114
And then i was just so afraid that, you know,
00:43:46.114 --> 00:43:47.982
I'm gonna get the wrong thing for you,
00:43:47.982 --> 00:43:49.751
So i just got you nothing." (all laugh)
00:43:49.751 --> 00:43:52.987
You know? - thanks.
00:43:52.987 --> 00:43:54.422
- and i mean, we laughed about it,
00:43:54.422 --> 00:43:55.757
But i was like, man, that kind of sounds like
00:43:55.757 --> 00:43:58.193
How we could be with god. - so good, yeah.
00:43:58.193 --> 00:43:59.828
- you know, kind of like, you know what,
00:43:59.828 --> 00:44:01.596
There's like a 70% chance that i could be wrong,
00:44:01.596 --> 00:44:04.365
Therefore i'm not even going to try.
00:44:04.365 --> 00:44:06.968
- it's like the talents, - right.
00:44:06.968 --> 00:44:09.771
- the guy said, you scare me as a god,
00:44:09.771 --> 00:44:13.208
And so i just kept it,
00:44:13.208 --> 00:44:15.176
That i had it when you came back,
00:44:15.176 --> 00:44:16.511
And i didn't step out, i didn't sow it,
00:44:16.511 --> 00:44:19.581
- [participants] yeah. - you know?
00:44:19.581 --> 00:44:21.316
- yeah.
00:44:21.316 --> 00:44:22.684
And i feel like if somebody's just in the midst
00:44:22.684 --> 00:44:24.119
Of taking an accidental detour,
00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:27.455
Or perhaps even an intentional detour
00:44:27.455 --> 00:44:30.058
That they're finding themselves trying to come back from,
00:44:30.058 --> 00:44:33.661
You know, i would say,
00:44:33.661 --> 00:44:35.263
"isn't he worth just our hundred-percent effort,
00:44:36.197 --> 00:44:39.901
Even if it came out to failure?"
00:44:39.901 --> 00:44:43.238
- yes. - absolutely.
00:44:43.238 --> 00:44:44.439
- you know, isn't that what it means
00:44:44.439 --> 00:44:45.406
When we say "you are worthy"?
00:44:45.406 --> 00:44:47.442
You know, you are worthy, you're worthy of it all,
00:44:47.442 --> 00:44:50.945
You're worthy of my attempts, you're worthy of my tries,
00:44:50.945 --> 00:44:55.283
You're worthy of my try against...
00:44:55.283 --> 00:44:57.886
You know, so many incidents in the bible,
00:44:57.886 --> 00:45:00.388
It required a try again for it to be successful.
00:45:00.388 --> 00:45:04.959
David and the arc. moses and the commandments.
00:45:04.959 --> 00:45:08.797
Right? they had to try again for it to be successful.
00:45:08.797 --> 00:45:13.268
And i think for us to look at the consequences
00:45:13.268 --> 00:45:17.272
Of our weakness and our failures, and to say,
00:45:17.272 --> 00:45:20.942
"but god, you were worth trying for,
00:45:20.942 --> 00:45:25.280
You were worth that, yes,"
00:45:25.280 --> 00:45:26.815
I think that honors him just as much as our successes.
00:45:26.815 --> 00:45:31.052
- i don't think you can fail.
00:45:31.686 --> 00:45:33.121
I think you have to reframe failure.
00:45:33.121 --> 00:45:34.722
The whole thing is you, can't fail. it's reframing failure.
00:45:34.722 --> 00:45:37.826
- it's reframing what it looks like.
00:45:37.826 --> 00:45:40.161
- because you can't when he's involved.
00:45:40.161 --> 00:45:42.330
Because he doesn't know failure.
00:45:42.330 --> 00:45:44.399
There's nothing failed about god.
00:45:44.399 --> 00:45:45.633
- nothing in his character that's failure.
00:45:45.633 --> 00:45:48.069
(calm music)
00:45:48.069 --> 00:45:49.704
- if you believe that your dreams have been derailed,
00:45:49.704 --> 00:45:52.874
Just know that they may have been derailed,
00:45:52.874 --> 00:45:56.211
But they're not destroyed.
00:45:56.211 --> 00:45:58.546
I'm reminded of samson, and how he got derailed
00:45:58.546 --> 00:46:02.283
From his calling to be this deliverer for israel.
00:46:02.283 --> 00:46:07.555
But in that, he was able to repent
00:46:08.323 --> 00:46:10.325
And just really get back on the horse
00:46:10.325 --> 00:46:12.126
And fulfill what god had called him to do.
00:46:12.126 --> 00:46:15.463
And so, yes, have you perhaps disobeyed god,
00:46:15.463 --> 00:46:20.034
Walked away from jesus, had a weakness
00:46:20.034 --> 00:46:22.804
That really got the way of fulfilling your calling?
00:46:22.804 --> 00:46:25.940
Perhaps. but it's not destroyed.
00:46:25.940 --> 00:46:28.576
So you are one prayer away,
00:46:28.576 --> 00:46:31.012
And you could come back into what god has called you to do.
00:46:31.012 --> 00:46:34.349
Can we just lift up the one that's just listening in,
00:46:35.450 --> 00:46:38.419
Watching this moment right now?
00:46:38.419 --> 00:46:40.755
Let me tell you, you're with us.
00:46:40.755 --> 00:46:42.824
You know, we may not physically see you,
00:46:43.691 --> 00:46:45.026
But you're with us. (gentle music)
00:46:45.026 --> 00:46:47.028
And we're gonna pray for you right now
00:46:47.028 --> 00:46:49.664
That you may have just even a piece of a dream, right?
00:46:49.664 --> 00:46:54.936
Or the shattered pieces of a former dream.
00:46:55.837 --> 00:46:57.939
But we're gonna pray
00:46:57.939 --> 00:46:59.407
That the lord will just resurrect hope,
00:46:59.407 --> 00:47:02.110
That the lord will just bring you back into the heart
00:47:03.211 --> 00:47:06.080
Of his presence, and that it will be his nearness
00:47:06.080 --> 00:47:08.950
That will propel you forward.
00:47:08.950 --> 00:47:10.585
So lord jesus, we pray for the one in regret right now.
00:47:10.585 --> 00:47:14.656
We pray for the one in shame.
00:47:14.656 --> 00:47:16.724
We pray for the one that just feels shattered
00:47:16.724 --> 00:47:19.427
Because of past mistakes.
00:47:19.427 --> 00:47:21.829
Wasted time may be what they're lamenting over right now.
00:47:21.829 --> 00:47:26.234
But god, we know, that as long as we remain in you,
00:47:26.234 --> 00:47:31.506
We can do great things. - thank you, lord.
00:47:32.407 --> 00:47:33.775
- lord jesus.
00:47:33.775 --> 00:47:35.009
So lord, today we choose to remain in you,
00:47:35.009 --> 00:47:39.180
In our failure, in our weakness,
00:47:39.180 --> 00:47:42.684
Lord, we remain in you, jesus.
00:47:42.684 --> 00:47:45.687
And god, for the one that is steeped in regret and shame,
00:47:45.687 --> 00:47:49.390
May you wash them down by the blood of the lamb,
00:47:49.390 --> 00:47:53.761
And may you set them free in this time, in this moment.
00:47:53.761 --> 00:47:57.065
In jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:47:57.065 --> 00:47:58.800
- [all] amen.
00:47:58.800 --> 00:48:00.501
- [announcer] connect with us on social media
00:48:01.469 --> 00:48:03.171
And let us know how our team can pray for you.
00:48:03.171 --> 00:48:06.174
(light airy music)
00:48:06.607 --> 00:48:09.877
- so belinda, here's your question.
00:48:10.645 --> 00:48:12.580
Cherise asked us this question on tiktok.
00:48:12.580 --> 00:48:16.084
"how do you know if you put yourself there
00:48:16.084 --> 00:48:18.386
Or if god led you there?"
00:48:18.386 --> 00:48:19.654
- whoo. - it's a good question.
00:48:19.654 --> 00:48:20.955
- cherise, that's a good question, thank
00:48:20.955 --> 00:48:22.357
You for asking it.
00:48:22.357 --> 00:48:23.925
And i'm not even sure that i'm the expert to answer it,
00:48:23.925 --> 00:48:26.060
But this is what i can say.
00:48:26.060 --> 00:48:27.662
I think that it's our fruit, they'll know us by our fruit,
00:48:27.662 --> 00:48:31.199
I think the fruit will speak a lot
00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:33.101
About if it was us or if it was god.
00:48:33.101 --> 00:48:35.403
So i think if you are cultivating a
00:48:35.403 --> 00:48:38.039
Dream in your heart
00:48:38.039 --> 00:48:39.073
And you're wondering, did i hear that from god,
00:48:39.073 --> 00:48:41.142
Did i just make that up?
00:48:41.142 --> 00:48:42.377
Well, first part of it is remembering
00:48:42.377 --> 00:48:44.712
That it's a partnership.
00:48:44.712 --> 00:48:46.147
So if what you heard feels exciting and fun
00:48:46.147 --> 00:48:49.517
And you're like,
00:48:49.517 --> 00:48:51.019
Well, in the kingdom everything has to be boring and bad,
00:48:51.019 --> 00:48:52.820
Let me erase that thought.
00:48:52.820 --> 00:48:54.322
When you partner with god, it can be exciting and fun.
00:48:54.322 --> 00:48:57.058
So if that thing in you gets you excited,
00:48:57.058 --> 00:48:59.160
That doesn't mean it was just you, it could be a god dream.
00:48:59.160 --> 00:49:02.363
But the way that you'll really know is
00:49:02.363 --> 00:49:04.599
If you surrender it to him and his word,
00:49:04.599 --> 00:49:07.001
And then you walk it out
00:49:07.001 --> 00:49:08.403
And you begin to see fruit when you walk it out,
00:49:08.403 --> 00:49:11.606
And you begin to feel the peace of god,
00:49:11.606 --> 00:49:14.542
And the joy of god and the faithfulness of god.
00:49:14.542 --> 00:49:17.645
(gentle music)
00:49:17.645 --> 00:49:18.646
So just begin to walk it out,
00:49:18.646 --> 00:49:19.947
And i really do think, i know that it's kind of,
00:49:19.947 --> 00:49:22.417
You want a black and white answer, is it me or is it god?
00:49:22.417 --> 00:49:24.819
But i think if you are willing to partner with him,
00:49:24.819 --> 00:49:27.622
If you're willing to come with a pure heart,
00:49:27.622 --> 00:49:29.757
I think that he will show you as you go on,
00:49:29.757 --> 00:49:32.894
The parts of it that he wants you to let go of,
00:49:32.894 --> 00:49:35.129
'cause they were you,
00:49:35.129 --> 00:49:36.731
And the parts he wants you to focus on, because they're him.
00:49:36.731 --> 00:49:38.566
- yeah, that was great.
00:49:38.566 --> 00:49:40.034
And what we've discovered is god redeems all of it.
00:49:40.034 --> 00:49:42.904
- that's it. - so even if it wasn't him,
00:49:42.904 --> 00:49:44.972
Just turn towards him and say yes,
00:49:44.972 --> 00:49:47.442
And watch what he does with your yes.
00:49:47.442 --> 00:49:49.277
- amen.
00:49:49.277 --> 00:49:50.278
(light airy music)
00:49:50.278 --> 00:49:53.648
- so my prayer for the new year comes from a song, actually,
00:49:54.782 --> 00:49:59.454
From "godspell," and i think it's the prayer i pray
00:49:59.454 --> 00:50:01.689
Every single year, and i think i'm gonna sing it.
00:50:01.689 --> 00:50:05.626
It's...
00:50:05.893 --> 00:50:06.928
♪ day by day
00:50:06.928 --> 00:50:11.866
♪ oh dear lord
00:50:09.397 --> 00:50:14.135
♪ three things i pray
00:50:14.135 --> 00:50:17.839
♪ to see you more clearly
00:50:17.839 --> 00:50:21.309
♪ love you more dearly
00:50:21.309 --> 00:50:24.545
♪ follow you more nearly
00:50:24.545 --> 00:50:27.582
♪ day by day
00:50:27.582 --> 00:50:29.851
It's my prayer for the new year.
00:50:29.851 --> 00:50:32.019
(upbeat music)
00:50:32.019 --> 00:50:33.187
- [announcer] stream full episodes
00:50:33.187 --> 00:50:34.222
Of "better together" on demand.
00:50:34.222 --> 00:50:36.624
Go to bettertogether.tv
00:50:36.624 --> 00:50:38.392
To stream all of our latest conversations.
00:50:38.392 --> 00:50:41.562
(upbeat gentle music)
00:50:42.063 --> 00:50:58.980

What is Your God-Given Dream? - Episode 1021

December 30, 2024 | S7:E1021 | 50:59

Closed captions

Share