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I'll give you that pay little later

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Well these guys you guys come Sunday night man that's like you guys are real Christians

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Thank you for being here

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Well let's pray Holy Spirit thank you for what you're doing in us and through us and well thanks for this whole week so beautiful thank you for beautiful people thank you for this this church Lord this local church that so loves you and seek your presence

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I pray god you would anoint the speaker can I get an amen

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And that you would anoint the congregation we can get another amen amen

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Thank you Lord

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Um well I want to talk about humility and I sort of entitled this message all the way down to the top and sir could you stand up

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You have glasses on you look at me now you look at him yeah can you stand

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I I saw the Lord put a crown on your head and it said wisdom on it and I I just feel like the Lord is opening up your uh your heart and mind to this gift of wisdom

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And I was reminded of Solomon when he asked god for wisdom and then in James chapter 1 it says if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask god who gives to all men without reproach

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And I just saw you as a king asking god for wisdom

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When god came to Solomon said in the night and said what what do you want

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And he I'll give you anything you want

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He said well you're giving me these amazing people but I actually don't know what I'm doing

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And so I need wisdom and I saw you crying out for wisdom as a father and as a leader

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And I saw the Lord take this crown of thorns and he put on a crown a beautiful crown a royal crown on your head

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And I believe that the lord's answering your prayers for wisdom and for insight

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And and I see the Lord giving you a platform as a father and city and I see you uh crying out for justice crying out for poor you know uh Blake and I were having this conversation this morning

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I I really would encourage you to read Job 30 uh 29

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I've been reading it for a while but it's a it's Joe it's Joe recounting when the favor of the Lord was on him

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So it's kind of written in the negative but it's a share

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It tells us like what justice looks like what god what what does it look like to be noble

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And I feel like the lord's called you to be a noble man a man in your city who's a father to a community and a patriarch in your family

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And I feel like the Lord really wants to give you this you know I think Ephesians 3 calls it the wisdom from another age

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So I bless what God's doing in you and I bless what God's doing through you

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And I thank you for the integrity of this man's heart

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And I thank you for the way that he already stands for the victim for the person who's been dealt with unjustly

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And I was moved by Blake's message yesterday

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I think it was he was talking about the greatest the greatest evils of mentioned in the Bible

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And the first one was how did you say about the victim what say it again the mistreatment of the oppressed that God's first warning was for those who oppress the victims

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And so I believe that God's there's there's something rising on you to take a stand for the for the oppressed for the poor for the injustice around you

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And I just pray for god to give you wisdom for that Jesus name that's a good word right there

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Um many years ago I I I told you that I Kathy and I we got in business

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I maybe tell you a little bit of the story if you haven't heard it

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But years ago um we had a prophet named Dick Mills who came

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Is anybody ever remember Dick Mills

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Yeah okay some of the Dick Mills would come to our church every year

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He was he was a prophet really great guy and him and his wife would come to our church and our little church and we reveal and he'd come once a year

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And so the first time he came to our church after church we had lunch with them

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The leaders had lunch with them and I was sitting on his left side and we were having lunch and he turned to me and he would write down these little prophetic words

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His wife would write down these like like a scripture give you a scripture and then he give you this prophetic word out of it

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And so I'm sitting next to him and I'm I probably I think I'm like 26 years old and and he said uh he points to me he goes I got a word for you I got a good word for you so what is it

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He said God's giving you double wisdom for business the wisdom of man and the wisdom of god

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Have you ever got a prophetic word you didn't like

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So I wanted to be in business my whole life until I met Bill Johnson

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And when I when I met Bill Johnson and I heard Bill Johnson preach for the first time I was a two and a half years into a three and a half year nervous breakdown

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And I would sit in the back very back of the church cause I had such social anxiety

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And I listened to Bill preach the very first time in our little church of when he came as 60 people and I had never heard anyone speak like that before

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And within about three or four months I'm like god that's what I wanna do the rest of my life

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I wanna do that

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And then about a year later I get to prophetic word that if you go into business I'm gonna give you

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I knew it he said I'm giving you wisdom for business the wisdom of god and the wisdom of man

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That was on a Sunday afternoon and I remembered distinctly because on Monday morning I was at Bill's office and I was crying and I was saying I don't want to be in business and bills like well don't worry about it

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You know god wants you to be in business so make it happen

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I'm like yeah that's what I'm afraid of

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And then a few days later two days later actually on a Tuesday night we had an African American friend of ours who was a prophet come over

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His name was Danny and he was sitting at our dinner table and my kids were young at the time

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And we're having dinner and and we're laughing and joking and cutting up and just being funny

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And all of a sudden like I would say like the Holy Spirit comes on him and he gets this far away look and he he he looks at me and he goes god just told me that if you open a business he'll bless you

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I said well you tell god I don't wanna be in business kind of said to him

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He said bro I'm just telling you what he said

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I said well tell him what I said exactly how it happened and then uh on uh on Friday morning

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So that was Tuesday and on Friday morning I was going to I had my car all tore apart in our shop

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I was I was working in a repair shop and I had my car all tore apart

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So my friend Charlie Harper was bringing me to work and we passed by

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Thank you so much

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Now Siri won't talk to me and I have a stand for it just forgot to bring it

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And we passed by the 76 station in town and when we pass by the station Charlie goes I had a dream last night that you bought the 76 station

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I said bro I do not want to be in business

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He goes mom just telling you what my dream was

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I said well I was a nightmare

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Well that afternoon Friday afternoon the guy who owns that 76 station who I never met and isn't a Christian call me

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He goes hey my name is Bob and I own the 76 station town and I feel like you're supposed to buy my business

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I haven't put it up for sale yet

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And I want to say I don't want to be in business

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But then I'm like you know I remember a nice and far and I'm like you know you could die doing this you know

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So I met with him then he said why don't we meet tomorrow morning

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Saturday morning

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We met and my wife was all excited

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She's like oh this is amazing

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I'm like no this is not amazing

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And so we I I go to meet with him and we have breakfast and he wants to sell his business for forty seven thousand dollars and it's nine nine thousand dollars to get in

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And I I'm really excited because I'm behind a month on my house payment and I have no money

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So it's first time in my life I've been cited to be broke

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And I come home and my wife's all excited like how would he say

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And I told her and she's like oh well why don't you call your grandmother and see if you can borrow the money

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And my call my grandmother's not gonna lend me the money

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And my grandmother's you know she's in heaven now but she's she wasn't the most generous person I've ever met

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And I'm like my grandmother's not gonna lend me the money

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So anyway my wife was encouraging me you know it said it talks about impropers that drip faucet thing she was dripping encouragement to me

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Finally like after three days I decided well call my grandma

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So I called my grandmother

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My grandmother at the time wasn't a Christian so I didn't tell her all the backstory just said hey you know I'm thinking about buying a service station

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I'm just wondering if I could borrow you know$9,000

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And she said well I'll think about and I'll call you back

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So I'm like okay and then she called back like a day or two later and she said hey I've been thinking about it

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I said yeah

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She said I can't loan you the money

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And I was so happy and then she goes but I'll give it to you but you just can't tell the other you can't tell the other children

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I'm like so I get off the phone and cats like what did she say

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And I said terrible she's gonna give us the money

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She's like I told you so I told you so whatever and so we end up

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So I go and and I'm working at this tire store as the as the shop manager

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So I go tell my my boss hey you know I've got a 30 day escrow and I'm gonna I'm buying this this station down the street

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And and and within three minutes he fires me

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Ha yeah first time well I was gonna say first time ever been fired

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I was actually fired twice in my life but uh so I called up the owner of the 76 station and I said hey I just got fired and he's like well why don't you just take my station over right now

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Like just take it over run it my name

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We'll have a 30 day escrow and you put the 9,000 escrow in

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At the end of 30 days it's yours and you can run it under my name

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And I'm like well that sounds great

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And so uh we we started Kathy and I we we start running the station under his name and um and you know it was ours but under his name

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So um I used 14 dollars of the 9,000 I was supposed to put in ESTRO because you know it was a brand new business and we you know you need cash in the door for instance there's just you know the first payroll all all all stuff

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And I you know I had I'd run someone's automotive business for seven years but I'd never been in business for myself

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And so um so we get to like the 26th or 7th day and and Bob comes in in the morning he's like hey you need to put money in nescro

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You know I'm like yeah yeah and I don't wanna tell my use 14 dollars cause it's been running the business under his name and he's been so good to us

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And so the next day comes the next day comes the next day comes and now we're at the 30th day and it said morning of the 30th day and and escrow supposed to close at noon

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And so he comes by at seven in the morning he's like hey you need to put that money in escrow and I'm like yeah I'm gonna do it today you know been a little busy

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And so I go in so he leaves and I go in the back room

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We have this little you know kind of a closet of the storage room

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And I'm laying on the floor and there and I'm like this is your fault

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I do not want to be in business

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I told you that now I'm 14 dollars short and I don't know what you're gonna do about it but this is not my problem this is your problem

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I'm like I'm having a David prayer with no you know nothing good in it

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And about an hour later so it's around 9 o'clock in the morning this man that runs the store down the street he comes in he's a friend of mine

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He comes in and he uh he's on the gas island and I'm underneath a car on a creeper and he hands me um some money and I'm like oh thank you

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And I put it in my pocket thinking he paid for you know he's paying

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This is you know this is when you had self service you had to come in to pay

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And so I I put it in my pocket and he goes you should look at it cause I I thought he just handed me you know like you know 10 dollars or something

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So I roll out and I I pull it out of my my pocket and I open it up and it's 14 100 dollar bills now

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We hadn't told anyone we were short and I'm like there is a god in heaven and so we you know pay the nine thousand dollars and we and I'm like now I'm kind of getting excited right cause like I have the supernatural you know four prophetic words

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The guy calls me I get 14 hundred dollars supernaturally and I'm like that's really cool and I'm like and I remember what my friend told me if you go into business I'm gonna bless you and so I'm really excited by the fifth year

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I'm like so broke I can't even pay attention my house is foreclosed on twice

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One night I wake up in the middle of night and someone stealing my cars my two cars

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And I call the police the sheriff's department and I get a hold of the sheriff's deputy

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I know them cause I work on their cars and I'm like hey someone just stole my cars

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And they go Chris sorry your cars are repossessed

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They repossess both my cars and uh and people were bringing us food here we have a business and people are my friends are bringing it our home group is bringing us food and my kids were taken out of Christian school like five times for no payment

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And and so now I'm like I I got in this business supernaturally but I am I'm done

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So I'm laying on the floor 6 o'clock in the morning and I'm sobbing

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I got a payroll on Friday it's Thursday

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I have no money for payroll my I my parents bought my house out of foreclosure

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My you know it's like Mike the the impound lot for my car for the for my two cars is three blocks from my station on Main Street

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So my friends are driving by like hey man what up your car

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Like yeah so it's like he total humiliation and I'm laying on the floor in the back of the shop

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And and I and I and I'm sobbing I'm sobbing and I'm done and I'm disappointed and I'm discouraged and I I I can't reconcile

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Like I definitely had a prophetic words to get in this business and you said you were gonna bless me and I'm in the back and I I am I'm I'm mad and I'm disappointed and I'm hurt and I'm scared

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I have no money for payrolls and you know a gas load is$9,000 and if you don't pay for gas you run out of gas and you run anything like a dairy with no milk you know

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And I'm laying on the floor and I'm like and I'm just telling the Lord like I am so done I am so done with this

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And all the sudden I have this vision and in the vision I see uh god and he's walking down this path and there's all these men they look like um they look like linemen in a football in a foot on a football team

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And they're standing in front of god and they're they're like like they're gonna resist god

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And and he's walking down the path and he and he's just saying get out of my way and they're standing as if they're going to block him and he's grabbing and he's throwing them like ragdolls and he throws like five or six of them

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And in the vision I'm next and I stand in front of them like the steam stance they did and he looks right at me and he goes get out of my way and he reaches over to grab me and I move aside and he passes me and without looking back he goes now just follow and I came out of the vision and then he said to me

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He said you're building a business I'm building a man someday this will all make sense to you just follow and we did that 15 more years

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No I I'm smarter now

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When god says if you open a business I'm gonna bless you

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I'm like does it have anything to do with money

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Because I figured out I figured out something that God's idea of blessing me and my idea of blessing me ain't always the same

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And I figured out that there's a lot of peace that comes from being on the same page with god

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And you know things were we we know had lots of hard years after that

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And there was I can tell you lots and lots of stories miraculous stories that happened in between

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But I submitted myself to can I say to the crucible

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And I started figuring out that he got and I didn't tell you this part

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God said ten years from now this all makes sense to you

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And it was about 10 or 11 years later that I ended up at Bethel and I end up at Bethel Church

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And and it's interesting because I well that's a longer story but end up at Bethel Church and Bill said I can't pay you until the school starts because I things are a little tight

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When I got to Bethel Church I went in the I was there about a month I didn't know anybody but Bill and I walk into the CFO's office and he's got his head on the on the counter on his on his desk and he's obviously weeping and I'm like wow this man's touched by the Holy Ghost

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And I turn around and walk out and he goes come back in

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I said mom what's going on

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And he had piles of bills these are 30 days late these are 60 days late these are 90 days late these are hundred twenty days late these are hundred fifty days late

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And I have a payroll on Friday and I have no money and I and he said I don't know what to do

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And I said well what Bill tell you do

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He said Bill told me to give away$10,000 to the Baptist church

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I said are you gonna do that

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He goes I don't have$10,000 to write to the Baptist church

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And um and I'm like and the lord's like remember I told you that I'm preparing you for what's ahead

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And the Lord just um was so good to us

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And and after the at the end of three years we all Bethel's debt was paid all of our employees were paid on time and we just began to grow

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And and here's you know a person with Bill you know Bill's only letter church of 200 people

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And I never had more than 45 employees

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And we just start doubling in size and doubling size and doubling size

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And every year we started school ministry it starts at 37 students next year has 68 Next year has 128 Next year has 300 and it's just doubling every year

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And our congregation goes from 900 people I think by year four five were like 2,000 people and then 3,000 people and 5,000 people

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And and uh and I'm like okay Lord you all those years of pressure you were creating you were creating you were you were building somebody you were building capacity for something that would come

186
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And um obviously I want to be careful to not be ridiculous

187
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Like there were so much to learn

188
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We were growing so fast and we were making tons of mistakes

189
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I've never LED that we didn't have I never had a human resource department

190
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My by like year I never had enough employees to have human resource department

191
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I mean you know pretty soon we had 400 employees and 500 employees and people were coming from everywhere and like oh my gosh it was a lot to learn

192
00:20:51,233 --> 00:20:54,500
Obviously there there's still a lot to learn

193
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I don't know if you ever learn at all

194
00:21:00,233 --> 00:21:04,000
We got in the middle of Covid and that was really tough

195
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Another you know I have 24 students and of 6 weeks before they graduate our governor shuts down all schools you can't have on campus schools and he gives us three days notice and I don't have an online platform what am I gonna do with 24 students

196
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Uh 47 of them are internationals

197
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They can't go home because of covid rules

198
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And and I got my students getting covid and it's going crazy things are crazy

199
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And I'm in the newspaper 5 times for breaking the covid rules and just goes on and on

200
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Yeah I'm very I'm becoming infamous quickly right

201
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And I don't know what to do

202
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And and the Lord said to me this on I had I had this dream on the third

203
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I had this dream on March 27th, 2020 and the Lord said humilities the way forward so I'm like alright Lord he said just get low

204
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I don't know about you when you know I I am I I know everybody's wired differently like I I'm a fighter I grew up in the street I grew up in a tough home

205
00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:28,800
I'm a survivor so like I know how to fight I don't know how to not fight

206
00:22:28,833 --> 00:22:34,900
I don't know how to let people say stuff about me and not rush in and defend myself

207
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Is anyone else personality like this

208
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Like I understand like my wife's a flight person like she doesn't like conflict and when there's conflict like she would like to hide in the cave right

209
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And I and I have a leader who's who's a flight person

210
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I'm not saying one's good one's bad just saying personalities are polar opposite right

211
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So my nature is you know I can tell you some things like a board of supervisors says something bad about Bethel and I'm usually on the phone with him in the morning going let's have lunch

212
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Like if you say something bad about Bethel you know it's my nature to like hey let's have a conversation about that especially if the information wasn't accurate which is normally what happens

213
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So it just goes on and on and then the lord's like and then the Lord tells me give your cheek to the smiter humble yourself love people who hate you bless people who are persecuting you

214
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And I I don't know you know it makes a great teaching

215
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It's just not an easy life especially if you're wired like me cause I wanna come out I wanna defend myself on a fight and the Lord is like I want you to humble yourself you know it's it's it's in some ways it's hard to imagine that god loves us immeasurably but he actually opposes us when we walk in pride cause the Bible says that he's opposed to the proud but he gives Grace to the humble

216
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Now I I don't know if you know what Grace is

217
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Maybe you do

218
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I'm trying to treat you stupid but I hear people speak of Grace and mercy as if it's the same thing

219
00:24:12,166 --> 00:24:15,633
And I'd like to point out the Grace and mercy aren't the same thing

220
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That mercy means you didn't get what you deserve

221
00:24:18,566 --> 00:24:20,766
The Grace means you got what you didn't deserve

222
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So like a police officer let's say I'm speeding and I get pulled over and I'm 20 miles over speed limit and the police officer doesn't give me a ticket that's mercy I didn't get what I deserve

223
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But let's say I'm going 20 miles over speed limit police officer pulls me over and he gives me$1,000 for speeding that's great I got what I didn't deserve

224
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Are you with me

225
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And Grace is the operational power of God

226
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Grace gives the ability to do what I couldn't do one second before I received it

227
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And and one of the most powerful things about prophecy is that if you receive a prophet in name of prophet receive a prophecy ward

228
00:24:56,166 --> 00:24:57,233
What is the prophecy ward

229
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Well there's probably lots of answers for that but one of the prophecy ward is that when you receive a prophecy in the name of a prophet let's say you say this is a word from the Lord you receive Grace

230
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What is Grace

231
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Grace is the ability to do what you couldn't do one second before you heard that word

232
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Are you with me

233
00:25:14,533 --> 00:25:32,233
And and and and the point is this is that you know if I prophecy over you let's say you hear my human voice and and will metaphorically say my human voice is red but if the Lord is speaking through me on the red is blue and blue is Grace and blue and Grace is what makes the blue the red happen

234
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Are you following me

235
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So the the god says if you he's opposed to the proud but he gives Grace to the humble meaning he gives me a he gives me an ability that I don't have until I humble myself

236
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Humility is really important

237
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I I wrote this some time ago

238
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Greatness is planted in the seed bed of humility

239
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It's watered by the deeds of servanthood it's cultivated by the hands of perseverance until it finally yields of the harvest of royalty

240
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Um John 15 why don't you turn there

241
00:26:09,933 --> 00:26:13,733
I know you know these verses I think somebody quoted them tonight

242
00:26:13,766 --> 00:26:24,866
Actually Jesus is talking about vines and branches verse Chapter 15 verse 1 I am the true vine and my father is the divine dresser

243
00:26:24,933 --> 00:26:33,600
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that bears fruit he prunes it that it would mirror more fruit

244
00:26:34,766 --> 00:26:39,166
You are already clean because of the word which I spoke to you

245
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:51,966
The word clean is the root word prune abide in me and I abide in you as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine so neither can you unless you abide me

246
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,400
I'm the vine you're the branches you abide to me and I am him

247
00:26:56,433 --> 00:26:59,033
He bears much fruit for apart from me he can do nothing

248
00:26:59,066 --> 00:27:07,900
If anyone does not abide to me he is thrown away as a branch and it dries up and they gather them and they cast them in the fire and they are burn per seven

249
00:27:07,966 --> 00:27:24,800
If you abide in me my words abide in you ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you once you say this with me if you abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you wish and it'll be done for you

250
00:27:24,833 --> 00:27:31,433
I I I started writing a book I never finished it but it was called Wishful Thinking ask whatever you wish

251
00:27:31,466 --> 00:27:37,733
Wouldn't you like to have a relationship with god where you can just ask whatever you wish and be done for you

252
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:43,700
Like this is a powerful process this a powerful promise ask whatever you wish

253
00:27:43,766 --> 00:27:47,266
How do you get to a place where you get to ask whatever you wish

254
00:27:47,333 --> 00:28:00,800
Well he says if you he said if you're the I'm the vine you're the branch and he said you got two options if you are a branch you can be pruned or you can be cut off

255
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:06,166
But I don't know if you know this but when you celebrate someone else's pruning be careful cause yours is next

256
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:15,233
And then he said you're already pruned you're already clean you're already pruned by the word that I spoke to you

257
00:28:15,266 --> 00:28:25,100
So he says I pruned you with the word that I spoke to you and then he said if you bite me and my word abides in you in the context what words you talking about

258
00:28:25,166 --> 00:28:31,166
He's talking about the word that prunes you okay are you with me in Hebrews 5

259
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:51,800
He says you guys ought to be teachers by now but you actually you actually can can't you actually still on milk and he said you you you haven't matured to a place where you can eat meat and then he calls meat the word of righteousness and I'm pointing out that god wants his church

260
00:28:51,833 --> 00:28:58,700
He said you said I said seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and it's easy to seek the kingdom but not his righteousness

261
00:28:58,766 --> 00:28:59,833
Are you with me

262
00:28:59,866 --> 00:29:10,066
And so what I'm getting at he's like if you let me prune you you're already prune because of the word I spoke to you already clean and then he says if you bite me my word abides in you

263
00:29:10,133 --> 00:29:11,366
What words you talking about

264
00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,033
He's talking about the word that prunes us

265
00:29:14,066 --> 00:29:15,300
Are you with me

266
00:29:15,366 --> 00:29:32,733
He's saying if you let me speak to you in a way where I can cut you back to your fruitfulness I will trust you with your desires if you receive if you let me speak words of righteous to you words of correction to you

267
00:29:32,766 --> 00:29:38,866
If you let me prune you then I will trust you to ask me whatever you wish

268
00:29:38,933 --> 00:29:41,800
I can trust you if I can prune you

269
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Are you are you with me

270
00:29:44,766 --> 00:29:54,333
So when he's talking about abiding in me and my word abides in you he's not just talking about like you know row row row your boat gently down the stream

271
00:29:57,033 --> 00:30:02,700
He's talking about you guys are not even being funny tonight it's warm in here

272
00:30:04,433 --> 00:30:16,866
He's talking about the the he's talking about that you have a relationship with god where he can correct you or he can say to you you're building a business

273
00:30:16,933 --> 00:30:20,966
I'm building a man Lord I wanna quit

274
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:43,600
Yeah well that's not an option it's not an option well Lord if I stay here is it gonna get easier no no it's not gonna get easier I think Blake when he had that chart thing he is killing me

275
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,800
Did you guys get how many of you were in the conference

276
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He wrote this chart

277
00:30:49,233 --> 00:30:50,233
He has this chart going on

278
00:30:50,266 --> 00:30:53,233
He's like this is a kind of story Wanna tell

279
00:30:53,266 --> 00:30:57,066
And we aren't like yeah we had a hard time and then whoop we went up

280
00:30:57,133 --> 00:30:59,933
I'm like isn't that the way it's supposed to be

281
00:30:59,966 --> 00:31:06,033
And he's like sometimes prides and pride is pride is reinterpreting our prophecies

282
00:31:09,633 --> 00:31:24,400
I have a sense that god is more concerned about making us significant than he is about making us comfortable

283
00:31:27,966 --> 00:31:30,066
No I'm not saying that life is terrible

284
00:31:30,133 --> 00:31:32,500
I've been married to the same woman for 51 years

285
00:31:32,533 --> 00:31:33,733
I have a wonderful family

286
00:31:33,766 --> 00:31:34,366
I love them

287
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,166
We mostly have great time

288
00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:40,766
I live I mean my house is a house of laughter 90 of the time

289
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:45,300
And that's with my wife with Parkinson's you know it's like I mean we just find lots of joy

290
00:31:45,366 --> 00:31:48,000
If anybody knows me I'm not a depressed person

291
00:31:48,033 --> 00:31:52,933
I had six months of depression didn't like it at all just really sucked

292
00:31:55,466 --> 00:32:05,066
So I I I you know I want you to know that you're not talking to a depressed person or somebody who's like I I I don't I don't really love the whole god

293
00:32:05,133 --> 00:32:15,600
You know the gospel of martyr martyr martyr yeah like I I you know I'm like you're gonna kill me for my faith

294
00:32:15,633 --> 00:32:22,033
I don't wanna know it just wanted to be you know quick and over like don't torture me

295
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:46,800
It's not my nature to like say well things can be tough but things can be tough and sometimes in the middle of tough stuff the season goes faster when you have an idea of how you're supposed to respond

296
00:32:46,833 --> 00:32:48,666
Are you with me

297
00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:55,500
And so humility in James 1 it says in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your soul

298
00:32:55,533 --> 00:33:10,500
This like to point out that just salvation doesn't happen unless you find humility in uh in first Peter it says that this it says God's opposed to the prowl but he gives Grace to the humble

299
00:33:10,533 --> 00:33:17,366
You can't even get Grace if you don't humble yourself in James chapter 4 God's which I've already quoted

300
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:29,633
God's opposed to the pride but he gives Grace to the humble in Proverbs chapter 29 verse 23 it says a man's pride will bring him low but a humble spirit will attain honor

301
00:33:29,666 --> 00:33:35,033
And and I and I'd like to point out the God's ultimate goal for humilities that he would exalt you

302
00:33:35,066 --> 00:33:38,333
Like I'd like to point out that god actually does want to promote you

303
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:51,800
Like the ultimate goal is that god would promote you because it says this Luke chapter 1 verse 52 he has brought us he has Jesus is saying he has brought down rulers from their thrones and he exalts those who are humble

304
00:33:51,833 --> 00:33:56,133
And I'd like to point out that humility plus nothing equals promotion

305
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,066
Okay can I say that again

306
00:33:58,133 --> 00:34:00,933
How many people would like to be promoted

307
00:34:00,966 --> 00:34:14,766
And some of you like I don't know after we just told me I think I think I'm good with but it's great to be gifted and talented and be educated and experienced

308
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,566
But what if a person who lacks all these advantages

309
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:23,200
If a person lacks all these advantages but he actually humbles himself he'll be promoted

310
00:34:23,233 --> 00:34:26,133
Like if you humble yourself you'll be promoted

311
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:28,233
You know we talking a little while ago about vines

312
00:34:28,266 --> 00:34:32,666
And my my uncle had a Vineyard and I worked on a Vineyard once in a while when I was 15

313
00:34:32,733 --> 00:34:37,766
I mostly worked on my grandfather's farm but once in a while we'd go to my uncle's Vineyard and we'd work on the Vineyard

314
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:39,833
Now I didn't know anything about vines

315
00:34:39,866 --> 00:34:43,900
And my my uncle would um just tell me okay you're gonna prune the vines

316
00:34:43,966 --> 00:34:46,566
And again I had no idea what I was doing let me be clear

317
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,466
He would just go hey where the fruit stops cut it there

318
00:34:50,533 --> 00:35:00,366
So I cut the vine and then I Learned many years later that vines if you if you if there is no vine dresser this is how a vine typically grows

319
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:07,433
So let's pretend for a second that the branch is 20 feet long and it hasn't been it hasn't been cared for

320
00:35:07,466 --> 00:35:14,666
They'll be 10 feet of wood five feet of leaves and then five feet of fruit

321
00:35:16,533 --> 00:35:29,800
And if you don't prune that branch what a what a vine does is it will spend all of its energy extending a stick and eventually have no fruit

322
00:35:32,033 --> 00:35:37,833
Like a vine is more concerned about extending itself than it is about bearing fruit

323
00:35:39,266 --> 00:35:40,200
Are you with me

324
00:35:41,333 --> 00:35:44,366
And so where where is the vine dresser

325
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,466
Trim the branch back to where there's fruit

326
00:35:47,533 --> 00:35:50,733
And why does he say I'm either gonna I'm either gonna prune you

327
00:35:50,766 --> 00:36:05,066
I'm gonna cut you off because if you let the branch grow by itself without a wine dresser eventually it has no fruit anywhere and you have to trim it back to the to the actual vine and it'll have a new sprout

328
00:36:05,133 --> 00:36:06,133
Are you with me

329
00:36:06,166 --> 00:36:26,433
Like like I'm pointing out that that if you don't if you if you if we don't have a spirit of humility on us we end up in races to see who has the greatest extension and pretty soon pretty soon I'm measuring my life but how long my branches

330
00:36:26,466 --> 00:36:47,100
Oh I got I got 500,000 people on my Facebook page and I will do whatever it takes to get more followers or to get more popularity or get more anything not realizing that I have actually a long time ago I became bigger on the outside than I am on the inside

331
00:36:47,166 --> 00:36:49,733
I actually have no capacity for all these people that I attracted

332
00:36:49,766 --> 00:37:16,366
It's called self promotion and let me just tell you whenever you get bigger on the outside than you are on the inside it's just a matter of time before you're gonna fall before you're gonna fall I think it's not by chance that some people who mind social media for their prophetic words actually fell because you end up extending your old people are wild there

333
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:23,900
They've got you on their platforms and we were one of those platforms and you keep getting a bigger and bigger and bigger but the problem is you got no character

334
00:37:23,966 --> 00:37:27,500
You want the character to carry all these people that you attracted

335
00:37:29,666 --> 00:37:30,966
Are you with me

336
00:37:31,033 --> 00:37:47,266
And arrogance you should have known that arrogance listen not just bad prophetic words not just mining stuff but you should have known that when you attract people instead of let god attract you instead of the favor of god attracting people instead of letting god promote you you promote you

337
00:37:47,333 --> 00:37:50,066
You should have already known you are destined for a fall

338
00:37:51,433 --> 00:38:01,200
You just got a you just got wood hand stubble all you got is a stick because you haven't let the Lord prune you

339
00:38:03,566 --> 00:38:12,666
You haven't let the Lord go you're building a business I'm building a man cut Lord how long is this gonna last

340
00:38:12,733 --> 00:38:17,233
Cut Lord I want out of here cut

341
00:38:21,033 --> 00:38:40,533
I I I don't know if you know this but Joseph between the time Joseph got this prophetic where he's gonna be the leader a leader and by and by the time he got to the palace the 17 years 17 years I I propose this that between the promise and the palace is always the process

342
00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,266
If you figure out some way around the process you can't stand the palace anyway

343
00:38:46,366 --> 00:38:48,400
Because the process isn't there to kill you

344
00:38:48,433 --> 00:38:53,700
It's there to increase your capacity so when you're in the palace you can stay there

345
00:38:53,766 --> 00:38:55,200
Are you with me

346
00:38:55,233 --> 00:39:03,133
And lots of things happened at Bethel you know you know fast growth no experience with with this many people no experience with all this stuff

347
00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:16,800
And and it it was it was hard but I have to say this like listen we didn't do anything perfectly so please don't hear that but the capacity for pain was practiced 20 years earlier

348
00:39:20,133 --> 00:39:30,200
You know what I'm saying and sometimes the Lord wants to promote us and you're like the lord's like I'm taking you to the top and we're like awesome

349
00:39:30,233 --> 00:39:42,966
Now I figured out you're going somewhere like that the process is gonna be I love with I think it's Bishop Joseph Gardens and said god opens one door and closes another but it's hell in the hallway

350
00:39:45,966 --> 00:39:49,733
I cringe when someone gives somebody a big word I'm like I know where that goes

351
00:39:52,433 --> 00:40:01,900
I'm serious like god you when you're when you have a big thing to do and you're way back here I don't I'm not trying to disappoint anybody

352
00:40:01,966 --> 00:40:03,933
I'm probably helping a whole bunch of people

353
00:40:03,966 --> 00:40:05,800
Like you think something's going wrong in your life

354
00:40:05,833 --> 00:40:08,700
And I'd like to propose there might be something going right in your life

355
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:11,833
You think life is hard

356
00:40:11,866 --> 00:40:13,933
I might you just might have the wrong perspective

357
00:40:15,333 --> 00:40:27,966
You know if I if I wanna be a Green Beret and I go to boot camp and we're in hell week I don't think something's wrong because I have a vision I have a vision to be a tough soldier

358
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,766
I wanna be one of the greatest soldiers in American history

359
00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:40,266
I got a vision that when this is over I'm gonna be considered one of the greatest right warriors in American history

360
00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:43,566
And my point is that when I go through hell we got to go something's wrong

361
00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:44,633
I go something's right

362
00:40:44,666 --> 00:40:46,033
I'm preparing

363
00:40:46,066 --> 00:40:48,700
And then when I get on the battlefield I'm like I prepared for this

364
00:40:48,766 --> 00:40:57,166
I am ready for this and not talking about arrogance I'm just talking about the reality of I've been through something so that I can actually do this

365
00:41:04,633 --> 00:41:05,100
How we doing

366
00:41:05,166 --> 00:41:07,166
I'm supposed to be done in 5 minutes right

367
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:34,200
Okay haha it's interesting how powerful humility is in first kings 21 Chapter 21 Ahab you know who Ahab is he's married to Jezebel ring a bell not a good guy

368
00:41:34,233 --> 00:41:46,800
God sends Elijah to Ahab and he says he says to them behold I'm gonna bring evil upon your house I'm utterly gonna wipe you away I'm gonna cut off Ahab and all the male children from Israel

369
00:41:46,833 --> 00:41:56,066
And he goes in and gives this word to Ahab this guy is famous for being wicked and Elijah prophesied this terrible word to him you know it's Old Testament right

370
00:41:56,133 --> 00:42:10,400
This terrible word to him and and he and he and he says to he says here's a part of it and the one belonging to Ahab who dies the dogs will eat them and the one who dies in the field the birds will eat them

371
00:42:10,433 --> 00:42:16,466
And he goes on like this for verse after verse like it's not good and it says this

372
00:42:16,533 --> 00:42:23,800
When a have heard the word of the Lord Elijah leaps and a have hears the word of Lord and say it came about

373
00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:34,700
When a have heard these words he tores clothes put sackcloth on fasted and sat and sat sat in sackcloth and went about despondently

374
00:42:34,766 --> 00:42:40,566
Next verse god says to Elijah did you see how a have humbled himself

375
00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:44,566
Did you see how how he humbled himself

376
00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,933
Because he have humbled himself before me I will not bring evil on his day

377
00:42:50,366 --> 00:43:07,400
This is a wicked king who brought bail in is married to Jezebel like this is like this is you know or this is not good and he just got a bad prophetic word and Elijah leaves the house and who knows it might have been a day later

378
00:43:07,433 --> 00:43:12,233
The guy goes Elijah come here did you see how he humbled himself

379
00:43:12,266 --> 00:43:15,966
It's like I don't think god was surprised but he's acting surprised

380
00:43:16,033 --> 00:43:21,633
Look at that go back and tell him that word you gave him false profit

381
00:43:21,666 --> 00:43:37,866
I mean I'm not gonna bring it about in his day say how powerful is humility that god actually relents with the first or second wicked is king in the Old Testament

382
00:43:37,933 --> 00:43:49,333
God actually relents because the guy throws rips his clothes and throws dust on his head fast and god goes oh my gosh Elijah go back and tell him it's not gonna happen in his day

383
00:43:49,366 --> 00:43:51,000
It won't happen in another day

384
00:43:51,033 --> 00:44:00,433
But my point is is that humility attracts god humility attracts the presence of god

385
00:44:00,466 --> 00:44:01,966
What does it mean to be humble

386
00:44:03,533 --> 00:44:06,933
I'll tell you what it doesn't mean it doesn't mean I feel bad about myself

387
00:44:09,733 --> 00:44:14,033
I would point out that you were made in the image and likeness of god

388
00:44:14,066 --> 00:44:36,466
I think another one of Blake's another one of Blake's sayings my trying to say quotes as he talked about how god hates idols and refuses to let us make idols because he already has he's already made someone in his image and it's you and he put his spirit in us

389
00:44:36,533 --> 00:44:48,233
So listen whenever I feel bad about myself I'm insulting the god who made me and whose model and how many know the father was the painter Jesus was the model were the painting

390
00:44:48,266 --> 00:44:49,766
I can't I can't feel bad

391
00:44:49,833 --> 00:44:53,800
I'm not talking about conviction or upset of course but self esteem

392
00:44:53,833 --> 00:44:57,300
I can't feel bad about myself without insulting him

393
00:44:57,366 --> 00:44:59,233
So humility is not thinking less of yourself

394
00:44:59,266 --> 00:45:01,433
It's just thinking of yourself less

395
00:45:01,466 --> 00:45:05,466
And I'd like to point out that when you're thinking bad about yourself you're still the center of attention

396
00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:12,466
Yeah so I'm not talking about feeling bad about yourself so what does it mean to be humble

397
00:45:12,533 --> 00:45:14,600
What it means that you actually pray

398
00:45:16,133 --> 00:45:18,166
Here's attributes of humanity

399
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,233
I actually pray

400
00:45:20,266 --> 00:45:21,433
Like I don't just talk about it

401
00:45:21,466 --> 00:45:22,566
I actually pray

402
00:45:22,633 --> 00:45:26,200
Like I actually say god I need you

403
00:45:27,533 --> 00:45:29,833
I I I I you are influencible

404
00:45:29,866 --> 00:45:32,666
Like someone can actually influence you

405
00:45:32,733 --> 00:45:35,366
And when you're corrected you don't defend yourself

406
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:36,466
That's hard

407
00:45:38,366 --> 00:45:40,833
You rejoice when others are celebrated

408
00:45:40,866 --> 00:45:47,233
Yes there's no job too small for you

409
00:45:47,266 --> 00:45:52,133
I tell my students if you can't do what you can do you won't do what you can't do

410
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:57,300
And I tell them if you can't do what you if you don't do what you can do you'll never do what you can't do

411
00:45:57,366 --> 00:46:00,433
Like if you go in the restroom you get in the stall and there's paper all over

412
00:46:00,466 --> 00:46:02,133
Pick it up and put it in the toilet

413
00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:03,466
It's not that hard

414
00:46:04,566 --> 00:46:08,366
And what I'm getting at is that every place you go should get better when you're there

415
00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:10,100
I don't mean you have to clean the whole bathroom

416
00:46:10,166 --> 00:46:11,533
I just mean humility goes

417
00:46:11,566 --> 00:46:14,166
There's no small there's no job too small for me

418
00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:16,833
I go in the restroom and I tell you I do it all the time

419
00:46:16,866 --> 00:46:17,533
You know what

420
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:33,566
I I I tell you one of the ways that I that I decide who I'm gonna put on my team or who I'm gonna hire who I'm gonna promote is I can't tell you how many times I get out my car and I see somebody walk across our parking lot at Bethel and I see paper blowing in in on around the parking lot or junk in the parking lot

421
00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:40,200
And I see one of my students or one of my team pick up the the garbage and put it in the garbage instead of walk past it

422
00:46:40,233 --> 00:46:41,633
I'm like that's a guy I want

423
00:46:42,766 --> 00:46:45,400
There's no job too small for me

424
00:46:45,433 --> 00:46:46,666
Well I'm the leader of Bethel

425
00:46:46,733 --> 00:46:54,100
I don't give I don't care not cussing anymore

426
00:46:54,133 --> 00:46:55,933
I can't even find words for myself

427
00:46:58,466 --> 00:47:00,866
Number six you don't have to always be right

428
00:47:02,933 --> 00:47:03,500
No 7

429
00:47:03,533 --> 00:47:07,000
You seek you naturally seek advice of other people

430
00:47:07,033 --> 00:47:07,266
No

431
00:47:07,333 --> 00:47:09,033
8 you're actually teachable

432
00:47:10,533 --> 00:47:11,333
No 9

433
00:47:11,366 --> 00:47:14,500
You freely admit your flaws and mistakes and failures

434
00:47:16,733 --> 00:47:19,600
Okay I'll say it again you freely admit your flaws and failures

435
00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:21,800
No

436
00:47:21,833 --> 00:47:24,233
10 you live to help other people succeed

437
00:47:25,333 --> 00:47:26,233
Here's a big one

438
00:47:26,266 --> 00:47:26,633
No

439
00:47:26,666 --> 00:47:28,400
11 you're not easily offended

440
00:47:30,166 --> 00:47:31,000
No 12

441
00:47:31,033 --> 00:47:33,733
You you live with a thankful attitude

442
00:47:35,433 --> 00:47:35,633
No

443
00:47:35,666 --> 00:47:40,766
13 you don't live with a sense of entitlement you don't feel like someone owes you something

444
00:47:40,833 --> 00:47:41,733
No 14

445
00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:45,000
You're quick to forgive and you don't hold grudges

446
00:47:45,033 --> 00:47:45,333
And No

447
00:47:45,400 --> 00:48:04,766
15 you are confident in who you are and content with who you're not you know when I came to Bethel I had never been on a big public platform before and of course I'm you know my leader has been he's a fifth generation pastor so he's been on platforms all over the world so I'm learning from him because I've never been a public person before

448
00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:15,066
And and and you know there's there's so much criticism and you know falling Bill was not an easy task

449
00:48:15,133 --> 00:48:20,566
Let me tell you that like falling a man like when Bill teaches he he he does this all the time

450
00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:26,400
You see him do this he puts his toes over the edge which I have fear of height so I don't naturally do this

451
00:48:26,433 --> 00:48:40,733
And then he shares one line and pauses so I try to be built stand on the edge course I have fear going on and I share something and I pause and like oh he ran out of things to say

452
00:48:44,866 --> 00:48:59,466
And I would get all of these this feedback from my messages in the first couple years and they would say that that I was polluting the podium because of my humor

453
00:48:59,533 --> 00:49:01,433
Sometimes it's true

454
00:49:05,866 --> 00:49:15,066
And about the second year it's like I just trying to be Bill and try to be I was just trying to find myself in in this big public arena that was growing and growing and people pulling on you

455
00:49:15,133 --> 00:49:21,033
And just like I never had anybody want my autograph people standing in line to meet with me

456
00:49:21,066 --> 00:49:22,300
And like I don't know how to deal with this

457
00:49:22,366 --> 00:49:23,166
I'm a business guy

458
00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:30,100
Nobody wants to talk to a business guy and all of a sudden it's like you have favor but you don't know what to do with it

459
00:49:30,166 --> 00:49:32,700
And the first thing I do with is sabotage my favor

460
00:49:34,433 --> 00:49:39,433
And the Lord said to me one day wouldn't you rather be hated for who you are than love for who you're not

461
00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:50,966
And then one day I was having such a struggle you know Bill just preached us of crazy good message and we were in conference together and I was I was up next and I was like I was just sweating

462
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:52,766
I'm like I have nothing like that to say

463
00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:57,433
And the Lord said if I wanted two bills I would have made another Bill

464
00:49:57,466 --> 00:50:06,900
Just be you just be you and I'm like they don't like me said no they don't like you when you try to be him

465
00:50:06,966 --> 00:50:13,200
Because if you try to copy someone else the best you can be is a copy of the original

466
00:50:13,233 --> 00:50:14,500
Just be you

467
00:50:17,666 --> 00:50:19,766
I want to end with this story

468
00:50:19,833 --> 00:50:22,833
It happened fairly recently

469
00:50:22,866 --> 00:50:28,833
I have a I have a chief of staff she's so smart so smart

470
00:50:28,866 --> 00:50:32,466
The Lord has surrounded me with really smart people which is so good

471
00:50:32,533 --> 00:50:34,700
They even have an education and stuff

472
00:50:37,666 --> 00:50:44,633
So when I hired Emily to be my chief of staff um after the day I hired her the next day she came to work

473
00:50:44,666 --> 00:50:51,466
And so it was her and I and I said okay I wanna I wanna create expectation like DTR define the relationship

474
00:50:51,533 --> 00:50:54,033
This is the most important thing I need from you

475
00:50:54,066 --> 00:51:00,633
The most important thing I need from you is for you to tell me whenever you think I've done something wrong

476
00:51:00,666 --> 00:51:15,100
No I understand that I'm your boss and I understand that you might think if I tell him this bad thing then he's going to demote me or it's gonna keep me from you know whatever being promoted or whatever

477
00:51:15,166 --> 00:51:23,833
But I wanna tell you that Winston Churchill when they fought when he fought the war he said no one wants to tell the boss bad news

478
00:51:23,866 --> 00:51:33,633
So he actually developed a a department a separate department that their full time job was to tell them where the worst battles the worst losses were every day

479
00:51:33,666 --> 00:51:40,966
They had to report to Winston where the worst battles were every day cause he said no one wants to tell the boss bad news

480
00:51:41,033 --> 00:51:52,333
So I said I need you to tell me whenever you think I'm doing something wrong I have a bad attitude anything like if it's negative I need you to tell me

481
00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:53,200
She goes all right

482
00:51:53,233 --> 00:51:59,233
I said I promise you it won't cost you I promise you she's okay

483
00:51:59,266 --> 00:52:11,133
So about a year and a half past two years past I don't know how long past and one day this is probably a year ago I walk in her office and I say good morning good morning

484
00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:19,966
She has office right next to mine and she's like morning not like her at all her normal is very high

485
00:52:21,033 --> 00:52:23,033
And she said hi

486
00:52:23,066 --> 00:52:28,500
And I so I walk past and I'm like oh you know that something's wrong something's wrong

487
00:52:28,566 --> 00:52:35,033
She's communicating to me without communicating to me cause like I know her well enough to know that is not her norm

488
00:52:35,066 --> 00:52:36,966
So I walked back in her office

489
00:52:37,033 --> 00:52:38,633
I go hey how you doing

490
00:52:38,666 --> 00:52:41,333
She's all right not her norm

491
00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:44,600
I'm like hey is there something you wanna say to me

492
00:52:44,633 --> 00:52:54,033
She goes not right now now I don't know how you feel but the unknown is way worse

493
00:52:54,066 --> 00:52:59,566
Like I am not gonna walk around for three days wondering what it is you wanna tell me

494
00:53:01,233 --> 00:53:02,033
Are you like that too

495
00:53:02,066 --> 00:53:10,433
Like please tell me you know doctor calls he's like hey hey I got some news to tell you okay tell me you got into coming office

496
00:53:10,466 --> 00:53:14,033
Oh my god I'm like I'm dying for sure I'm gonna die

497
00:53:14,066 --> 00:53:17,466
So I'm like so I go I go in rough she has this little office

498
00:53:17,533 --> 00:53:20,966
I shut the door I sit in the chair and I go I need you to tell me

499
00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:22,433
She said I'm not ready to do that

500
00:53:22,466 --> 00:53:24,833
I said I'm ready for you tell me

501
00:53:24,866 --> 00:53:26,366
She said I haven't gathered myself

502
00:53:26,433 --> 00:53:29,800
I said you don't need to gather yourself you just need to tell me

503
00:53:29,833 --> 00:53:32,233
And she's like I really don't want to

504
00:53:32,266 --> 00:53:34,766
I said I really need you to

505
00:53:34,833 --> 00:53:37,300
And I remind her I said remember when I hired you should go

506
00:53:37,366 --> 00:53:39,133
I know I know

507
00:53:39,166 --> 00:53:41,733
I said come on just tell me

508
00:53:41,766 --> 00:53:43,533
She goes well I haven't really processed it with the Lord

509
00:53:43,566 --> 00:53:45,166
I said okay process it right now

510
00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:58,866
Wait like I can't do you're not gonna tell me and I'm gonna live with this for 3 or I don't know how long it's gonna take you to process

511
00:54:02,066 --> 00:54:03,733
Is anyone else like this

512
00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:08,000
Like just tell me it can't be as bad as I'm imagining

513
00:54:09,566 --> 00:54:12,233
And she goes okay okay

514
00:54:12,266 --> 00:54:19,666
And she turns her chair around and she's you know she's got tears in her eyes and she's obviously she's obviously very anxious

515
00:54:19,733 --> 00:54:22,933
And I go it's okay yeah just tell me

516
00:54:22,966 --> 00:54:27,933
She goes remember you told me that we should never do anything for money in ministry

517
00:54:29,166 --> 00:54:30,400
I said yeah

518
00:54:30,433 --> 00:54:36,000
She said well we're building this ministry and all you talk about is how much money it's gonna make

519
00:54:37,833 --> 00:54:44,100
And I feel like we've been working on a ministry for two months that's not in the heart of god and has the wrong motive

520
00:54:44,166 --> 00:54:45,166
It's cause of you

521
00:54:48,166 --> 00:54:49,866
I'm like that's all it is

522
00:54:54,133 --> 00:54:55,033
I didn't say that

523
00:54:55,066 --> 00:54:58,466
I said I said okay kill that ministry

524
00:54:58,533 --> 00:54:59,500
She's like no no no we got

525
00:54:59,533 --> 00:55:02,600
I said no no kill the ministry

526
00:55:02,633 --> 00:55:07,066
Well I said no honestly let's just kill that ministry

527
00:55:07,133 --> 00:55:08,500
You're right

528
00:55:08,533 --> 00:55:09,533
I'm wrong

529
00:55:09,566 --> 00:55:14,200
There's been a lot of pressure and this whole economic side I let it get to me

530
00:55:14,233 --> 00:55:17,666
We can't do ministry for money

531
00:55:17,733 --> 00:55:19,900
Yes we have to obviously have sustainability

532
00:55:19,933 --> 00:55:26,000
I don't mind that but we can't have the motive of the ministry be making money

533
00:55:26,033 --> 00:55:27,333
Kill it

534
00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:29,133
And we killed that ministry that day

535
00:55:30,233 --> 00:55:43,733
But something really powerful happened between EMU and I I proved to her that I need accountability that nobody is beyond not understanding your motive went the wrong way

536
00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:48,900
However long you pray have a great idea you have you don't always know what's in your heart

537
00:55:48,966 --> 00:55:54,533
But the day she said that I think we're doing this for money and I think that's you

538
00:55:54,566 --> 00:56:00,566
I felt the Lord stab me in the heart and say this woman is a gift to you

539
00:56:03,666 --> 00:56:11,466
And when she left when I left the office that day I'm like Lord thank you for people who will tell me the truth

540
00:56:12,833 --> 00:56:21,133
Thank you that when the emperor has no clothes someone to go go tell the emperor has no clothes and you're not afraid you're gonna lose your head

541
00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:23,466
This is part of humility and I wanna tell you something

542
00:56:23,533 --> 00:56:31,000
I don't care how righteous you think you are how how righteous you really are how righteous you try to be like you have blind spots

543
00:56:31,033 --> 00:56:33,466
I have them too

544
00:56:33,533 --> 00:56:38,733
And god puts other people around us to keep us safe

545
00:56:38,766 --> 00:56:56,333
But if we punish the people who he's put around us and make them afraid to tell us the truth like I love accountability yeah when none of your team wants to talk to you cause I talk to your team they're all afraid to talk to you

546
00:56:58,433 --> 00:57:04,066
And I wanna say there's two ways that we punish people while there's probably more but the two ways that are common

547
00:57:04,133 --> 00:57:11,400
When we tell someone the truth one we argue and two we withdraw

548
00:57:12,566 --> 00:57:15,733
I tell you something hard and you disappear for six months

549
00:57:17,366 --> 00:57:26,133
And you just told me listen don't tell me the truth cause I don't have the courage I don't have the courage to hear it and listen

550
00:57:26,166 --> 00:57:32,466
Here's another thing about humility and connection and accountability and can we see what's happening right now

551
00:57:32,533 --> 00:57:35,100
Do we not need accountability

552
00:57:35,133 --> 00:57:39,733
I gotta tell you the stuff that that you saw on that you saw that I did wrong

553
00:57:39,766 --> 00:57:42,533
I didn't do that wrong on purpose

554
00:57:42,566 --> 00:57:48,466
There is blind spots in my life that I need people to speak in my life and hopefully not on social media

555
00:57:49,533 --> 00:57:53,400
But if you don't have someone else speak to you you end up on social media

556
00:57:53,433 --> 00:57:56,266
Because if you don't humble yourself then god make sure you're humbled

557
00:57:56,333 --> 00:57:57,733
That's called humiliation

558
00:57:59,066 --> 00:58:00,133
Are you with me

559
00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:15,066
And I'm just pointing out that we need people in our lives that can tell us the truth because because God's designed us like like I've never seen I've never seen my face except for the mirror

560
00:58:15,133 --> 00:58:23,000
Yeah yeah I that mirror if that mirror is not accurate I don't even know who I am

561
00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:29,666
And I point out that we actually need other people to tell us who we are you know in a broader sense

562
00:58:29,733 --> 00:58:32,400
Like other people tell us like hey that's not a good motive

563
00:58:32,433 --> 00:58:40,300
Hey that's beautiful what you did there and what does it take to get people to actually tell you the truth

564
00:58:40,366 --> 00:58:42,400
Oh I know I was gonna tell you I almost skipped it

565
00:58:42,433 --> 00:58:46,900
Sometimes people tell you something they think there's truth and it's not the truth

566
00:58:46,966 --> 00:58:55,433
But but listen how we treat people when they give us negative feedback still matters right because someone could tell me something like it happens to leaders all the time right

567
00:58:55,466 --> 00:58:56,333
People walk up to leaders

568
00:58:56,400 --> 00:59:02,900
They if you're a public person like yeah you know you spoke this message and I feel like the devil was on you that day or something

569
00:59:02,966 --> 00:59:12,400
You know I'm exaggerating to be funny but people have feedback all the time and you know and you go I take it to the Lord and I'm like and I take it to some of my my team and I'm like what do you think

570
00:59:12,433 --> 00:59:22,233
And they're like that I think that's that person's but the point is is that if I punish that person I just told other people who are more accurate or other people who

571
00:59:22,266 --> 00:59:27,700
And some Emily's Emily's had other input for me many times cause we're in we're in the trenches every day

572
00:59:27,766 --> 00:59:30,566
That and she's like I think this and this and this and she's talking to me

573
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:35,600
I'm like that doesn't hit me like we've done anything or that's nothing nothing we should do

574
00:59:35,633 --> 00:59:46,000
And we have we have a conversation and she knows she can give me feedback that isn't accurate and it's okay like I'd rather have that than have no feedback

575
00:59:46,033 --> 00:59:54,533
So it even even if someone gives you feedback I'm talking about I'm not talking about enemies guys but I'm talking about you have surrounded yourself with people who are wise

576
00:59:54,600 --> 00:59:57,500
And you said hey let's DTR let's define relationship

577
00:59:57,566 --> 01:00:00,366
When you see something in my life feel free to speak into it

578
01:00:00,400 --> 01:00:03,366
And they speaking in my life and it's like yeah doesn't feel right

579
01:00:03,400 --> 01:00:05,300
It's okay it's okay

580
01:00:05,366 --> 01:00:14,666
They don't have to they're not always right but I still need to make sure that I that keep the relationship close because the next time they might be right

581
01:00:17,200 --> 01:00:20,666
And I need that kind of input in my life and so do you

582
01:00:25,133 --> 01:00:34,100
Self righteousness is like filthy rags and when you start thinking you're above it that's when you're in trouble

583
01:00:34,133 --> 01:00:38,233
And so I just wanna um honey end with this idea

584
01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:44,966
I don't like when people humble me

585
01:00:47,633 --> 01:00:48,700
I don't like it

586
01:00:50,266 --> 01:00:58,300
I mean it's happened you know many times in my life and I can avoid that by humbling myself

587
01:00:58,366 --> 01:01:04,966
And I'm convinced that the times that I've been humiliated or times that the Lord spoke to me many times that I missed it

588
01:01:06,033 --> 01:01:09,433
Or can I say I didn't take time to listen

589
01:01:09,466 --> 01:01:11,100
And then the lord's like okay you're not gonna listen

590
01:01:11,166 --> 01:01:14,233
So I'll let Joe who hate you tell you

591
01:01:14,266 --> 01:01:18,333
And that's a whole lot harder than your friends because I actually do

592
01:01:18,400 --> 01:01:19,800
Faithful are the wounds of a friend

593
01:01:19,833 --> 01:01:23,566
I believe it's your friends who are supposed to wound you not your enemies

594
01:01:25,133 --> 01:01:31,400
And by the way probably like you I have pretty big armor for enemies cause if you're doing anything for god you're gonna have enemies

595
01:01:31,433 --> 01:01:35,366
Jesus said Jesus said love your enemies so you gotta have some

596
01:01:39,066 --> 01:01:50,833
I don't wanna be listen no one at my funeral is gonna go and everyone loved him and a chance that's gonna happen and I count that as joy that I'm doing something worth resisting

597
01:01:50,866 --> 01:01:56,866
Yeah that's good but I I don't want my enemies to give me input into my heart

598
01:01:56,933 --> 01:02:03,033
I want my friends to I wanna have friends that go bro can we have a conversation

599
01:02:03,066 --> 01:02:10,866
Wow what did you you preach that I preached a message a couple years ago

600
01:02:10,933 --> 01:02:19,166
Man I offended all my women's staff and I got the SLT and I thought it was a great message people stood in applaud

601
01:02:19,200 --> 01:02:21,166
I didn't notice my whole staff was sitting

602
01:02:23,666 --> 01:02:32,066
I got into this SLT meeting this is probably three years ago and and and Haley started on me and Libby was right behind her

603
01:02:32,133 --> 01:02:41,033
And pretty soon they were crying and I was crying and then the next message I had to ask the women to forgive me

604
01:02:41,066 --> 01:02:42,333
That was a great message

605
01:02:43,466 --> 01:02:45,633
I was just stupid

606
01:02:45,666 --> 01:02:46,733
I was blind

607
01:02:48,000 --> 01:02:51,433
So you know we need people in our lives

608
01:02:51,466 --> 01:03:00,300
We need we need to posture ourselves so that we don't have to be humiliated speaking from someone who's currently been humiliated

609
01:03:00,366 --> 01:03:03,000
We need people who can speak into our lives

610
01:03:03,033 --> 01:03:05,266
We need to invite those people in our lives

611
01:03:05,333 --> 01:03:13,366
And by the way I do believe that the bigger your foundation of people that can tell you the truth and by the way the truth mostly positive right

612
01:03:13,400 --> 01:03:14,366
Most of the input I get

613
01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:18,566
So I'm I'm I'm have a message tonight that is not a balance message

614
01:03:18,600 --> 01:03:21,100
Ninety percent of my team is like that was amazing

615
01:03:21,166 --> 01:03:22,433
Gosh that was so good

616
01:03:22,466 --> 01:03:26,766
Like I love when you do that the way you do and I need the encouragement for sure

617
01:03:26,833 --> 01:03:30,700
I'm just pointing out that we also need the iron sharpens iron

618
01:03:32,633 --> 01:03:34,800
I don't know man that church hurt my feelings

619
01:03:34,833 --> 01:03:37,933
Well I don't know if God's trying to fix your feelings or change your heart

620
01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:42,600
I don't know at least in my life

621
01:03:43,966 --> 01:03:45,033
So would you just stand

622
01:03:45,066 --> 01:03:49,333
Am I speaking to anyone tonight

623
01:03:49,400 --> 01:04:02,133
I don't know kind of feel like I'm looking in a mirror talking to me and reminding myself I I really feel like humility positions us for promotion

624
01:04:03,533 --> 01:04:14,100
And and when we get in a battle did you notice that says when it's in a John the book of John it's when Jesus watches the disciples feet

625
01:04:14,133 --> 01:04:18,366
It's it sets the it sets the foot washing up like this

626
01:04:18,400 --> 01:04:33,566
Jesus knowing that Judas was filled with the devil and knowing that his time had come he said he took a towel and he put it over shoulder his arm and he began to wash the disciples feet

627
01:04:33,600 --> 01:04:38,833
And he said to them you don't know what I'm doing like I know what you're doing washing my feet

628
01:04:38,866 --> 01:04:40,700
Now you don't know what I'm doing

629
01:04:40,766 --> 01:04:47,800
But he said but you'll know here after and he gets down and he humbles himself and begins to wash their feet

630
01:04:47,833 --> 01:04:49,833
And remember he said you don't know what I'm doing

631
01:04:49,866 --> 01:04:53,900
Foot washing was very common in Jewish culture so he's like you don't know what I'm doing

632
01:04:53,966 --> 01:05:01,800
The Philippians said that Jesus humbled himself even to the death of the cross and god highly exalted him

633
01:05:01,833 --> 01:05:14,300
I'd like to point out when the devil made a move to fill Judas Jesus made a move to get low like this was a strategic military move

634
01:05:14,366 --> 01:05:15,066
You're after me

635
01:05:15,133 --> 01:05:22,766
I'm gonna humble myself all the way to death of the cross and then god highly exalted him and give him the name above every name that the name of Jesus every knee would bow

636
01:05:22,800 --> 01:05:26,433
And when he said you don't know what I'm doing you think I'm washing your feet

637
01:05:26,466 --> 01:05:29,066
Actually what I'm doing I'm beating the devil right here

638
01:05:29,133 --> 01:05:46,200
Wow I'm destroying the devil I'm going all the way down to the top and sometimes the best thing we can do is just get low like you have 10 reasons why that person what they said about you isn't accurate

639
01:05:46,233 --> 01:05:48,733
Fine you know I wanna defend myself

640
01:05:48,800 --> 01:05:54,300
Fine I wanna that's all fine but what if the Lord brought this in your life

641
01:05:54,366 --> 01:05:58,166
What if the goal is just to get low and let the storm pass

642
01:05:59,433 --> 01:06:02,633
So I wanna pray for you how many of you are in some kind of turmoil

643
01:06:04,266 --> 01:06:12,666
Oh thank you misery loves company and funny of course but I just wanna pray for us

644
01:06:12,733 --> 01:06:19,000
Father I thank you for what you're doing in this time and that you're making the crooked places straight in our lives

645
01:06:19,033 --> 01:06:26,733
The rough place is smooth and Lord we got we got some wood growing and and branches that are extending

646
01:06:26,800 --> 01:06:34,266
And lords sometimes we get in a race to see who can have the longest branch and then you come back and you're like all I care about is fruit

647
01:06:35,333 --> 01:06:44,766
And Lord I I just have the sense that all of us are being pruned back to our place of fruitfulness

648
01:06:44,800 --> 01:06:55,800
And Lord I pray that you would give us a vision for what it is you're doing in our lives so that that vision would give the pain that we have at different times a purpose

649
01:06:55,833 --> 01:06:58,033
And that we realize that this is actually good pain

650
01:06:58,066 --> 01:07:02,966
This is actually building spiritual muscle this is actually building spiritual character

651
01:07:03,033 --> 01:07:10,933
And Lord you care a lot about the fruit of the spirit in our lives even more than you do about the gifts that are displayed through us

652
01:07:11,000 --> 01:07:13,800
You love the fruit that's happening in us

653
01:07:13,833 --> 01:07:21,533
God we just we just do yield ourselves and we ask you Lord to just take out anything in our lives that isn't isn't good

654
01:07:21,600 --> 01:07:29,366
And also Lord I pray that you would fill our lives with wise people like the Emily's of the world who can come in and speak into our lives

655
01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:32,500
God would you give us Nathans and gods

656
01:07:32,566 --> 01:07:40,566
And would you give us people that can speak into our lives that are trusted people who have the Holy Spirit in them people that have the courage to go

657
01:07:40,600 --> 01:07:43,566
I'm not sure that was the right mode looks like we're doing the right thing

658
01:07:43,600 --> 01:07:45,766
Well I'm not sure that was the right attitude

659
01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:56,066
And Lord may we have trusted people and friends and family who come into our lives speak into our lives and help us to grow in a healthy way

660
01:07:56,133 --> 01:08:08,500
Father Lord forgive us for where we failed where we've we've have encounters and sins things that have entangled us that have not represented the king well

661
01:08:08,533 --> 01:08:12,100
And let the king be well represented by our hearts our attitude

662
01:08:12,133 --> 01:08:15,900
Not just what we do but the way we do it why we do it the motives of our heart

663
01:08:15,933 --> 01:08:20,433
Lord I bless every single person here in Jesus name

664
01:08:20,466 --> 01:08:20,733
Amen

665
01:08:20,800 --> 01:08:21,466
Thank you for listening

666
01:08:21,533 --> 01:08:22,433
God bless you