WEBVTT 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:32.939 I want to talk about laziness. and fear as two 00:00:32.939 --> 00:00:37.039 key drivers that prevent you and I from becoming 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:41.880 everything God created us to be. So let's buckle 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:45.520 up, see what the Bible has to say, close the 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:53.299 doors. Thank you. You'd be surprised how versatile 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:57.000 the Bible is to speak on topics that you might 00:00:57.000 --> 00:00:58.859 think are, oh, really, the Bible talks about 00:00:58.859 --> 00:01:03.159 that? Yeah. Because God wants us to maximize 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.540 our potential. And so today we're going to tackle 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:09.400 some things from a biblical standpoint that will 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:14.340 hopefully free us up to become everything God 00:01:14.340 --> 00:01:17.359 wants us to be. Whether you're in your teens 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.719 or 20s or up to your 80s, it doesn't matter. 00:01:19.739 --> 00:01:22.519 We can all still grow. Amen. We can all still 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:25.519 improve. This is not just a message for young 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:28.230 people. This is a message for all of us in whatever 00:01:28.230 --> 00:01:31.810 stage of life we're in. Because part of the challenge 00:01:31.810 --> 00:01:34.469 here is to not fix your mindset that it is what 00:01:34.469 --> 00:01:35.969 it is and it always continue to be this way. 00:01:36.090 --> 00:01:39.030 No, things can't change. With God all things 00:01:39.030 --> 00:01:43.489 are possible. Amen. So let's pray that God would 00:01:43.489 --> 00:01:44.890 speak to our hearts this morning. Heavenly Father 00:01:44.890 --> 00:01:46.430 we thank you for this time together. Thank you 00:01:46.430 --> 00:01:48.829 for our children. Thank you God for the beautiful 00:01:48.829 --> 00:01:50.549 kids program we have here at Lighthouse. Thank 00:01:50.549 --> 00:01:52.150 you for all the leaders and all the volunteers 00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:55.469 and everyone that makes it happen. We pray for 00:01:55.469 --> 00:01:57.609 them because we want them to grow. We want them 00:01:57.609 --> 00:01:59.950 to expand their knowledge base. We want them 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:02.750 to maximize their potential. And so likewise 00:02:02.750 --> 00:02:06.430 for us here this morning, God, I pray that you 00:02:06.430 --> 00:02:09.490 would speak to our hearts. I pray that you would 00:02:09.490 --> 00:02:12.509 speak deep into our hearts. You would help us, 00:02:12.569 --> 00:02:16.330 God, to maybe pause for a few minutes and just 00:02:16.330 --> 00:02:19.210 hear. Hear your counsel. Hear your wisdom. Hear 00:02:19.210 --> 00:02:23.169 your advice. Hear your challenge so that we can 00:02:23.169 --> 00:02:27.979 move on. with life not at the same pace but maybe 00:02:27.979 --> 00:02:30.879 at a better pace. For some of us a change of 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.780 direction is needed. For some of us a change 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:36.379 of attitude is needed. For some of us a change 00:02:36.379 --> 00:02:39.000 of mindset is needed. For some of us a change 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:42.300 in effort is required. So whatever it is, God 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:45.020 let us hear this morning and then help us to 00:02:45.020 --> 00:02:47.379 do the things you're calling us to do. that we 00:02:47.379 --> 00:02:49.520 may see your greatness and your goodness in every 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.400 area of our lives and for all the wonderful things 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:53.460 you want to do with and through us by faith in 00:02:53.460 --> 00:02:55.479 advance we give you praise as we pray all of 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:58.060 this in the precious name of Jesus and everybody 00:02:58.060 --> 00:03:00.539 say in Jesus name amen give God praise one more 00:03:00.539 --> 00:03:03.099 time this morning so glad you're here this morning 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:08.400 amen you may be seated we've shared with you 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.620 a bit of our mission statement that as a church 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:12.860 we exist so that people that are far from God 00:03:12.860 --> 00:03:15.879 can fulfill their potential everybody say potential 00:03:16.490 --> 00:03:20.189 So we can fulfill our potential in Christ. It's 00:03:20.189 --> 00:03:22.629 not just personal potential. It's not just a 00:03:22.629 --> 00:03:25.050 professional potential It's a potential that 00:03:25.050 --> 00:03:29.270 is done in partnership with Christ as we learn 00:03:29.270 --> 00:03:32.270 more about God as we learn more about the Bible 00:03:32.270 --> 00:03:35.069 as we go deeper and deeper in our relationship 00:03:35.069 --> 00:03:37.969 with God as we mature in our relationship with 00:03:37.969 --> 00:03:41.849 God all of that should drive us to maximize and 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:45.530 fulfill our potential in partnership with Christ 00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:51.879 and so I want to just begin this morning by maybe 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:54.539 providing a bit of a challenge to all of us that 00:03:54.539 --> 00:03:58.840 personal growth in all areas, spiritual, emotional, 00:03:59.259 --> 00:04:02.599 financial, professional, you name it, personal 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:07.120 growth in every area should be a life goal for 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:10.740 each of us. If I ask you what your life goals 00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:13.699 are, you might not have any. I would encourage 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:16.459 you to begin to think about what do I want to 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:18.980 accomplish for whatever days God has given me. 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:20.639 Now how many of you know that we're in line? 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:29.399 We're in line to check out. We're all in line. 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:33.439 You might think older people are closer to check 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:38.750 out, but sometimes younger people. You don't 00:04:38.750 --> 00:04:42.110 know where in the line you are. Amen. And so 00:04:42.110 --> 00:04:46.490 for as long as we're here, we ought to have a 00:04:46.490 --> 00:04:49.709 mindset that says I wanna have some goals. When 00:04:49.709 --> 00:04:53.790 you stop having goals, you stop living. When 00:04:53.790 --> 00:04:58.949 you stop striving, you stop trying. So there's 00:04:58.949 --> 00:05:02.329 something that's gotta be inside all of us as 00:05:02.329 --> 00:05:05.589 human beings, as children of God. that every 00:05:05.589 --> 00:05:09.149 day I aspire for something better, something 00:05:09.149 --> 00:05:13.170 greater, whatever that is in our lives. How many 00:05:13.170 --> 00:05:17.050 would want a better marriage? I'm sorry, that's 00:05:17.050 --> 00:05:19.029 a rough question. You were too quick. Bring it 00:05:19.029 --> 00:05:22.410 down, take it back. How many of you would want 00:05:22.410 --> 00:05:27.129 your marriage to be even better? All right, sorry. 00:05:27.490 --> 00:05:32.759 I just trick questioned. By the way, Careful 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:43.339 on those Coldplay concerts. Careful what you 00:05:43.339 --> 00:05:51.480 hugging. Why should all of us have some sort 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:55.860 of personal growth goal? The reason why is because 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:59.579 it's not automatic. It will not just happen. 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:04.000 None of us will just wake up and be better because 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.160 of osmosis or passage of time or gravity. It 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:12.339 doesn't happen automatically. And so it takes 00:06:12.339 --> 00:06:16.660 effort. It takes drive. It takes discipline. 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:20.620 It takes desire. And there's two big obstacles. 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:23.879 There's many, but I want to focus on two this 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:26.160 morning, two key obstacles, I would call them, 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.379 to personal growth. And as I said, those two 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:31.300 things are laziness. Everybody say laziness. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:34.720 And the second one is fear. Everybody say fear. 00:06:35.980 --> 00:06:42.259 So let's take them one at a time. Laziness is 00:06:42.259 --> 00:06:46.000 something we need to overcome. I've read some 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.379 really interesting studies the last couple of 00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:54.019 weeks. And the conclusion that I saw from many 00:06:54.019 --> 00:06:56.720 of these studies looking at human behavior is 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.720 that humans, all of us, are generally inclined 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:05.769 towards laziness. Our natural preference is rather 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:08.670 to rest than to work. Now that doesn't sound 00:07:08.670 --> 00:07:11.029 crazy, right? Like if we're all honest with ourselves, 00:07:11.410 --> 00:07:14.170 come on. If you have to work really hard or just 00:07:14.170 --> 00:07:17.050 sit back on the couch, most of us would take 00:07:17.050 --> 00:07:21.310 the couch. So humans, humans, all the humans 00:07:21.310 --> 00:07:27.649 say amen. We're generally naturally inclined 00:07:27.649 --> 00:07:31.860 towards laziness. So if that's something that 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:33.779 way it's kind of like sin, we're all sort of 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:35.920 inclined towards sin We're born with a sinful 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.420 nature doing the wrong thing. Oftentimes is easier 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:43.759 than doing the right thing Equally being lazy 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:48.240 is more default than working hard And so this 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.279 is something we have to choose something we have 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:52.939 to decide now some of you Already kind of have 00:07:52.939 --> 00:07:56.769 a head start in that you're just active All of 00:07:56.769 --> 00:07:58.189 you who are just naturally active, raise your 00:07:58.189 --> 00:07:59.550 hand. You're naturally active. Look how quick 00:07:59.550 --> 00:08:02.629 they raise their hand. See that? They're quick. 00:08:02.790 --> 00:08:07.129 They're naturally active. The rest of us need 00:08:07.129 --> 00:08:09.889 a little prodding. The rest of us need a little 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:14.170 push in order to get things done. I want you 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:16.990 to understand. So that's human nature. Now, if 00:08:16.990 --> 00:08:20.750 you look in the Bible, consistently, overwhelmingly, 00:08:21.069 --> 00:08:24.569 Old Testament, New Testament throughout, God's 00:08:24.569 --> 00:08:29.649 Word instructs us to work hard and to always 00:08:29.649 --> 00:08:33.509 try to put our best effort forward, regardless 00:08:33.509 --> 00:08:36.370 of what you're doing. Not only in the important 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:39.490 things, even in the little things. That's the 00:08:39.490 --> 00:08:41.509 concept from the Word of God. And so if you read 00:08:41.509 --> 00:08:43.629 the Bible, if you study the Bible, you will find 00:08:43.629 --> 00:08:46.730 in the Bible, again, this is not psychology, 00:08:47.009 --> 00:08:49.730 this is not Pastor Sam, this is the Bible. If 00:08:49.730 --> 00:08:52.960 you study the Bible, You will find in the Bible 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:56.360 that there's a very clear cause and effect relationship 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:00.940 between hard work and rewards as well as laziness 00:09:00.940 --> 00:09:05.840 and ruin. That correlation is throughout scripture. 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:12.740 And so, I would finish this piece by saying if 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:17.139 you read the Bible, if you really read the Bible 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:20.700 in its entirety, you would be able to conclude 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:24.620 that laziness should have no place in the life 00:09:24.620 --> 00:09:41.399 and character of a follower of Jesus. You don't 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:43.899 believe me, do you? All right, let me give you 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:47.299 four verses. Just four all from Proverbs. I'm 00:09:47.299 --> 00:09:48.500 just gonna stick to Proverbs. There's plenty 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:52.080 I mean you can Google this laziness comma Bible 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.279 verses and you'll get a plethora long list. So 00:09:56.279 --> 00:10:01.799 let me give you a few To support the fact that 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:04.240 laziness should have no place in the life and 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.240 character of us as believers Proverbs 10 4 says 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:13.549 this lazy hands bring poverty But hard -working 00:10:13.549 --> 00:10:19.210 hands lead to wealth That's just one verse You 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:23.909 know what? The words get progressively stronger 00:10:23.909 --> 00:10:34.450 The slacker all the slacker say amen Just my 00:10:34.450 --> 00:10:37.970 check to see me that you're not asleep the slacker 00:10:37.970 --> 00:10:44.720 craves Yet has nothing But the soul of the diligent 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:49.360 is fully satisfied. I mean, that's a good verse 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.679 When you don't feel like getting up in the morning 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:56.799 go to work remember Proverbs 13 for And I love 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:03.039 I love the The concept that introduces the slacker 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:06.639 craves it's not the slacker doesn't crave It's 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:09.139 like the slacker doesn't want it's not like the 00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:12.309 slacker doesn't desire Actually, the slacker 00:11:12.309 --> 00:11:16.330 craves, wants things, desires things, but yet 00:11:16.330 --> 00:11:22.389 they have nothing because of their laziness. 00:11:23.389 --> 00:11:26.210 But the soul of the diligent, mind you that. 00:11:26.470 --> 00:11:28.509 So notice the first verse is very financially 00:11:28.509 --> 00:11:31.049 driven. Look at the second verse. The soul of 00:11:31.049 --> 00:11:32.730 the diligent. This is way bigger than just money. 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:35.330 This is way bigger than just financial stuff. 00:11:35.549 --> 00:11:38.769 The soul, who you are, your identity at your 00:11:38.769 --> 00:11:44.389 core. The soul, your deepest place, the soul 00:11:44.389 --> 00:11:51.490 of the diligent is fully satisfied. We exist 00:11:51.490 --> 00:11:53.090 so that people far from God can fulfill their 00:11:53.090 --> 00:11:57.049 potential in Christ. The soul of the diligent 00:11:57.049 --> 00:12:02.269 will be fully satisfied. So pause here and ask 00:12:02.269 --> 00:12:07.250 yourself, is my soul fully satisfied? On the 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:11.039 inside, am I content? with where I'm at in life? 00:12:11.659 --> 00:12:14.299 Am I happy with what I've reached, achieved, 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.080 or accomplished? Or is there something in me 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:20.340 that's not yet satisfied? If it's not yet satisfied, 00:12:20.539 --> 00:12:25.940 then be diligent to go after it. Amen? Proverbs 00:12:25.940 --> 00:12:33.480 24. The lazy man will not plow because of winter. 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:38.639 He will beg during harvest and have nothing. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:43.019 The lazy man will not plow because of winter. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:50.299 In other words, sometimes hard work comes at 00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:55.580 a difficult time. During winter, it's cold. During 00:12:55.580 --> 00:12:58.559 winter, it's raining or snowing. But there's 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.220 certain things you have to do in winter time. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:04.779 so that in springtime, you can actually harvest 00:13:04.779 --> 00:13:08.159 something. How many of you already figured this 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:11.500 out? If you don't plant anything, you can't reap 00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:16.220 anything. And sometimes the planting happens 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:20.259 in winter. Sometimes the season of your life 00:13:20.259 --> 00:13:23.840 where you have to work hard are difficult seasons. 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:29.309 I think life is backwards. I think once you finish 00:13:29.309 --> 00:13:31.090 high school, you should be able to retire for 00:13:31.090 --> 00:13:36.210 30 years. And once you've done all the fun stuff, 00:13:36.409 --> 00:13:39.649 then you can work when you're old. Wouldn't that 00:13:39.649 --> 00:13:43.850 be nice? How many would like to retire at 18? 00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:48.610 I'm talking fully funded pension. Wouldn't that 00:13:48.610 --> 00:13:53.009 be awesome? But that's not how life works. The 00:13:53.009 --> 00:13:57.590 way life works is you have to plant during difficult 00:13:57.590 --> 00:14:01.730 seasons. You have to hustle when it's cold. You 00:14:01.730 --> 00:14:04.789 have to work hard when it's not convenient. You 00:14:04.789 --> 00:14:08.809 have to get out of bed when it's cold. The lazy 00:14:08.809 --> 00:14:12.230 person will not plow. Notice plow in the old 00:14:12.230 --> 00:14:14.210 words when they used to dig the trenches where 00:14:14.210 --> 00:14:17.610 the seed goes. That's work. That's effort. But 00:14:17.610 --> 00:14:19.210 how many of you know on a cold day if you're 00:14:19.210 --> 00:14:25.029 digging ditches the cold goes away fast? Lazy 00:14:25.029 --> 00:14:29.220 men will not plow. Because it's winter. I will 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.000 say it differently or expand to that. The lazy 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.059 person will always have a convenient excuse why 00:14:34.059 --> 00:14:36.299 they're not doing what they're supposed to do. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:38.659 They'll always have an excuse. There will always 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:40.840 be a reason. There will always be some justification 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:49.759 as to why or Proverbs 6, 6. Take a lesson from 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:56.509 the ants, you lazy bones. I love the Bible. learn 00:14:56.509 --> 00:15:01.570 from their ways and become wise. If you keep 00:15:01.570 --> 00:15:04.110 reading verse seven, eight, nine, 10, it says, 00:15:04.269 --> 00:15:06.190 look, the ants, they have no boss, they have 00:15:06.190 --> 00:15:08.690 no supervisor, right? They don't have a whole 00:15:08.690 --> 00:15:11.190 corporate structure. But guess what? The ants 00:15:11.190 --> 00:15:14.610 in summer, they look for food, they gather and 00:15:14.610 --> 00:15:17.169 they store it because they know in winter they 00:15:17.169 --> 00:15:19.649 can't go out and get it. So if you don't work 00:15:19.649 --> 00:15:23.590 in the summer to get the food into your little 00:15:23.590 --> 00:15:26.450 colony, Then in winter time, there'll be nothing 00:15:26.450 --> 00:15:28.210 to eat and you can't go out because you'll die 00:15:28.210 --> 00:15:32.429 in the cold. So an ant, how big is the brain 00:15:32.429 --> 00:15:39.690 of an ant? Yet that ant knows, this is my season 00:15:39.690 --> 00:15:46.009 to work. This is my time to gather. This is when, 00:15:46.549 --> 00:15:49.309 and I can't eat it all, I gotta save some. Ooh, 00:15:49.309 --> 00:15:52.509 come on, all you who struggle with saving. The 00:15:52.509 --> 00:15:55.870 ant knows, if I eat it all, During winter when 00:15:55.870 --> 00:16:00.169 I can't go out I'll die So I gotta eat some and 00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:04.269 save some eat some save some and save enough 00:16:04.269 --> 00:16:07.309 because winter's long So for those three four 00:16:07.309 --> 00:16:09.190 months of cold where the ants can't come out 00:16:09.190 --> 00:16:11.850 and do their thing They have to store enough 00:16:11.850 --> 00:16:14.789 during summer so that in winter they can have 00:16:14.789 --> 00:16:20.129 something to eat so the Bible says Take a lesson 00:16:20.129 --> 00:16:29.850 from the ant I have 34 scriptures on laziness. 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:34.309 These are just four. There's a whole bunch of 00:16:34.309 --> 00:16:40.490 them. But you get the point. Amen? So I wanted 00:16:40.490 --> 00:16:48.889 to point out here, this. Laziness is a choice. 00:16:49.929 --> 00:16:54.080 We all choose that. And I'm not talking about 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:55.879 lazy moments here and there. How many of you 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:57.940 enjoy a little lazy morning? A little more lazy 00:16:57.940 --> 00:17:00.539 morning on a Saturday or a lazy afternoon like 00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:03.980 when your work is done. I love that. I love that. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.740 I enjoy that. But you know what? You appreciate 00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:11.339 it more when you have less of them. And so listen. 00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:15.720 So I like these sermons. to not be forgotten 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.960 when you leave. So as you go home over the next 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:21.279 week, I'm sure as you walk around the house or 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.700 your backyard or as you're walking to Walmart 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.059 somewhere or Vons, you might see a little ant 00:17:26.059 --> 00:17:30.859 walking by. When you see that ant, remember this. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.920 That's how we keep the message going all week. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.380 I don't want you to be infested with ants, but 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:40.900 when you see one, remember. So laziness is a 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:48.269 choice. Guess what else is a choice? Hard work 00:17:48.269 --> 00:17:54.670 is a choice choose between Now from the beginning 00:17:54.670 --> 00:17:57.390 of time literally from the beginning of time 00:17:57.390 --> 00:18:00.910 when God created us notice in Genesis chapter 00:18:00.910 --> 00:18:05.589 2 What the Bible says? The Lord God took the 00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:11.009 man put him in the Garden of Eden to what? To 00:18:11.009 --> 00:18:15.569 work it and take care of it So from the beginning 00:18:15.569 --> 00:18:20.470 the very first human Adam God says I'm gonna 00:18:20.470 --> 00:18:23.869 put you in a good place But when you get up in 00:18:23.869 --> 00:18:27.450 the morning, I expect you to work it. I Expect 00:18:27.450 --> 00:18:30.890 you to take care of it. I Expect you to not let 00:18:30.890 --> 00:18:34.650 it get overrun by weeds. I expect you to keep 00:18:34.650 --> 00:18:38.130 it clean I expect you to keep it tight. I expect 00:18:38.130 --> 00:18:40.029 you to work. I'm not just putting you here in 00:18:40.029 --> 00:18:43.799 a hammock I'm putting you in a garden, but I'm 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:47.880 expecting you to work. That's the very first 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:51.000 human. And you can go on through the scriptures 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:56.500 and find countless examples of the choice of 00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:59.480 hard work. Now, I won't ask you to raise your 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:01.960 hand, but some of us here might not like your 00:19:01.960 --> 00:19:07.180 job. Or some of you don't like your boss. Or 00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:09.099 some of you don't like your job and you're the 00:19:09.099 --> 00:19:17.579 boss. Maybe a different careers in order So It's 00:19:17.579 --> 00:19:20.460 easy to say you know what when I get the perfect 00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:23.539 job in the perfect company working for the perfect 00:19:23.539 --> 00:19:26.400 boss with the perfect co -workers Then I'm gonna 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:32.299 give it my all That utopia rarely happens Between 00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:35.000 now and then here's the advice from the Word 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:40.200 of God whatever you do Whether you like it or 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:44.549 not whether it's complicated or easy, whether 00:19:44.549 --> 00:19:46.650 you enjoy it, whatever you do, whatever your 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:54.869 job is, work at it, how? I'm gonna encourage 00:19:54.869 --> 00:19:58.009 all of us here, when you go back to work tomorrow, 00:19:58.690 --> 00:20:00.589 you give me a favor, work harder than normal. 00:20:01.569 --> 00:20:04.309 Go back to work tomorrow and work harder than 00:20:04.309 --> 00:20:09.269 normal. Watch what happens. Just work harder 00:20:09.269 --> 00:20:16.500 than normal. Whatever you do work at it with 00:20:16.500 --> 00:20:20.579 all your heart as though you were working for 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:24.079 who? How many of us would work a little bit harder 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.779 if Jesus Christ was your boss? Like he was your 00:20:27.779 --> 00:20:32.140 direct supervisor How many would show up on time 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:36.940 stay a little later? Maybe less multitasking 00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:40.359 Less wasting a time. I mean if Jesus was your 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:44.950 boss, you know picture Jesus in a suit Jesus 00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:49.809 is your boss. I don't know about you, but I pay 00:20:49.809 --> 00:20:52.910 attention to that. Here comes the boss, like 00:20:52.910 --> 00:20:57.869 literally here comes the boss. So Jesus says, 00:20:57.950 --> 00:21:01.710 you know what? If it helps you, pretend Jesus 00:21:01.710 --> 00:21:06.049 is your boss. Whatever you do. I don't care what 00:21:06.049 --> 00:21:08.789 industry, what company, what rank. It doesn't 00:21:08.789 --> 00:21:11.430 matter. Whatever it is, whatever it is you do, 00:21:11.589 --> 00:21:16.450 Work at it with all your heart as though you 00:21:16.450 --> 00:21:19.869 were working for the Lord and not for people. 00:21:20.250 --> 00:21:23.289 That's an attitude shift. That's a mindset shift. 00:21:24.009 --> 00:21:27.309 That's a rearranging of our heart. Because all 00:21:27.309 --> 00:21:29.869 of us can have really good excuses why I don't 00:21:29.869 --> 00:21:34.670 work, I don't like the man. He's the man. Jesus 00:21:34.670 --> 00:21:37.710 Christ, let's work for him. Whatever you do, 00:21:38.170 --> 00:21:41.509 give it your all. Now this becomes important 00:21:41.509 --> 00:21:48.410 because time goes. I always find it interesting 00:21:48.410 --> 00:21:52.150 when David said, I once was young and now I'm 00:21:52.150 --> 00:21:56.670 old. He says it in one sentence. And it really 00:21:56.670 --> 00:22:00.950 feels like it happens that way, don't it? Young 00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:03.390 people, trust me, before you know it, you'll 00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:08.890 be old. And for some of you, let me just tell 00:22:08.890 --> 00:22:17.039 you. You're old. Your strength diminishes. Your 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:22.119 stamina diminishes. Your ability, your body begins 00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:26.019 to not do what it used to do. I'm feeling it. 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:29.779 So here's the advice from Ecclesiastes chapter 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:34.859 9. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with 00:22:34.859 --> 00:22:39.380 all your might. For in the realm of the dead 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:43.220 Where you are going There is neither working 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:47.259 nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom Said differently 00:22:47.259 --> 00:22:54.440 this is when? This is when right now I Got news 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:56.700 for all of you here this morning. You will never 00:22:56.700 --> 00:23:01.359 be younger than you are right now That's it rear 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:10.240 -view mirror ahead of you knee pain, back aches, 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:14.460 arthritis. Those are words you don't know when 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:18.880 you're 20, but you'll become familiar. You know 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.279 all those commercials they show on TV for old 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:25.880 people? I used to get mad at them. Once in a 00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:35.859 while I'm like, huh, what is that again? So folks, 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:41.640 these three verses combined paint a story. God 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:44.839 expects us to work hard. Whatever you're doing, 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.240 give it your best. And by the way, your strength 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:51.859 only diminishes with time. So give it the best 00:23:51.859 --> 00:23:57.720 you can right now. Amen. Turn to the person next 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:08.609 to you and tell them, stop being lazy. Aren't 00:24:08.609 --> 00:24:18.170 you glad you came to church today? All right, 00:24:18.569 --> 00:24:21.349 let me switch gears really quick. Again, folks, 00:24:21.750 --> 00:24:24.569 I love you. I want us to maximize our potential. 00:24:26.529 --> 00:24:29.730 So, laziness, key obstacle that keeps us from 00:24:29.730 --> 00:24:31.930 becoming who God created us to be. Just laziness, 00:24:32.009 --> 00:24:35.190 lack of drive, lack of energy, lack of umph. 00:24:36.789 --> 00:24:40.369 In sports, They often say, you can't teach hustle. 00:24:41.970 --> 00:24:44.710 You can't teach hustle, right? That's something 00:24:44.710 --> 00:24:49.690 you gotta self -generate. In addition to our 00:24:49.690 --> 00:24:53.630 tendency for laziness and taking it easy, another 00:24:53.630 --> 00:24:56.289 key obstacle for our personal growth is fear. 00:24:57.529 --> 00:25:02.930 I wanna talk briefly about fear. Now, healthy 00:25:02.930 --> 00:25:08.200 fear, healthy fear is a natural response. to 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:11.500 perceive threats, helping to protect us from 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:18.359 danger, right? God put fear as an emotion, an 00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:22.759 awareness, because for example, if you're walking 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:26.960 down a path, all the hiking folks, if you're 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.700 hiking and you see a rattlesnake coiled in front 00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:31.740 of you, how many of you would be scared a little 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:35.160 bit, a little fear? Why, that's only four of 00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:37.789 us? The rest of you like handle snakes? What 00:25:37.789 --> 00:25:44.150 kind of Pentecostals are you? That's healthy 00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:50.890 fear. You see a snake? You back off. That's healthy 00:25:50.890 --> 00:25:53.890 fear. You should. There's a real threat in front 00:25:53.890 --> 00:25:59.430 of you. So healthy fear is good. It keeps us 00:25:59.430 --> 00:26:01.150 from getting in trouble. It keeps us from getting 00:26:01.150 --> 00:26:04.190 hurt. It keeps us from injuring ourselves. It 00:26:04.190 --> 00:26:06.910 keeps us from getting into things that we know 00:26:06.910 --> 00:26:09.089 are gonna be dangerous for us. So healthy fear 00:26:09.089 --> 00:26:11.670 is good. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm 00:26:11.670 --> 00:26:16.869 talking about unhealthy fear, which is a disproportionate 00:26:16.869 --> 00:26:22.029 or persistent fear that leads to avoiding or 00:26:22.029 --> 00:26:25.289 having anxiety even though there isn't a clear 00:26:25.289 --> 00:26:31.299 threat. It's just being afraid of things that 00:26:31.299 --> 00:26:35.180 are not real, things that are not as present 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:38.740 as you think they are. It's unreasonable. It 00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:42.740 is disproportionate. You ever see that? Can you 00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:47.279 imagine a NFL linebacker, six, three, 250 pounds 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:49.460 walking down the street and he sees a little 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:51.779 spider and he starts jumping on top of a car? 00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:59.170 Be like, dude. I don't advocate that, but you 00:26:59.170 --> 00:27:04.369 get my point. Your fear is disproportionate to 00:27:04.369 --> 00:27:10.650 the threat. And a lot of us do not strive for 00:27:10.650 --> 00:27:15.230 greater things. A lot of us settle for less than 00:27:15.230 --> 00:27:18.910 God's best because there's something we're afraid 00:27:18.910 --> 00:27:26.200 of. And so this sort of unhealthy fear, is that 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:30.119 exactly the type of fear we have to overcome 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:35.220 in order to grow and reach our gut -giving potential. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:39.480 I did some research and found some really good 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:43.180 stuff, some studies from psychology today and 00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:46.019 other sources, good sources. Because my question 00:27:46.019 --> 00:27:51.740 was, if fear is a reason why a lot of us don't 00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:54.299 reach our potential, And I'm not talking about 00:27:54.299 --> 00:27:56.980 us reaching something that's unreasonable. I'm 00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:59.920 talking about reaching our potential Right. I'm 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:01.980 not comparing you with anybody else. This is 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:04.279 not a race This this is really a race with you 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:06.319 to maximize your potential. That's it. That's 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:07.900 the only competition that really matters Can 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:10.720 you maximize your potential? So this is not about 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.359 comparing contrasting. I'm talking about you 00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:15.940 So when you think about what my thought was, 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:18.380 okay, what are the things what are the types 00:28:18.380 --> 00:28:24.519 of fears? that most commonly prevent you and 00:28:24.519 --> 00:28:27.099 me from reaching our own potential. What are 00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:32.099 those? And so as I researched that, there was 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:34.480 a long list, let me give you just eight, that 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:38.279 kept coming up in different sources. Most common 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:43.299 types of fears that stop us from even trying 00:28:43.299 --> 00:28:46.579 to reach our full potential. And let me stop 00:28:46.579 --> 00:28:50.539 you for a second and say this. I've learned this 00:28:50.539 --> 00:28:52.240 over time and God confirmed this in my heart 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:56.519 many, many times. For a lot of us, in certain 00:28:56.519 --> 00:29:01.160 seasons of our life, we feel frustrated with 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:05.000 where we're at, or where we're not, or where 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.880 we should be. We're just frustrated. And often 00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:13.339 times when we feel frustrated, our immediate 00:29:13.339 --> 00:29:16.900 reaction is to blame the devil. and pray God 00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:18.660 take away this frustration, God take away this 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:20.920 frustration, God help me with this frustration 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:25.200 and often times it's not the devil many times 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:28.319 I have found in my own life it is God's very 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:33.319 own Holy Spirit trying to wrestle you out of 00:29:33.319 --> 00:29:38.099 your complacency trying to move you out of your 00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:42.839 status quo trying to shake you out of your stuckness 00:29:43.569 --> 00:29:48.009 And God's own Holy Spirit trying to create through 00:29:48.009 --> 00:29:52.650 frustration the impetus to go higher. To try 00:29:52.650 --> 00:30:01.109 that. Many of you here today, in your jobs for 00:30:01.109 --> 00:30:05.890 example, are a level or two below where you know 00:30:05.890 --> 00:30:13.500 you could be. Why is that? That happened in my 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:17.140 own career early on until I began to see people 00:30:17.140 --> 00:30:21.660 less qualified Raise their hand when I didn't 00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:25.240 and also now I'm working for somebody that I 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:30.140 knew didn't have it and that frustration Was 00:30:30.140 --> 00:30:32.660 not to be mad at the company or mad at them. 00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:35.579 I learned I gotta be mad at me I should have 00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:39.359 said something I could have but because of fear 00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:42.380 because of your own insecurities, because of 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:45.480 your own reasons and excuses. We don't do that. 00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:50.180 And then you end up stuck under somebody that 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:53.900 should be under you. And if you're not careful, 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:56.700 that's gonna happen over and over and over again 00:30:56.700 --> 00:31:01.319 in your life. And so what are these things? Let 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:03.779 me give you a list of the top eight I saw. Most 00:31:03.779 --> 00:31:07.849 common types of fears. That stopped us from even 00:31:07.849 --> 00:31:10.950 trying to reach our full potential This is obvious 00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:15.910 right fear of failure What if I? Apply for the 00:31:15.910 --> 00:31:19.269 promotion, and I don't get it Well you don't 00:31:19.269 --> 00:31:23.009 get it But you know what happens to someone that 00:31:23.009 --> 00:31:26.309 does this When someone raises their hand from 00:31:26.309 --> 00:31:29.250 our promotion or for a new role, and we don't 00:31:29.250 --> 00:31:32.829 give it to them You know what I say I'm glad 00:31:32.829 --> 00:31:36.960 to know he wants this I'm glad to know she's 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:39.900 aspiring for leadership. It's good to know. It 00:31:39.900 --> 00:31:42.680 wasn't your time yet. Or maybe somebody was more 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:45.220 qualified in this moment than you were. But the 00:31:45.220 --> 00:31:47.619 fact that you raised your hand lets me know you 00:31:47.619 --> 00:31:49.339 want something later on. So I'm gonna keep my 00:31:49.339 --> 00:31:52.240 eye on you. Even when you don't get it, you still 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:57.779 win. So don't let fear of failure preclude you 00:31:57.779 --> 00:32:01.920 from even trying. We'll be here till tomorrow 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:05.940 if I got the space. Let me go faster. Guess what 00:32:05.940 --> 00:32:11.180 else is a thing? Fear of success. Oh my God, 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:12.740 if I get it, oh my God, that would be so hard. 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:15.859 No, you got this. If God is before me, who can 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:19.420 be against me? Right? Sometimes we're afraid 00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:22.799 of our own success. Oh my God, I like that girl, 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.039 she's so cute. What if I ask her out and she 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:31.059 says yes? Oh my God. You'll never know until 00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:34.319 you ask. And if she says yes, that's what you 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:45.240 wanted fool. Fear of rejection. We all felt that 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:49.680 at times. For anyone that rejects you, there's 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:51.859 always somebody else that will gladly take you. 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:58.319 Right? Fear of a challenge. Take it easy. Oh 00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:02.160 no, I'm gonna have to work harder. Yeah. Kind 00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:04.180 of what comes with, you know, they say higher 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:08.799 levels bring new devils. Yeah. As you climb higher, 00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:11.599 it gets harder. Yeah, but you got it. You got 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:13.819 a whole trajectory, a whole history of experiences 00:33:13.819 --> 00:33:16.259 to equip you for the next thing. Don't be afraid 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:21.180 of that. Fear of others' opinions, oh boy. Especially 00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:25.660 in today's social media obsessed world. Oh my 00:33:25.660 --> 00:33:26.819 God, what are they gonna think? I don't care 00:33:26.819 --> 00:33:31.160 what they think. You do you. Fear of responsibility. 00:33:33.389 --> 00:33:37.309 Fear of being an imposter or being found out 00:33:37.309 --> 00:33:40.829 Impostor syndrome is a big thing at the highest 00:33:40.829 --> 00:33:44.609 circles Fear of commitment. Oh my god, if I get 00:33:44.609 --> 00:33:46.309 a promotion, I'm gonna have to show up on time 00:33:46.309 --> 00:33:59.890 every day. Yeah Yeah My prayer is that you and 00:33:59.890 --> 00:34:03.750 I don't get to our deathbed at some point in 00:34:03.750 --> 00:34:07.369 the future. Look back at our lives and realize, 00:34:07.589 --> 00:34:11.469 man, I coulda, shoulda, woulda. Don't, that's 00:34:11.469 --> 00:34:12.969 like my biggest fear. That's one of the things 00:34:12.969 --> 00:34:18.750 that drives me is that. I wanna die an old man, 00:34:19.730 --> 00:34:24.349 tired. That I, I wanna get to heaven, anybody 00:34:24.349 --> 00:34:26.809 else wanna get to heaven? I wanna get to heaven 00:34:26.809 --> 00:34:30.349 and I want God to say, Sam, you did more than 00:34:30.349 --> 00:34:33.010 I thought you could. Like I didn't give you that 00:34:33.010 --> 00:34:35.010 many I only gave you a couple little gifts and 00:34:35.010 --> 00:34:39.650 you did all right That's what I want to hear 00:34:39.650 --> 00:34:46.210 I supposed to I gave you all this And you were 00:34:46.210 --> 00:34:51.269 happy just doing that Can you imagine? standing 00:34:51.269 --> 00:34:54.929 in front of God and Him showing you the picture 00:34:54.929 --> 00:34:56.949 the movie of what your life could have been had 00:34:56.949 --> 00:34:59.050 you overcome your fears and trusted him more 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:01.980 But because of fear because the laziness we didn't 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:06.400 do that. Oh, no No, no, no, not me and I pray 00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:14.599 not any of us Amen Amen Amen So, how do we overcome 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:20.239 our fears who talk fast listen fast Psalms 27 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:26.579 one the Lord is my light and my salvation Whom 00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:30.820 shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my 00:35:30.820 --> 00:35:37.119 life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Beautiful verse, 00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:39.579 but you got to live it. You got to feel it. You 00:35:39.579 --> 00:35:43.199 got to believe it. You got to experience it. 00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:46.280 Psalm 56, I'm saying again, I'm not saying don't 00:35:46.280 --> 00:35:48.300 ever be afraid. No, no, we all get scared of 00:35:48.300 --> 00:35:53.039 things. I just stepped into a new role at work. 00:35:53.539 --> 00:35:55.880 It's a big role. Yeah, it's a little scary. I 00:35:55.880 --> 00:35:59.260 call it skited. I'm a little scared, a little 00:35:59.260 --> 00:36:05.179 excited. And skited fuels me. Because you got 00:36:05.179 --> 00:36:08.119 to balance it. Yeah, it's scary. But it's also 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:14.559 exciting. It's also... Psalm 56. When I am afraid, 00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:19.840 I'm going to put my trust in you. I praise God 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:22.760 for what he has promised. What has God promised 00:36:22.760 --> 00:36:25.750 you? What promises has God given us? You know, 00:36:25.789 --> 00:36:28.030 so when I get afraid, I remember those promises. 00:36:28.130 --> 00:36:32.670 I begin to praise God for those promises. I trust 00:36:32.670 --> 00:36:37.650 in God. So why should I be afraid? What can mere 00:36:37.650 --> 00:36:40.949 mortals do to me? I love that. That's a great 00:36:40.949 --> 00:36:50.909 line. I say at 41, don't be afraid for I am with 00:36:50.909 --> 00:36:55.630 you. Don't be discouraged. For I am your God. 00:36:56.449 --> 00:37:00.630 I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold 00:37:00.630 --> 00:37:07.070 you up with my victorious right hand. Folks, 00:37:07.110 --> 00:37:11.130 either you believe it or you don't. And if you 00:37:11.130 --> 00:37:15.570 believe it, get after it. If you believe it, 00:37:15.789 --> 00:37:19.360 step over your fears with that promise. It's 00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:21.280 not that the fear will go away. It's not that 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:23.960 the fear won't be there. No, no. I've learned 00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:27.679 in my life, in my 56 year of life, the best things 00:37:27.679 --> 00:37:33.000 I've done, I've done, I'm afraid. If there's 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:35.139 no fear involved, it's probably not big enough. 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:39.780 Big things are gonna be scary things. Amen? Big 00:37:39.780 --> 00:37:44.320 things are scary things. Don't you think there 00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:49.460 was fear in a 29 year old Sam? to start Lighthouse 00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:59.900 Church? I was afraid at 29. I didn't know this. 00:37:59.960 --> 00:38:03.880 I had never been a pastor before. I hadn't been 00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:07.159 responsible for people. I never preached that 00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:09.300 much, taught that much, organized that much. 00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:13.159 I had never done this. I was 29 when this journey 00:38:13.159 --> 00:38:18.869 started. I was scared. I was afraid. But my faith 00:38:18.869 --> 00:38:22.809 was greater than my fear. And let me tell you, 00:38:22.849 --> 00:38:27.730 my fear was high. So therefore my faith had to 00:38:27.730 --> 00:38:34.570 be higher. This church wouldn't be here. At least 00:38:34.570 --> 00:38:38.489 in its current form and shape. If we would have 00:38:38.489 --> 00:38:42.050 let fear, Pastor Ruben, keep us. We're sitting 00:38:42.050 --> 00:38:43.630 at my kitchen table trying to come up. What do 00:38:43.630 --> 00:38:48.719 we call this thing, remember that? Yeah, big 00:38:48.719 --> 00:38:53.059 things are scary. But the bigger the fear, the 00:38:53.059 --> 00:38:58.460 stronger the faith. That's the choice before 00:38:58.460 --> 00:39:04.480 us. So finish with this. Just reflecting on all 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:12.239 this. Our drive for personal growth must be greater 00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:16.420 than our affinity for comfort and what's easy. 00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:24.400 Comes down to that. If you read the Bible, laziness 00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:29.099 is cured with hard work. The medicine for laziness 00:39:29.099 --> 00:39:32.940 is work hard. Begin to see the reward and the 00:39:32.940 --> 00:39:34.960 benefit of hard work and the laziness goes away. 00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:40.880 On the fear side, fear is conquered by faith. 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:45.159 That is the weapon. Let me tell you this one 00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:50.050 thing. Fear And faith occupy the same place in 00:39:50.050 --> 00:39:55.289 your heart. They fight for the same space. The 00:39:55.289 --> 00:39:58.829 more fear you have, the less faith you'll have. 00:39:59.690 --> 00:40:01.969 The more faith you have, the less room for fear 00:40:01.969 --> 00:40:05.030 there'll be. They occupy, they fight for the 00:40:05.030 --> 00:40:08.809 same space. Does that make sense to you? So I 00:40:08.809 --> 00:40:10.909 want you to think about the proportion in that 00:40:10.909 --> 00:40:13.750 space in your life. What is the proportion? Is 00:40:13.750 --> 00:40:18.190 it 50 -50? Is it 70 % fear, 30 % faith? Is it 00:40:18.190 --> 00:40:23.530 95 % fear, 5 % faith? Is it 80 % faith, 20 % 00:40:23.530 --> 00:40:28.809 fear? What is that? You need to know that. You 00:40:28.809 --> 00:40:30.849 need to look inside into your dashboard, into 00:40:30.849 --> 00:40:35.929 your gauge. Find out where it's at. I'll finish 00:40:35.929 --> 00:40:39.650 and say the journey. And I'm still on the journey 00:40:39.650 --> 00:40:42.329 with you. The journey to maximize our potential 00:40:42.329 --> 00:40:45.309 won't be easy. If it was easy, everybody would 00:40:45.309 --> 00:40:48.929 do it. Won't be easy, but it will definitely 00:40:48.929 --> 00:40:54.829 be worth it. So this morning, as we all stand 00:40:54.829 --> 00:41:03.849 to our feet, if God has spoken to you in a very 00:41:03.849 --> 00:41:06.130 clear way in some area of your life based on 00:41:06.130 --> 00:41:09.170 everything we've heard, and if you're ready to, 00:41:09.170 --> 00:41:11.210 if you're ready to take some steps in a better 00:41:11.210 --> 00:41:12.630 direction, I want you to come to this altar. 00:41:12.750 --> 00:41:18.480 We want to pray with you. Come on. If this message 00:41:18.480 --> 00:41:20.659 was a blessing to your life, I encourage you 00:41:20.659 --> 00:41:22.980 to share it with others. I invite you to visit 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:26.559 us online at gotolighthouse .org to stay connected 00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:29.559 and see how you can continue supporting today's 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:31.440 message. God bless you and we'll see you next 00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:31.699 week.