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S9Ep:2389 The Doors I Almost Didn't Walk Through · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Hey, Half-Faith family, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast as you can.
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  Visit our website, Half-FaithLetItBegin.com. We will love. Oh,
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  yeah, you can put it on now. Let's go, Hoke.
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  Oh, my God. How's everybody doing? Wow.
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  Great to see everyone. Who's ready for some Half-Faith Let It Begin?
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  Then it starts right now. Let's go.
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  2010, the spark was lit.
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  Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  Adjusting my microphone here this morning, I'd like to thank each and every
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  single one of you for being here on this beautiful, beautiful morning.
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  Big shout-outs to my son, Noah, who graduated yesterday. I had the day off, so I'm so grateful.
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  It was a crazy day. And then also shout-outs to Professor Nick for being a trooper
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  and understanding that my life was a little bit haywire.
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  So Nick L., for those of you that don't know, is back for another beautiful
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  episode, and that will air next week. Programming note for that.
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  You know, this new series that we started on a Tuesday has really resonated with a lot of you.
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  Hitting over 3,000 downloads in one day says that we're on the right track.
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  We talked about in the last couple of episodes, the person God always knew we could be.
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  We talked about how God saw something in us long before we saw it ourselves.
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  And then we talked about the person in the mirror and learning to see ourselves through God's eyes.
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  Today, I want to talk about something that almost didn't happen.
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  Not because God didn't open the door. Not because, ah, the opportunity wasn't there.
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  But because fear almost convinced me not to walk through it.
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  Today's episode is called The Doors I Almost Didn't Walk Through.
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  Have you ever looked back on your life and then realized that one decision changed everything?
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  One conversation, one phone call, one opportunity, and one step of faith.
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  Always love that line, one step of faith.
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  Sometimes, you know, we think life changes in giant moments,
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  but often life changes because we're willing to take one small step when we were scared.
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  And trust me, I've been scared many times. There were moments in my life where
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  opportunities stood right in front of me and my first response wasn't excitement.
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  It was fear, fear of failing, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough,
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  fear of what people would think, fear of stepping into something I had never done before.
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  And to be truthful with all of you, there were times I almost talked myself
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  out of things that later became many blessings.
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  You know, take this podcast for example There was no guarantee anyone would listen,
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  There was no roadmap There was no promise of success Just the feeling that God
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  was calling me to do something And believe me, there were plenty of reasons not to start,
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  What if nobody listened? What if I failed?
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  What if I run out of things to say?
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  What if people don't like it? Does that sound familiar to you?
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  Oh, it does to me where it's my alarm clock saying let's go,
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  because those those same questions that i thought about they showed up whenever
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  god invites us into something bigger they they come and when they come,
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  you have to be ready for them i mean they came in ministry for me they came,
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  then let me see now that i think about it then came opportunities to speak.
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  Then pastoral school became an issue or not an issue, but became relevant.
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  And every single time there was a new door, fear showed up first.
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  But here's what I've learned. Fear usually stands on the other side of growth.
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  The truth is most blessings don't arrive looking comfortable.
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  Most opportunities don't come wrapped in certainty.
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  Most callings don't arrive with a guarantee that a, huh, they don't arrive with
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  a guarantee. That's interesting.
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  They're alive with a choice. You will trust God enough to take the next step.
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  That's something I wrote here in my notes.
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  Will you trust God enough to take the next step?
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  It's a real question I wrote. Because courage isn't the absence of fear.
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  Courage is moving forward whilst fear is still standing there.
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  Some of us are waiting to feel completely ready before that act.
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  The problem is, few people ever feel completely ready.
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  I know I don't. One of my favorite examples in scripture is Peter stepping out of the boat.
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  Imagine that moment with the storm raging. Oh my goodness.
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  I mean, I'm scared of open water as it is and of heights.
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  But that fear as the wind is blowing, the waves are crashing.
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  And Jesus says, come.
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  Peter could have stayed in the boat. It would have been safer,
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  more comfortable, less risky.
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  But miracles don't just happen inside of a boat.
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  They open, well, they don't happen inside of the boat, right?
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  And miracles don't open, actually, and don't happen inside of a boat for that matter.
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  They happen when faith takes a step. That's what Peter did.
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  And maybe that's what God is asking some of us to do today. No leap.
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  Not leaps.
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  Don't leap 10 miles ahead, right? Just take one step, one prayer,
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  one application, one conversation, one act of obedience, one step.
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  I wonder what door is standing in
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  front of you right now. Maybe it's new opportunities. Maybe it's a dream.
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  And maybe it's forgiveness. Maybe it's ministry.
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  Maybe it's something you've been avoiding because you're afraid.
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  Let me encourage you, like God did for me, Don't let fear make decisions that faith should be making.
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  Because years from now, you don't want to be asking yourself, what have I tried?
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  You want to be able to say, I am so glad I trusted God.
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  Looking back today, I'm grateful for the doors. I'm grateful for the doors that
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  I walked through. Not because every step was easy.
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  Because every step taught me something. And every step helped shape the person
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  I have become. Or becoming.
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  Maybe today is your day to stop standing in the doorway. And maybe today is
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  the day you finally walk through it.
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  Are you ready to walk through that door? Let's pray. Heavenly Father,
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  thank you for the opportunities that you placed before us. Give us courage.
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  Give us courage when fear tries to hold us back.
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  And help us trust you more than we trust our doubts.
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  And remind us that you are already waiting for us on the other side of obedience.
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  We pray this unto you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Tomorrow, we're going to talk about what nine years taught me.
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  Nine years of this podcast.
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  And I can't wait to share some of those lessons that changed my life.
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  And you guys are a part of that. Until then, never forget to have faith. Let it begin.
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  Take it, let it begin. Take it one day at a time. At a time. See you tomorrow.
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  See you tomorrow. This is the half way and let it begin. It's gotta work.