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Enjoy Your Life Joel Osteen · A Better Tomorrow

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It's easy to go through life thinking we have to
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: make everything happen, make our business grow, make ourselves get well,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: make our child do right. There's this constant pressure, always
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  Speaker 1: something we need to fix, some area we need to
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  Speaker 1: improve in. So we live striving, trying to force a
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  Speaker 1: door to open, do better, then we'll gain approval, work harder,
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  Speaker 1: then we'll get the good break. It's like there's a
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  Speaker 1: war going on inside.
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  Speaker 2: No rest, no peace. You weren't created to live that way.
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  Speaker 1: Psalm 46 says, be still and know that I am God.
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  Speaker 1: One translation says, stop your striving and know that I
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  Speaker 1: am God.
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  Speaker 2: As long as you're in this.
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  Speaker 1: Striving mode, trying to fix everything, thinking that it's all
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  Speaker 1: up to you, then you're not going to know He's God.
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  Speaker 1: You're not going to see His favor and His goodness
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  Speaker 1: like you should. It's very freeing when you realize you
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  Speaker 1: don't have to make everything happen. If you'll keep God
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  Speaker 1: first place, He'll bring the good breaks to you. He'll
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  Speaker 1: cause the right doors to open. He'll send the healing.
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  Speaker 2: All striving is doing is wearing.
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  Speaker 1: You out, causing you to feel overwhelmed, can't sleep at night,
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  Speaker 1: have digestive problems. Take the pressure off. It's not your
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  Speaker 1: job to fix everything. You can't make people do what's right,
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  Speaker 1: make your coworker like you, make your business grow. Your
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  Speaker 1: job is to be your best each day, honor God,
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  Speaker 1: and he will bring dreams to pass. He'll turn negative
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  Speaker 1: situations around. Even areas you need to improve in. Don't
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  Speaker 1: be down on yourself because you're not where you want
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  Speaker 1: to be. God is the potter, you are the clay.
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  Speaker 1: He's changing you from glory to glory. You can't make
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  Speaker 1: yourself grow any faster than he has planned.
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  Speaker 2: You may not be where you want to be, but
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  Speaker 2: learn to enjoy the glory that you're in right now.
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  Speaker 1: How much more peace could you have if you got
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  Speaker 1: out of the striving mode? How much more would you
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  Speaker 1: enjoy your life if you would turn those situations over
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  Speaker 1: to God? Quit trying to do what only He can do.
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  Speaker 1: It's not work harder, perform better, then it will happen.
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  Speaker 1: Live from a place of peace. Do your best and
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  Speaker 1: then rest. When you stop striving, you'll know He's God.
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  Speaker 1: He'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen. John
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  Speaker 1: chapter 15, Jesus was talking to His disciples. This was
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  Speaker 1: one of the last times they would be together before
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  Speaker 1: He was crucified. He said in verse 5,' I am
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  Speaker 1: the vine, you are the branches. If you abide in Me,
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  Speaker 1: you will bear much fruit. For apart from Me, you
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  Speaker 1: can do nothing.' Imagine how important these words were. He
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  Speaker 1: could have talked to them about performing miracles, being strong,
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  Speaker 1: starting new churches. But when he was about to leave,
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  Speaker 1: he told them, this is how you're going to be successful.
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  Speaker 1: This is how you're going to overcome challenges. This is
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  Speaker 1: how you'll fulfill your destiny. Abide in me and you
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  Speaker 1: will bear much fruit. The word abide in the original
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  Speaker 1: language means to depend, to rely on, to relax. He
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  Speaker 1: was saying, if you'll depend on me, if you'll rest
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  Speaker 1: in me, then you can relax. You don't have to strive.
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  Speaker 1: You don't have to force things, live worried, pressured, wondering
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  Speaker 1: how it's going to happen. When you're abiding, you're going
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  Speaker 1: to bear much fruit. You would think it would be
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  Speaker 1: just the opposite. If you'll work harder, put in more effort,
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  Speaker 1: then you'll see the dream. Then you'll get the promotion.
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  Speaker 1: Then the problem will turn around. No, not if you'll strive,
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  Speaker 1: you'll bear much fruit. But if you'll abide, you'll see increase.
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  Speaker 1: You'll see favor. See, faith has a rest. When you
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: don't see how something can work out, The medical report's
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  Speaker 1: not good.
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  Speaker 2: Your finances are down.
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  Speaker 1: It's easy to get all stressed, all worked up. I
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  Speaker 1: got to fix this. Don't fall into that trap. Instead
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  Speaker 1: of striving, start abiding.
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  Speaker 2: Stay in peace. God, I know you're still on the throne.
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  Speaker 2: I can't make this.
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  Speaker 1: Happen in my own strength, but I believe because I'm connected.
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  Speaker 3: To you, I'm depending on you, I'm relying on you,
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  Speaker 3: that you're going to cause me to bear much fruit,
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  Speaker 3: that I'm going to see this situation turn in my favor.
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  Speaker 2: When you're abiding, it takes the pressure off.
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  Speaker 1: Instead of focusing on what you can do, you're focused
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  Speaker 1: on what God can do.
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  Speaker 2: You're depending on his goodness, his favor, his power.
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  Speaker 1: As long as you're striving, you're limited to what you
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  Speaker 1: can accomplish. The problem is we all face giants that
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  Speaker 1: are too big, people that are more powerful, a medical report.
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  Speaker 2: That says there's no way.
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  Speaker 1: Our strength, our effort, our talent, no matter how hard
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  Speaker 1: we try, will not be enough. That's why God said,
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  Speaker 1: apart from me, you can do nothing.
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  Speaker 2: You can't overcome that challenge. You can't break the addiction.
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  Speaker 1: Accomplish your dream just with your own willpower, your own
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  Speaker 1: hard work.
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  Speaker 2: You need power from on high.
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  Speaker 1: When you're abiding, there's a force that breathes in your direction,
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  Speaker 1: a favor that opens doors that you couldn't open, that
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  Speaker 1: breaks chains that are holding you back, that releases healing, creativity,
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  Speaker 1: increase that.
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  Speaker 2: Will catapult you into your destiny.
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  Speaker 1: One of the best prayers we can pray every morning is, God,
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  Speaker 1: I'm depending on you today. I'm relying on you. And God,
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to relax in you. I believe because I'm
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  Speaker 1: connected to you that.
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  Speaker 2: I will bear much fruit. And I'm not saying that
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  Speaker 2: we sit back and do nothing.
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  Speaker 1: We have to use our gifts, be our best, but
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  Speaker 1: don't become dependent on just your ability, your efforts, thinking
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  Speaker 1: that you have to make it happen.
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  Speaker 2: Do what you can and then leave it up to God.
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  Speaker 1: As long as you're abiding in Him, you're going to
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  Speaker 1: bear not a little fruit, not some fruit, but much fruit.
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  Speaker 1: If you'll start abiding and not just striving, you're going
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  Speaker 1: to see more fruit with less work. You're going to
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  Speaker 1: go further with less frustration. You're going to accomplish more
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  Speaker 1: in less time. Someone says, aren't you worried about your child?
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  Speaker 1: He's not getting better. Just answer, no, I'm not worrying.
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  Speaker 2: I'm abiding. I'm trusting. I'm believing. I know that God's
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  Speaker 2: in control. Well, you lost that big contract. Aren't you upset?
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  Speaker 1: No, I know I'm connected to the vine, to a
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  Speaker 1: supply line that will never run dry.
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  Speaker 2: Not going to live stressed. I'm abiding. I'm at peace.
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  Speaker 2: I know another opportunity is coming. What about the medical report?
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  Speaker 2: Doesn't look good.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, but I'm not moved by what I see. I'm
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  Speaker 1: moved by what I know. God is restoring health back
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  Speaker 1: into me. I'm depending on him. I'm relying on him.
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to relax knowing that nothing can snatch me
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  Speaker 1: out of his hands.
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  Speaker 2: Are you striving or are you abiding? There are plenty
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  Speaker 2: of opportunities to strive. We can all live worried, stressed,
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  Speaker 2: trying to fix everything in our own strength. That's overwhelming.
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  Speaker 1: Come back to a place of peace. The scripture says
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  Speaker 1: your father knows what you need. He knows what you're facing.
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  Speaker 1: He knows the dreams He's placed in your heart.
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  Speaker 2: He sees the struggles, the.
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  Speaker 1: Unfair situations, the times you were put at a disadvantage.
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  Speaker 1: You don't have to do life on your own, trying
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  Speaker 1: to make up for it, trying to accomplish the dream.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus said, come to me and I will give you rest.
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  Speaker 1: Stop your striving. Depending on your own efforts, your own ability,
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  Speaker 1: that's draining.
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  Speaker 2: If you'll start depending on him, you'll feel that load
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  Speaker 2: lift off of you.
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  Speaker 1: Because God has you in the palm of his hand.
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  Speaker 2: He hasn't let go of you.
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  Speaker 1: You may not be connected to him, but he's not
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  Speaker 1: disconnected from you. If you're going to feel his strength,
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  Speaker 1: see his favor, you have to stay connected to the vine.
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  Speaker 1: You can only do so much in your own efforts.
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  Speaker 1: But when you get up each day and say, God,
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  Speaker 1: I'm not going to worry today. I'm not going to
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  Speaker 1: live frustrated by what I can't change. God, I'm depending
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  Speaker 1: on you. I can't do this on my own, but
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  Speaker 1: I know connected to you, I can do all things.
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  Speaker 1: Connected to you, I can accomplish my dreams. Connected to you,
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  Speaker 1: I will see this problem turn around. It's significant that
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  Speaker 1: Jesus used fruit in this illustration. We have some lemon
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  Speaker 1: trees in our backyard. I see the lemons out there
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  Speaker 1: hanging on the vine. They're just abiding. They're not struggling.
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  Speaker 1: They're not frustrated, thinking, why am I not growing faster?
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  Speaker 1: How am I going to change from green to yellow?
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  Speaker 1: I'm the wrong color. What if I don't ripen? I've
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  Speaker 1: never walked by and heard a lemon complaining. I've never
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  Speaker 1: seen a worried lemon. They just hang there drawing strength
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  Speaker 1: from the vine. They're not stressed because they know as
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  Speaker 1: long as they're connected to the source, to the vine,
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  Speaker 1: they're going to get everything that they need. And sometimes
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  Speaker 1: we wonder, how can I accomplish my dream? What if
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  Speaker 1: I don't meet the right person? What if I don't
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  Speaker 1: get this scholarship? No, as long as you're connected to
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  Speaker 1: the vine, you don't have to worry. It's not your
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  Speaker 1: job to figure everything out. There are things that you
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  Speaker 1: can't see because you're the fruit.
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  Speaker 2: You're not the vine.
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  Speaker 1: The vine is where the lemon is getting nutrients. That's
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  Speaker 1: what's causing it to develop pulp, grow seeds on the inside,
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  Speaker 1: turn from a flower blossom to form a thick outer skin.
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  Speaker 1: Quit worrying about how everything is going to work out.
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  Speaker 1: God has already planned out all of your days. There's
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  Speaker 1: not a problem you have or will ever have that
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  Speaker 1: He doesn't have a solution.
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  Speaker 2: He's the one that's going to cause you to bloom.
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  Speaker 1: Like that lemon, He's developing in you what you need
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  Speaker 1: to blossom, to grow, to fulfill your purpose. You shouldn't
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  Speaker 1: live with that unrest on the inside, thinking that you're limited.
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  Speaker 1: Because you're connected to the vine, you can stay in peace.
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  Speaker 1: God is bringing the nutrients you need, the right people,
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  Speaker 1: the right breaks, the healing, the favor. At the appointed time,
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  Speaker 1: you'll ripen. You're going to go from green to yellow,
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  Speaker 1: so to speak. You're going to see doors open. The
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  Speaker 1: medical report turn around. The dream will come to pass.
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  Speaker 1: Now do your part. Quit striving and start abiding. Live
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  Speaker 1: from a place of peace, a place of rest. When
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  Speaker 1: you're tempted to worry, try to force things to happen,
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  Speaker 1: just say, no thanks, I'm connected to the vine. God,
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  Speaker 1: I'm depending on you, so I'm going to relax. I'm
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  Speaker 1: going to enjoy this day knowing that you promised I
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  Speaker 1: will bear much fruit. Most of the good breaks I've
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  Speaker 1: seen in my life, they've come when I was simply abiding,
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  Speaker 1: just being my best, honoring God. I walked into a
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  Speaker 1: jewelry store and met Victoria. I wasn't trying to force it. God,
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  Speaker 1: when am I going to meet someone frustrated? I was
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  Speaker 1: simply abiding and the blessing came to me. When we
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  Speaker 1: needed a larger auditorium, we tried to buy property. Twice
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  Speaker 1: those doors closed. I was disappointed, but I did what
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  Speaker 1: I'm asking us to do. I said, God, you're in control.
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  Speaker 1: I'm not going to live frustrated trying to make something happen.
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  Speaker 2: I trust you. I know you know what's best.
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  Speaker 1: I came back to that place of peace and just
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  Speaker 1: kept abiding, kept being faithful. One day, out of the blue,
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  Speaker 1: a friend called and said the compact center was coming available.
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  Speaker 1: I called the mayor, things fell into place, and here
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  Speaker 1: we are.
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  Speaker 2: The compact center came to me.
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  Speaker 1: I was trying to make it happen in my own strength,
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  Speaker 1: buying that property. I knew God put the desire in me.
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  Speaker 1: I had bigger dreams, but it wasn't the right time.
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  Speaker 1: God is so merciful, He'll close doors when it's not
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  Speaker 1: His best. It's important to trust God's timing. When we
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  Speaker 1: know the dream is in our heart, we know what
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  Speaker 1: God promised, we go after it, we take steps of faith,
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  Speaker 1: and that's good. I'm not saying to sit back, but
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  Speaker 1: you have to be open that if it doesn't happen
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  Speaker 1: the way you thought, then God has something better. That
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: closed door is God protecting you. But sometimes we get impatient.
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  Speaker 1: We think we're missing out. We're falling behind. But I've
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  Speaker 1: learned what belongs to you is not going to go
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  Speaker 1: to anyone else. What has your name on it will
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  Speaker 1: come to you. Instead of trying to force things, relax.
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  Speaker 2: Stay in peace.
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  Speaker 1: God's ordering your steps. He's already lined up what you
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  Speaker 1: need to fulfill your destiny. If it hasn't happened yet,
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  Speaker 1: it wasn't.
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  Speaker 2: The right time. If the door closed, something better is coming.
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  Speaker 1: You don't have to manipulate things, try to convince people
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  Speaker 1: to like you, force the doors to open. Let the
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  Speaker 1: blessings come to you. If you're having to connive and convince,
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  Speaker 1: you're frustrated, can't sleep at night, you need to let
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  Speaker 1: that go and trust God to do it His way.
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  Speaker 2: This is where Abraham and Sarah missed it.
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  Speaker 1: God gave them the promise that they would have a child,
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  Speaker 1: but instead of abiding, trusting God's timing, they were impatient.
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  Speaker 2: Nothing was happening. They got frustrated and decided to help
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  Speaker 2: God out.
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  Speaker 1: Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her maid. They had
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  Speaker 1: a son that they named Ishmael, but he wasn't the
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  Speaker 1: promised child. It wasn't Ishmael's fault, but that baby caused
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  Speaker 1: all kinds of strife and contention. It's much better to
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  Speaker 1: wait for the right thing than to have to deal
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  Speaker 1: with an Ishmael. Things we birth in our own efforts.
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  Speaker 1: That's what causes us heartache and pain. If your promise
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  Speaker 1: is not happening on your timetable, trust that God knows
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  Speaker 1: what He's doing. He knows what's best. Instead of striving
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  Speaker 1: like they did, I'm going to have this baby. I'm
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  Speaker 1: going to make it happen. I'm going to marry this
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  Speaker 1: person even though I don't have peace. I'm going to
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  Speaker 1: buy this house even though it's not what I really want.
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  Speaker 2: Be patient. Don't settle for second best.
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  Speaker 1: Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it's not
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  Speaker 1: going to happen.
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  Speaker 2: Keep abiding.
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  Speaker 1: Keep doing the right thing.
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  Speaker 2: Your time is coming.
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: The truth is, we've all probably birthed some Ishmaels. We've
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  Speaker 1: all forced some things to happen. But here's how good
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  Speaker 1: God is. That didn't stop the promise. God doesn't say, man,
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  Speaker 1: you blew it. You quit abiding. Now it's not going
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  Speaker 1: to happen. No, 20 years after God gave Abraham the promise,
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  Speaker 1: this was after they had Ishmael, after they had made mistakes,
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  Speaker 1: Sarah got pregnant at 90.
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  Speaker 2: Years old and gave birth to Isaac, the promised child.
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  Speaker 1: It may be taking longer than you thought, but don't
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  Speaker 1: water down your dreams. Don't settle for less than what
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  Speaker 1: you know God put in your heart. You don't have
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  Speaker 1: to make it happen only in your own strength. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: use your gifts.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: Do what you can, but don't force things. You keep
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  Speaker 2: abiding and Isaac is coming.
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  Speaker 1: At the right time, you're going to see God show
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  Speaker 1: out in your life.
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  Speaker 2: In the meantime, relax.
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  Speaker 1: Enjoy where you are while you're waiting for things to change.
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  Speaker 1: The way to pass the test is not being frustrated
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  Speaker 1: by what hasn't happened. Not upset because your friend got
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  Speaker 1: married and you haven't met anyone. Not giving up because
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  Speaker 1: the property was sold out from under you two times.
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  Speaker 1: Just keep doing the right things. Staying close to God,
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  Speaker 1: connected to the vine. That's where your strength is coming from.
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  Speaker 1: That's where the favor, the blessing, the healing is.