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Transcript

EMBRACE EVERY SEASON · THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Good morning, thank you for joining us today on our podcast.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Hope you had a great day yesterday. I hope you've
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: been having a great week. it's always good to have
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: a productive week, but it's really good when you have
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: a good spirit-filled week, and I've had one this week,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: and it's just been a blessing to be encouraged by
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: other brothers and sisters in Christ, you know, not just
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: going to Sunrise and going to services, but just in
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: our day-to-day communication with people, whether it be through this
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: podcast or just through things that people see in you,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: never underestimate the power of encouragement, and I just ask
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: each and every one of you, just maybe take a
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: little time this morning after you've spent some time with Jesus,
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: of course, and just encourage somebody in the Lord. It
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: doesn't matter whoever the Lord lays on your heart, just
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: either give them a phone call, send them a text,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: maybe just if you're right there with them, just tell
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: them how much you appreciate them and just encourage them
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: in a special way. And it's always a blessing. You know,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: we've been talking this week about stepping into new seasons
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: and I didn't really plan on doing two or three
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: devotions on that but I guess the Lord did and
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: so all we want to do is be obedient to that.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: This morning we're talking about embracing the new seasons in
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: our life. You know we've kind of went through the
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: tree analogy of how some seasons have to be let
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: go in order to grab a hold of the new
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: things that the Lord is giving us and I got
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: to really thinking about that this morning. There are times
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: when we know a season has ended, right? I mean,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: we just know it, yet we still hesitate. We hesitate
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: to step into what is coming next. But I want
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: to tell you something this morning. It's coming, whether we
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: are hesitant about stepping into it or not, because seasons
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: just don't last forever in our lives. The door may
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: be open right now. The opportunity may be before you,
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: but We may even sense that the Lord is leading
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: us forward into that new season. But what happens is
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: something within us sometimes keeps us from moving forward because
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: we always want to reach back to what feels familiar,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: what feels comfortable. Sometimes it is simply the fear of
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: the unknown. These are things this morning that God kind
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: of placed on my heart that sometimes keeps us from
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: stepping into that new season, and one of them is
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: the fear of the unknown. We may not have been
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: completely happy with the old season, but at least we
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: knew what to expect. Each and every day you knew
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: what to expect. You may not have been comfortable with it,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: but at least you knew what was coming. A new
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: season brings unanswered questions. A new season will ask sometimes,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: you know, where is this leading? Where does this road
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: lead me? What will be required of me? What kind
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: of sacrifices am I going to have to make going
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: through these changes into this next part of my life,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: this next chapter? What if things don't work out the
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: way I hoped they would? All these what ifs. And
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: I'm here to tell you this morning that there's nothing
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: wrong with kind of asking those questions before the Lord.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: But a lot of what if questions come from our
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: own hesitation, our own things that the enemy tries to
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: plant into our mind to keep us from that next
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  Speaker 1: season because everything in our lives spiritually speaking as well
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: as mentally emotionally all the lord is trying to do
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: in moving us from one season to the next is
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: progression it's always progressing other times in our lives our
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: hesitation comes from the desire to control our environment does
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: that speak to anybody this morning We like knowing where
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: everything belongs and how everything is supposed to happen and
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: what everything is supposed to be. But when God begins
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: changing our surroundings, our routines, and yeah, even our relationships,
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: we can feel as though we're losing control sometimes. And
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: the truth is, you were never in control in the
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: first place. And you were never meant to control every detail. See,
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: we were meant to trust the one who does control
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: it all. We may also resist a new season because
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: we are still emotionally attached to the old one, like
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: we discussed yesterday. There may have been people, places, accomplishments,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: and memories that become deeply woven into your way of
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: life and your heart. And sometimes it feels like moving
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: forward can sometimes feel as though we are being disloyal
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: to what came before. Those things we were comfortable with,
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  Speaker 1: that we actually Enjoy that season of our lives. But
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  Speaker 1: embracing something new does not mean that the old season
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: was unimportant. It simply means it fulfilled its purpose. And
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  Speaker 1: it's time to use that in this next season in
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  Speaker 1: your life. And that time comes to all of us
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: sooner or later. The comforting truth is that although our
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: seasons change, our God does not change. Hebrews chapter 13
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  Speaker 1: and verse number 8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today,
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  Speaker 1: and forever. The same God who carried us through yesterday
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: is already waiting for us tomorrow. His love has not changed,
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  Speaker 1: His promises have not weakened, and His grace is still
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: sufficient for whatever season He requires us to be in. See,
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  Speaker 1: every season of life It's part of a continual progression.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: Like I just told you a minute ago. It's a
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  Speaker 1: continual progression of growth and faith. Leading us to be
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: stronger for what's coming next. Not only against us. But
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: for us. That we might even be a better useful
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  Speaker 1: vessel for God. Because of the seasons that we've been
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: through in our life. Both good and not so good.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: There's a time. There's seasons in our lives. Where everything changes.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: has to change for a reason. Some seasons teach us
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: how to begin. Some teach us how to wait. Some
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: teach us how to stand firm. Yeah, others teach us
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: how to let go. But through every change, God is
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: shaping us. He's strengthening us and He's drawing us closer
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: to His purpose for our lives. Hope you get that
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: this morning. We do not have to understand everything about
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  Speaker 1: the next season before we enter it. We only need
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  Speaker 1: to know that God is already there. The scenery may change,
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: the responsibilities may change, and even we may change. But
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ remains the same. Yesterday, today, and forever. Today
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  Speaker 1: you be safe, be strong, and be blessed. And join
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: me tomorrow for our Front Porch Fridays moment with Jesus.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: If you have something that you would like to share
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  Speaker 1: concerning these devotions, you can email me anytime at thisisthelife.cm
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: at gmail.com. That's C-M. If you want to remember, it
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: stands for Caroline and Marshall who kind of came up
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: with the name This Is The Life. So it's thisisthelife.cm
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: at gmail.com. Love to hear from you. Love to maybe
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: one day be able to read something that you've sent
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  Speaker 1: that encourages Not only me, but others who are listening
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: to this devotion. Lord's will, we'll see you back here
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  Speaker 1: again tomorrow. And until then, I sure hope you have
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: a great day.