JOYCE: IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH
OF A SUPERNATURAL LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LED BY
THE HOLY SPIRIT, MANY TIMES YOU'RE GONNA
MISS WHAT GOD REALLY WANTS YOU TO DO BECAUSE IN MANY WAYS,
THE WAY THAT GOD SPEAKS TO US AND DEALS WITH US IS A LOT MORE
NORMAL THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK. [MUSIC] JOYCE: OKAY WELL, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT DIVINE GUIDANCE AND IN PARTICULAR HOW TO HEAR
FROM GOD. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE
WORD THIS AFTERNOON, AND I PRAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO
COME OUT OF ME WILL, THAT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND IT, RETAIN IT,
AND BE PREPARED TO GO HOME AND DO IT. IN JESUS'S NAME, AMEN. ALL RIGHT, WHEN WE STOPPED THIS
MORNING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO FIND GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR
LIFE AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A BIG THING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT
IT IS THAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO?" AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER ONE
GIRL THAT USED TO WORK FOR ME AND SHE WAS IN HER 50S, VERY
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN BUT SHE JUST NEVER BEEN MARRIED AND NEVER
EVEN REALLY DATED TO ANY DEGREE. AND SHE SAID GOD TOLD HER,
"I WANT YOU JUST TO SERVE ME WITH GLADNESS, SERVE ME WITH
GLADNESS." AND SO, PERHAPS THERE ARE EVEN
PEOPLE THAT GOD WANTS TO STATION THROUGHOUT THE BODY OF CHRIST
THAT JUST ARE ONE OF THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE. THEY'RE JUST THERE TO BE
AN UPLIFTER AND AN ENCOURAGER AND TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF
BEING CONTENT. YOU KNOW, GOD USES US IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS AND I HOPE THAT YOU'RE PAST THE THINKING THAT IF
YOU'RE NOT ON A PLATFORM SOMEWHERE THEN YOU'RE NOT BEING
USED BY GOD. BECAUSE TO BE HONEST, MOST OF
THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IS DONE OUT IN THE WORLD IS
DONE ONE ON ONE BY PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE ON THEIR JOBS, IN
THE MARKETPLACE, IN THE STORE. MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED
HELP ARE NOT COMING TO CHURCH. I MEAN NOW, I'M SURE WE ALL NEED
HELP IN HERE TODAY BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE A LOT MORE
DESPERATE FOR HELP THAN YOU ARE ARE OUT THERE. THEY DIDN'T KNOW TO COME
IN HERE TODAY. SO, WE COME TOGETHER LIKE THIS
TO LEARN AND GROW SO WE CAN THEN GO OUT AND BE THE WITNESSES THAT
CHRIST WANTS US TO BE TO CHANGE THE WORLD. EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN IS
CALLED INTO MINISTRY. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU ARE
CALLED INTO MINISTRY. WE ALL HAVE THE MINISTRY OF
INTERCESSION. IT'S OUR MINISTRY TO PRAY FOR
OTHER PEOPLE AND WE ALL HAVE THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION,
THE BIBLE SAYS, WHICH IS BEING THAT GO-BETWEEN THAT HELPS TO
BRING RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE LOST AND GOD. SO, YOU ALL HAVE A MINISTRY,
FINDING OUT THE PARTICULAR WAY THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO MANIFEST
THAT MINISTRY MAY BE ONE THING, MORE THAN LIKELY IT'S GONNA BE
SEVERAL THINGS, BUT I STOP BY SAYING THAT THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE
GONNA EVER GONNA FIND OUT IS TO STEP OUT AND FIND OUT. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY THINGS. IT WON'T TAKE VERY LONG AND
YOU'LL KNOW IF IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO OR IF
IT'S THE THING THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO. YOU KNOW, PAUL WAS MINISTERING
FOR QUITE A WHILE BEFORE GOD SAID, "SEPARATE UNTO ME NOW PAUL
AND BARNABAS FOR THE WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED THEM TO DO." SO, THEY WERE MINISTERING FOR
A LONG TIME BEFORE THAT HAPPENED BUT THEN GOD SET THEM APART FOR
A SPECIAL THING. AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE
SO INTENT ON BEING SET APART FOR THAT SPECIAL THING THAT WE DON'T
GET THE TRAINING THAT WE NEED FOR THAT THING BY DOING ALL
THESE OTHER THINGS THAT GOD MAY WANT US TO DO. YOU MIGHT SERVE IN THE HELPS
MINISTRY. YOU MIGHT, I DON'T KNOW, BE
ASKED TO HELP CLEAN THE CHURCH. IT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S
VERY ATTRACTIVE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL IS WORTH VERY MUCH BUT
A LOT OF TIMES IN OUR LIFE GOD RUNS US THROUGH THE PACES,
I GUESS I CAN SAY, TO CHECK OUR ATTITUDE JUST TO SEE, "ARE YOU
WILLING TO DO ANYTHING THAT I ASK YOU TO DO OR DOES IT HAVE
TO BE SOMETHING BIG IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE WILLING TO DO IT?"
SO, DON'T--SAY IT AGAIN, DON'T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUT AND FIND
OUT AND JUST BECAUSE YOU STEP OUT INTO SOMETHING AND IT'S NOT
RIGHT FOR YOU, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE IN
STEPPING OUT INTO IT. IT JUST MEANS THAT YOU'RE IN THE
PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS THAT GOD WANTS YOU
TO DO. I MENTIONED THAT A GREAT MAN OF
GOD SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER, IN ALL OF HIS WALK WITH GOD, AT ANY
REALLY IMPORTANT JUNCTURE IN HIS LIFE HAD GOD TELL HIM EXACTLY
WHAT HE WANTED HIM TO DO. HE SAID, "GOD ALWAYS WORKED WITH
ME, BUT HE MADE ME GET OUT THERE AND TRY THINGS, AND PRAY ABOUT
THINGS, AND DO THINGS." SO, IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH OF
A SUPERNATURAL LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LED BY
THE HOLY SPIRIT, MANY TIMES YOU'RE GONNA
MISS WHAT GOD REALLY WANTS YOU TO DO BECAUSE IN MANY WAYS
THE WAY THAT GOD SPEAKS TO US AND DEALS WITH US IS A LOT MORE
NORMAL THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK. AND SO, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD
FROM THAT POINT AND TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS ABOUT HOW TO
HEAR FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY IF
YOU WON'T LISTEN TO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GOD ASKS YOU TO DO,
CHANCES ARE YOU'LL NEVER HEAR HIM TELL YOU ANYTHING BIG. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: AMEN? YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD SOME OF
THESE STORIES SO I WON'T LABOR WITH THEM TOO LONG BUT WHEN GOD
STARTED CALLING ME INTO MINISTRY BACK IN THE '70S, I ALREADY HAD
THREE CHILDREN AND CERTAINLY WAS NOT IN A PLACE WHERE I COULD GO
TO BIBLE COLLEGE BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T GO SOMEWHERE TO GO TO
SCHOOL TO BE TRAINED FOR MINISTRY, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO
THE SCHOOL OF THE HOLY GHOST. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK GOD
TO BEGIN TO TRAIN YOU RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE AT IN WHATEVER IT
IS THAT YOU DO. WELL, I WAS A HOUSEWIFE AND PART
OF THAT TIME I WAS STILL WORKING A FULL-TIME JOB BUT AFTER A
CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE I WASN'T GETTING ANYTIME TO
STUDY, I FELT LIKE GOD WANTED ME TO QUIT MY JOB AND SPEND AS MUCH
TIME AS I COULD STUDYING THE BIBLE. I HAD A DREAM IN MY HEART, BUT
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS EVER GONNA HAPPEN. A LOT OF TIMES YOU MAY WANT
TO DO SOMETHING BUT IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO--FOR THE
PREPARATION THEN YOU'LL NEVER BE RELEASED INTO WHAT IT IS
THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO. SO, IN ORDER FOR ME TO QUIT MY
JOB, WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE A BIG STEP OF FAITH BECAUSE OUR
BILLS WERE $40 A MONTH MORE THAN WHAT OUR INCOME WAS GONNA BE. AND SO, BACK THEN WAS WHEN I
LEARNED HOW TO TRUST GOD FOR MONEY AND MOST OF THE THINGS
THAT HE DID FOR US WERE SEEMINGLY LITTLE SMALL THINGS
BUT THEY REALLY HELPED ME BUILD MY FAITH IN GOD. I HAD A FEW FRIENDS AND, YOU
KNOW, WE DID THINGS LIKE GO TO THE FARMER'S MARKET ONCE A WEEK
AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I HAD A GROCERY STORE THAT WAS RIGHT
DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE AND SO IT SEEMED LIKE I ENDED UP
IN THE GROCERY STORE TWO, THREE TIMES A WEEK. AND AS UNIQUE AS THIS MIGHT
SOUND, GOD TAUGHT ME SOME OF THE MOST PROFOUND LESSONS THAT
I'VE LEARNED THAT HAVE HELPED ME ALL MY YEARS IN MINISTRY IN THAT
GROCERY STORE. AND REALLY, I'M TELLING YOU THIS
BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO URGE YOU TO WATCH FOR HOW GOD IS TRYING
TO TEACH YOU IN THE ORDINARY EVERYDAY AFFAIRS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE. YOU CAN LEARN SOME AMAZING
LESSONS JUST AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR NORMAL EVERYDAY. SO, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT
GOD BEGAN TO DEAL WITH ME ABOUT WAS PUTTING MY GROCERY CART BACK
IN THE SPACE THAT WAS MARKED OFF FOR GROCERY CARTS. AND, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DON'T
WANT TO DO THAT. THEY WANT TO LEAVE IT OUT IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT TO CHASE SOMEBODY'S ELSE'S CAR DOWN
OR IT'S AMAZING HOW HARD WE WILL WORK AT TRYING TO KICK
THE WHEELS IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION SO IT WON'T ROLL. IT WOULD TAKE MUCH LESS TIME TO
GO PUT IT BACK WHERE IT BELONGS BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, WE
DO--SPEND ALL THIS TIME TRYING TO GET IT NOT TO GO ANYWHERE AND
THEN IT ENDS UP RUNNING INTO SOMEBODY'S CAR ANYWAY. AND IT'S SAD FOR ME TO SAY THIS
BUT IT TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO GET FULLY OBEDIENT. SO, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT I WAS
A LONG WAY AWAY FROM BEING WORLDWIDE MINISTRY MATERIAL. HOW MANY OF YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT I'M SAYING? IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA OBEY GOD
WHEN HE TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE WALK WITH
INTEGRITY OR TO DO SOMETHING WITH EXCELLENCE, YOU KNOW, LIKE
SOMETHING THAT WE ALL DO 'CAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THAT GOD DEALS US
WITH TO DO IT. WE STAY IN A LOT OF HOTELS AND
EVERY TIME WE LEAVE OUR HOTEL ROOM, WE TURN ALL THE LIGHTS OUT
AND BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST FELT LIKE GOD PUT ON
MY HEART. NOW, YOU KNOW, I CAN HAVE
THE ATTITUDE WHAT DO I CARE? I PAID FOR THE ROOM,
THEY GOTTA PAY THE BILLS. BUT SEE, HOWEVER YOU TREAT OTHER
PEOPLE, YOU'RE SOWING A SEED THAT'S GONNA COME BACK TO YOU
AT SOME TIME IN YOUR LIFE. SO, I WASN'T IN BIBLE SCHOOL
BUT THOSE WERE LESSONS THAT GOD WAS TEACHING ME. HE WAS TEACHING ME HOW TO BE
EXCELLENT. HE WAS TEACHING ME HOW TO BE
HONEST. ANOTHER THING THAT HE TAUGHT ME
IN THE GROCERY STORE WAS WE WERE ON A VERY TIGHT BUDGET, $70
EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR GROCERIES AND SO I HAD TO GO WITH MY
COUPONS AND MY CALCULATOR AND MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING
WENT OVER. AND YOU HAVE A TENDENCY WHEN YOU
GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE HUNGRY,
YOU'LL PUT A LOT OF STUFF IN YOUR CART THAT BY THE TIME
YOU GET TO THE LAST AISLE, YOU REALIZE YOU CAN'T PAY FOR ALL
OF IT AND SO YOU HAVE TO PICK THROUGH AND DECIDE WHAT YOU
CAN KEEP AND WHAT YOU CAN'T. AND I, LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE AT
THAT TIME, I WOULD JUST TAKE OUT WHAT I DIDN'T WANTS AND JUST PUT
IT ANYWHERE, WHEREVER I WAS AT IN THE STORE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY YOU FIND
A HEAD OF LETTUCE IN WITH THE CLEANING SUPPLIES IN
A GROCERY STORE. IT WAS PEOPLE LIKE I USED TO BE
THAT DO THAT. WELL, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO
GO ALL THE WAY FROM THE MILK AND EGG AISLE WHICH IS ALL THE WAY
OVER HERE ON THE END ALL THE WAY BACK OVER TO THE PRODUCE,
YOU KNOW, TO PUT AWAY A HEAD OF LETTUCE, WHY? BECAUSE WE'RE LAZY AND I JUST
DIDN'T WANT TO. NOW, I DIDN'T CARE THAT SOMEBODY
ELSE WAS GONNA HAVE TO CLEAN UP MY MESS SO THAT WAS ANOTHER
THING THAT GOD TAUGHT ME. IT WAS LIKE, NOPE, TAKE IT BACK,
PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU GOT IT. YOU KNOW, GOD CAN BE--HE CAN
ANNOY YOU. HE KNOWS HOW TO ANNOY YOU. PUT IT BACK, PUT IT BACK, PUT IT
BACK, PUT IT BACK, PUT IT BACK. AND YOU TRY TO WALK AWAY FROM IT
AND IT'S JUST LIKE, JUST GO PUT IT BACK. AND ANOTHER THING THAT I LEARNED
IN THE GROCERY STORE WAS TO READ THE FINE PRINT ON THE COUPONS. LIKE, I REMEMBER THAT THEY WOULD
VERY OFTEN HAVE CHICKENS ON SALE, THREE FOR A DOLLAR
OR WHATEVER IT WAS. IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO THAT YOU
GET THREE CHICKENS FOR A DOLLAR. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BUT AND THEN,
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN, A SERIOUS CHRISTIAN,
YOU START NOTICING THE FINE PRINT THAT YOU'VE MANAGED
TO IGNORE. AND I NEVER NOTICED THAT IT
SAID, "LIMIT THREE PER CUSTOMER." WELL, I DIDN'T WANT
THREE CHICKENS. I WANTED TO FILL MY FREEZER FULL
OF CHICKENS SO I WOULD TAKE MY KIDS TO THE STORE WITH ME AND
EACH ONE OF THEM WOULD GET THREE CHICKENS IN THEIR CART,
DAVE WOULD HAVE THREE, THE KIDS WOULD ALL HAVE THREE,
I'D HAVE THREE. WE'D ALL HAVE OUR COUPONS
AND THEN THE HOLY SPIRIT STARTED CONVICTING ME. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I MEAN, DO I HAVE TO
GET CONVICTED ABOUT CHICKENS? DON'T I HAVE THINGS MUCH MORE
SERIOUS IN MY LIFE THAN CHICKENS? AND HE'D CALL ME BACK TO THAT
FINE PRINT. WELL, I KNEW THAT I HAD
A PROBLEM WHEN I WAS IN LINE ONE DAY GETTING READY TO PAY
FOR MY CHICKENS AND I THOUGHT, I DON'T THINK I GAVE MY DAUGHTER
ENOUGH MONEY FOR TAX. AND MY HEART WAS POUNDING
IN FEAR THAT THE CLERK WAS GONNA REALIZE THAT
I WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT I SHOULDN'T BE DOING. AND SO, I BEGAN TO LEARN, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU GOTTA FEEL LIKE YOU GOTTA HIDE SOMETHING OR YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG THEN THAT MEANS THAT
YOU ARE. WELL, TO BE HONEST, I'D BEEN
A CHRISTIAN FOR A LONG TIME BUT I DIDN'T KNOW STUFF LIKE THAT. NOBODY WAS TEACHING ME THAT KIND
OF STUFF AND I HAD SOMEBODY RECENTLY ACTUALLY A WELL-KNOWN
MINISTER, HE WAS AT A CONFERENCE WHERE I WAS TEACHING SOME THINGS
ON EXCELLENCE AND HE SAID, "I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE HEARD
THAT KIND OF STUFF." NOW, HOW CAN WE BE GROWN ADULTS
AND NOT KNOW WHAT EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY IS? YET MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
DON'T AND THAT'S WHY THE WORLD IS IN THE MESS THAT IT'S IN. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: AND THEN ONE OTHER
THING I'LL TELL YOU THAT I REMEMBER GOD TEACHING ME WHEN
I'D BE OUT IN A DEPARTMENT STORE SHOPPING, YOU KNOW, HOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE THEY'LL KNOCK CLOTHES OFF THE HANGERS AND JUST
LEAVE THEM LAY ON THE FLOOR. AND GOD STARTED TELLING ME TO
PICK THEM UP AND PUT THEM BACK ON THE HANGERS. AND I THOUGHT, WELL, WHY SHOULD
I CLEAN SOMEBODY ELSE'S MESS UP? THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. BUT THEN I FELT LIKE THE LORD
SAID TO ME, "WELL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY CLEAN YOUR
MESSES UP SOMEDAY?" AND SO NOW GOD HAS PROVIDED
AND HAS FOR YEARS AND YEARS ALL THE HELP THAT I NEED IN ORDER
TO DO WHAT I'M DOING. LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING,
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU, OR WE, WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD IN SOME OF THESE
LITTLE THINGS, WE DON'T REALLY REALIZE THAT WE'RE CREATING
A PROBLEM FOR OURSELF THAT WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH LATER. SO, WHEN GOD TELLS YOU SOMETHING
LITTLE TO DO, KEEP IN MIND THAT ANYTHING GOD SAYS, THERE'S
NOTHING LITTLE ABOUT IT. SO, IF GOD BOTHERS TO TELL YOU
ABOUT IT, THEN THAT MEANS THAT IT'S A BIG AND AN IMPORTANT
THING IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU NEED TO JUST, IN OBEDIENCE,
CHILD-LIKE OBEDIENCE, AMEN? JUST LIKE A LITTLE KID IT MAY
SEEM SILLY BUT CHILD-LIKE OBEDIENCE. I THINK NOTHING BONDS US
TOGETHER WITH GOD IN CLOSE FELLOWSHIP MORE THAN BEING A
CHILD OF GOD WHO'S WILLING TO DO SEEMINGLY FOOLISH LITTLE THINGS
JUST BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WANTS
YOU TO DO. SO, I'LL JUST SAY AGAIN IF WE'RE
NOT GONNA OBEY GOD IN LITTLE THINGS THEN WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA
MISS OUT ON A LOT OF BIG THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO. HOW ABOUT IF SOMEBODY GIVES YOU
TOO MUCH CHANGE? DO YOU TAKE IT BACK OR DO YOU
JUST THINK, "OH MAN, GOD'S BLESSING ME"? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SEE, NOW ANYBODY,
ANYBODY THAT KNOWS THE WORD OF GOD KNOWS THAT THAT'S JUST
SILLY. YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ANYTHING
IT'S A TEST TO SEE IF YOU'LL BE HONEST, AMEN? I BOUGHT A PAIR OF SHOES ONE DAY
AND I'D BEEN LOOKING AT THE PURSE THAT WENT WITH IT AND WAS
GONNA GET THE PURSE AND THEN I DECIDED NOT TO GET THE PURSE. WHEN I GOT HOME, THE GUY HAD
ACCIDENTALLY PUT THE PURSE IN MY BAG. WELL, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY IT'S
A LITTLE BIT IRRITATING WHENEVER SOMEBODY ELSE HAS MADE A MISTAKE
THAT NOW YOU HAVE TO SPEND YOUR TIME AND GAS MONEY TO GO
CORRECT, BUT I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO DO IT. THIS IS HOW WE HEAR FROM GOD. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO? YOU DON'T NEED A THREE-PART
SERIES PREACHED TO YOU. YOU KNOW DOWN DEEP INSIDE WHAT
YOU NEED DO. WELL, ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS THAT
GOD SPEAKS TO US IS THROUGH JUST KNOWING. THERE'S NO NEED TO TRY TO
EXPLAIN HOW YOU KNOW, YOU JUST KNOW. YOU JUST KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD OR
YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT THING. THIS IS WHAT MAKES OUR
RELATIONSHIP, OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, PRECIOUS
AND EXCITING WHEN YOU WALK WITH HIM IN YOUR EVERYDAY ORDINARY
MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY,
SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WHEN YOU WALK WITH
HIM IN YOUR ORDINARY EVERYDAY LIFE AND YOU WANT WITH ALL YOUR
HEART TO OBEY HIM AND TO BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT HE
WANTS YOU TO BE. DON'T HAVE YOUR MIND ON BEING IN
SOME BIG MINISTRY. IF YOU'RE CALLED TO BE IN SOME
BIG FULL-TIME TRAVELING MINISTRY OR TO BE ON A PLATFORM SOMEWHERE
TO DO SOMETHING MAGNANIMOUS, THAT'S WONDERFUL BUT I'LL TELL
YOU YOU'LL NEVER GET AROUND TO DOING THAT IF YOU DON'T DO THESE
LITTLE THINGS THAT I'M TELLING YOU TO DO. THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE PART OF
THE TRAINING BECAUSE, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? IT'S THE LITTLE FOXES THAT
SPOIL THE VINE. I'LL TELL YOU ANOTHER THING THAT
CAUSES US A LOT OF PROBLEMS. I WON'T HARP ON THIS BUT I THINK
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS US FROM HEARING FROM GOD
PROPERLY AND THAT'S HAVING A NEGATIVE COMPLAINING ATTITUDE. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I THINK IF
ANY PERSON COULD JUST GET THROUGH ONE WHOLE DAY WITHOUT
UTTERING ONE COMPLAINT IT WOULD BE AN OUTSTANDING MIRACLE
FROM GOD, AMEN? I'LL BET SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS
SPOKEN TO ALL OF YOU, INCLUDING ME, HUNDREDS OF TIMES IN YOUR
LIFE, "YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY THAT." NOBODY, I'M THE ONLY ONE? JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING
READY TO SAY SOMETHING. SOMETIMES I'LL NOTICE I'M
GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING AND THE ONLY POINT IS IT'S GONNA
CALL ATTENTION TO ME. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE WANT TO
SAY SOMETHING CUTE, OR SMART, OR FUNNY BUT IT'S JUST REALLY, IT'S
TO DRAW ATTENTION TO OURSELVES. WHEN YOU CAN START GETTING
REALLY, REALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND REALLY CHECKING
YOUR MOTIVE FOR WHY YOU DO THINGS, YOU CAN START MATURING
PRETTY FAST AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOT OF TIMES IN MY LIFE
WHEN GOD WILL JUST SIMPLY SAY, "YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY THAT." NOW, I'D LIKE TO STAND HERE
AND TELLING YOU THAT I'M ALWAYS OBEDIENT AND ANYTIME HE TELLS ME
NOT TO SAY IT, I DON'T BUT I'M NOT THAT GOOD YET, THANK GOD I'M
NOT WHERE I USED TO BE BUT I'M NOT WHERE I NEED TO BE EITHER. HOWEVER, I AM HAPPY
THAT I'M STILL MAKING PROGRESS. THIS IS ALL INTENDED TO HELP US
BE MORE OBEDIENT. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS, "BE
STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." AND SO, A LOT OF THAT KNOWING,
IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF KNOWING. IT'S NOT A HEAD KNOWING,
IT'S A HEART KNOWING. ONE GREAT FEMALE MISSIONARY,
I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER NAME. I DIDN'T EVEN WRITE IT DOWN. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULD, BUT
SHE DID A LOT OF GREAT THINGS ON THE MISSION FIELD AND WHEN SHE
WAS ASKED HOW SHE KNEW WHAT TO DO, I LOVED HER CHILD-LIKE
ANSWER. SHE SAID, "OH, I DON'T KNOW. I JUST GET THESE
ANOINTED NOTIONS." AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS GOOD. YOU KNOW, SHE JUST--GOD WILL
SPEAK TO US SOMETIMES THROUGH JUST GIVING US
AN IDEA, BUT YOU CAN TELL THERE'S SOMETHING A LITTLE
DIFFERENT ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT JUST LIKE A IN YOUR
HEAD IDEA. THERE'S SOMETHING IN IT THAT
KIND OF FEELS SPECIAL ABOUT IT. I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY OVER
THE BREAK ABOUT HOW I DECIDE AND KNOW WHAT I THINK I'M SUPPOSED
TO TEACH OR PREACH IN ANY GIVEN MEETING THAT I DO, AND I'VE DONE
THIS A LONG TIME AND A LOT OF IT. I MEAN, I THINK I HAD ONE MONTH
HERE RECENTLY WHERE I TAUGHT 13 DIFFERENT MESSAGES
IN ONE MONTH. WELL, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT
FOR EACH CROWD? I GET OUT MESSAGES SOMETIMES
THAT I'VE PREACHED IN YEARS' PAST AND SOMETIMES I'M DOING IT
JUST TO SEE IF THERE'S A SUBJECT THAT SEEMS TO FIT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE WALKING
WITH GOD AND DOING WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO, IT JUST
FEELS RIGHT. IT JUST FEELS COMFORTABLE. YOU KNOW, NOBODY LIKES TO WEAR
CLOTHES THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE. WE LIKE TO BE COMFORTABLE
AND I LIKE TO BE COMFORTABLE IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. AND SO, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA TRY
A FEW THINGS BEFORE YOU COME AROUND TO WHAT YOU'RE
COMFORTABLE WITH. SO, YOU CAN KNOW WHAT GOD IS
WANTING YOU TO DO JUST BY, "DO I FEEL RIGHT ABOUT THAT?"
SO, I CAN HAVE PREACHED A SERIES IN MESSAGES AT ONE POINT
AND JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE THE GREATEST MESSAGES,
THE GREATEST THING. NOW MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS
LATER I CAN PICK THOSE UP AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA
RE-PREACH THAT. THAT WOULD REALLY BE GOOD. AND I CAN START TO LOOK OVER
THE NOTES AND IT JUST FALLS SO FLAT INSIDE ME. IT DOESN'T EVEN INTEREST ME SO
WHY WOULD I THINK IT WOULD INTEREST SOMEBODY ELSE? BUT THEN I COULD PICK THAT SAME
SET OF NOTES UP TWO MONTHS LATER AND THEN IT WOULD JUST
FEEL RIGHT. SO, A LOT OF OUR HEARING FROM
GOD, WELL, I WOULD SAY ALMOST ALL OF OUR HEARING FROM GOD,
IT'S NOT COMING FROM OUT HERE SOMEWHERE. IT'S COMING FROM INSIDE OF US.
