> JOEL: GOD BLESS YOU. IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU TODAY. I HOPE YOU'LL STAY CONNECTED WITH US DURING THE WEEK, THROUGH OUR DAILY PODCAST, OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, SOCIAL MEDIA. WE'LL KEEP YOU ENCOURAGED AND INSPIRED. I LIKE TO START WITH SOMETHING FUNNY. I HEARD ABOUT THIS POSITIVE FARMER AND THIS NEGATIVE FARMER. WHEN IT WOULD RAIN THE POSITIVE FARMER WOULD SAY, “LORD, THANK YOU FOR WATERING OUR CROPS.” THE NEGATIVE FARMER WOULD SAY, “YEAH, BUT IF IT KEEPS THIS UP, IT'S GOING TO ROT THE ROOTS.” HE WAS ALWAYS SO NEGATIVE. ONE DAY, THEY WENT BIRD HUNTING TOGETHER IN A BOAT. THE POSITIVE FARMER JUST GOT A NEW BIRD DOG. HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIM. HE SHOT A BIRD; IT FELL IN THE WATER. SAID TO THE NEGATIVE FARMER, “WATCH THIS.” THE DOG JUMPED OUT OF THE BOAT, RAN ON TOP OF THE WATER, PICKED UP THE BIRD, RAN BACK ON TOP OF THE WATER, PUT IT IN THE BOAT. HE SAID TO THE NEGATIVE FARMER, “WHAT'D YOU THINK?” THE NEGATIVE FARMER SAID, “I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT, THAT DOG CAN'T EVEN SWIM.” SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT. THIS IS MY BIBLE. I AM WHAT IT SAYS I AM. I HAVE WHAT IT SAYS I HAVE. I CAN DO WHAT IT SAYS I CAN DO. TODAY, I WILL BE TAUGHT THE WORD OF GOD. I BOLDLY CONFESS: MY MIND IS ALERT. MY HEART IS RECEPTIVE. I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME IN JESUS' NAME. GOD BLESS YOU. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. WE ALL HAVE A STORY OF HOW WE SEE OURSELVES, HOW WE SEE OUR FUTURE. IT COMES FROM HOW WE WERE RAISED, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID, OUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. FOR SOME PEOPLE THEIR STORY IS NEGATIVE. “I'VE BEEN HURT TOO MUCH; I CAN'T LOVE AGAIN. MY FAMILY IS AT A DISADVANTAGE, I'LL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL. I HAVE BIG DREAMS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TALENT, THE EXPERIENCE.” YOU KNOW WHAT'S STOPPING YOU? YOUR STORY. YOU'RE BEING LIMITED BY WHAT YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF. WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT YOURSELF, HOW YOU SEE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE STORY THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN WILL OVERRIDE WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS. IT'S EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN THE FACTS. YOU CAN BE INCREDIBLY GIFTED, YOU HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY, BUT IF YOU TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE AVERAGE, YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TO OFFER, YOUR GIFTS WON'T COME OUT LIKE THEY SHOULD. IS THE STORY YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF KEEPING YOU FROM RISING HIGHER. WHY DON'T YOU TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, GOD IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF YOUR FAITH. HE'S THE AUTHOR. PSALM 139 SAYS, “ALL OF YOUR DAYS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE YOU WERE BORN.” GOD HAS ALREADY WRITTEN YOUR STORY. THE KEY IS TO GET YOUR STORY IN LINE WITH HIS STORY. GOD SAYS HIS PLANS FOR YOU ARE FOR GOOD, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. HE CALLS YOU A MASTERPIECE, VALUABLE, VICTORIOUS, AN OVERCOMER. HE SAID, “WHAT WAS MEANT FOR HARM, HE'S TURNING TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.” YOU MAY HAVE BEEN THROUGH BAD BREAKS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT FAIR. THE ENEMY WOULD LOVE TO AUTHOR YOUR STORY. HE WOULD LOVE TO REWRITE WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU. YOU NEED TO TAKE THAT PEN BACK, CROSS OUT ALL THOSE LIES AND TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. GOD SAYS HE HAS BEAUTY FOR THOSE ASHES, THAT HE WILL PAY YOU BACK FOR THE WRONGS. YOU WOULDN'T BE ALIVE UNLESS HE HAD SOMETHING AWESOME IN FRONT OF YOU. DON'T LET CIRCUMSTANCES, WHAT DIDN'T WORK OUT, WHAT YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE, CONVINCE YOU TO LIVE WITH A WRONG STORY. YOUR STORY IS SETTING THE LIMITS FOR YOUR LIFE. QUIT TELLING YOURSELF THAT YOU'LL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL, NEVER GET OUT OF DEBT, NEVER MEET THE RIGHT PERSON. TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. “I'M MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. I'M CROWNED WITH FAVOR, I'M A MASTERPIECE, THERE IS GREATNESS IN ME. WHATEVER I TOUCH PROSPERS AND SUCCEEDS, BLESSINGS ARE CHASING ME DOWN, MY LATTER DAYS WILL BE BETTER THAN MY FORMER DAYS.” THAT'S THE STORY GOD HAS WRITTEN ABOUT YOU. IS YOUR STORY CONTRADICTING HIS STORY? HAVE YOU LET PEOPLE, CIRCUMSTANCES, DOUBT, NEGATIVITY, REWRITE YOUR STORY? DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE BECOME THE AUTHOR. TAKE THAT PEN BACK AND TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. WHEN MY FATHER WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD, I KNEW I WAS SUPPOSED TO STEP UP AND PASTOR THE CHURCH. THE PROBLEM WAS THE WRONG STORY WAS PLAYING IN MY MIND. I HAD TOLD MYSELF FOR YEARS THAT I CAN'T GET UP IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. I WAS TOO QUIET, I DIDN'T HAVE THE TRAINING, THE PERSONALITY, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. ALL THESE THOUGHTS SAID, “JOEL, LOOK AT YOUR FATHER. HE WAS STRONG, BOLD, OUTGOING. HE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, NO ONE IS GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU.” I HAD TO DO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO. I STARTED TELLING MYSELF A NEW STORY. I WENT BACK TO THE ONE WHO HAD WRITTEN MY STORY, THE ONE WHO BREATHED LIFE INTO ME, THE ONE WHO KNEW ME BEFORE I WAS FORMED IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB. I SAID, “GOD, I'M GOING TO LET YOU BE THE AUTHOR OF MY STORY. I'M GOING TO BELIEVE THAT I'M STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF YOUR MIGHT. I BELIEVE I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST. THAT I'M EQUIPPED, EMPOWERED AND ANOINTED. LORD, THANK YOU THAT MY GIFTS WILL COME OUT TO THE FULL, THAT YOU'VE RAISED ME UP FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.” WHEN YOU GET YOUR STORY IN LINE WITH WHAT GOD SAYS, THINGS WILL HAPPEN THAT YOU COULDN'T MAKE HAPPEN. I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE TODAY IF I HAD NOT TOLD MYSELF A NEW STORY, IF I HAD LET THAT FEAR, INTIMIDATION, INSECURITY KEEP PLAYING. DON'T LET THE WRONG STORY KEEP YOU FROM YOUR GREATNESS. “WELL, JOEL, I CAN'T LEAD MY DEPARTMENT, I CAN'T GET UP IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, I'M NOT THAT TALENTED.” WHO TOLD YOU THAT? WHERE DID THAT STORY COME FROM? COULD IT BE THAT A WRONG STORY IS KEEPING YOU FROM RISING HIGHER? “I CAN'T MAKE A'S IN SCHOOL, I'M NOT THAT SMART. ALL I CAN MAKE ARE C'S.” YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THE ENEMY HAS TAKEN THAT PEN AND REWROTE YOUR STORY. “I CAN'T BREAK THIS ADDICTION, I'LL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, I'LL NEVER ACCOMPLISH MY DREAM, IT'S TOO LATE.” AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE THAT STORY, IT'S GOING TO BECOME A REALITY. GOD DIDN'T CREATE YOU TO JUST GET BY, SURVIVE LIFE. HE CREATED YOU TO EXCEL, TO LEAVE YOUR MARK. HE SAID YOU ARE TO REIGN IN LIFE. VICTORY STARTS IN OUR MIND. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, “BE CAREFUL HOW YOU THINK, BECAUSE YOUR THOUGHTS RUN YOUR LIFE.” YOUR STORY IS SETTING THE LIMITS FOR YOUR LIFE. GOD CAME TO MOSES, AFTER HE HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE DESERT FOR FORTY YEARS, AND SAID, “MOSES, GO TELL PHARAOH TO LET MY PEOPLE GO.” MOSES SAID, “GOD, I CAN'T STAND BEFORE PHARAOH, I STUTTER. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY SPEECH. YOU KNOW I DON'T SPEAK WELL.” GOD SAID. “MOSES, WHO MADE YOUR TONGUE, WHO MADE YOUR MOUTH?” DO YOU THINK GOD WOULD ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING AND THEN NOT GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO DO IT? DO YOU THINK HE WOULD CHOOSE YOU TO BE HERE AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY AND NOT GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE A VICTORIOUS LIFE, TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES, TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY BETTER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE? WHAT WAS MOSES' PROBLEM? HE HAD THE WRONG STORY. HE WAS TELLING HIMSELF, “I'M UNQUALIFIED, I'M AT A DISADVANTAGE, I HAVE THESE LIMITATIONS.” THE STORY YOU BELIEVE IS THE STORY THAT'S GOING TO COME TO PASS. WHEN YOU TELL GOD WHAT YOU CAN'T DO, “GOD, I CAN'T GET WELL, YOU SAW THE REPORT. I CAN'T START MY BUSINESS, I'M NOT THAT TALENTED. I CAN'T DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, I COME FROM THE WRONG FAMILY.” GOD SAYS TO YOU WHAT HE SAID TO MOSES, “WHO MADE YOU? WHO WROTE YOUR STORY? WHO GAVE YOU YOUR GIFTS? WHO PICKED OUT YOUR FAMILY? WHO LINED UP YOUR GOOD BREAKS? WHO PLANNED OUT YOUR DAYS?” THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, THE GOD WHO SPOKE WORLDS INTO EXISTENCE, HE'S YOUR AUTHOR. HE'S WRITTEN YOUR STORY. YOU'RE NOT DOING LIFE ON YOUR OWN. GO BACK TO WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT YOU. IT'S INTERESTING AS LITTLE CHILDREN WE START OFF WITH BIG DREAMS. WE'RE GOING TO BE AN ASTRONAUT, AN ARCHITECT, A SCIENTIST, A SINGER. A LITTLE BOY TOLD ME LAST WEEK THAT HE WAS GOING TO DESIGN AIRPLANES. HE KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT AVIONICS. AS A CHILD WE HAVE NO LIMITS. WE BELIEVE WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS. BUT OVER TIME OUR DREAMS START TO GET WATERED DOWN. PEOPLE TELL US WHAT WE CAN'T DO, WE GO THROUGH DISAPPOINTMENTS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT FAIR, LIFE STARTS TO REWRITE OUR STORY. WE LET THE NEGATIVE TAINT HOW WE SEE OURSELVES, WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF. WE END UP SETTLING FOR SO MUCH LESS THAN GOD HAS FOR US. PAY ATTENTION TO THE STORY YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF. GO BACK TO WHAT GOD PUT IN YOUR HEART. HE WANTS YOU TO DREAM AGAIN, TO BELIEVE AGAIN, TO LOVE AGAIN. DON'T LET A WRONG STORY LIMIT YOUR DESTINY. DON'T BELIEVE THAT LIE THAT SAYS, “JUST LIVE WITH THE SICKNESS, THE DEPRESSION, I'LL NEVER GET WELL. I'LL NEVER GO TO COLLEGE, I'LL NEVER MEET THE RIGHT PERSON, LET ME JUST MAKE IT THROUGH LIFE.” TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. YOU CAN STILL ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAM, YOU CAN STILL GET WELL, STILL MEET SOMEONE AWESOME, STILL GO TO NEW LEVELS. DELETE THAT OLD STORY. GET RID OF THAT LIMITED THINKING. THAT'S WHAT'S STOPPING THE NEW THINGS GOD HAS IN STORE. THIS IS THE MISTAKE THE ISRAELITES MADE. GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF SLAVERY, PARTED THE RED SEAS, TOOK THEM TOWARD THE PROMISED LAND. IT WAS A GREAT DAY, THEIR DREAMS WERE COMING TO PASS, THEY WERE FINALLY FREE. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THEY ALWAYS SAW THEMSELVES AS FORMER SLAVES. AT A DISADVANTAGE, “WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOO MUCH.” EVERY TIME THEY FACED OPPOSITION THEY COMPLAINED, THEY WERE AFRAID. AT THE PROMISED LAND, GOD TOLD THEM HE WOULD GIVE THEM THE VICTORY, BUT THEY SAID, “MOSES, THE PEOPLE ARE TOO BIG. WE DON'T HAVE A CHANCE. LET'S GO BACK TO EGYPT, LET'S GO BACK TO BEING SLAVES.” NOTICE HOW POWERFUL A WRONG STORY IS. AFTER BEING IN SLAVERY, MISTREATED, ABUSED, THEY SAID WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT SAME ENVIRONMENT. THEY CAME OUT OF EGYPT, BUT EGYPT NEVER CAME OUT OF THEM. IF YOU DON'T CHANGE THE STORY YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF, YOU'LL GO BACK TO THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE. GOD DELIVERED THEM FROM THE PHARAOH, HE BROUGHT WATER OUT OF A ROCK. THEY SAW FIRST-HAND HIS AWESOME POWER. IT SEEMS SO LOGICAL, SO EASY FOR THEM TO SAY, “THIS IS A NEW DAY, GOD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS, WE'RE FREE, LET'S GO INTO THE PROMISED LAND.” INSTEAD, THEY KEPT THAT SLAVE MENTALITY. THE STORY THEY TOLD THEMSELVES WAS, “WE'LL ALWAYS BE DEFEATED. THIS IS OUR LOT IN LIFE.” BUT I LOVE THE FACT THAT THE CHILDREN OF THESE ISRAELITES HAD A DIFFERENT STORY. THEIR ATTITUDE WAS, “WE'VE SEEN THE SUFFERING, BEING MISTREATED, WANDERING THROUGH THE DESERT. THAT MAY BE WHAT OUR PARENTS ACCEPTED, BUT THAT IS NOT OUR STORY. WE ARE GOING INTO THE PROMISED LAND. WE'RE GOING TO EAT THE FRUIT; WE'RE GOING TO LIVE IN HOUSES THAT WE DIDN'T BUILD AND ENJOY THE BLESSINGS GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US.” THEIR PARENTS SAW THEMSELVES AS FORMER SLAVES, THESE CHILDREN SAW THEMSELVES AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. NOT AT A DISADVANTAGE BUT SURROUNDED BY FAVOR. FORTY YEARS EARLIER, THEIR PARENTS TURNED AROUND FROM THE PROMISED LAND AND WANDERED IN THE DESERT, NOW THESE CHILDREN WENT INTO THAT SAME LAND, DEFEATED THE OPPOSITION AND LIVED THERE IN A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE. THE DIFFERENCE WAS THE STORY THEY TOLD THEMSELVES. THEIR PARENTS COULD HAVE GONE IN. THEY COULD HAVE ENJOYED YEARS OF GOD'S FAVOR, BUT THEY LET THEIR DOUBTS, THEIR FEARS, THEIR OPPOSITION REWRITE THEIR STORY. DON'T DO LIKE THESE PARENTS, DON'T LET A WRONG STORY, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH, WHAT LOOKS TOO BIG, WHAT HASN'T HAPPENED, CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU CAN'T DEFEAT YOUR GIANTS, YOU CAN'T ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAM, YOU CAN'T BE HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL, FULFILLED. THE ENEMY GOT YOUR PEN. HE'S ALTERING THE STORY GOD WROTE FOR YOU. GET THAT PEN BACK. CROSS OUT ALL THOSE LIES. THIS IS WHAT MY FATHER DID. THE STORY HE WAS TOLD GROWING UP, THE STORY HE SAW MODELED WAS, “WE'RE POOR, WE'LL NEVER DO ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT, THE ODDS ARE AGAINST US.” HIS PARENTS WERE FARMERS, THEY LOST EVERYTHING IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION. THEY WERE DOING THEIR BEST TO SURVIVE. I UNDERSTAND TOUGH TIMES COME; LIFE CAN THROW US CURVES. YOU MAY BE IN POVERTY BUT DON'T EVER LET POVERTY GET IN YOU. DON'T DEVELOP A POOR MINDSET, WHERE ALL YOU BELIEVE FOR IS JUST ENOUGH TO GET BY. DON'T ACCEPT THAT AS YOUR DESTINY. GOD HAS AN ABUNDANT LIFE FOR YOU. HE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE STREAMS IN THE DESERT, HOW TO BRING YOU OUT OF STRUGGLE AND LACK, GIVE YOU A BOUNTIFUL LIFE. BUT MAYBE YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE STORY THAT YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF. AT SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, MY FATHER GAVE HIS LIFE TO CHRIST, THE FIRST ONE IN HIS FAMILY. HE HAD NO MONEY. HE HAD TO DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL TO WORK ON THE FARM. NO FUTURE TO SPEAK OF, BUT SOMETHING CAME ALIVE ON THE INSIDE. HE MADE A DECISION AT SEVENTEEN THAT HIS CHILDREN WOULD NEVER BE RAISED IN THE POVERTY AND LACK THAT HE WAS RAISED IN. WHAT HAPPENED, HE STARTED TELLING HIMSELF A NEW STORY. INSTEAD OF, “YOU'RE STUCK IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, YOU'LL NEVER GET AHEAD, NEVER MAKE ANYTHING OUT OF YOUR LIFE.” HIS ATTITUDE WAS, “I'M DESTINED TO DO GREAT THINGS. THE FAVOR OF GOD IS ON MY LIFE, OPENING DOORS NO PERSON CAN SHUT, TAKING ME WHERE I CAN'T GO ON MY OWN.” HE FELT GOD CALLING HIM TO BECOME A MINISTER. HE TOLD HIS PARENTS HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE FARM AND GO OUT AND START SPEAKING. THEY SAID, “JOHN, ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS WORK ON THE FARM. YOU BETTER STAY HERE WITH US. YOU'RE GOING TO GET OUT THERE AND FAIL.” THEY MEANT WELL, BUT YOU CAN'T LET OTHER PEOPLE PUT THEIR STORY ON YOU. DON'T LET THEIR DEFEAT, THEIR NEGATIVITY, THEIR LIMITED VISION KEEP YOU FROM BELIEVING YOU CAN RISE HIGHER. PEOPLE ARE NOT THE AUTHOR OF YOUR STORY, GOD IS. HE CALLED YOU, HE ANOINTED YOU, HE PUT THE DREAMS IN YOU. OTHER PEOPLE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. THEY MAY TRY TO TALK YOU INTO WATERING DOWN YOUR DREAM. KEEP THE RIGHT STORY PLAYING IN YOUR MIND. MY FATHER LEFT THAT DAY AND THAT STARTED A JOURNEY THAT WAS MORE FULFILLING AND MORE REWARDING THAN HE EVER IMAGINED. HE MINISTERED FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS AND SAW GOD'S FAVOR IN AMAZING WAYS. MAYBE LIKE MY FATHER, THE ENVIRONMENT YOU WERE RAISED IN HAS TAINTED YOUR STORY. THE PEOPLE YOU GREW UP AROUND, WHO YOU'RE WITH NOW, DON'T BELIEVE FOR MUCH, ACCEPT MEDIOCRITY. YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO BREAK OUT OF THE RUT. DON'T LET THAT NEGATIVE STORY LIMIT YOUR LIFE. THAT WAS FINE FOR THEM, BUT THIS IS A NEW DAY. GOD WANTS YOU TO GO FURTHER. HE HAS THINGS IN YOUR FUTURE THAT ARE MUCH GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. NOW GET IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM. QUIT TELLING YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE LIMITED, YOU'VE GONE AS FAR AS YOU CAN, YOU'LL ALWAYS STRUGGLE. NO, TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. HAVE AN ABUNDANT MENTALITY. “LORD, THANK YOU THAT MY CUP RUNS OVER, THAT I LIVE UNDER THE OPEN WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, THAT YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN PROSPERING ME, THAT I WILL LEAVE AN INHERITANCE TO MY CHILDREN'S CHILDREN.” I READ ABOUT THIS BEAR. HE HAD LIVED IN A TWELVE FOOT BY TWELVE-FOOT CAGE ALL OF HIS LIFE, SINCE HE WAS A LITTLE CUB. DURING THE DAY, HE WOULD PACE BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, HOURS AT A TIME. ONE DAY HE WAS DISCOVERED BY THE AUTHORITIES. THEY MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HIM TO BE TAKEN TO A ZOO. IT WAS A LARGE AREA, WITH BIG POOLS OF WATER, ROCKS TO CLIMB ON, GREEN GRASS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED. IT WAS LIKE A DREAM SETTING. THEY TRANSPORTED THE BEAR, OPENED THE CAGE, SO EXCITED, BUT THE BEAR WOULDN'T GET OUT OF THE CAGE. THEY HAD TO PUSH HIM INTO THE GREEN GRASS. THEY THOUGHT EVENTUALLY HE'D TAKE OFF RUNNING, EXPLORING THE NEW SURROUNDINGS, BUT ALL THE BEAR EVER DID WAS WALK IN A TWELVE FOOT SQUARE. HE NEVER WENT TO THE POOLS, NEVER CLIMBED THE ROCKS, NEVER PLAYED WITH THE OTHER BEARS. HE GOT OUT OF THE CAGE BUT THE CAGE NEVER GOT OUT OF HIM. HIS STORY WAS, “I'M STUCK, I'M LIMITED, I CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.” WHEN THE TRUTH IS HE HAD A WHOLE FIELD TO PLAY IN. THE STORY YOU TELL YOURSELF IS VERY POWERFUL. HOW WE WERE RAISED, WHAT WE SAW MODELED, THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN, CAN CREATE THESE BOUNDARIES IN OUR MIND, WHERE WE ADAPT TO WHAT'S AROUND US. EVEN THOUGH GOD HAS ALL KINDS OF AMAZING THINGS IN STORE, IF YOU TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU'VE REACHED YOUR LIMITS, YOU CAN'T GET WELL, CAN'T ACCOMPLISH A DREAM, LIKE THAT BEAR, YOU'LL MISS THE FULLNESS OF YOUR DESTINY. THE STORY YOU TELL YOURSELF IS THE STORY THAT'S GOING TO COME TO PASS. MY ENCOURAGEMENT IS THE CAGE IS OPEN, GOD HAS A BIG LIFE FOR YOU, FAVOR, OPPORTUNITIES, GREAT RELATIONSHIPS, GET IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM. TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE. IN MARK CHAPTER 5, THERE WAS THIS LADY THAT HAD BEEN SICK FOR TWELVE YEARS. SHE HAD GONE TO THE BEST DOCTORS, SPENT ALL OF HER MONEY BUT NOTHING HAD HELPED. THE STORY SHE WAS TELLING HERSELF WAS, “THIS SICKNESS IS PERMANENT, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO, IT'S JUST BAD LUCK.” SHE CONTINUED TO GO DOWNHILL. BUT ONE DAY SHE HEARD THAT JESUS WAS PASSING THROUGH HER TOWN. DESPITE HOW SHE FELT, DESPITE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, SHE TOLD HERSELF A NEW STORY. SHE SAID, “WHEN I TOUCH THE EDGE OF HIS ROBE I'M GOING TO BE HEALED.” THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, “SHE KEPT SAYING TO HERSELF, I'M GOING TO GET WELL, HEALING IS COMING, THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE.” SHE DELETED HER OLD STORY AND STARTED TELLING HERSELF A NEW STORY. FAITH BEGAN TO RISE IN HER HEART. AS SHE KEPT SAYING HEALING IS COMING, SHE BEGAN TO MAKE HER WAY THROUGH THE CROWD. WHEN SHE TOUCHED HIS ROBE, INSTANTLY SHE WAS HEALED. LIKE THIS LADY, YOU MAY HAVE A GOOD REASON TO HAVE A NEGATIVE STORY. YOU'RE FACING A CHALLENGE IN YOUR HEALTH, YOUR FINANCES, A RELATIONSHIP. IT'S EASY TO LET DEFEATED THOUGHTS, CAN'T DO IT THOUGHTS, IT'S NEVER GOING WORK OUT THOUGHTS PLAY IN YOUR MIND. THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO LIKE HER, DIG DOWN DEEP AND SAY, “NO, I'M DELETING THIS STORY, I WILL BE THE EXCEPTION. I WILL GET WELL, I WILL SEE MY FAMILY RESTORED, I WILL BREAK THIS ADDICTION, I WILL LEND AND NOT BORROW, I WILL ACCOMPLISH MY DREAM.” GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH. YOU CAN'T HAVE AN OLD STORY AND SEE THE NEW THINGS HE WANTS TO DO. MANY TIMES, OUR STORY IS LIMITING US. WHAT WE'RE TELLING OURSELVES. WE'RE LOOKING AT IT IN THE NATURAL, BUT GOD IS SUPERNATURAL. THIS IS WHAT FAITH IS ALL ABOUT. THAT'S WHY GOD SAID TO MOSES, “WHO MADE YOUR TONGUE?” HE WAS SAYING, “MOSES YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT ONLY WITH YOUR ABILITY, DON'T YOU REALIZE I HAVE ALL POWER. I CREATED THE UNIVERSE; NOTHING CAN STOP MY PLAN FROM COMING TO PASS.” GOD HAS ALREADY WRITTEN YOUR STORY. YES, THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, CHALLENGES AND VICTORIES. BUT THERE'S NOTHING YOU'LL COME UP AGAINST THAT HE DOESN'T ALREADY HAVE A SOLUTION. HE WON'T LET YOU GET IN A PROBLEM THAT HE CAN'T BRING YOU OUT OF. THE KEY IS TO NOT LET THAT WRONG STORY TAKE ROOT. IN DIFFICULT TIMES, WHEN NOTHING IS CHANGING, IT'S TAKING LONGER THAN YOU THOUGHT, IT'S TEMPTING TO GET DISCOURAGED, BITTER, WATER DOWN YOUR DREAMS. YOU HAVE TO KEEP TELLING YOURSELF, “THIS IS NOT PERMANENT. IT DIDN'T COME TO STAY; IT CAME TO PASS. I'M AN OVERCOMER. GOD ALWAYS CAUSES ME TO TRIUMPH. THIS IS NOT GOING TO STOP ME; VICTORY IS HEADED MY WAY. THERE WAS AN EXPERIMENT DONE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL IN CALIFORNIA. THE PRINCIPAL TOLD THREE TEACHERS SINCE THEY WERE THE MOST EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT, THEY HAD THE HIGHEST RATINGS, THEY WERE CHOSEN FOR A NEW PROGRAM. OUT OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS, THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE THE TOP NINETY STUDENTS; THE SMARTEST, MOST TALENTED, WITH THE HIGHEST IQ AND PUT THEM IN A CLASS WITH THESE TEACHERS. THEY COULD TEACH THEM AT A FASTER PACE. THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS WERE SO EXCITED, KNOWING THAT THEY WERE THE BRIGHTEST IN THE SCHOOL. AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THESE THREE CLASSES HAD LEARNED THIRTY PERCENT MORE THAN THE OTHER STUDENTS. THEY WERE THIRTY PERCENT FURTHER ALONG IN MATH, READING AND SCIENCE. IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. THE PRINCIPAL THEN INFORMED THE TEACHERS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE TOP NINETY STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT, THEY HAD SIMPLY RANDOMLY CHOSEN THESE STUDENTS. THE TEACHERS FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES, THINKING THEY WERE SO SMART, THEY HAD DONE SUCH AN AWESOME JOB. THEN THE PRINCIPAL INFORMED THE TEACHERS THAT THEY WEREN'T THE MOST EFFECTIVE TEACHERS. THEY WERE RANDOMLY CHOSEN OUT OF A HAT. THE POINT IS WHEN YOU TELL YOURSELF A DIFFERENT STORY, WHEN YOU TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD; SMART, TALENTED, FAVORED, WISE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NEW LEVELS OF YOUR DESTINY. YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT THE ONLY PEOPLE WE ALLOW IN LAKEWOOD, WE HAVE A VERY STRICT POLICY, THE ONLY ONES WE ALLOW ONLINE, ON SIRIUS XM ARE THE SMARTEST, HEALTHIEST, MOST CREATIVE, MOST ATTRACTIVE, MOST GENEROUS, MOST VALUABLE, MOST BLESSED PEOPLE. WE HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN YOU. WE SEE YOU THE WAY GOD SEES YOU. THE ONLY THING THAT'S HOLDING SOME PEOPLE BACK IS THE STORY THEY'RE TELLING THEMSELVES. “I'M NOT THAT TALENTED, I'M NOT AS SMART AS MY COUSIN, I CAN'T RUN A BUSINESS LIKE MY FRIEND, I CAN'T WRITE BOOKS LIKE YOU DO, JOEL.” WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU'LL START SEEING YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY? I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT ME. EVER SINCE I STARTED MINISTERING, OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO, EVERY TIME I GET UP TO SPEAK, WHEREVER I GO, I THINK TO MYSELF, “EVERYONE HERE LOVES ME. EVERYONE HERE THINKS I'M GREAT.” I KNOW I'M NAÏVE, I KNOW EVERYONE DOESN'T, BUT THAT'S THE STORY I TELL MYSELF. DO ME A FAVOR, LEAVE ME IN MY IGNORANCE. THAT'S A LOT BETTER THAN GETTING UP INSECURE, INTIMIDATED, “I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO LIKE ME, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO ME, I HOPE I'M NOT BORING THEM.” THE STORY I TELL MYSELF IS, “JOEL, YOU'RE ANOINTED, YOU'RE FAVORED, YOU'RE BLESSED.” I DON'T SAY THAT ARROGANTLY BUT IN HUMILITY. THE STORY YOU NEED TO TELL YOURSELF IS, “GOD BREATHED HIS LIFE INTO ME. I'M A MASTERPIECE. I HAVE SOMETHING GREAT TO OFFER THIS WORLD. I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.” MOST OF YOU ARE WONDERFULLY MADE, MY BROTHER PAUL HE WAS FEARFULLY MADE. YOU CAN'T REACH YOUR DESTINY DISCOUNTING YOURSELF, SEEING EVERYONE ELSE AS SMARTER, GREATER, PRETTIER. CAN I TELL YOU? YOU'RE AWESOME, YOU'RE TALENTED, YOU HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY, YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING AMAZING. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, IT'S GOING TO LIMIT YOUR LIFE. SOMETIMES WE HAVE A FALSE SENSE OF HUMILITY. EVERYONE ELSE IS GREAT AND IT'S JUST LITTLE OLD ME. NO, GOD HANDPICKED YOU. HE CHOSE YOU TO BE HERE. HE CROWNED YOU WITH FAVOR. HE PUT GIFTS IN YOU. YOUR FINGERPRINTS LIKE NO ONE ELSE'S. YOU'RE A DESIGNER ORIGINAL. NO, YOU'RE NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, BUT YOU'RE NOT LESS THAN ANYONE ELSE. TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY, “I AM VALUABLE, I AM FAVORED, I AM ATTRACTIVE, I HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY, PEOPLE LIKE BEING AROUND ME.” YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN LIFE AGAINST YOU, DON'T BE AGAINST YOURSELF. ARE YOU TELLING YOURSELF THE RIGHT STORY? “JOEL, I STUTTER. I HAVE THIS WEAKNESS.” SO DID MOSES. WHO MADE YOUR TONGUE? DO YOU THINK A LIMITATION IS GOING TO KEEP YOU FROM YOUR DESTINY? THAT GOD SOMEHOW SHORTCHANGED YOU? THAT YOU'RE LACKING IN SOME AREA? NOT A CHANCE. “WELL, I HAVE THIS SICKNESS, THIS ADDICTION, THIS PROBLEM AT WORK.” I'M NOT SAYING DENY IT, ACT LIKE IT'S NOT THERE. BUT LIKE THE LADY WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD, TELL YOURSELF A NEW STORY. HEALING IS COMING, FREEDOM IS COMING, BREAKTHROUGHS ARE COMING. LIKE THAT BEAR, ARE YOU LIVING WITH A LIMITED MENTALITY BECAUSE OF HOW YOU WERE RAISED, OR THE ENVIRONMENT YOU'RE IN NOW? I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN. GOD HAS AWESOME THINGS IN YOUR FUTURE. MAKE SURE YOUR STORY LINES UP WITH HIS STORY. BECAUSE THE STORY YOU TELL YOURSELF, IS THE STORY THAT'S GOING TO COME TO PASS. IF YOU'LL DO THIS, I BELIEVE AND DECLARE, LIKE THE CHILDREN OF THE ISRAELITES, YOU'RE GOING TO GO INTO THE PROMISED LAND. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FAVOR, OVERCOME OBSTACLES, ACCOMPLISH DREAMS AND REACH THE FULLNESS OF YOUR DESTINY, IN JESUS' NAME. IF YOU RECEIVE IT, CAN YOU SAY AMEN? I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE. WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME? JUST SAY, “LORD JESUS, COME INTO MY HEART. I REPENT OF MY SINS. I MAKE YOU MY LORD AND SAVIOR.” IF YOU PRAYED THAT SIMPLE PRAYER, WE BELIEVE YOU GOT BORN AGAIN. WE'D LOVE TO SEND YOU SOME FREE INFORMATION ON YOUR NEW WALK WITH THE LORD. YOU CAN TEXT THE NUMBER THERE OR GO TO THE WEBSITE. I HOPE YOU'LL GET INTO A GOOD BIBLE-BASED CHURCH AND KEEP GOD FIRST PLACE. KEEP GOD FIRST PLACE.
