You can't change the way you act until you change the way you think. Hello and welcome to Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. Coming up in just a few moments, an important message about managing your thought life. Today's teaching is part of a series we've been sharing about stewardship. When Pastor Paul was sharing these messages at Destined Christian Fellowship, he stopped right in the middle of the series to preach about something that was weighing heavily on his heart.
And I've asked Pastor Paul's daughter, the executive director of Destined for Victory, Alicia Greer, to tell us about that and exactly why she believes you should hear this message. Man, Pastor Paul was so energized when he preached this message. He was actually in the process of teaching his, or what would be his very last series, but he interrupted that series and said, you know, I have to pause teaching and today I just have to preach. And man, he was just fired up. And so I would encourage everyone to get this resource.
It's so encouraging. By the end, you will be built up. Whether you're going through a challenge now or you are just preparing for what you have to do when you will face it. One. Pastor Paul gives such practical advice, and you know he does it with his signature humor and his down-to-earth style.
And so you'll just be so uplifted by the end of listening to this message.
So I pray it blesses you. The message is called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself, and it's never aired on Destined for Victory. It's not available anywhere else but right here, right now. When you make your most generous gift today, we'll send you the DVD or streaming link for this exclusive message. Again, it's called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself, one of the last messages Pastor Paul ever preached, and it's only available right here for your most generous donation to Destined for Victory.
Give that gift by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or visit pastorPaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, post office box seventeen sixty seven, Fremont, California, nine four five three eight. Esau comes in famished.
and his tricky brothers cooking. That's the way this works. You don't come in fanished and there's nothing to eat, so you just got you don't have a choice. But there's always the devil, will see to it, there's always somebody cooking when you're hungry. Let's face it, we have a sinful nature, and that means sometimes we have an appetite for the wrong things.
So, when we commit sinful acts, it's because there's something wrong on the inside. Today, on Destined for Victory, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard, you'll be challenged to manage your thoughts and emotions and to begin focusing on things like the goodness and mercy of God. Because when you don't, those sins in the heart can become sins of the body.
Now, let's get started with Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message. Becoming an excellent steward of your thought life. I'm trying to help you understand what we have to do. in order to live through This app application of becoming excellent stewards of your thought life. You got a screen.
You can't let it through. You can't get In because at the end of the day, It's not what God has for you. It is not going to get you where you think you want to be. And so we have to do that kind of work. You singles, y'all gotta do it so that you don't hook up with the wrong.
I'm old, so I gotta rephrase that because y'all taught me hook up means different than it did does old people. In our day, hookup meant get together like at Starbucks. In your day, Hook up. is hook up. Yeah.
The first couple that helped me with that, I was shocked. I said, so when did y'all? One of our couples wanting to come for pre-engagement counseling. I said, okay, all right, praise God. When did y'all hook up?
He said, no, no, no, Pastor, we haven't hooked up. And I said. Wait, what? Yo, yo, boyfriend and girlfriend, right? And they say, yeah.
And then it dawned on me, oh Hookup doesn't mean what it used to mean. Oh, this is some world, boy. Bottom line is, we've got to be guardians. In a way that you have to be intentional about what messaging you act. Come on.
So, y'all singles who want to live a quality life in the will of God, don't want to be sexually active outside of marriage, which is God's will. Amen, lights. I need some help from above. Cause I know, cause the world has messaged to y'all that there's nothing wrong with having sex with a consenting adult, no matter who they are. That's what the world has messaged to y'all.
And some of y'all have bought it against the clear teaching of our Lord and Savior. Mm-hmm. Preach the word. I'm hearing Paul tell me: preach the word, be instant, in season, and out of season. That means preaching when they say, ooh, I love my pastor, and preaching when they say, mm.
Because the bottom line is, you are supposed to be in a sexual relationship with a person you are committed to through matrimony. That's what God says is pleasing to him. Everything else is not pleasing to him. And in order for you to do it his way, You're going to have to do a lot of screening and a lot of fighting. Amen.
You're just gonna have to say, oh, he's hitting. You sisters feeling a certain way? On a Friday night. The feeling's right. Back in my day, we would listen to the quiet storm on the radio.
I don't know what y'all do in y'all's day, but back in our day it was the quiet storm on the radio, and they'd be on there always and forever. And you're sitting there feeling, my daddy used to call it unnecessary. I heard my father say that always like, you're feeling unnecessary, aren't you? That mean your hormones are kinda moaning a little bit. And if you singles are serious then about doing the will of God, there are going to be times.
When you have to make some intentional choices.
So that the programming doesn't get contaminated with lies. And especially with the spiritual dynamics being what they are. Because there's some familial spirits. They are familiar with you and your family. They know your patterns.
They know your instincts. They know your tendencies and proclivities. And they know you're sitting there on a Friday night feeling a certain kind of way. And just then they tell somebody you met, and that person got your number. Probably shouldn't have got it, but got your number.
And now your phone is ringing or your tech sound is dinging. And you look, and he's like, hey, girl, what you doing? And then one message is, tell him you're not doing anything. Ask him what he doing. That's the message.
If you pay attention to it, you're taking another step. In the wrong direction. How many of y'all know that what I'm saying is actually the truth? Thank you so much. Pray for the people tripping on your robe that didn't put up their hand.
And so If you cave in. Nothing what you're doing. None. How about I fall through? And then the lies say stuff like Well, you know.
He'd just be somebody to talk to tonight. You're sitting here, you're not really doing anything, just have a little conversation. You you an adult. You have a conversation with somebody just 'cause they fine don't mean you got to. Lose your mind.
Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. going for the same result. The result is There you are Saturday morning. You want cheese and your eggs?
So Truth is not just intellectual truth, it is emotional truth. It is psychological truth. It is not playing games in your head. It is not pretending that what really exists doesn't exist. You've got to be a person committed to buying the truth.
In every moment when a lie is present, I reject the lie. I buy the truth. It's a purchase, it's gonna cost me. Anybody ever had truth cost you? Anybody cried yourself to sleep because truth cost you?
Stay here by yourself and just hurt by yourself and just pray yourself to sleep and just do the hard work of staying on track. Cause the easy work would be to hook up with this fool. Because it's it's very much like Esau. You just end up selling out for stew. Esau comes in famished.
And his tricky brothers cooking. That's the way this works. You don't come in fanished, and there's nothing to eat, so you just got, you don't have a choice. But there's always, the devil will see to it, there's always somebody cooking when you're hungry. It's so And so there's Tricky Jacob.
Preparing a meal. Brother comes in from the open country famished, been out there hunting. And he is famished, and he comes in, and the Bible says, he says, please give me some of that food, I'm about to die. Truth. Is He is dehydrated because he'd been out in the open country all day.
Working hard hunting. He's clearly dehydrated and he could very well be malnourished. I don't know. But clearly dehydrated. Let's make worst case scenario.
He is both dehydrated and a little malnourished. But he was able to hunt all day.
So by the time he gets back He's famished. I'm about to die. That's a genuine feeling. What does he need to do? Here's, I'm trying to show you the importance of truth.
What does he need to do? He needs to get into the shade. Get out of that heat. He needs to get some water immediately. And drink as much of it as he can drink in intervals.
Drink some, rest a little bit, drink some, rest a little bit, drink some, and get himself back together in the shade, out of that sun, out of the worst of it. Then you're at a place once you have properly cooled your body down and hydrated, now you can decide, do I need to eat after all? And if he does still need to eat, He now has enough strength. Go in there. And fix yourself something.
Truth. But the lie is Jacob. Stirring something. Oh, you hungry, huh? All right, tell you what.
I'll give you some of this stew. Here's the price. You gotta give me Your birthright. Wait, what? Do y'all know what he just said was the price?
Of a bowl of stew. It is A lifetime of provision. That was exclusively available. to the firstborn son. Of the family.
The firstborn son of the family is Esau. That's why he has the birthright. They were twins. He and Jacob were twins, but he came out first. And that means he's the firstborn, Jacob's secondborn, even though they're born within a minute of each other.
Everybody get that? We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message, so don't go away. Listen to the broadcast on demand at pastorpaul.net. And while you're there, be sure to stop by our online store where you'll find books and video messages that feature the teaching and preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. It's found at pastorpaul.net.
There are two truths for all of us, our history and our destiny. When we focus on the first, we might very well delay the second. No. Let's get you back to the rest of today's Destined for Victory message: becoming an excellent steward of your thought life.
So, the firstborn is the one who's famished. I'm about to die. That's some of us. God has done so much for you. God has given you so much.
God has blessed you so much. Think back over your life, the times the devil could have wiped you out a long time ago, and here you are, still pushing forward. Think about how God opened doors that no one can shut. Think about how you got through school when you weren't supposed to. Think about how you got, some of you got your higher education when nobody in your family expected you to do that.
Think about how God got you saved from a life of sin and got you on the track of doing His divine will. about all God has already done. for you and now here you are A crisis point, but all you got to do is think back and say, the same God. who got me to this point. Yeah.
Is not going to drop me off now.
So, God, help me find my provision. Help me find my help. Help me find what I need in this moment. I'm feeling lonely, but be my strength, Lord, so I don't make some stupid decision. Need you to help me right now.
The same God who has helped me in. The past is ready to help me right now because he didn't bring me this far to drop me off, he's going to take me all the way to the place of purpose and destiny.
So, what you got to do. is learn to message to your messages. You got to respond to them. Just because Jacob said you can have this too, but it's going to cost you your birthright. You tell Jacob.
You're still in that good. I've had your suicide. Come on, you ever said the the word is one syllable? Hi. But it's not worth giving up a lifetime.
of blessings for. And so when y'all go to the job tomorrow and And Mr. and Mrs. Stu come to you. You gotta say the same thing.
You alright. But I'm not giving up my destiny for you. When you go to the gym. And they are looking at you and you looking at each other on the app. Aratus!
Yeah, you are. But that's not what God has for me. I'm going to work this machine. I'm going to go get my little shower. I'm going home and I'm going to fulfill what God has called me to do because He has a plan and a destiny for my life, and I'm going to see it come to pass.
So we have to learn that truth is not just intellectual truth. Truth is I have to learn. to make sure my life is driven By things that will get me to the true mark. That God has called. Me too.
Whatsoever things are true. That's what I have to think about. By the way. There can be Two truths that coexist. I want to say this.
Some of you all have a truth that is your past. It's true. That was you. That was your past. That was your worst thing you did, or the worst relationship you got in, whatever.
True. You don't have to deny it. True. There's another truth. There's a better truth.
Which is where God is taking me to.
Sometimes the way to get through the hardest times that you're going through. Is to remember the truth of where God is taking you to. We just have this tendency, many of us do, to highlight the negative of the two truths. Not you, but somebody on your row. Look down your row, you'll find them.
You'll identify them. Let me prove it to you. I'm going to do a word association with you. I'm going to give you a word. I want you to give me one or two words that come to your mind right after.
Rahab. Harlot. Bartimaeus. Bly Thomas. Doubting.
Naaman Leper. Let me just use those four. All true. Rahab Was a street businesswoman. True.
No need to try and deny it. True. But not the only truth. When Rahab Saul the spies From Israel. Come to Jericho.
to spy out what God was gonna give them. They came into town while the gates city gates were still open. And people started looking for him. And Rahab, she's a street woman, she know she know when the streets are hot. This girl said, wait a minute.
This is not gonna go well for these guys. She opened her door and said, Come on in here, fellas. They went in She took him upstairs. She said, I need to hide you. 'Cause they're looking for y'all.
I know y'all church boys and all. But they come in for y'all. They want to kill you. She said, I'm going to hide you. And when they come to knock on the door, I'm going to tell them you stopped by, but you kept going.
She gonna lie. to protect them. Usually we're not supposed to lie. But Rahab said, I got to do what I got to do to keep these guys alive. Because I know why they're really in town.
I love it. Nothing wrong with being a person who knows the streets, and the streets know you. Just make sure you know enough to know there is God's answer. to what you see around you. She said, I know.
That God has given y'all this city. I know it. Don't tell me how I know it, but I know it. And they're looking for you because they know it. She said, So I'm a hijaw, but here's what I want you to know.
Everything in this house. has a price. Y'all didn't get that. When you come to this house You got to pay a price. Nobody walks up in here.
Get something good for nothing.
So Tell y'all what? I hide you, I spare your lives. And in return, When you all come to conquer this place. You spare me. My family Everybody I bring in here.
Everybody. Whoever in my family meets in my house. When y'all come, I want them all spared. Do we have a deal? And they said yes.
So, how are we going to know? She took a scarlet. Cord. Said, I'll hang it out my window. You will escape.
And that same court Is going to be there when you come and you tell your whole army, y'all can destroy everything and everybody else, but the people in that Apartment. They are to be spared. You can say what you want about Rahab the harlot. I'm gonna tell you, it's Rahab the deliverer. Rahab the sustainer of their lives.
Rahab, who understood God was up to something special, and she wanted to be part of it. That woman, y'all can call her a hoe if you want to. Y'all can say it if you want to. Here's the reality. That woman is in the hall of faith.
When you get a chance, read Hebrews chapter 11. Ray had is in there. You look more holy than her. But she's in the hall. And I want to tell you something.
Some of us are dealing with two truths. And the question's gonna be which one you gonna focus on? Don't focus on the truth that is your history. When you can focus on the truth, that is your destiny. Your history can't be helped.
It is what it is. But your destiny takes you far beyond. What was to what God has ordained for your life. We're so glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message. Becoming an excellent steward of your thought life.
To find out more about Destined for Victory's mission and purpose, or about the special gift reserved for you when you give generously today, please come see us at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. That's what being sanctified is: learning how to live a set-apart life. It's a journey. Nobody gets instantly whole in terms of your actions and your deeds.
And your words.
Some of y'all saved, sanctified, being sanctified, but some areas haven't been sanctified yet. And that's tomorrow in our message, Becoming an Excellent Steward of Your Thought Life. But until then remember, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
