Do you want people to love you in a way that matters? Then stay with us now for today's Destined for Victory message featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. Before we get things started, just this quick reminder that Destined for Victory can only continue on this station through your faithful prayer and financial support. When you give today, we have a very special gift we'd like to send your way. It's one of Pastor Paul Shepard's final messages and one that has not yet been heard on the program.
In fact, Pastor Paul interrupted the final series he preached at Destiny Christian Fellowship to share this sermon about something that was heavy on his heart. I've asked Pastor Paul's daughter, Alicia Greer, to tell us about that and exactly why she believes we need to hear this message.
So, Alicia Greer, Executive Director of Destined for Victory, welcome to the studio. 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 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. I know it will. The message is called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself, and it has never aired before on Destined for Victory. It's not available anywhere else but right here. When you make your most generous gift today, we'll send you this exclusive message as either a DVD or a streaming link.
Again, it's 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 1767, Fremont, California, 94538.
Even for folk you don't have a relationship with, you owe them kindness. The Bible says Jesus went about doing good. You can do good even if you don't have to deal with people on a regular basis. You can do good just cause you served Jesus and he went about doing good. How can you build solid relationships that really matter?
The kind that impacts the world for the kingdom of God. Answers come your way over the next 20 minutes or so on today's Destined for Victory, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. His message is called Men Who Are Determined to Win. But anyone who wants to love God and love people will be encouraged by what they're about to hear. Today's Destined for Victory message starts right now.
I have learned. Men would will get more real. with other men who are committed to being real. Because again, it's the way we were socialized when we grew up and hit puberty and discovered girls. You know, that's a discovery.
At first, it's all about the toys and games and all that. And after a while, you wake up in puberty. Come on, you just do. You sisters got Your own way, yeah, come on now. And after a while, you discover the opposite sex, and your hormones start moaning.
It's natural. It's part of the natural course of things. And you have to learn then how to impress them. That's what boys try to do. And so that's what they had to learn how to mack on little girls.
And here's the problem. They are taught. That it is not about substance, it's all about impressing them, it's all about Mac and it's all about being impressive in some way. And you grow up, and now later on, you're trying to find a spouse, and you go on a date, and you spend that time perpetrating a fraud. You're going on dates, and they take you to this real romantic place.
And oh, we're going to so-and-so, we're going to hang out at this restaurant, and it's all dark in there. You can't hardly see who you're with. Oh, I'm gonna expose this thing before I'm done. And you're in there trying to impress somebody you don't know, and instead of getting to know them, because you're all thinking about getting together. And putting your lives together, you better turn them lights up and get to know who you're dealing with.
That looked a little, you know. Dark restaurant for a meal, that's fine. Go somewhere, turn the lights on. Because you're sitting up there at the restaurant, won't even laugh your regular laugh. You're busy trying to impress each other.
That's perpetrating a fraud. You know that's not you. Sitting at the table, and the flame of the candle is flickering in their face, and it looks so pretty, and all other. And the man is handsome, and the lady is beautiful, and y'all sitting there impressing each other, won't even talk real talk, run to ask real hard questions, nothing like that, just sitting there chewing and perpetrating. Finally, one of them says something funny, and the other one, instead of showing them how you really love you, did.
Yeah. You perpetrated the fraud. That's not you. You know you crazier than that. You know you fall out all over the floor.
Laughing hard, food hanging out your mouth. If that's who you are, show them who you are. You know why? Cause if they marry you, they gonna see who you are. And they're gonna feel like this was false advertising.
So, we're learning to love people in a way that matters. Build real relationships.
Well, even for folk you don't have a relationship with, you owe them kindness. The Bible says Jesus went about doing good. You can do good even if you don't have to deal with people as a regular basis. You can do good just because you serve Jesus and he went about doing good. Nobody, nobody except the Pharisees saw Jesus coming and start rolling their eyes.
They were the only one. Oh, here he came. And they were critical of him. And guess what? Jesus only had criticism for them.
He said, Y'all remind me of a cemetery. You got clean white stones and you're full of deadness. Jesus told him that. Jesus, look, he was, yes, he was loving, but he told the truth. He said, Y'all remind me of a cemetery full of deadness.
All this pretty robes and stuff like that. He said it's nothing. of importance. John the Baptist was colder than Jesus. John saw him coming out where he was baptizing.
He said, look at him. Brood of vipers. You know what he did? He said, look at a bunch of snakes. All of them snakes.
Not only are y'all snakes, your mama was a snake before you. Man, oh man, he was cold-blooded. Yeah. But he never lied. And you need to learn to love people.
Do good to people you don't have to deal with, just occasionally you run across them. Always do good. I was at the store the other day, a family standing outside. With a sign. 7-Eleven kind of shops, and standing outside just saying, We're hungry on the sign.
And I said, What do you want to eat? I said, Here, come on in here with me. And walked in there. I said, All of y'all grab something that you want. I only went in to get one thing, and they came and I put them in the line in front of him.
I said, I'm paying for all of this. Then they said, Oh, thank you so much. Look, I got the money, and you say you need.
Now, some of y'all are so skeptical. Yeah, but what if they. Look! If they're out there playing on people's feelings and they really aren't hungry, what damage did it do to you? When God's been so good to you.
When God's blessed you in so many ways. I'm so glad. I remember the time I would have been wanting to help him and couldn't. I'm talking about in California. I would have wanted to and I can't do it.
I'll give you a quarter. But I remember though, I'll never forget those days. I'll never forget this Sunday, my first few months of being the pastor of a church, and we didn't have groceries for the upcoming week. We only had groceries to last through about Wednesday. And it wasn't a pay week.
And I said, Lord, I went to church that morning and I was sitting in my little office and I said, Lord, and I started thinking about the fact that I don't even have food to feed my two kids and my wife this week. I was sitting in there and I said, I got to go out here and preach to this handful of people. And I've told them you're going to move and God's going to bless our church and we're going to have thousands. And I told them I cast all this vision, but now, right now, I'm poor and broke. And I said, I don't want to go out there and bleed on these people.
Sometimes a speaker will go out there and just put all their stuff on folks instead of ministering to them. I said, I want to go out here and bleed on this people. And the more I thought, I started crying. And I was praying and crying in the little office.
So, God, please, I said, I don't mind being poor for you if it was just me, but I got a wife and children. I brought them across the country and they followed me here. And God, I don't want my kids to ever know a hungry day. And as I was praying in that little office in East Palo Alto. When I got through wiping my eyes and saw and looked toward the door that led out to the sanctuary, because it was just a few minutes before 11 o'clock when the service was going to start, I saw an envelope underneath.
And I and I and I picked up the envelope and slipped. And five $20 bills in there. And then I opened the door, and the saints were gathering. It was a small church, so it wasn't but a few, but they were gathering and all that, and nobody was looking my way. And I looked, and I closed the door.
I said, Where did this come from? And the Lord said. No, you did not. Just get through praying and crying. And ask me to bless you so your kids who are five and three years old would never know a hungry day.
You mean who did this? I touched the heart of one of my kids. and told them the pastor needs some money. And they slipped it under because they didn't want me to know who they were. It wasn't about me knowing who they were, it was about God answering my prayer.
Let's pause right there for just a moment, but don't go away. We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. Remember, you can always listen to the broadcast on demand at pastorpaul.net. While you're there, be sure to stop by our online store where you'll find books and DVD messages that feature the teaching and preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. That's pastorpaul.net.
Well, prayer can move mountains, but sometimes God's answers to prayer depend on you.
Now, let's get you back to the rest of today's message. Men who are determined to win. You need to know that God will answer your prayers if you'll love Him with all your heart. And all your soul and all your mind. And if you will love people as you love yourself and do good to other people, God will do good to you.
And I never forget things like that.
So, when I come across somebody, even if they might be playing a game, now, you know, I know some cons when I see them. But if it's even questionable, stop wondering what it is to the point where you won't help them. Do what you can when you can. Because God's been good to you, but they don't deserve it. How many things has God done for you, and you don't deserve it?
How many times have you and I walked in a way where we said, Lord, have mercy on me? I hope nobody knows how good you've had to be to me.
So, y'all gotta stop all this bougie acting. Just do good because our Savior did good.
Sometimes you just pay it forward. And so we got to learn to love others well. And I'm so honored by walking with men of destiny and other men. And I'm preaching to men around the country and across the world on the internet: men who are serious about learning to love God supremely and loving other people well. We don't want to be those hateful kind of folks.
That's why I hate saying I'm a Christian because anymore the world looks at so much that calls itself Christianity, and they say, if that Christian, I want nothing to do with them or the Christ they say they serve. And I'm determined that I'm going to just tell folk I'm a follower of Jesus. I say Christian only if I'm backed into a corner. As opposed to a Muslim, a Hindu, something like, yeah, I'm a Christian. But what I really am is a follower of Jesus.
Because if Jesus loved people, I need to love people. And so I'm so proud of men who are learning to love others. others well. Finally, I'm so glad that I'm able to honor and encourage men who are not only loving God supremely and loving others well. But third, in that same statement, he said, love your neighbor what?
As yourself. Men who are learning to love themselves well. Love yourself well. Men who are learning to love ourselves well.
Now, if you're wondering what that means, the way you love yourself well is you don't play games with yourself. You don't tell yourself lies and believe them. You commit to the truth. and you make sure you know it. and face it.
That's what we're doing as we teach people. I'm not talking about this loving me, you're always in the mirror, love. Brothers need, get it, get out that mirror. You know. 'Cause you're not but so impressive anyway.
I'm telling you, this Instagram culture just is working my nerves. Why are people so obsessed with themselves? Do you have nothing else to do? Always looking at yourself.
Now, young people, look, if y'all are young and then in your prime, whatever, enjoy. Take all the pictures, take them now. And archive them now. Because the day is coming when people are not going to believe you used to be fine. Oh, it's coming.
I'm telling y'all, y'all can't even imagine. You're young and cute and sitting up there looking at it. You trust Pastor how Pastor has never lied to you yet. I'm not starting today. Take your pictures now.
The day gonna come when you'll be, oh boy, I used to be something. And your kids, grandkids are gonna be crazy. And then you can whip them out. Damn, look at that. It's not about your outside if you're going to love yourself well.
It's got to be about your inside. Good, dress up, look as good as you can. But you got to work on the inside more than you work on the outside.
So, when we get together and disciple men, we are looking at the things that will love us into becoming who God wants us to be. Gotta start with Hard questions. Am I loyal or disloyal? And we make people sit with it and process that in our life groups with men. Am I truthful or dishonest?
Am I generous or stingy? Am I conceited or humble? Do I follow through on my commitments or am I flaky? Am I disorganized? Am I unfocused?
Am I a procrastinator? Were there events in my past, maybe molestation, maybe addictions? Maybe abandonment that still haunts me today. Are they impacting my relationship with my wife and kids and grandkids? or with strangers?
Am I acting out from past pain? 'Cause you know hurt people hurt people. And so we address those things. If you want to disciple men, you got to take them there and they got to commit to that. Have I been betrayed and am I living out of anger?
The anger of betrayal. Was I let down by somebody I should have been able to trust and depend on? Am I jealous? Am I envious? You know that there's a difference between jealousy and envy.
Jealousy is I have it and I want to keep it to myself. Envy is, I don't have it, but I want it even if you have it. Am I jealous? Am I envious? Am I insecure?
Am I distrusting of everybody? Am I angry? Am I unkind? Am I vengeful? Am I arrogant?
Am I stuck up? Do I have a pregnant ego that refuses to give birth? Am I lonely? Am I fearful?
Sometimes a man looks macho on the outside, but he's scared on the inside. And you don't want women to know you're scared. But you are.
So, you gotta find some men who can address your fear and who can tell one another: here's how I broke through in that area in my life. And that's why I say, yes, you can disciple men around women, but if you really want to get down to the core, do yourself a favor and get them away from the women and children.
So we're no longer trying to impress anybody. Because when women are around, a man could be on his phone. You can tell where he's talking to a woman or a man most of the time. The voice sound different when it's a woman. We don't mean no harm, it's just what we've done it all our lives since since PewDiePie, hey girl.
It just started. It just We've been doing that for decades.
So, you got to teach him, get him somewhere where you can look him between the eyes and say, look, let's talk real life. Because you got to get your act together. and you will not grow when people are always telling you how wonderful you are. You will only grow when people are helping you become who God wants you to be. And I want to thank God for men.
Who are loving God supremely. who are learning to love others well. and who are learning to love themselves.
well and appropriately. And, brother, I just want to challenge you as I wrap this up that wherever you are and you're hearing this message, brother, I want to tell you that if you're on this journey, if you're not on this journey, I want you to get on the journey today. Give your life to Jesus Christ and get started now on the journey. And don't worry about it, I'm just starting out. That's all right.
This isn't a race. We're going to walk with you from this point all the way through. And it doesn't matter because we want to all win. We don't want to leave anybody behind. If you are a man who needs to start getting your act together, let this be the starting day on Father's Day 2024.
Or whenever you're hearing this message, it's time for you to get on this journey. And for you who are on the journey, I want to encourage you. The world doesn't always encourage us, men. The world doesn't always make us feel wonderful. They don't always say great things about us because some of them are living out of the pain of some dude that messed over them.
And they look at you and they see him. And so sometimes you're paying for somebody else's failure.
Sometimes you're paying for what somebody else took somebody through. And it's not right, and they should be able to differentiate, but they can't always do it. But I want to tell you, we in the family of God need to encourage each other. The Bible says, build each other up as a family of God. And I want to encourage you, brothers, keep fighting the good fight of faith.
Keep being strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Keep reminding yourself when the world says you're just a dog.
Well, you know, all men are dogs. Tell them the devil is a liar. I am who God said I am. Oh, I'm far from perfect. And yeah, some of us have had our doggy ways.
Come on, don't perpetrate a fraud and act like you've never been there.
Some of us have been good and like that before, but God. Who is rich in mercy and grace? Has turned some things around for us, set us on a new path. We're not perfect yet. We're still imperfect.
You single women, quit looking for the perfect man. And if you found him, what would he want with you? All of us are imperfect, so we all got to be on a journey together, growing together, learning together, striving together. And I want to tell men: remind yourself of who you are in Christ from A to Z. Remind yourself you're accepted as God's child.
You're blessed with every spiritual blessing. You're chosen by God. You're a disciple of Jesus Christ. You're empowered by the Holy Spirit. You're forgiven by the Heavenly Father.
You're a grace recipient. You're an heir of God. You're an imitator of Jesus. You're justified by faith. You're a kingdom citizen.
You're loved by God. You're more than a conqueror. You're a new creation. You're an overcomer. You're predestined to be like Jesus.
You're qualified to be a child of God. You're redeemed. You're saved. You're a temple of the Holy Spirit. You're unashamed of the gospel.
You're victorious in Christ. You're a workman who needs not be ashamed. You can expect God to move on your behalf. You've been given a yoke that is easy to bear, and you are zealous unto good works. Reminds you of the Lord.
Who you are, and remind yourself of who you are. I am who God said I am. Can do what God said I can do, and I will. I will do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I want to celebrate men who are on the journey of becoming men who are determined to win.
And by God's grace, we're going to see victory in our lives. Our ability to impact the world for the kingdom of God often comes down to our identity. We are not who people think we are or even who we think we are. We are who God says we are, and through Christ who gives us strength, we can do all things. We're so glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message: Men Who Are Determined to Win.
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.
As we move toward the end of time, and the second coming of our Lord. We need to make sure people understand we're not inviting you to be part of a religion. Jesus didn't come to establish one. We made it one after he left. But he didn't come to establish a religion.
He came to establish relationship. between God and man. That's tomorrow in our message. He gets us. Until then, remember.
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
