WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.679 Today, I have a question for you. Have you ever felt like you 2 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.560 were the wrong person for the job, Like, what did you get yourself 3 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:14.759 into You didn't have the right experience or the right skill set. Well, 4 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:19.679 I know I have and you probably have too. This is Pastor Rick's Daily 5 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:24.559 Hope, the audio broadcast ministry of Pastor Rick Warren. Okay, today we're 6 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:29.679 going to continue with the series the Manifestation of Your Life Mission. Rick is 7 00:00:29.719 --> 00:00:34.159 showing us that no matter how big the thing is that God is calling us 8 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:37.799 to do, we don't have to run away from it. We can actually 9 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:41.119 run toward it. This is such a good message, and I hope you'll 10 00:00:41.159 --> 00:00:45.880 invite a friend to listen along with you as we discover how to embrace God's 11 00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:50.159 calling on our lives and how we can live according to the purpose and plan 12 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:54.479 that He has for us. Okay, here's Rick with part two of a 13 00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:00.960 message called what to Do when You Cause a Storm. So the concepts of 14 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:06.640 Jonah running from God are great. In fact, there are four. These 15 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:11.959 four consequences are the same four consequences that happen in your life when you run 16 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.599 from God, when you ignore your life mission, when you try to pretend 17 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:19.200 you're God. When you try to play God and God, I'm gonna I'm 18 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:22.400 not gonna do what God wants to do. What I want to do, 19 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:25.200 I think, I know it will make me happy more than God does. 20 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:30.400 And when you do that, it always causes these same four consequences that we 21 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:33.959 see in Jonah's life. Negative consequences. Number one, write these down. 22 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:38.719 If I run from God. Number one, my life will go downhill. 23 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:44.040 My life will go down here. Running from God is always on a slide. 24 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:51.400 It's always degrading, it's always downhill. You are headed down over over 25 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:56.079 and over. There's an important word that's used in the story of Jonah over 26 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:59.799 and over and over, and it is the word down. You can find 27 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:01.480 it through the whole book of Jonah. He says it over and over. 28 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:06.319 In fact, I want you to circle the word down every time I read 29 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.919 these verses from the Book of Jonah. Jonah one, verse three, he's 30 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:15.439 running from God. Jonah went down to Joppa. That's a city on the 31 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:21.319 coast of the Mediterranean there in the Palestine area is actually under the control of 32 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:24.599 the Phoenicians at this time. Jonah went down to Joppa, where he found 33 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:30.719 a ship headed for the port of Tarshish. He paid the price to sail 34 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:36.759 to Tarsh's and he went down, notice again below deck, hoping to get 35 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.400 as far away from God as he could. Then in Jonah one, verse 36 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:46.919 five, Jonah went down below, was down below, laying down, sound 37 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:51.840 asleep. This is in a storm. Then in Jonah chapter two, verse 38 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:55.080 three, they threw him overboard. He says, I sank down down into 39 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:00.039 the deep sea. And in verse six, I was as far down as 40 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:05.159 a body could go. Running from God is all downhill. Jonah is down 41 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:12.439 down, down, down down, Doobi dooo down down Now. Notice here 42 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:17.159 it says he goes down to Joppa where he found a ship. Isn't that 43 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:23.400 convenient? If you want to run from God, Satan will always make sure 44 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:29.599 there's a ship. When you want to run from God, you'll easily find 45 00:03:29.639 --> 00:03:32.319 a ship. Satan will make sure of that. Do you realize that Satan 46 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.560 can set up circumstances as much as God can? You know? Some of 47 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:39.520 guy goes. You know, and I've lived with my wife, I've been 48 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.199 married to her for thirty years. But I went to this party and I 49 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:47.240 met this woman who was so fascinating and so engaging, and we just hit 50 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:52.319 it off, and I knew the circumstances that this is the person I should 51 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:57.800 be married to. Don't you think Satan can engineer circumstances too. If you 52 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.800 want to run from God, he'll provide a shop. There'll always be one 53 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:06.000 there. Now, second negative consequence, if I run from God, it 54 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:11.400 will cost me. If I run from God, not only will my life 55 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:14.039 go downhill, but if I run from God, it's going to cost me. 56 00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:20.000 Did you notice the phrase he paid the price to sail to Tarshish. 57 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:27.279 He paid the price to sail to Tarsish. Now, there's always a price 58 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.000 tag in running from God, and it always costs more to run from God 59 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:34.720 than it costs to run to God or to run with God in God's direction. 60 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:39.120 There's always going to be a price tag when you run from God. 61 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:44.439 There'll be an emotional price tag, there'll be a relational price tag. There 62 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:48.439 will be maybe a financial price tag, a physical price tag, a spiritual 63 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:54.480 price tag. It always costs more to run from God than to actually run 64 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.879 with God. Now he says he's told to go to Nineveh, which is 65 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.680 east, but instead he decides to go to Tarsish, which is as far 66 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.120 west as you could possibly go in that day. Let me show you a 67 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:09.879 map. Okay, here's Joppa, which is here in Israel, right on 68 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:13.759 the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. He's five hundred and fifty miles from Nineveh. 69 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:16.319 That's go east. That's where God says going. Instead, Jonah says, 70 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:20.639 I'm going to go two thousand, five hundred miles the opposite direction. 71 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:27.439 This guy seriously messed up. Okay, he goes. Which do you think 72 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.800 costs more to go five hundred miles to Nineveh or two thousand, five hundred 73 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:34.759 miles Tarsius Tarsish was a seaport on the coast of Spain. It was the 74 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:39.439 end of the known world two thousand, seven hundred years ago. They didn't 75 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:43.360 know about England, they didn't know about Ireland. They certainly didn't know about 76 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.600 North and South America. Spain was the end of the known world. What 77 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:50.079 is this guy doing. He's going, I'm going to go as far the 78 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:55.199 opposite direction from God as I can. You know anybody about it like that, 79 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:58.959 I'm going to go as far in the opposite direction as God tells me 80 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:02.720 to go as I can. And when I do that, I'm going downhill. 81 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:05.879 And when I do that it's going to cost me. I'm gonna have 82 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:12.160 to pay the price. Number three, if I run from God, God 83 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:16.600 will oppose me. He's not just gonna let that happen because he loves you. 84 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:21.759 He knows what will make you happy more than you do. And so 85 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:27.000 if I run from God, God will oppose me. So Jonah goes down, 86 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.160 he buys a ticket, He finds a ship, he goes on board. 87 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:32.279 He goes down into the bottom below deck. He thinks he's going to 88 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:40.480 have a Mediterranean cruise, a nice little Mediterranean cruise to Tarshish. But in 89 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:45.439 Jonah one four, it says, as the ship was sailing, the Lord 90 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:51.000 sent and opposing wind. Circle that and opposing wind? Why because God loved 91 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:55.759 Jonah. You ever had this happen in your life? Have you ever had 92 00:06:55.800 --> 00:07:00.279 an opposing wind? You're trying to make something happen in your life, and 93 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.959 you're trying to make it happen, and make it happen, and make it 94 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:08.120 happen, but it's just not happening. No matter what you do, it's 95 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:14.560 just not happening. And it seems like there's an invisible force opposing you and 96 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:18.639 keeping you from moving ahead. You want it to happen. But does God 97 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:25.920 want it to happen? There's an opposing win that's coming against you. What 98 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:31.240 is the opposing when you're feeling right now, I mean right now this week? 99 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:34.279 You go, man, I'm trying to do this, I'm trying to 100 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:41.040 get it done, but you're feeling the opposing wind. Why does God allow 101 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.199 opposing win? Because God says, I don't want you go in that direction 102 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:47.879 when you have an opposing win. God sometimes says, I don't want you 103 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:56.120 dating that person. I don't want you getting that job. I don't want 104 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:59.879 you getting that promotion. I actually know what's better for you than you do. 105 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:03.519 I know what will make you happy more than you do. I know 106 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:07.199 the unintended consequences of what you're trying to do, and I'm going to prevent 107 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:13.360 you from some pain. So he puts an opposing wind in your life, 108 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:16.399 and you're going, I'm trying, I'm trying. I'm trying, but you're 109 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:22.439 fighting against God. If I run from God, I'm going to go downhill. 110 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:24.480 If I run from God, it's going to cost me. If I 111 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.639 run from God, God is going to send an opposing wind. And number 112 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.919 four, if I run from God, other people will get hurt, not 113 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:37.480 just you. You're not the only one. But innocent people will get hurt 114 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:45.639 too. It may be your spouse. There are wives that are being hurt 115 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:50.840 by husbands who are running from God. There are men husbands that are hurt 116 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:56.519 because wives are running from God. You may hurt your kids. You may 117 00:08:56.600 --> 00:09:01.000 hurt your grandkids. You may hurt your family. You may hurt your friends. 118 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.879 You may be hurting your business because you're running from God. You may 119 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:13.519 be hurting your neighborhood. Who knows. There's a guy in the Bible named 120 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.320 Akon who ran from God, did the wrong thing, and as a result, 121 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:20.799 the entire army was defeated in the Battle of Jericho because of one guy's 122 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:26.240 disobedience. One guy caused the entire the rest of the army to be defeated. 123 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:31.279 They were all innocent. You see, sin maybe private, nobody knows 124 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:37.519 about it, but it's never personal. If I sin, you might not 125 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:41.320 know what my sin is, but it's going to affect you somehow, because 126 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.919 I'm not the right person that I ought to be. When you sin, 127 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.360 it never just affects you. They may not even ever know about it. 128 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.960 Your secret sin that you think well it's just me. I'm the only one 129 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:56.120 who knows about No God knows about it. But on top of that, 130 00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:01.399 it is affecting other people in ways you don't know. Pornography might be some 131 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:07.320 secret sin, but it's affecting your relationship. There are a lot of other 132 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.159 things. I could just go and I could name things, but the fact 133 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:13.360 is other people will get hurt. Now here's what happens in Jonah chapter one, 134 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:22.080 verse four. The opposing wind created such a massive storm that the ship 135 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:26.159 was now in danger of breaking apart. So everybody else's life is threatened. 136 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:31.279 Now, everybody's being threatened because of one man's disobedience. Jonah is causing a 137 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:35.639 lot of problems for other people simply by his running from God. Who are 138 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:41.440 you causing problems for? I often have to ask myself who is being hurt 139 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:48.879 by my sin? I have to ask myself who is being hurt by my 140 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.360 sin? Not just me, because it hurts my relationship with God, but 141 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:56.879 it also hurts my relationship with you and all that. Now, let's follow 142 00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:01.679 this story Jonah chapter one, verse five. Okay, they're in the middle 143 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:05.279 of a big storm. Now that's not their fault. All the sailors were 144 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:11.200 terrified, and they cried out in desperation to whatever gods each one trusted. 145 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:15.320 Other words, these guys are pagans. They all have their own different gods. 146 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:20.600 And they also threw overboard during the storm everything they could to lighten the 147 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.480 ship's load. That's a typical human behavior. When you're in a storm. 148 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:31.879 You start throwing valuable stuff away. You start throwing away valuable relationships, you 149 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.759 start throwing away valuable values, you start throwing away valuable habits, you stop 150 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:41.480 going to church. You start throwing away stuff. You're trying to lighten your 151 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:46.600 load, and you're actually throwing away the stuff that you were on the ship 152 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:50.480 for. Anyway, in the first place, the cargo was the reason you 153 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:56.720 were traveling. But when we get in storms, we typically start throwing things 154 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:01.840 away. We start giving up on stuff we really need that's really important, 155 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:07.480 it's really vital to our lives. So they threw overboard everything that could lighten 156 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:15.080 the shift's load. Now, while this storm was threatening everyone, Jonah was 157 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.480 down below deck, laying down sound asleep. Oh great, what a great 158 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:20.799 man of God, there you go. Okay, he's paying no attention. 159 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.679 These guys are fighting for their lives and the storm of their lives, and 160 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:31.200 the Mediterranean. The shift's about to break apart. They're all worried, and 161 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:35.919 he's down below asleep. He's ignorant of how his actions are affecting everybody else, 162 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:41.120 and he's apathetic. He doesn't care. It's like the guy who's asked, 163 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.279 do you think the two biggest problems in America? Ignorance and apathy? 164 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:48.919 The guy said, I don't know, and I don't care. But Jonah 165 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:54.759 is ignorant and apathetic. And so now look what happens verse six. So 166 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:58.559 the captain went down below deck to find Jonah, and he says, man, 167 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.919 how can you sleep? How can you sleep? I mean, we're 168 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.759 in the storm of our lives. Get up and pray to your god too. 169 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:13.600 Maybe your God will pay attention and rescue us from nothing. Obviously our 170 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.759 gods aren't doing anything, so maybe your God will rescue us from night man. 171 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:22.399 Notice the pagan guy. Then, the non believer is suggesting prayer to 172 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:28.080 the supposed man of God. They got it backwards here. He's more religious 173 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.759 than Jonah is. Next verse Jonah one to seven. So then the sailors 174 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:37.720 said to each other, this storm has to be somebody's fault. Okay, 175 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:41.639 We've been in a lot of storms, but this one's a doozy and we're 176 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:46.039 gonna lose our lives. So let's cast lots throw dice to find out who's 177 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:52.720 responsible for all of this trouble. So they cast lots, and lots fell 178 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:56.960 on guess who? Yeah, Jonah. Does God ever play dice? Yep? 179 00:13:56.039 --> 00:14:01.279 He does, okay, and he made sure that Jah Jonah came up 180 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:05.919 okay. Next verse Jonah one eight. So they asked, Jonah, how 181 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:13.399 have you brought down all this trouble on us? What if the people around 182 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.279 you asked that question? What if your kids or grandkids, or your wife 183 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.200 or your husband, or your business? And what are you doing? Man? 184 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.039 Why are you screwing up so much? Why are you causing all this 185 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.480 problem for the rest of them? They asked, Jonah, how have you 186 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.840 brought all this trouble us? They're innocent, they're just sailors. What do 187 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:37.840 you do? Where do you come from? What's your nationality? What kind 188 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:43.240 of people do you belong to? They're just trying to figure they're giving this 189 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:46.879 guy the you know, the fifth degree. They're trying to figure out how 190 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:50.840 in the world did you get us into so much trouble. Next verse Jonah 191 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:54.320 one eight, So Jonah eight, nine and ten. So Jonah answered. 192 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:58.559 Now Jonah's finally being honest. He says, I'm a Hebrew. Okay, 193 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.720 I'm Jewish, I'm a Jew. I'm a Hebrew, and I worshiped the 194 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:05.759 Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea in the land. 195 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:13.480 Now he confesses. Then Jonah told them that he was running from God. 196 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:18.879 Now this frightened the sailors even more. Okay, they're scared to death. 197 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.120 Why have you done this? What an idiot? Who would try to run 198 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:26.879 from God? They're not and they could be atheists. We don't even believe 199 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:31.000 in God. But if there is a God, certainly he would be everywhere. 200 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.240 And why would anybody be dumb enough to try to run from God. 201 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:39.080 God is omnition, He's omnipresent, He's everywhere. He knows everything. You 202 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:43.639 can't run from God. You can run from God the rest of your life, 203 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:46.600 but then you can't run anymore because the moment you die, you're going 204 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:52.240 to go face to face to God. So why would you be this dumb? 205 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:56.480 Why would you try to run from God? Now here's the sixth principle. 206 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.200 Write this down. The longer I run from God, the worse it 207 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:07.120 gets. The longer I run from God, the worse it will get. 208 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:12.559 The longer I put off accepting my mission, the longer I live a self 209 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:18.159 centered, selfish life, the worse it's going to get. Some of you 210 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.639 think this last year has been a rough year, and it's been tough on 211 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:29.320 you. It's been a rough rough year. As somebody who loves you as 212 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:36.320 your pastor as your spiritual coach, I'm begging you. I'm begging you make 213 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:41.080 a full surrender of your life to God. Make a full surrender of your 214 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:45.879 life God. Just let go and let God have it all. Because you 215 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:51.759 don't know what kind of storms coming up next year. It may be nothing 216 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:56.279 compared to what you went through this year. You don't know. You just 217 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:00.679 don't know. God is patient with us, as Tom said, but his 218 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:04.359 patience actually runs to an end, and God goes, I'm not going to 219 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:12.039 let you just totally ignore why I made you. So if things are getting 220 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.960 rougher, then you don't know what the storm could be had. Now. 221 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:25.319 Verse eleven says this, Now the storm was getting worse and the waves got 222 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:30.920 rougher, Okay, why because it's going on, He's still running. The 223 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.519 storm's getting worse, The waves got run. How much rougher does your marriage 224 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:41.039 have to get before you wake up and realize I need to change something here. 225 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:48.240 This isn't working. We're headed in the wrong direction. How much rougher 226 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:52.599 does your marriage have to get before you actually say God, I need your 227 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:56.920 help and I need to change and I need you to help me to change. 228 00:17:56.440 --> 00:18:03.480 How much worse does that situation in your job have to get before you 229 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:11.200 God gets your attention? How much worse does your health have to get before 230 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:17.240 God gets your attention? He loves you too much. God loves you just 231 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:19.640 the way you are, but he loves you way too much to let you 232 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:26.920 stay that way, because you're not where you could be, what He designed 233 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:29.480 you to be, what he made you to be, what you have the 234 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:33.920 potential to be. How much worse does it have to get? So it 235 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:37.799 says, the storm's getting worse, The waves got rougher, And so they 236 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:45.759 asked, Jonah, what should we do to you to stop the storm and 237 00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:52.759 calm everything down? It was a pastor. I get asked that question every 238 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:56.039 day of my life. I've been asking almost every day for probably forty plus 239 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:00.559 years, one way or another those words, but one way to other people 240 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:07.039 come and say, Rick, how do I stop the storm in my life? 241 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:14.640 How do I stop the storm in my life? And the answer is 242 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:22.440 always the same, a complete surrender of your life to God. Stop rebelling, 243 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:32.599 stop resisting, stop running, stop running away, surrender and the peace 244 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:41.279 comes. Thank you for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. You know, 245 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.359 I know that you would love to live a life of significance. But have 246 00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:51.279 you ever wondered if you could make a contribution so unique that no one else 247 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:55.480 in all the world could do what you've accomplished. Well, you need to 248 00:19:55.519 --> 00:20:00.000 stop wondering, because God created you to make a difference in the world. 249 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.960 He created you to fulfill a mission that only you can accomplish. I know 250 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:07.440 you may be thinking that God couldn't use you like that, but you know 251 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:11.559 what he can, And not only can he, but he will. It 252 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:15.359 really doesn't matter what you've done or what you've failed to do. It doesn't 253 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:19.759 matter how young or how old you are. It is never too early or 254 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:25.119 too late to start on the mission that God has planned for you. And 255 00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:27.920 that's why I'm so excited to let you know about a brand new Bible study 256 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:33.480 from Pastor Rick called Rising to God's Call a Journey through Jonah. In this 257 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.359 study, Rick is going to show you how God had an incredible mission for 258 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:42.440 Jonah and it went well beyond being swallowed by a big fish. Jonah's story 259 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:48.039 is really about second chances and redemption and the rescue of an entire nation. 260 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:53.119 And more importantly, it's the story of God, the one who shows grace 261 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:57.400 to everyone he created. You know, the story of Jonah is really like 262 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:03.200 a blueprint from God. It shows all of us how He can use you 263 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:07.200 to do significant things no matter where you are in life right now. And 264 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:11.440 just like Jonah, you're going to find that pursuing God's mission for your life 265 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:15.759 is the greatest adventure that you will ever go on. And we're going to 266 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:21.640 send you Pastor Rick's brand new Bible study, Rising to God's Call a Journey 267 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:26.279 through Jonah, to say thank you for your gift to Daily Hope because it 268 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:30.000 helps us share the life transforming Word of God with the world. Just go 269 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:36.319 to Pastorick dot com or just text the word Hope to eight hundred six hundred, 270 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:41.880 five thousand and four to get this great resource that's pastorick dot com or 271 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:47.160 text the word hope to eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four and thank 272 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:51.319 you so much for your support. Your gift to Daily Hope helps us share 273 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:55.400 the hope of Christ with people all around the world. We hope you'll join 274 00:21:55.480 --> 00:22:00.160 us next time when we look into God's word for our daily hope. This 275 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.480 program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.