WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:06.200 Hey, everyone, thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's 2 00:00:06.280 --> 00:00:07.120 Daily Hope. 3 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.359 This is the place. 4 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.080 Where Rick Warren brings you uplifting messages from God's Word 5 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:15.759 every day to help you grow deeper in faith and 6 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:19.640 live a life with purpose. Today we're continuing in a 7 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:24.320 powerful series called Toolbox for Life. In this series, Rick 8 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:28.600 teaches us four essential skills that you need to succeed 9 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:32.759 wherever God has placed you, whether it's at home, at work, 10 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.520 at school, or in your community. These are tools that 11 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:42.039 every follower of Jesus absolutely needs. And now here's the 12 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:46.799 final part of a message called Ignoring the Naysayers. 13 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:47.920 Isaiah eight thirteen. 14 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:51.719 I want us to read this verse aloud with great enthusiasm. Okay, 15 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:57.159 read it with me. Do not fear anything. Accept the 16 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:02.000 Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you 17 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:07.239 fear Him, you need fear nothing else. If you fear God, 18 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:08.920 you're not gonna be afraid of anybody else, because you 19 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.799 know God's going to take care of you. You don't 20 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.439 if you're afraid of people. The bigger God gets in 21 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:18.319 your mind. The smaller people's opinion get in your mind. 22 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:21.359 The bigger people's opinion get in your mind. The smaller 23 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:24.560 God appears. So the starting point if you want to 24 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:26.439 be a leader is you got to get a big 25 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:30.040 vision of God because that will shrink all the problems. 26 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:32.879 The bigger God feels in your life, the smaller your 27 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:36.079 problems are. The bigger God is, the smaller the opinions 28 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:39.560 of other people. He says, the Lord, almighty God is 29 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:43.000 a great God. He is an almighty God. And he said, 30 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:44.680 you know, if I fear him, I don't fear anybody else. 31 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:46.959 If I'm in other words, if I'm worried about his opinion, 32 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:50.799 I don't have to worry about anybody else's opinion. Because 33 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:54.000 the bigger your vision of God you get, the smaller 34 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:56.560 problems get. If you're the biggest God in your life, 35 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:00.280 your life sucks. Sorry, Why get out of bed in 36 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.480 the morning because you don't have a whole enough for reason, 37 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.519 anything bigger than yourself to live for. Are you kidding me? 38 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:09.479 You think you were put on this earth to live 39 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:10.000 for you? 40 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:10.800 Really? 41 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:14.919 You think God created the entire universe and then went 42 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.479 to all expensive making you so you could live for 43 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:18.879 your petty little life. 44 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.759 Not a chance. You were made for something far, far, 45 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:23.840 far far bigger. 46 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:27.360 So you got to start with getting a big vision 47 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:29.120 of God and the people who are putting you down. 48 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:31.639 The people are negative, people are telling you can't be done. 49 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:32.439 They're not God. 50 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:35.280 They may be good, they may love you, you may love them, 51 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.879 but they're not God. Remember they're not God. By the way, 52 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.560 let me just ask you this question. Who am I 53 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:47.840 allowing to play God in my life? Who are you 54 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:52.439 allowing to play God in your life? This is a 55 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.000 word for that. It's called idolatry. You've made somebody's opinion 56 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.599 an idol, and you're not going to be all got 57 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:01.000 to want you to be. They may be good, but 58 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:01.719 they're not God. 59 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:02.759 Okay. Number two. 60 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.400 Second thing David did and you got to do this too. 61 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:07.039 If you're going to ever be a leader, if you're 62 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:13.400 going to succeed in life, don't get distracted by the negativity, 63 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:15.599 by the people who say it can't be done, by 64 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:17.759 the people who tell you you're not the person, you're 65 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.960 the wrong guy, you're the wrong woman. Don't get distracted. 66 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:25.560 Good illustration of this is the story of Neemiyah in 67 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:26.080 the Bible. 68 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:27.000 Neemiah was not. 69 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.159 A pastor, he was not a Presu's a businessman, and 70 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.280 Israel had been taken captive by the Babylonians. 71 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:35.560 You know where that is, Iraq. 72 00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:38.759 They moved him over there for seventy years, and after 73 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:40.599 seven years they let him go back home. When they 74 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:44.879 went back home, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and 75 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.840 it was defenseless because all the walls had been torn down. 76 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.120 Niamyah got a big idea businessman said this, I'm going 77 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.479 to rebuild my city, and I'm going to start with 78 00:03:55.560 --> 00:04:00.360 rebuilding the wall for the protection of our city. Businessman goes, 79 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.800 I'm going to rebuild our city. It's crumbling, it's fallen apart, 80 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:05.439 and we'll start with the wall. 81 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:06.759 Now. Of course, there was. 82 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:11.400 An instant opposition because the enemies of Israel and Jerusalem 83 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:15.719 didn't certainly didn't want them to be defendable, so they're 84 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:18.800 trying to oppose them. Would you write this down? Every 85 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:22.920 opportunity comes with opposition. You can count on that one. 86 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:27.040 In life as a leader, you realize that every opportunity 87 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:28.480 comes with opposition. 88 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:29.759 I've never done. 89 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:35.000 Anything in my life that wasn't opposed by somebody. With 90 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:40.399 every opportunity comes opposition. Opportunity plus opposition equals God's will. 91 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:44.319 So Neamiahs enemies are trying to do everything they can 92 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:47.519 to stop the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem by 93 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:52.639 this godly good businessman. And the first thing the enemies 94 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:56.560 try is they try ridicule, and people will try to 95 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.959 use ridicule in your life to stop you from doing stuff. 96 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:03.199 And they tried to use ridicule. That didn't work, so 97 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.759 then they tried. The second thing they tried was rumors, 98 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:09.480 and people will do that in your life to stop you. 99 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:13.639 They'll spread rumors about you at work, they'll spread rumors 100 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.279 about you on the internet. 101 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.560 They'll spread rumors about you to try to stop you. 102 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:22.920 That didn't work, so then they actually threatened Neamayah and 103 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:24.519 they said, you know, if you keep this project up, 104 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:24.839 we're going. 105 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:25.199 To kill you. 106 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.240 Now we're getting serious. But that didn't stop Neamayah. He 107 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:33.000 was diligent, determined, and not distractable. 108 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:34.879 And try it, try it. 109 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.720 I'm just going to keep doing what I know God's 110 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:39.360 told me to do. And finally, but when they couldn't 111 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:43.560 use rumor or ridicule or threats, they said, let's just 112 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:47.199 slow him down with discussion. Let's just see if he'll 113 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:49.879 meet with us and just discuss it. Now, they didn't 114 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:53.480 really want anything to happen except the discussion to slow 115 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:58.040 down the project. And four times they come back to 116 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:01.439 Neamiah and they keep saying, Hey, come on, let's just 117 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:02.279 talk about this. 118 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:03.399 And here was. 119 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:05.879 Neemia's response there on your outline, verse three and four 120 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:12.279 of THEMI six. So I replied to these enemies by 121 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:16.279 sending this message to them, I'm doing a great work. 122 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:21.600 I'm doing a great work. I can't stop to come 123 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:23.959 and meet with you. In other words, why would I 124 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:28.680 allow myself be distracted? Four times they sent the same message. 125 00:06:28.839 --> 00:06:32.199 Notice how persistent they are, and each time I gave 126 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.879 them the same reply, I'm doing a great work. 127 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:38.120 I don't have time to discuss it with you. Now, 128 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:39.319 I want to warn you. 129 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.879 That this trap of this being getting distracted is even 130 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:49.360 bigger today because of a thing called the Internet. Or 131 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:53.240 any of you familiar with this. Yeah, can you get 132 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:54.519 distracted by the internet? 133 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:55.360 Oh yeah? 134 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.120 And there are plenty of naysayers online who would love 135 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:02.600 to just hook you into an argument. And all they 136 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.079 want to do is just get you in a discussion. 137 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.800 And their whole identity is controlling for people that they 138 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:13.240 can hook into arguments, and they get their joys out 139 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:18.000 of being angry. And so you know, Billy Graham told 140 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:22.160 me one time, he said, when you can wrestle with 141 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.959 a pig, but only one of you is going to 142 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:30.600 enjoy it, And it's true. You know, if you want 143 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.959 to go take on these trolls who are just negative 144 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.959 about everything and negative about what you believe and negative 145 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:38.680 about what you do, well you're just gonna waste your time. 146 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:43.240 You do not have to defend everything you do. You 147 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.600 don't have to defend everything you believe to every troll 148 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:52.199 out there on the internet who cares what they think anyway. Now, 149 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.240 I know I'm digging a little deep here for some 150 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:57.720 of you, but some of you have the personality that 151 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:02.360 you cannot stand to be missing understood, and you just 152 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.600 feel you have to correct it because you can't think 153 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:11.279 possible that anybody in the universe might misunderstand you, and 154 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:15.279 so you feel duty bound to explain everything you believe 155 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:18.600 and everything you do. And you actually think that people 156 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:21.759 who oppose you that it's just a matter of misunderstanding, 157 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.360 and that if you would just or able to explain 158 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.879 it to them very clearly, then obviously they would go, oh, 159 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:32.960 thank you, you're right, and you have this feeling that 160 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:36.679 if I just explain what I'm doing, then this person 161 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:40.679 who's negative about it will all of a sudden become 162 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:45.320 positive about it. They'll agree with you. No, they won't. 163 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:48.759 I hate to bust your bubble, but they won't because 164 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:52.320 most of the time, all of us, every human being, 165 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:57.120 uses what's called motivated reasoning. You use it about ninety 166 00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:00.639 five percent of the time. I do, everybody does. Motivated 167 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:05.000 reasoning is based on emotion, not based on logic. You 168 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:07.799 think you're logical, You're not nearly as logical as you 169 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:13.679 think you are. You make decisions emotionally and then you 170 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:16.399 look for logic to back it up. People do this 171 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:20.639 with accepting Jesus Christ. They have an emotional fear of 172 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.159 recepting Christ, and then they look for logical reasons to 173 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:27.159 back it up. But the real reason is emotional. It's emotional. 174 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.960 It's a fear. It's a fear of loss of control. 175 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:32.759 It's a fear I'll lose my freedom. It's a fear. 176 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:34.879 Are you kidding? Who do you think created you? 177 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:41.559 But we make emotionally based decisions motivated reasoning. And if 178 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.799 somebody doesn't want to like you, they're just not going 179 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:48.159 to like you. Some people don't want to like you. 180 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.720 I hate to tell you that, and all the explanations 181 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:54.000 that you give is not going to change their mind. 182 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:57.759 In fact, if somebody has three reasons you're wrong and 183 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.799 three reasons they don't like you, and then all of 184 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:03.399 a sudden you show them how logically those reasons are wrong, 185 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:04.759 it doesn't make them happy. 186 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:07.879 It makes them matter, and. 187 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:09.279 All of a sudden they have to go find three 188 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:13.879 other reasons because you've just blown that, and you actually 189 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:18.240 made them mad, more mad because you have exposed that 190 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:21.240 they've made a decision based on emotion, not based on logic. 191 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:27.919 Some misunderstandings about you. Not everybody's going to understand you, 192 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.840 and some misunderstandings that people have about you are not 193 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:36.799 going to be corrected until we get to Heaven. In heaven, 194 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:39.279 it's all going to be laid out. All the truth 195 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:42.759 will be being plain. Your motivations, your reasons, and all 196 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:45.120 that kind of stuff. It'll be plain to everybody. And 197 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:50.200 that's why Jesus said this, Matthew ten, verse six, twenty six. 198 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.600 Don't be intimidated by these naysayers. Eventually everything's going to 199 00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:59.600 be out in the open, and everyone will know how 200 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:02.919 things really are, So just have the. 201 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:04.200 Faith to wait for that day. 202 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:06.279 Don't feel like you have to spend all your time 203 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.759 defending why you do what you do, or what you 204 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:10.799 do or who you say it to, or what you 205 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:15.679 believe you don't you don't. One day it'll all come out. 206 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:18.799 Everybody's going to know how things really are. Have the faith, 207 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:20.879 the wait for day, and really, what matters is not 208 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:23.000 what other people think of you. It's only what matters 209 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:27.039 is what God thinks of you. Okay, Number three the 210 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:31.200 third key, realize they're not God. Don't get distracted. Number 211 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:37.039 three Never attack back, never never never never never never 212 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:41.639 never never never, never attack back to a naysayer. Just 213 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.960 leave it all in God's hands. Don't be a smart mouth, 214 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:51.279 don't be sarcastic, don't retaliate. 215 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.120 Now, let me show you some verses on this. 216 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:58.960 Let's read Proverbs eleven twelve allowed together, read it with me. 217 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:06.159 It is foolish to speak scornfully of others. Oh, stop 218 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:11.679 right there, it's foolish to speak scornfully of others. Then 219 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:13.720 God would consider a lot of people on the internet 220 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:18.879 fools because they're speaking scornfully all the time about others. 221 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:26.159 People of other political persuasions, people of other religions, people 222 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:30.600 who have other music taste, people who don't like the 223 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.320 sports team you like. It says there it is foolish 224 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:40.080 to speak scornfully of others. If you're smart, you will 225 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.600 keep what yeah, quiet quiet. So as I said, God 226 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:46.360 would say, there are a lot of foolish people in 227 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.440 the world, and particularly on the Internet. And if I 228 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:53.679 join those people in dissing somebody else, I'm a fool. 229 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.360 At that moment, I'm a fool. It is foolish. 230 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:03.080 I am a fool when anytime I speak scornfully about anybody. 231 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:04.759 There's no wiggle room in that verse. And I could 232 00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:07.480 show you twenty or thirty others that say the same thing. 233 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:12.879 So just put a zipper on your mouth and stop 234 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:19.320 speaking scornfully of other people, even when they attack you. 235 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:21.399 Now, let me give you a little secret. 236 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.759 Some of those naysayers in your life who tell you 237 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:27.279 can't be done, who are negative all the time, who 238 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:30.440 don't they're always commenting on your marriage and your looks 239 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:33.840 and your kids and you know whatever. Those people some 240 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.360 of them are not that bright. 241 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.039 They aren't. They're just not that bright. 242 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:43.759 It's any fool can criticize it. You know, it takes 243 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.840 genius to build a building. Any fool can criticize it. 244 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:49.279 It takes genius to create a piece of art. Any 245 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:52.080 fool can criticize it. It's a genius to great to 246 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:52.879 make a great movie. 247 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:53.360 Any fool. 248 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:59.440 You can teach a chimpanzee to criticize. So he's saying, here, 249 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.799 don't I don't attack back. Some of these naysayers in 250 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:05.720 your life. They're not that bright, and you, with your 251 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.039 brilliant wit, could put them in their place quite quickly. 252 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.279 Don't. Don't. 253 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:15.919 Sometimes I'll hear somebody will say something about me, and 254 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:16.440 I think. 255 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:18.600 Oh man, I could shoot that one down fast enough. 256 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:22.600 And I have this little witty repartee that I could 257 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:25.360 give back that would just slay them. But I never 258 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:29.879 never use it. Never Why Because the Bible says don't retaliate. 259 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.279 The key is to respond like Jesus. First Peter, chapter 260 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:38.080 two says this. When they hurled their insults at Jesus, 261 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:43.720 he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no 262 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:50.279 threats back. Instead, he entrusted himself to him. This is God, 263 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:55.080 to God who judges justly. I want you to write 264 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.559 this down on your outline. I am most like Jesus 265 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.840 when I stay silent under attack. I am most like 266 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:08.279 Jesus when I stay silent under attack. And I just 267 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:10.039 put it in the hands of God and realize, one 268 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.120 day it's all going to even out. God's going to 269 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:14.919 settle the score. The truth will come out. All the 270 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:17.720 nasty stuff that's been said about you that's false will 271 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.440 be worthless, and what will matter is what God said 272 00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:25.320 about you. And actually, when you respond the way Jesus, 273 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:30.679 your critics, your attackers, your naysayers actually help you. Let 274 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.720 me show you how this works. You're trying to do 275 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:37.519 the right thing. Somebody criticizes you from the outside for 276 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.960 your motivation or your method or whatever, and instead of 277 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:45.600 you retaliating, you say, God, bless you go in peace. 278 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:50.840 May God graciously give you his grace. And then you 279 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.919 know what happens. God goes, that's my boy, that's my girl, 280 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:58.159 and he gives you more power, He gives you more anointing. 281 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:01.159 And so the way you get more power, more annointing, 282 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.799 more blessing in your life is refused to retaliate. And 283 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:09.240 then actually those negative people actually help you because God 284 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.639 sees you're responding in the right way, and he just 285 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:13.639 gives you more blessing. I can trust that guy with 286 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.559 more blessing. I can trust that woman with more blessing. 287 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:21.039 I most like Jesus when I stay silent under attack. 288 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:22.039 Number four. 289 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:27.960 Fourth thing is focus. Stay focused on God and his promises. 290 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.960 Don't focus on the problem. Don't focus on the people. 291 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:35.840 Don't focus on the naysayers. Stay focused on God and 292 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.679 his promises. Become a promised person. Learn the promises of 293 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:42.279 the Bible. There's about seven thousand of them in the Bible. 294 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.759 Promises of God to you. First Samuel, chapter thirty says 295 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:52.159 this verse six, bitter people spoke against David and talked 296 00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:54.320 of stoning him. This is later on in life when 297 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:58.399 he is king. Bitter people spoke of David and talked 298 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:02.720 to stoning him. But David found his strength in the television. 299 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.519 Oh that's the reviled substandard perversion translation. 300 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:17.359 All right, David found strength where in the Lord. In 301 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:17.839 the Lord. 302 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:22.200 When somebody's being a nastier, you don't go gossip about 303 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:23.799 them to somebody else in the office. 304 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:26.759 Just find your strength in the Lord. The Lord. 305 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.960 I know you love me, I know you have a 306 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.160 plan for my life. I'm gonna trust you. Look at 307 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:35.160 these last verses p Someone eighteen, verse six, David says, 308 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.839 the Lord is for me. The Lord is for me, 309 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.960 so I won't be afraid. What can mere mortals do 310 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:46.400 to me? You know what people can dislike you and 311 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:50.680 it won't harm you. You need to understand this. You 312 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:55.960 don't need anybody else's approval to be happy, and you're 313 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:57.640 probably not gonna get it if you haven't got it 314 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:01.039 by now. You don't need anybody approval to be happy. 315 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:04.359 You're as happy as you choose to be. You don't 316 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:07.440 need your parents approval, your brother's approval, your sister's approval, 317 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.799 somebody some friend's approval. You're as happy as you choose 318 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:14.920 to be. Says the Lord's for me. I'm not going 319 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:16.960 to be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 320 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:21.039 They have their opinions, So what some one nineteen forty 321 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:25.400 one and forty two Show me, David praise how much 322 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:26.680 you love me? 323 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:27.359 Lord? 324 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.240 You love me, Lord, so it doesn't matter if somebody 325 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:32.880 else doesn't love me. Show me how much you love me, Lord, 326 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:35.440 and save me according to your promise. 327 00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:36.400 Have you been saved? 328 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:39.079 God has a promise to save you he's a Save 329 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:42.200 me according to your promise. Then I can answer those 330 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:46.759 who insult me because I trust in your word. Some 331 00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:52.319 one nineteen, verse eleven says, I've banked your promises in the. 332 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:55.400 Vault of my heart. That's what you need to do. 333 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:58.920 Instead of banking all the negative things people have said 334 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:01.880 about you in your heart or in your mind, you 335 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.359 need to bank the promises of God in your heart 336 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:07.000 and in your mind. What God says about you is 337 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:10.640 what matters and the other doesn't. Now, David says, save 338 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.640 me according to your promise. Have you been saved? What 339 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.039 is the promise of God? The promise of God is 340 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:21.319 this Romans ten thirteen. Whoever calls in the name of 341 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:25.559 the Lord will be saved. That's promise. Have you ever 342 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:27.400 called in the name of the Lord. If you haven't 343 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.759 done it, you need to do so right now. Let's 344 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:34.079 bow our heads and clothes, and if you call in 345 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:36.960 the name of the Lord, you will be saved. 346 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:39.680 So why don't you pray in your heart? Say I 347 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:41.039 don't know what to pray, Well, I'll pray a little 348 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:43.079 prayer and you can follow me in this. Just say 349 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.000 me to God. I just say. 350 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:51.400 God, I realize I can't save myself. Just say, God, 351 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.400 I realize I can't save myself. I can't forgive my 352 00:19:55.480 --> 00:20:02.759 own sins. I can't even solve my own problems. So 353 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:07.680 I need you to save me. Jesus Christ. You came 354 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:12.759 at Christmas to be the savior of the world. So 355 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.640 as much as I know how, I say, Jesus Christ, 356 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:18.799 I ask you to be my savior. Be my manager, 357 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:23.240 call the shots in my life. Help me to care 358 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.039 more about what you think and say than what the 359 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:31.480 naysayers think and say. Dear God, give me your vision 360 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:37.599 and purpose and dream for my life. Jesus Christ, fill 361 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.200 my life with love so that I don't react to 362 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.880 all of the naysayers and all the negativity around me. 363 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.039 Make me a positive person with your love. Jesus Christ, 364 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:53.000 come in and save me today. I humbly ask this 365 00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:58.839 as authentically as I know how, in Jesus's name, I 366 00:20:58.880 --> 00:20:59.240 pray this. 367 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:00.440 Amen. 368 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:08.920 Hey, if you've just prayed along with Rick to accept 369 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:12.279 Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you. 370 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:16.160 Just email Rick at Pastorick dot com. And now, this 371 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:18.920 is really one of my favorite parts of the broadcast. 372 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:22.440 This is letters from our listeners. And now here's Rick. 373 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:25.519 Friends, if you're having trouble staying consistent in your Bible 374 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:29.279 study and quiet time, one thing you can do is 375 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:32.880 have the Daily Hope devotional and podcast emailed to you 376 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:37.039 every single day. Did you know that now each devotional, 377 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:40.680 each daily devotional gives you a Bible verse and both 378 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:43.960 a written and an audio teaching about that verse. 379 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:44.599 Now. 380 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:47.000 I mentioned this because that's exactly what one of my 381 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.839 listeners has done. Marla wrote me, and she says that 382 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:55.079 getting Daily Hope devotionals have helped deepen her relationship with 383 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:58.839 the Lord and helped her be more consistent. Marla writes this, Hello, 384 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:01.799 Pastor Rick, I've been a Christian all my life, but 385 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:04.759 I felt lost for the past few years. But a 386 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:08.039 friend of mine told me about your Daily Hope emails 387 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.000 and I've been getting them for about a month now. 388 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:14.640 I read them every morning, and my meditation and prayer 389 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:18.839 practices have become more regular and definitely more meaningful. My 390 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.480 relationship to God has grown because of you and the 391 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:26.279 Daily Hope Ministry. I now listen to your podcast every 392 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:30.000 day on my way to or from work, and I 393 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:32.839 love it. So I felt compelled to tell you that 394 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:37.920 I've gotten so much from your Creating Life Shaping Conversations podcast. 395 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:41.400 They have really helped me as a mother, as a wife, 396 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:44.359 as a boss, and as a friend. So I'm going 397 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:48.440 to share them with my oldest daughter, who's nineteen. She's 398 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:50.799 trying to find friends and find her way in college. 399 00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:55.519 So thank you, thank you, thank you well, thank you, Marla, 400 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.160 thank you for writing. I'm so encouraged to hear how 401 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.680