Extraordinary Possibilities - Step Out

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Transcript

Framing The Year’s Theme

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Uh, to uh this morning uh prayer meeting. We thank God for his grace upon our lives. I believe that he has continued to keep you as the year continues to progress. We are on the 11th day uh of the year 2026, and we bless the Lord for what he's doing in our lives. We continue um to build on our theme for this year, living uh in the realm of extraordinary possibilities, and we want to just figure it out from there, and we believe that the Lord is going to um minister to us. And we have said that um uh even as we go to introduce that the extraordinary um is possible. It's possible to lead extraordinary lives, to do extraordinary ministry, extraordinary service, extraordinary church, extraordinary work. Uh, it is it is very, very, very possible. And one of the things that we have seen is that those that are able to do extraordinary things, there's a realm uh that which you reach where the extraordinary begins to happen. And it doesn't happen by you know just by accident, it happens by the things that we do that position us uh to experience the extraordinary. And we have been looking uh in the last, I think the last two two two sessions, we have looked at the importance of goal setting, living a planned life, and we say that if you do that, you position yourself, live in the realm of the extraordinary. And this morning, we want to pick it up from there, and

Paul In Ephesus: Scripture Foundation

SPEAKER_00 1:35

let's just read the scripture that has been guiding us uh over uh those sessions in Acts chapter 19. Acts chapter 19 is a story of Paul, and we're going to build on that today. Acts chapter 19, uh, verses 1. The Bible says, While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. And there he found some disciples and asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They answered, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. So Paul blessed, uh so Paul uh uh uh so Paul asked, then what baptism did you receive? John's baptism, they replied, Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in awe. Verse 8. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate, they refused to believe, and publicly maligned the way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannas. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Verse 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and uprons that attached him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews were who went around driving out evil spirits, tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out. Seven sons of Skiva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them. About, but who are you? Then the men were the evil spirit, jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known, the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. And many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what the Lord had done. Say amen. And then I want to read again from the book of Ruth. Book of Ruth, uh, chapter one,

Principles Govern Outcomes

SPEAKER_00 5:10

just to get first perspective. It's a story of Naomi. I'll make a reference to it here as well. In the days when the judges ruled, there was famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moal. Um, the man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Malon and Kileel. They were Aphrodites from Bethlehem, Judah, and they went to Moab and lived there. Um Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Opa and the other named Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Malon and Kidon also died, and Naomi was left with her two sons and her husband. When Naomi heard that in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. I want you to just take note of that first seven. With her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Allow me just to you know to back those scriptures there. We'll make a quick reference to them as we continue um on this um you know subject of the extraordinary. Um, because today I want to uh bring in the the you know this the second uh principle that is key uh to us, and that is stepping out, stepping out. Uh, for you to experience um the extraordinary, one of the things that you must do, you must be willing to step out. You must be willing to step out. Now, I I think it is Stephen Covey who has written the book of this famous book of um the habits of the highly successful people. And it's written, and in his book, he says we cannot we control our actions, but the consequences that flow from those actions are controlled by principles. We control our actions, but the consequences that flow from those actions are controlled by principles. What we mean by that? You don't control, we don't control the outcomes of our life. For example, you don't control your health, you don't control your wealth either. You control actions and inputs, but it is principles that control the outcome. Uh, we control actions and inputs, and that's why we are here this morning learning. Uh, because out of today's message and the ones that we have covered, uh, we may in we may we may take different actions and different inputs. And if we take different actions or different inputs, then the principles that govern life will control the outcome. For example, if you continue to spend less than you earn and save and invest what is left, uh, then the principle of compound interest, which we have learned here a number of times, will make you wealthy. Um, so the wealth uh will come out of an action you have taken to become part of your life of spending less than you earn and saving and investing what is left. So what you control is making a decision to spend less than you earn and to invest what is left. But then what makes you wealthy is then the principle of compound interest. Um that's what will make you wealthy. Um so principles is what govern, is what uh what unleash the results, and what we control is the actions, is the input. And so God's word comes to challenge us to change our actions, to change our thinking, and then because when we take different actions and different inputs, then we experience different things. And so for us to experience the extraordinary, uh, there are certain things that we need to adjust ourselves to. Um, now we you you can if if you continue to eat um, you know, to eat healthy food, as you make a decision and say, I'm not to eat healthy, then your natural system, uh governed by principles, will make you healthy. Um so what makes you healthy is the principle that governs the uh you know the natural um you know system in your body. Um if you continue to feed your brain with books and learning and reading God's word, then the the principle of neuroscience um will change the way you think. Um because everything in life is governed by a set of principles. And we can, you you know, you we are a product of those principles in action. And so as we discuss this subject of um the extraordinary, it is important for us to appreciate that there are some actions that we may need to take. Um, you know, as we take those actions, then the principles um that govern life will reduce the extraordinary. And that's what we are learning here uh this

Step Out: The Catalyst For Extraordinary

SPEAKER_00 11:23

morning. In the story of Paul, um, where we have read, uh we see Paul uh setting off, um, Paul taking off, um, you know, while Apollos is in Corinth, Paul takes the road um through the interior and he arrives at Ephesus. Now, Paul had been chosen, he had been anointed of God and sent um, you know, the the Lord they say separate Paul um, you know, so that I can use him among the Gentiles. Um, but we see Paul stepping out. We see him stepping out and getting on the road, and he begins to go to Ephesus. And when he went to Ephesus, um, you know, you know, he found some disciples there, he prayed for them, he received the Holy Spirit. But what I like about um, you know, this story of Paul is that this is the one place where the Bible captures extraordinary things happening. But those extraordinary things did not just happen, they happen because Paul was able to step out. And brothers and sisters, if we don't step out and attempt new things, if we don't step out and um and risk lives, if we don't step out and risk things and um, you know, the as much as the power, as much as God wants to do the extraordinary, you go to nothing is going to happen. Because the path to the extraordinary begins with you stepping on and getting yourself on the road to Ephesus. And that's where sometimes um, you know, we get stuck because stepping out is not easy. Um, you know, stepping out is not is not easy. You are going on onto unchattered, unchattered territory, places that you have never been to before. Paul, um, it's not recorded that you know in the first journeys, those were new places he was going. He didn't know what to expect, he didn't know who to find. Um, but he stepped out anyway. And it was that act of stepping out and beginning to uh to do something about the calling that is in his life, that now later on we see um the extraordinary beginning to happen. And it didn't happen in the first month, it didn't happen in the second month, it didn't happen in the third month. In fact, it talks about him, you know, two years arguing in the hall in Tyrannas. Um, you know, and then God began to move. And the revival was so big that even handkerchiefs, patrons that had touched him, were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and evil spirits we are living with. That's just how powerful revival that was uh experienced here in Ephesus. I don't think there's been ever any other revival that's mentioned, like the one that was here in Ephesus, where even the heathen, even those who didn't know God, we are now beginning to use the name of Jesus Christ to, you know, to command evil spirits to lead people. Say, you know, in the name of the Jesus that Paul preaches, we command you to go out. These are people who are not even born again. That's just how powerful the revival uh was here. But what led to this revival that we see here, it is because Paul was willing to step out. And in the year 2026, brethren, as we um, you know, start the year still very young, as we believe God for extraordinary possibilities, extraordinary things in our lives, in our families, in our careers, we must be having the courage to step out. And that's what I want to encourage us um this this morning. The story of Naomi also captures the same thing. The Bible says that there was famine. Um, you know, there was uh famine in the land uh where Elimelech and Naomi lived in the you know um in Bethlehem or in Judah, there was famine there. And when the famine came, um, the Bible tells us that this man called uh Elimelech and his wife and his two sons Marlon and Killion, they they they decided that they they they will go to Moab and live there. So they they said we'll not sit here and just continue um suffering and within you know go through this famine. We'll go out there to Moab and you know maybe things are going to be different, and you know, they're having a better time. And the Bible says they left and went, got on the road, and they ended up in a place called Moab. And the Bible tells us that later on, a few a few years or so, um, Naomi, of course, Naomi loses the husband, he loses two sons, they die there, and then later on, Naomi also hears that the Lord has remembered Bethlehem, and she decides to say, I'm not staying in Moab again, I'm going out, I'm I'm stepping out, and I'm getting on the road back to um you know to Judah where she had come from. And that was the beginning again of revival uh in in our life, the change is shifting in

Naomi And Ruth: Moving In Hard Times

SPEAKER_00 16:45

our life, and she ended up uh with this woman called Ruth. And when you read the story, uh we get the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't have time to read all of it, but you you know, you can read it for yourself. But that was the beginning of transformation of this family. Naomi eventually uh become the lineage uh to our Lord Jesus Christ. And Joe began with her decided to be different, his family decided to be different, willing to take the road, get on the road um to tomorrow, get on the road back uh to Judah, basically. That's what I want to encourage us this morning um on how we can live in the realm of extraordinary possibilities and what we need to do, uh, picking up on these two scriptures that we have read. And that brings us to point number one. Uh, if we're going to experience um the supernatural, the extraordinary in our lives, in the year 2026 and and and beyond, um, one of the things that we have said is that we need to step out. We need to step out. And uh, point number one here is that don't we don't allow yourself to be to get stuck in an area of failure and luck. Don't allow yourself to get stuck in an area of failure and luck. Step out, get on the road and seek out new possibilities. This year 2026, don't allow yourself to get stuck in an area of failure or luck. Set out to seek new possibilities. Um, if you look at what Paul did here, he arrives in Ephesus and he begins to preach. Uh, the first place that he went was the synagogue. And he would have expected that in the synagogue this we are meant that we are even closer to God. Um, maybe that's what he thought. He goes into this synagogue and he begins to reason. Um, you know, um, he enters the synagogue and he begins to speak. The Bible says he was speaking boldly there for three months. Three months, arguing persuasively. This was Paul. Paul was great at he was a great orator. He persuaded these people about the kingdom of God. But the Bible says for those three months, he got nothing. There was no success. His ministry was a complete failure. In fact, if anything else, the Bible says that they maligned him, they became obstinate, they refused to believe, and publicly maligned the way. At this point, if you take the snapshot of Paul's ministry, he looked like a failure. He's preached, he's done the outer core, no one is responding, and you know, nothing is happening, everything looks dead. It's one of those like dead missions. You go where there's nothing happening, and it's like, you know, God is not there. And Paul could have sat there and agreed that his mission ministry had failed. He could have easily sat there and concluded maybe it was not God's will for me to come to Ephesus. Maybe, you know, this is not where God has called me. You know, maybe this is my lot in life. I'll never be successful in ministry. A lot of questions would have come to Paul's mind when. For three months, there's absolutely no fruits coming out of this ministry. But Paul did not allow himself to get stuck in failure. He did not allow himself to get stuck in the failure of his mission in the synagogue. The Bible says he rose and he got out of there, he took the few, the few believers, and they crossed over the road to a hall. The hall, uh it was called the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He crossed there, went on there, and he began afresh. And he began to now speak to the Jews and the Greeks. Um, and he says he did this for two good years. Brothers, this should be a huge encouragement for us. As we begin the year 2026, if you have failed, maybe the year 2025 was not a great year. Maybe the years before haven't been great, things haven't worked out, um, you know, things haven't gone the way you you know you wanted them to go. Maybe you have failed, you are in a place that's difficult. Don't stay there, don't allow yourself to get stuck in an area of failure or luck. This year, set out on the road to seek out new possibilities. New possibilities. God wants us to step out on the road. Uh, get on the road to Ephesus, get on the road to Moab, get on the road, seeking out new possibilities. Uh, Ruth kept going. Um, you know, she went to uh Moab. And then when things looked like they were good in Jerusalem, she moved back. She was looking for opportunities. Um, you know, we this we we we we can go and we can start feeling sorry for ourselves uh when things haven't happened well, when we have gone through failure, we have gone through um you know hardships and pain, and we can sit down and start feeling sorry for ourselves. But I want to encourage us this morning, if you want to enter that realm of the extraordinary things,

Don’t Get Stuck In Failure

SPEAKER_00 22:05

don't settle, don't stay stuck in an area, any area of failure, all that determined to seek out new possibilities, uh brethren. Um if you go to like the the if you if you go to these cemeteries, I think in in the towns you'll find these war, war cemeteries where people who fought in the first world war, the second world war are buried. We erect statues from them. Um but sometimes you can go to those graveyards and you can feel sorry um, you know, for those soldiers that died fighting. Um, but at least you you know what what sometimes encourages me is that they they died fighting for something. They they they did not just they they fought, they fought their way. They did not just you know live half you know, halfway. They they fought their way, they died for something. Um, you know, and I think it's better. There are people that have not lived. Um, you know, you we can stay stuck in one area. Um, and I believe the Lord is encouraging us this morning. Let us step out, let's launch out. Uh, in in whether it's in whichever aspects of our lives, in our work with God, in our ministry, in the church, in um in our professional lives, in our family, in our relationships. Let us not allow ourselves to get stuck in an area of failure or lack. Let us seek out new possibilities. The God we serve is a God of possibilities. And let us start this year knowing that God will make it away for you. Get on the road. Paul was on the road to Ephesus. Janaomi and Emilec and the children, they went, got on their way to to to to to Moab. When things turned different, they came back. They were on the road doing something about the situation. What the enemy would like us to do is to accept our fate. You know, this is it, this is what has happened. You are failure now. Look what has happened to you. You know, nothing great is going to come. Look, you are starting off again. And let us not allow that message from the enemy. Don't stay in any area of failure or luck. Stand up, get up on the road, do something about it. Um, you know, if things haven't worked before, get out there and attempt something new, remain fresh, and you'll see a God coming through for us. And you'll experience the X, the extraordinary. And that's what happened later on. We see Paul's ministry blooming, you know, just things happening. Why he did not allow himself to get stuck. He continued, uh, continued moving. Number two, um, we need to be bold. We need to be bold. Uh, it is never too late. We need to be bold, it's never too late. Um, one of our uh teachers in in in high school, when we were, you know, just I think around you know, four, the, you know, he came to speak to us, and it, you know, we were still preparing for exams those days, it was quite in the early 80s. And he one of the things that I never forget about him is that he he told us it's never too late. It's never too late. And he told us how with him, you know, he had not really done very well. Things had not worked for him until form three, and then it was towards his end of form, you know, end of form three that now he began to get serious and began to study. And and he said it was that last year that gave him his breakthrough. And then he told us it is never too late. And I want to tell us, brethren, the enemy would like us to feel like it's too late. Some of us feel it's too late, to it's too late to start anything. It is never too late to change. If you look around, there are many people that have gone ahead to be successful that started up even when it was too when people thought it was too late. Um, you know, it's never too late to make a bold, a bold move. What I like about Ruth and Naomi, despite them losing, um, you know, despite Naomi losing his sons, losing his uh husband, uh, she kept going and just kept going. And and wherever the opportunity came in, she just kept pushing. And so, my sisters and brothers this morning, let us be encouraged. It's never too late. You can change, you can start something, you can make a bold move today that's going to change your destiny, that's going to change your family, that's going to change your financial uh position, that is going to position you for the extraordinary. It is never too late. If you look at many people began their career when they were very late, you look at, I was looking at some of the people, Henry Ford was the greatest, one of the greatest engineers and started up the Ford Motor Company. It was not until you know his 40th birthday that he founded the Ford Motor Company. And that's when he introduced them, what is called the Model T. The Model T came five years later. And he went on to build one of the greatest companies that is still surviving up to today, the Ford Motor Company.

Be Bold: It’s Never Too Late

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Abraham Lincoln, um, you know, at the age of 40, he left the House of Representatives and went back to practicing law. At the age of 40, you know, he went back to practice law. And he's, you know, it looked like his political career was over. Um, but then shortly after that, he went on and founded, um, he jumped onto the founded Republican Party that is today controlled by Donald Trump. And seven years later, he was elected the president of the United States of America. It was never too late. They started off, and you can go check on Ronald Reagan, he was another president of America. He had he was in the acting career. He first came to the political stage uh when he delivered in 1964 that famous speech, a time for choosing. He was 53 years old, and he was able to leverage that and went on uh to become one of the most respected presidents of the 20th century. They all began, you know, at their later stages of their life. So I'm just saying, encourage us this morning, make a bold move. It's never too late for you to do something amazing. Um, don't say, Oh, yeah, you know, I've been here for 30 years, 40 years. Um, we see people moving in from you know, acting career, going back to politics and becoming president, people moving in, going back, you know, from um, you know, from um you know, from uh politics, going back to practice law, and then coming back. Uh so it is never too late. And I want us to know this morning, once you have that mentality that it's never too late, you keep venturing out, you keep attempting, getting on the road. Um, you know, you um you know, at you you wake up every morning and even today I can bounce back, I can you know begin, I can make a bold move today, and tomorrow I can um I can make a very, very big difference. So, brethren, if we are going to live in that realm of the extraordinary possibilities, we need to know that we can make a bold move, and it's never too late. We talk about stepping out, stepping out there. Uh, and may the year 2026 be the year that we're going to step out. And remember, it is we control our actions, it's the actions that we take. Um, that once we take those actions, there are principles uh that that then dictate the outcome. And what is in our hands is to take the actions. Uh, say amen to that. Uh, number three, um, which is I think very important as well, and and this really happens a lot to us. If you look at Naomi, you know, and Emil Abimelech, they go in there, they make an attempt, um, and somehow it doesn't work out for them. They go to Moham. Um, this man, the husband dies, the two sons die. And it looked like, you know, you can sit there and say, Well, we made a mistake here. We made a mistake. Why did we come to Moam? You know, we if maybe if we had stayed in in Bethlehem, you know, my husband would not have died. I would not have lost my two sons if we had stayed in Bethlehem. You know, many times, brothers and sisters, we take journeys. When you take journeys, we can reach a point of loss. And when we reach that point of loss, it's the enemy would like us to sit there and begin to blame God. Uh, to blame God for uh the actions that you took. You you went in, took a job, and maybe it didn't work out the way it was supposed to work out, it didn't work out well, and you know, you end up there, or you take a particular path, and it doesn't really um take you where you wanted to reach. And you can reach that point and say, Oh my god, maybe if I would have taken something different, I would not have experienced this loss. This is what Naomi um was going through. Um, she's she's got no husband, no two sons, and she's now left with two daughters-in-law, and and she's figuring out what do I do in life? She looked like she was a complete failure. And we can look, we can be at that point where we look at our lives and we look like it's a failure. But God is not done with you. It's a it's a particular um um position, it's a snapshot of your life, and you cannot define your life by that snapshot of that point of failure. You need to understand, you need to rise up and and and know that we are not defined by that particular point of failure. God is not done with us, he's still working out things, and it shall come out okay. And and the most natural thing is for us to blame God. And that's point number three. Never blame God for life's failures and setbacks. Never blame God for life's failures and setbacks. It kills that stepping out spirit. When you have tragedy and trouble, it is easy to blame God when things don't go out. You want to blame God? You can say, God, why did you allow this to happen to me? Why did you allow me to go through this safe? Have I sinned? Um, was I not in your will? You know, why God? Why me of all the people? Why do you allow me to go through this? And you can look at, hey, I made a mistake. Um, maybe I shouldn't have taken that decision. Maybe I shouldn't have gone joined that church, maybe I shouldn't have started that ministry, maybe I shouldn't have done this. And and those thoughts will come through your life when we are experiencing loss. Um, it is easy to blame God. But I want to encourage us, brothers and sisters, if you're going to experience the extraordinary and as we step out, never blame God for life's failures and setbacks. It will kill your that venturing spirit that is in us. And maybe you are here and you're going through that, you're in that state of loss. You feel like you know things haven't worked out, you know. That in fact, Naomi is so when she goes back to birth, they say, Don't call me Naomi anymore. Call me Mara, you know, call me Mara, because you know, God has um, you know, has taught me, you know, she she had this attitude that God had punished her. Um, and that was wrong. God was not done with her. If you look at the life of Paul again, where we've um where we've where we've read Paul, he spent three months, no results at all. You don't see God, uh Paul blaming God. He doesn't blame God, he just picks on and goes into the next or in Tyrannas um and and begins

Stop Blaming God And Move Forward

SPEAKER_00 33:40

afresh. You know, picks the few disciples that are there, and he says, Let me move on across the road in Tyrannas. And that is the attitude we need to have. Uh, if people have rejected you, maybe the job has ended up here, or or the work hasn't just pick up your CV and go to the next company. Um, start out, get going. You know, things haven't worked here, you know, just move on. Paul moved on to the hall in Tyrannas and started afresh with the feel that he had. Whatever experience you have, whatever you have in your hands, pick it up. You know, if that business has not worked, don't fear to position to the next one. Um, you know, don't get stuck in one thing, you know, keep adding, keep positioning, keep pivoting, uh, keep trying new things. If this client has said no, um, you know, move on to the next one, knock the next door. Um, you know, the fact that the deal that you are chasing has not come through, has not made you a failure. Keep going, knock the next door. Um, and and it's going to happen. And and this is what Paul did. That's the spirit that Paul had. He kept going. So when one door was closed, he moved on to the next one. He does not blame God, he doesn't sit there and have a pity party and start mourning and complaining. Just as next, just next. And you know, when we live like that, we'll enter the realm of extraordinary possibilities. Um, don't blame God. Um, and and it happens in many areas. You know, we have people, you know, you could have, you may have, you may be divorced, you can lose your marriage. Um, you know, you say, How did I end up here? I thought I was so sure. I thought I had prayed and I thought I was clear, but you know, things don't work out. Don't allow that to define you. Um, you know, if you if you know that life is life, that life is life and things happen, you keep moving and expect God to bless you. Um, if I made a mistake yesterday, I'll keep dusting myself up and I keep moving and I expect God's blessings uh upon my life. Naomi felt like God had punished her. Um, and and it was so um, you know, she was so depressed. He says, Oh, you know, don't call me Naomi anymore. Um, you know, I left here full and I'm coming with nothing except Ruth. Um, you know, and and she was so um, she felt that God had punished her. Um, and what she was almost missing um is that the ballet season was beginning. The ballet season was beginning, but she could not recognize it. When we get so much obsessed with the why, why did God allow this to happen to me? You miss out the freshness that God is sending. And I believe that 2026 is a fresh year, is ahead of us, it's a new season. 2025 is gone with his pain, with his troubles, with his losses, uh, with what with the good things that it had, but it's gone. 2026 is a fresh year that is ahead of us, and we're going to make the best of what we can. Um, if something happened then last year, let us not blame God. Let's step out, let's venture out and just believe that God is on your side. Whatever has happened in the past, don't let that, don't blame God, don't become bitter. Uh, don't become feel yourself the resentment. Pick yourself up, don't blame God. Venture out, step out there and let us believe that God is on our side and He wants us to succeed. And we believe, I believe, as we do this, uh, 2026 and the years ahead of us are going to be the years of the extraordinary. Say amen to that, my brothers and sisters. That is one thing the enemy really, really likes to use to you know, to feel us, show us our failures, the how you thought 2025 was. Look how you failed, look where you've gone, you've been retrenched, things have happened, you've lost your job, you've lost this and that and that. That's the state that that um uh that uh Naomi was in. And I thank God that the belly season was beginning. And here was Ruth, um, determined to have a fresh beginning. The ballet season, half race is beginning. She begins to reach out, and you know, this is the beginning of transformation of this family. And I believe, brothers and sisters, this freshness around us, things are happening. God is on our side. Let us not believe the lie of the enemy. God is on our side, he loves us, he wants the very best for us, and let's keep pushing on, believing that 2026 is going to be a great year uh for us as we serve God uh together. Number four, and that's important, brothers and sisters. We talk about stepping out here. Uh, we talk about stepping out, stepping out. Paul stepped out on the road to Ephesus, and that's when the extraordinary things begin to happen. Naomi steps out into Mohab. He's now on our way back to Bethlehem. She's stepping out, doing something about her situation, not accepting where she is, and and the extraordinary begins to happen. So, point number four is let us not be afraid to start something new. Don't be afraid to start something new, and don't be afraid to start from scratch. Don't be afraid to start something new, and don't be afraid to start from scratch. Sometimes life is like that. You build up something, then bang, it doesn't work out, and and you find yourself beginning afresh. And sometimes you can wonder, oh my god, why

Start New And Start From Scratch

SPEAKER_00 39:10

you know, am I going to be able to energy to rebuild it again? You know, time is gone, you've lost your time, and you feel like you know you're losing time. Don't be afraid, brothers and sisters. Um, you know, we don't be afraid to start something from scratch. This ministry that we are here today started from scratch. Um, we started cream new. We didn't even know where we are going, we didn't know which direction we are going. Whereas we knew that we needed to go, we need to step out. Um, and and and and God has been gracious to us. Ruth and Naomi, um, you know, they started again. They went to Muab, they stayed there, and now they come back to Bethlehem. And guess what? They are starting afresh. Um, you know, you if you if you are don't be afraid, don't be negative, um, you know, don't be. Rigid, um, you know, just keep moving and be willing to start afresh, be willing to start something new. Don't get stuck in one area. Um, be flexible, live life with flexibility and keep trying. Um, you know, knock on that door. Even you know, maybe maybe others have you, oh, people have tried that cannot work. Keep knocking. You never know who's going to be at the door to open uh and and may open. Keep trying something new. Um, even as a ministry, we have had to keep trying new things, uh, evolving, changing with the times. Um, we have to do that to continue to be to be relevant. Um, I like in Ruth chapter 2. Um, the Bible says, just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. The Lord, that's uh Ruth chapter 2, verses 4. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, greeted the harvesters, the Lord with you, the Lord bless you. They answered. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, who does that young woman belong to? Uh, talk about being in the right place at the right time. Naomi had uh Ruth had begun to venture, um, to venture out. She said, Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose I find favor. They have gone in, they are beginning afresh, they are starting afresh. And she tells the mother-in-law, let me go into the field, let me step out into the field and do something. She didn't stay in the house and just wait for handouts. Um, you know, this lady called Ruth, she says, Let me go, let me go. The extraordinary brethren happens because we step out. And many times we can feel stepping out, but you never know. You never know who God is going to connect you to when you make that step of faith. Um, you know, when you start that business, when you step up that company, when you when you take up that new vengeance, and you take up that proposal to that new client, and you know, when you attempt that thing in ministry, when you um add more practice, when you read the word of God, you know, when we step out, this always um, you know, we enter them talking about the realm, the realm of the extraordinary. Um, and you know, there are things that we do to enter that realm, and one of that is stepping out. And you can see here, this woman called Ruth. He said, Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor. This is as human, as as humble as it gets. He said, I'm I'm I won't stay here. We may have come late, we may not have planted uh the balis, but the balis season is here. People are harvesting. Let me get out there and let me, I'm happy to pick up the what's left of the people. Talk about the attitude, that attitude of I'm happy to do anything but not live here. I'm happy to try anything but not live in this condition. The other day I was I was in Nairobi, um, you know, just over the Christmas period. I went into my wardrobe and and there's I I there's this file. There's this file that I've kept over the years um that contains applications that I made uh for work. Um and it's it's such a big file because there's no there's no company that is worth his salt in Kenya that did not get my application for work. I applied everybody. I applied every company that had a name, received a letter from me. Andwritten. Those days there was nothing like, you know, type the letters and print and colour, handwritten with my hand. Uh, and I was going through those letters. Some of the companies that rejected me because I got a lot of rejects, a lot of re lot of they used to be called um uh regret. We regret thank you for your letter. Those days they used to respond. HR has those days used to respond. So thank you for your application, but we regret to inform you that you know we don't have any position that can suit you at this stage. Some of the companies that wrote me regret letters have come to chase me to employ me again uh later on. They they said they'd no proof there's no opportunity for someone for my skills, and I went through them. I said this one's rejected me, but now they have been chasing me. This one rejected me, and they have been asking me if I can work for them. There are several in that box file that I've kept over the years, and and what what what I liked about it is that you know it was so you humbling. You you had to keep doing, keep sending the letters, keep sending, keep knocking on the doors. I didn't know which one was going to respond. Uh and thankfully, um, you know, some of them responded, and that's we ended up in the in the job market. But the point is that you have to do something, uh, you have to keep doing something. And some of them are desperate moves. This woman says, I'm happy to just go. Start there, get the fields, pick up the leftovers rain, and it's an attitude issue. You are you say I cannot stay in this situation, I cannot accept this position, this situation of luck and having nothing to eat. I'm not going to sit here and mourn over it. I'm going out there into the field, I'm ready to do this, I'm ready to pick up the leftovers. And because when you when you begin to when you begin to when you begin to step out in that approach, God

Diligence Meets Favor: Ruth And Boaz

SPEAKER_00 45:30

brings people along the way. There'll be boises that is that will come over. And the Bible says, just then when Ruth steps out there, she's busy cutting up, you know, leaves leftovers. This man called Boaz arrives and he says, Who does that young woman belong to? Who is that? Who is that? And then he said, She's the Moabite who came back from Moab. Um, she said, Please let me take over the leftovers. Uh, she came into the field and uh um and has remained, she came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest and a shelter. Um, I mean, this was the she this woman was so determined that when she got the opportunity to lean over, when she got that chance to pick the leftovers, she was she remained there from morning until now. That's how serious she was when she got the opportunity. You know, when God opens a door for you, however small the window, however small the chance, however, when you know, when you get a chance to pitch, and when you get an opportunity to to serve, and when you get a chance, however small the opportunity, it is the diligence with which you go about that opportunity that then you know unleashes the extraordinary. She was so committed, she was so determined about picking up leftovers that even those harvesters noticed. So when Boaz comes, they are not when he has who is that woman, they begin to give the testimony of that woman. This one, since she came here from mourning, she has been not left that place except for the short time when she took her when except for a short rest in the shelter. She has remained there until now. And then I like what you know. Then say then Boas moves in, says, So Boas said, Ruth, my daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field. Doors are beginning to open. The extraordinary is beginning to happen now. The principles are beginning to kick in here. God will bring the right people in the right place. Um, you know, doors begin to open. The favor begins to rest upon this woman. Say, don't go and glean in another place. Stay here with the women and work for me. Favor is now beginning to open. The principles are beginning to explode. I pray in the name of Jesus 2026, as we step out there in ministry, um, you know, with diligence, whatever God has placed us in the uh in the marketplace, may we enjoy, may we may the favor of God find you um as we step out there and do and do something. So, brethren, the point I'm making here is try something new. Don't be afraid to start from scratch. You never know what God is going to do. You never know. There are many bosses. Um, when you go in there with the diligence, however small the opportunity, you know, whatever door that happens, however small the door, when you get in, um work with diligence. Don't be afraid to start from scratch. God is faithful, He will send people. I like what He says in verse 14 there. At mealtime, Boy said to her, Come over here, have some bread and dip it in the wine and vinegar. When she sat down with the harvesters, she uh he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some leftover. How many know this is extraordinary? How many know this is extraordinary? It's not the way she planned it, it's not the way she expected. She left to go and just take over leftovers uh in the field. Um, you know, that's that's where she had started. But now the principles are kicking in. She's sitting in the eye table, she's now eating with the other harvesters, she's getting the attention of boys, and our life is about to explode. Things are about to become extraordinary. I pray in the name of Jesus. This year, 2026, brethren, as we get going, as we as we get progressing,

Courage For 2026 And Beyond

SPEAKER_00 49:50

brothers and sisters, this a lot is in store for us in this ministry, in our lives, in our families. Let us not be afraid to start over. Um, and let us have the right.