Discovering Strength in Faith Through Life's Trials

Feel the surge of inspiration as we traverse the landscape of perseverance in our latest episode, where we uncover the tenacity needed to power through life's challenges and emerge with renewed vigor. As the chill of winter thaws into the promise of spring, March brings a focus on Moving Forward, and we're here to light that fire within you. Drawing from the timeless wisdom of Philippians 3:13-14, we discuss the art of releasing the baggage of yesteryears while straining towards the goals that lie ahead. Whether it's the pursuit of a new job, the climb up the career ladder, or the relentless chase of sealing business deals, we provide a wellspring of motivation to keep you steadfast and hopeful.

This episode isn't just about motivational talk; it's a touchstone for those seeking a pillar of strength amidst the tempests of professional and personal life. Reflecting on the profound words of James 1:12, we dive into the essence of having a steadfast foundation in faith to anchor us through the toughest squalls. This is a call to recognize that our trials often serve as divine encouragement, pushing us towards greater heights. We honor the encouragers among us, those who tirelessly spread positivity, and we wrap up with a heartfelt prayer for renewal and peace, affirming the belief that all things work together for good for those who love God. Join us for this soul-enriching journey and let's move onward, together.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Music tow I, I, I, I, I. All right, good morning y'all, welcome back to another Thursday. I can't believe we are back. We made it Thursday. Come out of the wilderness prayer and my apologies to the faith, the folks on the Facebook streets stream yard isn't friendly. So if you're on YouTube and you don't mind sharing out to Facebook, I've already dropped it for on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter or X. And also good morning to the, to the folks watching on parade deck live a face channel. If I missed anybody y'all, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but this is gonna be a An ink, more of an encouragement, less of a teaching.

Speaker 1: 3:44

Today, and we're talking about Perseverance and so we're calling March. The theme for March is moving forward, right? So a lot of us we we've had. You know we start out the year in January talking about our vision and strategy for this year and our plans, and you know we if you missed it, go on to the mrs Pi's YouTube channel you'll find we had a sore event that kind of laid the groundwork for soaring higher this year. In February we were talking about matters of the heart, so getting our hearts in the right posture to receive and also to give this year and and now we're in March and we're just encouraging Encouraging each other, really, about how we move forward. And and I really thought about you know, I really was struggling with how to, how to talk about perseverance this morning and the Lord was like now I'm just gonna come to y'all from my heart. Obviously, I'm gonna do it with scripture. So, good morning to everybody who's watching, wherever you are, and I'm praying that this is gonna bless you. I think it's really gonna bless somebody, whether you're watching the live or the replay or the podcast, wherever you're catching this from. So, before we go further, we just invite you, holy Spirit, to run this live, as you always do.

Speaker 1: 4:58

I thank you, lord, that you've given us another day, you've given us breath, and we're so grateful that you are God. You're concerned about your children, you're concerned about us. We thank you for continuing to teach us and lead us and guide us through the Holy Spirit. We thank you for our families. We thank you for our jobs. We thank you for the prospects of jobs. We thank you for the strength that only comes from you and the encouragement. We thank you for placing people in our lives, lives of God, to help to encourage us and maybe we're the ones that are meant to encourage other people. And for those that, I ask that you will give them just a renewal of mind and heart that this morning, that they'll be able to have the strength and the mental capacity and the emotional capacity even to be an encourager and an inspiration to the people you place in our lives. So we just thank you, lord, and we just usher you in and ask that you will use me, just broken in chip vessel, to bless somebody today, and I ask all these things in your son's name. Thank you, lord, jesus, amen, all right, y'all, I don't do this by myself. Okay, I come ready.

Speaker 1: 6:04

So there's a Bible verse that I wanted to share. I don't think I need to share my screen for this one. I'm dropping it in the chat and I'm gonna raise it up here and this is Philippians 3, verses 13 through 14. And this is the ESV version and this is what it says. It says, brothers, I do not consider that I've made it on my own, made it my own. But one thing I do here's the first part, for getting what lies behind, that's the first part, and straightening forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the price of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So how this relates to us. I was thinking about the first part, about forgetting what lies behind.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Part of perseverance is y'all is having the ability to let go when things you know maybe some things didn't work out Again. I know I have a large audience on LinkedIn streets and there are a lot of people who are doing very well in business, but there are a lot of people in my network that are not. They are going through a rough season trying to find their next jobs, and people who have been looking for jobs for quite some time. Or maybe you're that person. You've been holding out for that promotion, or maybe you've been looking for the next business deal. So I'm going to speak, speaking encouragement to those people today who are at a point where it's March and you're tired. You know it's March and you're already tired, and so I'm going to be speaking a message of encouragement to those people. For those of you who are, you know this is your winning season. You know we're also going to be praying for you to continue this race right, so that you can keep meeting those goals and keep winning, as we say, but for those of y'all who just need a little bit of a word of encouragement, I just wanted to come on and share, just share some of that. And again, if you're the ones that are the encourages in your family, on your job, in your community, etc. Maybe this is going to help you as well.

Speaker 1: 8:07

But when the verse talks about forgetting what lies behind the way that, the way that I have that in my spirit, it's, it's not. It's not that you forget, like all the bad stuff that's happened, it's not that you forget the disappointments, part of how we persevere, part of how we build up our, our soul, our spirits, to strain forward. Sometimes that straining forward really looks like you're pushing a. You're pushing something uphill. You're, you know you're pushing through. Maybe if you're pushing through your mindset in the way you used to do things, you know maybe you're pushing against some. You know challenges financially. You're straining forward because what lies ahead? You believe that there's greater promises, a better job, a better marriage, a better health report, you know, better relationship with your children, more improved finances.

Speaker 1: 9:00

Whatever it is that you're trying to strain forward towards, and it does, it does require sometimes having to let go of disappointments. Right, it's very hard to to encourage your soul when you're, you're still, you're still focusing, you're still carrying the carcass of things that didn't work out, things that failed people that failed you, the lies you were told, like all those things. And so I always find it interesting when I'm, when I'm talking to people who are considered very successful and you know, in business or in life, right Again, success could mean you're the best you know, stay a stay a home mom there is and your kids are healthy and happy. That's success. All right is not just having a paycheck outside the house, but I think about you know, you know I'm talking some of these things, these people. One thing that they have in common is they're not carrying the carcass of what didn't work out, what did you know? What that, the last slight that that person did to you.

Speaker 1: 9:58

You have to be able to have a the spirit of forgiveness. You have to be able to let go, even forgiving yourself for things that didn't work out. You know, maybe you tried. You know you know, maybe you tried this business deal, or maybe you tried a new skill, you tried a new something and it didn't work out. You have to be able to let that thing go and not drag that carcass, because the more you drag that with you, that you're not going to be able to persevere. It slows you down, and so you're going to become frustrated and miserable and bitter because you're dragging these carcasses of all the things that didn't work out. So may I encourage you this morning to let that stuff go. Even the people okay, even the people. If you've got folks around you, they're part of that carcass, you know.

Speaker 1: 10:46

Maybe it's time, you know, for in order for you to move forward, you've got to be able to let go of some of those things that happened right and straightening forward to what? Do you have any idea of what it is that you're straightening forward to? What does that mean for you? Are you clearing your vision of where you're trying to get to? And that, again, is so important because, as you're trying to build up your own perseverance, you got to know where you're going, right, you got to know where you're going. What are you trying to get to? What is it that you're trying to accomplish? Right, the word says I do not consider that I have made it my own.

Speaker 1: 11:26

I'm not even thinking about how I'm doing this by myself, because I, you know, I'm so gracious, I'm so grateful that that God has placed people around me. Do you, do you ask him? You ask you, pray for God to send you? You know those divine helpers, those helpers that he's assigned, or those helpers, that people he's placed in your life, and when they show up, do you know who they are? Because they don't always look like what you think, and so you might be straining and persevering and you're worn out and you're tired and you're asking God for help. And he sent you help. But he might have sent you help in the form of a colleague who you don't care for, but that person was put in your life so they can irritate your spirits. You can keep moving forward, so you don't stand still, right, divine help isn't always the person that shows up, and you know they're just cheer, cheering you on. Sometimes it shows up as challenges that are meant to just, you know, keep you moving forward. Right? I call it encouragement through challenge, you know? And so now your mindset is I just want to keep moving forward, I want to persevere, I want to hold on. So I want to encourage you to hold on this morning, I Just want to encourage you to hold on.

Speaker 1: 12:49

There's another verse you know this is I think this is James 1 12. It says blesses a man who remains steadfast on the trial. And it talks about you know, receiving the crown of life that God's promised to him, blessed as a man who remains steadfast on the trial. So they're gonna be trials. It's not, you know. Nowhere in the in the Bible, anywhere does it say that you're not gonna have trials and tests and tribulations because we're. We're living this life is lifeing right. Butimaan n schema m이면 $50 a month.

Speaker 1: 13:22

It's being able to remain steadfast, to not be shaken. What is your foundation so that when the storms come, you're not, you know, when the storms of life come, you don't just throw your hands up and, oh, there's no God because I'm being impacted. Oh, there's no God because my health is being impacted. Oh, there's no God because there is death. Oh, there's no God. There's a whole list of things that we, that happened to us, that we could.

Speaker 1: 13:52

Really quickly, if we're not grounded in our foundation, if we don't believe what God has for us or who he says we are, you literally your foundation gets shaken when something happens and, really quickly, you start believing what men say, you start following pastors I call them TikTok pastors, right? You start following performance pastors. Okay, you start following that thing because you're looking for that quick high, but that high only lasts for a moment, and then what happens? When the storm comes, your foundation has been shaken because you've been putting your faith in men, and so it's hard to press forward. Press forward and persevere when your faith is in men, when your strength comes from what you know, what people might say. And so I encourage those of you who are going through these things right now, who are really having to persevere, to really hold on. I encourage you to hold on just a little while longer. Just hold on just a little while longer.

Speaker 1: 14:55

Don't lose hope and don't lose faith. Don't lose hope and don't lose faith. I know that, even in the hardest of times, that all things are working together for my good, because I believe what the word says about me, and the same thing that God says about me is the same thing he's saying about you, same thing I know better than you in his eyes, and so I just wanna encourage you, those of you who are straining forward don't lose hope. If you're in the job market, maybe it's one more resume, it's one more application. Don't lose hope. If you've been on the job market for months, or even a year or years, please don't lose hope.

Speaker 1: 15:51

If you're trying to heal your marriage or improve your relationship with your kids, don't lose hope If you're in a season where, man, I'm winning this season and I wanna keep this going. Even for you, there's gonna be a time period where you're gonna be tested right, because life is life-ing right. Even for you, don't lose hope. And for those of you who are filled with encouragement and you're an overflow of blessings right now, and this is your winning season, can I ask you to just encourage your neighbor? Maybe it's a colleague that you see that are really struggling right now. Right, maybe today is the day that you just send a nice note to somebody. Hey, I'm just checking in, I hope things are going well. Sometimes that's all people need.

Speaker 1: 16:40

But don't lose hope and persevere. Hang in there and press on toward the goal, because all things are working together for your good. And Father, how grateful we are that your word stands true, that your covenant with us will never go away, that your word is true until the end of time, that all things, even when it doesn't make sense to us, all things are still working together for the good of those who love you. And, lord, may I ask that you will give us all a renewal in mind and heart and spirit this morning, not to lose hope in spite of everything that's happening around us. And I pray for every person under the sound of my voice who's exhausted, who's just tired emotionally and physically and mentally. Lord God, maybe it's with their children, their spouses, their colleagues, life bills, whatever it is, lord, can I ask, lord God, that you just bless us all with just a renewal of the mind and just give us peace in the situations that we're in. Oh God, I ask that you would just bless every single person listening, that they don't lose hope and that you will send help and let them know. Give us the wisdom to know when it's the right help. Give us the wisdom to know what help looks like so that we don't miss the opportunities when they show up. Maybe help is as help this morning is for somebody, by the sound of my voice, breathing hope into their lives. Maybe that is the help you need and I pray that you'll take the seed of hope and plant it somewhere else. And, as we are in overflow of blessings, those of us who have been really blessed and highly favored, lord God, that we're not selfish with that and that we're blessing other people and that we're sharing that favor. And so we just thank you, lord. Thank you for continuing to watch over us and just building up our hope and help us to persevere through all the tests and trials of life, and may they come to see you as I see you, and that your glory will follow them wherever they go. Amen, amen. I hope that blessed somebody. I just felt that this was a moment. This is a time that we just encourage each other and, as you're encouraged, y'all encourage somebody else. Maybe it's your children before they leave for school this morning. Just encourage the people around you. Amen. These are things you can do. You don't have to throw it up on the social media streets. Just go encourage somebody else. So I pray this blessed you. I thank you so much for watching. I will be back next Thursday. You're more than welcome.

Speaker 1: 19:15

We have a prayer ministry and we pray live every Monday, every Tuesday. It's called Come Out of the Wilderness. You can find us on the Facebook streets. You can go to gracinggroupmediacom and come and attend one of our free events. They're free. Most of them are virtual. We're launching a prayer phone line in May so that you'll be able to call in on Thursdays twice a day If you need just a number to call. We're gonna launch that in May. You can also find out the phone numbers and put them in your phone to give it to your friends, and in May we're gonna launch that because we wanna help people, we wanna come alongside and pray for you. So I pray that this blessed you. Please don't forget, if you're on the YouTube streets, to like this video, because this helps us to reach more people, which is our intention. We wanna help more people and God bless you and y'all take care. Bye, beautiful woman.