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<v SPEAKER_00>Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Thank you so much for listening today.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Here's today's message.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Hey church family, I am so glad you are with us.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I hope that you had an amazing holiday, and I'm excited to all of us to gather together to go through the discussion questions together as a family and as a community.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I have a really brief word I want to share with us to encourage us, just kind of around some things that I kind of see emerging around this time of year.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And what I'm talking about specifically is that reality of sometimes when we go through those moments where we have incredible plans, things very detailed and laid out, and then there's an adjustment or it doesn't go through quite the way that we anticipated that it would.

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do we respond in those moments?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do we navigate through those moments?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do we keep peace and joy even in those moments?

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<v SPEAKER_01>There's a passage of scripture that I think beautifully encapsulates this, and is also a teachable lesson that hopefully we can be encouraged from.

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<v SPEAKER_01>If you have your Bibles, join me in Matthew chapter 11.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Matthew chapter 11 and verses 1 through 6, here's what it says.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He also added, God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.

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<v SPEAKER_01>There's a lot of things that are happening in this text, and maybe even some things that seem a little bit confusion, and I think I can hopefully bring some clarity to this.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But I want to talk to us just for a couple of minutes about when we have unmet expectations, when we're navigating through disappointment, and how do we do it in a way that's still honoring to God?

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<v SPEAKER_01>If you're taking notes, and of course at Celebration Orlando we take notes, I want you to write this message title down.

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<v SPEAKER_01>This is not what I expected.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Let's pray and let's get into it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Lord, we thank you so much for your word.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We thank you for your presence.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We thank you for your grace and for being with us even as we're gathering in our homes with our family and with our friends.

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<v SPEAKER_01>God, I just ask that you speak to us over the next few moments.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Give us open eyes to see you.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I pray that you give us open ears to hear you and open hearts to receive everything that you have for us.

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<v SPEAKER_01>In Jesus' name, amen.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You know, there's a couple of things that I have grown to appreciate about having those moments when I need to travel.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Most of you guys know my story.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I've been a part of the celebration family now for almost 20 years, and I've been in Jacksonville, served in DC, and now here in Orlando, and I've loved every place that God has placed me.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But one of the things that I have learned to kind of enjoy whenever I'm traveling to one of our different locations is I love to people watch, just from a perspective of really trying to understand people's journey, where they're going.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But there's also some moments of humor and really just some beautiful family moments that you get a chance to witness.

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<v SPEAKER_01>When I was still living in DC, but but God had called Megan and I here to our Orlando community, we were traveling back and forth every week for about three months.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So every week I found myself in the airport going from DC to Orlando and Orlando back to DC until Caleb finished school.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And you just kind of get a rhythm, you have patterns, you have ways that you're used to moving and functioning.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And there's something that I was able to identify that I just thought was so hilarious, but also very interesting.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Here's what I would discover.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Whenever I would be leaving from DC, and people are flying into Orlando, more often than not, I would say like maybe like two-thirds of the plane are people who are coming to Orlando for some form of a holiday.

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<v SPEAKER_01>They're coming to Orlando to go to the amusement parks.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You see people with their t-shirts on, you see the family reunion shirts, you see people that are so filled with so much excitement, leaving from whatever city, in this case DC, flying into Orlando filled with anticipation, the joy, the energy that's at the gate is something that's just so remarkable to see.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I love kind of sitting on a front row and watching the little ones and them thinking and talking about all the experiences they're going to have when they get to Orlando.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But then I've also noticed something on the flip side.

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<v SPEAKER_01>When I'm flying out of Orlando and I'm going to a different city, and in this case flying to DC, a lot of times what you'll find is that these are people who are on the back end of their vacation.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The vacation is over, and now they're flying back home.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And can I be real with y'all, their vibe was way different.

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<v SPEAKER_01>These are the people that, as they're flying back, they've gone through the different amusement parks, they've had all these experiences, and the smile isn't the same.

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<v SPEAKER_01>There's there's frustration in faces.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You can see tension between family members.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And and I know this look because what probably happens is you get to Orlando, you've looked up everything, you can look up, you have all these game plans and the lines you're going to get in, the places you're going to go to get to something to eat, and then you get here and you don't realize how hot it is.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The humidity just completely wipes you out.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The lines are a lot longer.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You can't predict the weather.

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<v SPEAKER_01>There's a lot of variables that happen that begins to interrupt the perfect plans that you have, and before long it begins to spill out, and now you have conflict and tension, and you can just always see it in the airport.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You never, you I never miss it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And I often look at these two things of the people that are leaving their respective homes, coming into Orlando filled with joy, and then when they're going back filled with frustration and disappointment.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I think that this is a reflection of what can happen when we begin to navigate through disappointment, or more specifically, unmet expectations.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That when we have a vision, we have a plan, ideas and things that we're hoping to accomplish, we've done our research, we've done everything we can do to set up these moments, but then we get on the other side.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We have some things that we couldn't see, some challenges that we didn't anticipate, the traffic was crazy, all these variables that happened, and now we have to figure out how do I navigate between where I currently am and what I was hoping was going to happen.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It's from this place that I truly understand John the Baptist's dilemma.

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<v SPEAKER_01>This is a man that from the time he was in his mother's womb, he was he was introduced and aware of what his divine calling was.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Scripture prophesies about John of how he was going to be a child that carries on in the ministry and the grace and the anointing of Elijah.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He has this responsibility of preparing the way for the Lord.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That sounds like a super fancy Christian word, but ultimately it's setting the atmosphere so when Jesus comes, they're able to receive and hear from him.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That was his responsibility.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So from the time he was in his mother's womb, he leaps with joy and it's filled with the Holy Spirit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He's raised differently than everyone else.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I'm confident that his mother is reinforcing his calling, his purpose, what he's uniquely wired to do, and he's raised in this.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He understands this.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He lives his life a certain way because of the expectation that had been established.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He even was the one that was responsible for baptizing Jesus and he recognizes Jesus.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He says, the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world, he he understood that Jesus is the Messiah, these powerful moments that were so transformational for him.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He baptizes him, and then the ministry of Jesus takes off, and then John kind of drifts a little bit into the background.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And now we enter into the text that we just read.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Some time is gone, and Jesus is establishing incredible momentum, doing miracles, but now unfortunately for John, John is sitting in prison and it's not looking good.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He's at this place where things have looked vastly different.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I'm imagining that when he poses the question to Jesus' disciples, saying, like, hey, can you go and talk to Jesus?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Because he's heard about all the activity that Jesus is doing.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He's hearing about the miracles while he's sitting in prison.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I believe those questions that John had were prompted because of unmet expectation.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He's dealing with some disappointment.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He literally poses the question, Are you the one or should I be looking for someone else?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Think about that.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The man who had this encounter with Jesus while he was in his mother's womb.

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<v SPEAKER_01>This man who literally pointed Jesus out and said he's the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, this man who baptized Jesus and had this divine connection with him, we fast forward and he finds himself sitting in the prison cell and it's making him rethink everything.

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<v SPEAKER_01>How often have we found ourselves so filled with joy and anticipation and excitement about some areas of our lives, whether it's work, whether it's our marriage, maybe it's parenthood, this excitement about what we envision, we begin to put plans and strategy around it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And then we fast forward and it feels as if our movements are restricted.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We're not filled with joy.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And now we begin to ask questions such as, is this the one or should I find another?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Is this the job or should I find another?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Is this the spouse or should I find another?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Is this my church or should I find another?

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<v SPEAKER_01>We find ourselves matching where we currently are with what we envisioned, the unmet expectation, the disappointment, and can sometimes cause us to reevaluate everything.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So how do we navigate through this?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do we survive this?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do we do this in a healthy way?

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<v SPEAKER_01>I believe by looking at John and just looking at life experience, there's a couple of things that I think can be helpful for us in these difficult moments.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The first thing that I want to share with us as we're asking the question of, are you the one?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Or should I find another?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Or am I in the right place?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do I navigate through the disappointment that I find in my life?

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<v SPEAKER_01>How do I navigate through all this pain that I'm experiencing?

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<v SPEAKER_01>The first thing we have to do is we have to adapt to our new reality.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We have to adapt.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And I know that that's sometimes so difficult.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I know that's challenging.

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<v SPEAKER_01>To adapt means to be flexible.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It means to make adjustments, it means to take surveillance of where you currently are and re-evaluating your game plan so that you can experience peace.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We have to sometimes adapt to our new reality.

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<v SPEAKER_01>See, I'm a I'm a big sports fan, and as a sports fan, particularly of football, I love whenever a game plan.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I understand how the athletes have a game plan, they work all week, they strategize based off of the opponent, and the opponent is doing the same thing.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And then it's inevitable that when it gets to halftime and the score may be 28 to 3, that when they talk to the coach that only has scored three points, hey coach, what do you think?

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<v SPEAKER_01>And it's inevitable, he's gonna have a bunch of different things to say, but it always comes down to the exact same thing.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We got to change.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We got to make some adjustments.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We came in with an expectation that we're gonna run the ball, but they're stopping the run.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So we have to make some adjustments.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We didn't anticipate that they were gonna throw the ball.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We were actually game planning for them to run the ball.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We're gonna have to make some adjustments.

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<v SPEAKER_01>What we're seeing in a very practical live experience is that I had a game plan, it didn't work out, and I have to adapt to my new reality.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I believe that for some of us that we can be filled with frustration because maybe our strategy didn't quite work out, that we now find ourselves in a place where we're down when we thought we would be up.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The only way that we're able to overcome and to reclaim our peace is that we're going to have to adapt to our new reality.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I'm gonna have to make some changes to my game plan.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I'm gonna have to change my strategy up a little bit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I can't be in a place where I romanticize the past that I can't see a new strategy for the future that we're gonna have to make a new game plan.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Here's the second thing that I want to encourage us to do: don't lose focus.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Make sure that we don't lose focus.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That John is in prison.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And now that he's in prison, he's in this uncomfortable position, he's dealing with a lot of pain and a lot of disappointment.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But the reality of it is that the ministry of Jesus is still going on.

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<v SPEAKER_01>This is why Jesus says, hey man, tell John that the lame are walking and that the eyes are open, and that people who would never hear the gospel, the poor, that they're being reached that, that the ministry of Jesus is still moving forward.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So what has changed in John's heart?

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<v SPEAKER_01>What has changed in John's perspective?

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<v SPEAKER_01>What has changed is himself.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He began to focus on himself instead of the mission that God had given him.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And I can understand that we all have been there.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Where we can begin to lose focus of the big picture and we begin to obsess over the small things.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We obsess over our part in the picture.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We all can relate to these things where we had a plan and we had a vision and things begin to adjust a little bit and we begin to focus a little bit on the small things instead of losing sight of the big picture.

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<v SPEAKER_01>What I believe Jesus is telling us is don't lose focus.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Don't lose focus of the big picture.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Don't lose focus of the things that you've seen Jesus do.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Don't lose focus of the activity of God that's happening in our lives.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I've seen so often that we often can get so fixated on what's not working that we lose focus on what is.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Make sure that you don't lose focus.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Take the big picture in and recognize that even in spite of the setbacks and challenges, that God is still doing something powerful with us.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Here's a third and final thing I want to encourage us with.

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<v SPEAKER_01>In seasons when we are dealing with some disappointment and unmet expectations, we're gonna have to learn to redefine the win.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Redefine the win.

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<v SPEAKER_01>What does it mean to win in this season?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Sometimes winning looks different in one season to a next, in one circumstance to the next.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Jesus lays out the details of everything that he's doing, the people that are being healed, the lives that are being changed.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And so instead of the win being the part that John plays, the win has to be in what Jesus is doing.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We have to redefine what the win is in this given season.

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<v SPEAKER_01>See, each season produces a different thing that often means we have to redefine what it means to win.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Let me let me give you a practical example as we prepare to close.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I I remember a couple years ago that Megan and I had gone through a season where we were traveling.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That was kind of like our we were in sabbatical mode, we were traveling, and we're really just trying to take in seeing the world as a great time for us just to kind of rest, reflect, and and really kind of just get prepared for the next season that we had.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So that was the win for that season was to rest and reflect.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And that was the win.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And now we fast forward to where we are today.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Today, we're in a we're in a debt payoff mode.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I'm in this mode right now that I'm just trying to be debt free, I'm trying to position ourselves for our new house.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So now the win for me now is to pay off every bill that I have so that I'm in a better place with my debt to income ratio.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Can I get a good amen to that?

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<v SPEAKER_01>But watch this.

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<v SPEAKER_01>If I'm not careful, I can find myself missing when we were traveling, and I will feel disappointed at the fact that I'm still at home because I haven't redefined the win.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The win isn't in my traveling, the win is in me paying down the debt.

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<v SPEAKER_01>What can often happen with us is we can't redefine the win, and so we end up romanticizing the past and not acknowledging what God is doing in the present.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Let me be real in a very practical way.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The win for you as a mom is different than the win was when you weren't a mom.

00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:55.200
<v SPEAKER_01>The win for you as a dad is different than the win was before you were a dad.

00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:58.639
<v SPEAKER_01>The win for you as a husband is going to be different than it was when you were just a boyfriend.

00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.759
<v SPEAKER_01>Are you catching what I'm saying?

00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:10.240
<v SPEAKER_01>Different seasons, we have to redefine the win, because if not, we could be on the winning side and completely miss out on what God is doing because we're so focused on that it's not the way that I thought it was going to look.

00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:11.679
<v SPEAKER_01>I assure you, God is moving.

00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:18.480
<v SPEAKER_01>He's doing some incredible things amongst you, your family, and community, but you have to redefine the win to match the season that you're currently in.

00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:31.919
<v SPEAKER_01>You see, I have a good friend of mine who used to play in the NFL, and one of the things that I used to love about talking with him is just really getting insight into the way that athletes often think when it comes to the way that they have strategy and the way that they even enter into a new season.

00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:36.960
<v SPEAKER_01>Well, for him, he knew that his team was on the cutting edge of being a playoff team.

00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:45.279
<v SPEAKER_01>They were working really hard, they made some off-season moves, they brought in some great free agents, they did a lot of preparation for this new season that they're gonna have incredible impact.

00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:46.399
<v SPEAKER_01>But guess what happens?

00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:49.279
<v SPEAKER_01>Their star quarterback gets injured in week two.

00:14:49.440 --> 00:15:00.240
<v SPEAKER_01>So now they're at this place where they're dealing with disappointment, they're dealing with the setback, they're dealing with the pain and the reality of if he doesn't come back in the next couple of weeks, we're gonna miss the playoffs.

00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:02.720
<v SPEAKER_01>And so, unfortunately, he wasn't able to come back.

00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:11.840
<v SPEAKER_01>They had a quarterback that could play the role enough, but he wasn't, didn't have the same level of experience, and so as a result of that, they had to redefine what it meant to win in that season.

00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:22.080
<v SPEAKER_01>So for them, they said, okay, we had anticipation that we're gonna make it to the playoffs, but now they began to restrategize and say, okay, so for this game, our win is for us to gain more yardage.

00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.799
<v SPEAKER_01>In this game, the win is for us to get a few more sacks.

00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:29.120
<v SPEAKER_01>In this game, they began to redefine what it meant to win because they've seen the big picture.

00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:36.559
<v SPEAKER_01>And instead of them being discouraged week after week, they had to redefine the win and also prepare for the bigger picture that's gonna take place the next season.

00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:39.440
<v SPEAKER_01>What I want us to understand is that our lives are marathons.

00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:40.399
<v SPEAKER_01>It's not a sprint.

00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:46.159
<v SPEAKER_01>And we're gonna have seasons where things are great, we're gonna have seasons when there's challenges, we're gonna have some expectations that are just blown out of the water.

00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:51.360
<v SPEAKER_01>We're gonna also have some seasons when we deal with some setbacks and disappointments, and we're gonna have to reevaluate some things.

00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:58.720
<v SPEAKER_01>What I believe Jesus is sharing with us through the ministry of John the Baptist is that we're gonna have to adjust to our new reality.

00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:05.360
<v SPEAKER_01>Don't lose sight of the big picture, which is Jesus is still on the move and I'm still a part of his plan, but we also have to redefine what the win is.

00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.279
<v SPEAKER_01>The win is the gospel is still being preached.

00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.120
<v SPEAKER_01>The win is that God is still on the move.

00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:10.720
<v SPEAKER_01>The win is my family's still healthy.

00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:16.879
<v SPEAKER_01>Redefining the win will help us to navigate through those seasons of disappointment and unmet expectation.

00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.120
<v SPEAKER_01>I pray that every one of you are encouraged.

00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:24.639
<v SPEAKER_01>I pray that you're inspired, and I pray that you recognize that your best days are still ahead, but you need to change some things.

00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:26.399
<v SPEAKER_01>Let's accept your current reality.

00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:32.960
<v SPEAKER_01>Let's go ahead and redefine the win and let's pursue everything that God has for us because He's not done with you yet.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.000
<v SPEAKER_01>God bless you guys.

00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.279
<v SPEAKER_01>Let me pray for us so we can get to our discussions with our families.

00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:46.159
<v SPEAKER_01>Lord, we thank you so much for reminding us that while unmet expectations are a real thing, that disappointments are a real thing, that we know that you're ever present with us.

00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:48.559
<v SPEAKER_01>So, Father, I pray that we can be encouraged.

00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:58.080
<v SPEAKER_01>And knowing God, that we're not going to lose focus of the main thing, that we're going to acknowledge where we are, but we're going to make adjustments, Father, and we're going to redefine what it means to win in this season.

00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.320
<v SPEAKER_01>It is in that that we can experience peace.

00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:04.000
<v SPEAKER_01>So, God, I just ask that you bless us and give us peace in Jesus' name.

00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:04.880
<v SPEAKER_01>Amen.

00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.640
<v SPEAKER_00>Thanks again for listening.

00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.480
<v SPEAKER_00>We hope you enjoyed today's message.

00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:12.799
<v SPEAKER_00>We'd love for you to subscribe to our podcast and review and share what you've heard today.

00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:18.720
<v SPEAKER_00>If you'd like more content like this, or you'd like to connect with us, go to celebrationorl.org.

00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.480
<v SPEAKER_00>We hope you join us next time.
