WEBVTT 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:08.560 This morning I am coming from James, the first chapter, verses two through eight. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:17.120 And I'm going to read the scripture and then I'm going to talk a little bit about what God has given me in my heart to talk to you guys about in reference to the business community. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:25.199 And just to encourage your hearts a little bit and encourage mine because he has encouraged me through this word as well. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:32.079 James 1 is a letter from James, and he basically, let me go ahead and read the scripture. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:41.200 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:49.039 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:58.320 If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:07.280 But when you ask, you must believe not in doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that blows and is tossed by the wind. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:11.439 That person should not expect any to receive anything from the Lord. 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.599 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all that he does. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.760 And this is coming from the um new international version. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:24.079 So King James um says something a little different. 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:27.439 So I'm going to give you a little bit of a synopsis. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:29.760 Imagine being a business owner. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.000 God has given you the vision to be a business owner. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:33.519 It was in your heart to be a business owner. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:36.239 And of course, it came from God because you wouldn't just come up. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:38.799 Nobody would just choose to just jump into a business. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:44.719 Some people might, but for the most part, people were given some sort of inspiration to start a business. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:57.920 And once you start the business, the customers didn't show up, people were calling in, they didn't want to come, um, your equipment is breaking down, um, your bills are piling up. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:03.760 Um, as you know, in order to start a business, and maybe you don't know, but in order to make money, you have to give money. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:12.319 So in the beginning, you have to you know invest money into the business in a lot of ways before you actually receive the money or see the return from the money. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:14.879 Um, a lot of times, cash flow is off. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:20.479 Imagine all those things are happening with you, and you are in the midst of trying to build your business. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:38.479 Um, I see my sister, my dear sister, uh, and you and um Kim are the people that I was thinking about the most in this, and even myself, because there's been times that I have um launched a business and because of lack of faith and trials and so on and so forth, I did not continue to consult my business partner. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:43.840 Um, I leaned on my own understanding instead of the my the business partner who was giving us. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:54.639 In James 1, verses um two through eight, um he talks to us about the fact that we are going to have struggles and trials in life. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:02.240 The one thing about the word of God, it always gives us direction, it gives us the precursor, but it also gives us the remedy to the problem, too. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:05.120 So there's a problem, and then there's a remedy to the problem. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:13.199 And I'd like to say too that business is not just being um someone who, like um my dear sisters, who have their own salon, who have their own business. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:16.879 Business is also, I was in business being a family person. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.759 I was a mother, and my home was my business. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.120 I had to manage my home like a business as a mother. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:28.719 Um, so in that aspect, um, it's not just what we do and to make money. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:33.599 Sometimes it's how we steward things um in life and what God gives us and calls us to do. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.680 The problem isn't that we um are supposed to be dealing with trouble. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:39.199 He gives us again the remedy. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.039 He doesn't give us trials to punish us. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.240 He's not that type of God. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:43.840 He is not that type of God. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:45.199 He is not that type of God. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:53.919 And I'm saying that for myself because sometimes when it seems like life is life and the struggle and the pressures come, sometimes it seems like, oh my God, you know, am I being punished? 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:54.639 What did I do? 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.000 Did I do something wrong? 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:02.000 Not necessarily did you do something wrong, but sometimes God is building that muscle, he's building that strength on the inside of you. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:06.560 And he says in the scripture, he says, consider it joy when you face trials. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:09.199 Now that just is an oxymoron to me. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:13.120 I'm having pressure, I don't have any clients, nobody's showing up. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:15.759 My website, the money for my website is due. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:17.279 Things are happening. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:19.920 My bills are not, they are not stopping. 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:22.000 But what am I supposed to do, God? 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.560 He says, consider it joy. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:25.279 Why? 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:25.839 Why? 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:26.879 Here's the remedy. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:36.399 The remedy is it isn't that you should be happy because life is going crazy, or as we say, life be life in. 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:39.439 He is it isn't because of that. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:48.800 It's because he wants us to understand that when we are having joy, we understand that we our our thinking is supposed to be completely different than the world. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:57.040 He wants us to shift our thoughts, our thinking, our emotions, and put them under subjection to the word of God and what he's promised us in this life. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:03.920 He wants us to take our lives and put them under control and and um slam the word of God down on it. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:06.800 Um, because life do be life in out here for some of us. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:11.839 He says, be joyful, because we know that the end and the trying of our faith, it works. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.639 Number one, patience, but it also builds that muscle. 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:17.199 Hardship builds muscle in us. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:23.199 Um, because God is doing a great work in the hardship, he's building you to be a better person. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:25.439 Think about things you've been through in your life. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.480 Think about being in the midst of things. 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:45.759 And if you any of you have been walking with our creator for any length of time, and even when you weren't walking with him, think about how he has blessed you, how he has brought you out of trouble, how he has overcome, how he's given you the victory, even when you didn't even deserve it. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.759 So when you were dealing with the hardship and when you were dealing with whatever it was, God still was faithful. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:55.439 God has still been faithful because he's building that muscle in us. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.560 Um let me tell you something that I have done. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.959 Um, and it's something that I picked up because I've heard it. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.759 I've heard it out there listening to social media and things like that. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.639 I am so tired of being in survival mode. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:08.560 Ooh, wait a minute. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:10.879 Watch the words of your mouth, Robin. 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:12.720 Because what is survival mode? 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:18.959 Survival mode is survival mode, and it is not something that we should be confessing. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:25.360 I don't know if any of you have ever felt like that in your life, that you were just like, okay, here we go again, here it comes again. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:43.360 And when you're in business, it can be extremely disappointing when you are building, you've accomplished something, and then another trial comes, another bill comes, your water uh is, you know, bill is$3,000, or something breaks and you don't have the money because the cash flow is not coming. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:53.439 Or when you're raising a family, let's just say, you know, something happens, your children act up and act a straight monkey on you, and you're like, this is my business, my family. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.360 How do you overcome that? 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:56.560 How do we come? 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:01.759 Who wanted to throw in the towel when your business wasn't going as expected and planned? 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:03.120 I'm gonna be honest with you, me. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:07.759 I have started a business, I have launched a business, and I have let that business go because it was a lot. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.560 James says, James says, we are in God's gym. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:18.399 We're building muscle, and there's gonna resist, there's gonna be resistance that comes with that muscle. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.120 But in the resistance, it builds strength in us. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:23.839 Have you ever been in the gym and I was doing some Pilates? 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.199 I've been to the Pilates thing now. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:32.240 So I've noticed with Pilates, I'm not jumping around and doing all kinds of stuff, um, but I'm taking time to isolate little muscles here and there. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:36.480 And let me tell you, it's a 30, 45-minute workout, but I feel the strength coming. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:37.920 I see my muscles coming out. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.439 That's in the natural, that is also happening in the spiritual. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:43.360 So God has given us this business plan. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:48.639 This business plan starts with pretty much you can find a business plan anywhere in the Word of God. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:53.920 But specifically, we're gonna work on um 1 James chapter 2, 28. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:08:01.120 The business plan is know every challenge that you have is making you a better person. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:08.639 Now, there's been times that in trials and tribulations, I wasn't becoming better, I became bitter. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:18.720 God, you gave me this plan, you offered me this, you showed me this, you've given me the vision, and things didn't come and unfold like I thought they should or I wanted them to. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:20.639 And was I a happy camper? 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:24.079 No, I allowed, I allowed a little bit of bitterness to enter in. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.040 But verse five gives us a key's perspective on that. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:31.120 It says, if you lack wisdom, this is the business plan. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:32.320 Who would we do? 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:33.600 We should ask God. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:35.200 That's our business partner. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:37.440 We should always partner up with God. 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.600 Um, don't just work hard, ask God. 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:54.399 If you lack wisdom, ask God, ask God, not chat GBT, not your neighbor, not your buddy, um, not your friends, not your competitors, not social media. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:58.720 And a lot of times we are going to the Bible according to social media. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:00.559 That is not who we're supposed to ask. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:02.000 We're supposed to ask God. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:04.799 And when God, he because he will give you wisdom. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:12.480 Let's see, it says, ask uh if anyone acts lacks wisdom, ask God who gives generously without finding fault. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:18.399 So even if you had to ask him 50 zillion times, he ain't gonna be like, now, baby, didn't I tell you that the last time and the last time? 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.559 And no, he's gonna be like, Okay, baby, come here. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:21.840 Let me show you what you need to do. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:25.600 If you spend time with him, spend time in his word, he will show you. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:28.159 Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:33.759 Knowledge is education, training, trends, research, all of the above, looking at social media, all the things. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.720 Wisdom is asking and going to the word of God. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:37.919 Should I build my business? 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:39.279 How should I build my business? 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:41.440 God, how can you uh guide me in this? 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:42.320 What should I do? 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:45.600 Now, I'm not saying that knowledge is bad because knowledge is good. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:50.639 Knowledge has my education has helped me get to the point that I have in my career to this day. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:55.519 But without Jesus, without the word of God, without God, that is nothing. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:56.559 I am dung. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:59.840 Nothing is good that comes out of my mouth without God. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:06.720 As far as my business is concerned and anything I do in this life, knowledge is a good opportunity to make money. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:08.799 Yeah, we can make money off of some knowledge. 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:12.480 We can make money off of looking at things and doing building patterns off of that. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:19.120 But when we honor God and He gives us wisdom, then you watch your plans, watch your business, watch things flourish. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:22.799 But that doesn't mean hardship isn't going to come because it absolutely will. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.879 Wisdom is God's perspective. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:30.080 If a business fails, it's not because God didn't um allow you or you weren't intelligent enough. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.559 Sometimes it fails because we aren't consulting him. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:38.240 And then we not only have God as our business consultant, he also gives us the Holy Spirit. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:43.519 The Holy Spirit helps us in our times of difficulty when we're having a difficult time. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:58.240 So before you hire, before you buy, um have invoices, before you sign a contract, before you launch a website, before you uh raise prices, before you enter into different types of partnerships, we have the Holy Spirit. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:02.320 We have God who gives us the Holy Spirit to use us as our helper. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.200 He helps us. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:07.279 So we got the whole business plan right in the word of God. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:12.159 We don't start out thinking like this in the beginning when we um are going through business. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:16.159 We are motivated and then trials come, and then all of a sudden we get discouraged. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:17.120 And I'm talking about me. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.240 I ain't talking about nobody else. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:19.120 I'm talking about me. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:23.120 We get really discouraged and we're like asking God, is this really, did you really call? 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:25.200 Am I hearing from me or am I hearing from you? 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:26.960 So don't get discouraged. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:33.840 Don't, don't get upset, don't be um when we get discouraged and we don't trust God for everything we do. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:34.879 My time is almost up. 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:36.559 So I'm trying to keep going quickly. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:39.440 Wisdom is more valuable than a quick hustle. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:44.639 You can do 10 hours of a quick hustle, but without the wisdom of God, it can mean nothing. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:47.519 It might look like it means something, but it can mean nothing. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:57.120 The other part of that that I needed you guys to hear, and I'm talking really quickly, is the Bible talks about in verse 6 in um James chapter 1, verses 2 through 6. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:04.879 But when you ask God, believe not doubting, because uh the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea blown, tossed, and tossed by the wind. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.320 That person should not expect to receive anything from God. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.279 So in times that I was like, okay, God, is this from you? 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:12.080 Wait a minute. 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:15.919 God has given me the plan, He's given me the wisdom, He's given me the vision. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:20.720 And the times that I doubted Him, He said I was like the wind, like he. 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:27.200 I shouldn't expect anything from Him because when God says something, it is true, and you best count on it. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.399 And that's my time. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:31.279 I shall yield.