Speaker 1: We're so glad that you've joined us today on the relevant church podcast.
Speaker 1: There's so much God wants to do in and through you as you listen to this message, if you want to learn more about relevant church, visit us online@thisisrelevant.cc.
Speaker 2: Thank you, bad everybody.
Speaker 2: Give a shout out to the band right behind us.
Speaker 2: Kaylin ed, we've had this running joke around relevant church.
Speaker 2: Where's Tiffany at?
Speaker 2: Tiffany wore this shirt, let's say killing it every day.
Speaker 2: Not every day.
Speaker 2: We're killing it.
Speaker 2: Earth day, and it was crazy because it was the beginning of our series called the amazing race and we talked about how we are all on a race, whether we are in a race by choice or we are on a race by default, but it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2: We go run our race and we going to kill it when earth day we go and kill it.
Speaker 2: Earth day.
Speaker 2: Hey, so listen, if this is your first time here, just want to say welcome home.
Speaker 2: My name is[inaudible].
Speaker 2: I'm one of the servants here at relevant church and at relevant church.
Speaker 2: We really want to do one thing and one thing.
Speaker 2: Well we want to help everybody around us discover one important life changing game, changing race, changing fact that Jesus is relevant.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 2: And because Jesus relevant, we want to create an atmosphere here where we learned to passionately follow Jesus, what we learned to love across boundaries and make a tangible difference in our community, region and world.
Speaker 2: And, and this is what we say around relevant.
Speaker 2: Hey we are, we are a growing church.
Speaker 2: We have not reached our shoe size yet.
Speaker 2: There's plenty of room at the table for you.
Speaker 2: So if you are looking for a home church, if you're kind of like, Hey, I'm just kinda checking things out.
Speaker 2: Maybe you saw the post on Facebook, maybe one of your friends invited you and you're like, Hey, I've always wanted to go see what's happening here at relevant church.
Speaker 2: Well today you're here and we want to say welcome home.
Speaker 2: If you are looking for a home church, we would love for you to join us on the journey and hang out with us.
Speaker 2: In fact, in a week, right in a week we have a starting point.
Speaker 2: So starting point is kind of one of the first steps to just get to know relevant church and get to meet some of the staff, get to hear some of the, the heartbeat and the vision and, and who we are as a church.
Speaker 2: So we'd love to invite you out to that.
Speaker 2: Um, I usually start off each message with kind of a shout up.
Speaker 2: And before I do, listen, if you're getting a little thirsty, we've got plenty of water bottles.
Speaker 2: We've got, I call it room temperature.
Speaker 2: It's actually outside temperature water.
Speaker 2: So if you're looking for some outside temperature water, we got some for you.
Speaker 2: We've got some cold water for you, some ice cold water for you.
Speaker 2: So if you want, want to go ahead and raise your hand and we'll get one to you.
Speaker 2: But usually like I start off the message with kind of like a shout out, um, just to give honor to where honors do see our churches about giving honor to where honors do.
Speaker 2: So this morning I want you guys to help me.
Speaker 2: Just make some noise and get some honor to crew that's been working here since 7:00 AM this morning.
Speaker 3: Come on, let's, let's get a little[inaudible].
Speaker 2: Listen, we got some amazing dedicated crew here at relevant church.
Speaker 2: Did he just say[inaudible] over there?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: John the drummer.
Speaker 2: Love that guy.
Speaker 2: So much energy.
Speaker 2: But yeah, we went through some hardships this morning, so y'all were supposed to be on that backlog over there.
Speaker 2: We had it set up all the way facing that way and then sprinkler said, and we're like, man, we can't let them folk sit off and wet grass even though some of y'all opted to this, all white guys, it's all good.
Speaker 2: But we wanted to create a space where you guys were comfortable.
Speaker 2: So you gotta you caught us in the middle of a flip as we're flipping the stage, flipping everything.
Speaker 2: So Hey, we're so glad you guys are here.
Speaker 2: And uh, before I jump into the message, let me just go ahead and pray real quick.
Speaker 2: Just want to spend a few times just going through, uh, this amazing text and we've just been going through.
Speaker 2: So let's pray.
Speaker 2: Work with God.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for bringing us here today.
Speaker 2: God, we ask that your Holy spirit will, will, will meet us here, speak to us, allow this word to speak to us tangibly.
Speaker 2: Transformationally and so Lord, that weekend as we do come as we are, but we can leave greater and we ask all these things in your son's name, Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2: And everybody said amen.
Speaker 2: So like I said, we're wrapping up a series.
Speaker 2: This is part four of a series called the amazing racist, but really fun series to do.
Speaker 2: Um, it's been interactive, so it's taken our whole mind, body, and spirit throughout the week.
Speaker 2: We've been doing challenges at church in the middle of church.
Speaker 2: We've been doing challenges.
Speaker 2: I mean, we were up pull ups in church and we were drinking, uh, exercise shakes or whatever it was.
Speaker 2: There was a lot of crazy things that we did.
Speaker 2: We made church for let's say, here's a pill at relevant.
Speaker 2: We take God seriously, but we don't take ourselves too seriously.
Speaker 2: So, so we like to have fun.
Speaker 2: So in the first message we discovered something that I shared earlier, that we're all in a race.
Speaker 2: Every single one of us is in a race, whether by choice or by default.
Speaker 2: And how do I know?
Speaker 2: Because racists have a beginning and raises have an end and in life you were born and there's going to be a time where you won't be born anymore.
Speaker 2: And so you seek to be born and um, we want to finish strong.
Speaker 2: Every single one of us here wants to finish life strong.
Speaker 2: So whether we're in a race by choice, some of us are in the race of marriage, some of us are in the race of parenting.
Speaker 2: Some of us are in the race of our careers.
Speaker 2: Education.
Speaker 2: Everybody is in a race by choice or by default.
Speaker 2: And because we're in a race by choice or by default, we realize that the algorithm of this world is to pull you back to average.
Speaker 2: How of you guys know that it's better to just sit and do nothing?
Speaker 2: Sometimes it's like I just don't want to do anything.
Speaker 2: Here's the reality is if you're like me, Netflix and a bowl of ice cream is perfect, it's perfect.
Speaker 2: The algorithm of life was to pull you back.
Speaker 2: In fact, the algorithm of life wants to destroy your rates, but we discovered that when you make a decision to follow Jesus Christ, scripture says those who are born in Christ are a new creation.
Speaker 2: All things become new.
Speaker 2: Everything past becomes old.
Speaker 2: Listen, Oh, we just discovered that we are designed with the new DNA and our DNA is designed to be designed to win.
Speaker 2: So if we're going to be in a race, we got to compete, not concede.
Speaker 2: We got to compete, not can see.
Speaker 2: And then the second message we talked about how sometimes it gets, it gets tough while you're running.
Speaker 2: Anybody has done like a marathon or the mud runner or whatever it is you're running and you get tired.
Speaker 2: And there are times where you just want to quit and you've got to remind yourself, why am I running?
Speaker 2: And some of us are in here today and maybe you haven't been here for the whole series, but you're in that zone right now in your life where you're like, I don't even know why I'm running anymore.
Speaker 2: I don't know why I get up every single day.
Speaker 2: I don't know why I'm in this relationship anymore.
Speaker 2: And the reality is if we don't know our why, it's easy to get distracted if we don't know our why, it's easy to quit.
Speaker 2: So we discovered in the second message that you got to start with the vision.
Speaker 2: Start with the visit of the scripture that says, write the vision, make it plain that you will run when you read it and you won't fit.
Speaker 2: Which brought us to last week's message.
Speaker 2: Last week we were, we're in this series again where we've broken up now into four teams as a church and we've recognized that your team matters, your team matters.
Speaker 2: The people who are running alongside and you're the people who you're running alongside and the people who ran before you, the people who are gonna run after you, they all matter.
Speaker 2: And we realize that my team affects my race.
Speaker 2: And Jim Rohn said this, he popularized the statement, he says, you are the average of the five people closest to you.
Speaker 2: And some of us are wondering why we are stuttering on our race.
Speaker 2: Maybe we need to look at the team we're running with and some of us need to really take a look and see how we are affecting the team that we're running with.
Speaker 2: And maybe it's not them effecting us.
Speaker 2: Maybe it's us affecting them.
Speaker 2: And so we realize that because my actions impact somebody else, I need to make sure that I'm setting the pace.
Speaker 2: I'm setting a pace so that when I hand off the Baton, when I'm running alongside with somebody, I can set the pace and pass the Baton hot.
Speaker 2: We want to pass the Baton high.
Speaker 2: When we know that we're running a relay.
Speaker 2: It doesn't matter how fast you are, what matters is the person who ran right before you.
Speaker 2: So for some of us, our, our race has been delayed because the people who ran before us slowed us down.
Speaker 2: But he is a reality in life.
Speaker 2: You've got to set, set the trajectory for the future, and you can set the pace for the people who would come in after you, which brings us to today's message.
Speaker 2: All these messages are online, would love for you to go and check them out.
Speaker 2: And I'm in a race, y'all.
Speaker 2: I'm in a race that I've not really been when I'm gonna tell you what race I'm at.
Speaker 2: I'm in the weight loss rates.
Speaker 2: I've been saying, everybody has heard me say I'm trying to lose weight.
Speaker 2: That's a lie.
Speaker 2: I'm not trying.
Speaker 2: I hope to lose weight.
Speaker 2: I wish I lost weight.
Speaker 2: But the reality is I am not running this race like I should.
Speaker 2: Um, I checked the scale from the beginning of the year.
Speaker 2: I'm like, listen, I wanna I want to lose weight.
Speaker 2: This, this year, everything is going to be really good.
Speaker 2: It's all right.
Speaker 2: That's just the Holy spirit saying, yeah, keep going, preacher.
Speaker 2: Preach your brother.
Speaker 2: But from the beginning he has been saying, man, I need, I need to lose some weight and yo, I lost negative 11 pounds.
Speaker 2: Somebody's going to catch that when they're going home today.
Speaker 2: I lost negative 11 about, I gained 11 pounds this year.
Speaker 2: It's okay.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Rhonda.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 2: I got some support.
Speaker 2: My wife still loves all of this.
Speaker 2: Goodness.
Speaker 2: Come on.
Speaker 2: But it was so crazy because how many of you guys know when you put on like a pair of jeans, when they come out of the washer, pulled on a pair of pants, when they come out of the walls, come out of the dry, whatever.
Speaker 2: They're a little snug.
Speaker 2: They're a little tight, right?
Speaker 2: And so all you gotta do is break them in a little bit, right?
Speaker 2: You're breaking mic.
Speaker 2: So you're breaking your pants.
Speaker 2: You're, yeah, you're walking around, you're like, okay, cool.
Speaker 2: And then, uh, for most guys, if you're like me, listen, I don't, I'm not going to mess up my jeans that easy.
Speaker 2: So what I'll do as I was folding back and I'll put them up and I'll wear them the next time.
Speaker 2: And how many of you guys know when you put on the jeans for the second time, they're a little looser than they were when you first put them on.
Speaker 2: That didn't happen to me.
Speaker 2: I went to put on the teens that I broke it in all day, like two days later I got in and there were tighter than they were when I first tried to put them on out the wash.
Speaker 2: that's a problem.
Speaker 2: I realize portion control is not my spiritual gift.
Speaker 2: Listen, I love to eat.
Speaker 2: I love to graze.
Speaker 2: If you leave food around, listen, all of y'all follow my Facebook posts or anything like that.
Speaker 2: My bout a week ago, I was hungry on a Saturday in the office and the worst thing you can do in our offices is leave food because I'll find it and I'll eat it and thank you, a lupus for your ministry and giving me all the food in your office.
Speaker 2: He's got a fridge in his office.
Speaker 2: There was like tortilla as they did all.
Speaker 2: I went ham, so I discovered that I have a real problem with portion control.
Speaker 2: So this week I was traveling and I was out of state and I was really hungry.
Speaker 2: I was famous and we went to a fast food restaurant because my friend's son wanted some McDonald's and I was just like, man, I really shouldn't eat this McDonald's but I'm really happy.
Speaker 2: And he's like, dude, I know you've been talking about you want us to lose some weight.
Speaker 2: How about we go get something?
Speaker 2: It helped people.
Speaker 2: I'm like, but I'm hungry now.
Speaker 2: I just eat something now.
Speaker 2: So I ordered some McDonald's and shout out to anybody who works at McDonald's, not hating on you, but those fries did not do well with me from that on his set, the trajectory of that tire week and it was just like earlier, right?
Speaker 2: And but the crazy thing is instead of saying, okay, I ate this, I need to watch what I eat after this.
Speaker 2: What did I continue to do in junk for the rest of the week?
Speaker 2: And I'm telling the people, man, I need to lose some weight as I eat this cake.
Speaker 2: And then the crazy thing though, somebody in the office who is a fitness instructor at the office I was in and she was looking at me, she was like, you know, you're not going to lose weight like that.
Speaker 2: I'm like, don't judge me girl.
Speaker 2: Only the Lord can judge me.
Speaker 2: But here's the deal I discovered when it comes to food, when it comes to the race of weight loss, I have no self control.
Speaker 2: I have no self control and if we're honest, for some of us we are running races where we are undisciplined, we're running racist where we have no self control, but there's a group of individuals in this life who have self control, who got disciplined, who are incredibly all sematic and it's athletes.
Speaker 2: Athletes have incredible self-control.
Speaker 2: If you've ever been an athlete and you've been running your race as an athlete, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2: You will discover like, man, you know what?
Speaker 2: I've gotta be self controlled to have activity.
Speaker 2: Even the Bible talks about it.
Speaker 2: I wish I had it on the screen.
Speaker 2: I'm not going to lie, I forgot to put it up, but there's a text in first Corinthians nine 24 it's just the trajectory of the day.
Speaker 2: It's all good.
Speaker 2: In first Corinthians nine 24 through 27 this is the text we've kinda been at and the writer Paul is writing this to a church that he planted and he says this, do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one receives the prize.
Speaker 2: So run that you may have tainted every athlete exercises, self-control in all things, athletes, exercise, self control and all things.
Speaker 2: He's writing to a group of individuals who have what's called the Isthmian games taking place.
Speaker 2: There were the only other games as popular as the Olympic games.
Speaker 2: This is like way back in the day.
Speaker 2: So he's using this terminology of athletes and athleticism because this is taking place right now.
Speaker 2: Like they are seeing these athletes go so they can tangibly see what an athlete is doing to, to train for the race.
Speaker 2: They're out there watching games, they're out there seeing people, uh, sweat and do all their hard work.
Speaker 2: And so he's like, you know what?
Speaker 2: The race of life, the race of ministry, the race of your marriage, the race of everything around you, it's founded on self control, says every athlete exercise is self control in everything, and in the context here, he's talking about how he's had to exercise self-control to be a minister, to be a pastor.
Speaker 2: That's the context in which he's writing this ed, and I don't know if you guys knew, I don't know if there's any pastors or foreign pastors in the audience, but it takes self-control to be a pastor.
Speaker 2: I see somebody who just shook their head and said, yup, because when you're a pastor, you hear things.
Speaker 2: People say stuff to you.
Speaker 2: Then you want to respond in a certain way and you just smile.
Speaker 2: Praise God.
Speaker 2: Oh hallelujah.
Speaker 2: Praying for you in your head.
Speaker 2: You're like, man, I can't stand you.
Speaker 2: I want to smack you upside your head.
Speaker 2: Stop it.
Speaker 2: You're whining quit.
Speaker 2: It's your fault.
Speaker 2: It's like you've got to exercise the self control to be administered and a pastor and Paul is saying, listen, every athlete exercises self-control.
Speaker 2: Earlier in the text.
Speaker 2: He says it like this, talking about him, sir.
Speaker 2: First Corinthians nine I'm 19 he says, for though I am free from all men, I think we've got a tech support for though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all.
Speaker 2: In fact, in other Texas says, I've made myself a slave to all that.
Speaker 2: I may win more, meaning I may win more people to the message of the gospel.
Speaker 2: Let me ask you a question.
Speaker 2: In your race, no one's making you run the race.
Speaker 2: I guarantee you the races that you're renting.
Speaker 2: For many of you, you chose the race that you're in.
Speaker 2: Are you committed to your own race even though you're free to do whatever you want?
Speaker 2: Have you made yourself a slave in a servant to the commitment of your race?
Speaker 2: Are you that committed?
Speaker 2: Are you that self control when the challenges of life comes?
Speaker 2: Are you that committed to win that you made yourself a slave to the process?
Speaker 2: He says, every athlete exercises, kelp, self-control.
Speaker 2: Listen.
Speaker 2: Point number one, if you want to follow along, I'm gonna go through these points really quickly.
Speaker 2: Point number one is how I live will directly impact how I compete.
Speaker 2: How I live with directly impacts how I compete.
Speaker 2: Everybody knows then my actions will affect the reactions that I see around me.
Speaker 2: Eh, we live this life.
Speaker 2: One thing that you can know, I know for certain, for myself, I am my worst enemy.
Speaker 2: I can get in my own way.
Speaker 2: I can talk myself out of almost anything in life.
Speaker 2: Very reasonable.
Speaker 2: I'll never do a triathlon
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 2: because I don't believe in self torture
Speaker 4: to get your body in shape, to get your mind ready to do a triathlon.
Speaker 4: There's so much that has to go.
Speaker 4: You've got to be a slave to the process.
Speaker 4: Anybody here ever done the tar Avalara?
Speaker 4: Anybody ever has done a marathon that is taking everything out of you?
Speaker 4: I know Rhonda, you're out there, right?
Speaker 4: You did that little mud runner or whatever their thing is.
Speaker 4: It took so much just to get ready to do that and every athlete
Speaker 2: has to understand self-control.
Speaker 2: Anybody who's watched the NBA or anything recognizes co-PI's work ethic, black mob.
Speaker 2: Everybody was like, yo, Kelly's one of the greatest F uh, players in the NBA.
Speaker 2: Why?
Speaker 2: Because his self controlling his work ethic was ridiculous.
Speaker 4: He realized how he lived well impacts how he competed, how he lived, impacted how he played.
Speaker 4: So they say that Colby would get to the gym at four o'clock in the morning and then afterwards, uh, they would go to practice.
Speaker 4: And when everybody's like, man, we're done with practice.
Speaker 4: We're about to go hang out.
Speaker 4: Colby would stay in the gym for another three hours working out because he recognized how he lived will affect how he competes.
Speaker 2: Plato said this, the great philosopher and somebody needs to hear this for themselves.
Speaker 2: The first and best victory is to conquer self.
Speaker 2: We discovered that the race that we're running isn't a race against people.
Speaker 2: It's a race against ourselves.
Speaker 2: It's a race against our will.
Speaker 2: It's a race against the things that would pull us back in life.
Speaker 2: And then he goes on to say this, he says, every athlete exercises, self-control, all things they do what to receive.
Speaker 2: A pair of seborrheic, but we an imperishable.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: There are Marine.
Speaker 2: Literally he's saying that when people ran these Isthmian games, what they got was a crowd of celery leaves around their head and he said, these people, okay,
Speaker 4: punish their bodies, work so hard to get some celery leaves around their head and it goes that way.
Speaker 4: Sometimes in life we feel like we're working so hard for things that ultimately whither away.
Speaker 4: We realize that we can't hold onto life.
Speaker 4: We can't hold onto our breadth.
Speaker 4: We can't hold onto our money.
Speaker 4: We can't hold on to anything because everything in this world fades away eventually.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: He says they're doing it for a crown of celery leaves.
Speaker 2: They're doing it for imperishable reads, but we do it for an appears shovel.
Speaker 2: The race that we're running is for a crown,
Speaker 4: a prize that is never going to fade away again, going back, that's why I wouldn't do a triathlon.
Speaker 2: I would do a triathlon if they said, after you win this, try the, after you subject your body so deeply to this process, you are going to earn health every.
Speaker 2: You will never be sick again.
Speaker 2: I'll run a triathlon who was running a triathlon with me.
Speaker 2: Like we'll be in there.
Speaker 2: I'm going with it.
Speaker 2: If they said, listen, you will never have any money issues for the rest of your life.
Speaker 2: Money will never run dry.
Speaker 2: I would run a triathlon.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: Listen, if they told me your kids won't behave, I'm signing up.
Speaker 2: I'm with it.
Speaker 2: Let's go.
Speaker 2: What do I need to do?
Speaker 2: Come on, I'm running this race.
Speaker 2: But Paul says, listen, the race that we run as people who believe in Jesus Christ, people who believe in God, people who want to commit to this race called life, uh, living with Christ, living inside of you, the race that you're running goes far beyond what you see every single day.
Speaker 2: Your race ultimately leads to a prize that is going to be impossible, one that will never go away.
Speaker 2: So whatever you do, whatever you eat or wherever you are, do everything to the glory of God.
Speaker 2: First Corinthians 10 1331 he says, so whether you eat or drink
Speaker 4: or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Speaker 4: Because here's the reality.
Speaker 4: The race that you're running, you may think it's for you, but what did we discover last week?
Speaker 4: It's not about you.
Speaker 3: Yeah,
Speaker 4: your race is foreign you, but it's not about you.
Speaker 4: Your race impacts everybody around you.
Speaker 4: You're raised, we'll leave either a legacy of fruitfulness or a
Speaker 2: legacy of failed hopes of failed dreams.
Speaker 2: So we recognize that everything we do matters how we exercise.
Speaker 2: Self control matters.
Speaker 2: Because point number two, my reward is an earthly, it's eternal.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Uh, my phage reward is not earthly.
Speaker 4: It's eternal.
Speaker 4: Uh, the marriage reward for those who are married is not earthly.
Speaker 4: It's eternal.
Speaker 4: In fact, they say marriage is symbolic of Christ in the church.
Speaker 4: It's going to last forever in terms of the fruit that you're developing in this relationship is going to be a relationship that goes on into eternity.
Speaker 4: You won't be married in heaven, but you know what?
Speaker 2: You will receive the rewards of faithfulness.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: The faith of your health,
Speaker 2: the race of your[inaudible], your health is not just earthly.
Speaker 2: It's eternal.
Speaker 2: Because we know that even though our bodies will be changed, Lou will live in eternity with Jesus like Jesus, and as we know Jesus has maintained his body, it'll be imperishable.
Speaker 2: We won't get sick, we won't die, but we will take it with us into eternity.
Speaker 2: How are you running the race that you're running?
Speaker 2: Are you running it for now or you're running it for the future?
Speaker 2: Are you, are you living for today?
Speaker 2: Are you living for eternity?
Speaker 2: He goes on in verse 27 the last verse, so we ain't, he says, but I discipline my body and keep it under control.
Speaker 2: I disciplined my body.
Speaker 2: Literally this word discipline that he means he, it's symbolically, it's, it's, it literally is saying that like, I beat my body into submission.
Speaker 2: Now, some people have taken this practice and gone away over, boy, you know how super religious people, they're like, Oh, you beat your body.
Speaker 2: Okay, so I'm gonna love it.
Speaker 2: You wake up in the morning, beat my body to submission.
Speaker 2: No, it doesn't mean that.
Speaker 2: It means did.
Speaker 2: I'm willing to go through whatever for the sake of the prize.
Speaker 2: I'm willing to be subjected to whatever for the sake of winning this race.
Speaker 2: I'm a willing to allow myself to endure extreme demands for purpose and, and Paul is speaking like a pastor and listen, Hey, if you want us to know what it's like to be a pastor, read Paul stuff.
Speaker 2: If you've got a pass, if you go to church, if you go to a relevant church and want to know what it is to be a pastor, read this cause he's like, listen, I endure the hardships of ministry.
Speaker 4: That's really what he's talking about for himself.
Speaker 4: That's the race that he's running.
Speaker 4: He says, listen, I get disappointed.
Speaker 4: People come into the church and they say, I love you Paul, and you're a great pastor.
Speaker 4: And then two seconds later they said, I hate you.
Speaker 4: You don't teach the gospel.
Speaker 4: And they walk out the door and you preach the same exact thing that you preach all the term.
Speaker 4: He was like, Hey, I think you're, you're, you're a great minister.
Speaker 4: I loved the mission and vision of this church.
Speaker 4: And then they'd come up with their own ideas and say, but I feel like we should do this.
Speaker 4: And you're like, no, we got to stick to the vision.
Speaker 4: And it's how I can't stand for the vision of this church.
Speaker 4: I gotta leave.
Speaker 4: Uh, you have to deal with sometimes giving up, uh, resources just so that you can keep the vision for.
Speaker 4: And he's like, listen, I endure whatever to make sure that I win this race.
Speaker 4: And let me ask you this.
Speaker 4: Are you willing to allow your body and your life to be beat in submission?
Speaker 4: Not physically, but sometimes emotionally just so bad you can win this race.
Speaker 4: If you've ever entered entrepreneurship, you will know.
Speaker 4: Being an entrepreneur is hard.
Speaker 4: If you ever been a student, you know that being a student is hard.
Speaker 4: If you've ever been married, you can pick anything in this life
Speaker 2: and you will endure hardship and trial and toil.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: Are you willing to make yourself a servant to the process?
Speaker 2: And this is true about athletes.
Speaker 2: Athletes give up what's good to accomplish.
Speaker 2: What's great
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 2: are you willing in your life to give up what's good so you can accomplish what's great?
Speaker 2: Are you willing to give up what you think is good and accomplish what's great?
Speaker 2: Because here's the reality.
Speaker 2: Many of us would rather die in comfort than thrive beyond uncertainty.
Speaker 3: Whoa.
Speaker 2: Many of us want to stay exactly where we are because it's safe because it's familiar and you're wondering why I'm living life in this dysfunctional statement.
Speaker 2: But the reality is if you would just enter the race of uncertainty and press forward and allow yourself to go through the hardship and the try on the reality that are gonna come your way anyway, there's a hope on the other side of uncertainty.
Speaker 2: And so this is my last point that I want to share with you, is the here, give me a little background to accomplish something I've never thought I would.
Speaker 2: I've gotta be willing to do something.
Speaker 2: I never thought I could accomplish something.
Speaker 2: I never thought I would.
Speaker 2: I've got to be willing to do something I never thought I could.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Every single one of us has that in our lives.
Speaker 2: Everybody has things that we want to do with the accomplishments that we want to reach.
Speaker 2: For some of us, it's our faith.
Speaker 2: I want us to grow deeper in the word.
Speaker 2: I want to grow deeper in the relationship with my children.
Speaker 2: I want to go deeper with the relationship with my friends that I would have graduated high school with a 4.0 I want to graduate college with a 4.0 I want to pursue a business.
Speaker 2: I want to do this thing.
Speaker 2: I don't know if I could.
Speaker 2: I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it.
Speaker 2: Are you willing to do the very thing that you never thought you could to get to the place that you never thought you would?
Speaker 2: What are you willing to sacrifice?
Speaker 2: What are you willing to push past?
Speaker 2: What did what?
Speaker 2: What Hills are you willing to climb?
Speaker 2: What valleys are you willing to place yourself in subjection to?
Speaker 2: I don't know what it is for you
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 2: but the one thing that I know for sure all of us here are running a race either by choice or by default.
Speaker 2: And I know one thing's for sure that the algorithm of
Speaker 4: this world is going to try to pull you back.
Speaker 4: The algorithm of this ward is going to try to get you to give up.
Speaker 4: It's going to tell you you're not good enough.
Speaker 4: You're not smart enough, you're not educated enough, you're not skinny enough, you're not big enough, you're not strong enough.
Speaker 4: Everything in this world is going to try to tell you you're not enough.
Speaker 3: But let me tell you this.
Speaker 3: I know
Speaker 4: then when you are living life on purpose and for a purpose and you know your why and you're clear because you understand where the end goal is and you surround yourself with the right team, a team that's gonna motivate you, sometimes the team that's going to challenge you, a team that's going to be ran with you, but a team that is willing to run with you.
Speaker 4: And when you recognize that my own actions affect those who are around me, my actions parents affect my kids, my actions kids affect my parents, my actions, coworkers affect everybody who's working around me.
Speaker 4: My actions affect somebody else.
Speaker 4: When I recognize that, I realize that this race is not about them.
Speaker 4: It's about a me and I've got to set my own pace
Speaker 3: and I can keep running.
Speaker 3: But there comes a time
Speaker 4: and we're all gonna face.
Speaker 4: Some of you guys are at this point right now in your life, whether does this decision that you have to make a decision to go all it and make yourself a servant to the process.
Speaker 4: There's a decision that you and I have to make today.
Speaker 4: Are we all in
Speaker 3: or not?
Speaker 4: Every single one of you guys, if you didn't raise your hand won't get one to you.
Speaker 4: Everybody got a poker chip.
Speaker 4: If you got a poker chip, go ahead and raise it high.
Speaker 4: Wherever you're at.
Speaker 4: If you've got a poker chip, raise it hot.
Speaker 4: All right, so when you're playing poker, I discovered this last night because I put it on Facebook and ask somebody what this man, shout out Dana for hooking me up with the answer.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 3: When your plant
Speaker 4: share, you can go ahead and put your poker chip down.
Speaker 4: We got it.
Speaker 4: I seen you guys, Sherry, I got you.
Speaker 4: I got you.
Speaker 4: When you're playing poker and you've got a very good hand and extremely incredible head that you know nobody else is going to be able to beat and you know with this head you can have your cake and eat it too.
Speaker 4: See, everything goes back to food with me.
Speaker 4: Forgive me.
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 4: there's one thing that you do.
Speaker 3: You bet
Speaker 4: all of your chips you say, I know.
Speaker 4: Then I'm gonna win this head.
Speaker 4: I know victory is mine.
Speaker 4: I know I'm guaranteed to take home the win.
Speaker 4: And what do you do is you grab all of your chips no matter how much you have and your bet, all your chips.
Speaker 4: And here's the reality.
Speaker 4: When you bet all your chips, everybody at the table is looking at you either two ways.
Speaker 4: They know something I don't know.
Speaker 4: Or that person is a plum fool cause they're about to lose.
Speaker 4: People will look at you crazy in your life, folks.
Speaker 4: When they see you running your race and you bet all of your chest and you say, you know what?
Speaker 4: I'm going to be committed.
Speaker 4: I'm going to be all in.
Speaker 4: I'm going to be a slave to the process.
Speaker 4: I'm going to bet all of my chips.
Speaker 4: Your friends would think you're crazy.
Speaker 4: Your kids who think you're crazy, your family would think you're crazy.
Speaker 4: You're your coworkers.
Speaker 4: Think you're crazy.
Speaker 4: Your boss, people around you will think you are nuts.
Speaker 4: Burger number, this, you will never know what's you're able to accomplish.
Speaker 4: If you never do something that you've never thought of doing, you will never realize a accomplishment if you're not willing to submit it all.
Speaker 3: So today,
Speaker 4: are you willing to bet your chips?
Speaker 3: You will never,
Speaker 4: no.
Speaker 4: What you could do until you do something that you've never done.
Speaker 4: And I, I close up with this.
Speaker 4: Um, he closes this verse with this.
Speaker 4: He says, so I discipline my body and keep it under control less after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Speaker 4: What it means here, he says, listen, after I've run this race, after I've been running for a while, after I bet all of my chips I'm going to, I'm not going to run and then flame out.
Speaker 4: There's this meaning of disqualification means you are running the race at some point in time, but you got tired, you got frustrated and you decided to quit.
Speaker 4: He says, listen, I'm not going to run this race and then end up being disqualified because I didn't have properly trained myself.
Speaker 4: So what do I do?
Speaker 4: I has self control.
Speaker 4: I discipline my body and I make my body, my mind, my will, my slate.
Speaker 4: How many of us in here are willing to bring ourselves to a point where it says, I am so committed to my relationship.
Speaker 4: I'm so committed to my faith.
Speaker 4: I'm so committed to this process that I am all in.
Speaker 4: I'm going to bet all of my chips in or are we gonna continue starting and stopping and giving a little bit and then not giving a whole lot and then going a little forward and then taking two steps back.
Speaker 4: Are we going to be all in?
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Last quote, Jim Collins, the writer of great by choice.
Speaker 4: One of the most phenomenal leadership books says this, and I'm praying that somebody gets this in their heart.
Speaker 4: The signature of mediocrity, the signature of mediocrity is not unwillingness to change.
Speaker 4: The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.
Speaker 4: I do a little bit, then I do that.
Speaker 4: I pushed a little bit.
Speaker 4: Then I want, I start a little bit.
Speaker 4: Then I stop that word.
Speaker 4: Mediocrity is the same as being disqualified.
Speaker 4: The signature of those that flame out is they're chronically inconsistent.
Speaker 4: The signature of those who, who, who start the race and then can't finish are the ones who have not trained their body to be committed, train their mind, their soul, their will to be consistent.
Speaker 4: So are you committed?
Speaker 4: No one has ever been heralded in life.
Speaker 4: No person ever in life has been heralded
Speaker 3: for being mediocre.
Speaker 4: No one in life that is great has been ever put on a pedestal for being inconsistent.
Speaker 3: So
Speaker 4: where are you?
Speaker 4: Bet your chips.
Speaker 4: This is what I want you to do.
Speaker 4: Every single one of is in a race.
Speaker 4: I want you to choose one where you've been inconsistent.
Speaker 4: Choose a race that you know you haven't given your all.
Speaker 4: Choose a race that you know you should've been running, but you've been walking.
Speaker 4: Choose a race where you know where you should have gotten up, but you've been too comfortable sitting down
Speaker 3: your chest.
Speaker 3: All of them.
Speaker 3: I saw this[inaudible]
Speaker 4: Lacey, where are you at?
Speaker 4: Thank you for sending me the city posting this this week or the week before.
Speaker 4: It says, I never lose.
Speaker 4: Either I win or I learn because I, the way I win[inaudible] I never lose.
Speaker 4: Either I win or I learn.
Speaker 4: So either way I win.
Speaker 4: And the greatest life you can ever live is a life that's lived on purpose for purpose.
Speaker 4: So will you bet your chips today?
Speaker 4: Will you pick an area and bet your chips today?
Speaker 4: Uh, will you grab that chip that's in your hand and walk to your child who maybe you haven't had a good relationship and says, I'm betting my chips and we're going to restore this thing.
Speaker 4: Are you going to go to your wife or your husband who you've been in conflict rent and take that chip and hand them to them and says, listen, symbolically, I'm betting the chips on this relationship.
Speaker 4: Are you going to go to your job and set the chip right there on your desk?
Speaker 4: So when you walk in, you remind me, I'm betting all the chips I'm all in.
Speaker 4: Are you going to go on that business venture that you wanted to do and say, I'm going to continue to pursue this.
Speaker 4: I'm betting all my chips.
Speaker 4: Are you going to bet your chips?
Speaker 4: Because remember those weren't Christ Jesus, our new creation, the oldest passed away.
Speaker 4: The new has car.
Speaker 4: And if you're a Christ Jesus, then your DNA is designed to win.
Speaker 4: Come on some better chips.
Speaker 4: God, we thank you so much for bringing us here today.
Speaker 4: Thank you so much
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 4: for reminding us that all of us are on a race either by choice or by default.
Speaker 4: We thank you God that in this race, all the runners must run and we've got to run because there's a prize ahead of us and you've called us forward because you've given us a new DNA in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 4: We're designed to win, so I pray that we will run, that we will run.
Speaker 4: It's an eight that we're going to bid all the chips and we're going to run when times get hard.
Speaker 4: I'm going to bet all my chips when things seem uncertain, I'm going to bet all my checks.
Speaker 4: When I am frustrated and tired of this race, I'm going to bet all my chest.
Speaker 4: When I want to quit, I'm going to bet all my chips.
Speaker 4: When everybody tells me to quit running, I'm going to bet all my texts when I want to give up myself.
Speaker 4: I'm going to bet all my chips.
Speaker 4: They got a pray like it says in Philippians one six four I believe for I know that the good work that God has begun in you, he will be sure to complete in the day of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Speaker 4: This race is not ours.
Speaker 4: Ultimately this racist yours.
Speaker 4: It is not I who live but Christ who was living in and through me.
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 4: as I close, I just want to invite somebody
Speaker 3: [inaudible].
Speaker 4: It's in this amazing race called fate.
Speaker 4: All of us are at different places, but I let me tell you something.
Speaker 4: The God of heaven and earth, when he saw the condition of humanity, when he saw my life, when he saw your life and knew the life that you were going to live and the drop balls that you weren't going to have and the mistakes that you were going to have and the flat out disobedience and sin and disregard for all things Holy that you would have, he decided to not just sit back passively and let you run the race of yourself.
Speaker 4: In fact, he expended the resources of heaven he gave of himself and sent his son to this crop, to the T, to this world to run the race alongside of us and ultimately run the race for us.
Speaker 4: Jesus ran the race that we could never, he lived the life that we can never live.
Speaker 4: He committed in a commitment that we could never commit so that we can find strength in the time of hardship.
Speaker 3: Yeah,
Speaker 4: he went to the cross, was beaten, battered, and tortured.
Speaker 4: He allowed himself to be a slave to the process.
Speaker 4: He says, don't unfree though I am God.
Speaker 4: I'm going to commit myself to be a slave of humanity so that I can win.
Speaker 4: So
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 4: and it went to the cross and he took on the righteous wrath of the heavenly father.
Speaker 4: That was do you and uni.
Speaker 4: And he took the ultimate punishment that was supposed to be taken by you and ah, and he died for the sake of my sins, for the sake of your sins.
Speaker 4: But the Bible tells us that three days later he Rose in all power.
Speaker 4: When you say you can have the pick three two will you run?
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