Navigating Mixed Emotions on Our Spiritual Journey

In today's gathering, we explored the profound topic of "Mixed Emotions" and how they play a significant role in our spiritual journey. Emotions are often perceived as negative, but they are, in fact, a part of God's creation. They are not inherently bad; rather, they are indicators that can guide us toward personal growth and spiritual maturity. We delved into the idea that emotions should not control us, but instead, we should learn to manage them with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Reflecting on my personal journey, I shared how God healed my mind and marriage, demonstrating that we can overcome emotional turmoil through faith. Emotions are like a dashboard in our lives, signaling when something internally needs attention. Before the fall of man, emotions were pure and positive, but sin introduced negativity. However, through redemption, we have the power to transform negative emotions into opportunities for growth.

Philippians 4:4-7 reminds us to rejoice always and to let our reasonableness be known. This scripture emphasizes the importance of maintaining a level-headed approach, even in heated situations. We must choose to live above our emotions, allowing the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds. Our thoughts shape our emotions, and by renewing our minds, we can cultivate positive emotions even in challenging circumstances.

James 1:2-4 encourages us to count it all joy when we face trials, as they produce steadfastness. Personal growth cannot occur if we repeat emotional cycles. We must take responsibility for our emotions and allow God to work through us. Processing emotions can bring encouragement, as seen in 2 Corinthians 7:5-6, where God encourages those who are discouraged.

There is a time for every emotion, as Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 teaches us. Emotions are part of life's seasons, and we must learn to navigate them without being controlled by them. We are reminded that we are not alone in our struggles; we are part of the body of Christ, meant to support and encourage one another.

Ultimately, we must never allow our emotions to outweigh what we know. Our faith should be grounded in the unchanging Word of God, which provides stability amidst emotional fluctuations. By trusting in God's plan and allowing Him to deliver us from our struggles, we can emerge stronger and more beautiful, like a butterfly from its cocoon.

**Key Takeaways:**

- Emotions are not inherently negative; they are part of God's creation and can be indicators for personal growth. By managing them with the Holy Spirit's help, we can transform them into opportunities for spiritual maturity. [43:37]

- Our thoughts shape our emotions. By renewing our minds and focusing on positive, faith-filled thoughts, we can cultivate positive emotions even in challenging circumstances. [47:34]

- Personal growth requires breaking emotional cycles. We must take responsibility for our emotions and allow God to work through us, transforming trials into steadfastness. [59:51]

- Processing emotions can bring encouragement. In times of distress, we can find strength in God and the support of our faith community, reminding us that we are not alone. [01:12:05]

- There is a time for every emotion, and we must learn to navigate them without being controlled by them. Our faith should be grounded in the unchanging Word of God, providing stability amidst emotional fluctuations. [01:24:00]

**Youtube Chapters:**

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:41] - Introduction and Friendship
[43:37] - Understanding Mixed Emotions
[47:34] - The Role of Emotions in Our Lives
[49:01] - Choosing to Control Emotions
[50:40] - Personal Testimony of Healing
[51:56] - Emotions as a Dashboard
[54:53] - Redemption and Emotions
[57:52] - Emotions as Gifts for Growth
[59:51] - Trials and Steadfastness
[01:01:17] - Breaking Emotional Cycles
[01:03:32] - Pressure and Faith
[01:06:06] - Personal Responsibility and Healing
[01:08:17] - Encouragement in Community
[01:12:05] - Encouraging Ourselves in the Lord
[01:14:58] - A Time for Every Emotion
[01:18:02] - Seasons of Emotions
[01:20:40] - Processing Emotions for Strength
[01:24:00] - Faith Over Feelings
[01:26:58] - Prayer and Closing

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: Mixed Emotions**

**Bible Reading:**
1. Philippians 4:4-7
2. James 1:2-4
3. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

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**Observation Questions:**

1. According to Philippians 4:4-7, what are the steps mentioned to maintain peace in our hearts and minds? How does this relate to managing our emotions? [47:34]

2. In the sermon, the pastor shared a personal testimony about how God healed his mind and marriage. What role did emotions play in his journey, and how did he learn to manage them? [50:40]

3. James 1:2-4 talks about counting it all joy when facing trials. What does the passage say about the purpose of trials and their impact on personal growth? [59:51]

4. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 mentions a time for every emotion. How does this passage help us understand the natural ebb and flow of emotions in our lives? [01:14:58]

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**Interpretation Questions:**

1. How does the concept of rejoicing always, as mentioned in Philippians 4:4-7, challenge our natural response to negative emotions? What does it mean to let our reasonableness be known to everyone? [47:34]

2. The pastor mentioned that emotions are like a dashboard in our lives. How can this analogy help us better understand and manage our emotions? [51:56]

3. In James 1:2-4, the idea of trials producing steadfastness is presented. How can this perspective change the way we view difficult situations in our lives? [59:51]

4. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 speaks of a time for every emotion. How can recognizing the seasons of emotions help us navigate our spiritual journey more effectively? [01:14:58]

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**Application Questions:**

1. Reflect on a recent situation where your emotions got the better of you. How could you have applied Philippians 4:4-7 to manage your emotions differently? [47:34]

2. The pastor shared a story about learning to control his emotions in his marriage. Think of a relationship in your life where emotions often run high. What practical steps can you take to manage your emotions better in that relationship? [50:40]

3. James 1:2-4 encourages us to find joy in trials. Identify a current challenge you are facing. How can you shift your perspective to see it as an opportunity for growth? [59:51]

4. Consider the different seasons of emotions mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:1-4. What season are you currently in, and how can you embrace it as part of your spiritual journey? [01:14:58]

5. The pastor emphasized the importance of community in processing emotions. How can you lean on your faith community for support during emotional struggles? [01:12:05]

6. Think about a time when you allowed your emotions to outweigh what you know to be true from God's Word. How can you ground yourself more firmly in Scripture to prevent this from happening again? [01:24:00]

7. The sermon highlighted the importance of not repeating emotional cycles. Identify a recurring emotional pattern in your life. What steps can you take to break this cycle and allow God to work through you? [01:01:17]

I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:

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Day 1: Emotions as Divine Indicators for Growth
Emotions are not inherently negative; they are part of God's creation and can serve as indicators for personal growth. They are like a dashboard in our lives, signaling when something internally needs attention. Before the fall of man, emotions were pure and positive, but sin introduced negativity. However, through redemption, we have the power to transform negative emotions into opportunities for growth. By managing them with the Holy Spirit's help, we can transform them into opportunities for spiritual maturity. [43:37]

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What emotions have been signaling you to pay attention to an area of your life that needs growth? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in this process today?


Day 2: Renewing the Mind to Shape Emotions
Our thoughts shape our emotions. By renewing our minds and focusing on positive, faith-filled thoughts, we can cultivate positive emotions even in challenging circumstances. Philippians 4:4-7 reminds us to rejoice always and to let our reasonableness be known. This scripture emphasizes the importance of maintaining a level-headed approach, even in heated situations. We must choose to live above our emotions, allowing the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds. [47:34]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: What negative thought patterns do you need to replace with faith-filled thoughts? How can you actively renew your mind today to align with God's truth?


Day 3: Breaking Emotional Cycles for Personal Growth
Personal growth requires breaking emotional cycles. We must take responsibility for our emotions and allow God to work through us, transforming trials into steadfastness. James 1:2-4 encourages us to count it all joy when we face trials, as they produce steadfastness. By embracing this perspective, we can transform our trials into opportunities for growth and maturity. [59:51]

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an emotional cycle you find yourself repeating. What steps can you take today to break this cycle and allow God to transform it into steadfastness?


Day 4: Encouragement Through Processing Emotions
Processing emotions can bring encouragement. In times of distress, we can find strength in God and the support of our faith community, reminding us that we are not alone. 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 shows how God encourages those who are discouraged. By processing our emotions, we can find encouragement and strength to move forward. [01:12:05]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your faith community can you reach out to for support in processing your emotions? How can you also be a source of encouragement to someone else today?


Day 5: Faith as the Anchor Amidst Emotional Fluctuations
There is a time for every emotion, and we must learn to navigate them without being controlled by them. Our faith should be grounded in the unchanging Word of God, providing stability amidst emotional fluctuations. By trusting in God's plan and allowing Him to deliver us from our struggles, we can emerge stronger and more beautiful, like a butterfly from its cocoon. [01:24:00]

"He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:4, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to anchor your emotions in God's unchanging Word? How can you practice trusting in His plan today, despite emotional fluctuations?

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Hey, come on, everyone. Give him praise. Give the Lord praise. Yeah. Whoo!

All right. Before you're seated, give someone a high five. Give someone a hug. Tell them they're looking good today. Say something nice. Say something kind. At least act like you're a good person. Act like you're Christians.

It is great to be in the Father's House once again. I appreciate being able to come back, being invited to come back. Pastor Anita said she met my wife first, and if you would know Pastor Anita like I know Pastor Anita, that would tell you exactly how competitive she is. She met us first, and I love that. That's the fun of our friendship, is I'm the brother she never wanted.

I'm the brother she never wanted. It is great to be here once again. I say first things first. I know they've mentioned it, but I want to celebrate just a little bit those that join us online each weekend. So many weeks, that's me joining this church online from out in Arizona. Some of you see me online; I make comments when I can. I have to be careful because I try to make funny comments, and Pastor Terry's preaching, so I have to go, okay, this is an appropriate time. Although if you look at my Instagram page, it says if there's ever a good time to laugh, it's always.

But just those that join us, put your hands together, let them know they're welcome here. Our community, our family, our extended family, they're with us, and we appreciate that so much.

As Pastor Anita already said, we've been friends now for 23-24 years, and it's more than just we're acquaintances; we're actually almost family and friends. My wife always, like Pastor Anita, always teases me that me and Pastor Terry talk more than a couple of women talk, and he's just become so special in my life. They are genuinely, truly just some of our best friends.

We've built so many relationships over the years; it's just become more precious. We just anticipate there'll be several more years ahead that we continue to grow our friendships and family ties.

Of course, last time I was here, my wife did not make it; she had her own women's event. So she made it again this weekend, and we appreciate her being here. I almost made her speak because I think she owes us, but let my wife know also that you appreciate her. She is my everything. Everything about my life comes through.

I'm trying to reach this because they thought I was a little short. I actually am, but let's pray.

Father, we love you, and we thank you for your word. We thank you that your word is anointed. But Lord, I pray that you would anoint everybody here, every person to hear what you have for them. God, while your word, I just pray that they wouldn't find a word for someone else, but they would absolutely search their own heart, God, search their own life, that they'll be transformed by your word.

And God, we also pray you'd anoint me as I give the word to speak only what you'd have me say, things for the people that are here and for the people online. Lord, we give you the praise and the glory in the name of Jesus. Come on, everyone say amen.

Amen. I appreciate so much the ministry here of each of your speakers. I think they all do such a fantastic job. You know that they're going to be part of that; that's why you continue to call the Father's House your church. Pastor Terry's one of my favorites. I was just listening to this last series, and I thought Pastor Anita's session was probably the best I've ever heard her team. She was fantastic. Pastor Tim, Pastor Chris, and Pastor Andrea, I just think you have a team that's fantastic, and we love that because at the Rock Church, we have the same thing.

When God called us to multiple locations, I didn't want to be a church that would have screens where it was always me on the screen, so we team in the same way. Because I think it's our job in ministry, come on, to make sure we're doing what Ephesians 4 talks about, which is equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry. Come on, y'all with me?

And so we appreciate your team. We appreciate all that they do. This last series you had called Breaking the Cycle, I thought was a great series. And while I'm not going to be an extension of that series, I do believe I'm going to talk about a topic that we all need today and probably need to break some cycles in this very area I'm talking about today.

I want to start by giving you the title that should be on the screen: Mixed Emotions. Mixed Emotions. Everyone say Mixed Emotions.

I'm sure we can all recall a time where we said at one time or another, whether we were dealing with a marriage issue, one of the spouses would say, I don't know, I have mixed emotions about that. Or dealing with our family issues or financial, whatever it might be. We can say, I have mixed emotions about blank, and you can fill in the blank. But we've all done that where we haven't felt quite what it should be.

We've just come through, as Pastor Ben talked about earlier, an election cycle, which is every four years. And we all say, thank God, because not always does our candidate get voted in. But we can say at this time, some of us have, everyone say, mixed emotions.

But there's a thing about our emotions that we have to understand. Most of the time, we think of our emotions as mixed emotions. And we think of our emotions sometimes as being bad. We think they're bad for us. We think they're bad through us. And that's not true. God created us to have emotions. Everyone say, God's creation.

So emotions aren't bad. We just have to deal with those that attack us and come against us. And so every one of us have those emotions come, and we have to develop them in such a way that they're not handed—the hand that led us, but we are handling them, amen?

And so I'll be the first to say we should not live by our emotions. I was a person at one time that lived by my emotions. I was a person that was driven by my emotions. I was a person that would have the full gamut of emotions sometimes within 10 minutes, from being elated to being angry, to being frustrated, to even laying on the floor in a fetal position, crying that I wasn't healthy.

Because some of you have heard our testimony, and I went through a very rough season of my life that preceded the divorce between me and my wife, that I was manic depressive bipolar disorder. So I was on several hundred milligrams of lithium, and I understand what it is to have your emotions drive you.

I will tell you that the course of time, God healed my mind. God healed my marriage. God healed my family. I went off my medications 33 years ago. I've not had a day of anxiety, not a day of depression, because of God. Can you say amen?

And so I think we all have to say to ourselves, we have to deal with our emotions, or we have to deal with ourselves. I wouldn't say myself. We're always the biggest enemy to ourselves. We're always the culprit to what we have to deal with. No one can make us feel a certain way. That's something we have to accept. That's something we take on ourselves. We're not—someone doesn't offend us. We have to take offense.

And so we have to understand when it comes to our emotions, our emotions will come, but it doesn't mean we have to live by those emotions. We can control them by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians chapter four, verses four through seven, I think it talks about something that's very important to our lives. And I find this scripture full of emotions. It says, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, come on, everyone say rejoice.

That's an emotion. It's a fruit of the spirit, but it's also an emotion. We call it happiness. The word talks about it as being joy. It's a fruit of the spirit. Joy. How there should be joy in our life. Joy isn't instantaneous. Joy isn't something that's automatic. It isn't natural. We must develop the fruit of the spirit.

How do we do that? Well, we do it by the renewing of our minds. The reason we feel a certain way is because we've entertained certain thoughts. The Bible says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So whatever your thoughts are is what you fully become. It's the total sum of who you become. If you think wrong long enough, you'll be living wrong. You'll have wrong emotions. You'll have negative emotions.

But if you take the time to renew your mind, allow the Holy Spirit to control your thoughts, you can absolutely control your emotions to where they need to be, that we can have a positive emotion, even in negative circumstances. Come on, y'all with me?

So rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness—one of the versions says, let your moderation—the word actually means sensible, being sensible or your sensibleness or being level-headed. Everyone say be level-headed.

In marriage, when things turn off a little heated, I'm sure my wife and I are the only ones that ever have heated discussions. You always pray in that moment, one of you can be a little level-headed. Come on, y'all with me? That we have to say, listen, we're not married for this purpose. Let's find unity together.

So we got to find some reasonableness. We need to find some level-headed moments to where we're not living out of anger, out of anxiety, but we can say the joy of the Lord is my strength. Amen?

And it goes on to say, so, you know, use your and let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Amen?

Then it goes on to say, and the peace of God. Here we go. Everyone say the peace of God. Come on, everyone say the peace of God. Look at someone and say, be at peace.

Now look at your second favorite person and say, be at peace. Just kidding.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Understand the moment it says, let your reasonableness be made known to all people. That means allow it to be known to all people. If it says to let it or to allow it, it means we have the control.

We can either allow our reasonableness to be shown or we can lose all sensibility and share the negativity that's going on in our mind that has reached our soul. And we begin to share out of that.

So if it says let it or allow it, it means we have a choice. We can choose to live in that moment or we can choose to be above it by the Spirit of God, by the Word of God. It is up to us how we live.

I learned that when my wife and I was restored in our marriage. We decided we wouldn't be at one another. In the first few months, she'll tell you this is true. She pushed every button when we remarried. She wanted to know if I was really healed. She wanted to know if she could be married to the same crazy guy that used to be in the house.

And so she would push buttons. And we had no arguments. I would just be relaxed. But one day, she pushed the right button. How many knows a spouse always knows the right button eventually to push?

I just saw one wife pull her husband. That's funny. And so sure enough, I got so upset. And has anyone ever been so upset that you find yourself talking to yourself?

Oh, thank God it wasn't just me. And so I went downstairs. I slammed the bathroom door. I grabbed the sink. I looked in the mirror and said, She makes me so mad.

And God said, No, she don't make you mad. That is your emotion. You can choose to keep it or you can release it. But that's on you.

And it was a big lesson for me to learn. By the way, he followed that up by, Why are you treating my daughter that way, by the way?

It was the first time I learned a big lesson about controlling my own emotions and understanding. And that wasn't something someone did to me. It was my response to either release or to keep for myself.

Once again, everyone say myself.

I drive a 2017 Ford F-150 pickup. It is paid for. I've taken care of it. It is in great shape. I love my truck. I've had very few things go wrong. One thing I had go wrong was the battery went out, and I had to replace the battery.

When the battery went out, there was this little light on the dashboard that came on. And it was a little electric battery. What did that tell me? It told me there was something internally going on in the truck that wasn't right.

I had a water pump go out, and then there was this temperature gauge that came up. The thermometer came up. And it told me there was something going on inside that area of the truck that wasn't quite right.

And then I had a flat tire. Anyone ever have a flat tire? And that little light comes on with the little flat on it. And you don't know if it's really a flat tire or if it's just telling you that because it's stupid.

But this time it was really a flat tire. The point isn't about my truck, actually. The point is about us and our emotions.

Our emotions are like a dashboard to our life. It's that signal that says this emotion is saying there's something internally in your life that isn't correct. There's something going on inside of you that needs attention.

There's a repair within your thought process, a repair within the internal part of your heart, within your soul that you need to pay attention to because you're getting ready to blow a gasket; you're getting ready to have a major problem.

But if you service your emotions now, you won't blow the engine. You won't mess yourself up too bad. Just make sure you're paying attention to your dashboard, which is those emotions God has given us. Come on, y'all with me?

Now, think of this: before the fall of man, God already developed within his emotions. We were born. It's natural that God gave us emotions. Before sin entered in, before man fell, before that took place, the emotions had no negative connotation. The negativity was not there. There was bliss. There was joy. There were the positive things.

Then when Adam sinned, man fell, the emotional things turned into shame, guilt, anger. We see where Cain killed his brother Abel. All hell broke loose because negative emotions were once introduced. Understand, not new emotions. They were the same emotions, but now they were slanted because of the fall.

The good news is we've been redeemed. Everyone say, I've been redeemed.

And in our redemption, God didn't purchase us back 50%. He didn't purchase us back 75%. How many knows when he redeemed us, he erased all things? We're new creatures.

So we were redeemed completely to the beginning. What does that mean? That means every negative emotion that comes against us, every negative emotion we experienced, every negative thought that comes, we have the right to say, no, I will not take up residence there. I will not park there. I will not stay there, but I will process this and I will move on to a better thought. Everyone say a better thought.

Once again, why do I keep talking about thoughts? Because as you think is how you will be. As you think will eventually catch up with your emotions. And if you feel it long enough, it will become a habit. And that habit will turn into a stronghold.

Then you'll tell yourself you have an anger issue. You have a depression issue. You have an anxiety issue. The world wants you to believe that. The devil wants you to believe that. But God said, I did not come to give you the spirit of fear, but of love and a power and a sound mind. Come on, y'all with me?

So a sound mind tells me if I keep my mind sound, I think correctly, then my feelings will eventually follow that sound thought.

Once again, I say it like this: our feelings, come on, our faith will never follow our feelings, but eventually our feelings will always follow our faith.

So some people say, sometimes you got to fake it till you make it. That's a terrible piece of advice. I don't say fake it till you make it; I say faith it till you make it. You got to speak those things that are not as though they were.

When God healed my mind, it was because he put me on a program to tell myself who I was in Christ. So when I would start to feel depression, I'd say, no, I have the joy of the Lord. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. I am the head, not the tail. I'm above only, not beneath. Come on, are y'all with me?

You got to speak those things that are as though they're not. Sometimes we speak in reciprocation of faith. We'll say, you know what? I got a bad back. It's my bad back. And not only do we talk about the problem, but we call it ours.

Well, my marriage just isn't good. My spouse is just not doing well. And my wife is driving me crazy. She has nothing to do with your craziness. You just cray-cray on your own self.

And so understand that we have to speak to ourselves in a way that we know what we're saying builds up our inside person, that spiritual person, so we can defend against those things that would be negative, we can turn to positive. Amen?

And so we have to remember those things. We have to grow through those things. And I'll tell you right now that every one of us have that dashboard that goes off every now and then with those warnings that we have to pay attention to.

Why is that important to know? Well, because it reveals that when we become new creatures in Christ, we have the ability to view emotions differently. We don't have to view them as we once did. Now we view them as opportunities for growth, opportunities for maturing, opportunities to get better instead of bitter.

Come on, look at your spouse, look at your friend and say, get better instead of bitter.

I can always tell the spouses that are arguing before church because they won't look at each other. I'm not going to say that right now, not after the car ride to church.

So we realize now that we have the self-control of the Holy Spirit, and He changes everything. Let me say it again. He changes everything. Nothing in my life as a believer is the same because the Holy Spirit now resides within me.

And the fruit of the Spirit is that which can replace my negative emotions into what should be positive in my life. Amen?

So let me just give you a few things to write down in your notes as we go forward. I want you to follow along. Here's the point I want to give you.

Number one, emotions can be gifts that lead to growth. Emotions can be gifts that lead to growth. Everyone say gifts.

Meaning that what we would call negative, God calls positive. He created us to live positive lives. Oh, now you're going to be one of those, you know, one of those faith-filled preachers. Well, it'd be better me sitting here telling you to doubt God and doubt yourself.

I'm not going to try to discourage you. I want to try to encourage you. I'm speaking from someone who fell as far as they could fall, but now God is using me because He will use the foolish things and the weak things to confound the wise and the strong.

And so you're calling yourself weak, and God wants you to know, no, no, you're going to have to stay there. That does not have to be where you live. You can turn it around. Everything that happens in your life doesn't have to tick you off.

Y'all with me? That we can live in such a way that we can turn even negative into positive. James, in James chapter one, verses two through four, says it this way: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

Now, maybe you read the Bible different than me. I read the Bible just—I want to understand it. I want to really hear what's going on. And I will tell you, I remember when I read this the first time, I thought James is smoking crack.

I know some of you are like, that's disrespectful. You've had those thoughts. It's disrespectful not to deal with your thoughts. I thought this man's crazy. He's out in the wilderness smoking peyote or something.

If he wants me to call it joy when I got problems, well, you have problems. Oh, thank God I have problems. Yes. I don't think that's our natural response. I don't think any of us can say I want to embrace problems.

In fact, I hope I have problems this afternoon I've never had before. When I watched my nine-year-old twin son die in the backseat of our car during our accident, I didn't go, well, thank God for this moment.

It wasn't in my heart to think that way. I was hurting. It was painful. It was as deep as pain, probably the deepest pain you could ever feel. But I'm telling you right now, there can still be a sense of peace. There can still be a sense of joy.

I can still say he's no longer with me, but he's in the presence of Jesus. The night that the devil—people said the devil took your son. I said, no, no, no. It was just a bad decision of a truck driver.

And it wasn't God that took my son, but I can tell you this much. I learned a lesson that although God didn't take my son, he was good enough to receive my son. And I can have joy knowing he's in the presence of Jesus. Come on. Amen.

And I don't know who is that for, but I know that I didn't plan on saying it. It wasn't the first service. So take that to your heart that the thing you've grieved about, you can turn into good because God has taken care of you. What you think is done with, amen.

Let me just say this: personal growth cannot take place if we repeat emotional cycles.

Now I know I want you to stop and see that as we go back to James one, I want you to think of what I just said. Keep it up there for a moment. Cause get this in your heart. Go back and go back to that statement.

If you would, I'm sorry. You just have to follow along with me for a moment. Go back to that personal growth. That was a personal growth. It can't take place if you repeat it. You can't take it. You can't take it. You can't take it. You can't repeat emotional cycles.

If you're going through anger every day, you're not changing. If you're going through anxiety every day, you're starting to own it. If you're going through depression, you're becoming depressed. It's because your mind keeps going back to it. You're owning it.

You have to lead every thought captive to the obedience of Christ so you can get better in your life. Everyone says it's my life.

What was it? Eddie said earlier, shut up and dance with me. Shut up and dance with me. Is that the song you're talking about? Shut up. You sinner. Can't believe they let sinners talk up here.

I only know that song because my wife told me about it. Now you know why she deserves a reward for 42 years of marriage.

So count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know, everyone say, I know. I know. For you know, the testing of your faith, here it is, produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Meaning that you're mature in such a way that whatever comes, you overcome.

That you don't lack the faith to encounter problems and overcome the problem. That's what it means when it says complete, lacking nothing.

When nothing comes your way, you realize the God that walked with you yesterday is with you today, and he's already waiting on you tomorrow because that's the kind of God he is. He knew what was gonna happen right here. He saw it. He was walking with you.

He already knew what you were going through right now. He's with you, and He sees it, but he already knows what's coming tomorrow. And He's already got it laid out for you. He's working for your good. You don't have to stay in your negativity. You can move on. Amen?

Come on, everyone say move on. Move on.

Think about the process that diamonds go through to be priceless gems, to be shiny, sparkly ladies' best friends. I want to believe that I am my wife's best friend, and I am as long as I buy her diamonds.

Diamonds are in the earth. The atoms, carbon atoms are in the earth, and it's at the core down deep. It rises through pressure and heat. When the pressure and heat hits the carbon atoms, all of a sudden they start finding this source of diamonds, and it's beautiful.

But if it didn't go through the heat, and it didn't go through the pressure, it wouldn't be the valuable item that it becomes, right? And so with our faith, we have to understand that we're going through pressure.

In our life, we go through heat, and when the heat's turned up and the pressure's on us, you have to say, no, this is going to turn into steadfastness, and eventually that steadfastness has its full effect in my life, and I've come through the heat, and I've come through the pressure.

I've got this precious faith that God has given me that I can overcome whatever that is that's in my face right now, amen? And there's joy in that in my life, to know that God is always working it out for my good.

When my wife and I went through our divorce, and most of you know that story that we went through the divorce, God restored our marriage. I will say in my first few weeks or few months of our divorce, I really wasn't taking ownership of anything. I was kind of assigning blame to my wife.

Like I said, I was under psychiatric care. I was crazy, and she had driven me crazy in my mind. It was her fault, and you can laugh, but you've done it too, and I was assigning blame to the church because the church hurt me, and how many of you have ever been church hurt? We've been church hurt.

Can I remind you, Jesus was church hurt. They crucified him. He still shows up. Kind of changes our church hurt if we think about how the church hurts him, right?

And so there came a time after a few months of my counseling that I realized the best thing I could do is use this time to better myself.

Once again, everyone say myself. There's the responsible culprit every time, almost. There's circumstances outside our own control that happen, and I get that. But most of the problems we face, it's ourselves.

So I started looking internally. I started checking my own dashboard. I started looking at my own dashboard. I started taking responsibility. Here's what happened. When I took responsibility and God healed me, he also began to work on my wife, who was my ex-wife.

When she took responsibility and God started healing her, it wasn't long until God could heal us together and restore our marriage, and then all of a sudden what was destroyed and people were betting against us, they'll never come out of this. They'll never get through this. There's no way they can come back from this.

God said, oh, yes, they can because they're turning to me. I will use their story for my glory. Amen.

I said like this in the first service, it could have been a gory story, but it turned out to be a glory story because it got pretty ugly, but God is good. Amen. God is good.

So I learned, understand my emotions can be gifts that led me to growth. Whatever has you feeling unstable, whatever has you feeling negative, whatever is eating away at you right now, if you'll take attention to your own dashboard, you'll pay attention there. You'll take it to God. He will work it for your good.

When we're healthy, emotions become opportunities to grow and to build and to become more mature in our faith. Healthy people can process emotions.

I'll be the first to tell you, you should not live by your feelings because I did, but I'll also tell you, you can't stuff them because they're real. But if you're healthy, you can't stuff them because they're real.

So healthy people know how. People that are healthy in their spiritual life, they know how to process their emotions. But unhealthy people, those who are not close to God, those who are not taking in the word of God, their feelings will fool them too many times.

So I would say turn to God.

Number two, write this down. Processing emotions can bring encouragement. Processing emotions can bring encouragement.

Even in your most discouraged times, if you process correctly, you can turn it to encouragement. Second Corinthians chapter seven, verses five and six says it this way. And this is Apostle Paul.

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

Now listen, he said there was conflict at every direction. Has anyone ever lived at a moment where you felt like there were things flying at you from every direction? We can always relate, right?

But I want you to read it how it jumped out at me. It wasn't very long ago I was reading this scripture, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. You know how the Bible always shows something new? It's so alive that you can read a scripture 25 times, and that 25th time you'll see something you never saw.

Read it with me again. It said, we face conflict from every direction with battles on the outside and fear on the inside, but God. Don't you love that?

I was faced with conflicts everywhere, battles on the outside, fear on the inside, but God. When they thought we were over, when they thought we could never be restored, when they said, when they said there's no way they'll come back, I said, yep, there's battles on the inside.

Come on, there's battles on the outside, but fear on the inside, but God. If we will turn to God, I don't care how many battles on the outside. I don't care what's happened externally. What is going on on the inside is always more important because God is for you, not against you.

He will encourage you. He will strengthen you. He will show you the way back to being positive, amen? It is not fear that defeats us, but a lack of trust in God.

You might say, well, I'm so afraid. I don't care. Whatever you're facing, face it while you're afraid. It's so fearful. I don't care. Go ahead and do it while you're afraid because there can be battles on the outside while there's fear on the inside, but God is always there ready to bring you through, amen?

Amen?

1 Samuel chapter 30, verse six tells us of a story of David, and I'm always the one that maybe thinks a little different. I don't see David as facing Goliath with only courage. I gotta believe there was a certain amount of trepidation on the inside as he's running toward this nine-foot whatever beast facing him, but God was with him, and he channeled it.

This is another time in David's life where they went out to battle, and while they were out at battle, an enemy attacked their camp and took the women, took the children, pummeled everything, and we come back.

We come back to this verse where it says, and David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people were grieved. Everyone say David was distressed.

Come on, everyone say the people were grieved. You can see negativity. The Bible, what I love about the Bible is God never hides his great big dysfunctional family. David's distressed. The people are grieved. This isn't looking good. This is no doubt growing into a bad situation.

Now check out what happens. The people grieve, every man for his sons and his daughters, but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

There's times that God will send a Titus. There's times that God will send someone to encourage us. Then there's times when it feels like we're all alone, but we have to remember that God is with us, and if there's no one there to encourage, we can always encourage ourselves in the Lord.

There's not always someone there to pat you on the back and say, attaboy, you can make it. It's gonna be okay. Sometimes it seems like everybody is against us. We gotta remember God is for us, and sometimes we just have to encourage ourselves.

I thought of a family in our church that recently went through a major health issue, and it looked very helpless and hopeless in their life, but yet God showed up and brought healing into this lady's life.

And as he was talking to me one day out walking from service, he said, I have to tell you what got me through this. We leaned upon our family, which was great, but we also leaned upon our faith.

And I'll tell you, pastor, we leaned upon the church. We leaned into our small group. We leaned into those who were with us on Sunday. They were there to encourage us. When we felt low, they lifted us higher. When we felt like we couldn't get up, they gave us a hand and helped us up.

When we felt like we couldn't see tomorrow, they reminded us of next year. They were always building us up. I'm telling you right now, there is a moment in our life where we have to understand that we have people of faith around us.

You're not meant to walk everything out by yourself. You're not meant to handle it on your own. That's why we're called the body of Christ, the family of God, jointly fit together. You need people. I need people. We need one another. Amen.

And we have to remember that that's how God's designed us. That's how God said that there can be an encouragement, and we're to be there for one another.

This story of just David alone right here in Samuel shows us how even the greatest and strongest leaders can be in great distress.

And I know that Pastor Anita mentioned it. Pastor Terry's gone through a hard time this last month with this surgery. I've made sure I've called him almost every day. How's the knee? How you doing? I'm praying for you.

He'll tell me it's not so good today, and I think maybe I should get someone else to pray. But how many of those when you're in those times you need?

Not only do you have pastors here that I admire, they minister to you, they encourage you, but they also need your encouragement. Pastor Andrea, Pastor Tim, Pastor Chris.

Listen, the people that run the school next door, Lisa, they need your encouragement. You have to understand they face things as well. They can come and they can minister to you, but the Bible says we're called to minister to one another.

Come on, everyone say minister to one another.

Romans 1 says it this way. The Apostle Paul through verses 11 and 12 says, for I long to visit you so that I can impart to you the faith that will help your church grow strong in the Lord.

Then too, I need your help. For I want not only to share my faith with you, but I want to be encouraged by yours. Each of us will be a blessing to the others. Isn't that awesome?

That's the picture of who we are as the church, that we bless one another. We encourage one another, which brings me to the last point.

Number three, there is a time for every emotion. There is a time for every emotion.

If I were to ask the question and you were to play along, and I could say, how many of you have ever felt discouraged? Every hand would go up.

If I asked you, how many of you have ever been angry? Every hand would go up.

If I asked you how many times you've been afraid, have you ever been full of anxiety? Every hand would go up because we face every gamut. It's going to come in time for all of us.

It's never wrong to have those feelings. We just have to learn not to act upon the feeling. Amen? Amen?

Ecclesiastes chapter three says it this way, verses one through four: for everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to be at the A21 dance and dance with me.

Amen? Have you ever stopped and looked at the seasons? I live in Phoenix. We only have two seasons. It's hot and hotter.

When we travel, we love to see the seasons. We were in Washington State last week, and as we were driving through some of the mountains, my wife had her video out, and the trees were changing colors, and she would get her video out, and I would say, babe, that looks like the last red tree you videoed.

Then she probably had 10,000 videos she had to delete, but she said, but it's so pretty. Seasons are that way, and life is built upon seasons.

In our own emotions, we go through seasons. We have that moment when in spring, it blossoms, and it blooms, and it's beautiful. Then we have that time in summer where the heat comes, and we feel the warmth of the sun.

Then we have fall where everything starts to shift and change, and things start turning into what we call winter, which is what a lot of people call dormant, where everything dies.

I call it a time of rest, a time of regeneration, so you have to understand our emotions run that same way. There's that time we're growing, we're blossoming, we're doing great.

Then the heat's turned up, and we feel the warmth and the heat. Then we go through that change of shift and stuff's going on. We don't know what's happening. Then all of a sudden, we enter into this what we feel is dead death.

No, no, that's just that time of we need to rest, pay attention to what's going on inside, because if we just hold on, spring's right around the corner again. We're going to be blossoming. We're going to be growing.

Come on, we're just going through a season, amen? Look at someone and say, it's just seasonal.

Aren't you glad to know that? We just never know how long summer's going to be. We had an extended summer in Phoenix this year, and I thought about that. I thought, God help us. I don't want extended summer, amen?

When we lost my mother about 19 months ago, I'm a mama's boy. I've always been a mama's boy. She was precious to me. My dad, he was another story. He was a mama's boy. He was a mama's boy. He was a mama's boy. He was a mama's boy. He was a—okay.

But my mom was just, she was my hero. I loved her. And when she got sick, they called me and they said, mom's not doing good. She's not going to make it. You need to come in.

And when I got there, she hadn't responded since the night before. And I leaned down and said, mama, I love you. I just want you to know I'm here. And she opened her eyes, and she was at rehabilitation the next day.

And they kind of scratched her head. And so they called me a couple months later, said mama's not doing good again. You need to get here. I got there, and she sure enough, she was laying there just lifeless.

And I said, mama, I love you. And I just laid my hand on her forehead. She opened her eyes, and she was back at the gym the next day. And I said, I don't want to tell you guys, I've just got the touch.

And I don't know what you're doing wrong, but you need to change your game. Well, the third time they finally called me about six months later and said, mama's not going to make it.

I said, you know, I'll just fly in tomorrow. And they said, no, you can't come. They made us all a little memory keychain from mama. And she said, yours, my oldest sister said yours in the mail. I think you'll understand it when you get it.

And I opened the envelope, and it said, golden child. I said, well, at least they knew I was mama's favorite.

One of my family members, my sister, was struggling because she couldn't be strong. She was feeling very weak. And I told her, I said, let me just explain to you, sis. And I want you to hear this: just because you're going through a time of mourning, it doesn't make you weak.

You've experienced something that's true and real to mourn. Isn't bad. In fact, let me tell you this: we become strong through vulnerability.

So we, as men, we're prone to stuff things down. I've always said this: the scariest words in the world for us men is when you women say we need to talk.

I'll make a man shake in his boots, right? I've got to get my emotions involved in this. My emotions are not weak. I've got a family that's not weak. I've had a number of family members.

Emotions aren't bad. They're not the enemy. It's when we don't process them, it becomes a problem. And I told my sister, you have to take your time to mourn. It's the process of getting stronger once again.

Come on, y'all with me? When we lost our nine-year-old child, my wife was going through several surgeries. She couldn't heal at the same time I healed. We had to allow one another to be healed at different seasons in different levels.

So we have to be strong in different ways when we don't process them. That was the key. Understand God built us with emotions so we can go through the process of becoming stronger through that processing.

And so whatever you're going through, I don't know what it is. I just say to you, make sure you go through it. Just don't stay. Come on, y'all with me?

It's the strength and the faith we need. Romans chapter 10, verse 17. It says, so then faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.

I would say faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If we use our confession, we use our statements opposite of the word, we actually put faith in whatever we say.

That's why I never say my bad back, my mental disorder. That's why I never say my marriage is horrible. I don't use those words because the minute you say it, you hear it, and you're building faith in a reciprocating way.

You're placing faith in things that are negative. You're building your own hearing to hear what you should not hear.

So I say, my marriage is great. My wife finds a wife, finds a good thing and finds favor in the Lord. Come on. I say, I love my wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

I say, you know what? My mind is strong in the Lord. I've got a mind that's been renewed by the power of the word. It is a sharp tool used for God.

Come on. I just say, my family is united. They will serve God. My grandchildren and their children will have generations of Golfs that changed the world for the kingdom.

I speak the word and the word only because I want my faith to be built up in what God said it should be. And I might be going through a season on the outside, but I'm telling you on the inside, there might be fear, but God, but God is always there. God is always clear. God is always on my side. Amen.

Here's a huge key to managing our emotions. We must never allow our emotions to outweigh what we know.

When emotions are negative and those negative emotions are running high, it's more important to know than to feel. What you know is much more important than what you feel.

Because what you know in the word of God, it will never pass away. My word will never pass away. That emotion will shift. That emotion will change. That moment will be different. It won't be that way tomorrow or the next day. It's going to change.

But I know the word of God changes not, so it's more important that I know more than I feel.

You think of a—and this isn't something new. It's not going to be, you know, whoo, that's sharp, that's strong. But you take a little ugly caterpillar that spins a cocoon around itself, and within a process of time, it starts to break open to become what? A beautiful butterfly.

If that struggle, which we know is painful and arduous for that creature, if you were to go and say, oh, that little thing, and you cut the cocoon open, you set it free, you have killed the creature.

Because it's through the pain and through the struggle that the beauty comes out. See, the pain you're having, the struggle you're in, you just want to escape it. You just want it to be over.

You want someone to come and cut away at it and just release you, and you'll always go back through it until either you deal with it correctly, or it kills you.

I think of the apostle Peter when he was in prison. The church prayed for him. The Bible says they were up all night praying. He was asleep between two guards. An angel shows up, wakes him up, says, come on. Come on, you're being delivered.

And Peter goes out. He goes to the house where the church is praying, knocks on the door, a little Rhoda comes and says, oh, so excited to hear Peter's voice. She runs back in the house and says, Peter's at the gate.

They said, no, he's not. You're crazy. No, it's Peter. And they said, well, if it's Peter, it's got to be his ghost. Because they believed that after two or three days, the ghost would remain, then finally leave. They thought Peter was dead.

Sure enough, it was him, right? Here's the deal. I want you to understand this. Just like the butterfly.

I say things like this: I've heard it preached this way. Peter escaped from prison. No, he didn't. An angel showed up. God delivered him from prison. Peter didn't escape.

What's the point? Some of you are wanting to escape your problems. Some of you are wanting to escape your issues. Some of you are wanting to escape the pain. Some of you are saying, it's time to get out.

And you don't deal with it, so you think you've escaped it. And the truth is, it's never going to be complete until God delivers you from it.

So I encourage you right now to understand this is not a negative message. It's a message of hope. It's a message of faith. It's a message that says that greater is he that's within you than he that's in the world.

It's a message that says he who began a good work in you will bring you out of the cocoon. And when you come through the strain and you come through the pain, you're going to come out from that ugly life you once knew into a beautiful life that God has designed for you because that is God's plan.

That is God's plan. That is God's plan for every one of you. Come on, amen.

Woo, come on. Can I just pray for you?

Father, I pray in the name of Jesus. God, that as workers get in place, Lord, and we're getting ready to close this service down, we don't want to leave here without really hearing from you in our hearts.

God, I pray that the people here would begin to know that you are the apple of their eye. That you treasure them above all creation. That you've created us in your image and after your likeness; no other creature is that way, God, except us.

So God, I see that. I pray that they see just how much you love them. Now, just a couple of questions. Maybe you're here, you're born again, you know Jesus Christ, you know you're going to heaven, but yet you're in a struggle.

Oh, it's hammering you, although it's not defeated you, but you feel like you're in this struggle and you're going to have to deal with it. Oh, you want to run, you want to escape.

But I'm telling you now you need to wait, go through the process so God can deliver you. So if that's you, although you're good with God, you are born again, but you need prayer, whether you're here or online.

But if you're here right now and you need prayer, I want you just to lift your hand up and right back down saying, pray for me. I'm going through some stuff. Just let that God bless you. Good, good, good, good, good, good.

You can put them right back down. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You can put them right back down. Thank you so much. Thank you. So many hands.

God, I pray for everyone, these believers who just admitted that they're going through a struggle, that their emotions could be in upheaval, that God, they feel like they're trying to come out of something, but it's painful and it's arduous. It's a strain.

God, I pray that you'd comfort them, surround them, hold them in your arms, bring them through with your word, strengthen them in such a way that they'll know it's you that's walking beside them, God.

That this that they think is terrible is a good work that you're going to complete in them. God, the transformation will be wonderful. Help them through that.

Now, now, now one more question. It's a question I never close without asking. Nine people answered it in the first service, but do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord?

See, some people think because they were baptized as a baby or they went to church as a child or they're good people that it's fine, but that's not true. That's not salvation.

Nothing wrong with those things, but here's what the Bible says. Listen carefully because this is salvation. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

That's the only avenue to salvation. It's confessing he's the son of God, believing he's your Lord. So when it talks about being saved, it means, first of all, saved from an empty life in this earth, that emptiness you've possessed.

Maybe through the years you've tried to fill it with drugs or alcohol, parties, relationships, business, money, career, hobbies, busyness. But sometimes even late at night, you think to yourself, there's got to be more to life than this.

And there is, but it's not something. It's someone. His name is Jesus. Jesus, the only one that can fill that void, that emptiness.

Secondly, it means saved into a place called heaven. When this life is over, eternity begins. It's either heaven or hell. I'm not trying to scare you, not even trying to tell you about hell. I'm trying to tell you about heaven.

Heaven's a perfect place. No more sickness, no more pain, no more disease. Love, joy, peace in the presence of Jesus with those that you love.

But Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Life, no one goes to the Father, which is in heaven, by the way, but through me.

So heads are bowed, eyes are closed once again. I'm not going to put a spotlight on you. I'm not going to have you stand up. I'm not going to call you forward. I just want to pray for you right there where you're at, like I pray for the others.

But if you're here right now, you want to make things right between you and God. You want to know the heavens, your future, as these others already have. Come on, just slip your hand up right back down so I can see it. I'm going to pray for you right where you're at.

Just slip it up. God bless you. There's one. Someone else. Slip it up. God bless you. There's two. There's three. There's four. You can put it right back down.

Someone else, just so I can see it. Slip up high enough I can see it. I saw the five. Is there someone else? You say, Pastor, that's me. Include me in that prayer. I want to know. God bless you. There's six. I appreciate that.

Someone else, you say, Pastor, that's me as well. God bless you. There's seven. You can put it right back down. Thank you, ma'am. Is there anyone else you'll say, Pastor?

I'm going to wait just one second. Thank you, sir. You can put it right back down. Thank you so much. There's eight.

Come on, just consider your life. Have you done that process? Is Jesus your Lord? Have you lived where you're sold out to him? Are you here?

All right. I'm going to pray this prayer. Those of you who lifted your hand, I'm going to ask you to pray this prayer after me out loud, not by yourself.

Those of you that are born again, I'm going to ask you to say it with them, to support it. We'll all say it together. Those at home, those that might catch us online, this is the prayer you can pray as well, but let's pray it together, everybody.

Father, come on, everyone together. Father, I believe in Jesus. I believe he's your son. I believe he died on a cross. He was buried and rose again.

Jesus, I confess you now as my Lord, my Savior. Forgive me for my sin. Make me new. From this day forward, I place my life completely in your hands.

And I place myself in a local church to learn more of you. That through greater knowledge of who you are, I will grow in deeper love with you.

Come on, welcome these to the family of God, church. Come on, celebrate. Celebrate.

Hey, that's new life for 17 people. Come on, celebrate. Hey, we love y'all so much. Pastor Anita.

Here are the selected quotes with timestamps:

"Let's pray Father we love you and we thank you for your word we thank you that your word is anointed but Lord I pray that you would anoint everybody here every person to hear what you have for them God while your word I just pray that they wouldn't find a word for someone else but they would absolutely search their own heart God search their own life that they'll be transformed by your word and God we also pray you'd anoint me as I give the word to speak only what you'd have me saying to say things for the people that are here and for the people online Lord we give you the praise and the glory in the name of Jesus come on everyone say amen amen" [00:41:44] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"We're always the biggest enemy to ourselves. We're always the culprit to what we have to deal with. No one can make us feel a certain way. That's something we have to accept. That's something we take on ourselves. We're not, someone doesn't offend us. We have to take offense. And so we have to understand when it comes to our emotions, our emotions will come, but it doesn't mean we have to live by those emotions. We can control them by the help of the Holy Spirit." [00:45:43] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"So if it says let it or allow it, it means we have a choice. We can choose to live in that moment or we can choose to be above it by the Spirit of God, by the Word of God. It is up to us how we live. I learned that when my wife and I was restored in our marriage. We decided we wouldn't be at one another. In the first few months, she'll tell you this is true. She pushed every button when we remarried. She wanted to know if I was really healed. She wanted to know if she could be married to the same crazy guy that used to be in the house. And so she would push buttons. And we had no arguments. I would just be relaxed. But one day, she pushed the right button." [00:49:32] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"There's a repair within your thought process, a repair within the internal part of your heart, within your soul that you need to pay attention to because you're getting ready to blow. A gasket, you're getting ready to have a major problem. But if you service your emotions now, you won't blow the engine. You won't mess yourself up too bad. Just make sure you're paying attention to your dashboard, which is those emotions God has given us. Come on, y 'all with me. Now, think of this before the fall of man, God already developed within his emotions. We were born. It's natural that God gave us emotions. Before. Before sin entered in, before man fell, before that took place, the emotions had no negative connotation. The negativity was not there. There was bliss. There was joy. There were the positive things. Then when Adam sinned, man fell, the emotional things turned into shame, guilt, anger. We see where Cain killed his brother Abel. All hell broke loose because negative emotions were once introduced. Understand, not new emotions. They were the same emotions, but now they were slanted because of the fall. The good news is we've been redeemed. Everyone say, I've been redeemed." [00:52:18] (83 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"And in our redemption, God didn't purchase us back 50%. He didn't purchase us back 75%. How many knows when he redeemed us, he erased all things. We're new creatures. So we were redeemed completely to the beginning. What does that mean? That means every negative emotion. That comes against us, every negative emotion we experienced, every negative thought that comes, we have the right to say, no, I will not take up residence there. I will not park there. I will not stay there, but I will process this and I will move on to a better, a better" [00:56:01] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"So a sound mind tells me if I keep my mind sound, I think correctly, then my feelings will eventually follow that sound thought. Once again, I say it like this. Our feelings, come on, our faith will never follow our feelings, but eventually our feelings will always follow our faith. So some people say, sometimes you got to fake it till you make it. that's a terrible piece of advice I don't say fake it till you make it I say faith it till you make it you got to speak those things that are not as though they were when God healed my mind it was because he put me on a program to tell myself who I was in Christ so when I would start to feel depression I'd say no I have the joy of the Lord it is joy unspeakable and full of glory I am the head not the tail I'm above only not belief come on are y 'all with me you got to speak those things that are as though they're not sometimes we speak in reciprocation of faith we'll say you know what I got a bad back it's my bad back and not only do we talk about the problem but we call it ours well my marriage just isn't good my my spouse is just not doing well and my wife is driving me crazy she has nothing to do with your craziness you just cray -cray on your own self and so understand that we have to speak to ourself in a way that we know what we're saying builds up our inside person, that spiritual person, so we can defend against those things that would be negative, we can turn to positive. Amen? And so we have to remember those things. We have to grow through those things. And I'll tell you right now that every one of us have that dashboard that goes off every now and then with those warnings that we have to pay attention to. Why is that important to know? Well, because it reveals that when we become new creatures in Christ, we have the ability to view emotions differently." [00:58:13] (116 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"And there's joy in that in my life, to know that God is always working it out for my good. When my wife and I went through our divorce, and most of you know that story that we went through the divorce, God restored our marriage. I will say in my first few weeks or few months of our divorce, I really wasn't taking ownership of anything. I was kind of assigning blame to my wife. Like I said, I was under psychiatric care. I was crazy, and she had driven me crazy in my mind. It was her fault, and you can laugh, but you've done it too, and I was assigning blame to the church because the church hurt me, and how many of you have ever been church hurt? We've been church hurt." [01:04:57] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"Can I remind you, Jesus was church hurt. They crucified him. He still shows up. Kind of changes our church hurt if we think about how the church hurts him, right? And so there came a time after a few months of my counseling that I realized the best thing I could do is use this time to better myself. Once again, everyone say myself. There's the responsible culprit every time, almost. There's circumstances outside our own control that happen, and I get that. But most of the problems we face, it's ourselves. So I started looking internally. I started checking my own dashboard. I started looking at my own dashboard. I started taking responsibility. Here's what happened. When I took responsibility and God healed me, he also began to work on my wife, who was my ex -wife. When she took responsibility and God started healing her, it wasn't long until God could heal us together and restore our marriage, and then all of a sudden what was destroyed and people were betting against us, they'll never come out of this. They'll never get through this. There's no way they can come back from this. God said, oh, yes, they can because they're turning to me. I will use their story for, my glory. Amen." [01:06:04] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"Romans 1 says it this way. The Apostle Paul through verses 11 and 12 says, for I long to visit you so that I can impart to you the faith that will help your church grow strong in the Lord. Then too, I need your help. For I want not only to share my faith with you, but I want to share my faith with you. I want to be encouraged by yours. Each of us will be a blessing to the others. Isn't that awesome? That's the picture of who we are as the church, that we bless one another. We encourage one another, which brings me to the last point. Number three, there is a time for every emotion." [01:14:36] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"Ecclesiastes chapter three says it this way, verses one through four, for everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to be at the A21 dance and dance with me. Amen? Have you ever stopped and looked at the seasons? I live in Phoenix. We only have two seasons. It's hot and hotter." [01:16:48] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


"When we lost our nine year old child, my wife was going through several surgeries. She couldn't heal at the same time I healed. We had to allow one another to be healed at different seasons in different levels. So we have to be strong in different ways when we don't process them. That was the key. understand God built us with emotions so we can go through process of becoming stronger through that processing. And so whatever you're going through, I don't know what it is. I just say to you, make sure you go through it. Just don't stay. Come on, y 'all with me." [01:20:26] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)