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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. God bless you. It's great to have you with us today. I hope you'll stay connected with us all through the week.
You can download our daily podcast, listen to the messages anytime, or you can go to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, but thanks for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny. I heard about these three men, a Baptist, a Catholic, and a charismatic. They died on the same day and went to heaven. St.
Peter met them at the pearly gates, said, "'I'm so sorry, men, your rooms are not available yet.'" He didn't know what to do, so he decided to call Satan and see if he would keep them for a little while. Satan reluctantly agreed. A few hours later, Satan called back, said, Peter, you've got to come get these guys. The Baptist man is saving everyone. The Catholic man is forgiving everyone.
And the charismatic has already raised enough money for air conditioning. All right, say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus name. God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about calling over comfort. It's easy to get comfortable in life with things that are less than God's best. We know there's more in us, but we don't want to have to stretch. We don't want to take that risk. What if it doesn't work out? What if the door doesn't open?
We can get comfortable with friends that are pulling us down, comfortable with addictions, comfortable with self-pity, always thinking about what we didn't get, how we're at a disadvantage. The problem with staying comfortable is you will miss your destiny. When God is about to take you higher, there will always be this conflict, something you have to choose, comfort or calling.
Are you going to stay where you are, not rock the boat, not have to stretch, not have to be more disciplined, not have to push past your fears? Are you going to choose to stay comfortable or are you going to step out in faith and take a risk? If you'll leave the comfort and come into the calling, God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen.
But too often we think, when I get the courage, I'll do this. When I have the strength, the confidence, then I'll get out of my comfort zone. Then I'll forgive the person that hurt me. Then I'll deal with this bad attitude. But if you're waiting to feel what you need to feel, you'll be waiting your whole life. You may not ever feel like forgiving that person that did you wrong. You feel bitter.
You feel angry. You have to make a move, then God will make a move. You may not have the strength now, that's because God's waiting for you to move. When you step out, strength will come. Courage will come. Favor will come. Are you choosing comfort over the calling? Are there areas where you know you need to make changes? You need to work on a relationship. You need to forgive.
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Chapter 2: What does Joel Osteen mean by 'calling over comfort'?
But you can be at the right place in the wrong frame of mind and miss your miracle. Jesus knew after all those years the man was comfortable. He had lost his passion to be well Instead of saying yes, I want to get well, that's what I've been believing for the man said I can't get well I don't have anyone to help me when the angel comes someone always gets in in front of me and
Jesus didn't feel sorry for the man. He didn't say, too bad, you're at a disadvantage. Jesus looked at the man and said, rise, pick up your bed and walk. Jesus asked him to do something that he couldn't do. The man could have said, what do you mean, get up? Don't you know I'm crippled? I haven't walked in 38 years. This man heard the call.
Jesus told him to rise up, but every thought said, you can't get up. You've been this way too long. He had to make a decision. Am I going to stay in my dysfunction where I'm comfortable, where I've been the last 38 years, or am I going to act on the calling? Am I going to stretch, try something that I've never done? Something rose up in this man. Against all odds, he sat up.
Suddenly strength came into his legs. He stood up and started walking. Instantly he was healed. None of this would have happened if he would have stayed where he was comfortable. Anytime God is going to do something new in your life give you more influence more favor more anointing more resources There's going to be this test of being uncomfortable Are you willing to stretch to do something?
You've never done move away from tradition from certain people from what you're familiar with and
Don't let the comfort keep you from the calling where god is taking you is going to require risk You're going to have to leave what's familiar and step into the unknown Like this man god is going to ask you to do things that you don't think you can do In your own ability you can't but when you take that step of faith god will step in and give you supernatural ability
But sometimes we've been a certain way so long, we've convinced ourselves of what we can't do. I can't run my department. I don't have the talent. I can't break this addiction. I've had it since high school. I can't get the compact center. I've only been ministering for two years. God doesn't ask you and then not give you what you need.
The question is, are you going to stay comfortable where it's safe?
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Chapter 3: How can comfort prevent you from achieving your destiny?
Or are you going to step into your calling? I'm not saying this is easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it. This takes boldness. This takes a made up mind that says, I am not going to let fear, insecurity, what I don't think I can do, keep me in my limited environment. I'm going to stretch. I'm going to take risk.
I may have to hurt some feelings, but I'm going to make changes to follow the call. Not going to sit around in dysfunction, surrounded by dysfunctional friends. I'm going to rise and walk. Your destiny is too great. Your assignment too important to let fear. What will people think? What if it doesn't work out to hold you back? If you know how everything is going to work out, you don't need faith.
If you can accomplish your dreams in your own ability, then your dreams are too small. That may be a stepping stone, but God will put dreams in your heart where you don't have the finances, the connections, the experience. If he doesn't show up, then it won't happen. You'll be tempted to think like the lame man. I can't walk. God, you're telling me to do something that I've never done.
If you'll take that step of faith, you'll see God do something that you've never seen. You'll see doors open that you couldn't open. You'll see divine connections. People show up that want to help you. Things fall into place. That's because in your calling, there's favor. In your calling, opportunities will find you. In your calling, you'll break addictions. You'll beat the cancer.
You'll defeat that depression. But in your comfort, you'll get stuck where you are. If you're always comfortable, then there'll be lack, dysfunction, mediocrity. God is saying to you, I'm calling you up higher. I'm calling you into abundance. I'm calling you into freedom. I'm calling you into new levels. Now don't let comfort hold you back.
The fear may still be there, but you have to act on your purpose, not on your fear. Fear will keep you from your destiny. Fear will keep you by the pool another year. You may feel fear, but you have to do it afraid. As you step out, courage will come. Confidence will show up. The favor, the blessing, the healing, it's waiting for you, not in your comfort, but in your calling.
If you're never uncomfortable, you're not growing. If you never have to stretch your faith, you're never over your head, then you're going to be limited. God will bring opportunities across your path so you can come up to a new level, go where you've never been, break bondages that have been passed down in your family line. It takes courage. It takes a holy determination.
You'll be tempted to play it safe. Don't rock the boat. I don't want to have to stretch. Try something new. It seems impossible. God wouldn't have given you the opportunity. He wouldn't have told you to rise and walk if you couldn't do it. Don't let comfort hold you back. Being comfortable will keep you from your potential. You were created to stretch. You were created to go further.
And yes, there will be seasons where you're comfortable, seasons where you're enjoying favor and blessings, but God is not going to leave you in your comfort. He's taken you from glory to glory. You can't reach new levels of glory without being uncomfortable, without having to stretch, without believing for things that seem unlikely. I've learned the calling will disrupt your comfort.
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Chapter 4: What examples illustrate the struggle between comfort and calling?
If you would have acted on the call and not the comfort. If you would have listened to the still small voice, the most high God, instead of all the loud, intimidating lies of the enemy. When my father went to be with the Lord, there were other family members on staff that were ministers. My sisters, brothers-in-law, they had more experience. They were very capable, excellent ministers.
They could have wanted to pastor the church. My personality type is I don't like conflict. I want everyone to be happy I'll go out of my way to avoid even a possible confrontation But I knew if I was going to step up and do what god called me to do I had to tell my family what I was thinking I asked if they would all meet me at the church one morning
You talk about being uncomfortable, way out of what I was used to. I called this big family meeting the first time in my life. I was so nervous, wondering what everyone was going to think, how it was going to turn out. But when you make a move, God will make a move.
And I told them how I felt, like God wanted me to pastor the church and I didn't know how it was going to work out or even if it was right, but that's what I believed in my heart. I waited for all this conflict, all this debate. I'm sure some others felt the same way that they were supposed to become the pastor. After all, they had more credentials.
All I had was my high school diploma, one year of college, and my good looks. That was debatable. After my big speech, the whole room went silent. Finally, my sister Lisa spoke up and said Joel if you feel that way We're all going to support you.
The next person said the same thing and again and again I thought you mean there's not going to be this big debate all this tension strife discord When you step into your calling God will make your crooked places straight He'll cause people to be for you that could be against you. He'll prepare their hearts He'll fight your battles
That meeting ended with my mother saying, Joel, I can't believe it's going to be you. You're the least likely one. I said, thank you, mother, for your confidence. I walked out of there feeling about two feet tall. Friends, life is short. Time is flying by. You have to make this decision. Are you going to stay comfortable? Are you going to step into your calling?
On the other side of that uncomfortableness are new levels, new relationships, businesses, compact centers. Are you letting fear hold you back? Fear of what might happen? I had played out in my mind over and over that family meeting, strife, discord, contention, arguing. None of that happened. Most of the negative things you think are going to happen are not going to happen. Why?
God has already prepared the way. He's already lined up the right people. He's moving out the wrong people. He has the breaks you need, the favor, the strength, the healing, the freedom. All he needs is for you to step into your calling Don't let fear hold you back fear of what people are going to think what are they going to say?
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Chapter 5: How does fear influence our decisions to step out of comfort?
Rahab's life was spared. None of this would have happened if she wasn't willing to take a risk. She had to decide, am I going to stay where it's comfortable, keep living in dysfunction, doing things I'm not proud of, or am I going to step into my calling?
she had this boldness this courage to do something out of the ordinary she had to take a chance that the king would find out that she was hiding the spies but deep down she knew this was a destiny moment a chance to do the right thing to show god that she believed in him I'm sure thoughts told her, God's not going to have anything to do with you. Look at the life you've lived.
Look at all the mistakes you've made. Somehow Rahab tuned all that out and thought, God, I know you still have a purpose for me. I know I can still leave my mark. She took this risk and her whole world changed. Rahab ended up marrying a Jewish man. They had a son named Boaz. Boaz married Ruth. They had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David.
That means Rahab, this former prostitute, is in the family line of Jesus Christ. Like Rahab, when you choose your calling over your comfort, you can affect generations to come.
Chapter 6: How can surrounding yourself with the right people impact your journey?
Who knows how not only your life will be impacted for the good, but because you chose to stretch when you felt like playing it safe. You chose to take the high road instead of compromising. You chose to leave the comfort of the addiction, the comfort of the dysfunction, and take steps to overcome. Your family line will look back and see the blessing, the freedom, the abundance started with you.
You saying yes to your calling, you being willing to be obedient, to do the right thing when it was hard, to forgive when you were wrong, to push past fear and step into your purpose. You were the difference maker. Is there some area God is asking you to leave your comfort and come into your calling? Rahab felt the calling on her life, but the environment wasn't conducive to serve God.
They didn't worship Jehovah. No one in her family believed in God. She was in an occupation that was looked down on, but because she stepped out of her comfort, what she was used to, she is now listed as one of the heroes of faith. Maybe like her you come from a family that doesn't have any kind of faith You're in an environment with people that don't have anything to do with god all around you.
There's compromising mediocrity people taking the easy way out The reason you feel this stirring in your spirit The reason something is coming alive on the inside Is because god is calling you He's been waiting for you. You're not hearing this by accident. This is a destiny moment. The question is, will you leave your comfort and step into your calling?
Will you leave what's familiar, things that have held you down, people that are causing you to compromise and make this decision that you're going to honor God, you're going to step up to who you were created to be? It's easy to play it safe. Don't rock the boat. I don't want to have to change. I don't want to be uncomfortable, but you'll never fulfill your purpose staying comfortable.
On the other side of this discomfort is a new level of your destiny. I know today I am looking at heroes of faith. I'm looking at people that have greatness in them, great courage, great talent, great favor. Well, not me, Joel. I've had a rough background. I'm not in a good environment. You're right where Rahab was. You are one decision away from stepping into your greatness.
One decision from setting your family on a new course to freedom, honor, blessing, victory. Now do your part. Leave the comfort and come into your calling. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, like the crippled man, chains that have held you back are being broken. Sicknesses, addictions, lack, poverty, limited thinking, you're about to rise and walk.
God is about to do what you couldn't do on your own. Like Rahab, you're going to see favor, promotion, protection, the right people, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. But I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior.
If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place.
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