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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 know God has amazing things in your future.
I hope you'll stay connected with us all through the week. You can download our podcast, listen to the messages anytime, or you can go to our YouTube channel. But thanks for tuning in. I like to start with something funny. I heard about this mom. She was cooking breakfast for her two young boys. Ryan was five, Kevin was three. They'd begin to argue over who should get the first pancake.
She saw this as an opportunity to teach them a lesson. She said, boys, boys, if Jesus were here, he would say, let my brother have the first pancake. Ryan turned to his younger brother, said, okay, Kevin, you be Jesus. 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 mix your faith. God has given us all these powerful promises in the scripture. Promises that say we will live an abundant life. We will be healthy and whole. We can do all things through Christ. On and on.
Hundreds of promises of favor, increase, restoration. But as powerful as these promises are, As encouraging and inspiring as they can be, by themselves, these promises won't do you any good. On their own, you won't see any change. They're just nice, encouraging words. You have to add an ingredient that activates the power. There's something you have.
When you put it with the promise, that's what makes it come alive and become what God said. Hebrews 4 says, the word did not profit them not being mixed with faith when they heard it. These people heard the promises. God told them they were going to overcome opposition, defeat enemies, and make it into the promised land.
He told them they would live in houses that they didn't build and have vineyards that they didn't plant. But just because God promised it doesn't mean it's automatically going to happen. He throws the promise out like a seed. What kind of ground is it going to fall on? Some people hear the promise that God is restoring health back into them.
Instead of mixing faith, they think, I'll never get well. Did you see the medical report? They're mixing something. The problem is it's the wrong thing. They're mixing doubt, mixing unbelief. That's why God's word did not profit them. Profit means they didn't see increase. They didn't overcome the challenge. They didn't have the favor. Not because God wasn't able.
Not because the promise lost its power. It's because the promise wasn't mixed with faith. God brought the Israelites out of slavery. He parted the Red Sea, drowned their enemies, and they made it to the promised land. They were camped next door.
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Chapter 2: How can faith activate God's promises in your life?
Let's go back to being slaves. The mistake they made is they mixed in doubt. They mixed in unbelief. What happened? The word did not profit them. They never made it into the promised land. What are you mixing with what God promised you? God said he'll make streams in the desert. Even in famine, you will have more than enough. Joel, I don't know. This pandemic has slowed my business.
I don't see how I could ever get out of debt. You're mixing in the wrong thing. The promise, even though it's powerful, even though it can cause doors to open, it's not going to profit you. Doubt doesn't activate the power. Talking about how it's not going to happen, how big the obstacles are, how you're at a disadvantage, that's going to keep you from your destiny.
Why don't you start mixing in faith? When you believe, angels go to work. When you believe, supernatural doors will open. When you believe, you'll defeat giants. When you believe, you'll accomplish dreams much bigger than you thought. Here's the key. You don't have to have a lot of faith. The scripture says, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move a mountain.
What you're up against may seem impossible. The odds are against you. But when you say, God, I know you can do the impossible. You said when the enemy comes in like a flood, you would raise up a barrier. You said whom the sun sets free is free indeed. You said my children will be mighty in the land. You know what you did? You just mixed in faith. Faith ignites the promise like a match.
Even though it's small, even though it doesn't look like much, it's powerful. There's fire in the match. It can become a huge force, but nothing happens until you ignite it. When you strike that match and it catches fire, then the power is released. It's the same way with the promises. They're powerful. They can bring healing. They can restore relationships.
They can catapult you to a new level, but they won't do you any good until you ignite them. When you mix your faith with the promises, powerful things happen. A little match can start a huge fire. A little faith can start a huge blessing. Little faith can open big doors. Little faith can bring you a compact center. Little faith can heal you from terminal illnesses.
Little faith can defeat great giants. Don't believe those lies that you don't have enough faith. You have the faith you need to get you to your destiny. Now do your part, start mixing faith with the promises. It's easy to mix in doubt, mix fear, mix self-pity, mix complaining, but there's only one ingredient that's going to profit you. All the others won't do you any good.
When I was growing up, my mother always cooked for the family. There were five of us children. She was a good cook. I'm saying that by faith, remembering the meals that I could eat. But my mother was interesting. She didn't necessarily go by the recipes. She just added whatever she had available. One time I was in the kitchen with her and I was about seven years old and she was making a cake.
She realized she didn't have any sugar. The recipe called for a half a cup. I thought, what are we going to do? She said, oh, Joel, it's no problem. I'll just add a half a cup of applesauce instead. You love applesauce. She mixed up all the ingredients and poured them in to one of those tall containers, about six inches high, like a Bundt cake. It was supposed to rise and fill the container.
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Chapter 3: What ingredients are needed to mix with God's promises?
I want to activate that promise. I need God's favor to fulfill my destiny. Every day I say, Lord, thank you for those blessings you have stored up for me. Thank you that you're opening doors that no man can shut. Thank you that your favor surrounds me like a shield. Thank you that no good thing will you withhold because I walk uprightly. That's not just quoting scripture.
That's not just making hopeful statements. That's mixing my faith. That's adding an ingredient that causes what God said to become profitable to me. A couple of weeks ago, an opportunity came that was more than I could imagine. I wasn't looking for it. I didn't know the people, wasn't trying to make it happen. It was one of those blessings God had stored up for me.
It was his favor causing me to stand out. It was his goodness chasing me down. But I don't believe it would have happened if I had not been mixing my faith with the promises. Wasn't a coincidence. I didn't just get lucky. That was the word profiting me because I mixed it with faith. Maybe you've been through a disappointment, a bad break. It's easy to live down, discouraged. Why did this happen?
Try a different approach. Father, thank you for what you promised, that you will give me beauty for these ashes. Thank you that you said all things are working together for my good. You said no weapon formed against me will prosper. This may have formed, but Lord, I thank you that it's not going to prosper. When you're in tough times, the enemy would love for you to mix in self-pity.
God, I don't understand it. Mix in bitterness, it's not fair. Mix in doubt, I'll never meet the right person. That's when you have to dig down deep and say, God, I know you are still on the throne. I know your plans for me are for good. I know what was meant for harm, you're turning to my advantage. I know my latter days will be better than my former days.
What you're mixing with the promises will determine whether they come alive and you see God's favor and blessings or whether the promises will not profit you. I know a young lady that was graduating from high school. Her dream was to be in theater. She loved acting and singing, being a part of plays. There was a prestigious school that she really wanted to attend. She applied for a scholarship.
The problem was there were only 12 positions available, but 2,600 other students applied as well. The chances of her getting in were so small. She could have been discouraged, thought just my luck, it's never going to happen. But instead of mixing doubt with the promises, thinking she didn't have a chance, she did what I'm asking us to do.
All through the day, Father, thank you that your favor is causing me to stand out. You said because I delight myself in you, you will give me the desires of my heart. She kept mixing faith. thanking God that he was working, declaring favor, believing the right doors would open. A few months later, she received an email.
It said, congratulations, out of the 2,600 students, you're one of the 12 that we've chosen. God can make a way where you don't see a way. He's not limited by what you don't have. He's not intimidated by what you're up against. The odds being against you doesn't stop his plan. God is about to open a door that you can't open. He's about to turn that illness around.
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Chapter 4: What lessons can we learn from the Israelites' journey to the promised land?
God has ways you've never thought of. All you have to do is get in agreement with him. Father, you said in Ephesians that we would see the surpassing greatness of your favor. You said whatever I touch would prosper and succeed. You said you would always cause me to triumph. I don't see a way, but I know you have a way. The odds are against me, but I know you are for me.
You keep mixing faith like that, God will make things happen that you can't make happen. He'll take you where you can't go on your own. In John chapter four, Jesus was traveling through Galilee. He came to the town of Canaan. There was a government official in another city that had a son that was very sick, close to death.
When he heard Jesus was in Cana, he rushed over there, fell at Jesus' feet, and begged him to heal his son. Jesus didn't go at first, but the man pleaded, said, "'Please, Jesus, come now, my little boy is about to die.'" Jesus looked at the man and said, you can go back home. Your son is healed. The scripture says the man believed Jesus' word and started back home.
The man could have thought, I'm not leaving. Jesus, you didn't even pray for my son. You didn't even speak healing to him. I'm staying here till you come with me. His attitude was, I've heard the word. I've heard what God promised, that my son is well. I'm not going to mix in doubt. I'm not going to mix in worry, thinking it's not going to happen. He didn't do it my way.
I'm going to mix in the right ingredient. I'm going to add my faith. Lord, I believe what you said. He turned around and headed home. No sign that anything changed. Nothing looked any different. All he had was a promise, but he did what I'm asking us to do. He mixed faith with it. He wasn't moved by what he saw. He wasn't discouraged because Jesus didn't come.
He wasn't complaining that it seemed impossible. He just kept thanking God for what he heard. every thought told him that his son would never get well it's too late jesus wouldn't come you should be disappointed he had a thousand reasons to doubt to worry to be upset but he kept mixing his faith with the promise i believe he's healed i believe what jesus said that my son will live
While he was walking home, people from his house came running toward him.
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Chapter 5: How do negative thoughts impact our faith and outcomes?
I can imagine him seeing them in the distance. Thoughts started bombarding his mind. They're coming with the bad news. Your son didn't make it. It's too late. Deep down, he kept playing those words. Thank you, Jesus, that my son will live. Lord, I believe what you promised. The people finally made it to him. They had a big smile. They said, we have good news. All of a sudden, your son got better.
Now he's perfectly well, running around, playing like nothing was ever wrong. That's what happens when you add the right ingredient to the promises. Not doubt, not worry, not fear. Mix in your faith. Dare to believe what God told you. Don't be moved by what you don't see, by how long it's taking, by how bad it looks, by what you don't have. God has the final say.
There are promises he's spoken to you. You don't see anything changing. It's been a long time. You're tempted to give up. God has you hearing this because it's on the way. You are closer than you think. This is not the time to start doubting. Now more than ever, you need to stir up your faith. Keep thanking God for what he promised. Keep declaring what he said. Keep talking like it's on the way.
Don't let those negative thoughts override what God has spoken to your heart. When you're fighting the illness, Father, thank you for what you promised. I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. When you're struggling in your finances, Lord, thank you that I will lend and not borrow, that whatever I touch will prosper and succeed. That's what brings the promises to life.
The scripture says all of God's promises are yes and amen. God gives you the promise. He gives you the yes, says I'm going to do it, but the yes alone is not enough. You have to add the amen to it. Amen means I believe it. God, I'm in agreement with you. When Jesus told the man, your son is well, he gave him the yes, but the man had to add the amen.
If he would have gone home discouraged, I can't believe Jesus wouldn't come with me. I don't know if it would have been the same outcome. God says yes, now do your part, add the amen to it. God said your children will be mighty in the land. Don't go by what you see, go by what God said. If you'll get an agreement with God, it will change what you see.
God said he's going to bring you to a flourishing finish. Your response, just three simple words, Lord, I believe. God said he will open the windows of heaven, pour out blessings that you cannot contain. I don't see how, Joel. You don't have to see how. Lord, I believe. God said he's going to restore the years that were stolen. Lord, I believe.
God said the enemies you see today, you will see no more. You may think of a thousand reasons why that's not going to happen. I can give you one great reason why it will happen. The creator of the universe, the God who spoke worlds into existence has declared it. He doesn't go back on his word. I'm asking you to add the right ingredient. No more mixing in doubt. No more mixing in unbelief.
Start mixing your faith so the promises will become profitable to you. So you will see the greatness of our God. He wants to show out in your life. He has awesome things in your future. I never dreamed I would be up here. Never dreamed we would own the compact center. This didn't happen because I had the most talent, the most education, the most faith.
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Chapter 6: What role does faith play in overcoming challenges?
It's easy to feel stuck in life, wondering why things aren't changing and worrying if it'll ever happen, but there's a better way to wait. I'd love to send you my new resource called Pray It Forward. This book is a collection of prayers and promises from the scripture to help you pray boldly to strengthen your faith.
While you're waiting, it's important to keep your mind filled with hope and expectancy. When you pray in faith, believe in what God promised, that's what moves the hands of God. That's when you'll see doors open, healing begins to come, breakthroughs in your family. Don't let doubt hold you back.
Pray it forward. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, we'd love to send you a copy of Pray It Forward, guided prayers for faith and breakthrough. Inspired by real-life answered prayers, Pray It Forward will help you speak God's promises over your life. and over the people you love, trusting that when you ask in faith, God is already at work preparing victory ahead of you.
You can take these prayers and scriptures and pray them forward. They'll build a momentum of faith that carries you past obstacles and into the promises God has spoken over your life. As you meditate on these truths, you won't be tossed back and forth by finances, health challenges, or relationship struggles.
Instead, you'll be able to boldly pray with faith that is immovable and strong, and you'll be filled with peace, assurance, and joy. Don't let circumstances control your future. Pray the truth of God's Word forward in faith and watch the mountains in your life begin to move.
When you pray the promises, what God has spoken over your life, those are powerful prayers. And that's when God shows up and does what only he can do. Thanks so much for being with us. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. We appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity helps us take this message of hope to people around the world.
And a special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for all you do to make the ministry possible. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
Be sure to request your copy of Pray It Forward, Guided Prayers for Faith and Breakthrough, available this month by simply visiting us at joelostein.com or call 888-567-JOEL. You can also receive the Pray It Forward companion prayer journal designed to help you engage in Scripture, personalize faith-filled prayers, and put God's promises into action.
With an additional gift, you can receive the Pray It Forward Prayers Essential Collection that centers around a prayer bowl with scripture cards designed to help you physically release what's been weighing on your heart.
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