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I’m excited about what’s gonna happen in
this place today and so y’all ready for
the word this morning all right pull out
your notepads and and anything that you
have you’re smart or dumb phone we’re
about to we’re about to see God do
something awesome we’re in week five of
a series that we are calling fruitful
and I’m thankful for all of the people
who spoke while I was out sister Amber
Lee Vail and our very own Bri Davis and
pastor Paul Cooper they did an awesome
job and now we’re going to talk about
the fruit of the Spirit that is found in
Galatians chapter 522 and this is just
the anchor scripture for this entire
series I want you to look at it it says
but the Holy Spirit produces this kind
of fruit in our lives
question who produces this kind of fruit
in your life okay so the Holy Spirit
produces this kind of fruit in our lives
love joy peace patience kindness
goodness faithfulness gentleness and
self-control there is no law against
these things can I help you that the
Holy Spirit is supposed to produce
something in your life like when you
become a Christian it’s not just to come
and do a religious duty and come to
church and then leave the same it’s
supposed to start getting in you and
affecting you so that it changes in your
life and when I look at these you know I
don’t know about you but I grew up in
church some people didn’t grow up in
church but I’m gonna give you a secret
sometimes you read scriptures that you
hear them so much that they just become
cliche like it’s just like the fruit of
spirit love joy peace and for a long
time I just I just let those scriptures
just go past me like you know what I’m
saying yeah we want love we want peace
we want joy but any ain’t really
happening but when I really started
studying this God was saying I gave you
the Holy Spirit so that you could have
practical love in your life I’m talking
about the love that makes you do
something nice for somebody you don’t
like like I want it to be practical he
wants to give you peace that no matter
what the storm is in your life that you
can be able to know that everything’s
gonna be okay I remember a story in the
Bible where the disciples were on a boat
with Jesus and all kinds of stuff was
coming at them and they thought they
were about to die and guess what Jesus
was doing he wasn’t not praying he
not casting out demons he was three cuz
he knew he was the Prince of Peace and
he’s saying that why would y’all start
tripping when I’m in your corner it’s
because they didn’t believe that him
being there would produce practical
peace in their storm situation and it
looks like a bunch of believers today I
get people coming up to me all the time
cuz I’m like what do you think about the
political system what do you think about
what’s happening in office what do you
think about that I think it’s there and
I think that God’s in control and so
when I see these things I don’t get all
frazzled and messed up over them because
I have the Holy Spirit working on the
inside of me and he produces the fruit
of Peace in my life see so many
Christians that I don’t even know if
they’re believers because the fruit is
not evident when trials come how many
y’all know some people that say they
believe something but then when it comes
down to it they don’t act like they
believe something okay come on raise
your hands if you don’t raise your hands
you’re that person and this is I’m just
playing with you and this is one of the
things that I want God to help so today
we’re gonna talk about a fruit of the
Spirit that I feel like all of us need
we’re gonna talk about joy how many
people need some more joy in your life
come on okay you need some more joy
matter of fact let’s start off by
smiling everybody just smile even if you
didn’t brush your teeth this morning
just smile some of y’all so hateful look
at y’all still mean muggin it’ll be
alright
you’ll be are anybody into the service
okay I believe this is one of the fruits
of the spirit that is so powerful
because the Bible tells us that the joy
of the Lord will be our and many of us
are drained but we don’t have the fuel
for strength you’re drained in your wit
work week you’re drained in your life
you’re drained through circumstances and
situations but he gave you the fuel
which was joy and many of us don’t know
where to get joy we’ve misplaced it and
today I want us to see how joy is
supposed to play a major part in our
life go to John chapter 15 verse 11
chapter 15 verse 11 and this is Jesus
talking and this really is like an
anchor scripture for me and maybe more
than an anchor scripture it could be the
goal that we want to reach we want this
goal and Jesus wants this goal for all
of us look at it it says I have told you
these things Jesus talking so that you
we you will be filled with my joy
everybody say my joy this is Jesus he
has a joy and and I could see some of
the disciples cuz that’s who he’s
talking to being like he wants us to be
filled with his joy and they start
looking like this and then he
emphatically says yes look at your joy
will over flow somebody say my joy will
overflow that’s the title of today’s
message and I want you to realize that
that’s what God wants for every person
in this place he wants joy to overflow
in your life he wants you to be joyful
or joy full full of joy but if we look
at a lot of people’s lives they’re not
full of joy they’re full of worry
they’re full they’re full of doubt
they’re full of anxiety and how can we
many people being believers work on the
same level eggs eggs eggs ayat e and
pain and frustration as everybody and
this is what God’s saying I got a key
but you’re missing it I got something I
want to give you I don’t want to give
you happiness because happiness is
dictated by circumstance I want to give
you joy which is something that I only
can give and it’s something that starts
from the inside see happiness is one of
those things that comes and it goes I
mean some of us let’s be honest like you
wake up happy then you find out it’s
raining and you have a bad day you go to
a restaurant and they get your food
order wrong and y’all know once they
give my food order wrong I’m tripping
and it’s a bad day see happiness goes up
and down like a roller coaster joy is
unmovable joy is an anchor and see a lot
of people are trying to find joy but
they look in the wrong places so they
settle for happiness
he is gonna be good see see what ends up
happening is happiness is a feeling
dicta dictated to me by what is
happening externally but that is that’s
busted because I can never control that
I can’t control if my boss acts crazy I
can’t control if my car breaks down I
can’t control if I lose my job
and so if I am only happy by what
happens on the outside then I am never
in control of my own life
and that looks like a bunch of people
that call themselves Christ followers
most of our prayer requests are about
things that we can’t control
most of our attitudes are about things
that happen outside and God said I got
something better for you I got something
that will help you sustain in the middle
of any storm I have something that will
make you smile when things are broken I
got something they can all leave you and
you can still say stand there and have
joy in your heart but it cannot be
happiness it has to be joy and we’re
confused on the definition of that and
so I want you to understand that as I
start studying I look up things I get in
the dictionary and I start trying to
figure out what things mean and I looked
up this word joy and I was very
disappointed in the 1-dimensional ‘no
substr dicts dictionary it says joy is a
feeling of great pleasure and happiness
that’s all it gave three major
components it’s a feeling of pleasure
and happiness when I begin to weigh that
against what I see in the Bible that’s
not enough to make me still serve God
and still have joy in the midst of hard
circumstances see I think about people
like Paul and Silas who were chained in
jail and had enough joy to start singing
a song now y’all missed it cuz I don’t
know about you but when I’m mad I’m not
ready to sing a song I’m ready to fight
now some of y’all are holy and perfect
and all that other stuff but when I’m
mad I’m ready cuss somebody out y’all
fake release
teamahma come to y’all y’all the real
side but they had something from the
inside that allowed them to say blessed
be the name of the Lord they were able
to lift up a song they were able to sing
we go from glory to glory to glory said
we up in these chains we’ll never be the
same like they were able but that wasn’t
because of their circumstance cuz they
weren’t happy and being chained wasn’t
pleasurable and they probably felt bad
but the Bible tells us they still had
joy and then it makes me think of people
like Jobe who lost everything he lost
all of his kids he he lost all of his
land he lost all of his money but when
they told them to stand up and curse God
he was able to stand in joy not feeling
good he just lost everything not being
in a pleasurable state and not even
being happy he probably stood in tears
and said this statement the Lord gives
and the Lord takes away blessed be the
name of the Lord how do you say that
after everything you had have been taken
away from you that’s not happiness
that’s Joey
everybody say that’s joy and Jesus is
saying I want your joy to over flow look
at Jesus
go to Hebrews 12:2 cuz this one mess me
up when I found it it literally says in
the Bible for the joy set before him he
endured the cross oh hold up Pastor Mike
you mean the thing that kept Jesus on
the cross from coming down and saying
this is just too much cut uh uh eternity
hold on
I didn’t sign up for this what’s joy he
said I stayed on the cross because I
knew there was joy set before me that’s
not a place of pleasure that’s not a
place of happiness that’s not a place of
everything’s okay and the reason I’m
saying that is because many of you have
been told to lie and believe the lie
because everything’s not going good you
can’t have joy but I came here this
morning to change the narrative that God
is the one who can give you joy and not
just a little bit but he can make you
joy fool in the middle of us hard
situation and so that means we must have
the dip wrong definition of joy so I
want to give you a definition of joy
because I don’t know about you but my
feelings are fleeting I mean they change
all the time how many people okay don’t
leave me up here by myself how many
people have felt one way about something
and then maybe six months later a year
later you felt different about it okay
some of y’all loved this pair of shoes
last year and hate that same pair of
shoes right now can’t even wear them no
more
some and whatever it is for you but our
feelings are fleeting I don’t know about
you but what pleases me sometimes it’s
not always profitable for me I love ice
cream my waistline hates it do you
understand what I’m saying like and
happiness is so inconsistent so we need
to find out what joy is right this
definition down because if the only time
I can have joy is when my feelings
pleasure and happiness online I’ll never
find it I want you to see this joy is
the supernatural delight in the person
the purpose is the plan the placement
the provision and the people of God I
know that’s a lot of peace but I want
you to remember it see joy is when you
are in a place let me just give you the
point your joy will overflow as you
discover that joy is not a
feeling joy is a heart posture it’s not
feeling something it’s where I have my
eyes fixed and that’s why joy is a
supernatural it’s not natural to me it’s
beyond me it’s something that is worked
in by the Holy Spirit that’s why when I
spend time with God that’s when I pray
when I come into his house it’s
something that he begins to work into my
life that lets it be more than natural
super natural delight in knowing that
God he’s good this is how it works in my
life I’ll say stuff like this god you’re
good that his purposes are coming to
pass that he has a specific plan for my
life that I am placed right where I need
to be and if I’m off-course his grace
will lead me back to the right path
everything I need will be provided when
I need it and he will give me the right
people as community accountability and
encouragement what are you trying to say
Pastor Mike joy comes from having a
fixed perspective on Jesus it comes from
having your focus on something that
won’t change can I help you
the reason you haven’t been able to find
joy is because your focus changes too
much that’s why you’re only finding
happiness because I’m happy by what
they’re saying on social media today I’m
happy by the amount of money I make I’m
happy by this I’m happy by this
relationship I’m happy by these drugs
I’m happy by these people liking me but
it has to keep changing because nothing
is solid enough to fix your focus on and
that’s why joy cannot come if you do not
have a fixed folks keep focus on
something that will not change
that’s why Jesus has to be the center of
our life because he is the one who is
the one who was and the one that is is
to come but what we do in our 21st
century is we focus on whatever gives us
feelings of pleasure and happiness at
the moment so when life starts to change
or those things start to change our
happiness begins to change and God says
I want to give you something wait I want
to give you the upgrade
I want to give you the upgrade to
happiness and you can’t find it nowhere
but me I want to give you joy it’s that
thing that nobody can take from you I
don’t know about you but I have some
old-school people in my house and they
used to say stuff like this they say umm
this joy that I have the world can’t
take it the world didn’t give it you see
that was my mama over there correct him
and cuz she she said it all my life the
world didn’t give it what’s the rest and
the world can’t take it away anybody
else has somebody and they life saying
man quoting it okay the reason they
can’t take it it’s because they don’t
have it and the reason that they can’t
give it is because they don’t have it
and as believers if we choose to live
below joy if we choose to let our
circumstances dictate how we feel and
why we smile and why we get up and why
we do things we are no better than any
body else who doesn’t have Jesus and he
said I came that you might have life and
life took a fool he wants your life to
be fruitful joy full full of everything
but we have to take advantage of the
promises of God and so you want your joy
to overflow you need to know joy is not
a feeling joy is a heart posture can I
break it down to you cuz some of you
like okay Pastor Mike I kind of get with
you what you saying but I don’t really
get it let me just bring it all the way
down for people like me who are a little
remedial okay joy is a posture of my
heart that says two things God’s got it
and I trust him period when the waves of
life come and they fired from me from my
job God’s got it and I trust him when
they leave me at the altar and we were
supposed to be married God’s got it and
I trust him when my investments go down
and I sunk my whole savings into it I
have joy because God’s got it come on
help me and I trust him when the economy
has turned upside down and my children
are acting crazy I have a faith that
stands and says God’s got it and I trust
him when my children are
least with sickness with pain when I’ve
lost everything I have to have a stance
that God Scottie and I trust him that’s
the only way you can stay on the cross
that’s the only way you can lose
everything and still say blessed be the
name of the Lord that’s the only way you
can be in Chains and still happy because
you have an anchor that is dropped and
the waves may blow you’re not doing
under because my anchor is God’s got it
and I trust him somebody just say it
with a attitude God’s got it and I trust
him there’s a situation you’re going
through right now and it looks bigger
than you but I promise you it’s not
because God’s got oh and I trust him
you’ve been looking at money situations
you’ve been looking at pain in your life
you better square up and tell yourself
God’s got it trust Wow somebody take a
moment and give God a shout of praise
yeah
God’s got it in our trust this sickness
is not bigger than me this job layoff is
not bigger than me who’s in government
is not bigger than me God’s got it and I
trust him that’s where joy comes from so
a situation can come but I’m chilling
are my feelings hurt yeah is it
uncomfortable yeah is my happiness a
little up and down uh-huh but I still
have joy why cuz God Scottie and I trust
somebody gonna be walking around your
house all week you’re gonna be you gonna
be a god Scott and I y’all better stop
playing with me cuz I will take off
around this church I am NOT even playin
God’s got it I don’t care what comes
God’s got it and I somebody’s gettin it
faith is coming in to somebody God study
and I trust it Oh God’s got it he’s got
you
he’s got your kids he’s got your family
he’s got your career
he’s got your bitter God’s got it and I
trust y’all better sit down I’m only on
plane 1 I’m all the 0.1 y’all better sit
out I’m on an important one but when you
remember how God brought you through
that situation and you think back about
how you don’t bring you to this
situation all you can step back and say
is God’s got it and I trust
[Applause]
[Music]
so so when you have that knowing when
you have when you know that when you
know that it doesn’t matter what comes
some of y’all I can see you college
students I don’t know about tuition next
year I don’t know if I’m gonna get
validated and you weren’t even supposed
to be here this year
and God took care of you then why are
you getting in doubt now god sky so so
this is what God wants for you he wants
joy not happiness
the unmovable thing that when when when
you lose the job and when they when you
get incarcerated and they won’t give you
on it that’s it I’ll make you an
entrepreneur I’ll build the business out
of you I’ll take I’ll take everything
he’s like I got you
[Applause]
and so what happens second point your
joy will overflow as you discover joy is
only Jesus generated see this is the
problem most people want joy but they
look for it in the amount of money that
they want they look for it in a
relationship they look for it in a
career some of y’all got more degrees
than a thermometer a PhD a DVD you in
the NBA and the NBA like do you
understand what I’m saying you got all
these degrees but you still don’t have
joy cuz it’s not coming externally it’s
coming in turn it’s only can come from
Jesus so I’m trying to let everybody get
the key to this thing that God wants
your joy to overflow but joy is only
Jesus generated we were in John 15
chapter 11 I want to scoot back up six
verses into Chapter five I mean verse
five and look what Jesus is saying to
him he was like yeah yeah guys I know
y’all want to do great things for me but
I just need you to remember this one
thing and I’m gonna paint this picture
for you he said um I’m the vine
you’re the branches okay so don’t get it
don’t get it twisted I’m the source and
I’ll resource you to do what I’ve called
you to do
see we got it so twisted some of y’all
think you’re the source you don’t have
any ability to make anything happen
you are just the resource but when you
remove yourself from God you cut all
yourself off from these sources you
missed it when Jesus is the source the
vine he says you as my child are our a
source and I will resource what you mean
as long as you stay connected to me and
so it says I’m the vine you are the
branches he who abides
everybody say abide circle that
underline it write that tattoo it on
your arm abide he who abides in me and I
am them bears much fruit or becomes
joyful or has full miss of joy for
without me you can do nothing doesn’t
like that ain’t true I can do stuff
without you you can’t do anything that
lasts you you only can do temporary
things that you have to sustain and some
of y’all are so tired of life because
you’ve been trying to sustain whatever
you’ve tried to build and it’s wearing
you the hell out I know this ain’t the
church for everybody but I just had to
say cuz you look like it it’s on your
face it’s wearing you out and God’s
standing back like you you want me to do
it you want me I can you know I can do
that with my pinkie like this ain’t this
ain’t even hard for me
but as long as you want to do it I’ll
let you do it cuz I’m a gentleman
I only step in when I’m asked and today
God wants to make some of your joy fool
but he you’re gonna have to invite him
into it he said don’t forget if you
abide in me you will not be able to
sustain without the joy of Jesus in this
one chapter and these few verses
he mentions that word abide seven to ten
times and seven verses if you abide in
me and my words abide in you and if you
don’t abide in me he literally was
trying to get our point across I want
you to abide stay connected that’s what
that word means it means stay for a long
time get with me that’s why I don’t
understand people who try Christianity
for a month I try I tried to live say
I’ll try not to sleep with him I try not
to coz I try not to do it
I’ll try how long did you try baby
thirty two days and it’s just not
working so I went to swing and I went to
this and I’m saying no no no no what
seed have you ever planted that you kept
picking up every day out of the dirt
bared fruit and that’s what we do I’m am
in church right now but I’m not in
church now I’m a serve you but it’s my
birthday
y’all know what I’m talking about so how
do you expect to bear fruit but you
won’t stay planted pull up an orange
tree every day every month every year
and see how much fruit it gives but
that’s why God’s saying just a bi with
me stay with me if you mess up come back
tell somebody confess your sins one to
another you’re already saved the
salvation is already taken care of your
eternity is cool but I don’t want you to
live hell on earth and then getting
escaped to heaven it’s like I just want
you to live this life I’ll pay for I
already paid for it will you please
order the orders will you please order
the desert will you it’s just like
somebody paying for a five-star meal and
all you want is the bread it’s already
paid for and you did could you just
bring more bread there’s steak waiting
for you and you want bread and ranch
[Applause]
take full advantage of the life that God
has given you and part of that life is
being joy full but it only is generated
by Jesus let me give you a practical
step to abiding just practical read your
Bible read the Word of God
that’s a mighty if you always do that
every Sunday I’m gonna say every Sunday
from now on cuz it’s the whole thing
like that’s everything like you can be
saved and not ever even come here if you
just ditch your Bible and allow the Holy
Spirit to be alive in you it can change
your whole life and I started to think
about this analogy it’s hard to be
joyful naturally when you’re hungry how
many people get a little attitude when
they get hungry come on let’s be
attitude some of y’all is just evil like
something y’all don’t talk do not talk
to me until I get to Smith double like
do not like there’s certain times where
I know I should stop talking to my wife
or and just slide her some chicken
nuggets cuz you know you understand what
I’m saying but then I started thinking
about it in the spiritual it’s hard to
be joyful when your spirit is hungry let
me help you but if we pray over God’s
Word to eat it as spiritual food it
nourishes satisfies and makes us glad
but some of y’all are so spiritually
starving like you don’t spend time in
God’s Word and so you can’t abide and
you it’s hard to be joyful when your
spirit is hungry I saw this commercial
and it reminded me of this and I want
you to take it out right now take this
commercial out check this commercial out
now I saw this commercial and it
preached to me cuz in the middle of
their car ride the friend says everytime
you get hungry you turn into a my
question is every time your spirit isn’t
hungry what do you turn into every time
you’re spiritually hungry and you won’t
feed it the word you turn into a liar
you you turn into a lust bucket is what
I call it that’s what I used to be
that’s not my vu but that was me
every time I don’t feed on the word of
God I turn into somebody who will
manipulate the situation I’ll turn into
somebody who’s judgmental and some of
you are sitting around here starving
your spirit man and I’m here to say like
the friend said to you every time you
get hungry you turn into a and all you
have to do is eat on the Word of God and
listen to the tagline it says it says
you’re not you when you’re hungry I came
to tell you you’re not you and your
spirit is hungry when you’re not able to
feed on the Word of God you’re not you
and some of y’all been walking around
saying that’s just how I am that’s just
how I am may I say you’re so
malnourished that you think this is
normal
you’re so bulimic out here that if you
ate a Snickers it changed your whole
life if you read Philippians one time it
wakes you up and said I’ve never met me
before I’m a brand new person you’re not
you and you’re hungry and the tagline
says Snickers it satisfies i’ma steal
that and say the word of God it’s
satisfies I want you to be practically
helped today that’s how you abide look
at this and this blessed me when I found
this scripture Jeremiah 15:16 it says
when I discovered your words when I
discovered when I uncovered it I
devoured them
y’all know when you’re hungry some of
y’all will eat without breathing do you
understand what I’m saying how many of
y’all have eaten food hot because you
were so hungry like you’re like you’re
trying to blow on it and take it in you
understand what I’m saying
but when you’re hungry it doesn’t matter
the flour and God is saying to some of
you you need to get in your word and it
might be hard and it might be hot but
you need to you need to take that mug in
oh you can go ahead and give God praise
right there yeah now watch how
beautifully the Word of God works
together it said when I discovered your
words I devoured them they are my joy
remember what we’re talking about we’re
talking about having joy in our life
that our joy would overflow God said
practically if you want joy you have to
know it’s Jesus generated how do I get
close to Jesus how do I abide in him and
he said if you read my word he said
it’ll be your joy you read more it will
be a joy and your heart’s delight joy is
only Jesus generated so let me give you
my third point your joy will overflow as
you discover joy is not an option
joy is an outcome joy is not like oh I’m
gonna decide to be joyful today no it’s
an outcome of things that you do
get in a place with God let me help you
I’m gonna give you this analogy it’s a
little lengthy but I want you to hear it
it says the secret of living is joy the
secret of joy is being fruitful the
secret of being fruitful is abiding the
secret of biting is obeying and then the
secret of obeying is loving and the
secret of loving is knowing knowing who
Jesus you want joy find Jesus you want
joy know Jesus you need more joy get
more Jesus because once you get to know
Jesus it will help you to love him once
you love him you’ll start obeying him
once you obeyed him you’ll start a
buying or staying close to him once you
stay close to him you’ll start bearing
fruit like him and once you start
bearing fruit like him it’ll bring you a
lot of joy see but that’s an outcome of
knowing Jesus and testimony can sound
like you saying the same thing I really
am I’m just trying to get it in our our
hearts and our minds in a different way
if you want that thing that nobody can
steal from you like if you want that
thing that’s better than happiness know
Jesus and in the face of hard
circumstances and broken situation you
will be able to stand and people will
come up to you and be like how are you
how are you holding it together why are
you still smiling why did you even come
to help me I know what you’re going
through I know you just lost your job I
know you just failed that test I know
your family’s going through like why are
you doing this and it’s not because of
you it’s because of who you know and
when who you know starts to reflect who
you are you found true joy Psalms 30
verse 5 this is David talking and
David’s real emotional he’s emo and and
David is always in this paradox he’s
always fearful but faithful safe but
scared hopeful but hiding like he’s been
in these places and this is what he
writes for his anger lasts only a moment
but his favor lasts a lifetime
weeping may last through the night but
what sure
comes with the morning I came to
encourage somebody that it may look dark
right now but this message is you’re
horny like this message has been the
thing that God wanted to remind you that
I don’t care how dark it is in your life
I sinned joy constantly so that you know
you always have a brand new opportunity
to experience it he could have used the
analogy to anything else but he said
your joy will come in the morning
because one thing is guaranteed no
matter how long the night feels like it
lasts the mornings coming
I came to encourage somebody today that
your joy is not far away that I know
you’re broken and you’re downtrodden in
the situation’s bad right now but joy is
coming in the morning but as I start
walking this out in my own life I found
something for me in my life
me and my wife that kind of gave me a
new perspective on this the scripture
says joy comes in the morning like with
the Sun but I found it to be true that
many times joy comes in our morning
the the things that we feel like we lost
the things that we feel like are a
disadvantage the things that we feel
like in life are unfair God somehow
turns those situations to an awesome
opportunity to experience joy that
doesn’t move us by outward circumstance
I should be sad I should be broken I
should be mad right now but joy is
coming out of this morning can I help
you in church I’m gonna be very real
with you right now because me and my
wife have been experiencing this in our
life this is my son MJ MJ just
celebrated his second birthday and he
turned 2 on the 20 what was at the 26th
of October he’s the most amazingly cute
boy in the world
so MJ me and my wife this year have been
praying serving God serving this church
doing everything that we know how to do
and we noticed that MJ wasn’t developing
and talking and doing certain things
like Isabella
his older sister and so we went to the
doctor and there’s like yeah he’s not
he’s not developing and doing things
like other children are doing he’s like
I think he has some developmental delays
and um me and my wife are like no not
our son we prayed we fasted we’ve cried
we’ve dedicated him to the Lord not
happening so he took him to some other
therapist and some other people in faith
knowing that God is bigger knowing that
we trust God and we got him in he said
um we’re not sure about it he’s not old
enough to tell yet but he looks like he
might have some signs of autism and um I
don’t know if any parents in this house
have ever been told something has
happened to your children or something
that you can’t control but for us me and
my wife went through a season and are
still going through a season of mourning
believing and trusting and what God is
saying
but knowing that is not always a fair
situation and as we celebrate his second
birthday and he’s not saying any words
yet as he sat there yesterday enjoyed
his truck and enjoyed his friends and
his family being around and being my
wife we looked at each other every time
he smiled and we were so excited because
what we thought was the death of a dream
in our life and he he may never play
football and he may never do this and he
may never do that
we saw the grace of God at work in a
situation where we had to mourn and I
stood in faith and I told the therapist
I said I know what the reports are
saying and I know we haven’t had them
tested and I know all these other things
that happened but I’m believing God for
a miracle
said I’m believing God for America then
God took me to the scripture that has
helped me through many days because the
joy is not coming in the Sun that came
up it’s coming in the loss and in the
disappointment of something that I
thought and I’m I’m reckoning and trying
to figure out what are you doing I
served you I’ve told you I’d serve your
people I’d do all this other stuff but
how is this all making sense he says son
it’s not something I’m doing to you it’s
something I’m doing for you
he said I’m using your son that carries
your same name to teach you about my
faithfulness to teach you about my grace
see it’s not gonna come from the likes
on Instagram cuz he’s cute is gonna come
from the inside is gonna come from you
being connected to me it’s gonna come
from you trusting that I got it and I
have to have the response that I trust
you and it took me to James chapter one
verse two and it said dear brothers and
sisters when troubles of any kind come
your way consider it an opportunity for
great joy I never looked at that
scripture with much with much faith
because nothing had happened to me that
hit me to my core like this but it
changed my perspective on how I was
looking at this situation because God
knew it was gonna happen and so if God
didn’t put James chapter 1 verse 2 in
the Bible for anybody else he put it in
there for me because he said Michael
don’t worry when troubles of any kind
come your way I want you to change your
perspective and I want you to consider
it an opportunity for your joy to grow
for your joy to be fool for you to be
joy fool for there to be fruit to come
out of this
he said four you know when your faith is
tested and it has been he said you’re a
Durance has the chance to grow so then
he tells you like it’s gonna be okay
let it grow don’t fight it don’t deny it
don’t try to act like his hand the enemy
tried to get me not to share it to think
that people will label my son and all
this other stuff guys just let it grow
he said I’m gonna get the glory out of
this I’m gonna do a miracle behind this
I’m gonna be the one that is high and
lifted up and I’m gonna be the one to
get the glory but you gotta know that
your joy is not external that your joy
is internal that it comes from me and I
got it and you have to trust me
[Applause]
[Music]
so let it grow for when your endurance
is fully developed you will be perfect
and complete needing nothing I can see
how that works now cuz I give anything
for my son to say words you you wouldn’t
have to give me no more clothes and God
said when I worked this miracle in your
behalf you’re gonna see that the things
that you think are really important and
I’ve learned at all that’s how Paul and
Silas they had been in jail before they
had been shipwrecked the scourging that
Jesus got Paul got that so many times
it was usual so when they did death
threats and all this thing didn’t affect
his joy he said cuz I’ve been through
things that should have taken my joy but
my joy is not external it comes from
Jesus today I don’t know what the enemy
has been trying to tell you about your
life but you have so much to be joyful
about you abide and you stay connected
to him it’s the only thing that’s kept
me in this time that’s the best message
is that I preached those things that you
said pastor you preached and I’ve been
going through crap in the background
trying to hold on to my faith but I knew
God and so when you come and see me or
you see me laughing or anything that’s
not happiness because my situations not
the best but it’s true that comes from
the inside and the world didn’t give it
autism didn’t give it sickness didn’t
give it and it can’t take it away god I
worship you I dare somebody to just
thank God for who he is for what he’s
doing I guess somebody to get joyful if
you would just remember who God is and
how he’s been so good God we trust you
cuz you got god I pray over every person
under the sound of my voice who the
enemy has tried to steal their joy who
we’ve tried to be convinced that it’s
too bad father I thank you God that we
take a posture of knowing who you are
father God I thank you Father
that our joy will begin to overflow
father God that we will begin to keep
our mind state on you father God and you
will do something in our life that
doesn’t come from the external father
but it comes from the internal being
what comes father god I don’t care I
have faith in you I believe you are good
and we as the church will serve you and
trust you and we will have joy our smile
will not be because of our circumstance
our smile won’t be because of our
feeling but it will be because you are a
good father and we are connected to you
and we trust you and you’ve got it in
Jesus name somebody give God a shout of
praise in this place come on give God a
shout of praise in this place the God
will make such fruitful hey bring me
that water real quick I want to show you
this don’t cut the tape yet I just need
everybody see this I was gonna go
without it but just bring it out see
this is what I want you to understand
real quick um the last point I want to
give you right now is that your joy will
overflow sit down with two minutes
please
and I’m following the spirit right now
because somebody needs to see this it
says your joy will overflow when you
change the concentration when you change
what you’re concentrating on see this is
what life looks like this is you
remember that John can you put that John
15:11 scripture up real quick because I
just want to teach this with an example
real quick John 15 verse 11 and it says
I’ve told you these things so that you
will be filled with my joy yes your joy
will overflow this is your joy okay but
the thing about my joy is that I can’t
control what life throws at me
I don’t know
what is going on and I don’t know that
God may have some situations that he
allows into my life to throw some some
disappointment some frustration some
hurt I can’t control that so what is it
doing Pastor Mike it starts affecting my
joy and where I was clear I start to
look a little blue but put the screws
back up there the scripture tells us
that now this is your joy but I want to
fill you with my joy can you bring me
out Jesus joy please see Jesus joy is
clear and Jesus joy is full this is the
difference though see there’s a
concentration of blue dye that is in
here that has overtaken the amount of
trust and purity and clarity that was in
here but when we change our
concentration to the Word of God so
you’ve been focusing on how blue it is
and God says focus on how big I am
you’ve been focused on how it’s affected
you and God saying focus on how I can
affect it and when you start pouring the
Word of God in our faith overflows but
as it overflows it takes out everything
that’s it takes out every somebody
better rejoice with me and our me our
joy begins to over slow I dare you if
you’re in this place to begin to shout
under God with the voice of triumph that
he’s taken everything that’s been blue
in your life and he’s gonna take your
joy and he’s gonna overflow and
everything that’s not like him is coming
out
[Music]
hear me when I tell you change the
concentration the only reason joy was
restored was because the concentration
change there was less dye and more water
there was less worry there was more word
and it changed the concentration don’t
ever forget that God through Jesus wants
to give you his joy and your joy will
over amen
give God a shout a phrase in this place
[Applause]