Hi, this is Joel and Victoria.

Thanks so much for listening to the podcast, and thanks for supporting the ministry.

We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled.

God bless you today and enjoy the message.

Well, God bless you.

It's a joy to come into your homes.

We love you, and we know God has great things in store. If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in today, and again, thank you for coming out. I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard about these two little boys, ages four and six.

They were brothers.

They were spending the night with their grandmother.

She told them before they went to bed to make sure that they said their prayers.

They went in the room and got down on their knees.

And the smallest boy began praying at the top of his lungs.

God, I pray for a new bicycle. I pray for a new PlayStation. I pray for a new DVD. His brother punched him. He said, why are you screaming? God isn't death. He said, I know that. But grandmother is. Hold up your Bible. 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 dealing with unexpected difficulties. It's one thing to know that you're going into a challenging

season, you get prepared for it, you get mentally ready, but what about the difficulties that we

didn't see coming? The unexpected

crisis that catches us off guard. It's so overwhelming, it's almost like it knocks the wind out of us.

A few years after Victoria and I were married, there was a knock on the door. I answered it,

and a police officer was standing there. He handed me an envelope and said,

somebody really doesn't like you. I said, what do you mean? I didn't think I had an enemy in the world.

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