Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll leave inspired.

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Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas right here at Lakewood.

Thanks for tuning in. Thank you again for coming out. And I like to start with something funny. And I heard about this burglar that broke into a home one night. As he was stealing the stereo, he heard a voice saying, Jesus is watching you.

He froze in his tracks and shined his slide over in the corner of the room. He saw a parrot. He said, Did you say that to me? The parrot said, Yes, I'm just trying to warn you.

Burglar said, What are you talking about? Who are you? Parrot said, My name is Moses. Burglar laughed. He said, What kind of crazy people would name a parrot Moses? The parrot said the same kind of people that would name a 150 pound rotwiler Jesus.

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 staying in the game. It's easy to have a good attitude and pursue our dreams as long as everything is going our way. That doesn't take a lot of faith.

But what about the difficult times when a relationship doesn't work out? We get a bad health report. A friend does us wrong. It's easy to lose our passion when we're hurt.

The disappointment. The business that didn't make it. The breakup. That was painful. Many people are sitting on the sidelines of life because they're injured.

Now they're nursing their wounds. Not moving forward because of what they've been through. Now you may have a reason to feel sorry for yourself, but you don't have a right. God promised he will give you beauty for those ashes.

He said he would pay you back double for the wrongs. But you have to do your part and if you're going to see the beauty, if you're going to see the double, shake off the self-pity. You've got to shake off the discouragement and get back in the game.

Every person has injuries. We all have wounds, but you can't let a loss, a health issue, a divorce, be an excuse to sit on the sidelines. Sometimes in life you have to play in pain.

I was watching the football game a while back and one of the players had a broken hand and bruised ribs. He's a big offensive lineman.

He wasn't expected to play. The trainers wanted him to sit out, but he wasn't about to miss the game. Had a big cast on his arm.

It's wearing a special vest to protect his ribs. He's all bandaged up. He looked like a mummy.

A reporter asked him how he felt. He said it's a little painful, but I'd rather be in the game in pain than sitting on the sidelines watching.

If you're going to become all gods created you to be, you can't let that injury that hurt, that disappointment caused you to sit on the sidelines.

Do like this player. Bandage up what's hurting. Forgive the person that did you wrong. Let go of what didn't work out and get back in the game.

I saw a lady in our lobbies last week that I haven't seen in a long, long time. She's an older woman, very faithful. Tens our services regularly.

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