Changing Faces Ministries Podcast
Surviving in unwanted places
(upbeat music) - Welcome to the Changing Faces Ministries Podcast. If you can see yourself the way God sees you, you will have a changing face. Here is your host, Pastor Jeff Landrum. (upbeat music) - Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome each and every one of you to our Changing Faces Ministries Morning Service. I am your Pastor Jeff Landrum. And where we do believe, if you can see yourself the way God sees you, you will have a change of faith. Once again, it's another great Friday morning that God has given us. And I'm truly excited and delighted to come before you this Friday morning. It's a blessing to have an opportunity to come before you. So definitely, I want to thank each and every one of you, all of our faithful listeners who come back each and every Friday morning, and to those who are joining us for the first time, who want to say welcome to you. Without you and all of the support that you bring to us, this ministry would not be as successful as it is without all of our faithful supporters. So thank you from wherever you are and all over the world, we say thank you. We also want to thank Dr. Sam Orm for giving us one voice radio and providing this platform for us to come to you every single Friday morning. It's been truly a blessing in the last two to three years. We've been able to accumulate a lot of faithful, listening to the faithful followers to the ministry, and we are so blessed and thankful for that. So we're super excited to have each and every one of you. And all we ask is for every one of you to like, share, and support our ministry on your various platforms to get the word out so that everyone would know not about us, but about the God that we serve, that we have come to know and come to love as we continue to grow in our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. So once again, we're super excited to have this opportunity. But before I begin this morning, we have a great thing that we're celebrating this Friday morning. And I want to personally wish my mother, Shirley Landrum, a happy 80th birthday. It is truly a blessing to be able to say that. And I'm so thankful to be able to celebrate and share and say happy birthday to my mother, Ms. Shirley Landrum. So it's a blessing, so thank you so much. And if you're listening and you know her and you get a chance to see her, I want you to go to your social media sites and definitely wish her a happy birthday on today. It's number eight zero for her. It's a blessing. So let us give again today. Today I got something that I want to talk about because today oftentimes it may be somebody out there now that is in a situation that they didn't choose but they was called to be a part of. And I'm gonna explain to you what I mean. It's 'cause sometimes whether it's a job, a broken relationship or financial struggles that was brought upon, you know, sometimes we find ourselves in financial situations, not because of something we did. It could have been relationships that went wrong, broken marriages, anything could have caused this, but sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we're a struggle and or we can call it, sometimes we find ourselves in situations of spiritual dryness. We all have or we will face unwanted places that feel uncomfortable and overwhelming. Yet God can cause even the places for our growth and his glory. Anybody ever thought about that? Sometimes we end up in places so that we can grow. Sometimes we end up in places so that we can give God the glory 'cause he's the only one that can get us out. But whatever the situation is, sometimes we can find ourselves in situations and places that we didn't choose, that we didn't want to be, we didn't want it to be like that, but for whatever reason, it was like that and that's where we are and that's where we find ourselves that. So, you know, as we go through this on today and we talk about that, we have to learn that how to survive in places and how we can get through situations and circumstances when we find ourselves in places that we may not have chosen. Could it be God is working even when we can't see it? So today, we're gonna take out some time to talk to that person or persons who feel like they may not belong where they are. We're going to not only teach you how to survive, but we will also teach you how to grow beyond where you are. So if you got your Bibles with you this morning, I want you to turn with me to the 23rd Psalms and we're gonna read a few verses out of the 23rd Psalms, then we're gonna talk about it and then we're gonna give us some things to teach us how to survive in some places. 23rd Psalms read, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me besides the still waters. He restored my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yay, do I walk through the valleys of the shadow of death? I will feel no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." We want to stop right there. We just want to stop right there. And if we look at that last verse, and we look at verse number four, it says, "Yay, do I walk through the valleys of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." And when I think about this, walking through a valley, shadows of death, not a place you want to be, but sometimes we have to pass through those places. Valleys, shadows of death. But I'm so thankful for this passage and this verse, because it teaches me something, even though it's a valley and it has shadows and death, it says I walk through. So for a subject this morning, we want to talk about surviving the unwanted places and how we can find strength in God's presence. Surviving unwanted places and finding strength in God's presence. Therever the valley, thank you so much once again, that you have allowed us this time, this moment and this opportunity have come before you to share a word with that person or persons who may find themselves in a place in a situation where it may seem dark, it may seem shadowy, it may seem like the valley is of death, but let them know that you are with them through it all and you're gonna help them walk through it. So right now I'm asking that you prepare a horse of mine to receive what it is that you have for us on today. Also not only that, but I'm asking that you remove me, that they hear none of me, but hear all of you and let your word go forth with power to make us better than war before it came and we will always be so grateful and cared for to give you all the praise, all the honor and all the glory. In your son's Jesus Christ name, we do pray and we all say it, amen. Surviving in unwanted places. This Psalm 23rd Psalm was a song of David. After being a shepherd boy, after being overlooked by his father, after defeating a giant, after being on the run from King Saul was when this Psalms was said to be written. So if there's anyone who knows how to survive in an unwanted place, it's our man David. Our man David went through some things in his life, unwanted spaces early in his life as a shepherd boy. The last one to be considered to be called by God. I want you to hear me. The last one, it says when Samuel showed up at the house of Jesse and talked about his son, all of the sons raided through. And then Samuel said, there's gotta be another one. And he said that I just got a little David shepherd boy out there, David came in and that was the one. Shepherd boy overlooked by his father. Then David was the one who went out to check on his brothers as they was fighting the liars. And he was told to go home, what he doing out here being nosy. Not being not supposed to be in there, but his father had told him to go and was told to not be out there an unwanted place. But being in an unwanted place, he defeated a giant. I want y'all to hear me. David, unwanted by man in the place, his own brothers didn't want him there, but he was put there for a reason in a place and he defeated the giant. David can teach us something about surviving in unwanted places. Being anointed by God to be the first, to be God's first chosen King of Israel, not the first chosen King, but God's first chosen King of Israel. He found himself on a run in a cave hiding and he was the one that was next in line for a miracle, to be chosen as God's King, but he was in a cave and hiding. In an unwanted place, he learned how to survive. So if anyone can tell us something about surviving in an unwanted place, it's my man David, God's first called chosen King. And how many of you out there now, you may be God's first chosen on your job to change people's lives, but you got to learn how to survive. You may be the first chosen in your family to do some amazing things, but you got to learn how to survive. You may be the first chosen to start this business, but you got to learn how to survive. You may be the first chosen to be the one to go through school and do all the great things to impact and touch people's lives, but you got to learn how to survive. You may be the first one that wanted to sit on the front of the bus instead of the back of the bus to start a whole movement, to free some people, to allow us to ride in the front of the bus, but you got to learn how to survive. You may be that one to be the first African-American of the United States of America, but you got to learn how to survive. And I'm talking to you, if you, that one out there and you're in an unwanted place, David can teach us some things about learning how to survive. So it's just a few key things we wanna talk about when we're talking about surviving in unwanted places. The first thing is, we must learn to trust the God with even in the darkest place. We got to learn to trust that God is with us even in the darkest place. Isaiah 41 and 10 says, "So do not fear for I am with you. "Do not be dismayed for I am your God. "I will strengthen you and help you. "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." When we look at this, in unwanted places, we often feel abandoned or isolated, but God promises that he is with us, his presence gives us strength to keep going even when circumstances seem overwhelming. The unwanted place would become a sacred space because God's hands upholds us through it all. Trusting in the companionship transforms our fear into faith. God says he will always be with us. And we look at this verse, it says, "So do not fear for I am with you." And when you got to I am with you, there's no reason to fear. He says you don't even have to be dismayed for I am your God. And when you understand who your God is, you don't have to fear or be dismayed because your strength is not in your own ability. Your strength is the one who has called you to this point and to this moment. He has allowed you to go into unwanted spaces. So if he allows you to go into unwanted spaces, sometimes he'll allow us to go in, not to keep us from going in, but to let us know that he can come in with us. So we don't have to be fearful but we don't have to be dismayed because the God that we've served can not only allow us into unwanted spaces, but he can be with us in unwanted spaces and he can be our strength when we're going through. Ask the three Hebrew boys, when they, he didn't keep them out of the fire at furnace, but when they went in, they said, I think the king said when they threw three in, but when he looked in, he saw four. God can be with us in unwanted spaces. So the first thing we got to do is know and we got to trust in the God and let us know even in the darkest moments, he is with us. Second thing we got to do is God is working all things for our good. So in unwanted spaces, God is working this thing out for our good. And we know, Romans 8, 28 says, "And we know that in all things God is working, his works for the good for those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. Even when you're in a place you don't want to be, God is still working behind the scenes. He's weaving together every situation for your ultimate good. Even though we don't see the full picture, yet we can trust that nothing is wasted in God's hand. The hardships, the disappointment and frustration you face are all part of a divine plan that will ultimately lead to something greater than you can even imagine. When we took a trip to the cab is not long ago and one of the things that we was challenged to do, it was some pieces of a puzzle put out on the table and all of the pieces were put out there and each day someone was challenged to come in to put together some pieces of a puzzle and putting together pieces of the puzzle, we was gonna paint the big picture. Sometimes and every single morning until that picture was put together the way it needed to be, people would come to that table and start working together to put it, to make it all work the way it should and get the final look. God is working out things in your life like pieces of a puzzle. He's putting this piece there, he's putting this piece there and when it comes finished, it's gonna be a big beautiful picture that you couldn't even imagine, that you couldn't even envision, but he's working all of these things out and he's doing it for your good. Don't grow weary in the dark season of your life, just know God is working things out for your good. So first thing we got to learn to trust them, second thing we got to know, they all things are working together for our good. The third thing we got to learn is, God will preserve through trials because trials build character. James one through two versus two through four says, consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your fate produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Notice David when David wrote this song, he said that I walked through the valleys of the shadows of death. Perseverance trials, these things come to build character. When you come out of the trials of life, you should be better than you was before you went in. Oftentimes we go through things, God allows us to see things who experience things so that we can become better. And unwanted places can feel like a test, but that test produces perseverance and maturity. This verse encourages us to see trials as opportunities for growth. When we persevere, we become stronger, wiser and more reliant on God. Today's trials is preparation for tomorrow's blessings. I think that deserves to be repeated again. Today's trial is preparation for tomorrow's blessing. Is anybody ready to be blessed? Is anybody standing and waiting on a blessing? But you got to go through today's trials before you can experience tomorrow's blessings. So first thing we got to do, we got to trust, we got to trust in the God, even in the darkest places. The second thing we got to do is know that God is working all things for all good. The third thing we got to do is persevere through trials. And then the fourth thing that we got to do is seek God's strength and not your own. Second Corinthians 12, nine through 10 says, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness and therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me. When I look at this, when I think about this, and when we're thinking about this, we want to make sure that we know in unwanted places, unwanted places will expose us and our weaknesses. But according to these verses, his strength is displayed in our weakness. I want us to know just to hear that again. His strength is displayed in our weaknesses. Sometimes he has to allow us to go through things so that we can be weak, so that we can know that he is strong. I want to, I want to repeat that again. Sometimes he will allow us to go through some things so that we can know that we are weak, but he is strong. God, there is nothing that we can go through and in our experience that God hadn't already dealt with. I want you to hear me. There is nothing that we can go through or that we will experience that God hadn't already gone through or experienced. When we are weak, when we, he is weak, when we are weak, he is strong. That's what 2 Corinthians 12, 9 and 10 is telling us. When we find ourselves in unwanted places and we may consider ourselves weak, just know the God that we serve, we need to rely on his strength. His strength will allow you to survive in difficult places. Last thing we're going to look at is, never forget what he has already brought you through. So when we look at this, we have to learn to trust God. Then we got to know that all things are working for our good. Then we got to persevere through trials. Then we got to seek God's strength and not your own. And the last thing we're going to look at for today is never forget what he has already brought you through. Lamentations three, verse 22 through 23 says, "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed. "For his compassion never fails. "They are new every morning. "Great is your faithfulness. "Reflecting on the past will give you hope "to endure the future. "God is able. "God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above "all we can ask to think. "We have to learn to trust him. "We have to learn to know that all things "are working together for our good. "We got to learn to depend on him. "We got to know that the same God that did it before "can is the one that can do it again. "I don't know who was out there who was listening "on the sound of my voice "and may be finding himself in an unwanted place. "But I'm here to let you know David can teach us "some things about unwanted places "because even in unwanted places, "God rose him to the top. "God, he was the first God's first chosen King. "So God had to allow him to go through all of those things "so that he can be prepared to be God's chosen King. "God, even their scripture even said this was a man "after God's own hearts. "So surviving in an unwanted place is only possible "when we rely on God rather rely on Christ. "Without him, we're left with our own strength, "which quickly fades. "But with Christ, we have a constant source of hope, "strength and comfort. "He is a good shepherd who walks with us through every valley "and leads us to the other side. "Coming to Christ doesn't just give us the tools to survive. "It transformed the unwanted place into a space of growth, "faith and intimacy with God. "There is no greater means for survival "than the love and grace of Jesus. "This song was written out of a lifetime of experience "that shaped his understanding of God's loving care "and protection. "For David, God's presence was a constant source "of peace and confidence, even in the darkest "and most unwanted places of life. "Let's look at the life of one of the greatest. "When we think about David, "to be considered God's first chosen King. "But he had to go through all of those things. "He found himself in unwanted places of the boy. "As a man, all situations he found himself. "But God was his source in his strength. "So I want to leave you today with a modern day example "of someone who may have found himself in an unwanted space. "And I want us to look at this gentleman "because just a few weeks ago, "he became the savior "of the sport that he was in. "Let's look at the life of one of the greatest right now. "And he's considered the greatest shooter of all time "who was Stephen Curry. "He was criticized coming out of college "as being too short, not strong enough. "Blashy enough to make or not big enough "to make the NBA. "He didn't have the weight. "He didn't have the size. "He just looked normal. "Even though as great as he was, "he found himself in an unwanted space. "Not recruited by big schools, "had to go to a small school in Davidson, "and even making an NBA, "I think he was the seventh pick in the drought. "People still doubted him of being one of the greatest. "And he went through all of this. "Can you imagine this man being in an unwanted place, "his father, a member of the NBA? "But he found himself in an unwanted space. "But Curry never let the critics define who he was, "because he trusted and believed "in a higher power and a higher source. "He didn't give up. "He just put in the work. "He put in the work. "He did the things that others didn't do, "so he can have the things tomorrow the other won't have. "He put in the work, and just a few weeks ago, "in the Olympics, on the world stage, "when the United States basketball team "was in disarray, was on the verge of getting put out. "And we're supposed to be considered the greatest team. "The best players in the world was on this team. "They turned to a man who used to be in an unwanted place. "Isn't that funny how God can make space for you, "even in unwanted spaces? "And on the world stage, "this man put on one of the greatest shootin' exhibitions "that saved not only that team for that game, "but that some say he may have saved United States basketball. "All I'm telling you is, don't let where you are, "don't let the unwanted space that you in "calls you to be fearful, calls you to be dismayed, "because God has allowed you to go through the things you do, "because at the right time and at the right moment, "on the biggest stage of all, you need to learn "that God has provided this opportunity for you "so that he may get the glory for all things, "so that he may get the strength. "So he may, you may know that in your weaknesses, "he is strong, because one thing that Curry always done, "he gives the glory for his success back to his creator. "He don't let him get the big head about what he is "or who he is and what he is done, "because he knows without God none of this will be possible. "And if you ever watch the game, "he do a little pat on his chest and he point up, "because he understands that if it had not been "for Lord on his side, he would not be here. "So in unwanted spaces, "it no matter what it looks like, "it no matter what it seems like, "you got to know that God is your strength. "It's God that's going to get you through all these things. "It's God that will make it through all of these things. "And now as opposed to people looking at him "as being, you are too small and you're not going to make it. "Now people, he's been on all of the platforms, "he's been all on social media, "and people now even consider him "as one of the greatest of all time. "So even in an unwanted space, "you have to learn to be patient and indoor "and trusting the Lord, your God, "because if he brought you to it, he'll get you through it. "And if anybody out there, he was a songwriter who said "that I'm next in line for a miracle. "If anybody out there who's in line, "your miracle is on the way. "You just keep trusting and dependent on the Lord, our God, "the Creator of all things, put your trust in him. "And if anybody out there right now "who have been trying to survive in this world "under your own strength, "today will be a perfect opportunity for you "to come to the only one that can save, "and that is our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. "So if you are out there and you've never seen Christ "as your Lord and your Savior, "they will be a perfect opportunity for you to do that. "Today, or if you're out there "and you want to become a part of this ministry, "today will be a perfect opportunity to do that as well. "Just as Stephen Curry in an unwanted space "has risen to be one of the game's greatest players, "you in your unwanted space can also keep rising, "keep giving God the glory, keep dependent on him, "keep trusting in all the things that he's doing in your life, "and even in an unwanted space, rely on his strength. "And you too, yes, I do mean you, you want to make it "because God will get the glory for all things. "God bless you and God keep you is our prayer. "And here at Changing Faces Ministries, "we do believe if you can see yourself "the way God sees you, you will have a change in faith. "God bless you and God keep you is our prayer. "We'll see you again on next Friday. "Take care everybody, God bless." Thanks for tuning in to the Changing Faces Podcast. Be sure to download the podcast as well as like, subscribe and share. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [MUSIC PLAYING]