Choose Your Hard

Let’s face it: Life is hard. Life without God is hard; life with God is hard; and life with one foot in and one foot out of the Kingdom, in which you’re grieving the Spirit, is especially hard.

So with that being the case, what have you got to lose by going all in with God? The answer is: Nothing. And you have everything — including a life filled with purpose and fulfillment, and all of Heaven now and later — to gain.

So how do you get there? Let Pastor Shane Idleman tell you in this 51-minute message.

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the creator of the WCF Radio Network. His program, Regaining Lost Ground, points us back to God and reminds us that although times change, truth does not. His books, blogs, and sermons can all be found at ShaneIdleman.com.

Editor’s Note: The transcript that follows was automatically generated and lightly edited, so please be aware there could be typos or other small errors. The Stream is working toward a transcription service that does fast, accurate, and reliable work; thank you in advance for your patience!

00:00:00:01 – 00:00:29:04
Choose your hard. Choose your hard, and you begin to realize that a life void of God, or let’s just say a life where we’re quenching and grieving the spirit is hard, isn’t it? So is pressing in and worshiping it is hard. Choose your hard. Having a just a home that’s out of control. Marriage issues and you really. There’s a lot of pride there.

00:00:29:04 – 00:00:57:01
That’s hard, isn’t it? And seeking God with all your heart, with all of your strength and building that marriage is hard. Choose your hard. So I think you get the point of what that means. And I did this on purpose because I want to just encourage you guys, we sent out a text and we’re letting people know that we’re offering, we call it a call to fall, a call to fall at the altar, pray for your family.

00:00:57:01 – 00:01:14:21
Pray for your your marriage, your your spouse, your kids. We’ve got to be shaken out of that comfort zone. So tomorrow morning at 630. Will the doors open at six but 630, inviting whoever wants to come just be here that we’re gonna have worship on, and we’re just going to. We’re just going to worship. There’s no message.

00:01:14:21 – 00:01:39:00
There’s nothing that we’re going to go right into prayer right after that. And, Based on like last Sunday, many of you were here, you know, if you haven’t watched the message, but, you know, God has been doing something pretty profound in my heart. And it was, it was a powerful service. I’m I’m still getting text messages from Nebraska and and Texas, and, you know, people like emailing.

00:01:39:00 – 00:01:52:09
It’s like, you know, God, God was doing something. But first he had to do something in here. And, I don’t think that service would have ever happened had it not started here.

00:01:52:11 – 00:02:15:18
630 Sunday morning. I got here actually a little early, but it took an hour. An hour because, you know the thoughts and I get it, you know, busy day. I’ve got what’s going to break today, what’s not going to work. Got issues and and struggles. And it took an hour of just worshiping God. It took an hour just pressing in.

00:02:15:20 – 00:02:45:06
And then I began to just just sense his presence like like never before. And I know some people are uncomfortable with that term. But if you look at the Bible. Moses experiences his presence. Joshua didn’t want to leave because he was lingering in the presence of God. I mean, I can we can we can start in Genesis, if you like the prophets, my eyes have seen the King of Glory, and they’ve been forever changed.

00:02:45:08 – 00:03:08:14
Jeremiah, his word is in the is in my heart like a burning fire. Paul was just just filled with the Holy Spirit. So was Peter. Oh, what about David? Where do those Psalms come from? And we can we can just I mean, we can just keep going down the list of those who’ve experienced the power and presence of God.

00:03:08:16 – 00:03:14:14
The difficulty is it’s not like an on and off switch.

00:03:14:16 – 00:03:39:02
Sometimes there’s a and I know I get I get push back a lot and I understand it, but I think people have never experienced it, so they have to push back. If you notice that Christianity, you start to go down a road that they’re not comfortable with. Well, you know, we can’t trust our feelings, right? But if feelings come as a pursuit of as a, as a result of pursuing God, I don’t know, it could be a good thing.

00:03:39:04 – 00:04:07:20
We get feelings about everything else. Pawn sports may. Race car NASCAR. So I Richard I know he he helps NASCAR with where you get to talk to the guys and everything. I’m jealous you get to lead them in worship. How cool is that? But, it’s it’s there’s there’s a push back comes from when you go when you want to go deeper.

00:04:07:20 – 00:04:34:09
Not everybody’s with you. And I’ve noticed that 25 years of ministry, 15 years pastoring, it’s, it’s it’s kind of sad because the very thing we need is the very thing we’re running from. Choose your hard. I’m just not a worshiper. Neither was I. I was bench press in weight, drinking beer, getting in arguments and fights and punching holes in my house works

00:04:34:10 – 00:04:51:20
Give me a break. That’s for women. Yeah, but when God breaks you and you encounter him, it’s a natural response. It cries of a father. I mean, there’s no the problem. If you have a problem with worship, there’s a problem in your heart. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to come to the altar. I don’t worry, so I know it’s all different.

00:04:51:20 – 00:05:15:22
For individuals, worship is not necessarily a posture because that can just become formalism. But there’s something I mean, are you ever excited about something? I mean, there’s and that excitement usually for some men, they’re they’re really talkative and emotional and other men, you know, like I, I remember when I was coming back to the Lord, I would just be in the, in at some of the conferences and I would just I my tears were falling down and I was just sitting in my chair.

00:05:15:22 – 00:05:38:06
Amazing grace. How sweet the sound, the saved and that I could just hit repeat and repeat and repeat. And so it doesn’t how it how it transpires is really up to your unique design, how God made you. But there should be a heart for worship, a heart to to press in. And that’s really the problem, I think, with a lot of people is they don’t want to choose that hard.

00:05:38:08 – 00:05:56:00
That’s a little too hard. It’s been 20 minutes. I’m bored. Well, welcome to the club. When was when when was the last time you. Whenever you listen to your flesh, it’s not a good thing to think about that. What’s to tire? Not your pursuit of God. The flesh is controlling you.

00:05:56:02 – 00:06:15:20
And I don’t want to. You know. This will help you later on for men’s breakfast. It’s okay, because it’s called the men’s breakfast. And and again, I was praying like, Lord is, you know, and I, I can’t think of any time where I’ve experienced the power and presence of God during worship and press in on a full stomach.

00:06:15:22 – 00:06:40:05
The fullness of the flesh and the fullness of the spirit. Do not go hand in hand. Now there’s nothing wrong with it because it’s it’s good. God commands. It’s thank God for it. But there has to be a withdrawing of one appetite to seek a greater appetite. And there’s no secret that most of the most of the profound movements of the Holy Spirit throughout church history have been when people have been praying and fasting.

00:06:40:07 – 00:07:00:11
I could I could read account after account after account, Wells Welsh, the New Hebrides Islands, Scotland. We can camp out there. Scotland’s had the most awakenings ever in the history of the world that we know of America. And so okay, that’s good about corporate revival. But what happened? What needs to happen, a spiritual awakening in your own heart.

00:07:00:13 – 00:07:21:09
That’s what needs to happen. And I know as a man, I’ve been there. We can we can get in the word. And I’m about the word. I’m studying the word. And that begins to take precedence over worship. And I don’t think it was designed to be that way. I think they all go together. The word keeps us grounded.

00:07:21:11 – 00:07:44:08
What do we need to obey the principles, live it out. But then as a result of that, the life. It’s a life of of worship and pressing in and praying and and you have to choose your hard because any time in order for a Christian to get breakthrough, they have to really press through. I wish there were. Don’t you wish the Bible says do this, I may.

00:07:44:08 – 00:08:05:02
I prayed for 30 minutes yesterday. I put on worship for an hour. Man, this is great. And again, I want to clarify I’m not after feelings because I’ve got to be. I don’t feel anything this morning compared to last Sunday, not even on the radar, not even close. Like I’ve got Cottonmouth. I don’t feel that great trying to fast for tomorrow too.

00:08:05:04 – 00:08:29:00
And it’s just, you know, but you press through and God honors that. And I know what the principles are going to help a lot of people. And so I’m not searching for feelings. Oh I don’t feel it. Well hello. But there is something special when God touches your heart, you’ll never be the same. You’ll never be the same when you drink of that living water that Christ spoke of.

00:08:29:02 – 00:08:51:20
No other well will satisfy. You might drift a little to other people’s water, but you’ll you want to come back to that. That living water. And you got how I Lord, I remember that time. I remember that night. Lord, take me back. Take me back to that time when I was, I was I was younger and I was seeking after you and all the the power of the Holy Spirit upon my life.

00:08:51:20 – 00:09:12:01
And, Lord, take me back to that time. I want to I want to recapture that zeal. I want to recapture that passion for you, Lord. I’ve drifted. I’ve my everything is, is is kind of. I’m kind of bored in church. I’m bored in worship. There’s nothing profound taking place in my life any more. But you can change that.

00:09:12:03 – 00:09:40:10
You’ve got to choose your hard. I try to be so careful. I’m not apologizing because I’m not going to apologize. But you, you you can gauge the spiritual temperature. And I’ve been I’ve been to conferences and other churches. And so what I’m about to say, there’s a lot of, of support for it, but you can tell the health of a church really tell by attendance at the prayer meeting.

00:09:40:12 – 00:10:06:21
I mean, how many? I don’t raise your hand, but if we said, hey, next time we do this, there’s no message. It’s just worship. I guarantee we wouldn’t have half this amount of people. Maybe. One guy would be here. Okay, good. And no breakfast. It’s not called the men’s, but it’s called the men’s worship morning. What 2025? You see where I’m going with this?

00:10:06:23 – 00:10:24:20
I might mean don’t talk. Oh, it’s Chris Carrera. I think I know where Richard’s gone, but Chris Carrera will be here. June something we’ll let you know. I think it’s the Saturday right before Father’s Day. So. Yeah, let’s pray about that. I’m. I’m game if you guys are. Let’s let’s see let’s see. There’s over 100 guys now.

00:10:24:20 – 00:10:46:06
Let’s just see. And I don’t say that to try to tick you off. If I wasn’t pastoring, do you think I’d be a morning worship? A lot of prayer meetings? Probably not. I’d be just like you. Maybe come in twice a month. The game’s on. A Sunday. Was always my to do day. Any any of you guys do that to Sundays when I get stuff done?

00:10:46:06 – 00:11:04:20
Man, it’s not. It’s not the Lord’s day. I’ll give him an hour, but it’s my day. And so I, I don’t admit this a lot, but I actually thank God he called me to do this because I’d probably not be in a good spot because I have to. I have to finish strong, I have to lead. And I’m hoping that’s not the case.

00:11:04:20 – 00:11:34:13
But you, you know, if you’re just. I was a construction worker when he called me. Still like some cold ones. They still look good. Sometimes God doesn’t deliver. You just have to say no. Nope. There’s a different calling on my life now. And so I know the challenges. I’m not I’m not trying to beat people up. And I’ve had people have actually left the church because I, I, I mention that like, you know, morning worship, you need to be here.

00:11:34:17 – 00:11:52:07
You’d say that too much or that means you need to be here. That means you’re convicted about something. I mean, my goodness, my mom never came once. And she said something. You keep telling them. Why wasn’t she convicted? Because she knew it, too. If you can’t, you can’t. It’s not a big deal. We got. You know, I live 30 minutes away.

00:11:52:07 – 00:12:15:20
I get to bring my. Of course, I know I’m not naive. I live, live in this world. But wouldn’t it show you the hunger? Like if he said, man, I gotta get there Sunday morning? God, I want to hear from you. I mean, doesn’t pursuit show us what our priorities are? You choose your hard. This I won’t even I’ll be careful to because I don’t want to name a church.

00:12:15:22 – 00:12:41:17
But there’s most churches don’t have prayer meetings. It’s get a man, get them out, do some songs, and you can really gauge the spiritual health of a church, not only by the prayer meeting in the, in the, in the well. And I call the worship morning prayer meeting personally because we’re praying or at the altar, we’re doing it individually, but also how many men are doing it?

00:12:41:18 – 00:12:58:16
Have you thought about why is it women at the prayer meetings? Why are the women’s why? Why? I’ve got women contacting the church. We want to pass our Bibles at Walmart. We want to do this. Can we have all night of prayer? All night? Like where are the men? Choose your hard. I haven’t got to notes yet. So this what I’m trying to.

00:12:58:20 – 00:13:18:06
I really felt impressed with that because I want to help people. This this mighty filling of the Holy Spirit, I don’t call it. I don’t care if you call it baptism, filling, unction, anointing. You better have it. It’s God pouring into you. Wouldn’t that be a good thing? I don’t know what it. Yeah, and when he does, you might get a little excited.

00:13:18:07 – 00:13:25:15
Yeah. And you might say things that tick people off because they don’t want to go deeper.

00:13:25:17 – 00:13:55:04
Hey, I’m comfortable, I’m comfortable. I have enough of God. I’m comfortable. So you have to choose your hard. And God rewards those who choose to do the hard things. Any verses come to your mind. He is a rewarder. This is amazing verse. I mean, I don’t know if you’ve ever pondered it. I mean, I remember when I, I broke it down and just the Greek.

00:13:55:04 – 00:14:23:12
I think it’s Greek, right? Hebrews. Jordan. And it’s just the word study. It’s like, man, he rewards those. And he didn’t just say, seek him. The word is diligent. And if I remember correctly, that word is like, you know, it’s just that water on a rock, nothing changes on the rock. But give it a few years. Did you know water can wear down a rock, a boulder?

00:14:23:13 – 00:14:46:14
Just go look in a river. Why are they all smooth? Those rocks weren’t smooth when they got there. The water was diligent. Thank God it doesn’t take us years, but you’ve got to make a decision. Or you say, God, I want that. I want more of you. And in my case, I wasn’t. I didn’t hear messages like this.

00:14:46:16 – 00:15:11:14
I just, I God knows how to break you, doesn’t he? And I was at my last like. It’s over. You know, everything’s falling apart. Marriage, health. I don’t know how many of you know, but I end up in a hospital for four days with my pericarditis in my 20s. It was. It was mainly steroid use, growth hormone, and, all those things.

00:15:11:14 – 00:15:30:12
And just, you know, that was my identity big. And I could, you know, that was you. We all have identities, top strongest guys in the gym in the Valley for a while, and and, you know, that’s that’s who I am. And so I’ve got to keep this preserved. And then God begins to take the health. God begins again to take the the marriage.

00:15:30:15 – 00:16:03:13
God begins to take the job. God began. He knows how to humble those. And I know it’s was because my mom down the street praying, break this boy whatever it takes, break this boy, whatever it takes. And I would say I was a Christian. I truly believe because I would be convicted the next morning. Amen. I would be praying and when I needed something, actually, maybe once a month, you know, Lord, let this deal go through or let this, you know, and it wasn’t it was that it was a it’s a it was a genuine prodigal son, lukewarm kind of believer.

00:16:03:15 – 00:16:26:23
And. I remember it was in court sale and, and, you know, it’s Sunday probably afternoon not feeling well. You can fill in the blanks. And I just heard something that that, a message, actually, the that really shook me and I and I just that minute I began to cry and begin to weep just like the prodigal.

00:16:26:23 – 00:17:00:06
How far I’ve drifted. And then something happened is I’m doing that. This, this. It’s hard to explain. There’s a there’s something that in the midst of sorrow, there’s tremendous joy. Because when you come home, when you come home, it’s it’s it’s life changing. And so now. Okay, Shane, in this much Holy Spirit, now, I’m going to fill you with the Holy Spirit and through worship, beginning up, putting on worship and and pursuing him.

00:17:00:06 – 00:17:19:05
And now the Bible I like, okay, it just comes alive. Like, is this I can’t believe I tell my mom. It’s just I didn’t know this in the Bible will be that, that verse, man. It’s just like I closed it and cried. I closed it and cried. I’ll never forget that day. I’m just thinking of it now.

00:17:19:07 – 00:17:22:15

00:17:22:17 – 00:17:45:10
To pursue the world. But it cost you your soul, right? Will be to the man who you know, like his. Gosh, I usually know it, but, What is it? Yeah. What profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses, forfeits his soul. And there’s so many verses I would, I would, I would close him in the Old Testament.

00:17:45:10 – 00:18:11:00
Return to me and I will return to you. Oh, God. This could have resulted in something really bad. Really bad. Just earlier, I remember the old schooners location. I took my friend’s, keys for his Mustang. Just hooked up. Nitrous oxide. Nitrous? Yeah. And I hit that switch on Avenue. I.

00:18:11:02 – 00:18:36:23
I don’t even know how it. How did. I mean, you’re talking one 2130 and. It’s like, man, there’s some close calls here. Rolling my truck, tolling my vehicle. No seatbelt on. And so that’s why some of us want to worship is because we know. We know how close we’ve been to hell. Our clothes still smell like smoke. And it’s like, you know, and it’s like.

00:18:37:01 – 00:19:04:15
And that, that that should produce worshipers, shouldn’t it? Now, we might not like certain songs or we have preferences and you know, that’s not. But there should be there should be a heart of worship. There should be something that cries, ABBA, father, not get away from me, father. So maybe we’ll try that. And in two months, we’ll start with no men’s breakfast and a worship morning.

00:19:04:17 – 00:19:43:15
Let’s. Let’s just see. Hopefully I’m wrong, but I want to read something from Dan Wetzel. He put this out in 2014. The title is Google executive’s tragic death sends sober warning. How do you go from being a devoted father of five, a successful Silicon Valley executive, into a 54, 51 year old man convulse from a fatal dose of heroin on your 50ft yacht with a prostitute walking over your dying body to take a final sip of wine before leaving you to die.

00:19:43:17 – 00:20:07:05
It’s actually, I think, on 48 hours. I think they’ve done documentaries on this, on this thing. And then he asks the question, how do tragedies like this take place? And let me just put up a verse to help us. Proverbs four, Proverbs 425 through 27. Let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you men.

00:20:07:05 – 00:20:11:09
Often our downfall starts right here.

00:20:11:11 – 00:20:37:00
What was. We are created, which is really good. When you take creation out of its natural order becomes disorder. But actually that’s where the word perversion comes from. I don’t know how many of you where that perversion is. I took something straight and I perverted it. And so as men, that’s the biggest struggle. What our eyes see, what I see.

00:20:37:01 – 00:21:01:14
That’s why, especially with lust. And you’re supposed to be drawn to your wife and. And you, you see that? You’re like, damn. Whoa! What is that? I mean, it’s like, there’s that. There’s that enticement, there’s that, the good type. But because there can be the bad type, it says, let your eyes look straight ahead. And it’s tough. You know, in summertime, the walking by, you just go out that way.

00:21:01:16 – 00:21:23:22
You don’t need to. You don’t need to know you got email. Hey, but I haven’t seen you out. Here’s my pictures out. Delete. I don’t know you. I don’t know you. Trust me. I’ve stepped on enough landmines over the years that no more youth beach trips to Santa Monica anymore. We learned our lesson ten years ago.

00:21:24:00 – 00:21:47:14
Can you. Here’s pastor here. We got a bus. We’re going to Santa Monica. And here’s G string, G string, G string. And I’ve got the kids down. I’m like, oh my gosh, this is not good. Why didn’t we think of this? So the eyes, they stimulate so they must be restrained. Choose your hard braking. Braking addiction is hard isn’t it.

00:21:47:16 – 00:22:09:23
But so is being addicted. Any Christian addicted to something is not happy. I’m not talking about struggle or man, I ate too much this and I feel terror and you know where I fell in this area? It’s it’s, you know, you get back up and you keep fighting and you repent. But the person caught in sin caught in that you have that addiction because what happens?

00:22:09:23 – 00:22:36:15
It becomes a stronghold. It has a hold on you. And so the more you give in, the stronger it becomes. The more you give in, the stronger it becomes. And when we counsel people, they’re like, I just can’t give up the bottle. I don’t know how this began. I it’s like my car drives to liquor store. By now there’s a stronghold, even demonic.

00:22:36:15 – 00:23:01:16
I mean, of course we know that. And so what has to happen is that grip has to be loosened and you’ve got to begin to pursue God. And and sometimes you fall and you get back, and you and you begin you. Eventually, though, you’ll see that there is freedom. And that stronghold is no longer a stronghold. There’s freedom like praise God and but be careful, because sometimes.

00:23:01:18 – 00:23:23:06
Remember me? Oh, shut your mouth. Be quiet. Oh, no. Remember me? You’re stressed out right now. Watch out when you’re hungry, angry, lonely and tired. You can listen later. Rewind that part. Note those things. It’s called a halt principle. Actually an addiction. Hungry? I didn’t know this until I wrote a book on addiction. Hungry, angry, lonely and tired.

00:23:23:08 – 00:23:51:13
And looking back in my own life when I was lonely, tired. You often run to what used to fulfill you. And there’s a temporary fulfillment. But then there’s the trap. The door has been open again. What’s what’s it? When people get out of something? What’s the what’s the what? They call it evidence rate or the recovery rate. How many go back to their old addictions?

00:23:51:18 – 00:24:13:08
It’s funny, I was on YouTube. You know how sometimes you recommend something that popped up is John Belushi’s documentary is that he was doing great. He’s working out, he’s looking good, he’s eating good. And then bam, he’s had these in a hotel with heroin. How did that happen? First it was the drink, then the compromise, and his things were happening.

00:24:13:08 – 00:24:35:14
And and that’s just one example of many we know. And it because why? Because the Christian life is a life of warfare. And there’s constant tension. And praise God when he delivers you. Some of you can say, he’s completely delivered me. I don’t care if that door knocks again. I’ll never answer it. Praise God for that. But do you know that’s not the normal?

00:24:35:16 – 00:25:04:04
Yeah, because I still see things from my past. I’m like, why does that look good? What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me? Why aren’t I saved? Sometimes there’s a a thorn remains to keep you humble. And boy, doesn’t it. I mean, just think, if God took away everything, I’m like nothing. I don’t care nothing, nothing. You can put whoever in front of me or this in front of me, like I’ve mastered.

00:25:04:04 – 00:25:28:01
I’m God, deliver me from everything. Oh praise God, how prideful would you become? How open for the enemy’s attack would you become. The fact that you know you can fall again is what keeps you strengthened and right, going in the right direction. Knowing where you could go back to helps you keep those eyes stimulated in the right direction.

00:25:28:03 – 00:25:46:05
And it’s this word I love. Let your eyes look straight. Let is a declaration of intent and it must be followed by action. So have you ever been guilty of this? I’m actually sorry. Feel better now? Okay, that’s what I get worked up in. The word just comes alive. I mean, I just get excited about the word. Like, to me, there’s nothing.

00:25:46:09 – 00:26:05:00
There’s nothing more exciting than the word. If you said Shane, you just this investment just made you $1 million, I would still be more have more passion about the word because that can come and go, that can lead you astray. But but where? It’s excitement for the word, it’s like people come in and say like, oh, I got to be here.

00:26:05:00 – 00:26:34:17
I’m just doing it like, it just I didn’t like that worship song once. Pastor Shane talking about emotions, emotion. Don’t you know emotionalism is bad? No. You’ve been watching too many YouTube videos of critics who have never experienced the power of God themselves. I mean, I watch some of these guys and pray for them. I don’t even know if they’re saved, if they could see our service over the whole, oh, this is a this is an emotional, driven church.

00:26:34:17 – 00:26:58:14
And have you seen the fruit? It’s a it’s a declaration of intent and it must be followed by action. So if you’re like me, I’ve done this many times. I’ve read the word no Mike. Amen. The this is awesome. Yep, I got it. And, that doesn’t that’s not it. I have to apply it now. Have you ever done that?

00:26:58:14 – 00:27:20:16
You read? I’m good. I read them good husbands love your wife as Christ of the church, I know it. Oh, but if I don’t do it, who? Who make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Oh, yeah. But then if I go in and do it, and again, I don’t want people think it’s all about rigid rules and I can’t have any, you know, it’s like, oh my gosh, God’s going to know.

00:27:20:16 – 00:27:38:00
It’s about it’s a Christian life. It’s it’s fun, it’s exciting. We fall, we get back up, we encourage each other. But we’re at least we’re at least going in the right direction. Right. The prodigal was going in the wrong direction. Eating with the pigs.

00:27:38:02 – 00:28:06:15
Again, it’s about direction. It’s about direction, but it’s also about avoidance. So when God points us in a right direction, correct, we also have to avoid other things, avoid other things. I can’t tell how many times I’ve talked to men. Pastor Shane, pray for me. Porn habit. Okay, well let’s just go to this website and we’re going to hook up, accountability software.

00:28:06:15 – 00:28:27:11
It’s going to send your wife, every questionable it’s triggered with porn, sex, this, this. And I’ll send her an email of what. Oh no no no no no no no no no no, we can we can do it right now. I don’t want to go with my my my wife. Well, okay, let’s have a go to your mom.

00:28:27:13 – 00:28:49:06
I’m joking, of course. Right. That tells me right there. They’re not interested. Because you. When you deal with sin, you do whatever it takes, whatever it takes you. Here’s my password. Here’s the phone. I’ll leave it out. You don’t need to go hide it. No access, because they’ll tell me. Oh, no, she she does have access to my phone.

00:28:49:08 – 00:29:14:08
I’m not gonna do for my part. Why? Oh, she’ll spend my money. All these stupid reasons. We know the real reason. Secret. When you’re transparent, when you’re transparent. Sin loses its grip. Man. Brother, I got I got to stop. I get this gambling problem. Okay, well, you need. We’re going off the internet for 30 days. You need to order something.

00:29:14:08 – 00:29:19:10
Have your wife. Oh, no, I can’t do that.

00:29:19:12 – 00:29:43:21
How bad do you want it? I hate to be repetitive, but it’s one of my favorite stories. Because actually, when I almost slapped somebody. I’m up in the hills and by Lake Arrowhead, one of those camps I’m speaking, I did. I spoke a lot of men’s conferences, actually, before we planned the church Calvary Chapel, men’s conferences. Menefee up to, you know, up the state and and I loved it.

00:29:43:21 – 00:30:03:15
That’s where my heart was, was for that. But, this guy, I noticed him. He needed prayer at the beginning. He’s crying like, after the message. And I think the next day he’s crying, man. Then this is my last chance. This is it. She’s leaving me is something doesn’t happen tonight. Can you pray? Yes, I’m pray. And and we’re talking like what’s going on?

00:30:03:16 – 00:30:24:07
He goes, you know the lust issue right. So yeah, I mean it’s it’s so weird. Like it starts I love ESPN. It starts with the cheerleaders and the commercial, the Carl’s Jr, it’s like it’s like it’s just that starts it and it’s like I’m like oh well just tell her she’s this marriage is so important and I’m giving up TV for a month until God breaks this out of me.

00:30:24:10 – 00:30:34:10
She got cuz I can’t do that. I’m a sports fanatic. It was coming. It was, it was I was.

00:30:34:12 – 00:30:38:17
And I was like.

00:30:38:19 – 00:30:50:16
I don’t know what to say to that. Because crying about is not changing. Many people cry because they’ve been caught.

00:30:50:18 – 00:31:19:12
In his mind, that can’t happen. I can’t afford alimony. He doesn’t want his marriage restored. Choose your hard. I mean, if you truly want change, it’s not going to be easy. There’s a word in the Bible, that’s used quite often. And it’s called discipline. It’s actually a fruit of the spirit. So more the more you’re filled with the spirit, the more that fruit can aid you in the process.

00:31:19:14 – 00:31:45:14
Somebody pretty well known in the Bible said, I discipline my body and I bring it into subjection, I control it, it doesn’t control me. But then praise God. Elsewhere he says, whoa, I’m a man. I mean, with a good I want to do, I don’t do. And what I don’t want to do, I do. Oh, wretched man that I, that I am, who would deliver me from this body of sin and death?

00:31:45:16 – 00:32:11:13
So people say, oh, CC, know that that just shows me the the genuineness of his faith. It’s a struggle, it’s a tension. So he says, I discipline my body, I bring it under subjection. But there’s going to be some times now and then that, that it gets the best of me. There’s going to be times where it draws me back to my old, it’s going to it won and it’s winning, and I need some help, but I’m going to be I’m going to draw back to God.

00:32:11:15 – 00:32:18:18
I discipline myself. So there’s a healthy tension there.

00:32:18:20 – 00:32:35:14
I mean, how many I can think of, so many other words, words. Proverbs. What about proverbs? He who lacks self-control is like a city broken down without walls.

00:32:35:16 – 00:32:56:03
When you see honey hanging, eat just enough. Like, do you ever see. Have you ever had live, honey? Like. Oh, man, you can go to town. So if you have some chocolate, some peanut butter, dip it in. But it’s like, just. In other words, guys, I’m learning this. I’m going through this now as part of this, this this reset that I talked about Sunday.

00:32:56:08 – 00:33:18:06
It’s discipline is more important than we think because don’t you. God will take care of it. God, just change me, man. I know the doctor said diabetes, high blood pressure. I’m enjoying this Krispy Kreme donut. And I’m sitting on this couch. I just just change. Oh Lord, the devil is a liar. Come and heal me. Just get that blood pressure down to normal.

00:33:18:07 – 00:33:42:04
Next time I go to the doctor, I want to die. I want to get off medication. Oh, praise God, the Lord will do it good. If your disobedience is causing the issue, he might want you to shore that up and work on it. Now, there are times that God works in spite of what we do. Absolutely. I’m talking about that.

00:33:42:04 – 00:34:12:01
Tomorrow. Absolutely. But more often than not, we’ve got to discipline ourselves in this area. Choose your hard temptation is much easier to deal with when you pull out the small root, versus trying to chop down the tree later. Most of the marriages we see people counseling and just in really tough situations, it’s because the root wasn’t pulled up initially.

00:34:12:02 – 00:34:39:11
And now to try to revamp, I mean, once the damage has been done. Man, just a little secret a woman, they look at things differently. You can be fighting and she, you know, and you don’t care. You know, you want to be intimate, but if you guys are fighting, she’s got a whole different idea. And if you keep beating her down verbally, emotionally, you will get to such a point where she loses that desire for you.

00:34:39:13 – 00:35:04:22
You still desire her. You don’t care if you’re fighting, but you begin to quench that. And it’s hard to get that back. When they cross that line doesn’t mean the right she’ll have a hard time obeying the Bible just like you do, but there’s a point where you push them and it literally breaks her spirit. Doctor James Dobson talked about this in his book, Love Me Must Be Tough.

00:35:04:22 – 00:35:25:00
I’ll never forget that when I was going through a very challenging situation, it said, when they feel that, when they feel that, that pray because they because as men, as leaders. And let’s just use the word controllers in a good way, you know, leading, controlling the family. They can feel caged in that because they’re not they can’t they’re not the head.

00:35:25:02 – 00:35:41:04
And so he talks about opening the cage door, especially if they if they leave and they say, you know what? I can’t handle this right now. Open the cage door. The more you try to force them back in, the more you’re putting them under that heavy hand that’s been in the home. I know it’s hard, but you got to.

00:35:41:04 – 00:36:03:12
Hey, honey, whatever you want, whatever you need. And you open you, you and and you need to start leading with your wife, not over them. Because we have that natural desire to lead. I don’t want spend money on this. I don’t want to do this right. You can really stifle stifle them. And I learned the hard way 2005 my left.

00:36:03:13 – 00:36:24:12
My wife left her journal out, probably on an on purpose. And she’s like a married a guy that’s controlling. And he you know this and I won’t let him do this to the kids. I’m like, what? I’m a Christian. What’s going on? I was mad. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing, right? Because you’re you’re you’re I got to steward our finances.

00:36:24:12 – 00:36:38:10
No, we’re not going to do this. We’re not going to do that. You don’t need to go start some little business. You don’t need to. You need to stay home. You need it. And you start to control everything. Versus coming alongside. And what I found though actually actually. So what do you think of this? What should we do?

00:36:38:10 – 00:37:03:17
Here’s what we need to do. And you give them the freedom to be who they are. You don’t stifle them with control and manipulation. Lots of rabbit trust today. Ponder the path of your feet. Ponder it. Let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Do not and remove your foot from evil, which is to contemplate, to think about.

00:37:03:19 – 00:37:21:02
When we choose according to the flesh, fulfillment is temporary, followed by regret. I want to just give you some verses. I’ve got the two notes. Here will be an hour. But I want to. I want to an hour more. I want to hop to the section, Luke, if you can. Who’s ever on that says verses that help me?

00:37:21:04 – 00:37:39:12
When I was going through this difficult season, I had a versus the in the garage that we look at every every day and these the word really helps you because you can you can worship. But if you’re not grounded in the word, you can become emotional. You have to ground those things in the word. I’m going to share them with you.

00:37:39:17 – 00:38:05:01
Until the time his word came to pass the word, the word of the Lord test it him. So there’s it was a reminder to us that we are going through tests, and whenever God places on your heart, we continue to pursue it, continue to pursue it. God doesn’t give us overcoming life. Oswald Chambers he gives us life as we overcome.

00:38:05:03 – 00:38:22:05
Isn’t that huge? Just because I don’t know about you, but I’m like, Lord, give me that overcoming life. Give me that overcoming life, I want to, I’m just going to sit here and wait and go, Lord, give me that. In other words, I think I’m waiting for an experience, right? I’m waiting for an emotional impulse. Lord, give me that feeling.

00:38:22:05 – 00:38:43:14
Give me that desire and and and and give me the overcoming life I’m going through something challenging. So Lord, almost like. Let it, David, come upon me so I can conquer Goliath. But God often says, you step out first and go face a giant. And then as you come out, that overcoming life, that strength will follow you. I’ve noticed that more times than I can count.

00:38:43:20 – 00:39:05:04
That often you have to step out in faith. You have to take the initiative. If we take the initiative, we find that the strength follows Isaiah for us, for the Lord God will help me. Therefore I will not be disgraced. Therefore have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. It’s about Jesus in the Messiah setting his face towards Calvary.

00:39:05:08 – 00:39:22:09
But man, there’s something about when a man sets his face like like flint. In other words, it’s a flint is a huge rock. Think if you 70 Half Dome and you said nothing is going to move me when you say, I’m going to restore this marriage, I’m going to work on this character. I’m going to do this. Nothing is going to dissuade me from this.

00:39:22:09 – 00:39:46:02
I don’t care if there’s no results. I don’t care if nobody agrees with me. Lord, I’m going to pursue you. My face is set like a flint. So no matter what happens, disease, detours, distractions and discouragement. No matter what happens, I’ve set my face upon you. Be strong. Do not become weak, and your work will be rewarded.

00:39:46:04 – 00:40:11:07
That’s a promise from God. Isn’t that cool? Be strong. Do not become weak. Eventually your work will be rewarded. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Behold, the days are coming that I will perform that good thing I have promised. Do not remember the former things nor the ponder of the past. How many of you let your past beat you up?

00:40:11:08 – 00:40:32:15
Do not ponder the past. Listen carefully. I’m about to do a new thing. It will spring forth and you’ll be aware of it. I will even put a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Now, I don’t think we can just put this verse on whatever we want. But as you’re going through something, as you’re reading something just really resonate.

00:40:32:15 – 00:41:03:11
You’ve know, some of you know, if you’ve been there, I mean that verse like that’s for me that, that just and that gets you through the week because it’s so do not ponder the past. Listen carefully. I love Joshua two as well. Joshua three sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Is it interesting if you do a study over the Old Testament when God was beginning to do something like, I’m going to do this, I’m going to deliver whatever it was?

00:41:03:13 – 00:41:25:15
Actually, man had to do something as well. Then just sit back in their camp and go, okay, do it. God, sometimes I mean, you can go back to the children of Israel. Had to go out of Egypt. They had to walk down to their journey. Hezekiah had to send out the worship team ahead of him in battle.

00:41:25:17 – 00:41:45:13
Others had to pray. They fasted and prepare. And here sanctify. In other words, prepare yourself for tomorrow. The Lord will do wonders among you. Could it be that God is putting in the lot of our hearts? Hey, get, get, get your get your life ready now. Get your heart ready now. Things you’ve been praying for. Things you’ve been desiring.

00:41:45:13 – 00:42:12:19
Are they on hold? Are they on hold. Because there’s there’s there’s lack of obedience in certain areas. Get ready. Sanctify yourself I don’t know you apply it to what you need to apply it to. And I love Ezra. This is not really in context, but, the context is. He said, get up. This matter is your responsibility. But one day that really that really the context is and they married pagan wives and so they said, you know, get rid of them.

00:42:12:20 – 00:42:34:02
It’s your responsibility to clean up and to get us back on track with God. But to me it meant, hey, because I’m praying for things. He’s like, this is your responsibility. One of the things I shared about on Sunday was, as I’m getting older, my health is not cooperating. And I’m like, Lord, just do this, Lord, you take the 30 pounds off.

00:42:34:04 – 00:42:58:13
Lord, you take away these pre-diabetes symptoms. You get this blood pressure down. Lord. Do it, do it. I’m waiting. I’m waiting. Week in and week. No you can’t. I know you can. You are Jehovah Jireh. Jehovah. Niecy. As I go through it now, burger that you just approved. And this just looks like I it was like four in the morning for some reason.

00:42:58:13 – 00:43:20:09
I went to to to and I’m praying about this exact issue of every of all of different things. And I go on for on WhatsApp just for a minute. And this post comes up that said that and like, that’s not in the Bible. I turn to Ezra, I’m like, oh, that’s out of context. So no, but there are some days I get up, this is your responsibility.

00:43:20:09 – 00:43:45:10
And I’ve learned that God will help us, but not always heal us. Some things, I mean, if anybody wanted to disagree, we could spend some time and go over a lot of scriptures where God says, if you do this, I will do this. Did you know not only corporate revival, but individual revival is more up to you than God?

00:43:45:12 – 00:44:11:05
Now, I better clarify before I get heresy hunters doing videos about this. You can’t work up a spiritual awakening. You can. God does whatever he wants. He’s sovereign. I mean, you can have. I was expecting it last Sunday at all. So. But there are you can you can you can prepare the soil in order for it to receive the rain.

00:44:11:07 – 00:44:51:00
What about what about if this was not in the Bible? It just chapter second Chronicles seven. I will heal your land. Praise God. There’s something before that. If my people. Oh, well, if my people humble themselves. What else? Lord. Pray not a quick prayer as your driving to work with your music on. I mean like Lord I need you to move prayer dear.

00:44:51:00 – 00:45:09:08
Put God on your calendar. You need to. Because what it gets that we get too busy I get to I’ve been there I get to prayer tonight. Like, right now I’m actually in the deadline writing this book and and things going on. I haven’t been in the Bible the last week as much as I want, and each time I say I’ll read it later this afternoon.

00:45:09:08 – 00:45:33:18
Does that ever happen? Not yet, because I got little kids running around that are getting older now. If my people humble themselves and pray anything else, Lord. Seek my face, not my hand. How many of us go into prayer seeking his hand? What he can give you?

00:45:33:20 – 00:45:54:06
Conviction. Alert. Hello, Lord, I need this. I need this, Lord, I need, I need gold and silver to take off any cryptocurrency to take off. I need the Lord. I need this new job. I need this man. This house stinks, I need a I need an Lord, I need I need a wife, I need and I need and I need and I need and I need.

00:45:54:08 – 00:46:20:03
I love how the verses if you seek my face. That is just you just get down low with God and say, Lord, wherever you put me. I’m so content. I’m so thankful. I begin to praise you. I begin to worship you. And that’s actually where a powerful life of worship is going to flow from. It doesn’t. The prayer requests are great, Jesus said, but those those should not be the majority of our prayers.

00:46:20:05 – 00:46:39:11
And I got convicted this few years ago. I had a prayer list. Amen. It was on and there’s nothing wrong with that. I encourage that because there’s time to do that. But there needs to also be some time of seeking the Lord. And then now we’re off the hook right.

00:46:39:13 – 00:46:56:10
We’re off the hook yet if my people humble themselves pray seek my face. So here we go. Here we go. And turn from their wicked ways.

00:46:56:12 – 00:47:19:19
Do you want me. People still pray and read their word. And stay bound to their sin. Unrepentant sin. It’s amazing. It’s absolutely amazing. So this is your responsibility. Remember the word to your servant upon which you have caused me to hope. Remember that word.

00:47:19:21 – 00:47:39:20
And here’s a few quotes that it helped me. And I’m coming to the end here. You have not sought the Lord with your whole heart until you have tried a protracted season of prayer and fasting. Now, I read that over a decade ago and I didn’t like it.

00:47:39:22 – 00:47:58:19
I did not like it. What’s this guy? Who is he? Think he is? Gordon Cove? Because it’s hard. It’s hard to just keep keep caving in to stomach. And caving in is so hard nowadays. It’s just everywhere. And we keep caving in and caving in and. And we stay addicted to things and and but but I want to draw closer to God.

00:47:58:19 – 00:48:24:02
Sometimes you have to, you have to put those things away. In many cases where fast things have been added to the prayers, along with deep consecration and heart searching before God, the answer has miraculously come to hand. Let me conclude with this we must endure until God brings victory. Choose your hard. Choose your hard. I think we might have this quote up here.

00:48:24:02 – 00:48:50:05
Choose your hard. A sure fire way. Look. Look at this. A surefire way to weaken your pursuit of sin is to strengthen your pursuit of God. If sin has a strong hold on you, why aren’t you spending countless times a week seeking him and praying and worshiping? And I know, I know, not everybody likes to hear this, but it’s the truth.

00:48:50:07 – 00:49:12:09
God didn’t call me to be a motivational speaker. He didn’t call. He didn’t. He didn’t say, let’s plan a social club. Let’s all get together. Let’s have life groups and potlucks. The main, the main goal of a New Testament church is to seek God, to pursue God, and then everything else flows out. So to weaken your pursuit of sin, you have to strengthen your pursuit of God.

00:49:12:11 – 00:49:39:13
Man, we’ve got to become stronger in this area. Spiritual disciplines make the difference. Growing spiritually by the disciplines. That’s what makes the difference. How many of you seen that video of, they’re actually interviewing, a pedophile? And he said, I would always look for the homes with the weak father, uninvolved, aloof. The video had these guys working out, though.

00:49:39:13 – 00:50:02:07
Of course. I mean, that helps, but the bottom line is spiritual strength is your greatest asset. You begin to put what what what could it hurt? For example, show up tomorrow at 630. What could it hurt? And pray and pray for your son and daughter or your grandkids. What? What could it hurt? Now you ready? I’ll get the excuse out there right now.

00:50:02:12 – 00:50:19:23
Hear all this? Well, and not a lot, but you people that. People that don’t like me saying that. Here’s what they say. You ready? I can do that at home. You sure can. But I bet you’re not.

00:50:20:01 – 00:50:24:21
You arrogant Pharisee.

00:50:24:23 – 00:50:29:19
Corporate worship is commanded in the Bible.

00:50:29:21 – 00:50:48:17
But again, if you can’t make it or think I understand you, I hope you understand that, right? I mean, I’m throwing it out there for those who can. And the reason I said such a strong statement like that is because I know these individuals who said it, and they’re lying to me. They can do it, but they don’t.

00:50:48:19 – 00:51:17:05
We love our pajamas and our sneakers. I mean our slippers. So to us and 72 degrees, so far, so good. I just lay here and pray, oh Lord, blessed be the temple. Back to sleep. But isn’t there something, something within us that wants to discipline the flesh? And I personally think God says that that’s a person seeking me.

00:51:17:07 – 00:51:35:06
It. Well, let’s say you do stay at home. Good. I would encourage that, dude. Stay at home, you know, same benefit, but you got to do it, not just talk about it. It may be your late night or that’s great. Whatever. There’s got to be a time of, season of pursuing God is kind of a funny side note.

00:51:35:08 – 00:51:43:03
The majority of late nighters I know are actually early morning risers. They just got off schedule.

00:51:43:05 – 00:52:06:09
They got have their got watch my my show till 9 or 30 or ten. I got to watch internet and now I’m stimulated because all the this and and you know I had this this energy drink earlier and and I’m not and I but I’m a late night or. No you’re you’re actually not you got your schedules got off here because I truly believe the Bible talks about seeking God early.

00:52:06:11 – 00:52:13:03
Jesus went out early in the morning and he did late at night as well.

00:52:13:05 – 00:52:28:12
I’m going to end with this quote I promise this time. I wrote this before we planted the church. I don’t think we have it up there. Because I’ve been I don’t know if I wanted to share it or not.

00:52:28:14 – 00:52:55:04
But I think some of you might be important that you write your, it’s. I call it if I fall. So you should write your. If I fall. I wrote before we planned the church. I have it on my my documents and it. The fear is a good thing. When we come comfortable, we begin to slip. Fear is a good thing.

00:52:55:04 – 00:53:20:23
Fearing God, I said, if I fall, my wife, kids and countless others will lose all respect for me in the ministry. It will hinder the gospel while unbelievers mock and scorn me until the day I die. The years of hard work in the ministry will crumble. A lifetime to build, but only seconds to destroy. The kids and countless others may begin to doubt God as they struggle with disappointment and discouragement.

00:53:21:01 – 00:53:47:12
My children will live the rest of their lives knowing that dad failed, that he didn’t finish well. He didn’t practice what he preached. Instead of rejoicing over what God did through me, they, along with their children, will weep silently. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. And you remind yourself, you remind yourself of what the outcome can be. You play the end of the story out in your mind where?

00:53:47:16 – 00:54:01:04
Where can this lead? Where can this lead? Man, you’ve got to choose your hard, the right type of hard to follow God.

00:54:01:06 – 00:54:09:07
You.

00:54:09:09 – 00:54:11:16
This is the difference.