Welcome to the Joel, lose podcast, hopeless, can You to share the message of hope with those all over the world visit. Dot com, slash, give hope to give a gift. Today, God bless you, it's a joy to come into your homes and if you're for in our area. Please stop by be a part of one. Our services are promise you will make it feel right at home. I like to start with something funny, and I heard about this husband and wife. They've been arguing for a long time about who should make the coffee in the morning the husband thought it was the wife's job, but she just didn't agree after several heated debates. She finally told him. I can prove it to you from the Bible that it's

a man's job to make the coffee. He said. What are you talking about nothing in the Bible about the man making the coffee She said sure there is. She opened her bible and pointed to the book of Hebrews say it like you mean it. This is my bible. I am This is, 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 my My heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus Name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the power of the soil You can have a good seed, that's healthy! strong, its full potential, but if it's not, landed in good soil. It's not going to become what it was created to be. The problem is not with the seed

A scientist could study the seed run test. They would find that is full of life If it's an apple seed, it has apples in it. It's a rose Bush, it has blossoms in it. If it's planted in soil, that's full of rocks. We weeds and thorns it may so some, but it's not going to produce what it should It may survive, but it's not going to be healthy and it's the same principle in life. The you are full of gifts, talents potential but if you plant yourself in unhealthy soil, If you hang around friends that compromise and pull you down, if in an environment, that's limited with people that tell you what you can't become. You won't see the growth that you should not the calls there's something wrong with you. Seed, your made in the image of God. The problem is with the soil. The rocks

the thorns the weeds are choking the life out of your seed Jesus. A parable about a man I seed on good ground and it produced a great harvest, many crops, another sowed seed on rocky ground, didn't produce too much Another showed it on ground where the weeds and the thorns kept the seed from growth. All the same seed. What made the difference was the soil. The thorns are things like friends that keep causing you to compromise. The weeds are those co workers that sit around and gossip all day. The rocks are those family members to tell you how you can't break that addiction. If you hang around negative people, they're choking out your seed, knows french you're tempted to party with they may be bond they're popular, but what you can't see is there a weed?

keeping you from flourishing the environment, you put yourself in is extremely important, nomad how good the CD is it's dependent on having good soil, You have to be selective with whom you give your time, energy and attention, because people are contagious, you're going to catch what they have. If your friends are prejudiced you're going to become prejudice, friends, have limited thinking. They don't have any goals. No motivation that narrow minded mentality is going to rub off on you, you're going to become like the people you continually, associate with. Don't hang around people that don't have anything you want if they're not making you better. If they're not inspiring you causing you to grow, then you need to make some changes

need to pull up those weeds quit hanging around thorny friends, people that bring The worst in you talk out your dreams, cause you to compromise there. Negativity is contaminating your soil. You, Destiny is too great to waste it with people that are not adding value to your life for Joel. What, if I hurt their feelings. What if you miss your destiny? What if they choke out your seed? What if they keep you from blossoming. I've heard it said it's not enough to just focus on self development. You have to focus on soil development on what's around you on. What's influencing you on what you're spending time and attention. Where are you putting your seed in good soil, or is it being Tama dated, but what you watch, but what you think about about who you're spending time with.

What you're, unwilling to walk away from is where you'll stop growing. If you know a person is pulling it down, but you won't make a change will get stuck where you are. Your seed can't grow in bad soil. If you don't get rid of the wrong people, you'll never meet the right people. Here's the key God will never ask us to give something up with stop giving us more back in return and sure you may go through a season of being lonely. But what will happen? Is God will give you a new friends better, and people that push you up instead, pulling you down in the scripture, God told Abraham to leave his country. Leave his relatives and to a new land. Abraham left,

he headed out, but he took his nephew lot with him. He was only supposed to take his immediate family before long Abraham and Lot had a disagreement. There was strife and arguing between their herds. Men. Then log moved to a different place and got in trouble, Abraham felt responsible, so he had to go rescue him he's been all this time and nrg involved in a problem that he should have never had if he would have left lot in the first place, some of the challenges we, days or be cause? We didn't leave? Who God told us to leave, What's interesting is the a lot means veil or covering when you leave locked law When you leave what you know, you're supposed to leave, the veil will come off. People see things you've, never seen new. Chips, new opportunities, new talent, new levels are

holding on to what God asks to let go of someone something that's pulling into down keeping you from best your seed can't flourish in a negative environment. That's keeping you from grow. When I say leave, I don't mean you have to go. Make a big announcement: hey your content, heading Maine, I'm done with you simply mean lid a little start, spending less and less time with him. If you have a bunch of weeds, it's choking out your dream, your vision, your character at the office that person you eat long, is, with this always complaining about the boss, jealous of coworkers mad at their spouse. I say this respectfully there a weed They contaminating your soil they're, keeping you from flourishing and yes,

they're made in the image of God they can change, but until they do you shouldn't, let them pollute you I'm nice to everyone, but I don't spend my time with everyone I'm selective about who I allow in my life. I don't spend time with negative critical jealous small minded can't do it bitter people, I value what God has given me too much to put my seed in bad soil. We have a responsibility, God has given you a gift. He could have created anyone to be alive at this day in time, but he chose you. Your seed is full of potential. Your seed has greatness in it. You're seeing can set a new standard for your family. Your seed can break. Racional curses what god

just giving. You is extremely valuable. Now do your part you see in good soil. I have a row of she is around my house and for years, they've been hello stay in green, just as lush as can be, but several months ago we noticed a few of them all. Next to each other started. Like something was wrong there little shriveled up and not green. Is they should be a couple of weeks later? They were all dead about, fifteen feet out of a long row of Bush. Is the landscaper came out First thing he said was: let me check the soil send some test and found that the well in that area had become contaminated. We had to dig it out and replace it now. The new plants are just as healthy as the others, but sometimes we wonder why we feel kind of like swim all we're, not growing God? Why aren't you doing anything check? Your soil has.

Become contaminated. Who is In time with what giving your attention to you can't Watch the news all day and live a positive faith filled life after about twenty minutes you'll, be depressed, pay attention. To your environment. What are you taking in all day? a man, told me how he drove an hour each way to work. Twenty years. Listening to talk, radio was a political station where they're debating politics, people arguing and disrespectful? He would get so rod up so mad by the time he got to work. He was sour. Nobody wanted to be around him. He didn't even like himself. It turned into a bitter angry man. One day he was flipping through the channels and came cross our Sirius Xm station. He heard me speaking and couldn't turn it off. That was over a year

ago he said Joel, I'm a different person, I'm happy I'm People even asked me what happened to you. What was the problem all those years, his soil, that negativity was choking out his joy, his faith, his victory we have enough negative things in life that we have no control over, be selective about what you do have control over driving to work put on something uplifting music that inspires you listen to a message that build your faith, keep their seed in good soil at home. The television on all day. Better noise. In the background, that's your soil! This is the reason some people aren't growing. They're talented,

potential, but their soil has become contaminated. You have to protect your seed. I know a professional football player that was dying those with cancer, the only been in the league a couple years. His dream came true. Then he was hit with this diagnosis. He didn't fall apart. He didn't get better, he still lives home. He told his mother that he didn't Anyone used the word cancer in his house. He didn't want that word. Down in his spirit, he knew if he was in a depressed environment. Sorry for me. You may not make it atmosphere, he wouldn't get well his that was, I am healed. I am hold, I will play football again, I will fulfill my destiny. God is bigger than what I'm facing. What was he doing? creating an environment of victory. He was keeping his seed in good soil two years,

later. He was back in the league when you face difficulties more than ever. You need to keep your mind filled with thoughts of faith You need to surround yourself with people that speak hope and life, people that will agree with what you're believing for you can't afford to have people that are negative. Discouraged telling you how you may not make it. I don't know my grandmother died of that same thing. Do yourself a favor stay away from people like that Let them pollute your soil, one and Jesus went to pray for a little girl that it died. When he arrived at the house, everyone was weeping and so upset. He told them that she wasn't dead. She was just to sleep, they begin to laugh and make fun Jesus at them all to leave the room, only one that stayed with Peter James and John. He spoke to the little girl and she was healed,

Why did Jesus make them leave? He could have healed her in front of everyone. He's call He was showing us the importance of having the right environment. People if you allow them, can talk you out of your dreams their doubt and negativity can rub off on you. You have to set some boundaries. I love you, but I'm not going to. Let to poison me. I have a destiny to fulfill. Well, I'm going to love you from outside the room. This is what happened with the Israelites Moses sent twelve men to spile the promised land tin came back and said Moses, I'll, don't have a chance. There are giants in the land compared to them. We felt like grasshoppers the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, headed

different report. They said Moses. We are well able, let us go in it once and take this land, but the negative report from the majority from the ten spies begin to spread throughout the whole camp before long two million Israelites were discouraged. Complaining saying Moses: let's go back to Egypt. Let's just go back to being slaves, God had promised them the victory, but they never. Did make it in because they're soil was contaminated. That c couldn't grow in that negative environment. The people you surround yourself with are extremely important, don't hang around can't do it? People not able to people yes, I know God promised you, but I do see how you can get well, how you can meet the right person, how you'll break that addiction stay away from people like that find Joshua find case.

Not people that will throw water on your plane, but people that fan your flame people will join their faith with yours and say: hey Do you believe me in I'm going to believe with. You when Henry Ford had a dream to make a car with an engine. He started developing it, but everyone told him it wouldn't work that it wasn't a good idea. He was about to stop when Thomas Edison, came to see him, they had never met. They introduced Mister Ford as the man trying to build a car that would run on gasoline. Edison's eyes got big. He hit his fist on the table and said you've got it a car that has its own power plant. That's a brilliant idea. Henry Ford would tell how that conversation and that friendship is what kept him going. None of us would be driving a ford.

He had not found that good soil, the critics, the naysayers, are a dime. A dozen ten of the twelve spies were negative. That's about average. Eighty percent will tell you what you can't do you have to find the twenty percent that will tell you what you can do. The majority most of the time won't see. What you see they warning or do you have to find the minority, Leave believe that one reason I'm seeing God's favor is because I've been in good soil a lot of it. I can't take credit for wasn't anything I did. It was simply the goodness of God. I was raised by parents that always told me what I could become in loving faith filled environment. I saw my father believed for big things. Break very. He said he was raised with he came out

poverty- and he lived with this. All things are possible mentality years before my father passed, way? Victoria would tell Maine that one day I was going to pass through the church. That seems so odd. I used to think what is she talking about? I can't get up for the people, but year after year she told me when I could become when my father when to be with the Lord. I was able to step up why my seed had been in good soil. My sister LISA worked behind, the scenes seventeen years with me. She was the head of our volunteers, She would assist my father during the services and make sure that he had what he needed the Sunday after my father died, I was sitting in my father's seat about to go up to Minister Lisa was sitting behind me where she always sat, and she said that God spoke to her down in her heart. He said

Just as you served your father, you are to now serve your brother for the last, eighteen years. That's what LISA has done to help me encourage me she could have been jealous. I wanted to be promoted. I don't want to. Serve him. I want him to serve Maine. Thank you Jesus. Instead, she celebrated me. What am I saying I didn't get here by myself? I got here because I had good soil of around Maine people there He did Maine that cheered me on people that encourage Maine. Here's. What I'm saying your soil is just as important as your seed. You may have had just the opposite people that didn't support you, instead of telling you what you could become, they told you what you couldn't do the Good NEWS, is that doesn't have to stop you. Your seed is still alive. If you will get it in a different environment with can do people with possibility thing,

being with friends that inspire you, the or seed will take root and begin to blossom You can still reach the fullness of your destiny. This is what Elijah did. He was out working in the fields, a farmer, no doubt from a limited background, didn't look like he had much of a future, but the prophet Eli I just came by and called out to him. Elisha saw something in Elijah that he wanted He saw the favor on his life How allied you was doing great things he connected with him. He thought that's good soil! That's where I need to keep my seed for zero Elisha served Elijah here. Waited on him would bring him food. He wouldn't leave him in fact, three times Elijah tried to get Elisha to go, do his own thing, but he wouldn't do it.

When Elijah was taken to Heaven, Elisha received a double portion of his anointing. If would have stayed out in the fields in that limit. It environment with the friends he grew up with, he would have never seen the double he had to get his seed in the right soil. You need people in your life that are four along, then you people that have a bigger vision there are more successful, more well off, in one sense, people that are out of your league, you have to be, it's to new levels before you can go to new levels, if you're the smartest one in your group, your group, too small. If you're the successful to get a larger circle, don't be in

dated by people that are further along, be inspired, find some good mentors connect with dreamers, people that have a bigger vision gleaned from them. That's good soil, a friend of mine feeds a million children a day. He supports charities that help these underprivileged children. His goal is to feed Tin Nili a day when I'm around him, I'm inspired. It makes me dream bigger. I think, God you did it for him. You can do it for me, What is that my seed getting in good soil. Is your vision increase around your friends or does it decrease you leave challenged motivated inspired discourage negative drained. Now, I'm not saying that every friend will inspire but you should have one or two that light a fire. On the inside that push you forward. If

only invest in people at your same level. You'll get stuck there fandoms. Right or somebody- that's gone where you want to go just as the wrong people will pull you down the right people will pull you up in acts. Chapter three: a crippled man had been lying by the Temple gate, years asking for money. Peter came along and said I don't have any money but in the name of Jesus rise in walk, nothing happened. The man looked at Peter, like What do you mean rise and walk? I'm crippled. I've been the my whole life, I can't walk. This could have been the end of the story. Peter could have thought. I did my part. It didn't work. The scripture says Peter took him by the right hand an lifted him up as he did, the men's legs were instantly healed. Notice Peter, wouldn't let the man stay down. He didn't

him a choice he prayed for him and then pulled him up You need some friends like Peter that won't let you stay down when you're in the pits, when you can't get up by yourself, not people that will get in the pit with you Tell sad stories together, Liz feel sorry for ourselves, know people that will pull you out of that pit people that love you so much. They won't. Let you stay addicted, they won't. Let you stay depressed, they won't. Let you miss your destiny, not just people that pray, but they pull you up now. I know That's why many come out here and many of you listen, because you know we're always going to lift you up you may be down, but we're not going to. Let you stay down we're going to tell you get up. There are new levels. You've been hurt, get up. God has for those ashes. You lost something get up God's about to restore. You went through a disappointment, get

A new beginning is coming. There's still single get up the right persons on the way you're struggling in your finances, get up God's, going to open the windows of heaven. You need people that will pull you into your destiny. Like this man Sometimes you can't go to the next level without somebody pulled in your uh and if you, tripled in some areas, so to speak. And you surround yourself with people. Just like you there's nobody to help you up you to get around somebody stronger somebody more successful somebody free. So they can lift you. Laying people can't help. Laying people are addicted. People can help did people, maybe you need to change who you're spending time with God has some Peters waiting for you. He's ordained people already to lift you up, people that are destined to pull you up

don't sit around in some kind of dysfunction with other dysfunctional people, the rest of you, live your seed can't grow in that soil, stay away from people that are enabling the dysfunction get away from people that tell you where you are is where, you're always going to be don't believe, that law. Your seed is still alive when it hit, the good soil. You're going to see things happen, you never dreamed would happen. You're not going to stay addicted. Freedom is coming. You're not going to struggle in your health. Your whole life wholeness is coming that lack not having enough is not your destiny. In good soil, you're going to see abundance overflow. More than enough now, do your part start pulling up the weeds, get rid of those thorny friends, people that are pulling you down, be selective with what you would give your attention to all day,

If you will keep your seed in good soil, I believe and declare you're about to blossom. Peter is about to show up and pull. To a new level, agrees promotion, freedom, healing, wholeness, the fullness, but your destiny in Jesus name, and if you receive it, can you say I'm in today, I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life? Would you pray with me just say Lord Jesus. I repent of my sins. Come my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you pray, and that simple prayer, we believe you got born again get into good Bible based church, keep God First place Victor and I'll, be right back to speak a blessing over you,

Thank you for your support of our ministry. This month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you a copy of jewels, inspirational series, fearless courageous, living everyday. You can handle whatever comes your way. Don't let thoughts of fear and intimidation hold you back, God has equipped you and empowered. You be bold, be strong and say. Like David, I will not fear when you choose faith over fear. God will take. You places that you've never dreamed request this resource. It will be a great help to you. You'll experience more victory than you ever imagined request. Your copy of today at Joe dot com or call eighty eight thousand eight hundred and fifty six. Thank you so much for your prayer and support of the ministry you're helping to change the lives all over the world, and we are very grateful for your generosity, a q to our champion of whole partners from all you do to make the ministry possible and be

to stay connected with us on social media through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Download, our podcast we'd love to inspire you all through the week to help you keep your thoughts going in the right direction. Know that we pray for. You were believing you're going to see dreams come to pass and God exceed your expectations. Take you places that you never even thought possible. Stay in faith. Stay encourage your not average you're, not mediocre. You are a child of the most high god.