Oftentimes this is how we look in our lives we're holding something that is cool it's great
we've gone comfortable we've got we've we've really gotten attached to something
but what God has for us is so much bigger and it's so much greater now for him to receive the new
Jordan has to let go of that for him to receive the thing that God has prepared for him now
this is the thing about God God will tell you the promise but God won't always show you the promise
how many of you just can't stand that sometimes about God God says we live by what faith we don't
live by sight so so so Jordan doesn't see the promise Jordan has to trust the promise giver
and he's got to make a faith move just like you do in your life to receive to go to the next level
it will require a faith move a faith move where Jordan must set down and let go of Paco whom he's
loved for a long time you must put him down Jordan and I know it's tough for you I know this is hard
letting go of letting go of this thing that you've gone to he must let go now this is what's tricky
is oftentimes like the Israelites when they were delivered when they
when they were released from slavery there is a period of time and it's in this waiting period
this is where it gets hard for people because oftentimes we think right when we let go drop
it right when we let go God's going here you go but God often doesn't work like that does he
God often wants to make sure that when we release and and make this faith move
is Jordan's heart prepared for this is he strong enough to hold this does he have the humility and
the character and everything that is required to sustain life with the greater that God has for him
and some of us carry our past around just like that thinking this is what all that God has for me
it's really hard to believe God for that husband of yours that you that you have in your mind
you've just you've dreamt of when you're holding on to that some of you are holding on to that and
God has this because God has something greater with your name on it with your name on it
in order to receive God's immeasurable blessings what am I willing to let go of
in areas in my life or better yet let me rephrase that question and do you trust him enough
to surrender the known securities of your life for the unrevealed mysteries of God's blessings
to follow God's calling it will require us to surrender good things in life for better
things with kingdom impact sometimes God will ask you to give up good for better and that
is always a struggle that we will always have but know that God is good and God will always
act accordingly to his purpose we clear out space so that we can receive his blessings
what are you still holding on to
what is it that you are unwilling to let go of
you must create a space for the good that you desire
I would hate to guess that the number of people that would love to meet and greet and love and
and and have a meaningful relationship with someone and they're never going to
do it until they let go of that old relationship person may be gone but the idea is still there
you got to create a space for the good that you desire you just must do it and if you don't you're
never going to have that relationship you see sometimes in our lives we have a relationship or a
mindset or a past that if we don't let go of it if we don't separate from it if we don't release it
it can be detrimental to our growth it can stifle what God wants to do and it can ultimately keep us
from the best that God wants to usher us into we all go through disappointments and things that are
not fair it's easy to hold on to the hurts and think about what they said relive the offense
we get up in the morning it's the first thing that comes to mind we don't realize how much
that's affecting us souring our attitude draining our energy limiting our creativity
if you're going to fulfill your destiny you have to get good at letting things go how you deal
with these offenses how you handle the hurts will determine whether you move forward and
see the new things God has in store or whether you get stuck bitter over what didn't work out
you see it's easy to live in the past when you can't see your future it's easy to live
in what was when you can't see tangibly the promise yet that God has for you
you don't know how much future you've got what's gone is gone there's absolutely nothing you can
do about it some of you have had divorces some of you have probably had bankruptcies
some of you've had terrible things happen in the past but what's gone is gone it's in the past
and to spend your time focusing on the past is to spend the only thing that you've got and
that's what's right here right now because the sand never stops running this is all we've got
and to spend your time now thinking of what happened there
is making absolute certain the future is going to be the same as the past
all you got is now let the dead bury the dead let it go I don't care how bad it was let it go
stop looking back on your life and worrying about the things which have already occurred
and which you can no longer alter you cannot go back and change it since you cannot let it go
I don't care how justified you may feel in holding a resentment that's a dumb game
Ray Stanford used to tell me it was like throwing dust into a strong wind at someone else you
know where the dust is going to end up let's not look back in anger let's quit thinking in reverse
nor forward in fear but around us in awareness life is either a series of endings or a series
of beginnings if you're looking back it's a series of endings look ahead something great is coming
don't fail to prepare for what's next because you're trying to get what was
when the grape comes through the crushing it knows it will never be a grape again but it will be wine
I want you to know that it may feel at times that God
is silent it may feel at times that God is clueless or he's taking a break
or maybe you might feel that he doesn't even care about your future not true
the bible says this but forget all that it is nothing compared to what I am going to do
for I am about to do something new see I have already begun do you not see it
we all have a past that we must let go of that we're coming from so tonight maybe for you it's
a relationship it's a relationship that you are maybe holding on to from your past maybe from the
past season of your life maybe this past summer maybe this past school year I don't know and
you knew that it was unhealthy and so and so you broke off that relationship but now you are in
the middle and you know the promise is is still there and hasn't changed but the middle makes it
uncertain and uncomfortable it starts to get lonely on Friday night starts to get lonely
those text messages aren't coming in as often as you hope and now looking back looks good
maybe it's a mindset maybe it's a perspective maybe God took you from a mindset but now
you find yourself carrying some of these same mindsets again maybe it's a place you physically
left you moved away and you left the city and being here gets a little bit uncomfortable it gets
a little bit uncertain it gets a little bit lonely you don't have the friends you used to have work
feels a little bit different and sit and feel like the grass is so much greener and you are still
holding on to the past it's much more freeing when you learn to let things go it wasn't fair
that's okay God will be your vindicator he'll take care of who did you wrong it's not your
job to pay people back they hurt you once don't let them continue to hurt you by holding on to it
God saw what happened he heard what they said he knows what you lost if you will let it go
he'll make it up to you he'll give you beauty for those ashes I believe some of you you are
next door to your promise you are so close to your promise and you're just one faith release
away from stepping into the new levels that God has for you there's one area that God has on your
heart tonight that he's wanting you to let go of there's one relationship there's one mindset
there's one past mistake that you can't let go of and it is keeping you from what is so close
to your receiving it wasn't right what they did but you're forgiving so you can be free you
don't have to live with that contamination on the inside let it go forgive the person that hurts you
forgive the parent for what they didn't give you let go of the disappointment the dream that
didn't work out let go of the guilt the shame the regret the remorse you can't keep that bottled up
and reach your potential best thing you can do is to get that toxic waste out of you let it go
you have to give it to God God I forgive them for what they did I let go of the hurts what I lost
what I didn't get I trust you to make it up to me you may not know what tomorrow holds but you can
rest when you know who holds it you may not see the promise but you can trust the promise giver
you see what's behind you is no comparison to what God has in front of you car makers are brilliant
aren't they because car makers understand this principle the rear view mirror is so small
the windshield is so big why because what is in front of you is so much more important than what
is behind you and that is what you must understand as a believer tonight some of you you're holding
on to a mistake and it is keeping you from receiving everything that God has for you I don't
know what it is you're holding on to I don't know if it's a mindset a habit a relationship something
that you've walked away from that God called you out of but you keep lingering you keep wanting to
go back and I believe that tonight God is saying what is in front of you is is no comparison
to what is behind you it's so much greater it's so much bigger he's just waiting for you to let go