>> VICTORIA: PSALM 1:33, 1 AND
3, "IT IS GOOD AND IT IS
PLEASANT WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE
LIVE TOGETHER IN UNITY."
HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO LIVE
IN A GOOD AND PLEASANT PLACE?
I DO.
IT IS GOOD AND PLEASANT WHEN
GOD'S PEOPLE LIVE IN UNITY.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT JUST FOR A SECOND TODAY
IS UNITY, GETTING OURSELVES
IN A PLACE OF UNITY BECAUSE
THAT SCRIPTURE GOES ON TO SAY
THAT THERE IS AN ANOINTING
THAT FLOWS WHEN WE'RE IN
UNITY, A POWER THAT FLOWS IN
OUR LIFE.
IT GOES DOWN THROUGH US AND
THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE
TOUCH WHEN WE'RE IN UNITY.
AT THE END OF THAT VERSE, AT
THE END OF THAT CHAPTER SAYS
THIS, "FOR WHERE THERE IS
UNITY, THERE IS A COMMANDED
BLESSING."
DO YOU SEE THE PROMISE?
THERE IS A PROMISE WHEN YOU
HAVE UNITY IN YOUR LIFE.
THERE IS A COMMANDED BLESSING
WHERE YOU HAVE UNITY.
THERE IS AN ANOINTING AND I
REALLY FEEL LIKE TODAY, THAT
IN A WORLD WHERE WE FEEL LIKE
WE'RE ANYTHING BUT UNITED,
THAT WE NEED TO REALIZE WE
CAN BE IN UNITY AND THE BEST
EFFORTS TO PUT OUR UNITY IS
IN OUR FAMILIES.
LISTEN, WHEN YOU START WITH
YOUR FAMILY, THAT BLESSING NOT
ONLY FLOWS DOWN THROUGH YOU,
THROUGH YOUR CHILDREN,
THROUGH YOUR FAMILY, BUT IT
FLOWS AND FOLLOWS YOU
EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
THAT COMMANDED BLESSING WILL
FOLLOW YOU TO YOUR WORKPLACE.
THAT COMMANDED BLESSING WILL
FOLLOW YOU INTO ANY DIFFICULT
SITUATION BECAUSE GOD SAYS
WHERE THERE IS UNITY, THERE
IS A COMMANDED BLESSING, AND
WHEN GOD COMMANDS A BLESSING,
THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN
STOP IT.
IT MAY LOOK IMPOSSIBLE, IT
MAY BE DIFFICULT, BUT YOU'VE
GOT TO REMIND YOURSELF, "WHEN
I AM IN UNITY AND AT PEACE,
THEN I WALK IN THE COMMANDED
BLESSING."
YOU KNOW, THE ENEMY WANTS TO
SEPARATE US.
THE ENEMY OF OUR SOUL WANTS
TO BRING DIVISION IN OUR
LIFE.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO BRING US
TOGETHER.
HE WANTS TO BRING US APART.
HE WANTS TO PUT A WEDGE OF
STRIFE, A WEDGE OF
DISCONTENTMENT SO THAT WEDGE
CAN GROW BIGGER AND BIGGER
UNTIL WE HAVE NO UNITY.
BUT GOD IS SAYING, "WHEN
YOU'RE UNITED, YOU'RE
STRONG."
YOU EVER HEARD THAT SAYING,
"UNITED, YOU'RE STRONG.
DIVIDED, YOU FALL," AND THERE
IS SO MUCH TRUTH IN THAT
SAYING THAT WHEN WE ARE
UNITED, WE ARE STRONG.
GOD HAS COMMANDED A BLESSING
WHERE THERE IS UNITY.
JOEL AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED
29 YEARS.
YEAH.
[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]
WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER 29 YEARS.
WE'VE RAISED TWO CHILDREN
TOGETHER.
NOW, THEY'RE IN COLLEGE.
WE BUILT TWO HOUSES TOGETHER.
WE'VE BUILT A BUSINESS
TOGETHER OVER THIS PAST 29
YEARS AND, NOW, WE'RE LEADING
ONE OF THE GREATEST CHURCHES
IN THE NATION TOGETHER,
TOGETHER, AND WHEN I LOOK
BACK, I CAN SEE THAT IT'S NOT
BECAUSE WE'RE SO SMART.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE SO
PRIVILEGED.
IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE STAYED IN
UNITY.
NOW, DOES THAT MEAN WE AGREE
ON EVERYTHING?
I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK IT'S
POSSIBLE IN OUR HUMAN NATURE
TO AGREE WITH EVERYONE ALL
THE TIME.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S
WHERE THE UNITY CAME.
WHERE THE UNITY COMES IS
THROUGH A BOND OF PEACE.
LISTEN TO WHAT IT SAYS IN
EPHESIANS 4.
IT SAYS, "MAKE EVERY EFFORT
TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE
SPIRIT THROUGH THE BOND OF
PEACE."
DO YOU WANT THE COMMANDED
BLESSING?
KEEP THE UNITY THROUGH THE
SPIRIT.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
THROUGH THE BOND OF PEACE.
PEACE DOESN'T HOLD GRUDGES.
PEACE IS WILLING TO BE WRONG.
PEACE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
RIGHT ALL THE TIME.
PEACE ISN'T BITTER.
PEACE DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE
ITS WAY.
PEACE IS A PLACE OF POWER.
THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT GOD'S
PRESENCE REIGNING IN PEACE.
IF YOU WANT THE POWER OF GOD
AND THE COMMANDED BLESSING OF
GOD, STAY IN UNITY THROUGH
THE BOND OF PEACE.
LISTEN.
YOU MAY NOT SEE EYE TO EYE
WITH EVERYONE IN YOUR LIFE.
DOES IT MAKE IT PERSON RIGHT
AND ONE PERSON WRONG?
THAT'S WHAT WE MUST
UNDERSTAND.
IT MAKES US DIFFERENT.
IT MAKES US DIFFERENT PEOPLE
WITH DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO
FRAGMENT US.
THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO CAUSE
US TO BE BITTER TOWARDS ONE
ANOTHER.
WE CAN KEEP THE BOND OF
PEACE.
THAT'S WHAT THE COMMON,
THAT'S WHERE WE FIND THE
COMMON GROUND.
CAN I TELL YOU THAT PEACE IS
A BEAUTIFUL THING?
THAT'S WHAT THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS, THAT IT'S PLEASING AND
IT'S PLEASANT AND GOOD WHEN
YOU DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY.
I JUST BELIEVE THAT OUR
FAMILIES WILL GO COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT LEVELS AND BE SO
EFFECTIVE ON THIS EARTH WITH
WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
PEACE IN OUR HOMES.
WE'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER
UNDER THE COMMON BOND OF
UNITY.
WHO GIVES US THAT PEACE?
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
YOU SEE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE IN
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BEFORE
YOU CAN EVER BE IN
RELATIONSHIP AT PEACE WITH
ANYONE ELSE.
PEACE TRUSTS.
PEACE BELIEVES THE BEST.
PEACE KNOWS THAT THERE IS A
BETTER WAY.
DO YOU KNOW GOD CAN DO MORE
IN US AND THROUGH US WHEN
WE'RE AT PEACE THAN WE'RE AT
ODDS?
SEE, TOO OFTEN, WE FIGHT
AGAINST EACH OTHER WHEN WE
SHOULD BE FIGHTING FOR EACH
OTHER.
HOW DO WE FIGHT FOR EACH
OTHER?
WE FIGHT FOR PEACE IN OUR
HOME.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN DO
MORE TOGETHER THAN WE CAN
APART.
IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE
OUR OWN WAY ALL THE TIME?
SEE, THERE IS A BLESSING
ATTACHED TO UNITY.
AND CAN I SUGGEST THIS?
WHEN WE'RE TEMPTED TO SAY
WHAT WE SHOULDN'T SAY, WHEN
WE'RE TEMPTED TO BE RIGHT ALL
THE TIME, CAN WE THINK ABOUT
THIS?
IF WE SAY IT AND IF WE DO IT,
WE MAY VERY WELL MISS OUT ON
A BLESSING.
WE MAY VERY WELL FORFEIT OUR
BLESSING BECAUSE WE WANT TO
FEED OUR FLESH, BECAUSE WE
WANT TO GET SOME TEMPORARY
GRATIFICATION.
WE WANT TO SHOW EACH OTHER
WHO IS RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WHEN WE
BEGIN TO PUT THINGS INTO
PERSPECTIVE AND WE BEGIN TO
REALIZE, "HEY, LISTEN.
WE ARE THE SOLUTION.
WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM
BECAUSE WE SERVE A GREAT, BIG
GOD," THAT'S WHEN WE CAN WALK
IN PEACE AND UNITY IN OUR
HOMES.
GOD'S KINGDOM IS BUILT ON
JOY, PEACE, AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
LET'S BUILD OUR HOMES ON
PEACE.
LET'S LET GOD ESTABLISH OUR
HOMES.
WE DON'T WANT TO BUILD VAIN
HOMES.
WE WANT TO BUILD STRONG
FOUNDATIONS.
WE WANT TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE
QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO
SPEAK, AND SLOW TO GET ANGRY.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS.
GOD IS QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW
TO SPEAK, AND SLOW TO GET
ANGRY WITH US.
WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE
ATTRIBUTES IN OUR LIFE.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN TEACH US
SOMETHING.
SOMETIMES, IT DOESN'T FEEL
LIKE IT, BUT THEY REALLY CAN.
I THINK ABOUT MY CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO LISTEN TO
MY CHILDREN.
I LOVE TO LISTEN TO THEIR
IDEAS.
I HAVE BEEN ON THIS EARTH
LONGER THAN THEY HAVE.
I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH
EVERY IDEA THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT
TO ME?
A WILLINGNESS TO LEARN FROM
THEM, A WILLINGNESS TO SHOW
MY RESPECT, A WILLINGNESS TO
GROW WITH THEM AND TO KEEP
PEACE.
I DON'T WANT TO FIX THEM ALL
THE TIME.
I DON'T WANT TO REPRIMAND
THEM ALL THE TIME.
I WANT TO LEARN THE WAY TO
KEEP PEACE, TO KEEP UNITY, TO
KEEP STRIFE OUT OF OUR HOME.
YOU KNOW, JOEL AND I DON'T
SEE EYE TO EYE ALL THE TIME.
THE TRUTH IS WE AGREE ON MORE
THAN WE DISAGREE ON.
BUT IT'S THOSE SMALL FOXES,
YOU KNOW, THOSE SMALL THINGS
THAT CAN MAKE BIG THINGS IF
YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL AND RUIN
EVERYTHING.
IT'S THE SMALL FOXES WHO
SPOIL THE VINE.
SO WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO
EYE AND WHEN WE DON'T, I
LISTEN TO HIS PERSPECTIVE.
HE IS A VERY SMART MAN.
I WANT TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO
SAY.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE IS
THINKING AND IF I STILL CAN'T
GET TO THAT PLACE IN MY OWN
MIND, GUESS WHAT I DO.
I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.
I ZIP IT UP FOR PEACE.
WE NEED TO LEARN TO ZIP IT UP
FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE.
[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]
I KNOW IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF
TIME BEFORE HE COMES TO MY
SIDE.
[CONGREGATION LAUGHING]
THERE IS A BOND IN THE SPIRIT
OF PEACE.
LISTEN, WE CAN STAY BONDED IN
THE SPIRIT BY KEEPING PEACE.
LET'S LEARN TO LISTEN TO ONE
ANOTHER.
LET'S LEARN TO GROW WITH ONE
ANOTHER.
LET'S LEARN TO COMMUNICATE.
WHEN WE HAVE GOOD
COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR
FAMILY, WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
THINKING.
WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S EXPECTED
OF EACH OTHER.
THAT'S HOW WE GROW IN THIS
PLACE OF PEACE.
LEARN TO LAUGH TOGETHER, NOT
ONLY WORK TOGETHER, BUT LAUGH
TOGETHER.
LAUGHTER IS LIKE A MEDICINE.
UNITY IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
HOLD YOUR PEACE.
DON'T GIVE IT UP.
PURSUE IT.
CHASE IT DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S
WHERE THE COMMANDED BLESSING
IS.
AMEN?
AMEN.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR
WATCHING THIS
MESSAGE. I HOPE
YOU ENJOYED IT.
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> VICTORIA: LET US
KNOW IN THE
COMMENTS BELOW HOW
THIS MESSAGE HAS
ENCOURAGED YOU.
WE WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR FROM YOU.
WE'RE PRAYING FOR
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
WE'LL SEE YOU
NEXT TIME!