[MUSIC]
>> VICTORIA: THANK YOU ALL.
WE BELIEVE IT.
AMEN.
YOU MAY BE SEATED.
SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN THE
HOUSE OF THE LORD.
THE OLDER THAT I GET, THE
MORE I LIVE ON THIS EARTH,
THE MORE I UNDERSTAND HOW
IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE
AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE
IN COMMUNITY WITH ONE
ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW, I CAN LOOK BACK
OVER MY LIFE, AND I CAN SEE
HOW GOD PLACED ME IN AN
AMAZING FAMILY.
DO YOU KNOW SOMETIMES, WHEN
WE'RE IN THE MOMENT, WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT THE
MOMENT REALLY IS, BUT I LOOK
BACK NOW, AND I SEE HOW GOD
PUT PEOPLE, FRIENDS, FAMILY
IN MY LIFE THAT NOT ONLY HELD
ME ACCOUNTABLE, THAT NOT ONLY
SHARPENED ME, BUT PRAYED WITH
ME, SUPPORTED ME, LINKED ARMS
WITH ME SO THAT I COULD
WEATHER THE STORMS OF LIFE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT
GOD HAS INTENDED FOR ALL OF
US, TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS
TOGETHER.
YOU SEE, GOD INTENDED US TO
HAVE FAMILIES AND MAKE
COMMUNITY.
WHEN HE CREATED ADAM, HE
STOOD BACK, AND HE SAID,
"IT'S NOT GOOD THAT ADAM IS
ALONE," AND HE CREATED EVE.
WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS PUTTING
IN THE HEART OF EVERY ONE OF
US COMMUNITY, FAMILY, LOVE.
HE SAID, "ADAM, EVE, I WANT
YOU TO GO.
I WANT YOU TO MULTIPLY.
INCREASE THE EARTH."
HE WAS SAYING, "I WANT YOU TO
GROW YOUR FAMILY STRONG.
BRING THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT
ARE IN COMMUNITY WITH YOU."
SEE, THAT'S WHAT GOD INTENDED
FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TO
DO.
I CAN TRULY SAY TODAY THAT I
AM WHAT I AM NOT BECAUSE OF
ALL MY GREAT DECISIONS, NOT
BECAUSE I WAS SO SMART,
BECAUSE I HAD PEOPLE IN MY
LIFE WHO HELPED ME, WHO
MOTIVATED ME, WHO CHALLENGED
ME.
EVEN WHEN I DIDN'T WANT TO
HEAR IT, I LISTENED.
IT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY
LIFE, AND I BELIEVE YOU COULD
PROBABLY SAY THE SAME THING.
I'VE HAD GOOD PEOPLE IN MY
LIFE.
YOU SEE, WE NEED TO BE THOSE
GOOD PEOPLE.
WE WERE NEVER INTENDED TO
LIVE THIS LIFE ISOLATED, AS
AN ISLAND UNTO OURSELVES.
GOD INTENDED US TO BE IN
COMMUNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER,
TO MOTIVATE, TO STRENGTHEN,
AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
YOU SEE, THAT'S THE HEALTHY
WAY TO LIVE.
ECCLESIASTES SAYS IT LIKE
THIS:
"TWO PEOPLE ARE BETTER OFF
THAN ONE; FOR THEY CAN EACH
HELP ONE ANOTHER SUCCEED."
IF ONE PERSON FALLS, THE
OTHER ONE CAN REACH OUT AND
HELP THEM UP.
YOU SEE, WE NEED EACH OTHER.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE A
SUCCESSFUL LIFE, YOU'VE GOT
TO UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE IN
YOUR LIFE THAT ARE
LIKE-MINDED ARE IMPORTANT,
AND THEY ARE WORTH DEVELOPING
A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH, A
STRONG COMMUNITY WITH.
GOOD RELATIONSHIPS ARE
TWO-WAY STREETS.
IT'S AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU
GIVE THAN WHAT YOU RECEIVE.
THE BIBLE TELLS US TO
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER DAILY.
IT DOESN'T SAY WAIT AROUND TO
BE ENCOURAGED.
IT SAYS WE ARE TO HAVE AN
EXCHANGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT ON
A DAILY BASIS.
DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU NEED
ENCOURAGEMENT, THE GREATEST
THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS TO
SPEAK ENCOURAGEMENT?
BECAUSE, WHEN YOU SPEAK
ENCOURAGEMENT TO THEM, YOU
LITERALLY BREATHE GOD'S LIFE
INTO THEM AND, AS A RESULT,
YOU BREATHE GOD'S LIFE INTO
YOUR OWN SOUL.
YOU SEE, GOD SAYS THIS SHOULD
BE AN EXCHANGE OF
ENCOURAGEMENT.
WE CAN'T LIVE AS ISLANDS TO
OURSELF.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT FEELS
LIKE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DO
IT ALONE, DOESN'T IT?
BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE
IN OUR LIFE ARE ANNOYING, AND
THEY'RE AGGRAVATING, AND
THEY'RE TROUBLESOME.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
GOD IS SAYING, "IT'S OKAY.
IF YOU'RE WITH THE RIGHT
GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE I
PUT YOU WITH, YOU HAVE
POTENTIAL IN THAT GROUP OF
PEOPLE."
IF THERE ARE PEOPLE IN YOUR
FAMILY THAT YOU DON'T THINK
THAT THEY CAN GET IT RIGHT,
THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE YOU'RE
THERE FOR THEM, AND I CAN
TELL YOU SOMEONE ELSE IS
THERE FOR YOU.
[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I
BELIEVE THAT WE'RE OUR
HAPPIEST AND OUR HEALTHIEST
WHEN WE ARE HELPFUL TO OTHER
PEOPLE; IN FACT, IT WAS A
STUDY ON HAPPINESS, AND IT
WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT
TALKED ABOUT WHAT ACTIONS
THAT WE CAN DO THAT CREATE
THIS EMOTION OF HAPPINESS
WITHIN US.
AND YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS
WHEN WE GO ON VACATION THAT
WE'RE OUR HAPPIEST; WHEN WE
GET A PRESENT, WE'RE OUR
HAPPIEST; BUT IT WAS SAYING
THAT THE EMOTION OF HAPPINESS
IS REALLY A SENSE OF WHEN YOU
ARE HELPFUL, AND YOUR PURPOSE
IS TIED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND
HELPING THEM.
THAT GIVES YOU THE GREATEST
HEIGHTENED SENSE OF
HAPPINESS.
IN FACT, IT WAS INTERESTING,
THEY CALLED IT THE "HELPFUL
HIGH."
THAT'S WHAT THEY LABELED IT.
IT'S THE HELPFUL HIGH.
SEE, I CAN'T IMAGINE GETTING
HIGH ON ANYTHING BUT BEING
HELPFUL, KNOWING THAT IT'S
SUCH A EUPHORIC FEELING.
IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A
HANGOVER.
YOU CAN BE HELPFUL AND GET
HIGH AT THE SAME TIME.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY THIS
CHURCH WORKS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT MAKES
THIS CHURCH WHAT IT IS
BECAUSE THIS CHURCH IS A
PLACE THAT YOU CAN COME AND
BE LOVED AND ENCOURAGED AND
PRAYED FOR.
THIS CHURCH IS A PLACE THAT
PEOPLE WILL LINK ARMS WITH
YOU, AND I LOVE THIS CHURCH
BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE
PERFECT TO BE LOVED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.
NO ONE'S JUDGING YOU.
THEY'RE JUST LOVING YOU AND
BEING HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING
BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE
AROUND US.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE THINK,
"WELL, GOD, I CAN'T HELP
EVERYONE," BUT CAN I TELL YOU
THAT, IF YOU'LL LOOK VERY
CLOSELY, GOD WILL HAVE MANY
PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT YOU
CAN INVEST INTO, THAT CAN BE
A PART OF YOUR LIFE.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW, YOU
KNOW, ONE WAY TO BE A HELPFUL
PERSON IS TO BE A PERSON THAT
HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF
SOMEONE ELSE, AND WHAT I MEAN
BY THAT IS THE BIBLE SAID
WE'RE TO BE SHARPENERS TO ONE
ANOTHER, AND THINK ABOUT THAT
WORD JUST A MINUTE.
IF YOU'VE EVER CUT YOUR HAND
ON A KNIFE, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND.
SOMETIMES SHARP THINGS HURT.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS FEEL SO
GOOD, BUT GOD IS SAYING, "I
WANT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
TO SHARPEN YOU AS YOU SHARPEN
THEM."
BUT THAT ONLY COMES FROM A
TRUSTED COMMUNITY, A PLACE
WHERE YOU KNOW THERE'S A
SINCERE LOVE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY
GREATEST GROWTH HAS COME WHEN
I'VE BEEN CHALLENGED BY THE
PEOPLE THAT LOVE ME THE MOST,
WHEN I'VE BEEN HELD
ACCOUNTABLE BY THE PEOPLE WHO
LOVE ME THE MOST, BECAUSE
THEY NOT ONLY HOLD ME
ACCOUNTABLE, THEY NOT ONLY
SHARPEN ME, BUT THEY'RE ALSO
THERE TO LINK ARMS WITH ME
AND SUPPORT ME.
YOU SEE, THAT IS WHERE WE'RE
GOING TO FIND HELP AND
GROWTH.
WHAT AM I SAYING TODAY?
I'M SAYING WE'RE BETTER
TOGETHER.
WE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER.
I FOUND THIS WONDERFUL STORY
ABOUT THE REDWOOD TREES IN
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND
THESE TREES GROW 350 FEET UP
IN THE AIR.
THEY GROW VERY CLOSE
TOGETHER.
THE INTERESTING PART IS THEIR
ROOTS ARE VERY SHALLOW.
THEY'RE ONLY ABOUT 5 1/2 FEET
UNDERGROUND.
YOU WOULD THINK SOMETHING SO
INCREDIBLY TALL WOULD HAVE TO
GO VERY, VERY DEEP IN THE
GROUND TO HOLD ITSELF UP, BUT
THE EXTRAORDINARY FACT ABOUT
THIS TREE IS THAT THE ROOTS
DON'T GO DEEP, BUT THEY
SPREAD WIDE.
THOSE ROOTS FIND THE OTHER
TREES' ROOTS, AND THEY BEGIN
TO INTERMINGLE THEIR ROOTS
TOGETHER, AND THEY SAY THAT
THEY FIND NUTRITION WITH ONE
ANOTHER AND THAT, LITERALLY,
THE WAY THEIR ROOTS ARE SO
INTERMINGLED, THEY HOLD EACH
OTHER UP, THAT A TREE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THOSE TREES CAN DIE
FROM OLD AGE, AND IT CAN STAY
THERE 100 YEARS BECAUSE IT'S
SO INTERMINGLED WITH THE
OTHER TREES.
YOU SEE, IT FINDS ITS
STRENGTH IN ALL CLIMATES FROM
BEING WOVEN TOGETHER WITH THE
OTHER TREES, SO, WHETHER THE
WINDS ARE BLOWING, THE RAINS
ARE COMING DOWN, OR WHETHER
THERE'S A DROUGHT, THERE IS
ALWAYS STABILITY IN THE
FOREST OF THE REDWOOD TREES.
AND IF WE COULD BE AS UNITED
TOGETHER IN OUR LIVES AS
THOSE REDWOOD TREES ARE, I
BELIEVE WE COULD WITHSTAND
ANY STORM, THAT WE COULD
WITHSTAND ANY DRAUGHT BECAUSE
WE'RE NOT ONLY HOLDING ONE
ANOTHER UP, BUT WE ARE GIVING
NOURISHMENT TO ONE ANOTHER.
YOU SEE, GOD INTENDED US TO
BE TOGETHER.
HE INTENDED US TO START IN
OUR FAMILIES.
THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT GIVING
YOUR LIFE AWAY.
WHO ARE YOU ENTWINED WITH
TODAY?
WHO ARE YOU INVESTING IN?
WHO ARE YOU GIVING YOUR LIFE
TO?
I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE
PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES THAT WE
ASK GOD, "CAN I INVEST IN
THIS PERSON?"
YOU SEE, YOU CAN GIVE PEOPLE
MONEY.
YOU COULD GIVE THEM CARS.
YOU CAN DO NICE THINGS FOR
THEM, BUT CAN I TELL YOU,
WHEN YOU GIVE THEM YOUR
GREATEST COMMODITY, WHICH IS
YOURSELF, IT MAKES ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
WHEN YOU ENTWINE YOUR LIFE
WITH SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN IF
IT'S SEASONAL, AND YOU INVEST
IN THEM, I BELIEVE THAT'S
WHEN YOU'LL STAND STRONG,
YOU'LL GROW, AND YOU WILL BE
ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE STORMS
OF THIS LIFE.
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!