STILL TRANSFORMING | Part 27 | Manuel Magana

Romans 12.

Let's hop to it.

I got kind of a long way to go, short time to get there, so let's just kind of uh I'll give you a quick kind of small recap because we entered the book of James in our study of transformation.

Uh but Romans 12, 2 is still our main text.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Now, let's go ahead and go to our new living translation.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

But let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Uh, I was blessed to be talking to a brother here at the church just recently, and he was telling me, excuse me, he was telling me how uh the other day he encountered a situation at work, and uh he had preceded this by telling me how he's really been praying, he's been reading his word more, he's been seeking God, just this transformation that we've been on, this topic has really gripped his heart, and he's been identifying the areas where he wants to see change, and and one of those areas was just kind of the patience and and and the compassion at work, and he uh something he admitted that he would battle, and he told me it was about a few weeks ago he was at work, and that um there was a few uh there's some new employees at the work, and that a couple of these new employees, because he'd been at this job for like 20 years, but a couple of these new employees were kind of just um slacking, being just not really helping, they just weren't being good employees, and and um he said he admitted that in the past he would have the tendency to kind of lash out a little bit at them because he was kind of a leader of the group and kind of get on them in ways and speak to them in ways that that really probably shouldn't, because it would just frustrate them so much.

And uh he had been praying that he wants to see change in that area of his life, and he admitted, and I was blessed to hear that he would he said, I I pray God help me think right, help me you know renew my mind, help me think.

And the other day when he encountered the situation with a couple of co-workers, his immediate reaction was he wanted just to rip them up, rip them apart, send them home.

And uh he said, I probably should have.

But he said, I went up to them and I kind of had a talk with them, kind of explained myself very clearly in direct, using God-approved words.

Uh, how many know sometimes we need to do better at using God-approved words and um speaking to them with direct and sternness, but also in a matter that was very professional.

At the end of the day, the coworkers actually came back to him and said, Hey, we apologize, we're sorry about that.

Thank you for you know speaking to us with you know with respect, we appreciate that.

And at the end of the day, he kind of went home and he said, Wow, God, he told me we just praise God this I think something's working, something's changing.

So, what I'm trying to get at to everyone here, I hope somehow, somehow, in a year-long journey of talking about transformation, you're seeing some changes in some areas of your life.

And if you're not, don't give up.

We're here with you, and we're gonna keep praying with you, and we're gonna keep working on things together.

Say amen to that.

And uh we're not look at your neighbor, just tell your neighbor, I'm here for you, man.

Just tell them I'm here for you.

I'm here for you, all right?

I'm here for you, and we're gonna do this together.

Um, a couple things that, well, where are we at?

What part are we on?

27.

All that to say, let's keep working on transformation.

Let's keep remembering to change the way we think.

We're working on our mindset the way we think, so we can see transformation in our lives.

And uh today, as we go into part 27, we're gonna stick in the book of James and kind of dissect it a little bit more.

If you weren't here last week, I'll just give you a small recap.

You'll be better off going to last week and hearing what we talked about.

But let's pray.

Father, thank you for your word.

Corner Acts 2 42, your word will receive gladly.

According to Acts 19, 20, your word will prevail.

I pray now, Father God, that you use these lips of clay to speak your word without uh with without error and with excellence according to your desire.

For we gather to hear the truth of your word, not the opinion of man.

So, Father, Corner Matthew 10.20, Father, I thank you, Father, you will speak to me even as I stand here.

The Spirit of God will speak even as I stand here, Father.

And I pray, Lord, that you will continue to minister to us through this morning.

We will learn, we will grow, we will be encouraged, we'll be convicted.

But when it's all said and done, I thank you, Father, for what you're doing in us and through us as we hear your word today.

And we give you the honor and glory for all you have to say.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Why don't you compliment your neighbor real quick?

Tell your neighbor you look good.

Tell your neighbor I like your sh your hair, your dress, your shirt.

Just let your neighbor know something real quick.

Tell them who you're gonna draft, the fantasy football, whatever you want.

Take a moment and just let them know I see you today.

Last week we read James 1, 2 through 8.

Uh, I'm just gonna show you verses 5 through 8 for sake of time, and we're gonna highlight what we're gonna be looking at here today.

Not all of it, but most of it.

So let's go to the next slide.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let's say those four words together.

Uh, let's say I'm gonna count a three.

One, two, three.

You should ask God.

He gives you generously, he gives generously to all without finding fault, and it'll be given to you.

Next slide.

Let's read the highlighted parts together.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt.

Because, let's read, the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Finally, verse seven and eight.

That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Now, this is James speaking and James writing.

James is in verse five, uh, not really suggesting, but he is commanding to the people if you need something, ask God.

If you need something, ask of him.

And now, here's where we've been kind of uh before I go any further, I'll remind you.

Uh, we've been talking about renewing the mind and a couple things.

Let me show you this slide.

I said this last week.

We should not be one-dimensional in our view of renewing the mind and transformation.

I know as we've been talking about changing the way we think and renewing our mind and seeing transformation in our lives, I know it's been kind of heavenly weighed on this thought of changing the way we act, changing the way we speak, changing the way we do things.

That's the transformation we want to see: acting more like Christ, uh, speaking more like Christ, being more like Jesus.

But I don't want it to become a one-dimensional kind of focus when we talk about transformation and purpose of renewing the mind.

Because uh I've learned, look in the next slide, let's move forward, that renewing the mind will help us with many different struggles in life.

And that's just kind of God just being a good God that He is, that when you renew the mind, yes, we'll see change in our character and what we do and we say that that's our desire, God, to be more like you.

But what other struggles are there in life?

What other battles do we have in life?

And I'm submitting to you that as we renew the mind, we actually get assistance in different areas of our life as well, not just our obedience and our behavior, seeing transformation there, but seeing transformation in other areas as well.

And with that in mind, quick recap, last part of it, I told you that renewing the mind prepares us to win the daily war against doubt and unbelief.

That this war with doubt and unbelief is not a war, just like the war with sin will never end, this war with doubt and unbelief will also never end either.

And the struggle that we have sometimes with doubt and unbelief is a detrimental struggle.

It's a struggle that we don't nobody, listen, we all battle, we all have this war, but we don't want to be defeated in this war because James says some pretty heavy things about the person who is doubting and having unbelief, which we're gonna look at a little bit today.

So, this battle that we're in of doubt and unbelief fighting against it, the the battle, I'll say it like this the battle to maintain our faith is a real battle, and hear me, the mind plays a role in it.

I'll explain more of that in a second.

So, as we just read in James, that's your recap.

You want to know more, go back to last week on Spotify, Apple Music, different places.

Go online, you'll see it.

We are told here in James, if you need something, go to God.

You need wisdom, ask God.

We're commanded to do that.

However, James makes it clear, you must go believing.

Don't doubt, don't have unbelief.

You must go in faith.

Go believing to Him, pray, believing, with no doubt within you.

And he then explains that the one doubting is like a wave in the sea, which we'll talk about that.

It's like a wave, he's like a he or she is like a wave in the sea, the one with doubt, the one with unbelief, the one lacking faith.

They are like a wave in the sea.

And then in verse 8, this is part we're trying to get to as we intro this thing, the part eight, in verse eight, he tells us where the issue is.

He comes, he begins to narrow down the problem that they have doubt, they have unbelief, they're asking God, but as they pray, there's not there's not fully faith within them.

They're like a wave that's being blown and tossed by this by the wind.

Uh then that person shall not receive anything.

And verse eight, he concludes this this passage, this small passage, by saying, Here's the issue: such a person is double-minded.

They are a double-minded person.

And I see I'll see if I have time to get to double-mindedness today, but but hear me.

When I begin to see how James begins to describe the person with doubt, the person with unbelief, the person who is failing in their faith, the person who is struggling to have faith, he begins to narrow it down more like a wave.

They don't receive anything.

Such a person is double-minded.

Church, I come to the conclusion and I submit to you something I said last week.

I remind you again, put it on the board, that your faith is impacted by your mindset.

Your faith is impacted by what you think, by what you believe.

Your faith is impacted by what's taking place in the thought processes of your mind.

You're you're struggling with faith, you're struggling, uh seeing yourself in doubt, seeing yourself in unbelief, struggling to maintain faith.

Uh, you you are you are believing for things, but other days having trouble.

I'm telling you today, trying to narrow this down for you, you need to look at the mind.

Put on the board when there is evidence of doubt or unbelief, the mind must be examined.

The mind must be brought before the Lord, like God, what is going on in this mind?

Because if I'm being honest, I'm struggling in my faith.

I'm struggling with the belief.

So, my question is what is going on with the mind?

What is going on with this mind when it's battling doubt and unbelief?

What's going on in this area of our lives, this mind, when when we're lacking faith?

Well, 1 James gives us a description of the one who's battling doubt.

Next slide.

He says, the one who is praying but does not believe, the one who has doubt is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Why such a description?

Why use the word or the part of our world something like a wave?

Hear me.

Waves are inconsistent.

Some waves are high, some waves are low.

Some are for a moment you see many waves, one after another, after another, but the next moment you don't see as many.

Uh they can be moving in one direction, but then a moment later they're moving in another direction.

They'll even change speeds.

Uh some things about waves that I find interesting, I read up a little bit, that when they're in the deepest part of the oceans, when they're in like deep, deep oceans, when waves form in some deep ocean areas, they can come at, they can form waves that are that that uh that are uh end up walls being walls of water that are like a hundred feet high.

A hundred feet high.

In fact, they say the largest wave ever that that we know of, this is just the one recorded.

I think the flood might have something to say about it, but that we have on record, the largest wave is over 1,700 feet.

A 1700-foot wave by Alaska area somewhere up there.

And funny part, I don't have time to tell you the story, but there was actually a small fishing boat that got caught in the wave, and the men actually survived to tell the story about it.

1700-foot wave.

When we hear about tsunamis, you hear about tsunamis hitting different islands.

They say that before these tsunamis even reach land, as they're traveling through the ocean from because they come from deep parts of the ocean, that they can reach speeds of up to 500 and 600 miles an hour.

A wave of water, 100 foot high, going 500, 600 miles an hour.

That's the wave.

But they're not all like that.

Um I was in Hawaii and beautiful beach, of course, and the waves were about maybe four, three, four feet high, so decent waves.

It wasn't like that toilet bowl and corpus.

You know what I mean?

It was actual waves and and uh, you know, in the water in the waves, and then as we're there, I was actually in the water by myself.

All of a sudden, I just hear, watch out, and I turned and bam.

I mean, it felt like I got slapped, and next thing I know, all I see is the world going like this sky, sand, sky, sand, and I was just watered up my nose, and then my throat, I was and and I ended up thankfully thrown forward like all the way back to the shore almost.

And I was good 20, 30, 25 feet out there, and that finally, when I kind of like caught my breath for a second and stopped, I was like, and uh I actually saw like a lifeguard running towards me, and I'm like, Am I okay?

Like I was even thinking, Am I okay?

Like, I'm alright.

And he's like, You alright?

And I was like, Where did that come from?

And I asked him later, I said, How high was that wave?

He's like, that was about a 15-foot wave that hit you.

And I was like, they were three feet, four feet.

I just turn around and getting hit by a 15-foot wave.

Like, I told him the waves weren't that big.

He's like, Hey, those are waves for you.

And I was like, oh, that's it.

I I mean, I was scared.

I'll be honest with you, I'm not the greatest swimmer in the world.

I tell people I survive in the water, I don't really swim in the water.

And uh, any survivors of the water, raise your hand.

You're survivors, I'm with you.

We survive in the water.

One way or another, we're gonna get to land.

Amen.

Um, I survived that, but I I never forget it.

Like, and that was just a fifth, like a he said like a 15-foot wave, maybe, and I was like, my god, 20, 30 foot waves happen and come upon people, hit people, hit boats.

And I think to myself, how it was just three feet, four feet, then all of a sudden, boom, 15 feet.

It's the inconsistency.

It's it's it's the it's the waves that that they're they change from one moment to the next.

The highs, the lows, the the the speeds.

You can never really fully depend on exactly how the waves are gonna come in because that wind, that that that that wind, James says, what does he say?

It's the winds.

It's the winds.

The winds.

Next slide, please.

Like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind.

It's the winds that will kind of begin to uh you can say, in a way, manipulate the waves, manipulate the waters.

The winds come in and the winds will determine what's taking place with these waves.

Put on the board, the wind cannot be controlled.

However, however, the wind cannot be controlled and moves however it pleases.

Thus, the waves are just blown and tossed by this merciless wind.

The waves are at the mercy of the winds.

Let me say it again.

The waves are at the mercy of the winds.

The winds blow hard, the waves intensify.

The winds blow soft, the waves soften up, they subside.

The winds speed up and so do the waves.

The waves, uh the wind slows down and so do the waves.

They slow down as well.

The wind dictating the waves.

So we come to the conclusion, hear me.

We come to the conclusion, the waves, they're inconsistent, they're unpredictable, they're always changing, they're shifty, they're erratic, they're untrustworthy.

I'll say it again: the waves are inconsistent, they're unpredictable, they're always changing, they're shifty, they're untrustworthy, they're erratic, and hear me.

And according to James, put on the board that the person with doubt is like these waves.

The person who is battling doubt is is is like the wave of the ocean, the wave of the sea.

Well, how so?

Hear me.

Like waves.

There's no consistency of faith.

Their faith and their belief is shifty, it's unpredictable, it's inconsistent.

It'll change from one moment to the next.

It's erratic.

You can't really trust that person to really stand in faith and have belief.

The person with doubt, they're like the waves.

The faith is lacking.

Hear me, because of doubt, because of doubt, their faith is high one moment and suddenly it is low the next.

Because of doubt, their faith is big one minute, believing God for big things, but the next moment it's small, saying, Can He even do this?

The person battling doubt, it moves forward strongly in faith.

They're walking by faith, they're moving strong in faith, full of belief, full of hope.

But then the next moment it stalls, and they say, This is kind of tiring, and God, when are you gonna do something?

There's great demonstrations of faith and great declarations of faith, but the next moment there's nothing.

No more speaking the word, no more declaring faith.

You see, you pray for a miracle in the morning, but you speak negative by noon.

You shout amen on Sunday, then you say on Monday, it's never gonna happen.

The person battling doubt, the person battling unbelief.

You're like a wave, inconsistent, shifty.

And hear me, these are all signs.

These are all signs that the mind is at war with doubt and unbelief.

Why?

James is telling us the cause.

Hear me, it's the winds, it's the winds, but I'll be a little more specific for you.

It's the winds of life.

The winds of life.

You know the winds of life.

The winds of life are there, are those things that are out of your control.

It's the trial that you find yourself in that you didn't see coming.

It's the battle that you're in, even maybe some of you today, a battle that you are in that is wiping the joy from you, wiping the hope from you, and this isn't even your battle, probably.

It's the fight that you find yourself in at times, and this fight is not even yours.

It's it's the trials of life, it's the burdens of life.

Those are the winds of life, the things that you did not see coming, and all of a sudden you find yourself struggling a little bit.

Has anyone here ever battled the winds of life before?

The winds of life.

I didn't ask for this, God.

I didn't want this, God.

This isn't my fault, God.

I didn't even know this was gonna happen, God.

Yet here you are in this fight, in this battle, and hear me, and your faith is being challenged.

Your hope is being challenged.

Yeah, the time's passing, and there's no answer.

That's the winds of life.

You're praying, and God, when are things gonna change, but things aren't changing?

Those are the winds of life.

Out of your control, the winds of life, and and hear me very carefully.

Put on the board, I want you to know everyone encounters the winds of life.

Say amen to that.

If you haven't encountered the winds of life, just keep living.

You'll get there.

Things you didn't expect, things that were out of your control.

How?

Why?

Where did this come from?

How did this happen?

The winds of life, everyone goes through them.

And the Bible, I remind you, the wise man and the foolish man, both of their houses, the wind comes and beats on their houses.

Both of them.

Peter walking on water, the Bible says, as he's looking at Jesus, suddenly he looks at the wind, and he sees the wind, and he begins to become afraid, and he begins to sink the winds of life.

You see the disciples in a boat, Jesus asleep, and the disciples are there, and Luke's account he says a windstorm falls upon the boats.

The disciples become afraid, they think they're gonna die, they wake up Jesus so he can calm the storm.

They did not see the winds coming, it falls upon them, fear grips their heart.

Talk about, hear me, talk about being caught in the winds of life that you didn't ask for.

Jonah was running from the presence of God, hops on the boat of sailors who have nothing to do with his life.

And all of a sudden, because Jonah's in the boat, a wind takes over, begins to bombard this boat, and the men think they're gonna die.

These are innocent sailors.

You think they were expecting a windstorm because of a man on their boat running from God?

No.

But there they are in the midst of it.

Church, everyone goes through these winds of life.

Everyone.

Man, woman, rich, poor, black, white, blue collar, white-collar, young, old.

We are all gonna go through the winds of life.

Are you ready for the winds of life?

These winds of life, they will have no mercy.

They will not ask you questions.

They do not play fair.

The winds of life attack little children who can't do anything for themselves.

Why?

Because the devil doesn't care about the age.

He just wants to see people in fear, doubting, challenged by faith, walking away from God.

You see four-year-olds, five-year-olds fighting for their life.

Did they deserve anything for that?

No.

Did they ask for that?

No.

But there they are struggling.

It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, how old you are.

Hear me.

The winds of life will come.

They will come.

It falls upon every person.

It happens.

But but hear me, but but here's the other thing.

The winds of life don't just come in the form of trials and battles and fights and storms.

If only, if only that was the only time we saw the winds of life come upon us.

You know what I've learned?

Put it on the board.

I've learned that winds just don't blow, they speak.

They speak as well.

And do you know who is very slick with their words?

The devil.

He is very slick with his words.

He is called the father of all lies.

Slick, crafty with the words.

And he knows winds will speak.

And he likes to use words.

And by the way, he likes to use mouths as well.

Ain't y'all ever heard somebody speak in here like that?

Sounds like the devil.

Get thee behind me, Satan.

I wasn't looking at her.

I was looking at you.

I said that, all right?

Yeah.

I'll hear about that one later.

Alright.

He knows, listen, the enemy knows.

He knows that you can hear the winds at times.

I remind you, hear me.

Faith comes by hearing and the word of God.

Say amen to that.

But if hearing the word of God is powerful enough to produce faith in you, I wonder what else you're hearing that is powerful.

Is it possible that put on the board?

If faith can be produced by hearing, doubt and unbelief can be produced in the same way.

What you're hearing produces the doubt, stirs the unbelief.

And I don't want to get too far ahead of myself because I don't want to leak too far into the double demands portion of the chapter, but just hear me.

Every day, every day, we can hear so much that challenges our faith.

Every day.

Every day we can hear so many negative things that really challenge us and can produce, begin to produce that doubt, unbelief.

So many methods, so many ways that this mind is flooded with things it hears.

And you know what I've learned?

You can find negativity anywhere.

And let's be honest, and sometimes it's even, you even find the negativity in the places you least expect.

Let's be honest, sometimes it's your own.

Let's work this all around.

Children, teenagers, unfortunately, sometimes it's your own parents that can make you start to think negative.

Parents, sometimes it's your own children that can make you start to think negative.

Husband, sometimes it's your wow wife that makes you start questioning and wondering Am I gonna keep believing this thing?

It can be your husband to the wife that says, Man, I don't know.

The wife starts to wonder, do I keep believing?

Do I keep trusting?

Look what my husband's saying.

I mean, from the places you least expect, from the people you least expect.

Don't raise your hands, but I I will be pretty confident to say we've all been hurt by the closest people in our lives in this room.

You hear things, they say things, and and and you know you're praying at least deep down inside.

I don't think they mean it, but I kind of wonder.

Am I that?

Am I this?

Am I that horrible mother?

Am I that horrible father?

Am I a worthless son?

Am I a worthless daughter?

Am I a grandpa who doesn't know anything?

A grandma who doesn't know anything.

Brothers, siblings fight.

I grew up in a house, it was just three boys, we had our moments.

I don't know how many of y'all have ever said things to your siblings, but siblings can be mean, man.

Mean.

My brothers weren't that mean.

Oh, we all could be mean.

I could be mean.

We could all be ugly.

And I've learned you think brothers are bad, get a room full of sisters together.

My god.

My pastor used to used to say, Oh, los hombres dan viens, but los mujeres easy.

That means the guys are all doing good, but the women, ooh.

Women, unfortunately.

Same in that.

Not an amen in the house, right?

They're already mad at me, see?

Same of that.

I didn't expect to hear that from from you.

Have any has anybody ever been told that?

I don't expect that from Because we're all capable of it.

Why?

Because the enemy will use any mouth that allows it to be used.

Sometimes that negativity comes from those areas that why why why is it coming from them?

By the way, can I say something?

It's not just what you hear in the world or even amongst your family and close friends that that sometimes really challenge your faith.

I'll be honest with you.

I'll give you a heads up.

Watch out even in the church.

Because even in the church, your faith can come under attack.

First of all, unfortunately, there's a lot of false things being said sometimes about this word.

We have to be watchful, and as Paul says, test what we hear.

But on the second part, sometimes it's the brothers and sisters of the house that just have a hard time encouraging each other and building each other up.

Say amen to that.

I would tell every person if you've never been in church, keep going.

We'll get you eventually.

It happens.

People get hurt.

We are imperfect people.

Say amen to that.

And unfortunately, at times, you can pick on somebody, talk ugly to somebody.

Unfortunately, you're having a bad day, you take it out on your on the person sitting next to you on a Sunday, on the person serving with you on a Sunday, and all of a sudden now negative thoughts attack your mind.

Do I belong at church?

Does God really love me?

Am I as good as these people?

God, do you care about me?

God, do I fit in?

Can I really be part of the body of Christ?

Can I ever be in ministry?

Because look at them and how they what they did was kind of hurtful.

All these things start to want to creep in our minds.

First of all, if you've done wrong, go ask for forgiveness.

Amen to that.

Secondly, if you've been hurt, don't put your eyes on man.

Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ.

Keep your eyes on the altar and finisher of your faith.

I've had people that I've admired that have hurt me.

I've had people that I've admired that let me down, but you know what I've learned?

My faith isn't in them, my faith is in God Almighty.

My faith is in the one who will never fail me nor forsake me.

My faith is in the one who doesn't fail, who doesn't lie.

My faith is in the Lord, not in man.

Let our faith be in him and in him alone.

But when the time comes and you're challenged by that wind, those things that you're hearing, what are you gonna do?

Because they will come.

Hebrews 13, 9, put it on the board.

Don't be here, see these words, carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

Carried away.

What does wind do?

Wind carries things away.

Don't be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

Be careful with what you're hearing.

Ephesians 4 9.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up.

Why does Paul have to tell the Christians, the church in Ephesus, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth?

Is it possible that there was some corrupting talk coming out of their mouth amongst the believers and people are hearing those things?

So I tell you today, church, unfortunately, hear me, it is sad that it is not just the world trying to hurt our faith, but even God's people are also hurting each other's faith sometimes.

But in the name of Jesus, I tell you today, we can overcome it all in Jesus' name.

Every wind of life, every battle of life, hear me.

It's the winds of life that will stir the doubt and unbelief.

As we close, I want to remind you the winds of life are what motivate quitting.

The winds of life will tell you to give up.

The winds of life will say, nothing's changing.

See this battle, you're not winning.

See this fight, you're losing it.

See this trial, it's not going well for you.

The winds of life will stir the doubt and unbelief.

Oh, did you hear that?

They don't love you.

Did you hear that?

You're no good.

Did you hear that?

You're never gonna do anything great.

Did you hear that?

See even the people of God, the people who love God.

See how he spoke to you?

See how she spoke to you?

They want to creep into your mind.

Challenge your faith.

Challenge your belief.

Get you to the point where you say, I give up.

I don't want to do this anymore.

It's these winds, these winds that are tossing you around, they're throwing you around.

These winds don't want you to stand strong in faith and believe.

Put it on the board.

It's these winds when you encounter them, the winds you encounter, it's these winds that want to rob you of all that God has for you.

Why do I say that?

It's these winds.

The trials of life, the battles of life, the negativity you're hearing, the things that are not true that come into your mind.

Put it on the board.

James reminds us the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

So they doubt, blown and tossed by the wind, the winds of life, and that person, tough words, should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

And you know why it's tough words?

Because James went from asking for wisdom to now saying, you're not gonna get anything.

I thought we were just talking about wisdom.

No, the one who's praying but has doubt, they should not expect to receive anything from God.

And that's the winds of life that'll rob you of what God has for you.

They'll rob you of the desires of God for your life, they'll rob you of the blessings of God.

And hear me, it's these winds that are attacking your mind.

They are attacking your mind, especially as you try to renew it.

I'll conclude later about this attacking of the mind with the double-mindedness.

I'll do it later, but hear me.

Your mind's being attacked.

Doubt, unbelief, the war is on.

But today I say, hear me, when the winds stir, the mind that's being renewed enters a battle, and that battle is to have faith or begin to doubt.

The battle you're in, the battle I'm in, with the winds of life that are blowing.

The mind that's being renewed is challenged.

Here's the fight faith or doubt.

Faith or doubt, faith or doubt.

The mind is under attack.

It knows faith is a must.

It knows I must have faith, but there is just so much wind that blows sometimes.

There's just so much wind that comes through our lives at times.

But today I want to encourage every person here and I want to help you.

I encourage you last week.

I'll encourage you again some more today.

Hear me.

These winds will not have victory over us in the name of Jesus.

These winds will not defeat us in the name of Jesus.

Because I think we can all come together today and say, hey neighbor, hey neighbor, you're not the only one battling some winds, man.

You're not the only one going through some windstorms.

I'm with you.

We're in this thing together.

Say amen to that, please.

Am I the only one battling winds?

I hope not.

Tell your neighbor, I'm in some good ones, man.

You should see mine.

We're all battling some winds.

So here as we close, let's close this out.

What do I need to do when the winds begin to stir?

Let me encourage you.

What do I do when these winds begin to stir?

I'll get to double-mindedness next time.

What do I do when the winds begin to stir?

What do I do when the trial, the battle, the fight is on?

What do I do when negativity has just now bombarded my mind?

And all these ugly things have bombarded my mind, and I feel like I'm losing my faith, and I'm beginning to question, I'm beginning to doubt.

It's flooded my mind.

What do I do?

One, remember God's character.

Remember who God is.

Loving God, merciful God, powerful God, faithful God, good God, kind God.

He is God of all.

No one like him.

The same yesterday, today, and forever.

Church, that is your God.

Remember his character and hear me.

Put on the board.

Choose to anchor yourself in God's unchanging character rather than being at the mercy of shifting circumstances and opinions.

Hear me.

Circumstances change, opinions change.

What people think about you changes.

There's one thing that will never change, and that is our God Almighty.

The same yesterday, today, and forever.

He was God in the Old Testament, God in the New Testament, and God of our day today.

Church, you can count on him, he will never change.

Remember his character.

Remember, God, you were good yesterday, you're good today.

You were faithful yesterday, you're faithful today.

My God never changes.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.

One, remember his character.

Two, remember God's works.

Remember God's works.

Can I tell you today, put on the board, your history is his story of what he is capable of?

And let me tell you something.

Some of y'all have some, some of y'all have some crazy histories, man.

I've heard some of your histories.

Are you grateful for a God who kept you when you weren't asking him to keep you?

Are you grateful for a God who was protecting you when you weren't asking him to protect you?

Are you grateful for a God who was with you while you were driving home drunk and you don't even remember how you got home, but somehow you got home?

Are you grateful for a God who you went to bed and you weren't sure you're gonna wake up the next morning, but you saw the sun rise that day?

Are you grateful for a God that hear me before you even called out his name?

He was already calling your name and saying, I want a relationship with you, I want to help you, I want to save you.

But here's how good he is.

He wasn't just good before I got saved, he was good after I got saved as well.

How many of you of you have seen God do some wonderful things in your life that cause you to praise him and honor him?

In fact, can we take 10 seconds and praise God for what he has done in our lives?

He saved, he killed, he restored.

Some of you, your families, you have your families united again, your marriage is killed, you are on deathbeds.

I know some of you here, you are on deathbeds, and now you are walking, you are a testimony.

Doctors look at you and saying, We don't know how you got past it.

Well, I do.

It's the God that I serve.

So I tell every person today, what do you do when the winds want to stir?

Hey, if my God did it then, he can do it now as well.

My faith is in him.

Remember his works, and finally, remember God's words.

Remember what he has spoken.

Winds are stirring, waves, the winds are bad, the winds of life.

I didn't see this coming past her.

I didn't, I didn't think they'd walk out, I didn't think they'd leave me.

I didn't think my kid would do this.

I I remember one time there was a lady when I was back working with my dad, elderly lady, like in her 70s, 80s.

She was buying a car from us.

Buying it cash.

She was grandma bucks, like she had a lot of money, apparently.

Grandma big bucks, and she had a lot of money.

She was buying this car cash.

And I told her, Oh, so I hope you enjoy the car.

She said, It's not for me.

It's for my my daughter.

She has so many problems.

I'm just trying to help her.

I looked at her and I go, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry about that.

And she goes, that's okay.

She said, Mijo, listen.

She just started talking.

I'm fine.

I'm good.

I'm healthy, I'm strong, I'm still alive.

I'm good.

I take care of myself, I'm fine.

It's my children.

It's my grandchildren.

They need help.

They're not doing there's so many of them just like they're all in problems and in issues.

She just began to cry right in front of me.

And I was just like, Well, here are your keys, lady, I'll see you later.

No, no.

I actually was like, Can I pray for you?

Can I pray for you?

She said, Yeah, please, would you say a prayer for me?

She says, she says, I said, she said, I'm fine, it's just my kids.

It wasn't even her life.

It was the life of others.

That was like they're bringing it down.

Do I have moms and grandmas and grandpas that could probably testify to that this morning?

This is it isn't even my battles and fights.

It's the battles and fights that I see my kids going through.

First, worship team come up.

First, hear me.

Remember what God said.

Remember what he's spoken.

Remember his promises are yes and amen.

Remember what he said.

And hear me.

And if you've forgotten, get back in that word.

Take that word and say, Let me remind myself of what he said.

If God be for me, who can be against me?

Let me remember I'm the head and not the tail.

I am above and up beneath.

There is no one like my God.

Great are you, Lord.

When I am in trouble, I run to my strong tower.

Uh the Lord is my light and my salvation.

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life.

Of whom shall I be afraid?

That is my God.

Well, I will not be afraid of what man can do to me.

The Lord is my helper.

It is God who is on my side.

Be strong and be very courageous.

Remember the words of God and hear me, but just don't remember them.

Begin to declare them, begin to speak them.

Pray them over your children.

Pray them over your grandchildren.

I can't be where you are, son, but I send the word of God.

I can't be where you are, daughter, but I send the word of God.

May the joy of the Lord be your strength.

May you have a peace that passes all understanding.

May you know that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

May you know that God calls you by name.

You are his chosen generation.

You are his royal priesthood.

Child of God, remember what God has spoken about you.

Remember what he said about you.

When the winds come and they throw you to the side, and when the winds come and they challenge your faith, I want you to remember that you have the word of God.

And when his words are my foundation, my faith can stand in the wind.

My faith can stay strong in the wind, like a palm tree bending and bending and bending, the wind blowing the palm tree.

But the palm tree stays put, the palm tree stays right where it was planted.

Why?

Because although the wind is strong, the foundation is stronger.

Although the wind is hard, the foundation is set.

What is your foundation?

What are you building upon?

I pray today it's the word of God, the word of God, the word of God, the word of God.

What he said, I believe it.

What he said, I declare it, and what he said that settles it.

I am founded upon the word of God.

My family founded upon the word of God.

My marriage founded upon the word of God.

My children are planted on the word of God.

Every part of my life, health, finances, marriage, home, job, every part of my life founded on the word of God.

Built upon the word of God.

Why?

Can we preach a little bit?

Can we have some fun this morning?

Why?

Because that word doesn't fail.

That word doesn't come back void.

That word goes out and it shall do what it is supposed to do.

You know how powerful this word is.

God's words came out of his mouth, and suns and moons and stars came about.

God's words came out of his mouth, and creation was made.

You are here not just because you were created, you're here because you were spoken by God.

He knows you, he caused you, he named you.

Mom and dad didn't name you, grandma didn't name you.

It is God who named you.

His name, your name came out of his mouth.

Think about that.

Your name came out of his mouth.

You want to question God's word.

It breaks my heart.

Some of you remember the example.

It breaks my heart when we sometimes have more faith in curses and witchcraftery and spells.

Don't read that spell, mommy.

You know what it can do to me?

Don't open up that witch's book and read that thing.

You know what it's gonna do to me.

You're more scared of those words.

You're more scared of those words.

And yet, so scared, and yet God's word is spoken, and you choose to doubt, you better decide whose report you are going to believe.

We shall believe the report of the Lord.

If God said it, I believe it, that settles it.

You know what I love about the palm tree?

It's in the wind, and you see it blowing and blowing and blowing, but it's not going anywhere.

My pastor said something one time.

I did a play with some teenagers.

We always did plays back when youth ministries did plays.

And one of the guys, he's here today.

He pretended.

Just long story short, in the play, he worshiped God like this.

And the kid said it out of his mouth.

He goes, Praise him like a palm tree, praise him like a palm tree.

I didn't think about it.

My pastor said it the following Sunday.

He yelled it from the pulpit, and I started laughing when he yelled it.

He's telling the crowd, come on, let's praise him like a palm tree.

I started laughing.

No, he called a revelation.

That palm tree in the wind was staying put and praising God as it stayed put.

Because that palm tree knows I'm not going anywhere.

All things work together for good for them who serve the Lord, call to his purpose.

So, what do I do in that wind?

It's not number four on the board, but I'll throw you one more.

Remember to give them all the praise, all the worship, and all the honor.

You may look weird while doing it.

You're praising him when they repolled your car.

Yeah, I'm praising him.

And then I'm gonna go pay my bill in the name of Jesus.

You're praising him after the doctor gave you a bad report.

Yeah, I'm praising him like a palm tree.

I'm praying the wind is blowing hard, but I am praising him in the wind because I will believe the reports of the Lord.

Did you learn something this morning?

Give the Lord a hand clap.

I am done.