Don’t Settle - There Is More | Nick Dekold

Please help me welcome Nick. D Cold from Lakeshore Church,

Texas. Hey, so.

Honored to be. With you guys today.

Like you said, my name is Nick, I am from Texas in United States

of America and we're. Here with a group.

Of 18 people, we came to minister.

All over Davao for the. For about 10.

Days half of our team is here my.

Wife. Is in the front row, Liz, we got

some of our team is serving. In your kids ministry and just

excited. To be with you today, but I'm

excited to get into the word and here's.

Here's what I know, man. You guys like the worship.

My goodness, you don't like the music?

Loud at all you like it? Quiet.

I know that. No.

You like it loud. Is it going to be a?

Good day. Let's get let's.

Get into the word if. You have your Bibles.

Turn to Philippians. Chapter 3 I just felt like the

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

Lord put a message. On my heart for you guys that's

going to encourage you today and so let's jump in Philippians

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 is where we're going to be.

I want to share. One verse before that, though,

to set this up, and here's the Here's the big idea, the premise

of. The message.

That I want. You to get this morning is that.

There is more for your life than what you're.

Currently experiencing right now like it doesn't matter and if.

You're in a good. Season it doesn't matter if

you're. In a.

Difficult season. It doesn't.

Matter if you're discouraged. Or down or very very.

Encouraged. The reality is this is there's

always more of God to be had. And God has.

More for your life. Than what you're experiencing

right now. So let me just.

Set this up in John chapter 10 verse 10.

John 10:10

The Bible tells us this. There is a.

Thief who comes to. Steal, kill and destroy.

But God has come to. Give you life and.

Life abundantly so the first part of that verse says this.

The enemy of your soul. Has a plan for your life?

That he wants to kill, he wants to steal and he wants to

destroy. That there there is a real.

Enemy, and he's coming to. Attack you to steal from you to

destroy you, but the. Good news of this.

Scripture is this that God who is more powerful, who is

stronger, Who is greater? Than any.

Enemy that will ever face has come to give you life and life.

Abundantly and I want you to get that this morning that there's

more for your life than you're currently experiencing.

So. The SO the title of my message.

If I would give you 1 would be. This don't settle because there

is. More.

Don't settle because there is more.

Let's pray. And then we'll jump into.

The word God, we thank you for your word, Thank you that it is

truth. God, thank you, that is a

source. Of life and hope and

encouragement and all. Power and authority.

Comes from your. Word.

So God, I pray as we. Dive into Scripture.

God, that you would speak to our hearts individually, your Holy

Spirit. Would minister to each one of us

specifically and individually. God, take the words that we're

about to speak God and speak to every soul.

Every person as they need to hear it.

In Jesus name we pray and everybody said Amen, Amen.

Have you ever had high High. Hopes for something that didn't

turn out. The way you accepted you had it

yet a. Dream, You had a plan.

You thought something was going to go.

A certain way. And then just overtime it didn't

happen as. Quick as you thought, maybe it.

Didn't pan out the. Way you expected.

It to pan out my my wife and I, we like to go on on.

Weekly dates we will take. We have Fridays off together.

And we go on a date. So there was one day we went

out. It was close to our anniversary,

so I said let's go to let's. Go to a nicer.

Restaurant, let's go to. Someplace nice.

And so I looked. It up online I found a great.

Place we. Got in the car.

We headed to the restaurant. And when we pulled.

Up to the restaurant we found ourselves.

In the middle of a parking lot and there was no restaurant

around. It was empty, there's nothing

around. And I looked at the GPS and it

was where. We were supposed to be.

They brought us to where we're supposed to.

Go, but nothing was around. So I said it's OK, we'll we'll

find a different spot. It's OK, we'll.

Find someplace else. So we looked someplace else up,

we went to a different place. We got to the front door, we

opened the door, it was locked and it says.

Closed for business strike. Two right it's it's not.

Working out. I had a big plan and it has it

working out. So I found ourselves

discouraged. And we didn't know what to do.

Or where to go. And I looked across the street

and in America there is a restaurant called the Crazy

Chicken. And so I said, let's go.

Over there. And my wife said you're a crazy.

Chicken. She was joking.

She was joking. But we found ourselves with

these big plans, this big idea. But in the midst of things not

going the way we thought they were going to.

Go. We got discouraged.

And we found ourselves just settling and we said this.

Is as good as it's going to get, so we should just go.

Here and I think. That's somehow the way that.

You and I can go about. In life where we've got God puts

a. Dream in our heart.

We feel a sense of purpose. We feel a sense of destiny.

We. We want to do something big.

With our life but. Things happen over time and

don't pan out the way. We thought they would.

And so. We say this is as good as it's

going to get, and we draw circles and we put.

Limitations on God. Because we don't I.

Think that things are panning out the.

Way we we thought they were going.

To pan out, and I want to encourage you this morning that

you may have drawn lines around your marriage, you may have

drawn lines and limits around your friendships.

You may have drawn lines around the purpose.

You may have drawn lines around your financial situation.

You may draw lines around your purpose.

But the truth is. This there is more for your life

than what you're experiencing right now.

So Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 says this.

Ephesians 3:20

Now him who is able to do immeasurably more then all we

can ask or imagine according to the power that is in work within

us, that's the type. Of God that we.

Serve and as we. Look to God's Word this morning.

I just want to challenge our perspective.

I want to lift your. Faith this morning, before we

get into Philippians, I just want, I just want to encourage

you. This morning you may feel empty.

You may be discouraged. You may feel stuck, but let me

just bring some encouragement to your situation that God's not

done with you yet. Come on, I believe.

That God would say this to you That.

You may have drawn limits around your situations, but with God

there are no limits that we serve an immeasurably more type

of God and when you. Read Ephesians 3. 20 you see.

God breaking all. Kinds of natural.

Barriers like you can see if we look all throughout scripture.

We can see from Genesis, Genesis to Revelation.

That we serve a. Supernatural God that he's not

bound by natural limitations. So he's the God who parted the

Red Sea? He's the God.

Who closed the mouth of lions to protect Daniel in the lion's

den? He's.

The God who walked on water. He's the God who fed 5000.

With just some loaves and some. Fishes.

He's the God who raised Lazarus. From the dead and then raised

himself from the dead. Come on, we serve an

immeasurably more. Type of God.

Who's not bound by natural limitations?

Who's supernatural? Who can break any barrier even

when you put one on yourself? Come on, we serve in a

measurably more type of God. So Philippians Chapter 3, here's

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

what we're on it where I want to go with the message.

Today, I believe we see a formula that Paul.

Gives us in the scriptures on how we can see our life move.

Forward, regardless of where you are at.

In your current. Life so if it.

Philippians chapter 313 through 14 says this.

Paul is. Speaking and he says, brothers,

I do not consider that I have made it on my own, but one thing

I do. I.

Forget what lies behind and I strain forward.

To what lies ahead. I press on towards the.

Goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And I believe Paul. Gives us just a 2A simple 2 step

process that. Every single person can do in

this room that will move. Our life forward.

And it's this. It's forgetting what's behind

and it's. Straining forward to what?

Lies ahead. He says forget the.

Former things and strain. Forward to what lies.

Ahead but I. Don't want you to catch this,

the first thing he says. If you want to.

Move your life forward if you want to see things progress.

If you want to see the dreams. That in your heart be achieved.

You can't do that unless and until.

You forget the. Things that are behind.

That's why Paul says it first. So you got to.

Forget what's behind so. You can move forward to what

lies ahead. I.

Don't know if you guys have this.

Here in the Philippines, but in where?

Where I grew up and where? Where our family is.

We have what's called a hot a hot air balloon festival.

Do you guys? Have hot air balloons here.

You may not. OK, let me.

Explain there's this festival where all these giant.

Balloons will go into an open field and they'll they'll raise

up into the sky. And they'll fill up with light

and it's a beautiful, beautiful sight.

But what happens is is is these balloons will.

Be on the ground, but to keep them on the ground.

While the heat is. Allowing them to.

Rise is there's there's. There's weights and.

Bags all over the basket where the people?

Go in to keep them down so. They could essentially rise.

And when I was. At this festival watching these.

Balloons rise, I noticed. All the balloons were.

Rising except for one, and when I looked at the one that wasn't

rising, I said what's wrong with that when it looks?

The same. As all the others.

It has the fuel. That the flame was allowing the

balloon to fill up and to go up, but it's only just.

Hovering a little bit. And as I looked.

Closer, there was all the weights that we're.

Supposed to keep it on the ground initially, didn't get

released in time to allow. It to go up, so it had the

ability to go up just like every other.

Balloon. But they didn't.

Let go of the. Weights and the things.

That were strapped to it. And it caused a limitation and I

think. This is what Paul is.

Saying in the scripture is if we want our.

Our lives to rise if we want to achieve all that God has for us

if we want to. Experience the fullness of God

and the purpose that He has. For our life, we've got to

forget the. Former things and there's some

things that we need to cut loose from our.

Life so that we can move forward into all that God has us.

So I just want to share. A few of those things this.

Morning. Because I believe this.

I believe this, that we've got to cut.

Some ties cut some things away from our life.

That are old history that that are.

Old history, the things that are slowing you down.

I'm I'm. Talking about that difficult.

Situation you went through I'm talking.

About that that. Thing that's offending you.

I'm talking about the. Person who betrayed you or the.

Disappointment that you have or that financial thing that didn't

go the way that. You hoped it would.

It's old history. It's something that's.

In your past that you just keep. Replaying.

Over and over and. Over in your brain and it's a

it's, it's sucking up bandwidth in your mind that it doesn't

allow you to move forward. See, whatever it is you've got,

whatever that thing is for you, it's.

Stealing your focus and it's limiting what where God wants to

take you. Isaiah 40. 318 and 19 it says

forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.

Come on, we read the scripture this morning.

See, I am doing a new thing now. It springs up.

Do you not perceive it? I'm making a way in the

wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

I believe this scripture is for you.

This morning. God wants to do something new in

your life. And you can't fully experience

that if you allow old. History.

Things that are. Are are from your?

Past to allow. To to to tag.

On to stay connected to you as you.

Move forward the second. Thing I think you need to cut

some ties with some weights. Off your life are old habits.

Some old habits, it's things that.

Here's how I like to. Explain habits.

It's it's. Things that you.

Pick up along the way that you never intended to pick up.

When you're moving forward. Like I'll give you an example.

You're driving out in the street.

You're riding your car. Your motorcycle, your tricycle,

and you get something in your tire and your tire becomes flat

and you got to pull over and you got to change your tire.

You got to. Fix your tire.

A piece of metal gets in it. You're driving.

You didn't, you didn't mean to pick it up.

It just happened to it. Just.

Happened to get there and over. Time you find out it's a part.

It's caused you to be to. Slow you down and to keep you

back. And we all have habits in our

life, things that are. A part of us that you look back

and you say how did. How did I start doing that?

How did I get that negative thing in my life I never

intended to get? Here, but you got.

Here and it's not. I want to challenge you to look.

At your life to say what? Are some habits in your life

that are holding you back? What do you need to release?

Who do you need to forgive? 2nd Corinthians 517 through 18

says. This therefore, anyone who.

Is in Christ. The new creation has come, the

old is gone, the new is. Here and all this.

Is from God who? Reconciled us to.

Himself through Christ Jesus and gave us the ministry of

reconciliation. The word reconciliation means to

bring the balance to 0. It's what Jesus.

Did for. Us on the cross, he paid for all

of our. Sin All of our debt brought a

balance to zero. We owe him nothing.

And I believe this. There's some people, maybe

there's some people in your life where you need to forgive.

That you feel like they. Still owe you something now that

since we've been forgiven, we can.

Freely forgive others. We can bring that balance to

zero and leave the old habits behind as we move.

Forward. I'll summarize this section with

this is you can't start the next chapter.

Of your life if you keep. Rereading the last one, you

can't move. Forward into the next chapter of

your life. You.

Keep reliving the last one. The third thing is this is

you've got to cut some ties with some.

Old hurts. So you were.

You were wounded. By somebody and it hurt, and

what that person did was wrong and the pain is real.

But I've got good news for you. Jesus can heal it.

Can hurt a healed. Heart he can.

Heal a hurt heart. That God can, can, can take what

was done to you and turn it around and even use it for good.

See, God wants to. Do something new in your life

and the 1st. Part of the process that Paul

gives us. To move.

Forward to experience. The fullness of God.

For our life is to forget the former.

Things and then he has this moment where it's a pivot moment

where you say, you say I'm dealt, I'm I'm dealing with

these things. But now I'm going to move

forward and I'm going to focus on the strain forward, on what

lies. Ahead, so once you've dealt with

the past, you can move. Forward into the future and the

and if you. Look at the the.

This idea of straining forward in the Greek the definition

literally means this. It means to lean.

Forward with full effort. With full energy, with full

focus and full determination. It's a.

Picture of a runner. Who's about to start a race?

Who's? Leaning in from the starting

line who? Gives it their all.

Who's saying I'm moving forward? It doesn't.

Say casually walk through. It doesn't say just.

Kind of skip through life, it says to have a focus.

And a determination where I'm so focused on what God has for me,

I'm leaning in with full effort and full energy.

Ephesians 516 through 17 says this.

It says make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants

you to do. God's got something specific for

each and every one of us in this room.

Whether we whether we we discover.

It or not is. Up to us.

And the. Way to discover.

It is to lean in with. Full effort to strain forward

like Paul. Is saying.

So I, I, I. Would want to give you just a

few practical. Things on how what?

What does it look? Like how do we move?

Our life forward to. Experience the more.

That God. Has for US.

Number one is this. I want to challenge you.

You got to refocus your life. On what really matters.

Because there's a lot of things in.

Life that really doesn't matter and we can spend a lot of our

time and a lot. Of people in life.

Spend their time on things that don't really matter and they're

not going to show up in heaven and we can get.

Stressed out about? Things that don't matter.

And we can. We can be worried about things

that don't matter. But we've got to.

We've got to refocus our life. On what really matters.

You've got to decide. What's important and not go

halfway in, Not go. Partially away.

In to say I'm going to go all in, I'm going to lay my life

down. I'm going all in.

The three things that show up in heaven this really matter on

this earth is God matters, people matters, and eternity

matter. That's all.

That's all that really matters. Focus on what really matters and

your old way of. Living before Jesus, you had a

different set of priorities. People who don't know Christ has

my. Different set of priorities.

There's things that matter to them that don't matter to us.

But that's why we say refocus your.

Life on what really matters see we've.

Got to say yes. To the right things.

We've got to prioritize the right things.

Philippians 3. Seven through 8.

Says this Paul's. Talking, he says.

Whatever were gains to me, I now consider.

It a loss for the sake of Christ.

Whatever is more, I consider everything a loss.

Because of the. Surpassing worth of knowing

Christ Jesus my Lord for. Whose sake I have.

Lost all things. I now consider them garbage that

I may gain Christ. What Paul was saying was this.

In my former life, there were things that I thought were

important, but now that I know Christ, those things aren't

important anymore because there's nothing more important

than. What God has.

For me, there's nothing more important than me fulfilling my

purpose, and that's where I'm going to experience.

All that God has. For me and Paul's recognizing

with the same tensions that we recognize.

So there once was things that were important to me.

Now I consider them all lost. They're all garbage in

comparison to the surpassing knowledge of knowing.

Jesus Christ, see the. Only way that we'll experience

all that God. Has for is if we go.

All in SO number one, you got to refocus on what really matters

#2. You've got to prioritize.

The things that matter. So it's one thing to say

something is important to me, but if it doesn't show up in the

way that it lived my life. It's just.

It's just. Lip service, it's really not

important to me. Right.

So. So we got to prioritize.

The things that matter. This isn't a profound statement,

but there. There is, there was.

A season in my life. Where I said I.

Valued certain things, but they never showed up in my life.

So the truth is I didn't really value them.

They weren't important to me and I came to this.

Reality that that. That I needed to change some

things in my life so let me just.

Throw this out if you say that you you you value your.

Marriage. If you're married and you don't

invest in your marriage, your marriage probably isn't very

important to you. If you say you value your faith.

But you don't spend time with the Lord and get in the Word and

get around other. People of A.

Community of faith, Maybe it's not very important to you.

If you say that you value whatever it is.

For your situation, it's got to show up in your.

Life you've got to. Prioritize them and make it a.

Part of the way. That you live psalms 90 verse.

12 says. Teach us to number our days and

recognize. How few they are.

Help us to spend them as we should.

We we are finite beings, which means this we all have an

expiration date. That we will all.

Have a time on earth where our time is limited that we we don't

get to live on this. Earth.

Forever this Earth. Is not our home, but there is a

mission to be accomplished while we're on this earth there's a.

Purpose to be to be fulfilled while they're on.

While we're on this earth and the scripture is saying this.

Hey, we've got to. Recognize that every one of us

have a limited number of days on planet Earth, and we need to we

need to spend them as. We should.

Focused on things and prioritizing the things that

matter and watch the difference it'll make in your life when you

do. The third thing is this.

You've got to remove the things that don't matter.

So you got to, you got to refocus.

Redefine what really matters. Then you got to prioritize what

really matters, and then you got to remove the things that don't

matter. And what I mean by?

This we all have. Things that really don't matter,

that are in our lives, things that just don't belong and I'm

not. Talking about sin issues, we've

already talked about those. We've already talked.

About cutting ties with those, but we just have things that

waste time. That aren't effective that.

Don't make a difference that are that.

That are just. Going through the motions and if

we want to keep our life moving forward.

We've got to. Remove the things that don't

matter. 1st Corinthians 1023 and 24 says this.

Paul's talking again, He says. I.

Have the right. To do anything, but not

everything is beneficial. I have the.

Right to do anything but everything is constructive.

No one should. Seek their own good, but the

good of others. And again, what?

Paul is saying is. This As believers, we've got a

lot of freedom. There's a.

Lot of things we could be doing and Paul's saying we've got to,

we've got to make sure that we're doing things that are

beneficial, things that are helpful, things that are in line

with our purpose, things that are aligned with what God.

God has. Called us to do and not waste

time but lean in, strain forward.

On all that God has. For us to do.

We've got to learn to say yes. To the right things and not yes

to everything number. 4 is this is.

Is not only you got to remove the things that don't matter.

The last thing is this is. You've got to take.

Regular inventory of your life, and here's what I mean.

You've got to inspect your life and you've got to say, am I in

line with God's purpose for my life?

Am I doing the things he's called me to do?

Is there anything in my life that that's creeped in at some

of those old? Habits that's got back.

In that's limiting and holding me back again, I found it.

I found it's healthy from time to time to stop and ask the

question, where is my life out of alignment?

Where is it not in line with what what God has called me to

do? Need to pause.

Often take inventory, ask questions and say am I in?

Am I doing what God has called me to do?

I remember the first time. I went to a chiropractor.

A doctor corrects your back. And and you guys, you have them

here, right? Yeah.

Yeah. OK.

I remember I woke up one day, I, I turned 40 years old and

somehow sleeping made my neck hurt, You know, like, I don't

have to do anything. I don't have to do anything

adventurous. I could go to sleep and wake up.

And I said, my neck hurts, you know, And so I remember waking

up and my neck hurt and I had to, I was walking around like

this. I couldn't straighten my neck.

I had to call a friend. Who is a chiropractor?

And I said I need to come see you.

I need help. It's like I'm in a lot of pain.

And he said come on in. Laid laid me down.

And I expected him to crack my neck and crack my back and make

me feel better. And what happened?

Was he? Said Where's the pain?

I said. Right.

Here on the right. Side of my neck so he went down

to the edge of the bed and grabbed my.

Foot and started. Pulling on my leg and I said,

doctor, I think you didn't hear me right.

The pain is in my neck, not my. Foot and he said.

Let me do my thing and then he comes around.

To the side. And he grabs my arm.

He starts doing this number on my arm.

And I said, is my doctor death? You know, he my neck hurts.

Not my arm, not my foot, not my leg.

And so he comes and moves my arm and moves it around and moves it

all around. And then, then he comes up and

then he. Says all right, let's let's.

Turn on your side. He turned on my side, made me

cross my leg and elbow, dropped me on my side and I said doctor

my neck hurts. Leave the rest of my body alone,

please. And then he says, OK, sit up.

We're. Done, I say.

You didn't even touch my neck and he said.

What? What you're.

Dealing with is something that we call in the chiropractic

world, referred Pain, which means this you're experiencing

pain in one area, but the problem is somewhere else.

And he was. Addressing something I think

some of us are here this morning as we may be feeling pain,

experiencing pain in one area of our life, and we think the

solution is one way. But it's actually the.

Problem with somewhere else and I think we.

Need to. That's why I said we got to.

Check inventory in our heart to make sure God are we in align

with the. Purpose of our life.

Because our marriage may. Be out of whack, but it could be

because our spiritual life. Isn't solid.

We may be. Struggling financially, but it's

because we're not pressing into the things of.

God like we used to. We may be having friendship

issues and we think I got to fix my friendship.

But the reality is, if you're not.

Out of sync in your relationship?

With God, it affects every other area of your life.

And so you may have pain in one area, but God is saying let me

fix. This area.

Let me get you an alignment. Let me get this thing straight

with me and you. Let's get our relationship.

Right again and watch. All the other areas of our life.

Come into play well. We got to take.

Regular inventory. Of our life.

Psalms 139 We see David doing this in the scripture.

You may have heard this. It says this.

David is speaking and he says, Search me, O God, and know my

heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along

the path of everlasting life. David's taking a moment where

he's taking inventory. Of our life, the.

The man in the Bible that who's given the title?

The man after God's own heart and we know his story.

He had mess ups, he had victories, he had mess ups, he

had victories and he had this moment where he constantly had

to realign himself to say God thank you for your grace God

thank you that your blood paid for it all.

Thank you. And we can say that where we can

thank God and even we have moments of mess up, we can say I

want to get things right in my life because I know if things

are out of sync spiritually in my.

Life it'll affect. Every other area of my life.

And so I want to encourage you this morning, God has more for

you. God has.

More for your life don't settle you may be going through a

discouraging situation you may be you may feel depressed you

may be down you may not see things progressing at the pace

you want to see them but let me just remind you we serve in a

miserably more type of God and if we cut.

Ties with the old. Past in the old, pain in the

old. Habits and we.

Strain forward, meaning take this thing seriously, that God's

got a plan for your. Life that our.

Days are limited, that our days are numbered.

And if we lean forward and say I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm

going to forget everything behind and press in the way God

has for you. I believe this.

You're going to see and experience the abundant life

that God has for each and every one of us.

Amen. Amen.

Come on, let's pray together and then I'll close up and hand it

back to Pastor Armand. Father, we thank you.

For your word today. Got to thank you for every

incredible beautiful person in this room.

I thank you for the city of Davao, the nation of the

Philippines. God, I thank you.

God for the, for the. Revival that is going to take

place in this country. Got to thank you for the. 40

churches that. Have come out of this church

alone and the ministry that's taking place in the fire School

of ministry. Father, I pray blessings upon

this house, upon Pastor Armand, Pastor Buddy, and their families

and all the leadership here. And God, I pray that.

They would they. As a church would not settle.

That as a just that they would. Experience all that you have for

them. Thank you that you are an

immeasurably more God and God I pray for any person here this

morning who may have settled who may be be discouraged who's

down. God I pray today they.

'D be full of faith they'd leave.

This place God knowing. God, that you.

Got more for their life and father I pray to anybody.

Who's who's here? Who's out of alignment with you?

Who needs to? Get the right their life right

God, I ask that. Today would be the moment.

Today would be the day where they would surrender their life

fully. To you.

They'd go all in with you. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Amen.

God bless you. Thank you guys.

Thank you so much. Are you blessed?