Shadowing Practice: Faith Without the Evidence | Joel Osteen - Learn English Speaking with Video
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God bless you.
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It's great to be with you today.
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And I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can come visit us in person.
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We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services.
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I'd like to start with something funny.
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And I heard about this lady.
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Every day she saw this old man sitting on his porch rocking in a rocking chair.
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He always seemed to be so happy.
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And one day she got her nerve up and went over to and said, sir, I can't help but notice you're always smiling, always in a good mood.
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Tell me, what is your secret for such a long, happy life?
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He said, oh, that's easy.
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I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day.
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I eat nothing but junk food and I never exercise.
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She said, that's amazing.
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How old are you?
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He said, 26.
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No, don't live like that.
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All right, y'all ready?
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This is my Bible.
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I am what it says I am.
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I have what it says I have.
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I can do what it says I can do.
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Today I will be taught the Word of God.
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I boldly confess my mind is alert.
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My heart is receptive.
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I will never be the same in Jesus' name.
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God bless you.
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I want to talk to you today about faith without the evidence.
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It's easy to believe when you see things happening.
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You're getting good breaks.
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Doors are opening.
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your health is improving you know it's the hand of God working in your life
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but sometimes we have promises we're standing on
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but we don't see anything improving we're praying believing there's no sign
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that the promise is on the way week after week month after month that's
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when doubt comes thoughts whisper you're not going to get well you'll never meet the right person
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that dream's not going to come to pass you're no further along today than you were two years ago
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There's no evidence of things changing But here's the key True faith doesn't require evidence
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Hebrews says Faith is the substance of things hoped for The evidence of things not seen
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If you can see it If you have evidence You don't need faith
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That's why the scripture says to walk by faith
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And not by sight If you're basing your faith on what you can see Is this improving?
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Are there signs that God is working? you're going to be discouraged because often God works in secret.
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He's doing things behind the scenes where there's no visible evidence.
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Everything on the surface looks the same.
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That's the test of your faith.
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Are you going to give up because you don't see anything changing?
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The circumstances, the facts don't line up with what you're believing for?
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Or are you going to have real faith and say, God, I'm not moved by what I see.
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I'm moved by what you said.
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I don't need evidence to believe what you promised me is on the way.
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That's the faith that gets God's attention.
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Faith that believes when nothing is changing.
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This is what Noah did.
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God told him to build an ark, that there was a big flood coming and he needed to protect his family.
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The challenge was it had never rained.
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Maybe a light mist, but not rain like we know it today.
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Imagine what was going through his mind.
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He's got this instruction from God, this promise that he's going to save his family.
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It doesn't make sense.
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God, if you want me to build an ark, at least let me see some rain.
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At least let there be a storm, some dark clouds.
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That way I'll know it's going to happen.
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Noah had no evidence that a flood was coming
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The scripture says by faith Noah being warned of things not yet seen
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God will give you a promise But he may not give you any evidence The circumstances may not change What you see,
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hear may look the opposite The report hasn't improved Relationships the same,
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the door still won't open There may be things not yet seen The key word there is yet.
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You can't see it, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen.
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God is working in the unseen.
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Things are happening that are not visible.
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The question is, will you believe without a sign?
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Will you stay in faith when the circumstances aren't matching what God promised you?
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You heard healing, but you still see sickness.
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You heard abundance, but you still see lack.
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You heard freedom, but you still see addiction.
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You have to choose what you heard over what you see.
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Let God's promises be louder than the doubt.
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Noah went out with no sign, no clouds, never flooded before, and started building the ark.
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Faithful, day after day, being obedient, doing the right thing when it didn't make sense, trusting that God was true to his word.
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You would think he'd get a little sign, a little encouragement, but every morning he woke up to the same evidence.
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Blue sky, sunny, still as clear as can be.
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Thought said, Noah, you're wasting your time.
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You must have heard God wrong.
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If it was going to flood, surely there'd be some dark clouds.
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Surely you'd hear a little thunder here and there, but nothing.
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Every day, Noah had to choose to believe what God promised over what he saw.
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That's the real test of faith.
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Will you not let the circumstances, what you see or don't see, talk you out of what you've heard?
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Noah didn't need a cloud in the sky because he had a word in his spirit.
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He let that word become more powerful than what he could see.
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He made a daily decision, I'm going to believe what God said.
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Not one time, three months ago, every morning, Father, thank you that what you promised is on the way.
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I'm not moved, but what I don't see, the circumstances, the clouds, the lack of evidence, I know you are faithful to your word.
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With every swing of that hammer, he was saying, God, I trust you.
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Every board he nailed into place was a vote of confidence in what God promised him.
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Many of you are like Noah.
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You're believing without a sign.
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God put that promise in you of health, freedom, victory, but the circumstances say the opposite.
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You could be discouraged, complaining, but you keep giving your best, being your excellent at work,
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loving your family, you are passing the test.
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God sees you trusting when nothing is changing, praising even though the problem is not turning around,
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being obedient even though doors are not opening.
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Your time is coming.
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You don't see anything happening but God is working behind the scenes.
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Don't be fooled by lack of evidence, you're right where you're supposed to be.
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Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
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You are proving to God that you trust him.
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You are showing him that you believe what he said over what you see.
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The key is to not get talked out of it because thoughts will whisper, surely it would have happened by now.
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You would see some improvement.
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Your child would be a little better.
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The boss would treat you a little nicer.
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The medical report would have improved a little bit.
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All those thoughts are based on what you can see, but faith is based on what God said.
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If you walk by sight, how's everything looking?
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What's improving?
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Then I'll believe you'll miss God's best.
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The question shouldn't be, how does it look?
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The better question is, what did God promise.
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You have to let what you've heard override what you see.
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Every day the evidence said to Noah, nothing's changing.
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The sky is blue, but God's promise said a flood is coming.
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You're going to need that boat.
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You get to choose what report you're going to believe.
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Are you going to walk by faith and believe what God said, or are you going to walk by sight and let circumstances determine what you believe.
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Noah saw that same clear sky year after year.
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The scripture doesn't say that God reminded Noah of his promise.
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After five years, God spoke to him again and confirmed it.
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Or 20 years later, God gave him a sign.
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Angel showed up.
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He had a dream one night.
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No, God spoke that one time and then went silent.
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No voice, no circumstances changing, no improvement.
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But God being silent doesn't mean he's not going to do what he promised.
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You don't need a new word, just believe the original word.
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God has not changed his mind.
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You may be in a season of silence now and it's been a long time.
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There's no evidence that the promise is coming to pass.
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If you could just hear another word some kind of confirmation
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a good break a phone call a feather falling from the
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sky then you'll know you don't need a sign just be
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obedient to the last thing god told you to do noah
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went out started building the ark year after year no rain
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no clouds people making fun of him dealing with his own thoughts of doubt
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and discouragement how did he keep going he went back to that original promise God, you said a flood is coming You said you would save
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my house I don't need a new word I believe what you told me
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When you're in a silent season You don't hear anything new You don't see anything changing It's
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because God is growing you up He's teaching you to trust Him
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A child needs someone there all the time Reassuring them Yes, this is going to happen It's going to be alright
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we're going to have a dinner in a little while but
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when you're about to step into new levels and break generational limitations
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and see healing and freedom it's going to take believing without the evidence
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standing in faith when the circumstances aren't changing
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not being moved
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when every voice says it's not going to happen it's been too long it would have been proved by now
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no that silence doesn't mean that God is not working stay faithful Keep doing what he told you to do.
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Keep standing on that promise he gave you.
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It may have been a year ago or 20 years ago, God did not change his mind.
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Not having any evidence is not a sign that God isn't working, it's a sign that he is working.
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If you can see it, you don't need faith.
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The fact that you can't see it means God is doing things behind the scenes.
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One of the greatest tests we all face is not opposition, it's time.
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Will you keep believing when nothing is improving?
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Will you keep building your boat, acting on God's promises, being faithful when the sky is still blue?
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The medical report hadn't changed.
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You're still single.
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The business is still struggling.
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No sign of a flood.
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If the enemy can convince you to quit believing before the rain comes, then he won.
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If he can deceive you into living by what you see, then he'll keep you from what God said.
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Everything Noah saw contradicted what he heard, but he wasn't moved by a lack of evidence.
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He wasn't discouraged because he was in a silent season.
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He had the faith to act on that one promise that a flood is coming.
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Victoria and I were on a road trip a while back, and I was using my GPS for directions, and I put the address in and this lady came on and told me exactly what to do.
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Turn left in two blocks and turn right in a mile
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and get in the second lane from the center and stay to the right at the fork at the road.
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I'm used to taking orders from a bossy lady, I mean from GPS and all these clear, precise directions.
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Every 30 or 40 seconds made it so easy.
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Finally put me on the freeway.
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The lady came on and said, stay straight for 240 miles.
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well after about 30 minutes the freeway had narrowed to a small country road
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that was zigzagging around I'm out in the middle of nowhere
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thinking am I on the right road is this still the freeway I thought lady where are you you were
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so vocal back then
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but now you've gone silent you would think she'd come on every once in a
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while and say you're doing good this is the right road Keep going forward.
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Nothing.
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She just sat there silently.
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It's because I was on the right path.
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There were no new instructions.
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I had to just keep following what she last told me.
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In the same way, when God gives you a promise that he's going to heal you, free you, and bring a dream to pass,
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like that GPS, he may not come on every mile and say, you heard me right.
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Keep going you're on track there will be some silence times you're not getting confirmation not seeing any signs
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and thoughts will tell you you're off course it's not gonna
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happen you heard wrong don't be moved by the lack of
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evidence what you don't hear that's a test the silence doesn't mean that God is not working Noah's faith wasn't just obedience,
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it was endurance.
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He could have talked himself out of it, gotten discouraged, but he kept trusting despite what he didn't hear.
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He kept believing despite what the circumstances looked like.
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I talked to a mother that was believing for her son to get off drugs.
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He was raised in a loving middle-class family up in the Northeast.
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Fifteen years old, he heard about a new prescription drug that was going around his high school called OxyContin.
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Didn't seem harmful, just young men trying to explore and have some fun.
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He was a good student, the bright future, but this drug, if not used properly, can be extremely addictive.
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That's what happened to him and many of his high school class.
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This was at the start of the opioid crisis where hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives.
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This led him to heroin and other drugs and his once bright future turned to living on the streets, in and out of jail,
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violence, selling drugs to try to survive.
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His mother back at home, heartbroken, every moment on edge wondering if her son was alive,
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was he arrested, did she need to rescue him?
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It's incredible pain and heartache.
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Every day she would pray and ask God to turn her son around.
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She stood on that scripture, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
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She had that promise that God was going to save her son, but year after year went by, no evidence.
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She didn't know where he was at times, if he was still alive, but she kept praying.
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She wasn't moved by what she saw, by the circumstances, by the facts.
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She knew what she heard, God, you said, my son will be mighty in the land, that no weapon formed against him will prosper,
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that you will restore what the enemy has stolen.
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She kept building her ark, so to speak, faithful without a sign, believing with no clouds.
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Ten years had gone by.
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One day, his parole officer changed, and this new lady was very strict, and when he had his drug test that month,
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he tested positive for heroin.
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She said, we're coming to get you right now.
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You're either going to serve your five-year prison sentence or you're going to go to rehab and get clean.
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He started making excuses.
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That's not what the other officer said.
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It's not fair.
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I can't do that.
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She hung up the phone.
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They picked him up.
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He went to rehab and 90 days later, he was a different person.
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Today he's totally clean and free.
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He's extremely successful, influential, doing things bigger than he ever imagined.
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His mother told me with tears running down her cheeks how she'd watch our program each week to find hope.
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And she said, this is the goodness of God, a dream come true.
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There may be things that you're believing for like her.
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All the evidence is the opposite it.
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It's no sign of things improving.
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It's been months, maybe years.
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I know it's not easy, but don't let what you see override what you heard.
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God is working.
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Things are happening behind the scenes.
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The enemy would love to talk you out of God's promises, where you let the facts determine your faith, the evidence, how long it's been.
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Joel, there are no clouds, no thunder.
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How's it going to rain.
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You're right where Noah was.
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Keep doing the right thing.
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Keep believing and thanking God.
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Just because he's silent doesn't mean he's not working.
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Just because the evidence is not there doesn't mean it's not going to happen.
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It took Noah a hundred years to build the boat.
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Imagine being obedient a hundred years with no sign of rain.
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A hundred years he kept doing the right thing with no clouds in the sky, no evidence that it was going to happen.
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Even after the boat was completed, some scholars say it was two more years before the rain came.
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It's one thing to be building it, but once it was built, don't you know people came by and made fun?
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We told you you were wasting your time.
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You just spent all this money, all that effort.
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Now you've got a boat out in the desert.
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Noah's attitude was, I don't see it yet, but I still believe.
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I don't have any proof.
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Nothing's changed, but I know God is faithful and what he promised me is still on the way.
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Anybody can believe when it starts raining, but faith believes when the skies are still clear.
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One day, Noah was out there minding his own business, just another normal day, and these animals started coming toward the ark.
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Noah didn't go after them.
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The scripture says the animals will come to you.
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Noah's part was to obey.
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God's part was to bring the provision.
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I can hear people making fun of Noah, mocking him.
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Then they see two lions coming to the ark, two giraffe walking that way, two elephants, two squirrels, this parade of animals supernaturally coming.
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For a hundred years there was no sign, but stay in faith, the evidence is coming.
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God knows how to show out in your life.
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It not only started raining, the scripture says the fountains of the deep opened up.
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One version says the underground waters burst forth on the earth.
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I can imagine all those years Noah was looking up for rain, for clouds, any thunder.
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That's how he expected it to flood.
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but God had hidden resources.
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God not only brought rain, but he brought water out of the earth that flooded the land.
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We're expecting God to do it one way, but you don't know what God has hidden for you.
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Ways that you didn't see coming.
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He's hidden healing, hidden favor, hidden abundance.
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That's why you shouldn't get discouraged when you don't see a sign.
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You don't know what God is up to.
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You don't know how he's going to do it.
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You're expecting rain, but he's about to open the floodgates of the earth, bring water from unexpected places,
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healing, favor, freedom that you couldn't plan, that wasn't predicted.
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This is supernatural breakthrough, supernatural abundance.
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That's what happened to us.
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When we needed a larger sanctuary, I was looking for property to build an auditorium.
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That's the way I saw my father do it, the traditional way.
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But my plan kept failing.
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Twice the property was sold out from under us.
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That's disappointing.
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I thought, man, why isn't this working out?
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It's because God had a hidden resource.
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I was looking for rain, but God was about to open the fountains of the deep.
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He was going to do something that I couldn't see coming.
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That's what this building is, the underground waters bursting forth.
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You don't know what God has hidden for you.
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You don't see any clouds, no sign of rain.
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that's why I'm discouraged, nothing's changing I don't see any evidence of things improving
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what if God is about to open the fountains of the deep
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what if he has sources you've never thought of ways to bless you, heal you, promote you, free you that you've never seen,
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that's why there's no evidence it's going to happen a supernatural way
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don't let the evidence or the lack of evidence fool you
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Don't let the time convince you that it's not going to happen.
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It's interesting that God used Noah as the example of things not yet seen.
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It's not a coincidence that Noah went over a hundred years with no evidence, but he kept building, kept thanking God.
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Well, the good news is we're not going to have to wait a hundred years.
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We don't live as long as they did.
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God was showing us, if I'm faithful to Noah after a hundred years of no evidence,
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I'm will be faithful to you with no evidence.
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Well, Joel, I've been believing for six weeks and I don't see anything changing.
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You have to be more determined than that.
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Be in it for the long haul.
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Faith is not believing because you see something.
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Faith is believing until you see something.
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The real miracle is not that Noah built the ark.
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The real miracle is that he kept building the ark.
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He didn't let the circumstances, the lack of evidence to talk him out of what God put in his heart.
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One time the disciples were on a boat in the middle of the night and this great storm arose, all these winds and waves, and Jesus came walking on the water.
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They were afraid.
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They thought he was a ghost.
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They finally recognized Jesus.
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Well, Peter was so intrigued, he said, Lord, I want to come out there with you.
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Jesus said, come.
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What's interesting is Jesus didn't say, let me calm the storm first, Peter.
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Let me get these waves down.
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Wind's not so strong, then it'll be easier.
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No, he said, come while the storm was still raging.
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You don't need the conditions to be perfect to fulfill what God's called you to do.
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He may not stop all the storms, all the trouble, make everything nice and calm.
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Then you can believe.
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Then you'll take those steps of faith.
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Don't be moved by the circumstances.
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Be moved by what God tells you.
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Jesus told Peter, come.
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He got out of the boat in the middle of the storm with winds and waves, and he walked.
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He wasn't really walking on the water.
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He was walking on a word.
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He had that promise, come.
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The water wasn't holding him up.
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The word was holding him up.
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The water was unstable.
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The word is unshakable. but the scripture says
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when Peter saw the wind he shifted from hearing to seeing
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what are the facts what are the circumstances he thought oh
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my goodness am I crazy these waves are dangerous these winds
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could knock me down I could drown he started to sink the waves didn't change his focus changed.
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Instead of focusing on the promise, on what Jesus said, he focused on the facts, the circumstance, the evidence.
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I'm out here in a storm.
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This doesn't make sense.
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It's impossible.
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If you focus on the evidence, you're going to sink.
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That's what Peter did.
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He shifted his focus from the word to the wind.
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He didn't sink because the storm got worse.
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He didn't sink because the promise changed, he sank because he looked at the wrong evidence.
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Sometimes like Noah, there's no evidence of what God promised.
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Other times like Peter, there's a lot of negative evidence.
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This medical report, my financial situation, my relationship.
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If you focus on the winds and what you see, it will talk you out of what you've heard.
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The beauty is Jesus picked Peter up.
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He didn't let him drown.
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God knows we're not perfect.
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He's not going to let you go under.
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But this story is a lesson about what are we giving our attention to?
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The winds, the waves, the evidence?
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Or are we giving our attention to the promises of God and what he says about us?
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I'm asking you today to walk by faith and not by sight.
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You may have circumstances where you don't see how they could resolved.
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There's no way in the natural, but we serve a supernatural God.
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He has hidden resources.
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We're looking up for the rain.
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He's got the fountains of the deep.
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He has underground blessings that can flood your life.
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Be like Noah.
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Keep building that ark, even though there's no sign.
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Keep trusting, being obedient, even though you don't see things changing.
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Let what you've heard override what you see.
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If you'll do this, I believe and declare you're about to see these hidden resources, God surprising you with healing,
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opportunity, the right people, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name.
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And if you receive it, can you say amen today?
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I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.
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Would you pray with me?
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just say Lord Jesus I repent of my sins come into my heart I make you my Lord
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and Savior if you prayed
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that simple prayer we believe you got born again we'd love
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to send you some free information on your new walk with
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the Lord you can text the number on the screen
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or go to the website but I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church and keep God first place
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Faith Without the Evidence”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: evidence, faith, noah, promise, sign. This video has 392 sentences and 4354 words to shadow. The speech runs for 26:41. The speaker talks at a natural 163 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| circumstance noun | /ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/ | Something which is related to, or in some way affects, a fact or event. |
| faithful adjective | /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/ | Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause. |
| scripture noun | /ˈskɹɪpt͡ʃɚ/ | A sacred writing or holy book. |
| heal verb | /ˈhiːl/ | To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure. |
| discourage verb | /dɪsˈkɝɪd͡ʒ/ | To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject. |
| obedient adjective | /əˈbidiənt/ | Willing to comply with the commands, orders, or instructions of those in authority; biddable. |
| supernatural adjective | /ˌsu.pəɹˈnæ.tʃə.ɹəl/ | Above nature; beyond or added to nature, often so considered because it is given by a deity or some force beyond that with which humans are born. |
| fountain noun | /ˈfaʊn.tɪn/ | A natural source of water; a spring. |
| override verb | /oʊ.vɚˈɹaɪd/ | To ride across or beyond something. |
| freeway noun | /ˈfɹiː.weɪ/ | A highway with grade-separated crossings (rather than level crossings) and designed (and only permitted) for high-speed motor-traffic running in two directions… |
| abundance noun | /əˈbʌn.dn̩s/ | A large quantity; many. |
| thunder noun | /ˈθʌndɚ/ | The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt. |
| bless verb | /blɛs/ | To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify. |
| heroine noun | /ˈhɪɹoʊɪn/ | A female hero. |
| drown verb | /dɹaʊn/ | To die from suffocation while immersed in water or other fluid. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| go around verb | To move or spread from person to person. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you going to give up because you don't see anything changing?
- The circumstances, the facts don't line up with what you're believing for?
- The question is, will you believe without a sign?
- If you walk by sight, how's everything looking?
- I thought, man, why isn't this working out?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | hasn't improved · you've heard · has not changed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be taught · be discouraged · being warned |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 158 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: faithful /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/, thunder /ˈθʌndɚ/, feather /ˈfɛðə/, breakthrough /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, limitation /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/, prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, influential /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: supernatural /ˌsu.pəɹˈnæ.tʃə.ɹəl/, confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, auditorium /ˌɔ.dɪˌto.ɹi.əm/, limitation /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/, encouragement [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like circumstance, faithful, scripture.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.