WEBVTT 00:04.233 --> 00:11.255 [SPEAKER_00]: As we continue our week on God being our Father, we look today at how God encourages us. 00:12.498 --> 00:18.276 [SPEAKER_00]: There is nothing like an encouraging work from the Father when we're feeling low and discouraged. 00:19.235 --> 00:26.903 [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes, life can be daunting, and our good father knows just what to say when we need to hear it most. 00:28.124 --> 00:39.616 [SPEAKER_00]: If you're feeling discouraged today, I pray the Lord speaks courage to your weary heart, and strengthens your weary bones to keep running the race set before you. 00:40.697 --> 00:43.200 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 01:10.163 --> 01:26.505 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 27 verse 14, Scripture says, wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord. 01:28.909 --> 01:31.412 [SPEAKER_00]: Our God is the great in character. 01:32.185 --> 01:34.770 [SPEAKER_00]: He takes the weak and makes them strong. 01:35.852 --> 01:41.323 [SPEAKER_00]: He takes the hopeless and transforms them into beacons of eternal salvation. 01:42.425 --> 01:45.792 [SPEAKER_00]: He takes the broken and heals them with his love. 01:47.274 --> 01:52.725 [SPEAKER_00]: And he takes the fearful and fills them with powerful courage from on high. 01:54.562 --> 01:58.487 [SPEAKER_00]: are Heavenly Father, longs to fill you with courage today. 01:59.829 --> 02:05.838 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to encourage you to accomplish the incredible calling for which you were created. 02:07.840 --> 02:19.877 [SPEAKER_00]: As we look today at a powerful story of God's encouragement, may your heart be filled with a longing and passion to seek out the entirety of God's plans for you. 02:21.443 --> 02:44.076 [SPEAKER_00]: Judges chapter 6 verses 12 through 18 says, and the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, the Lord is with you, Almighty man of valor, and Gideon said to him, please sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? 02:44.917 --> 02:53.779 [SPEAKER_00]: and where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? 02:54.282 --> 03:09.542 [SPEAKER_00]: But now, the Lord has forsaken us, and given us into the hand of Median, and the Lord turned to Him and said, go in this might of yours, and save Israel from the hand of Median. 03:10.283 --> 03:18.113 [SPEAKER_00]: Do not I send you, and He said to Him, please, Lord, how can I save Israel? 03:18.093 --> 03:24.986 [SPEAKER_00]: behold, my clan is the weakest in Manessa, and I am the least in my father's house. 03:26.389 --> 03:33.342 [SPEAKER_00]: And the words said to him, but I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. 03:33.382 --> 03:36.388 [SPEAKER_00]: And he said to him, 03:36.368 --> 03:43.739 [SPEAKER_00]: If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 03:44.901 --> 03:51.471 [SPEAKER_00]: Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you. 03:52.673 --> 03:55.778 [SPEAKER_00]: And he said, I will stay till you return. 03:59.791 --> 04:07.623 [SPEAKER_00]: God calls Gideon a mighty man of valor, prior to any mighty actions Gideon had done. 04:07.663 --> 04:17.177 [SPEAKER_00]: He commands Gideon to go out in the might to which he was called, and accomplish the very work for which he was created. 04:18.960 --> 04:27.553 [SPEAKER_00]: And when Gideon responds by asking God for a sign, God obliges him and remains with grace and mercy. 04:29.457 --> 04:33.863 [SPEAKER_00]: God is calling you to a life of eternal significance. 04:35.045 --> 04:37.548 [SPEAKER_00]: He's calling you to a life that matters. 04:39.090 --> 04:42.075 [SPEAKER_00]: There is no weak tool in the hands of God. 04:43.296 --> 04:47.382 [SPEAKER_00]: And there is no small calling in his perfect plans. 04:48.273 --> 04:52.337 [SPEAKER_00]: You were created to live a life that changes the world. 04:53.759 --> 05:00.426 [SPEAKER_00]: You were created for a destiny that draws the lost back into the fold of our Heavenly Father. 05:02.028 --> 05:07.493 [SPEAKER_00]: But in order to accomplish the life to which you were called, you will need courage. 05:08.975 --> 05:14.601 [SPEAKER_00]: You will need time spent in God's presence being filled with His encouragement. 05:16.319 --> 05:20.626 [SPEAKER_00]: God is calling you a mighty man or woman of valor. 05:21.928 --> 05:23.850 [SPEAKER_00]: He is speaking courage over you. 05:25.233 --> 05:29.259 [SPEAKER_00]: He is near to you, ready and able to empower you. 05:31.302 --> 05:40.015 [SPEAKER_00]: Take time and guided prayer to hear the voice of your heavenly Father, allow His Spirit to speak to your Spirit. 05:40.670 --> 05:52.080 [SPEAKER_00]: allow him to encourage you in his love and follow his voice in faith that you might be used in greater ways than you could ever imagine. 06:18.773 --> 06:24.265 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, meditate on God's desire to encourage you. 06:24.305 --> 06:30.960 [SPEAKER_00]: Allow scripture to fill you with the truth about the life God intends for you. 06:32.476 --> 06:54.096 [SPEAKER_00]: 1 Peter 2 verse 9 says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 07:38.373 --> 07:38.994 [SPEAKER_00]: and next. 07:40.237 --> 07:44.467 [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you need courage to pursue the life to which God has called you? 07:46.251 --> 07:49.679 [SPEAKER_00]: What is God calling you to today that seems impossible? 07:51.483 --> 07:57.377 [SPEAKER_00]: What has God spoken over you in the past that fear has crippled you from pursuing? 08:41.789 --> 09:04.658 [SPEAKER_00]: and last, allow God to fill you with courage, open your heart to him, and ask him to empower you and fill you with his love, rest in his nearness, allow scripture to fill you with faith to pursue to the fullest whatever God asks you to do. 09:06.190 --> 09:11.229 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 27 verse 14 says, Wait for the Lord. 09:12.273 --> 09:15.365 [SPEAKER_00]: Be strong and let your heart take courage. 09:16.128 --> 09:17.533 [SPEAKER_00]: Wait for the Lord. 10:08.780 --> 10:11.705 [SPEAKER_00]: Don't settle for a life of mediocrity today. 10:13.088 --> 10:17.075 [SPEAKER_00]: God has a plan in purpose for everything you do. 10:18.357 --> 10:26.913 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to turn your relationships, job, finances, and passions into good works of eternal significance. 10:28.616 --> 10:32.222 [SPEAKER_00]: His calling will satisfy your heart like nothing else. 10:33.350 --> 10:43.450 [SPEAKER_00]: and the empowerment of his spirit for his plans will transform you into a passionate, effective, and loving man or woman of valor. 10:45.113 --> 10:51.966 [SPEAKER_00]: May you pursue wholeheartedly, the life to which you have been called by your loving Heavenly Father. 11:23.688 --> 11:26.631 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast. 11:27.232 --> 11:29.114 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First of Teen. 11:30.155 --> 11:33.759 [SPEAKER_00]: We're nearing the end of our week of looking at who God is. 11:33.779 --> 11:41.407 [SPEAKER_00]: I hope that you are feeling closer to the character of God this week as we're creating space in his presence together. 11:42.569 --> 11:53.020 [SPEAKER_00]: I want to encourage you as this podcast closes to take just a few moments where you are to reflect on what God has been doing in your life as you've been meeting with him. 11:53.843 --> 12:05.408 [SPEAKER_00]: Often times, reflecting on the impact of spending time alone with God can empower you towards greater consistency and faith in spending time in this presence every day. 12:05.449 --> 12:11.582 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day today and may God bless you as you see Kim.