As he continues “Stay on Track,” T.D. Jakes talks about staying focused, rising above discouragement, and sticking with your vision. He speaks about how discouragement is especially hard for believers.

In our spiritual journeys, we often hear about the promises of God. We witness blessings and victories. We’re continually reminded to hope. If you are struggling with your purpose, however, it can be difficult to balance what you know with what you feel.

T.D. Jakes cautions us, “Don’t make a permanent decision over a temporary situation.” God is both sovereign and wise. “A blessing given too soon is not a blessing at all.”

Coming up on the potters touch.
Did you know your blessing is already ready that is that is already in place that god in fixing it up right now.
It’s already done that the work doesn’t have to be applied to where you’re going the work has to handle.
And, oh, god, help me preach the steps, the steps, the steps, touch free people and say, the steps, the steps, the steps, This is Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, our king.
I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share the word of the lord with you.
The message that I’m going to share with you today, I believe will strengthen you, fortify you, bless you, even help your friends, you on a call, text, tell everybody.
He’s on. Get ready for this word. The message is stay on track.
Say neighbor, god said, stay on track.
Don’t deviate. Don’t procrastinate.
Don’t become frustrated.
All you have to do to win this battle is stay on track.
There are moments that cry the human soul so violently and so perplexing that if the truth were told, all of us have had moments that we wanted to throw up our hands.
And walk away. Discouragement can creep in secretly.
Hide behind and close, make up Herdews.
Discouragement is so bold that it will even hide behind a smile.
It will always ride to work with you.
And if it doesn’t catch a ride, go on to work.
It’ll catch a ride on the way back home.
Discouragement will go into a tent, into a garage apartment, It’ll go into subsidized living.
It will walk right into a section 8 neighborhood. It will come in.
But but but don’t think that it stops there.
Discouragement will walk right into a middle class house.
And sit down at the dining room table and have a cup of coffee early in the morning.
It won’t just stop there.
It’ll go in a mansion and sit on the side of the Jacuzzi.
Stick his feet in the hot tub until your life is not worth living.
If you listen at discouragement, it will cause you to make bad decisions.
It will cause you to think that life is not worth living.
And secretly behind the facade of the smile and a good morning and appraisal, and how are you you will wonder if you’re ever going to get out of what you’re into.
Particularly painful is discouragement and the life of the believer.
Because as we travel from season to season, it is not just the perils that we face.
But it is seeing the wicked go forward.
Wow. The righteous are held back.
I don’t know who I don’t know if you’ve ever thought like that, but Sometimes I I see people succeeding who didn’t pray nearly as hard.
Worked nearly as long. Yeah. Have not been faithful at all.
And it seems like they seemingly have moments of victory Yeah.
Placed in close proximity so I could see it. Their victories are flaunted in my face.
Not while I am having a similar experience, but while all hell has broken loose in my life, And I am going through agony and tragedy, seemingly, they are having victory and triumph.
And if you are not careful, the very sight of their prosperity becomes your agony.
And seeing them go forward will be a source of such continued frustration that it is not your test that baffles you but their success agonizingly displayed before you makes you despair of life until David says in 37 and 1 fret not thyself.
Over evildoers, how they prosper in their own way they shall soon be cut off.
He says, in other words, don’t make a permanent decision over a temporary circumstance.
He says, don’t allow a moment of agony to make you draw a conclusion about life prematurely.
Because if you just keep on walking with god, god has way of making everything alright.
Yeah. But he warns us and declares to us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the lord, steps.
Somebody say steps. Now this the the the the term steps implies process.
Means it’s gonna take a while.
It means that you can’t get to the destination just because you want it.
Just because you saw it. Just because you like it, just because you need it.
In fact, we are often tormented by vision Mhmm. Yeah. We’re tormented by a vision.
It’s a painful thing to be a visionary.
Because the visionary sees what shall be and wakes up to deal with what is.
Sometimes a visionary cries out on the inside and says, god don’t even show me what shall be.
Because every time I shout and dance over what you showed me, I go home to a harsh and painful bleak dark reality.
And the fact that I am torn between what shall be and what is creates agony in my life.
The Bible said hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Uh, there are moments that I’d rather not know that I’m gonna be king if you’re gonna send me back out into the field and take care of sheep.
Why didn’t you just hide that I was gonna be king?
So I could be satisfied taking care of sheep, but because you told me you had more for me, I I wanted to hasten the process to get to my destiny, now.
Now I’m not happy doing what I used to be happy doing because I’m tormented by what Shelby.
I wanna hasten my process so that I can get to an expected end, but that cannot be done.
Because a blessing given too soon is not a blessing at all.
I could give my son the car keys now and tell him to go to the store.
But had I given it to him when he was 5?
It would not have been a blessing at all. Same car, same sun, given too soon.
He can’t handle it. The car can handle it. The road can handle it.
I can give it to him, but he can’t handle it.
So would I be a good father If I gave him a good thing too soon, sometimes my goodness is proven by my ability to say not yet.
The younger brother, the prodigal son, teaches us emphatically that if we get what is ours too soon, we cannot handle it.
That the same thing that should make us praise the father will drive us away from the father if we get it too soon.
The Bible said, he said, give me the portion of goods that followed to me.
The father gave in and gave it to him, and the blessing drove him over the edge.
My prayer has always been, lord, don’t give me more than I can handle.
You know when to bless me. You know how to bless me.
You know when I’m ready to be blessed. Teach me patience with the process.
Go through the process. God has ordered steps.
The the thing that I’m thankful for is to know that god orders the steps.
It it helps me to understand that I am not wandering aimlessly.
That I’m not just moving on my own, that there is a course for me to take.
And that I can’t graduate till I take it.
That there is a path for me to pro that god isn’t making this thing up as he goes.
I thought he was making it up as he went.
That’s why I prayed so he could make it up my way.
I prayed to abort the process. I prayed to speed it up.
I prayed to get out of things that he wanted me to stay into.
I prayed that I wouldn’t have to endure some things that he wanted me to endure.
I I was working on the destination, but he was working on me.
And and sometimes he made me wait.
He he made me, slowed down and said, no. You skipped that step. Go back.
Go back. Do that again.
If if you skipped it with Jimmy, I’m gonna send it back with Freddie.
If you skipped it with Willie, you’re gonna have to go through it with Roger.
If you skipped it with Sally, you’re gonna go through it with Susie because All of these are tools that I’m using to work on you.
I’m not preparing the blessing for you. I’m preparing you for the blessing. The blessing is already prepared.
Oh my god. The blessing is already prepared.
I have not seen ears, have not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that god have prepared for them to love it, Did did you know your blessing is already ready that is that is already in place that god isn’t fixing it up right now.
It’s already done that the work doesn’t have to be applied to where you’re going.
The work has to be applied to you so that when you get where you’re going, you can handle what you gotta handle.
And, oh, god, help me preach the steps, the steps, the steps, touch free people and say, the steps, the steps, the steps.
You wanted a good husband, but you wasn’t a good wife.
You wanted children, but you wasn’t a good parent.
You wanted a good wife, but you wasn’t a good man.
And anytime you get anything too soon, you will trip on the steps.
So god puts us in process and order steps.
Still to come on the potash touch.
I press
toward the mark of the price of the high calling.
Slump your name and tell them my press. I press. I press
over depression. I press over rejection. I press over fear. I press over loneliness.
Devil, you thought you had me, but every time you try, I press before I die in a cage.
I wanna run-in the wild.
We can do what it is without limits, without being boxed in a cage, without being hindered.
I wanna run-in the wilder of my destiny. I wanna run-in the wilder of my purpose.
She’s telling us to branch out, and it’s time to shift and just about taking it to the next level and, uh, um, just thinking outside of the Four walls.
I got to get out of this cage.
Well, that’s given a place around where we are passionate to take over that region for the for the kingdom of god.
You’re frustrated about something that just an cubator to take you to the next dimension.
Now we’re gonna grow and go to global missions, no more limits, no more boundaries. The pages open.
You don’t have any excuses anymore on why you can’t fulfill your purpose and com complete your assignment.
To register for this international gathering, visit pastors and leaders dotorg or call 1800 Bishop 2.
Steps. Good man. I ordered by the lord.
Even Jesus had steps. They tried to crown him too soon.
And he disappeared because they were trying to make him skip the steps. He said, no. No.
You can’t crown me. Before you cross me.
It is my cross that makes my crown.
It is my agony that makes my ecstasy. Yeah.
It is my sickness that makes my healing.
It is my poverty that illuminates my prosperity. Makes me appreciate where I am.
Oh, god. Help me. Makes me appreciate where I am.
Right now, you don’t notice good health till you’ve been sick. You don’t even notice it.
You don’t even understand the words
that are coming out of my mouth until you have been sick.
You will never thank god for feeling good until you felt bad.
You’ll never thank god for your back for your neck, for your head, for your kidneys, for your liver until it’s been challenged.
But after a while, you start thinking god for crazy stuff. Thank you for knocking me this morning.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
The truth of the matter is it’s a whole lot of folks in here that are thankful for stuff that they can’t testify about because people wouldn’t understand your testimony.
I mean, dumb stuff like Lord, I thank you. I can’t afford to get my head done.
Oh, y’all don’t understand. Let me talk to these people over here. Lord, I thank you.
I got the book money to send the kids to school.
I know that ain’t a big testimony, but when you’ve been to Helen back you can thank god for little stuff.
The steps of a good man uh, ordered by the lord.
And I don’t have to be on the stage to be grateful.
I can praise him on the step because the accurate time I make a step.
Touch your name and say praise him on the steps.
Don’t wait till you get to the stage. Don’t wait till you get finished.
Don’t wait till everything is in order.
But every now and then, you ought to up right in the middle of the step and say, lord, I take you.
I’m not where I’m gonna be, but I’m glad I’m not where I used to be.
Lord, I
take it. Is there anybody in here that’s praising god on the steps.
Look at your name as hell. I’m not there yet.
I’m not finished yet. I haven’t arrived yet.
But when you see me praising god, I’m praising him on the steps.
Somebody praising him on the steps.
The Devil H.
Step praise. I said the devil hates Step praise.
Satan Hates. Step praise. Praise and stops in the middle of the step.
And said, I count up myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do for getting debt, which is behind me, and reaching to debt, which is performing, I press
I press. I press.
I wish I had some determined folks in here.
I press toward the part of the price of the high calling slot your name and tell them I press. I press.
I press over deeper I press over rejection. I press over fear. I press over loneliness.
Devil, you you had me, but every time you try, I press Look at the neighbor and said, no.
I’m not perfect.
I am not perfect,
but one thing I do,
I press every morning I get out the
bed, every day I get in my car, I don’t care what they say?
I don’t care what they do.
You better not go to sleep on the steps.
You better not start crying on the steps. You better not give up on the steps.
You but not collapse on the steps. They will find you on the steps.
If you lay down, they’ll run over top of you on the steps I don’t care whether sunshine or rave plays or a pain when you get up in the morning, put your pass on and press.
Fluck your name in Holland Press.
I measure the value of a man by how hard he presses and how you can determine who you’re fighting, by how hard they press, how hard you press fills me, how hard you hit, Uh-huh.
You can be all big and muscle bound and still not having no force behind your punch.
Uh, uh, force, kinetic energy, energy in motion, you can’t have energy sitting.
Energy is measured by motion.
That’s why the devil wants you to sit, sit down, and shut up.
And feel sorry for yourself, but you ought to blow it up with mine this morning.
You ought to blow the devil’s mind this morning.
Just what do you think he got to die from?
You ought to shock him and press.
I feel a present spirit in here this morning.
I feel a determination in here this morning. I feel a fight in here this morning.
Look at the neighbor and say, get
on up
in steps. Get on up. Get on up. Get on up. Get on up in steps.
Get on up in steps.
Get on up
in steps. Get on get on get on up in steps. Get on up steps.
Get get get on up in steps. Get on up. Get on up in steps. Get on up in steps.
Get on up. Then steps. Get on up
there, sir. Don’t you get forty and get tired. Don’t you get 50 and get tired?
Don’t you get 60 and get tired? Don’t you get 70 and get tired? Don’t you get 80 and get
The steps.
Of a good man.
I’m I’m not talking about a bad man. I’m talking about a good man.
Don’t you sit there with your good self and say, Oh, that won’t happen to me because I’m good.
No. It’s gonna happen to you because you’re good.
The steps of a good man, ordered ordered by the lord, not offered ordered.
He ordered you to go up the steps. He wouldn’t let you bypass the process.
All those people who offered you quick deals.
The reason the deal went down is because god ordered you to go up the steps.
He didn’t intend for you to go up the elevator.
He knew if you got there too fast, you weren’t gonna be ready for it.
She slowed down your process He let the deal go down. It wasn’t time yet.
When it’s time, it’s gonna happen. When it’s time, it’s gonna come to pass.
When it’s time, you’re coming out of trouble. When it’s time, take no grave, hold your body down.
When it’s time, God is gonna resurrect you when it’s time. Oh, y’all don’t hear what I’m saying.
Oh, Hallelujah.
So what do I do?
What do I do? What do I do? In the meantime.
In the meantime, while I wait to reach my destination.
The only thing I have to worry about It’s lord. Let me stay on track.
They met brother Job one day. And they said, Job, your children are dead.
Your cattle are dead. Your wife has despise you. Your name has gone down.
He said, that’s alright. I’m right on track. The lord knows the way that I take.
And when he has tried me, I shall come forward as pure gold.
I don’t know who god wanted me to preach to this morning.
But the lord should be to tell you, you’re right on track.
Haven’t done all
the stand. Stand there for anyway. And whatever happens, just say log, I thank you.
You ordered this step. I won’t murmur in it. I won’t complain in it.
I won’t be fearful. I won’t be fighting in it. I’m right on track.
I find somebody to say I’m right on track. Gotta close there.
It’s been a real joy to have this opportunity to share the word of with you. I trust it.
Something that’s been said or done throughout this message has reverberated in your soul and will bring forth fruit in your life.
I believe that the best is yet to come. This is no time to be weary and well doing.
You must stay on track. God bless you and may heaven smile, honey. Nobody wins the Olympics by mistake.
Success is always intentional.
It’s all been leading up to this moment It’s time for you to run your race.
Do not allow the cares of this world to destroy your passion for living but run after your destiny.
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How can we be disciples and be standing still? Look at your neighbor and say it’s time to run.
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You’ve got on angle all of the things that you have been through.
Reset start over reboot and go to a whole new level.
I did god say put on the whole armor.
The hell in the salvation.
The breastplate of righteousness, feet sharp with the preparation of gospel, sword of the spirit, which is the word of god.
Shield of faith. Why did they have me put on all that stuff and then tell me, stand?
You put shoes on and then tell me to be still?
Why you give me a sword and a shield and tell me to stand?
He said I it’s gonna take all of that stuff for you to stay on track.
I gave you all of that equipment for you to just just fight the good fighter place the fight is to stuff.