Subscribe to receive weekly messages of hope, encouragement, and inspiration from Joel!

Hi. This is Victoria. Thank you so much for downloading this podcast.
I believe God has amazing things in your future. Hope you enjoy this message.
Hey, Minh.
Thank you for being here today. We appreciate you, and we love you very much.
I wanna just encourage us today about maybe recommitting to some of our former commitments or or making new commitments, commitments to those things that are very important to your life, things that are gonna cause you to walk in a greater freedom, a greater accomplishment, greater joy, and greater victory.
You see, to walk in these things, you must be committed to these things.
Anything you want to accomplish is going to take a commitment. You know, sometimes people are afraid of commitment.
You know, they don’t wanna be obligated. They don’t wanna be disappointed.
Sometimes we like to keep our options open.
Maybe there’s a plan B later on, we’d rather choose.
But I bet every one of us could look over our life and we could see through our life that the things that we truly committed to, the things that we were all in on, wholehearted Those are the things we’re enjoying the most right now.
You know, sometimes I’ve made a commitment, but it’s been a one foot in, a one foot out.
Well, I hope it happens. It’s a wish anyway.
That’s not the way a commitment has to be approached.
We have to decide commitment is something that is going to cause us to gain in the long run.
See, commitment means obligation, determination, discipline.
See, to make a commitment, it’s gonna cost you something. You’re gonna have to focus on it.
You’re gonna have to have a plan. You’re gonna have to be determined.
In fact, You have to serve your commitment.
You see, you have to serve your commitment for a time And eventually, that commitment will serve you.
See, that commitment will benefit you eventually And that’s the importance of commitment because commitment causes us to accomplish and it’s not always easy.
If commitment was easy, everybody would be accomplishing. Everybody would be walking in victory.
Everybody would have great relationships. Wonderful home life. Amazing jobs. But commitment is what it’s going to take.
You know, I’ll never forget when our son, Jonathan, was just a little boy.
I I really wanted him to play a musical instrument.
And so I said, Jonathan, this is this is what I think you need to do.
I believe it’s gonna be something that you’ll always enjoy in your life.
And so I said, you can play anything you want, you choose.
And he said, I’ll I’ll I’ll play the guitar.
And so as we began to, you know, get the lessons, uh, prepared and I began to talk to him about practicing.
It was all interesting because it was always things that tried to interrupt this.
And I knew as a mother, this had to be a commitment if he was really going to learn how to play well.
But there were friends that would come over after school about the time we were going out for the lesson.
Things would come up. There was never a good time to practice because there were so many other things that we’re trying to interrupt the commitment.
Have you ever experienced that? So you wanna tell you something about that commitment.
Does it matter if you’re little or if you’re older? Things will always try to interfere with your commitments.
If you commit to having a good relationship with your spouse and you commit to keeping your mouth closed in the difficult times, I can guarantee you that they’re gonna say something that’s gonna jeopardize your commitment.
You see, it’s interesting because I’m sure my son thought at one point, my mom is trying to punish me.
She doesn’t want me to play with my friends. I’m being restrained.
I’m being restricted because that’s sometimes what commitment feels like.
Because, see, it’s hard to be committed to something when no one else has committed to it.
It’s hard to walk in integrity when no one else is walking in integrity.
Listen, if they can get away with it, can I get away with just a little bit of it?
But you see, god is asking us to commit to him those important areas of our life.
It says in Proverbs 16, commit to the lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
You see, you can’t keep a commitment on your own, but you can keep a commitment to a committed god You see, god was committed to us even when there were many interruptions, even when we don’t deserve to be committed to.
God has committed to us. And he’s saying, you got those important commitments in your life? Give them to me.
Focus on them. Believe that I’m gonna assist you in those things.
One version says it like this, It says, commit your actions to the lord, and he will direct you.
You see, commitment is not a wish. Commitment is an action.
We have to put our plans into action if god is going to help us.
If he is going to advance us in our commitment, We’re gonna have to take the step of faith.
We’re gonna have to do our research. See, everybody wants to have a degree.
Everybody wants those initials behind their name, but it takes commitment.
Even when you don’t feel like going to school.
Even when there’s other things that are pressing, you don’t wanna study.
It takes commitment, but it’s those things in life that we’re truly committed to, that bring us the freedom and the joy.
You see, our son, Jonathan now, he could have chose not to apply himself.
He could have chose not to commit himself. See, the truth is we were both exhausted at first.
He was tired of hearing me telling to practice, and I was tired of telling to practice.
But once he committed himself, once he saw the rewards of the commitment, the commitment became easier.
The serving the commitment eventually began to serve him. And that’s the way commitment is.
Commitment feels like a restraint at first, but commitment will eventually, it will serve your cost.
See, I believe that god is waiting for us to take the step.
He’s not gonna take the step for us. You know, now my son can play the guitar.
Now he can sing with his guitar. Now he can enjoy what the commitment produced.
Where it may have looked like I was stealing his freedom as a mother, he now gets to walk in a greater freedom.
He gets to experience something he would not have experienced if he would not have committed to that.
See, I’m using this as example because there are many of you right now that are on the threshold of a new freedom but you’ve gotta make a commitment.
You can’t put one foot in and one foot out.
You’ve gotta go all in because that’s what commitment takes. Commitment’s gonna cost you something.
It’s not free. It’ll bring a greater freedom but it is an investment that will pay off in the end.
If you want people to look at your word and believe you and take you at your word and know your word is bond, then you have to keep the commitments that you speak about.
You can’t say something and then decide you’re not gonna do it. Listen, don’t say anything at all.
Because you know what? You can only be committed, truly committed to so many things.
You can’t be committed to everyone.
You can’t be committed to everything, but the things that you decide are important in your life and you’re gonna can make a commitment, you need to.
Go all in with that commitment. You need to give it to god. You need to recommit it daily.
You need to think about the benefits of your commitment.
Because, see, that’s what’s gonna give you the power to continue.
See, Jesus came to forgive us of our sins but he also came to empower us with his power to keep our commitments, to keep our bond, to keep strong families.
Listen, if you want good relationships, you’re gonna have to be good to people when they’re not being good to you.
You’re gonna have to learn to overlook an offense. You’re gonna have to release bitterness. That’s gonna take commitment.
That’s gonna take restraint. But on the other side of that costly commitment is an amazing blessing You’re gonna get to enjoy relationships, enjoy things that you would not have enjoyed before.
I was talking to a gentleman the other day, and he loves his wife.
He said, but truly, there are some things that really she’s not that lovable.
I love so many things about her, but there are those moments.
He says, but you know what? I love her anyway.
And I looked at him and I said, that’s right.
You made a commitment to love her, and that’s why you’re celebrating your 25th anniversary today.
Because We look at those hard things instead of the good things.
He decided to look at the good things about her the things he loved about her, not a few of those things that were difficult.
My encouragement to us today is commit to the lord. Commit those important things to him.
Renew that commitment on a daily basis, put actions behind that commitment so that god can release his power in your life.
And I believe there’s freedom that you’re going to experience that noncommitted people will never experience. Amen?
Hey, man. He’s an awesome guy.
It starts with just a tiny seed from it, tender bud sprout.
The miracle of new life, blooms, and thrives.
But how do you experience the same miraculous and extraordinary growth in your own life?
Faith is like a see when you believe all things are possible.
That’s when you’ll see new growth opportunity and healing.
We don’t have to pick out how it’s going to happen.
All we have to do is believe there may not be a way in the natural, but our god is supernatural.
Call. We’d like to
send you our new this time next year, believe big journal.
It will help you to enlarge your vision and stretch your fame.
As our thank for your gift of any amount this month.
We want to send you that this time next year, believe big journal, along with our new belief T.
As you begin to believe big, you’ll see god move in powerful ways. The impossible made possible.
Growth, provision, A new opportunities will burst forth above and beyond which you can ask or imagine.
Also, for the first time ever, we wanna present with our new believe t shirt created exclusively by our friends at Cooperfit for the viewers and partners of Joe Lowstein.
We invite you to wear and declare what you are believing god for in 2024.
It’s a gift from copper fit as they extend their support of the of hope.
Many of you have watched us a long time, but you’ve never been to Lakewood.
We have a perfect time. We’re calling it homecoming weekend, April 14th 14th, we’d love to meet you.
You can see the facility and enjoy a service. We’ll make you feel right at home.
Be sure to request your copy of this time next year, believe big journal, and the copper fit believe t shirt.
Visitjolosteendot com or call us toll free.
Thank you for watching this message.
We’d love to connect with you in the comments to hear your prayers and your testimonies.
We thank you for supporting this ministry with your donations and your freeze.
See, when you give, I believe god will open up the windows of heaven, and you’ll see favor in new ways for your life.
I believe that your best are still out in front of you.
So make sure to like and subscribe to stay inspired all throughout the week.