Have you ever eaten a meal without knowing who cooked it? Whether you realize it or not, you are living in faith. Discover how to apply that same type of faith when hard times come around.

the following program is paid for by the

friends and partners of Joyce Meyer

ministries Christianity is not a passive

religion it’s not a thing where we just

wish home but we’ve got it we pray and

we say and we do the part that God’s

telling us to do

mark 4:35 on the same day when evening

had come he said to them let us go over

to the other side let us go over to the

other side we all get kind of excited

when God initially says something to us

that sounds like we’re going to make

progress when we receive a promise from

him or a word from him and if we were to

skip all the way over to mark chapter 5

verse 1 it says and they came to the

other side so wonderful Jesus said let’s

go and they arrived but their’s verse 36

37 38 39 40 and 41 that we have to deal

with before we get to chapter 5 verse 1

that’s what I call the middle and to be

honest with you we live most of the time

in the middle everybody gets excited

about the new thing everybody gets

excited when they finally arrive and

they’ve reached their goal but a lot of

people never reach their goals they

never get to their destination they

never see their dreams fulfilled they

never experienced the fulfillment of the

promises of God in their life because

they don’t know what to do in the middle

so today I’m I talk to you about the

middle and leaving the throne verse 36

mark 436 and leaving the throne they

took him with them just as he was in the

boat in which he was sitting and there

were other boats there also and a

furious storm of wind of hurricane

proportions arose I wasn’t thinking that

was going to happen and the waves kept

beating into the boat so that was

already becoming filled but he was in

the stern of the boat asleep now doesn’t

it just really frustrate you when you’re

in a storm and it feels to you like

Jesus is asleep

we get kind of frantic don’t like what

now we start trying to figure everything

out we start worrying and we start

running everybody we know for advice can

I give you a little insight this morning

most of the people that you’re asking

how to solve your problem they don’t

even know what to do about their own so

try running to the throne not the phone

master master don’t you care that we are

perishing and he arose and rebuked the

wind and said to the sea hush now be

still and the wind ceased sank to rest

as if exhausted by its beating and there

was immediately a great calm and a

perfect peace and he said to them why

are you so timid and fearful how is it

that you have no faith well my faith

yeah I’m well Jesus I have faith I mean

I believe in you you know it’s one thing

to believe in Jesus it’s another thing

to learn how to take that faith in your

everyday life and let it keep you calm

in the storm can anybody say Amen

you know I love the sound of joy and it

was so cool this morning watching

everybody in worship and some of those

songs we were singing and what a good

time everybody was having and I just

thought what a wonderful sound joyous

that’s wonderful but you know what we

don’t want you just to have it in here

when all the conditions are perfect we

want you to have that joy when you don’t

have anything in particular to be joyful

about and joy is not always extreme

hilarity and laughing as hard as you can

laugh I love one of the definitions of

peace and joy a calm delight a calm

delight you know yesterday afternoon I

took a little nap to rest a little

between the the first and second session

and I was laying in bed just resting I

didn’t really sleep that much and I just

I had this thought I said you know Jesus

I just love my life and that’s such a

wonderful feeling because for so many

years I didn’t like life I was never

satisfied I didn’t like me I didn’t like

too many other people I didn’t like

anything that was going on I just was

not a happy camper but praise God I went

to church

people’s somebody interviewed me

recently and said you know are you are

you against church or religion

absolutely not know how ridiculous would

that be we have a church in st. Louis I

want people to go to church and I want

you to go to church regularly that’s

part of what you need to do but I don’t

want you to do it just out of some

formalism like you think you’re getting

a check mark on your god calendar I want

you to go because you want to be there

because you’re growing and learning and

you’re worshiping God and you fully

intend when you walk in I am going to

learn something and I am going to go out

and do it we got to learn to do it and

the place where we do it is in the storm

it’s very easy to do it in here this is

no effort you got a cushy seat

I’ve studied to bring you the word you

got great music oh you just we didn’t

charge you anything to get in you’re

just like

just ah feed me but I can tell you it’s

not gonna be that easy when you get out

of here

stuff stuff starts happening amen one of

the things I really enjoy when I’m

finished with my preaching in the

daytime I don’t do it at night is a cup

of Starbucks coffee well yeah so like

Tommy Barnett says thank God for

Starbucks till the anointing kicks in

and so I even have my own little cup

I’ve got one of these double walled cups

from Starbucks that keeps it hot for a

long long time and it’s I like it it’s a

copper color I like that so got the

whole thing you know and so somebody had

got me some coffee and brought it so it

would be ready when I went back we went

back and somebody had stolen my coffee

my cup the cream

everything gone gone well you know what

I can remember a day when I would have

had a fit about that I mean an absolute

fit and I would have gotten confused

little good I’m up there pouring my

heart out to these people all morning

and all I was a little cup of coffee

what about me why me and I don’t know

who stand the devil’s always picking on

me I mean it for maybe like five seconds

I was aggravated and then I just laughed

I said you know what this is really

funny and I said I feel sorry for

whoever stole my coffee now it’s

possible that somebody cleaning up back

there they just thought they were being

tidy and threw it away I don’t know how

you’d throw away a whole brand-new mug

of coffee but you know people think

differently so after about five more

minutes I decided to believe the best

like the Bible sucks amen so there’s

always stuff going on in life there’s

always the storm it’s one thing to stand

up here and preach it it’s another thing

for you to sit and listen to it but we

got to go out and live it live it and

most of the time whatever I preach I’m

tested on and most of the time whatever

you hear anybody ever notice that

you’ll be tested on the Bible says when

the seed is sown into your heart the

devil comes immediately to try to steal

the seed that was sown and I think one

of the ways that he does it is by very

simply testing you on what you just

heard and we need we need to get it

learn a new sentence this is only a test

can we practice say this is only a test

amen so the storm and Jesus said why are

you acting like that where’s your faith

it takes more than just faith that Jesus

died for you to get through this world

victoriously it takes more than that and

I believe that we have an obligation to

God to learn how to live in victory

while we’re here because we are the

Jesus that people are looking at we’re

his witnesses we’re his ambassadors he’s

appealing to the world through us and

they don’t want a bunch of sad sour

broken-down pitiful pathetic religion

they want to see people that have got

victory have got joy have got keys that

are loving people and they were all

filled with great awe and they feared

exceedingly and said to one another well

who is this man that even the wind obeys

him and then they came to the other side

let’s look at John 14:27 I want you all

to make a decision this morning before

we go any further at all in this message

Jesus has left us a legacy any loving

person when they die they usually like

to leave something to their loved ones

and Jesus has left us a legacy and it

includes many things but one of the last

things that he talked about leaving us

is recorded in John 14:27 and he says

peace I leave with you my own peace I

now give him bequeath unto you not

as the world gives do I give to you now

watch this do not let your hearts be

troubled neither let them be afraid stop

allowing yourselves to be agitated and

disturbed well I can’t help it and do

not permit yourselves to be fearful and

intimidated and cowardly and unsettled

so before you’re going to have peace

you’re going to have to make some

decisions about some things and the

first decision you have to make as I am

unwilling to live without peace I will

not live without peace you see I spent

way too much of my life in turmoil and

maybe fifteen years ago I made a

decision that I was going to have peace

and I was going to have joy and I was

going to have righteousness because

that’s the kingdom that I was not going

to spend the rest of my life feeling

guilty every time I made some little

minor mistake obviously we’re going to

be sorry for the things that we do wrong

but Jesus has provided a way for us to

be forgiven he says there’s no

condemnation to those in Christ’s

condemnation as a total waste of time

doesn’t help you behave better

it just keeps you stuck where you’re at

the kingdom of God is not meat and drink

it is righteousness peace and joy in the

Holy Ghost and I decided instead of just

singing songs about the kingdom I was

actually going to try to live in it amen

I decided God has provided wonderful

things for you but you have to decide

that you’re going to have them and that

you are not going to let any person on

earth or any devil and he’ll take them

away from you you must make a decision

today

and here comes the bad news the good

news is Jesus provided peace the bad

news is you’re gonna have to make an

effort let’s look at it again peace I

leave with you because see here’s the

thing

Oh God I pray that you’d give me peace I

wish I had peace you don’t really even

need to pray for peace to be honest you

just need to thank God that you’ve got

it because he says right here you’ve

already got it I think we asked for a

lot of stuff that we ought to be

recognizing that we have and thanking

God for it and then that that attitude

of faith will actually release that

thing out of our spirit into our soul Oh

God give me peace come give me peace

peace peace please God I can’t say to

you no thank you God that I have peace

give me the grace to walk in this peace

help me see what I’m doing that’s

keeping me all aggravated and stirred up

show me what I need to do and give me

the grace to do it you never do it on

your own you got to lean on him all the

time but I finally decided I am NOT

going to spend the rest of my life

without peace well one of the things

that’s going to have to learn to do if

you want to have pieces learn how to not

worry not worry worries making a down

payment on a problem you may never have

worry is a total complete useless waste

of time

worry never solves your problem all it

does is torture you it torments you and

it has nothing to do with faith I can’t

help it I’m just a worrier

now you have peace I said you have peace

and you have power I have peace and I

have power therefore I am NOT going to

live in worry now I like to be really

practical about stuff and so I know it’s

not going to do me much good to say go

home and don’t worry unless I can maybe

help you understand why you worry and

the only thing that I can come to the

couple reasons why we worry and that is

number one we actually still really

think that we can solve our problem we

don’t get it yet

that we can’t do it God’s not going to

let us do it because he wants us to lean

on him and rely on him now there are

things that we can do and should do and

those are what we should do but the

minute you start going beyond that

you’re going to get frustrated and

aggravated as soon as you start trying

to do something about something you

can’t do anything about like for example

trying to change people I mean how many

of you let’s just talk to the ladies

from here how many of you ladies have

just frustrated yourself long enough

trying to change your husband has it

worked

well then just isn’t it kind of dumb to

keep doing the same thing over and over

and over you’re not changing him matter

of fact I found out the more I tried to

change Dave the worse it got

he just ramped it up to another level

because you see people don’t want to be

put under the law the law increases sin

so the more you try to make somebody do

something pretty much the way the flesh

reacts is the more determined they are

that they’re not going to and the thing

is even if you get them to stop that

thing until the heart is changed it’s

going to show up somewhere else it’s

like one of those whack-a-mole games you

know you it comes up over here in New

York and it comes up over here then

there it is again

only God can get inside of a person and

change the heart the heart amen and I

can give you some good news though I

don’t know how long you’ve been married

but I’ve been married 43 years and the

one man

and oh man I tell you in the last I

don’t know maybe eight nine years it’s

just gotten so easy I mean I’m just like

do whatever you want to do cuz I’m

staying peaceful

whoo amen

humming David I just hardly ever have a

problem anymore

because I finally got it about killed

myself before I did I was about ready

for the funny farm but I finally got it

only God can change people and I guess

if God doesn’t like the way he is then

God can tell him and change it and he

takes the same attitude toward me I have

four children they’re all different so

different it’s like how could you all

have come out of the same place I just

don’t get it and you see different ones

I’m doing things and you think oh man

don’t do that oh oh and we want to tell

them how many of you’ve noticed

especially if you have grown children

telling them something they’re like

mother

I am 30 years old

so we’re worried about the spouse we’re

worrying about the kids we’re worried

about the grandkids we’re worried about

the world we’re worrying about

everything we do wrong we worry where we

worry and all you’re doing is making

yourself miserable actually you can you

can actually make yourself sick with

worry worry can cause stomach problems

give people ulcers can cause colon

problems give you headaches nervous

tension makes you irritable it creates a

lot of stress and cancer is known to be

connected to stress causes loss of sleep

loss of focus you begin to you can’t

focus on what you’re supposed to focus

on because you’re so worried about

everything so now you start forgetting

things and losing things

I got a witness in here today let me

tell you hey you know I just think you

need to have a little Holy Ghost fit and

you need to say I am NOT gonna worry

anymore

and the minute and I’m telling you you

may have to fight a fight because the

minute you decide you’re not going to

worry the devil will probably give you

20 new things to worry about so you’re

gonna have to make some declarations you

did not understand me devil I am NOT

going to live and worry take your best

shot

but I am NOT gonna live and worry see I

hope I can get you to understand that

Christianity is not a passive religion

it’s not a thing where we just wish and

hoping we’ve got it we pray and we say

and we do the part that’s God’s telling

us to do come on some of you if you will

just change your attitude your life can

do a 360 degree turn if you’ll just say

I have not smart enough to solve this I

me MA

I am not smart enough to solve this I do

not know what to do and when people say

what are you gonna do what are you to

say I don’t have a clue don’t know but I

know somebody who does know and I guess

he’ll tell me when he’s good and ready

listen the definition of worry this is

the definition that I got I didn’t make

it up I got this I’m forgetting now

because I’ve had it a long time but to

torment oneself with disturbing thoughts

does anybody here have enough sense to

not torment your own self

well what are you doing today tormenting

myself yes I just thought I’d spend

today making myself completely totally

miserable to torment oneself disturbing

thoughts to feel uneasy anxious or

troubled to torment with annoyances

cares and anxieties

to seize by the throat take into the

teeth and shake our mangle the Bible

says that weary and the cares and

anxieties of the world the deceitfulness

of riches chokes the word

spend all that time that you’re spending

worrying meditating on the Word of God

fight the good fight get out your Bible

and start saying some stuff out loud

your own voice will disrupt the wrong

thoughts you’re having you’ll believe

more of what you say than what anybody

else says make a decision you’re not

going to live in worry humans are the

only species of creation that worries

and we are supposed to be the most

intelligent

we’re like the cream of the crop

everybody else gets it trees don’t worry

birds don’t worry rabbits don’t worry

flowers don’t worry lions don’t worry

pigs don’t worry cows don’t worry oh but

a smart ones the wise munch the

intelligent group we worry nobody else

worries Matthew 25 or Matthew 6 I’m

sorry

the practic

how not to worry learn how to get some

humility learn what you can do and what

you can’t do do what God tells you to do

but stay away from trying to do anything

he didn’t tell you to do do what you can

do God will do what you can’t do

Matthew 6 therefore I tell you stop

being perpetually uneasy anxious and

worried about your life

the next time you start to worry just

have a little talk with yourself as they

all right stop it right now just stop it

talk to yourself say this is not going

to do any good I’ve been there done that

I’m not going to waste this day

tormenting myself and making myself

miserable thinking about this thing over

and over and over god I cast it on you I

give it to you and then you know what

you should do go get involved in

something else that will take your your

time and your mind something that’s

going to be happy something that’s going

to be helpful something that’s going to

be joyful and peaceful well as we talked

about today when we step out in faith we

always have a beginning and hopefully we

have an end but it’s really what happens

in the middle that makes all the

difference in the world and the reason I

say hopefully we have an end is because

if we don’t make the right decisions in

the middle of our faith or while we’re

waiting to see the fulfillment of the

promises of God then many people turn

back and never get to the end of their

dreams and their visions and so I really

want to encourage you in the midst of

whatever you’re doing you’re believing

God but cast your care on him and

believe that if you’ll just keep doing

what you know that you should do day

after day after day after day you’re

going to get to the end and it’s going

to be beautiful I love to say that it’s

not what we do once that gives us a good

result it’s what we do right over and

over and over and over again so maybe

you’re watching today and you feel like

you’ve been trying to do what’s right

but you’re getting a little weary well

the Bible says be not weary in

well-doing for in due season you shall

reap if you faint not today we’re

offering three CDs an audio series

called unleashing the power of faith and

a long way that my book do it afraid and

I will

both of these resources are really

important for you to help you understand

the power of faith that God has put in

your spirit and how to release it on how

to not let fear rule your life you know

we only have one convention each year

that’s just for women

it’s our yearly women’s convention and I

tell you we are so excited about it it’s

just a great event every year and I

really want you to make a decision to be

there we’re going to have great praise

and worship great special music awesome

special guests to teach you the word

I’ll be sharing the word in three

different meetings I think it’s

something you don’t want to miss you

know there’s something wonderful that

happens when you actually set aside a

block of time to get yourself out of the

ordinary events of every day and just go

and really have what we might call a

little camp meeting with God so please

if you haven’t registered yet make sure

you join us it’s on restoration this

year you know God is a God who restores

he makes all things new and not only

does he make all things new he can take

the old stuff even the stuff that was

bad in our life and he can work it out

for our good this year come and be

restored through the mercy and the love

of Jesus Christ

the proceeding was paid for by the

friends and partners of Joyce Meyer

ministries