We weren’t created to do life alone. When you invest into the relationships God placed in your life, you will be better equipped to withstand any storm.

[MUSIC]

>> VICTORIA: THANK YOU ALL.

WE BELIEVE IT.

AMEN.

YOU MAY BE SEATED.

SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN THE

HOUSE OF THE LORD.

THE OLDER THAT I GET, THE

MORE I LIVE ON THIS EARTH,

THE MORE I UNDERSTAND HOW

IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE

AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE

IN COMMUNITY WITH ONE

ANOTHER.

YOU KNOW, I CAN LOOK BACK

OVER MY LIFE, AND I CAN SEE

HOW GOD PLACED ME IN AN

AMAZING FAMILY.

DO YOU KNOW SOMETIMES, WHEN

WE’RE IN THE MOMENT, WE DON’T

UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT THE

MOMENT REALLY IS, BUT I LOOK

BACK NOW, AND I SEE HOW GOD

PUT PEOPLE, FRIENDS, FAMILY

IN MY LIFE THAT NOT ONLY HELD

ME ACCOUNTABLE, THAT NOT ONLY

SHARPENED ME, BUT PRAYED WITH

ME, SUPPORTED ME, LINKED ARMS

WITH ME SO THAT I COULD

WEATHER THE STORMS OF LIFE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT

GOD HAS INTENDED FOR ALL OF

US, TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS

TOGETHER.

YOU SEE, GOD INTENDED US TO

HAVE FAMILIES AND MAKE

COMMUNITY.

WHEN HE CREATED ADAM, HE

STOOD BACK, AND HE SAID,

“IT’S NOT GOOD THAT ADAM IS

ALONE,” AND HE CREATED EVE.

WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS PUTTING

IN THE HEART OF EVERY ONE OF

US COMMUNITY, FAMILY, LOVE.

HE SAID, “ADAM, EVE, I WANT

YOU TO GO.

I WANT YOU TO MULTIPLY.

INCREASE THE EARTH.”

HE WAS SAYING, “I WANT YOU TO

GROW YOUR FAMILY STRONG.

BRING THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT

ARE IN COMMUNITY WITH YOU.”

SEE, THAT’S WHAT GOD INTENDED

FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TO

DO.

I CAN TRULY SAY TODAY THAT I

AM WHAT I AM NOT BECAUSE OF

ALL MY GREAT DECISIONS, NOT

BECAUSE I WAS SO SMART,

BECAUSE I HAD PEOPLE IN MY

LIFE WHO HELPED ME, WHO

MOTIVATED ME, WHO CHALLENGED

ME.

EVEN WHEN I DIDN’T WANT TO

HEAR IT, I LISTENED.

IT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY

LIFE, AND I BELIEVE YOU COULD

PROBABLY SAY THE SAME THING.

I’VE HAD GOOD PEOPLE IN MY

LIFE.

YOU SEE, WE NEED TO BE THOSE

GOOD PEOPLE.

WE WERE NEVER INTENDED TO

LIVE THIS LIFE ISOLATED, AS

AN ISLAND UNTO OURSELVES.

GOD INTENDED US TO BE IN

COMMUNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER,

TO MOTIVATE, TO STRENGTHEN,

AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

YOU SEE, THAT’S THE HEALTHY

WAY TO LIVE.

ECCLESIASTES SAYS IT LIKE

THIS:

“TWO PEOPLE ARE BETTER OFF

THAN ONE; FOR THEY CAN EACH

HELP ONE ANOTHER SUCCEED.”

IF ONE PERSON FALLS, THE

OTHER ONE CAN REACH OUT AND

HELP THEM UP.

YOU SEE, WE NEED EACH OTHER.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO LIVE A

SUCCESSFUL LIFE, YOU’VE GOT

TO UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE IN

YOUR LIFE THAT ARE

LIKE-MINDED ARE IMPORTANT,

AND THEY ARE WORTH DEVELOPING

A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH, A

STRONG COMMUNITY WITH.

GOOD RELATIONSHIPS ARE

TWO-WAY STREETS.

IT’S AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU

GIVE THAN WHAT YOU RECEIVE.

THE BIBLE TELLS US TO

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER DAILY.

IT DOESN’T SAY WAIT AROUND TO

BE ENCOURAGED.

IT SAYS WE ARE TO HAVE AN

EXCHANGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT ON

A DAILY BASIS.

DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU NEED

ENCOURAGEMENT, THE GREATEST

THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS TO

SPEAK ENCOURAGEMENT?

BECAUSE, WHEN YOU SPEAK

ENCOURAGEMENT TO THEM, YOU

LITERALLY BREATHE GOD’S LIFE

INTO THEM AND, AS A RESULT,

YOU BREATHE GOD’S LIFE INTO

YOUR OWN SOUL.

YOU SEE, GOD SAYS THIS SHOULD

BE AN EXCHANGE OF

ENCOURAGEMENT.

WE CAN’T LIVE AS ISLANDS TO

OURSELF.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT FEELS

LIKE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DO

IT ALONE, DOESN’T IT?

BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE

IN OUR LIFE ARE ANNOYING, AND

THEY’RE AGGRAVATING, AND

THEY’RE TROUBLESOME.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

GOD IS SAYING, “IT’S OKAY.

IF YOU’RE WITH THE RIGHT

GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE I

PUT YOU WITH, YOU HAVE

POTENTIAL IN THAT GROUP OF

PEOPLE.”

IF THERE ARE PEOPLE IN YOUR

FAMILY THAT YOU DON’T THINK

THAT THEY CAN GET IT RIGHT,

THAT’S OKAY BECAUSE YOU’RE

THERE FOR THEM, AND I CAN

TELL YOU SOMEONE ELSE IS

THERE FOR YOU.

[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]

IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE I

BELIEVE THAT WE’RE OUR

HAPPIEST AND OUR HEALTHIEST

WHEN WE ARE HELPFUL TO OTHER

PEOPLE; IN FACT, IT WAS A

STUDY ON HAPPINESS, AND IT

WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT

TALKED ABOUT WHAT ACTIONS

THAT WE CAN DO THAT CREATE

THIS EMOTION OF HAPPINESS

WITHIN US.

AND YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS

WHEN WE GO ON VACATION THAT

WE’RE OUR HAPPIEST; WHEN WE

GET A PRESENT, WE’RE OUR

HAPPIEST; BUT IT WAS SAYING

THAT THE EMOTION OF HAPPINESS

IS REALLY A SENSE OF WHEN YOU

ARE HELPFUL, AND YOUR PURPOSE

IS TIED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND

HELPING THEM.

THAT GIVES YOU THE GREATEST

HEIGHTENED SENSE OF

HAPPINESS.

IN FACT, IT WAS INTERESTING,

THEY CALLED IT THE “HELPFUL

HIGH.”

THAT’S WHAT THEY LABELED IT.

IT’S THE HELPFUL HIGH.

SEE, I CAN’T IMAGINE GETTING

HIGH ON ANYTHING BUT BEING

HELPFUL, KNOWING THAT IT’S

SUCH A EUPHORIC FEELING.

IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A

HANGOVER.

YOU CAN BE HELPFUL AND GET

HIGH AT THE SAME TIME.

I BELIEVE THAT’S WHY THIS

CHURCH WORKS.

I BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT MAKES

THIS CHURCH WHAT IT IS

BECAUSE THIS CHURCH IS A

PLACE THAT YOU CAN COME AND

BE LOVED AND ENCOURAGED AND

PRAYED FOR.

THIS CHURCH IS A PLACE THAT

PEOPLE WILL LINK ARMS WITH

YOU, AND I LOVE THIS CHURCH

BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE

PERFECT TO BE LOVED.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.

NO ONE’S JUDGING YOU.

THEY’RE JUST LOVING YOU AND

BEING HELPFUL.

YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING

BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE

AROUND US.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE THINK,

“WELL, GOD, I CAN’T HELP

EVERYONE,” BUT CAN I TELL YOU

THAT, IF YOU’LL LOOK VERY

CLOSELY, GOD WILL HAVE MANY

PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT YOU

CAN INVEST INTO, THAT CAN BE

A PART OF YOUR LIFE.

I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW, YOU

KNOW, ONE WAY TO BE A HELPFUL

PERSON IS TO BE A PERSON THAT

HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF

SOMEONE ELSE, AND WHAT I MEAN

BY THAT IS THE BIBLE SAID

WE’RE TO BE SHARPENERS TO ONE

ANOTHER, AND THINK ABOUT THAT

WORD JUST A MINUTE.

IF YOU’VE EVER CUT YOUR HAND

ON A KNIFE, YOU’LL UNDERSTAND.

SOMETIMES SHARP THINGS HURT.

THEY DON’T ALWAYS FEEL SO

GOOD, BUT GOD IS SAYING, “I

WANT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

TO SHARPEN YOU AS YOU SHARPEN

THEM.”

BUT THAT ONLY COMES FROM A

TRUSTED COMMUNITY, A PLACE

WHERE YOU KNOW THERE’S A

SINCERE LOVE.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY

GREATEST GROWTH HAS COME WHEN

I’VE BEEN CHALLENGED BY THE

PEOPLE THAT LOVE ME THE MOST,

WHEN I’VE BEEN HELD

ACCOUNTABLE BY THE PEOPLE WHO

LOVE ME THE MOST, BECAUSE

THEY NOT ONLY HOLD ME

ACCOUNTABLE, THEY NOT ONLY

SHARPEN ME, BUT THEY’RE ALSO

THERE TO LINK ARMS WITH ME

AND SUPPORT ME.

YOU SEE, THAT IS WHERE WE’RE

GOING TO FIND HELP AND

GROWTH.

WHAT AM I SAYING TODAY?

I’M SAYING WE’RE BETTER

TOGETHER.

WE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER.

I FOUND THIS WONDERFUL STORY

ABOUT THE REDWOOD TREES IN

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND

THESE TREES GROW 350 FEET UP

IN THE AIR.

THEY GROW VERY CLOSE

TOGETHER.

THE INTERESTING PART IS THEIR

ROOTS ARE VERY SHALLOW.

THEY’RE ONLY ABOUT 5 1/2 FEET

UNDERGROUND.

YOU WOULD THINK SOMETHING SO

INCREDIBLY TALL WOULD HAVE TO

GO VERY, VERY DEEP IN THE

GROUND TO HOLD ITSELF UP, BUT

THE EXTRAORDINARY FACT ABOUT

THIS TREE IS THAT THE ROOTS

DON’T GO DEEP, BUT THEY

SPREAD WIDE.

THOSE ROOTS FIND THE OTHER

TREES’ ROOTS, AND THEY BEGIN

TO INTERMINGLE THEIR ROOTS

TOGETHER, AND THEY SAY THAT

THEY FIND NUTRITION WITH ONE

ANOTHER AND THAT, LITERALLY,

THE WAY THEIR ROOTS ARE SO

INTERMINGLED, THEY HOLD EACH

OTHER UP, THAT A TREE IN THE

MIDDLE OF THOSE TREES CAN DIE

FROM OLD AGE, AND IT CAN STAY

THERE 100 YEARS BECAUSE IT’S

SO INTERMINGLED WITH THE

OTHER TREES.

YOU SEE, IT FINDS ITS

STRENGTH IN ALL CLIMATES FROM

BEING WOVEN TOGETHER WITH THE

OTHER TREES, SO, WHETHER THE

WINDS ARE BLOWING, THE RAINS

ARE COMING DOWN, OR WHETHER

THERE’S A DROUGHT, THERE IS

ALWAYS STABILITY IN THE

FOREST OF THE REDWOOD TREES.

AND IF WE COULD BE AS UNITED

TOGETHER IN OUR LIVES AS

THOSE REDWOOD TREES ARE, I

BELIEVE WE COULD WITHSTAND

ANY STORM, THAT WE COULD

WITHSTAND ANY DRAUGHT BECAUSE

WE’RE NOT ONLY HOLDING ONE

ANOTHER UP, BUT WE ARE GIVING

NOURISHMENT TO ONE ANOTHER.

YOU SEE, GOD INTENDED US TO

BE TOGETHER.

HE INTENDED US TO START IN

OUR FAMILIES.

THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT GIVING

YOUR LIFE AWAY.

WHO ARE YOU ENTWINED WITH

TODAY?

WHO ARE YOU INVESTING IN?

WHO ARE YOU GIVING YOUR LIFE

TO?

I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE

PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES THAT WE

ASK GOD, “CAN I INVEST IN

THIS PERSON?”

YOU SEE, YOU CAN GIVE PEOPLE

MONEY.

YOU COULD GIVE THEM CARS.

YOU CAN DO NICE THINGS FOR

THEM, BUT CAN I TELL YOU,

WHEN YOU GIVE THEM YOUR

GREATEST COMMODITY, WHICH IS

YOURSELF, IT MAKES ALL THE

DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

WHEN YOU ENTWINE YOUR LIFE

WITH SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN IF

IT’S SEASONAL, AND YOU INVEST

IN THEM, I BELIEVE THAT’S

WHEN YOU’LL STAND STRONG,

YOU’LL GROW, AND YOU WILL BE

ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE STORMS

OF THIS LIFE.

AMEN?

AMEN.

> JOEL: THANKS FOR

WATCHING THIS

MESSAGE. I HOPE

YOU ENJOYED IT.

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> VICTORIA: LET US

KNOW IN THE

COMMENTS BELOW HOW

THIS MESSAGE HAS

ENCOURAGED YOU.

WE WOULD LOVE TO

HEAR FROM YOU.

WE’RE PRAYING FOR

YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

WE’LL SEE YOU

NEXT TIME!