Relate Community Church
Relate Community Church
What If God Had Your Level of Patience?
Pastor Angela kicks off our Fruitful Summer series with a powerful message on patience as a supernatural gift, not a natural tendency that must be developed through the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.
• Based on Galatians 5:22, patience is highlighted as one of the nine fruits of the Spirit
• Unlike our natural tendency toward impatience, patience is supernatural and must be cultivated
• Patience heals the bruised, as demonstrated in Joseph's 22-year journey from dream to fulfillment
• We cannot microwave spiritual maturity—it takes time and process
• Jesus modeled patience with his disciples, especially Peter, seeing potential when others saw problems
• God is the ultimate patient gardener who doesn't pluck out seeds when He can't immediately see growth
• Patience isn't passive—it's faith in slow motion
• The testimony of Relate Church's building purchase shows how patience with God's timeline leads to greater blessings
• Culture tells us to hurry, but Scripture repeatedly tells us to wait, be still, and abide
Join a small group this week to continue growing together, and don't miss First Wednesday service for a special time of communion and worship.
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Speaker 2:Come on, put your hands together.
Speaker 1:Hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 2:Wandering into the night, wanting a place to hide this weary soul, this bag of bones. And I cry with all my might, but I just can't win the fight. I'm slowly drifting On vagabond.
Speaker 1:And just when I ran out the road, I met a man I didn't know and he told me that I was not alone. He picked me up, turned me around and made my feet more solid ground. I thank the master, I thank the savior Because he healed my heart. He changed my name Forever free. I thank the master, I thank the savior, I thank God. I cannot deny what I see. Got no choice but to believe. My doubts are Like ashes in the wind. So long to my old friend Burning in bitterness. You just can't keep it moving. No, you ain't welcome here. From now till I walk the streets of gold, I'll sing a high old music. This wayward son has found his way back home. You lift me up, you turn me around, you place my feet on solid ground. I thank the master, I thank the savior, because you healed my heart. You changed my name Forever free. And I'm not the same. I not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God. Come on. Oh, I thank God, oh, I thank God, oh, I thank God. Come on, we're gonna declare this this morning Hell. I thank God. Come on, we're gonna declare this this morning Hell.
Speaker 1:I'm another one. I am free, I am free, I am free. Hell, I'm another one, I am free, I am free, I am free. Hell, I'm another one, I am free. I am free. World, I am free, I am free. You're lost in another world. I am free, I am free. You're lost in another world. You're lost in another world, I am free, I am free. Oh, I never felt so free before. You're lost in another world, I am free, I am free, I am free. You pick me up, turn me around, you place my feet on solid ground. I thank you, master, I thank you Savior, because you built my heart. You changed my name Forever free. I do not deceive. I thank the Master, I thank His name. I thank God. Who's free in this house today? And there's the free people I want y'all to see today. Come on, I thank God.
Speaker 2:I thank God. Come on, let's sing it again.
Speaker 1:You pick me up. Because you pick me up. Because you pick me up, you turn me around and place my feet on the ground. I thank you, I thank you, I thank you, savior, because you heal my heart and you change my day Forever free. I thank you, I thank you, I thank you, savior. I'm not the same. I'm not the same. Oh, I thank God. Give Him some praise in this house this morning. Hallelujah, thank you, jesus.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:Listen, listen. Even now the Lord is speaking, speaking Like a whisper in the wind, calling me again. Steal my heart and listen, listen. It sounds like peace, calling me, calling me, it sounds like joy. I know that voice Is the Lord. Come on, clap your hands. Is the Lord? Listen, listen.
Speaker 2:Even now the Lord is leading.
Speaker 1:He's leading Like a shepherd like a friend.
Speaker 2:I can recognize it anywhere. I can recognize it anywhere. Say my name and I'll go anywhere. Anywhere, it sounds like peace, calling me.
Speaker 1:It sounds like joy. I know that voice. It's the Lord. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Because when he speaks, get ready, get ready, something is about to happen. Who knows, anything can happen? Hallelujah, sing it out, because when he speaks, get ready, get ready, something is about to happen. I know it's about to happen. Sing it again when he speaks, because when he speaks dearie, dearie, something is about to happen. Who knows, anything can happen? And when he speaks, when he speaks dearie, I'm ready, Something is about to happen.
Speaker 2:I know it's about to happen. I can recognize it anywhere. I can recognize it anywhere. Say my name and I'll go anywhere anywhere it sounds like peace.
Speaker 1:Oh, calling me. It sounds like joy. Oh, come on, it sounds like peace. It sounds like peace. It sounds like peace. Calling me. It sounds like joy. I know that voice. It's the Lord. It's the Lord. Yeah, when he speaks. It's when he speaks. Hear it, hear it. Something is about to happen. Who knows, anything can happen. Yeah, when he speaks. When he speaks, hear it, hear it. Something is about to happen, and I know it's about to happen.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, something is about to happen, amen. Do you believe that when the Lord speaks, something is about to happen, it says get ready, are you ready? You better get ready, because when he speaks, what Something's about to happen, amen. I just want to welcome you all here to relate. This morning, you are not here by accident. Do this to your neighbor and tell them you are not here by accident. Do this to your neighbor and tell them you are not here by accident. I made you get up, I made you get in the car and I made you walk in the door, but that was not by accident.
Speaker 3:Amen, there's a divine word going to happen and fall fresh on you this morning. Do you believe that? This morning, church, the Lord renews us every morning? How many of y'all are thankful you have breath? Yes, psalms tells us, let everything that have breath. What praise the Lord. He woke you up this morning. He is a God of renewal, he is a God of refreshment, he is a God of fresh starts. Amen. And I know here this morning you're gonna to receive.
Speaker 3:So get ready, because the Lord's about to speak and something's about to happen. We are on the first day of a brand new month. We give our first back to him and everything. This is the first day of the week. This is your first breath for a brand new start, and we're going to give it to him in worship Amen. We're going to worship him with every bone in our body, every breath in our lungs. We're going to give it to him in worship Amen. We're going to worship him with every bone in our body, every breath in our lungs.
Speaker 3:We're going to continue to worship right now and I just want you to enter into this time of worship with thanksgiving. Can we do that? Thank you, lord, for a fresh start. Thank you, lord, for that breath. Thank you for that person that is sitting next to me in this chair, that maybe didn't want to be here this morning, but the Lord's about to speak, amen. And something's about to happen, amen. Let me just pray with you, lord. God. We just thank you so much, father. Let us lift our voices in worship to you. Let us praise you for everything that we are, everything that you're doing, everything you're about to do, every word you're about to fall fresh on someone's heart. We just give it to you today. We give you this week, we give you this month. We give you the fresh start as we walk forward in your promises today, and everybody said amen, let's worship.
Speaker 2:So, at this time, as we enter into this time of worship, I'm going to invite the prayer team up, and so they're going to be across the front, and if you need prayer for anything, if you need somebody to agree with you for anything this morning, that's what they're here for. If you need God to just move on your behalf, please let them come agree with you. Amen, hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:We worship you, jesus, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Spirit sound, rushing wind. Fire of God fall with it. Holy Ghost, breathe on us. We pray as we repent and turn from sin. Revival and besmoldering breath of God fan us into flame cause. We need a fresh wind, the fragrance of heaven.
Speaker 1:Pour your spirit out, pour your spirit out. Oh, oh, oh, holy Spirit, we invite you into this moment, right here, right now, the hearts that were with holy fear, purified in faith and deed, refiner's fire, strength and what we need. So, lead the church, prepare your life. Lamb of God, city bright, king and kingdom come. It's what we pray, it's wheat of fresh wheat. The fragrance of heaven is see. Oh, for your spirit now. Let all the redeemed prophesy and sing.
Speaker 1:We can hear the wind blowing, blowing, blowing. Move upon our praise. Sons and daughters sing. We can hear the wind blowing, blowing. Let the wind blow. Let the wind blow. We can hear the wind blowing, blowing. Move upon our praise. We can hear the wind blowing, blowing, blowing. Move upon our praise. Sons and daughters sing. We can hear the wind blowing, blowing. We need a fresh blue, the fragrance of heaven. Pour your spirit out. We call upon his Father. Pour your spirit out. We expect your presence. Father. A holy anointing Christ is pleased with your presence, the power of your presence. Pour your spirit out, Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out, pour your spirit out.
Speaker 1:Pour your spirit out. Jesus, silence the praise of your glory, for you were raised to life again. You have no rival, you have no equal, now and forever God. God you reign, yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory, yours is the name above all names. What a powerful name it is. What a powerful day it is. What a powerful day it is the name of Jesus Christ. What a powerful day it is. Nothing can stand against. What a powerful day. It is. The name of Jesus. You have no rival, you have no equal. Now and forever, god you reign. I will not be afraid. Your tears don't keep, your tears don't go away. Your tears don't make my world okay.
Speaker 1:Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, god. I need your love, my love, my love, I need your love, I need your word. Yeah, I need your word. Yeah, you are holy, you're holy, amazing holy. All is love, all is love. God Almighty, we worship you, god. What is your purpose? There's nobody's grace, nobody's glory, nobody writes you or my. You're holy, you're holy. Are you the God of my life? Yeah, holy, holy. What do you say? What do you say? We worship you, god, we honor you, god, we praise you, god. There's nobody like you God. There's nobody like you.
Speaker 4:Hallelujah Jesus, for the Lord is good and his love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations. You ever had an enduring love? An enduring love, a love that always loves you. That's what God has for you. Do you see this connect card? I want to show you this. I missed this last service. They were giving me the bad. Do you see this connect card? I want to show you this. I missed this last service. They were giving me the bad eye. You see this connect card.
Speaker 4:What we're asking of you is to please fill out the connect card. Maybe you've been a member here for a while and maybe you've been gone for a few months. Maybe your number has changed, maybe you're brand new to this church. All we want to do is connect with you. We won't send you weird emails. We won't call you at nine o'clock at night trying to get you to get baptized. We just want to connect with you to let you know that we love you. Here at Relay Church Does everybody see one? Look right in front of you. Grab one. If you're new here, if you've been gone, fill out that connect card and let us connect with you.
Speaker 4:Pastor Angela is so good at that. She has a gift for it. She reached out to me when I first came to Relate and I was like who is this lady Sounds so friendly. Golly, I thought I had energy. This woman is like wow. I said I'm coming to your church. Okay, pastor Angela, that's your gift. Don't you ever stop. That is your gift, I promise you. You are good at it. I watch your videos and I laugh all the time.
Speaker 4:So I got a couple announcements. First of all, small groups start this week. Small groups start this week. I've been thinking about changing the name, because if everybody joined, it'd be a large group, not a small group. See what I'm saying? So we want to get everybody involved in a group. Alright, just find one you like, and if you can't find one you like, start one. Alright, you can do that too. Man, we want to connect in the church, okay. Also, there's one particular small group I want to call out, and that's our men's soul food group. Men, they meet here every Saturday at nine o'clock doing Bible study, eating good food. They met at my house one time, man, and so some great guys. Man, if you want to come to a small group, learn more about the Bible, join the soul food group that meet on Saturdays here at the church.
Speaker 4:Also, first Wednesday, first, everybody say first Wednesday, first Wednesday. Once a month we do a first Wednesday service. It's where we do communion, everybody, the church comes together corporately again, but the worship is a little different. Really, focusing on worship, we want to commune with God and pastor has a word, but it's a little different than than Sundays. So we invite you to come out on Wednesdays to connect. Man, listen, we want to have as many options as possible for you to show up, because we know the more you show up pastor said this yesterday.
Speaker 4:I want to share this, it's so powerful. He said listen, connecting doesn't happen the first time, it doesn't happen even the second time, he said, but something happens that third time you get with somebody, it becomes ordinary, ordinary and you start like you know, it's like making a family reunion. You make it the first year, the second year, now I'm coming every year. So this is your family reunion. We want you to come join us every chance you get. We open the doors for you. It's for you, all right.
Speaker 4:Lastly, we're going to take offering now. My ushers are going to come down. Ushers, come on down, don't they look good? Look at. Look at them. I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna brag on them for a minute. We've got some men. This is a ministry. Guys, you want to join the ushers? Come see me or one of my guys. We love to have you.
Speaker 4:These guys show up. Some of them serve. Every single time the doors open every time, every time I can look up and see John Joseph and some of my guys and I really want you to know. I appreciate you guys for doing that. They are here. Every time I ask them to serve, they say BJ, we already got it covered. And that's the kind of leadership we need here at the church. Give him a hand, will you?
Speaker 4:I'm going to take a moment and pray over the offering. We ask that you give. Give what God has put on your heart to give. And if you're a member here, we're really asking you to give because you know what's happening here, you know food has been delivered here, you know that, you know what we're doing. So help us out so we can keep the ministry going. All right, father, god, we love you, we thank you. I thank you for every member, every visitor who has a heart to give God. I just thank you for giving us the ability to give back to you, knowing that you are using every dime to benefit the kingdom of God. We pray blessings over it In Christ's name. We pray Amen. Pass the buckets, will you.
Speaker 2:Yes, God, we worship you in this place, Lord Jesus. Peace bring it all to peace. The storm surrounding me, let it break at your name still. Call the sea to still. The raging meat is still.
Speaker 1:Every way at your name. Jesus Jesus, you make the darkness tremble, Jesus Jesus. You silence fear. Jesus Jesus, you make the darkness tremble, Jesus Jesus.
Speaker 2:We call these bones to live and call these lungs to sing Once again, I will praise Jesus, jesus.
Speaker 1:You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, you silence, fear. Jesus, jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, you silence fear. Jesus, jesus, you make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, your name is a light that the shadows can't deny. Your name cannot be overcome. Your name, your name cannot be overcome. Your name is alive, forever lifted high. Your name cannot be overcome. Jesus, jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, you make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, keep silence. Fear. Jesus, Jesus, you make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus. Your name is a light that the shadows can't deny. Your name cannot be overcome. Your name is alive, forever lifted high. Your name cannot be overcome. Your name is alive, but the shadows can't deny. Your name cannot be overcome, is not? You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, jesus. Oh, come on. Praise Him in this place. He makes the darkness tremble, amen, amen.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah. Why don't you turn to somebody, give them a high five or a hug, tell them they're so welcome here, welcome to church, we'll see you next time.
Speaker 5:All right, everybody who's happy to be at church today. It's good to be able to look out and see a church family that's excited to be in God's house. And man, you guys look good today. Can I get you all to do something? Would you all stand up for a second? It's not Catholic Church, this is, it's just home. But I need you all to stand up and get comfortable for a second.
Speaker 5:Can you remember, at the beginning of this year, how many of you guys know the word that we accepted and grabbed a hold of and said this is our word for the year Stretch. So for those who didn't know what the word was, but now you do, because everybody said it, let's all say it together One, two, three, stretch. That's our goal, right? Let's all say it together One, two, three, stretch, stretch. That's our goal, right? So even though we're going into summer and even though we're getting like I feel like sometimes we settle into summer, that's what I don't want you to do. I don't want you to settle in. Listen, rest, relaxation, going on vacation all good things. If you have to go on vacation for a week, two weeks, three weeks, whatever your vacation is, come back, but listen when we're here and whenever we wake up in the morning, our expectation and we're setting our faith high on what God can do in us and through us through the summer. So we're not going to take a rest in our faith. We're going to press in. We're going to study when it's time to study, we're going to grow and listen. Here's the thing I believe. So for the next nine weeks we're doing every week, we're going to do a fruit of the spirit. That means if you miss one, you'll have to go back and listen to it, because we're going to get them all. We're going to grow, we're going to look for fruit, we're going to expect fruit. We're going to believe for big things. So that means we have to take special guest, not guest a very special speaker.
Speaker 5:My favorite speaker, and that is Pastor Angela, is going to come in just a moment. You can come on up, but before I hand her the microphone, actually y'all can sit down. I feel like your energy is up, I feel like you're ready. Some of y'all just got too comfortable so we had to stand up to get uncomfortable. Tonight we have a really cool thing happening and that is pizza with the pastor.
Speaker 5:If you're new to Relate or if you've been around for a little while. Maybe you are not new, but you still haven't plugged in, you haven't decided to put some roots down and still trying to figure it out. Maybe, listen, sometimes you don't come to the thing because you think that's the commitment. That's not the commitment. You can choose what it is. It gives us a chance to get to know each other a little bit better. We can eat some pizza together. It's super casual.
Speaker 5:So come and just for about an hour and a half we're going to hang out with some of the other staff members, some of the other pastors, so you can get to hear our story, we can hear a little bit of your story and we'll just hang out at the couches there in the foyer and love to get to know you share our story, tell you how we got to this place and where God's taking us. Then you're better able to decide is this the kind of place, the kind of people, the kind of family that I want to be a part of and everyone's invited? Don't think you don't have to wait for like a special invitation? This is your special invitation and if you're at home today watching, still trying to figure it out, then I would encourage you and invite you to get up and come tonight. I think it's at 6, 6 pm, so come and join us. We'll be there. Otherwise y'all give it up one more time for Pastor Angela.
Speaker 6:You gave such good announcements, pastor Susan, put him on the roster. He needs to do announcements. Good job, pastor Sean. I am so excited to start Fruitful Summer with you, but before we get started, I just want to give a shout out. Look at these students over here, come on. They have been meeting on Friday nights at 730. If you have got a sixth grader or 12th grader or ninth grader or one of them between you, need to get them here, because they have a good time and it's something special for them to see other kids that love Jesus. There is a lot of worldly kids in this world that are pulling them another way. They need some time with some Jesus-loving teenagers, let me tell you, and so I'm honoring the youth staff for getting them all in one place. That's like wrangling cats, I know it. I did it for a long time.
Speaker 6:Fruitful Summer starts today, and so we have a theme verse, and it's in Galatians 5. And I just want to let you know that your kids are upstairs learning this today, and they're going to memorize the scripture over the next nine weeks, and so maybe you should not be outdone by a nine year old and you should challenge yourself to memorize this scripture over the next nine weeks. I'm just saying because I'm going to ask them does your mama know this scripture? And we'll see what they say, because they tell me everything, everything, let that sink in. Yes, be careful what you talk about on the way to church. Come on somebody. Galatians 5.22 says but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and everyone's favorite, self-control. That's not the one we're talking about today.
Speaker 6:The one we're talking about today was asked of me a few weeks ago, because your sweet pastor is not the most patient in the car, as we all know. He may or may not have honked at someone this very morning on his way, and so do we have time for a story? Do you know that one time he honked at me? Shall we tell your stories? You tell my stories all the time. One time, when our children were little, we had two Thank you Very close together, thank you, and we were children, thank you. He was in the truck waiting on me and I'm trying to put people's shoes on, trying to put my own shoes on, trying to put my own shoes on, trying to find my own items to leave, and I hear a honk, oh, pardon A honk at me, you say. And then I hear another honk, a little longer than the first honk, and I thought, oh no sir. And then my cell phone starts ringing. The man said we got to go. And so now the legend in our family is that two honks and a phone call is dangerous. And we learned something that day, didn't we? Ladies and gentlemen, don't honk at your wife, that's free.
Speaker 6:You see, the fruits of the spirit doesn't just happen. I think we want to be more patient, I think we want to be more peaceful, I think we want to exhibit self-control, but it doesn't happen naturally. See. You don't have to teach a toddler to stamp her little feet and say now that comes natural. You don't have to teach yourself to go into a full rage when the woman in front of you is counting out pennies for her $2.98 milk. Well, when was milk $2.98? Man, hold on. That was back in the 80s.
Speaker 6:You don't have to teach yourself how to be impatient, because it's very natural. Patience is a supernatural gifting and we try to grit our teeth and just be better and we forget that the Holy Spirit is growing things inside of us, that it's the fruit of the Spirit, and when you became a believer, the Holy Spirit came into your life and began to grow these things in you. As long as you're not cutting off the vine, as long as you're not nope, don't like that. I'm not going to pray for patience. I don't want him to test me. What, what that's not come on, you're grown.
Speaker 6:And so last week, when Pastor asked me to preach, I thought I'm a pretty patient person, I feel like I'm patient, and so I thought I'm going to make a little list of all the things that caused me to be impatient this week that inconvenience me, as you were, because I asked my children if I was patient and, of course, like good children, they said no. Oh, mother, you're so patient and such a good mother Because they wanted to live another day and I was making dinner that night. They did not want to die. So here's my list of things that irritated me this week, and I will just remind you that I was born in the 80s, before the internet, and so some of these things are just ridiculous that they irritate me, because I lived in a time where they didn't even exist. Slow apps, you know when you push the app on your phone and it doesn't open immediately, and then it decides to update. What is wrong with?
Speaker 6:you, I didn't even know what an app was 20 years ago. Now, if I can't check my balance on my bank immediately, I lose my mind. People counting change why are we counting change? Where's your debit card? I'm just trying to get a coffee at the gas station and you're counting out pennies. Come on, man, I haven't seen a penny in 10 years.
Speaker 6:How about those safety brakes at the neighborhood pool? I am 43 years old. I do not need a safety break. Lifeguard, who is 12. This happened to me yesterday. Ma'am, you have to get out of the pool. I just got in. You need a break, not me. I've been swimming longer than you've been breathing. How about slow walkers? You know where you're? Just come on, steph. You know where you're. Just you're trying to go to the groceryskippable commercials.
Speaker 6:I lived in a time where you couldn't skip commercials. We did our chores during commercials, remember? You'd run. You had three minutes to do something. Come back, you could get the dryer unloaded, fold the clothes. It's a whole thing. Now I'm like oh, I'm muting you, I'm not even listening to you. If I can't skip you, I pay, so I don't have to watch commercials, and then it gives you a timer. You have two minutes. I'm like oh, I cannot wait two minutes. Wait two minutes.
Speaker 6:What Printers? Period, just printers. I need to print something every day of my life. Most of it is not time sensitive. Most of the time it works. The moment I need something, right now, it decides it needs to calibrate. Calibrate what? Excuse me? No, sir, print, Do your thing. Okay.
Speaker 6:This one hit me last Sunday with one of your children, five-year-olds who put on their shoes. Time actually moved backwards while I was waiting for one of your children to put their shoes on. Why are your shoes off, honey? I don't know. My feet were hot. Well, can we hurry? Why are you taking your sock back off? It didn't feel right. Oh, my Atlanta Slow drive-thrus. Come on somebody. What are y'all doing back there? Come on somebody. What are y'all doing back there? The fries are already made.
Speaker 6:Let me just tell you a story. Pastor and I went to Taco Bell because we forgot we were in our 40s. We thought we had 17-year-old stomachs. We do not. It did not end well Moving on. Also, why does Taco Bell cost $36? When did that? Back in my day, children, you could eat for $12 at the Taco Bell.
Speaker 6:Let me tell you, a robot took our order. It was pleasant, it was wonderful, it was correct. Pleasant, it was wonderful, it was correct. Not a single teenage attitude in sight. Glorious, I said. Fire all the teenagers, hire all the robots. I don't care what iRobot says. I've seen the movie. I know how it ends Moving on.
Speaker 6:How about people who are always late? Oh, come on, but not when I'm late. Y'all got to wait on me Because I have things to do and I'm very important. You see, impatience comes so naturally. It's just, it's in us. And so we think we lay in bed at night and think, why can't I be more patient with my kids? Why can't I be more patient with my coworkers? Why can't I be more patient with my coworkers? Why can't I be more patient with the people around me? But we never once think God, will you grow patience in me? In fact, it is our culture not even to ask God for patience, because we don't want to walk it out. Who did that come from? That sounds like the enemy. I'm just saying we literally don't pray for patience. What you need? Patience. You live in a fallen world.
Speaker 6:The scripture, proverbs 16, 32, says better a patient man than a warrior, One who controls his temper, than one who takes a city, who controls his temper, than one who takes a city. We are so set to get ahead, to move ahead, to go forward, that we forget that we are trampling everybody in our wake because we cannot wait. You see, patience takes more strength than fighting. Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is just wait. And so today I want to show you three ways that patience is fruitful in your life, because patience is not just good manners. Be patient, little Timmy. Be patient. Little Timmy has no idea how to be patient. It did not come naturally. It is a superpower to be patient. Colossians 1.11 says being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, not according to your glorious might, his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience. Because patience is powerful when you allow it to develop in your life. Number one patience heals the bruised.
Speaker 6:Proverbs 15, 18 says a hot-tempered man or lady thank you. Stirs up dissension, but a patient man or lady calms a quarrel. See, when you just say the men, the ladies, just tune out. This is for you too, women. Have you ever met a hot-tempered woman? Oh, everyone. Just no pointing, no pointing. Have you ever met a hot-tempered man? Sure, but who in your life brings peace? Who in your life is patient? Do they stand out as much as the hot-tempered? Do they make a difference? As much as a hot-tempered? You see, patience heals the bruised.
Speaker 6:And I think we see this the most in the story of Joseph with his brothers in Genesis 36 through 50. You should read it. It's a great story. Joseph had a dream from God when he was 17 years old and God told him that he would be great. In fact, he told them. He told him that his brothers would bow down before him. So what does a 17-year-old do? Does he hide it in his heart and write it in his prayer journal and go tell his dad and his pastor? No, he goes straight to his brothers and he says guess what God said you would all bow down to me. I can hear him because I know 17-year-olds. Also, did you see this fancy coat that, god, that my dad gave me, my dad? Can you hear him?
Speaker 6:Now, I'm not saying the boys did right, but what they did do was sell their little brother to captivity in Egypt. Who's ever wanted to sell a sibling? Don't answer, don't you dare. Don't you dare. That was a tricky. That was tricky, don't you dare. That was a tricky. That was tricky. You see.
Speaker 6:He lived in Egypt for a long time and the favor of God that he dreamed about was on his life. For years and years, multiple things happened to him. He was falsely accused and thrown into jail. His favor of God lived. He was in charge of the jail. Then Potiphar, pharaoh, calls him out and makes him in charge of Egypt. The scripture says he was second in command, a slave to second in command.
Speaker 6:Do you think in all of those moments he forgot that promise that God had put in him? Couldn't you don't have a dream like that? But surely he looked around and thought I don't see it, because people are bowing and I'm doing good things, but these aren't my brothers. And then famine hits Egypt. People are starving to death and who comes to the courtroom? His brothers Bowing and scraping, please, we are dying, we have to have food. Our kids are dying, we have to have food, our kids are dying.
Speaker 6:And Joseph had a choice because in that moment his dream came true, some 22 years after he had him. Can you wait 22 years? Can you wait for the promises of God to come to fruition in your life? And then, when it does, will you behave responsibly? Because Joseph had every right to say I don't know who you are, move along. He had every right to say you know what? Put these guys in prison, sell them, sell them to someone else, make them someone else's problem. But he didn't. In fact, he said in Genesis 50, 20, what you meant for evil, god has turned for good, because if Joseph hadn't been in Egypt, those boys would have starved. I don't know what would have happened, would they have ever made it to the promised land generations later with Moses?
Speaker 6:Because Joseph's responsibility and his patience with his family and his patience with God, he healed a bruised part and set a lineage in order. What in your life are you bruising with your impatience? What in your life are you bruising with your impatience? What in your life are you pushing so hard to make happen the way you want to that you're pushing past the will of God? When I talked to the kids about my patience level, I said come on, guys, you got to help me remember a time where I was impatient with you and once again, like good children, they could not remember. I know myself and I know these children. I know there was, but they did remember one story. It was a morning. They were probably in second or third, second and third grade there's two of them and it was a late day.
Speaker 6:We woke up late, late to work, late to school. No breakfast, it was. You know the day. You know we get all the way to school open that we're the last in the car line. Come on, you know the shame, the shame of the last one and the yes, we're late. We, yes, we are just open the door. Get the kids out, please. Thank you, you're late, mrs. We are Just open the door. Get the kids out, please. Thank you, you're late, mrs. I know, thank you. My phone is blown up. My boss is calling me. I'm late to the meeting I was supposed to start. Printer wouldn't print. Thank you, it was a day. And one little voice from the we don't have shoes, excuse me, we don't have any shoes on. What did you just say to me? I tell the nice car attendant please close the door. We have a situation. We also don't have socks. I said are they in the backpacks? Please tell me, they're in the backpacks.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 6:And I remember having a choice. Honestly, I do. I remember in my brain it was like choose your own adventure. I could lose it and scream at them the entire way, and they would never leave their shoes at home again. I could mark them today or I could laugh and just move along. It wasn't their fault they woke up late, that's me. It wasn't their fault that they didn't have their stuff by the door, that's me, right. It all boils down to leadership, right? And so I remember sitting in the car and maniacally laughing you don't have any shoes. Oh my God, we got to go home. Okay, here we go, everybody. We're going home. And they remember that. They remember me laughing and taking them home and getting their shoes. They remember, I'll tell you, I could have bruised them that day. I don't ever remember them forgetting their shoes after that day, honestly, but it wasn't because I screamed at them for 20 minutes all the way home. It might have been because they were afraid she had lost her final marble. That is very possible.
Speaker 6:But I remember there being a choice patience or impatience. That doesn't often happen. Life doesn't often slow down to where you can make the choice, so maybe you just have to make the decision in your heart. I'm going to be patient. The decision I'm going to make is to laugh in the face of ridiculousness of two naked footed children in the back. How did you leave the house with no shoes on? I'm still upset about it. Actually, the thing is is that they were not bruised that day. Now they're not perfect, and neither was I, I promise I'm not, but that day we did better. That day we didn't bruise. That's the goal. That's the goal to be more patient than you were yesterday. Let the Lord push that out of you. Pull that out of you straight, stretch that out of you and then celebrate when you make a good choice, because I can promise you, the people around you recognize when you choose to be patient. Number two patient gives things time to ripen.
Speaker 6:Psalm 27, 14 says wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart. And then it says it again. When the scripture says things twice in one sentence, we really have to pay attention. Wait for the Lord. See, it's kind of like an avocado. You know it's Taco Tuesday, you're at the store on Monday and you think I'm going to make guacamole for Taco Tuesday night and you buy a rock-hard avocado because you know that if it's too soft it won't be ready. So you buy the rock-hard avocado and you put it up in the windowsill and you say I need you ready by Taco Tuesday night seal, and you say I need you ready by taco Tuesday night. Tuesday morning you check it still rock hard. Okay, good, okay, a little nervous, but maybe you'll get it together. Taco Tuesday night comes around and the thing is rotten because it decided to ripen at 1 23 in the afternoon when you were at work for about 15 minutes and that was all the chance you get.
Speaker 6:You see, the thing is is you cannot microwave spiritual maturity. We want so badly to be spiritually mature, but we don't want to go through any of the stuff that actually matures us. Don't pray for patience. The Lord will give it to you. What I don't ever want? Any. We're not allowed to say that anymore at Relate. Okay, sorry, pastor Sean, you actually said it earlier.
Speaker 6:You see, patience says God. I trust your timeline more than I trust mine, and he modeled this. Jesus modeled this probably better than anybody else. Can you imagine saying the same thing over and over to the same group of people and they never got it until you died? Sounds like parenting.
Speaker 6:I mean, look at Peter. Peter is my favorite disciple. He stayed with Jesus constantly. He also argued with Jesus constantly. He's the one who denied him. He knew all of the things and still wasn't listening. I mean, for heaven's sakes, he cut a guy's ear off seconds before, right after a prayer meeting, came out of the prayer meeting, cut a guy's ear off. I'm telling you, if any of your pastors or your lead team here at Relate cut a guy's ear off, we'd have to sit them down. But what did Jesus do? Did he cancel him? No, he said on this rock I'll build my church Because he could see something. There's patience. He allowed Peter to ripen, but we are in such a hurry we don't let anyone ripen. We don't give any grace to anyone who maybe is going through sanctification. We want it now. We want you to act right all the time, a hundred percent. I get to act however I want, but you have to be perfect. That's not even Christ-like. We must be patient with one another.
Speaker 6:The woman at the well she was five husbands deep and I kind of think she came up to the guy at the well looking for number six. Hey, jesus, heard, you were in town. See, the disciples were like Jesus, come away, come away. We got to go eat, let's go. They knew and Jesus knew too. He said come on, come, sit over here, let's talk about it. And then she tried to hide it and he said how about them five other husbands? He's a little sassy, jesus, you should read your word. He was sassy to hide it. And he said how about them five other husbands? He's a little sassy, jesus, you should read your word. He was sassy. I loved it Because he slowed down and was patient with her.
Speaker 6:She saved her whole city in his name. She took it right back. She didn't hide it. Oh, I hope the city can find Jesus. They better get in their word. Lord's working on me, but he's not working on them, clearly. No, she took it right back to him. That's patience in action. He allows us to bloom. He waits for sanctification to happen in our hearts so that we're better than we were yesterday. He was never in a rush to make us perfect, but he was so committed to walking with us through everything. He gives us time to ripen and because of that our lives are transformed.
Speaker 6:It makes me think about this building. You see, seven years ago, pastor and I started this church in our living room and a prophet called us and said hey, I feel like the Lord is telling me that one day you're going to buy a church with cash. Good pastor over here said oh, thank you, church with cash. Good pastor over here said oh, thank you, jesus, let's go. And I was like do you even know how church plants work? No one gets paid. There's no cash. What are you talking about? So we just kept going. I think every year we got some kind of prophecy that one day you'll have a building One day, one day. And then COVID hit. And I really thought we got some kind of prophecy that one day you'll have a building One day, one day. And then COVID hit and I really thought we may not even make it out of this alive.
Speaker 6:And when everybody else in our circles, all of our brother churches, all of our sister churches, were signing leases on buildings because they lost their space, your pastor went and made a deal at an indoor football. Who was there? Who was the athletes? Yeah, we were. Remember moving the chairs. Come on, somebody Ugh. And even in that season somebody calls us and said something's about to change and it's going to happen so fast. Your head is pinned. Good pastor, come on, lord, this one, sure, okay, february 2023, we were at a pastor's conference and our pastor calls us out and says hey, you're going home, there's a building hidden for you. We know that. We know the drill, good pastor. Thank you, pastor. I am in front of people so I'm like, so interesting, where could it be? Because we know it's not there. We had looked at everything, every building, everything, luby's Jeez. By April 2023, we had signed and paid cash for this building.
Speaker 6:One of us had a lot of repenting to do. The thing is seven years. We waited for a promise. We were fateful. We stayed fateful. If we would have signed a lease in COVID, we wouldn't have had the cash to buy this building. Somebody heard the call of God, somebody had the promise of God and he said, no, we're not signing a lease, we don't need an indoor football field. I tried to get us an indoor field Because sometimes I think we push ahead of God's plan to make something happen and we end up with an Ishmael and not an Isaac, but we want it so bad we can't be patient for God to do a thing.
Speaker 6:Number three patient reflects the gardener's heart. Little known fact about Mr Mooney. He doesn't ever talk about this. He is a green thumb extraordinaire. I have seen this man pull off the side of the road, get out of his truck, pluck a plant off the side of the road, take it home, stick it in our backyard and it's everywhere. I can barely keep my house plant alive.
Speaker 6:One time I watered a fake plant for six months until my mother told me I think this plant is fake. I wish I was kidding. I wish I was so proud of that plant. She came over she goes why is this plant wet? I said well, don't you, aren't you supposed to wash? She said it's fake. I said no, it is not. How dare you? It was indeed fake. It was a cactus. It also had mold in it because I had been you know it's fine been, you know it's fine.
Speaker 6:Recently somebody brought Pastor Sean three little cuttings. You would have thought they gave him gold, gold. We left that meeting at nine o'clock at night and went to the Home Depot and got things. What did we get? Roots, somethings, I don't know. It was very important that we do it right then. He probably went out this morning and checked on those plants, gently watering, talking to them. That ain't me. Two people get married a green thumb and a brown thumb. I make other things grow. You want a social media presence? I got you boo.
Speaker 6:You see, the thing is we are waiting for something to grow in our lives, but we don't want to put any work in it. We are watching and waiting for the promise of God, but we don't want to put any work. We cannot lift our fork to our mouth. We wait, and God is such a gentle gardener. He just waits for us to be pruned. He gently waters us and he waits for the seed of promise that he has planted in us. The crazy thing is that sometimes we get so frustrated with those seeds that we pluck them out because they're not growing fast enough, we stomp on them because they're not growing fast enough and we kill that tiny seed that God is trying to grow in us. God isn't just patient, he is patience. He's not in a hurry to write people off, he is cheerleading every step that we take forward. I tell my women in the sisterhood all the time even baby steps are forward. Even tiny little shuffles are forward. Any forward motion is better than being stagnant.
Speaker 6:A good gardener doesn't yank out a seed when he can't see it. I got a picture for you. See, this is a seed. But all of us want this now. But this is time Because you're really here, but you think nothing is happening because you can't see it.
Speaker 6:And it shows our trust in God when we begin to cry and whine and throw a fit because things are not happening as fast as we want them to, and the good gardener says just wait, be patient, because he doesn't pluck people out before they're ready, he doesn't snap when they fall short, he doesn't sigh and say are we still dealing with that? He tends, he prunes and he watches for fruit. So I ask you, how many times has God been patient with you? How many times have we run ahead of him or fallen behind, and he just either sped up or slowed behind? And he just either sped up or slowed down. He wants to be with you every step of the way, but we have to let him lead. Imagine if God had your level of patience. Would anyone be saved? Would you be saved? Because patience isn't passive, it's faith in slow motion.
Speaker 6:Proverbs 16.32 says better a patient man than a warrior. You see, culture tells us to strive to hurry, you're being left behind. Hurry, hurry. The scripture tells us to wait. Scripture tells us to slow down, slow to anger, be still Over and over. Never once does it say to run, never once does it say to strive. In fact, it says to abide.
Speaker 6:Matthew 7, 16 says by their fruit you will recognize them Talking about us, talking about the Christ followers. Do your coworkers know you're saved? Do your children know you're saved? Or do you just go to church on Sunday? Is your fruit evidence of Christ working in you? Do we heal what is broken? Do we allow to ripen what God is working on? Do we reflect the patient heart of God? It's a major heart check, especially in seasons where you're waiting on a prodigal child, or you're waiting for a marriage to take a better turn, or you're so frustrated with where you are in your season and God calls us to be patient. And this is what I want to do. We're going to worship for a minute. I want you to see in your heart. Search your heart where you need to surrender. Search your heart where you need to be patient and allow God to work. Search your heart where you need to repent, where you have moved ahead of God, you have moved past him and made something happen. Let's stand and worship.
Speaker 1:That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him. I, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He'll never hurt, he will not fail. Sing it out, Sing it. I want the Lord, I want the Lord, I want the Lord, and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord and he heard and he answered. I saw the Lord and he heard and he answered. That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him. I saw the Lord and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered. That's why I trusted. That's why I trusted God, oh, that's why I trust in God.
Speaker 6:We trust in Jesus. He will never fail. He will never fail. Let me pray for you. Put your hand over your heart. Close your eyes, oh Father. We for you. Put your hand over your heart. Close your eyes, oh Father. We thank you. Thank you for your perfect patience with us. We do not deserve the amount of patience that you show us. We surrender our timelines, our frustrations, our unfinished places to you. Oh God, grow in us the fruit of patience. Steady us. Let our lives preach peace to those around us. God, help us to bring your word to this hurried world. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 6:Maybe you're thinking that sounds all good and well, but I don't even know Jesus. I don't even know who he is. I want this patience, I want this peace, but I don't know him. Or you've walked away.
Speaker 6:Today is the best day to say yes. Today is the best day to start again. He has done a good and perfect work in you. You don't start all over. He just picks the pieces up. Right then? Will you pray with me? Church, family, can we do it together? Lord Jesus, I confess I tried to do life my own way and I believe that you died for me and rose again. Today, I turn from my sin and follow you. Be my Savior, forgive me, make me new and lead me this day In Jesus' name. Amen, give him a hand. Give him a hand hand. I know that there are some situations in this house that need a prayer partner, but we're going to open up the altars one more time. I know we already did it, but the prayer partners are going to come and we're going to worship for a few minutes. If you need to slip out, go ahead, but I know that the Lord is doing a work in this room right now.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah, come on, it sounds like peace. Oh, calling me, it sounds like joy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know that voice. It's the Lord, it's the Lord. So when he speaks, dearie, dearie, something is about to. So when he speaks, get ready, get ready. Something is about to happen. Who knows, anything can happen when he speaks. Get ready, I'm ready. Something is about to happen. I know it's about to happen. I know it's about to happen. Sing when he speaks. When he speaks, hear it, hear it. Something is about to happen. Who knows, anything can happen when he speaks. Hear, get ready, I pray. Something is about to happen. I know it's about to happen. We're so glad that you joined us this evening, this afternoon. We can't wait to see you guys on First Wednesday. Have a blessed week. We love you so much. Bye, guitar solo. We'll see you next time.