Sermon #S026 - I'll Take it From Here - (Part 2) 00:00:06.23\00:00:20.08 Welcome to The Breath of Life Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 00:00:20.12\00:00:25.92 In today's episode, Pastor Snell will share Part Two of the dynamic message titled "I'll 00:00:25.95\00:00:33.80 Take It From Here." Now let's go deeper into the Word of God to understand his plan for our 00:00:33.83\00:00:40.67 family. Pastor Snell: See? This is why young people I need you to get that the call to 00:00:40.70\00:00:48.98 abstinence is not restrictive. It's protective. [Congregation: 00:00:49.01\00:00:51.31 Clapping] Oh, God. I thought I would get one witness in the Church of the Living God that 00:00:51.35\00:00:58.12 the call to abstinence is not restrictive. It is protective. In other words, because the act 00:00:58.15\00:01:06.43 itself, hear me, is an act of covenant. In other words, when you engage it is more than the 00:01:06.46\00:01:14.57 exchange of body and fluid, there is a soul interface, there is a spirit mixing that is going 00:01:14.60\00:01:22.24 to bind you permanently to someone that might not even be there next week. Are you all 00:01:22.28\00:01:24.15 hearing what I'm saying? And see, what the devil's going to try to convince you is that now 00:01:24.18\00:01:28.38 it's just physical, it don't mean nothing but how many of us know that our spiritual 00:01:28.42\00:01:31.59 and our physical are so interwoven that the two cannot be compartmentalized? 00:01:31.62\00:01:38.23 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:01:38.26\00:01:40.00 [Congregation: Amen] 00:01:40.03\00:01:42.00 The two operate with such oneness that when my soul is hurting guess what? My body 00:01:42.03\00:01:47.64 starts crying. That when my soul is stressed, guess what? My blood pressure goes up, my 00:01:47.67\00:01:54.71 breathing becomes irregular, my heartbeat goes up. Why? Because whatever touches my soul is 00:01:54.74\00:01:58.75 going to touch my body and whatever touches my body is going to also touch my soul so 00:01:58.78\00:02:05.99 you can't touch one without the other. [Congregation: Cheering] 00:02:06.02\00:02:07.29 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:02:07.32\00:02:09.29 Are you all hearing what I'm saying? And see, I need you to get that. That's why in 1 00:02:09.32\00:02:13.06 Corinthians 6. Have you ever noticed that Paul says that "Every other sin is the sin 00:02:13.09\00:02:19.70 outside of the body, but fornication is a sin against your own body." In other words, 00:02:19.73\00:02:26.64 when you lie and you steal, you hurt somebody else, but when you fornicate the word says "You 00:02:26.68\00:02:33.01 bring pain and destruction to yourself." [Congregation: Amen] 00:02:33.05\00:02:34.05 And that's why there is no such thing as safe sex. 00:02:34.08\00:02:37.59 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:02:37.62\00:02:42.46 That only applies if you think the greatest consequence is an 00:02:42.49\00:02:50.13 STD or pregnancy. But do you realize that there is an emotional brokenness that 00:02:50.17\00:03:00.91 happens when you bond yourself in a permanent way to somebody that's not going to be there 00:03:00.94\00:03:06.58 next week? See the danger? The reason the church can't stop preaching this, is because if we 00:03:06.61\00:03:12.15 do, we start endorsing our brokenness. [Congregation: 00:03:12.19\00:03:14.52 Clapping] And see the problem with the behavior is that your spirit or your body is making a 00:03:14.56\00:03:22.53 covenant that your spirit cannot handle. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:03:22.56\00:03:24.47 That's why I can't be done casually. You got to be in covenant. Somebody say in 00:03:24.50\00:03:28.60 covenant. [Congregation: In covenant] 00:03:28.64\00:03:30.54 You got to be in a relationship. It's for married folk. Are you all hearing the word today, 00:03:30.57\00:03:33.88 friends? [Congregation: Amen] 00:03:33.91\00:03:36.14 As I remember my very last month or two at Andrews, I had some previous roommates that I was 00:03:36.18\00:03:41.38 living with but then Neil, about two months before graduation. I exchanged roommates and I had 00:03:41.42\00:03:46.86 two roommates that moved in and so because I had been in the apartment the longest, the phone 00:03:46.89\00:03:52.23 bill was in my name. Do you all remember back in the day when long-distance was an additional 00:03:52.26\00:03:57.80 charge? [Congregation: Amen] 00:03:57.83\00:04:00.10 Come on, you all remember? Okay, Amen. And it's crazy because I lived only in the house for a 00:04:00.14\00:04:05.94 month or two together. So what I don't require is I don't require them to put their name on the 00:04:05.97\00:04:13.78 bill. I allowed them to have service with the phone, without being in the contract. Do you 00:04:13.82\00:04:21.49 all hear me? And so all of us calling our mamas and daddies, all of us calling our 00:04:21.52\00:04:27.60 girlfriends from out of town, all of us calling our friends from back in the day. But guess 00:04:27.66\00:04:33.44 what? When that last month's bill is due and everybody's moving out of the house, guess 00:04:33.47\00:04:38.94 what? Everybody wants to walk away, why? Because there was only one name on the contract. 00:04:38.97\00:04:42.11 And see? The problem is, I allowed them to get service without signing their names on 00:04:42.14\00:04:48.28 the dotted line. And what I'm saying to somebody today, don't let them get service. 00:04:48.32\00:04:52.85 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:04:52.89\00:04:53.66 [Congregation: Cheering] 00:04:53.69\00:04:55.46 If there is no contract, no covenant, don't let them walk away without being committed. 00:04:55.49\00:05:02.83 [Congregation: Cheering] 00:05:02.86\00:05:04.03 The old folks would say "Why buy the cow?" Yall mighty quiet 00:05:04.07\00:05:08.60 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:05:08.64\00:05:12.94 [Congregation: Cheering] 00:05:12.97\00:05:19.51 The third thing this teaches, friends of mine, and what the adults to hear me on this? 00:05:19.55\00:05:25.69 Is that sometimes your freedom comes at the expense of the children's bondage. 00:05:25.72\00:05:34.46 [Congregation: amen] 00:05:34.50\00:05:39.47 See? Things have reached a tipping point between Hagar and 00:05:39.50\00:05:46.31 Sarai. See, once Isaac is born, I need you to get to by the time Isaac is weaned and a festival 00:05:46.34\00:05:53.18 is thrown, this literally pushes your boy Ishmael into a place of trauma so much so that he 00:05:53.21\00:05:59.42 and his mother begin to mock Sarai and Isaac essentially exposing the truth that as the 00:05:59.45\00:06:07.60 oldest one, I am the heir to the birthright and understand your girl Sarai ain't having this no 00:06:07.60\00:06:16.24 more, she's making it clear to Hagar that you ain't got to go home. But you going to have to 00:06:16.27\00:06:20.78 get on up out of here. And it's crazy because she steps to Abraham with no negotiation in 00:06:20.81\00:06:26.11 her voice. She's making it clear. It's going to be her or it's going to be me. 00:06:26.15\00:06:29.98 And the thing I need somebody to get is that Abraham is at a point where he can't manage 00:06:30.02\00:06:35.39 this. He can't appease it. He cannot hold it together. Understand your boy Abraham is a 00:06:35.42\00:06:42.40 hundred-some years old. He is too old to be dealing with baby mama drama. All your boy Abraham 00:06:42.43\00:06:48.14 wants is some peace and this thing is not about a lack of love for his son, Ishmael. 00:06:48.17\00:06:53.34 Abraham's got to do what he's got to do to maintain some peace 00:06:53.38\00:06:59.28 in his house. In other words, the rejection of Ishmael is not about the child. It's about the 00:06:59.31\00:07:09.06 immaturity of the adults. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:07:09.09\00:07:10.03 [Congregation: Cheering] 00:07:10.06\00:07:11.83 And let me just say to some of the Ishmaels in the room that did not have Mom or Dad around. 00:07:11.86\00:07:16.60 If they walked out who please hear me? I need you to know. 00:07:16.63\00:07:24.61 It's not on you. [Congregation: Amen] 00:07:24.64\00:07:28.18 See? There are some Ishmaels that have been carrying this unnecessary baggage and weight. 00:07:28.21\00:07:33.15 Because what the voice of abandonment says it says, "You're not good enough." 00:07:33.18\00:07:38.65 It says, "If you had only behaved. " It says that "You're the reason and the problem." 00:07:38.69\00:07:44.63 It says that "If you had acted better, somehow things would have worked out a little bit 00:07:44.66\00:07:51.23 differently." But my prayer is to set some Ishmael's free. 00:07:51.27\00:07:54.34 Don't blame yourself if Mom or Dad did not stick around, don't blame yourself because you had 00:07:54.37\00:08:02.51 to be raised in foster care. Don't blame yourself if Mom and Dad could not stay married. In 00:08:02.54\00:08:08.35 fact, sometimes God, in wisdom had to push one or two parents outside of the door, because 00:08:08.38\00:08:17.39 they were not worthy to be stewards of your gifts, and your talents, and your potential. And 00:08:17.43\00:08:26.07 even though they had to leave, I need you to know we serve a God that says, I'll take it from 00:08:26.10\00:08:28.94 here. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:08:28.97\00:08:30.44 [Congregation: Amen] 00:08:30.47\00:08:33.84 See? There are no illegitimate kids. 00:08:33.88\00:08:37.38 There are just illegitimate parents that are not worthy to oversee what has been gifted to 00:08:37.41\00:08:45.99 them. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:08:46.02\00:08:47.92 [Congregation: Amen] 00:08:47.96\00:08:50.76 Can you all imagine, friends of mine? Just stay with me. How traumatic your boy Ishmael's 00:08:50.79\00:08:59.20 life must have been? You see every time a family functions outside of God's design, it 00:08:59.23\00:09:08.81 brings harm to the children. He adores his father. He literally hangs on every word that his 00:09:08.84\00:09:14.35 father speaks. When he looks in his father's face, he gets a glimpse of what he shall one day 00:09:14.38\00:09:20.39 look like and what he shall one day become. His sense of identity, his sense of self 00:09:20.42\00:09:25.36 hinges on his father's approval. But I need you to get friends of mine, how traumatic it is for 00:09:25.39\00:09:33.50 Ishmael to see his daddy showing preference to another woman outside of his mother. Do you 00:09:33.54\00:09:42.68 realize how hard it is for Ishmael to have to go and visit his daddy with his new family? 00:09:42.71\00:09:48.85 It's traumatic when his brother is born and it should be a matter of family celebration, 00:09:48.88\00:09:56.69 but the birth of the new child literally makes his life completely irrelevant at this 00:09:56.73\00:10:04.80 time. And see friends, I need you to embrace the trauma of this moment. As man, God has 00:10:04.83\00:10:09.20 given this very harsh word to Abraham. He says "Listen, Abraham, this is not going to 00:10:09.24\00:10:17.85 work, you going to have to send the bondwoman away." Can you feel what it must be like to be 00:10:17.88\00:10:27.39 Ishmael when he sees Abraham and his mother having that conversation? When he sees his 00:10:27.42\00:10:33.90 dad put a water bottle and a loaf of bread in his hand and he pushes them on the outskirts of 00:10:33.93\00:10:39.10 the camp? And I can imagine your boy Ishmael as he's looking over his shoulder thinking that 00:10:39.13\00:10:43.17 somehow it's a joke. He's looking over his shoulder assuming that at some point, 00:10:43.20\00:10:51.25 Daddy's going to change his mind. He's looking over his shoulder assuming that somehow 00:10:51.28\00:10:58.05 it's going to get better. Can you imagine what Ishmael is like as he lays in the desert? When 00:10:58.09\00:11:03.89 all the bread is gone and all the water is gone and he is lying there on the precipice of 00:11:03.93\00:11:11.37 death. He holds out hope that any moment, Dad is going to show up. Any moment, Dad is going to 00:11:11.40\00:11:18.04 come to the rescue. Any moment, Dad is going to come and see about me. But eventually, that 00:11:18.07\00:11:26.61 disappointment creates a rage and that rage that even starts out hunting him. It eventually 00:11:26.65\00:11:30.82 impanels him and it ultimately defines who he will become. Notice what God said about 00:11:30.85\00:11:39.09 Ishmael. The Bible literally says, God said to his mama, he says "He's going to be a wild 00:11:39.13\00:11:45.90 man. He's going to be against every man. Hence every man is going to be against him. And I 00:11:45.93\00:11:52.24 need you to know that God is not articulating his plan. He has prophesied what the results will 00:11:52.27\00:11:58.31 be of Abraham and Sarah's treachery. He's saying he's going to struggle with 00:11:58.35\00:12:05.79 self-esteem. He's going to struggle with his emotions. He's going to struggle with his 00:12:05.82\00:12:15.76 feelings. He's going to struggle communicating. He's going to be volatile. He's going to have 00:12:15.80\00:12:18.87 outbursts, it's going to look bad. But even though it looks crazy, I want you to know Hagar, 00:12:18.90\00:12:20.90 I'm not going to leave you by yourself. I'm going to take it from here." And see friends. I 00:12:20.94\00:12:25.71 need us to get that fatherlessness or parental abandonment on either side comes 00:12:25.74\00:12:35.12 with certain fruit. See, one of those fruit is anger. Somebody say anger. [Congregation: Anger] 00:12:35.15\00:12:42.49 See, the problem is we think that just because a child is not loud or boisterous that they are 00:12:42.52\00:12:47.56 not anger. How many of us know the anger can be silent? And the anger can lie right dormant 00:12:47.60\00:12:51.20 under the surface of a child. And guess what? It matures along with their puberty. So that as 00:12:51.23\00:12:53.90 they get facial hair, and as they develop curves and as they develop muscles, guess what? The 00:12:53.94\00:13:01.21 anger matures simultaneously and it's crazy when they begin to have outbursts as adults. We 00:13:01.24\00:13:07.52 think something has all of a sudden changed. No, something did not just shift that simply 00:13:07.55\00:13:13.42 which has been under the surface has finally broke free. One of the things that happens when 00:13:13.46\00:13:17.23 there's abandonment is boys and girls who have abandonment, they struggle with broken 00:13:17.26\00:13:22.20 relationships. There's a sense of abandonment. that brings you to extremes. There are some, 00:13:22.23\00:13:27.37 because they've been hurt and disappointed by abandonment. They'll put up such walls that 00:13:27.40\00:13:32.54 they won't allow anybody to get close with them. And they will struggle with intimacy, or they 00:13:32.57\00:13:41.12 will struggle with all human interaction. But there's another extreme to abandonment. Because 00:13:41.15\00:13:43.02 when you've been abandoned, you'll have one so bad just to have somebody in your life that 00:13:43.05\00:13:48.26 you will hold on even to those that don't treat you well. [Congregation: Amen] So they are 00:13:48.29\00:13:52.53 cheating on you and yet you will stay. They talk down to you and you'll still stay. They even 00:13:52.56\00:14:00.44 knock you upside your head and yet you'll stay. Why? Because you're just so desperate to have 00:14:00.47\00:14:03.54 somebody that you will put up with anything. Can I say fathers, that's why we got to 00:14:03.57\00:14:09.11 stay present. Our daughters need to not have to deal with that. Are you all hearing what I'm 00:14:09.14\00:14:10.21 saying today? [Congregation: Amen] [Congregation: Clapping] 00:14:10.25\00:14:12.48 I want to be there for my daughter so that anybody that's a suitor down the line knows 00:14:12.51\00:14:17.75 that they got big shoes to fill. [Congregation: Amen] 00:14:17.79\00:14:18.32 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:14:18.35\00:14:20.26 Can I get a witness? I need that to be a standard that she's looking at and I want you to be 00:14:20.29\00:14:24.06 clear. I want her to be a nice person. I want her to be a kind person. I want her to embrace 00:14:24.09\00:14:28.53 all people, but when it comes down to dating, I want her to be just a little bit uppity. 00:14:28.56\00:14:32.47 [Congregation: Amen] 00:14:32.50\00:14:33.34 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:14:33.37\00:14:34.54 I want her to be hard to impress. Do I have a witness? 00:14:34.57\00:14:37.67 I don't want her to be some easily impressed chicken head that gets excited because 00:14:37.71\00:14:44.58 somebody took her to Taco Bell. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? There is a standard 00:14:44.61\00:14:48.78 that's been set by her daddy and her granddaddy where you got to step with something in order to 00:14:48.82\00:14:55.62 get something. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? In other words, she had not to be 00:14:55.66\00:15:00.96 impressed cause you got a job. You are supposed to have a job. You shouldn't be impressed cause 00:15:01.00\00:15:05.03 they got a degree. They are supposed to have that. You shouldn't be impressed because 00:15:05.07\00:15:10.37 they took you out to dinner. Your Daddy had been doing that your whole life. Are you all 00:15:10.41\00:15:11.74 hearing what I'm saying? [Congregation: Clapping] 00:15:11.77\00:15:13.54 See, the problem is because Daddy's ain't there, they are treating basics like bonuses. 00:15:13.58\00:15:20.52 Stop treating them seat on the floor like the ceiling. But is there any ladies that has 00:15:20.55\00:15:28.46 realize that you are a virtuous woman? That your value is high above rubies? That you ain't 00:15:28.49\00:15:34.83 cheap? That you are fearfully and wonderfully made? You are a child of the king? You are God's 00:15:34.83\00:15:40.34 workmanship. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:15:40.37\00:15:43.54 Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:15:43.57\00:15:45.54 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:15:45.57\00:15:47.28 Don't be afraid to play hard to get. Don't answer the phone, every time. Where yall at?. 00:15:47.31\00:15:53.72 Every now and then, brothers like a chase. We want something you have to work for 00:15:53.75\00:16:00.19 because if he ain't got to work to get you, he ain't going to work to keep you. Am I preaching 00:16:00.22\00:16:09.10 anybody today? [Congregation: Amen] 00:16:09.13\00:16:10.77 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:16:10.80\00:16:13.07 If you got to ask him for the first date and the second date, and the third date, 00:16:13.10\00:16:18.24 and you got to pick him up and you got to pay. Come on. There are to come on now. Listen, 00:16:18.27\00:16:23.85 I'm married and my wife still make me pay when we go out. Listen, it's crazy. 00:16:23.88\00:16:34.22 Hey Malcolm, the server will come out and put the little bill right in the middle of the 00:16:34.26\00:16:40.26 table. And I'm looking to see if she's gonna get it. She, looking like, "You asked me out." I'm 00:16:40.30\00:16:47.74 like, "Baby, it's coming from the same account." Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:16:47.77\00:16:51.67 But make him work. Are you all hearing the word? 00:16:51.71\00:16:55.71 [Congregation: Amen] 00:16:55.74\00:16:59.51 When there is abandonment, there is a struggle with emotional development and identity. 00:16:59.55\00:17:07.02 You see some of the things that we struggle with is their inability to handle things like 00:17:07.06\00:17:13.16 rejection. Because a daddy is supposed to be there to help a boy the first time a girl says, 00:17:13.19\00:17:19.63 "I don't like you." Mom and dad is supposed to be there, to teach him how to handle 00:17:19.67\00:17:23.17 bullying. Mom and dad are supposed to be there to teach them what happens when you fail, 00:17:23.20\00:17:26.07 when you don't make the team, when you don't get the grade and things don't play out the way 00:17:26.11\00:17:30.31 that you should. Do you realize the basic things of life our kids are having to figure out 00:17:30.35\00:17:39.39 through trial and error? And you realize friends that God has set this thing up where kid is 00:17:39.42\00:17:46.53 supposed to be covered by Mom and Dad. Two parents on both sides. Are you all hearing what 00:17:46.56\00:17:54.34 I'm saying, church? See, that's why we cannot, help me say it right, let certain things become 00:17:54.37\00:18:04.51 too commonplace. We've got to maintain a standard. If nowhere else in the house of God. Why? 00:18:04.55\00:18:12.39 Am I telling the truth? Parenting is a job for two people. [Congregation: Amen] 00:18:12.42\00:18:13.79 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:18:13.82\00:18:16.79 It's crazy at times where I'll see a young lady with two or three or four kids. 00:18:16.83\00:18:20.66 It's great to have to catch myself cuz sometimes in my spirit, I just be shaking my 00:18:20.70\00:18:25.37 head. And I'm not shaking my head out of judgment because of what has happened to her having 00:18:25.40\00:18:30.74 to babysit some of the issues. It's because I know how hard parenting is. And I grieve that 00:18:30.77\00:18:40.88 she's gonna have to do that much by herself. Listen, I got a wife and my parents live around the 00:18:40.92\00:18:46.86 corner. This joint is a job for a whole village. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:18:46.89\00:18:48.66 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:18:48.69\00:18:50.76 So let us stop judging the single mom or the dad. And let's put our hands on the plow and be 00:18:50.79\00:18:58.87 an aid. Let's be an asset. Let's be an encourager. Don't spend no time asking why she got all them 00:18:58.90\00:19:05.07 kids. She got them now that ain't no time to be asking that 00:19:05.11\00:19:08.98 question. Be a mentor, be a shadow, be a covering. 00:19:09.01\00:19:13.78 [Congregation: Amen] 00:19:13.82\00:19:14.72 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:19:14.75\00:19:15.62 Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:19:15.65\00:19:17.62 [Congregation: Amen] 00:19:17.65\00:19:19.82 It's a job for two people. Why? Because you realize that male and female, the Bible says 00:19:19.85\00:19:29.90 "Create the image of God." [Congregation: Amen] 00:19:29.93\00:19:33.87 It's a job for two people. Why do you keep saying that, Pastor? 00:19:33.90\00:19:37.74 Because you realize that it is in the union that a child gets completely covered. 00:19:37.77\00:19:41.71 [Congregation: Amen] 00:19:41.74\00:19:43.31 Because even in relationships you realize opposites attract. So from one parent, 00:19:43.35\00:19:48.32 they're going to learn how to work hard. From the other parent, they are going to learn 00:19:48.35\00:19:51.65 how to relax. From one parent, they can learn how to take everything serious. From the 00:19:51.69\00:19:54.82 other parent, they are going to learn how to not take life so seriously. Do you realize in a 00:19:54.86\00:20:00.00 marriage one parent is going to be the law? The other parent is going to be grace and together 00:20:00.03\00:20:06.00 the image of God is completed in the life. [Congregation: 00:20:06.03\00:20:08.90 Clapping] And see this is how God set this thing up. So that individually, my last name is 00:20:08.94\00:20:15.34 Snell, my wife's maiden name is Norman. So that when we got married, I bought some Snell 00:20:15.38\00:20:18.91 crazy. [Congregation: amen] 00:20:18.95\00:20:21.62 She bought just a little bit, just a little bit. Just a little bit, Amen. Maybe just a little 00:20:21.65\00:20:32.79 bit of Norman crazy. But do you realize how God set it up that through my exposure to her, 00:20:32.83\00:20:40.70 guess what? Some of that Snell crazy gets diluted. And through her exposure to me, some of the 00:20:40.74\00:20:46.94 Norman stuff gets diluted. So that through exposure to one another, they get our stress. 00:20:46.98\00:20:52.48 But guess what? The crazy is supposed to be filtered out because it is filtered through 00:20:52.51\00:20:56.18 the relationship between Mom and Dad. But guess what? When there is only one in the place, guess 00:20:56.22\00:21:04.49 what? You get some of my stress. But to get all my crazy [Congregation: Clapping] 00:21:04.53\00:21:06.93 Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:21:06.96\00:21:08.96 [Congregation: Amen] 00:21:09.00\00:21:11.37 What I'm saying to somebody today is that before you walk out that door, think about what 00:21:11.40\00:21:18.94 your freedom is going to cost them. Before you leave your post, think about brother, the 00:21:18.97\00:21:31.15 cost that they will have to pay. Before you sign the divorce papers, before you go and see 00:21:31.19\00:21:37.93 the judge, before you decide to move to another city, because the commute is going to pay a 00:21:37.96\00:21:43.33 little bit better. Before you decide to hurry up and remarry. You need to give some 00:21:43.37\00:21:49.70 consideration about what is going to happen to the offspring that are left behind. And my 00:21:49.74\00:21:56.24 conviction is this, is that children are not supposed to suffer for the wellness of the 00:21:56.28\00:21:57.61 parents, but parents are supposed to to suffer for the wholeness of the kids. 00:21:57.65\00:22:01.22 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:22:01.25\00:22:03.69 [Congregation: Amen] 00:22:03.72\00:22:08.72 Yes. It's going to be quiet in here . 00:22:08.76\00:22:12.19 Do you realize what it does to a girl when she has to see you showing affection to somebody 00:22:12.23\00:22:21.10 besides her mom? Do you realize that boys are not supposed to see their mother's date? 00:22:21.14\00:22:26.27 [Congregation: Amen] 00:22:26.31\00:22:31.05 Do you realize what it does to them? To see you with your new family? See? The problem is we 00:22:31.08\00:22:38.19 just want them to adjust. We want them to get over it. Oh, they're just kids gonna be kids 00:22:38.22\00:22:43.99 and we don't even realize what we are setting in motion. [Congregation: Amen] 00:22:44.03\00:22:46.93 That's why God shows up in the middle of a desert, right when Ishmael is about to take his 00:22:46.96\00:22:56.30 last breath and God steps into that space. And he says to that Ishmael the same thing that he 00:22:56.34\00:23:04.51 says to the Ishmael's in our time. He wants you to be clear that even if they did not want 00:23:04.55\00:23:12.25 you, he says, "I still want you." Even if they didn't see your value, he wants you to 00:23:12.29\00:23:17.59 know. "I see your value." You may not have had the best upbringing. You might not have 00:23:17.63\00:23:19.89 had the most righteous start but I need you to know that we serve the God that says "All things 00:23:19.93\00:23:25.10 work together." Sew good to them who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. And 00:23:25.13\00:23:33.34 God says, "I'll take it from here." [Congregation: Amen] 00:23:33.38\00:23:34.28 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:23:34.31\00:23:37.98 Can I say to the single moms quickly? I need you to know Hagar, that God sees you. 00:23:38.01\00:23:47.79 He hears your prayers, he sees your tears, he sees your 00:23:47.82\00:23:56.70 lamentations, and notice what happened in the story that when she thought the child was about 00:23:56.73\00:24:01.74 to die, she stood far enough away because she can't handle him seeing breathing his last 00:24:01.77\00:24:07.21 breath. Notice that He says "Hagar, what ails you, 00:24:07.24\00:24:10.35 I've already made you a promise 15 years ago that I'm going to make of him a great nation." 00:24:10.38\00:24:16.75 And even though she didn't think that there was water already there, He just said, "Open up 00:24:16.79\00:24:24.63 your eyes again." And when she opened up her eyes she didn't realize that a well was right 00:24:24.66\00:24:33.64 there waiting to supply all of her needs. What I'm saying to the single mom is when they 00:24:33.67\00:24:39.97 don't pay child support, when they don't send the alimony. When they don't do their part, 00:24:40.01\00:24:49.02 God has already parked you next to a well so that you and your family will lack no good thing, 00:24:49.05\00:24:56.12 my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory. [Congregation: Amen] 00:24:56.16\00:24:57.26 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:24:57.29\00:25:01.00 And see, that's some of you all will step into my office and say, "Well, Pastor, I just 00:25:01.03\00:25:06.00 decided I didn't want to draw my anger. I'll make him pay child support. The Devil is a liar. 00:25:06.03\00:25:11.17 That's the least he can do. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:25:11.21\00:25:13.44 And some of you all brothers you all be tripping. 00:25:13.48\00:25:18.51 "Well, that's how I take care of my responsibilities. I pay child support." You know what? 00:25:18.55\00:25:22.98 I'd be saying that stuff as if I'm about to give them props for 00:25:23.02\00:25:27.39 it. If all you do is write that $700 check, you got off easy. 00:25:27.42\00:25:32.19 When the real dads, they have to get up early to have to stay up late to have to help with 00:25:32.23\00:25:37.27 homework. They have to pay tuition and you have to make the financial investment. You ain't 00:25:37.30\00:25:45.07 getting no grace over here. [Congregation: Clapping] 00:25:45.11\00:25:53.45 Well, you should be using money and get your hair done and pedicure. Well, that's the least 00:25:53.48\00:25:59.95 you can do. She had to get a massage and a new car. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 00:26:00.06\00:26:04.06 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:26:04.09\00:26:08.23 [Congregation: Amen] 00:26:08.26\00:26:15.94 I'm calling the men to recognize your basic and that ain't no 00:26:15.97\00:26:25.48 bonus. But I love the promise he gives. He says, "I'm going to make of Ishmael a great nation." 00:26:25.51\00:26:40.36 See? Sometimes we are so busy living with anger because they 00:26:40.40\00:26:47.74 left. Stay with me, kids. Do you realize God says, "Because of what I want to do in Ishmael, 00:26:47.77\00:26:57.85 I've got to get him out of Abraham's house." Oh, God. 00:26:57.88\00:27:03.32 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:27:03.35\00:27:05.09 In other words, Abraham and Sarah are not worthy to oversee what I'm putting inside of you. 00:27:05.12\00:27:11.56 Oh, God, are you all hearing the word today? In other words, in Abraham's house, you'll always 00:27:11.59\00:27:18.03 be second best. You will always be the other child. In that house, you'll never be able to 00:27:18.07\00:27:24.37 become the great nation. So what I've got to do is I've got to remove you from a situation 00:27:24.41\00:27:31.25 that's going to smother your potential and somebody's always asking why didn't they stay. 00:27:31.28\00:27:35.15 But maybe what you should be asking of what would have happened if they had just 00:27:35.18\00:27:40.96 remained. But sometimes God is so awesome that he literally removes you from situations that 00:27:40.99\00:27:51.33 were being so toxic that if Mama had stayed, if Daddy had stayed, you would have seen it on 00:27:51.37\00:27:59.34 first-hand witness of abuse and pathology, and sickness, and cycles that would make you worse 00:27:59.37\00:28:04.11 than what you are right now. But the reason you've made it as far 00:28:04.15\00:28:08.18 as you've made it, is because God saved you and removed from you that which what damage you. 00:28:08.22\00:28:16.73 [Congregation: Clapping] 00:28:16.76\00:28:19.69 (Breath of Life Theme Music) 00:28:19.73\00:28:42.72 [END] 00:28:42.75\00:28:57.73