August 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe, you'll learn how to be clear and confident about God's call on your life. God places a call on everyone's life, but some may take a long time to get the revelation, whiles others get it right away. From the book of Ephesians, chapter 3, Mark dives into explaining The Secret to Freedom and Confidence.
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S1 (00:00):
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe, we're learning
how to be clear and confident about God's call for
our life.
S2 (00:07):
When the church begins to discover the power of the
Spirit of God, when you start realizing I have a gift,
it's united to the bigger mission that we have together
and people rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then
watch out world, because the church has just awakened.
S1 (00:36):
God places a call in everyone's life, so why do
some people understand their purpose right away, while it takes
other people a long time to get the revelation? Well,
that's the topic Mark we'll address today. Welcome to Bold
Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is senior pastor of
New Life Community Church and the president of Moody Bible
Institute in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. As we move forward,
(00:57):
our series is when you believe everything Changes. Mark will
be taking us to the book of Ephesians, chapter three
to explain the secret to freedom and confidence. We started
this message yesterday, so if you missed the first part,
you can listen online at Radio.com. Right now, let's get
into today's message. Here's Mark Jobe.
S2 (01:17):
Whatever your mission is, you'll have understanding into the nature
of the problem that you're addressing that will fuel the
fire to help you accomplish your mission better. And other
people just won't get it. They'll look at you and say, huh? What? Why?
Because they don't have the same call that you have,
(01:39):
so they may not get it or may not be
as impassioned as you are about it. Paul was in
passion to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and the
other Jewish believers were like Gentiles. Why should we worry
about them? But but he had a special call and
revelation to them. Number three write this down. Empowerment. Look
(02:03):
at verse seven. I became a servant of this gospel
by the gift of God's grace given to me through
the working of his power. Although I am less than
the least of God's people, this grace was given to
(02:24):
me to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,
which for ages past has been hidden in God. I
love this about Paul. Paul is saying I became a
servant of this gospel. I am the least of the
(02:44):
least qualified for this. I couldn't do this on my own.
I have no power to accomplish this. But it's God's
grace that gives me power to make sure this happens.
Listen to me. Your personal, unique mission that God has
called you to. Chances are that you're absolutely unqualified to
(03:08):
fulfill it, totally overwhelmed and seeking to make it happen
because it should be something that's bigger than you that
you could not accomplish without the supernatural empowerment of God's
grace in your life. Because if you could do it
on your own power, it would be glory to you.
But you realize I can't do this. It's way bigger
(03:31):
than me. I need God. I need his grace. It's
his grace that gives me power to do that. Then
it's glory to God. Because, listen, this is what Paul said.
When I am weak, then am I am strong. God's
grace is made perfect in my weakness. Do you understand that?
That most of the things that God calls us to do,
we are ill equipped, uneducated, unprepared, and under-resourced to be
(03:55):
able to accomplish most of the things that God calls
us to do. We depend heavily on God's grace to
make it happen. And if you think that you're prepared
and qualified to do what God has called you to do,
then you probably haven't landed on your mission yet. Because
usually your mission is way bigger than what you have
(04:17):
the power to accomplish. Paul says, I am the least.
And even though I am the least. God has prepared me.
You look all through the Bible, by the way, and
you'll find stories of God calling people to do things
that they could not do on their own power. God
(04:41):
called Gideon to liberate the people of Israel. God called
a mighty warrior when he was afraid and didn't know
what to do and never been trained militarily. God called
Moses to speak on his behalf, and Moses said, I
don't know how to speak. God called Peter to lead
the church and he was just a fisherman. God called
(05:05):
David to lead a nation and to be a warrior.
And he had never really fought. Didn't know how to
use a sword, and he was the least of his brethren.
God called Jeremiah the prophet, and he said, I'm too young.
Normally when God calls us to do something, we feel
like we don't have what it takes to do what
(05:25):
God has called us to do. And what I want
to say is that is okay, because on our own
power you can't do it. But with God's grace, you
have the power to accomplish the things that he's called
you to do. It's God's grace. God's grace. Number four.
(05:53):
It tells us in verse ten his intent was that now,
through the church. The manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms
according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord. And in him, and through faith in him,
(06:15):
we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Number four.
The fourth word I want you to understand is the
word community. Listen what it says in verse ten. His
intent was that now, through what I didn't hear you
through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
(06:40):
made known through the church. You see, the way it
works is this. You have been called. You have a mission,
you have a gift. But it's all connected to the
body of Christ. It's all connected to the church. You're
a part of a community of faith. You're not disconnected.
You're connected. And whatever gift God has given you, he
(07:04):
empowers through the church, and your gift is used with
other people's gifts that are used. And when everybody is
using their gift, then the church becomes this mighty, powerful
force of transformation that God is working it when when
everybody's using their gift. Now hear me well. Often the
(07:26):
church is unhealthy because oftentimes what the church is, is like, well,
it's like going to a football game. There's how many
people in a football team out on the field? There's 11.
So there's 22 people out in a football field that
desperately need a rest, and there's 40,000 spectators that desperately
(07:49):
need exercise. The spectators are sitting there with their beer
and their popcorn and their pot belly saying, come on,
go harder, man, those lazy bums, you're sitting on the chair.
These guys are down there sweating and breathing hard, and
(08:11):
we're all like coaches on the sideline. Tell them what
to do and how to do it, and bemoaning the
fact that they're not into it as much as they
should be into it. But in reality, the church at
times looks like a football field. The church at times
has this incredible potential of people, and normally there's a
(08:33):
few people down in the field going. I'm tired running
around trying to carrying the ball, doing the work. And
and the great majority of the people in the church
tend to be spectators. You know why? Because the great
majority of the people in the church have not discovered
that they have gifts that they can't, that they're empowered.
(08:58):
They have not discovered that there are players in the
game too, that God has called them just as much
as he's called the pastor, the worship leaders at the
Sunday school, teachers as well that everybody has a call,
that everybody has a gift, that we're all connected, and
that when everybody in the body begins to discover the
gifts that we have and we begin to use the
(09:19):
gifts that we have, then the church becomes the place
where God manifests his glory and power. And that's why
Jesus said of the church that the gates of hell
would not be able to withstand or prevail against the
church of the Living God. In other words, all of
the gates of hell cannot stop the power of a
(09:41):
church that's been unleashed with the power of God, the
power of the spirit, and everybody using their gifts. Someone
better get excited about that.
S1 (09:56):
You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. I'm
so grateful for those of you who listen each day
and for those of you who become bold partners. Mark,
we cannot neglect the fact that God has called some
listeners to really get behind it and and catch the
vision for what we're doing here.
S2 (10:11):
And when we are able to do.
S3 (10:13):
What we do because of our bold partners. And these
are people that simply say, I love this program, I
believe in this message. I want other people to hear.
So I'm giving a monthly donation, automatic monthly donation, no
matter what the size it is to support this ministry.
And we are so grateful for our bold partners.
S1 (10:35):
Yeah, anyone who runs a budget, a monthly budget knows
how important it is to know what's what's going to happen.
You know, they have some basis. And to have these
bold partners give it a monthly basis is so encouraging.
Here's a note from a listener in Illinois. This is
by way of reporting back to our bold partners. My
name is Brian. I just want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for turning my life to Christ.
(10:56):
Your program has really helped me use logical thinking and
the Word of God to finally get my life back
on track. Even though I may still struggle with some things,
your program is always a way to keep me on
track with what God's loving plan has in store for me.
Thank you so much pastor Mark and the entire Moody
Crew for all your work. May God bless you.
S3 (11:16):
Hey Brian, what a great testimony that's so encouraging and
we are happy to come alongside of you and encourage you.
Stories like Brian are coming in left and right from
all over the country, and so we're so grateful for
the power of the word and the partnership of our
bold partners.
S1 (11:36):
Yes, and we've made partnering with us easy. Just go
to Bold Steps now. When you join, we'll give you
access to exclusive resources reserved for our monthly donors, such
as a signed copy of Mark's book, unstuck Access to
the Bold Partner. Post a special video message from Mark.
So become a bold partner today by going to Bold Steps.
(11:57):
Now let's not delay the message any longer. Mark is
much more to say about the church pursuing God's call.
S2 (12:11):
The church becomes. Becomes the place where God manifests his
glory and power. And that's why Jesus said of the
church that the gates of hell would not be able
to withstand or prevail against the church of the Living God.
In other words, all of the gates of hell cannot
stop the power of a church that's been unleashed with
(12:34):
the power of God, the power of the spirit, and
everybody using their gifts. Someone better get excited about that.
It was his intent was that now, through the church,
the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to
the rulers and the authorities. This is talking about the
(12:56):
spiritual world that when the church is united and people
begin to embrace their call and use their call that
it speaks volumes to the spiritual world. When the church
is united and the church is pursuing its call, then
what it begins to say is we are united. So
(13:18):
therefore we have influence. We are united and filled with
the Spirit of God. So therefore we reign. We are
united and filled with the Spirit of God. So therefore
we have power to change things. When the church is
asleep and people have not discovered that there's unity within
the body, and that all of us have our gift
when the church is asleep, it also sends the message
(13:40):
we are powerless. We are victims. We have little chance
of changing anything. We are spectators. We are captivated within
four walls and do nothing outside of those four walls.
When the church is divided and the church has not
(14:04):
understood the gifting, the people in the church have not
understood the gifting. Then the church becomes anemic, weak, concentrated
within its own walls. When the church begins to discover
the power of the Spirit of God, when you start realizing,
I have a gift, I have a mission. It's united
(14:25):
to the bigger mission that we have together, and people
rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then watch out world,
because the church has just awakened. And Paul says in
(14:46):
verse 11, according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished
in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith,
we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask
you therefore not to be discouraged because of my suffering
for you, which is your glory. Paul was trying to
tell them is, hey, rise up! You are the church
(15:08):
full of the power of God. You have gifts. You
have a mission. You can do things. You are the
manifestation of God's presence here on earth. Let me tell
you why I'm a pastor. I never grew up wanting
to be a pastor. Some people do. Some people from
the age of two, they say, I'm going to be
a pastor, I know that. I never did. Never wanted
(15:30):
to be a pastor. Never really saw myself as a pastor.
Thought I'd be a pretty lousy pastor, actually. I remember
the turning point for me where I decided I was
actually studying. I was in college, and I had gone
away to work at a hotel in France, in southern France,
(15:54):
working as a dishwasher, cleaning rooms. I was about Out 17,
18 years old, making money. And, um, I wasn't sure
what I wanted to do. I wasn't positive of where
what I wanted to do, what I wanted to throw
my life into. And, and, um, I remember getting a
(16:17):
hold of a book by A.W. Tozer called The Knowledge
of the Holy. I was trying to figure out what
am I going to do with my life and what
do I want to do? I mean, I knew I
was a Christian and I knew I, I was going
to somehow do something with my life, but I didn't
know what career or whatever I was going to pursue.
And I got Ahold of this book by A.W. Tozer
(16:38):
called The Knowledge of the Holy. The whole book is
about knowing God that you can never quite comprehend the
magnitude of God with your finite mind, that God is
bigger than what you could ever know or fathom or imagine.
And that part of our journey is just to get
to know God. And don't worry so much about what
(16:59):
you're going to do. Worry about knowing God and as
you know God and live for God, you'll end up
doing what you're supposed to do in God. And I
remember having that revelation and and having that sense of, okay,
I'm not going to worry as much about what I'm
going to do, but I'm going to worry about actually
knowing God and living for God in whatever I do.
(17:22):
And it was through that determination. It was through that
purpose that although I didn't plan on being a pastor
and didn't plan on coming to Chicago, didn't plan on that,
it was through that experience that actually, when the door opened,
I found myself saying yes to helping out a little
church that wanted a pastor. Although I said, I'm just
(17:43):
going to help you out here for a little bit
because you need to get yourself like a real pastor.
And I'm only going to help you out for three
years until you can pay someone a salary and kind
of get up and go, and then I'm out of here.
It was simply, God, I'm going to live for you.
I prayed for a young woman this morning that was
(18:06):
trying to figure out what college she's going to in
the university, and I said to her, listen, I know
that the future can be daunting, but I'm going to
challenge you to instead of trying to figure out all
your future, I'm going to challenge you to figure out
your walk with God and say, yes, God, I will
(18:28):
live for you now. Yes, God, I will do your bidding. Yes, Lord.
And as you begin to live day by day in
his will, what you will discover is that your future
will be your future will end up being the will
of God, because you will begin to make the right
decisions at the right time, the right choices. And you'll
(18:49):
end up right in the center where God wants you
to be, even though you hadn't planned it that way.
Some of you are saying, What's God's will for my life?
I just try to make a ten year plan and
I can't figure it out. Well, here's what I know today.
Live for God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
(19:13):
Lean not on your own understanding. On all your ways.
Acknowledge him and he will direct your path. I'm not
saying it's bad to plan plan. But listen, the plans
of man aren't always the plans of God and God's
plan supersede or trump the plans of man. And that's
(19:39):
the way God works. He leads us in his divine path,
as we say yes to God, as we discover our
calling and purposes, as we as we discover what what
God has, and we embrace what God has and realize
that we can be used. And here's what I totally
(19:59):
understand and I'll close with this. Listen, here's what I fully,
fully understand. What makes New life community church a church
to be reckoned with in Chicago, a church to be
reckoned with in the spiritual realm is not. Pastor Mark,
what makes this church a church that has power and
(20:20):
might is when the people of God is when the
church awakens to its calling. And there's literally thousands of
people saying, I too can be used of God because
I have a gift and I have a calling. When
thousands of people are awakened to the reality that they
(20:43):
have a gift and a calling that God can use them,
that they also can pray for people and counsel people
and minister to people, that they have the same Holy
Spirit inside of them, that some of the people that
they see on on the platform, that they can make disciples,
that God gives visions and dreams that they're a part
of something bigger, that their gifts can be released and
(21:04):
unleashed to do the bidding of God. When a church
begins to discover that when people begin to arise to
that be awakened to that reality, then watch out because
the church has just woken up and become what God
has called it to be a church that is unleashed,
full of people of God doing the work of God.
(21:28):
That's my prayer. That's my desire. I don't want to
pray for everybody and marry everybody and bury everybody and
baptize everybody and lead everybody to Christ. I have no
desire to do all that. I mean, I want to
do my part. I have a desire to unleash you,
(21:48):
to do the things that I know you can do.
I have a desire to see the gifts of God
stir up in your life. I have a desire to
unleash you, to begin to do things that you never
thought you could do. But you have the Spirit of
God inside of you. And believe me, some of you
can do parts of ministry much better than I can
(22:11):
do it. There's certain parts of ministry I just don't.
I try not to do because I'm not really good
at it. I try to stick with what I'm good at.
But there are some of you that do certain things
in ministry. Way better than I could do those things
in ministry. But you haven't discovered that that you have
the Spirit of God. The same Spirit of God that
(22:34):
dwells in me is the same Spirit of God that
dwells in you. The same callings of God that I have,
or the pastoral team have, is the same callings of God,
that you have the same anointings, the same purposes, the
same drive. We're all in this together. And there's something
powerful about understanding that and realizing that and waking up
(22:56):
to that, that God, you have called us together to
make a difference. It's the church unleashed by his power
and by his might.
S1 (23:12):
Learning to answer God's call for your life. That's today's
topic from Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps Weekend. Mark,
I love what you said to those who know God's
call for their lives, but what do you say to
those who feel like they're not doing enough? Or maybe
they feel like they've missed God's call?
S3 (23:27):
Yeah. You know, I would say, first of all, rest
in God's grace because our calling is never about striving
to achieve or to earn the merit of God. That's
been done for us. We serve in our calling, uh,
because we love God, not because we're trying to earn
the favor of God.
S1 (23:47):
And there's always time in God's plan.
S3 (23:49):
There is. And you know, Moses, think about this. Moses
was 80 years old when he finally discovered his calling.
So some of you have some time in your life.
S1 (23:58):
Haha. Thank you Mark. Thanks for such a great message today. Well,
if you want to know about your next bold step,
we'd love to hear from you. You can find us
online at Bold Steps or connect with us on our
social media platforms. We're on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and
we have a thriving and active community of believers who
would love to walk beside you there. We all know
(24:19):
someone who needs a second chance. Perhaps that someone is you.
This month's Bold Step gift is a book titled Moving
Forward After Messing Up. Doctor Chris Rappaccini combines personal experience
with biblical wisdom to guide readers through the challenging process
of restoration after failure. Don't miss this opportunity to receive
this life changing, bold step gift. When you give a
(24:41):
financial gift of any amount, you can write to us
at bold steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten.
But if it's easier, request this book moving forward after
messing up online by going to Bold Steps. Org or
even give us a call at 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800)Â 356-6639.
(25:05):
I'm Wayne Sheppard. Join us next time when Mark turns
to the book of Ephesians, chapter three, to show us
what the greatest power in the world is. If you
think the answer is nuclear or a generator that powers
the whole city, you'll want to tune in next time
to hear the answer. It's coming up next time right
here on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Bold Steps
(25:27):
Weekend is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
Moody Bible Institute.
Today on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe, we're learning
how to be clear and confident about God's call for
our life.
S2 (00:07):
When the church begins to discover the power of the
Spirit of God, when you start realizing I have a gift,
it's united to the bigger mission that we have together
and people rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then
watch out world, because the church has just awakened.
S1 (00:36):
God places a call in everyone's life, so why do
some people understand their purpose right away, while it takes
other people a long time to get the revelation? Well,
that's the topic Mark we'll address today. Welcome to Bold
Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Mark is senior pastor of
New Life Community Church and the president of Moody Bible
Institute in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. As we move forward,
(00:57):
our series is when you believe everything Changes. Mark will
be taking us to the book of Ephesians, chapter three
to explain the secret to freedom and confidence. We started
this message yesterday, so if you missed the first part,
you can listen online at Radio.com. Right now, let's get
into today's message. Here's Mark Jobe.
S2 (01:17):
Whatever your mission is, you'll have understanding into the nature
of the problem that you're addressing that will fuel the
fire to help you accomplish your mission better. And other
people just won't get it. They'll look at you and say, huh? What? Why?
Because they don't have the same call that you have,
(01:39):
so they may not get it or may not be
as impassioned as you are about it. Paul was in
passion to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and the
other Jewish believers were like Gentiles. Why should we worry
about them? But but he had a special call and
revelation to them. Number three write this down. Empowerment. Look
(02:03):
at verse seven. I became a servant of this gospel
by the gift of God's grace given to me through
the working of his power. Although I am less than
the least of God's people, this grace was given to
(02:24):
me to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,
which for ages past has been hidden in God. I
love this about Paul. Paul is saying I became a
servant of this gospel. I am the least of the
(02:44):
least qualified for this. I couldn't do this on my own.
I have no power to accomplish this. But it's God's
grace that gives me power to make sure this happens.
Listen to me. Your personal, unique mission that God has
called you to. Chances are that you're absolutely unqualified to
(03:08):
fulfill it, totally overwhelmed and seeking to make it happen
because it should be something that's bigger than you that
you could not accomplish without the supernatural empowerment of God's
grace in your life. Because if you could do it
on your own power, it would be glory to you.
But you realize I can't do this. It's way bigger
(03:31):
than me. I need God. I need his grace. It's
his grace that gives me power to do that. Then
it's glory to God. Because, listen, this is what Paul said.
When I am weak, then am I am strong. God's
grace is made perfect in my weakness. Do you understand that?
That most of the things that God calls us to do,
we are ill equipped, uneducated, unprepared, and under-resourced to be
(03:55):
able to accomplish most of the things that God calls
us to do. We depend heavily on God's grace to
make it happen. And if you think that you're prepared
and qualified to do what God has called you to do,
then you probably haven't landed on your mission yet. Because
usually your mission is way bigger than what you have
(04:17):
the power to accomplish. Paul says, I am the least.
And even though I am the least. God has prepared me.
You look all through the Bible, by the way, and
you'll find stories of God calling people to do things
that they could not do on their own power. God
(04:41):
called Gideon to liberate the people of Israel. God called
a mighty warrior when he was afraid and didn't know
what to do and never been trained militarily. God called
Moses to speak on his behalf, and Moses said, I
don't know how to speak. God called Peter to lead
the church and he was just a fisherman. God called
(05:05):
David to lead a nation and to be a warrior.
And he had never really fought. Didn't know how to
use a sword, and he was the least of his brethren.
God called Jeremiah the prophet, and he said, I'm too young.
Normally when God calls us to do something, we feel
like we don't have what it takes to do what
(05:25):
God has called us to do. And what I want
to say is that is okay, because on our own
power you can't do it. But with God's grace, you
have the power to accomplish the things that he's called
you to do. It's God's grace. God's grace. Number four.
(05:53):
It tells us in verse ten his intent was that now,
through the church. The manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms
according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord. And in him, and through faith in him,
(06:15):
we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Number four.
The fourth word I want you to understand is the
word community. Listen what it says in verse ten. His
intent was that now, through what I didn't hear you
through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
(06:40):
made known through the church. You see, the way it
works is this. You have been called. You have a mission,
you have a gift. But it's all connected to the
body of Christ. It's all connected to the church. You're
a part of a community of faith. You're not disconnected.
You're connected. And whatever gift God has given you, he
(07:04):
empowers through the church, and your gift is used with
other people's gifts that are used. And when everybody is
using their gift, then the church becomes this mighty, powerful
force of transformation that God is working it when when
everybody's using their gift. Now hear me well. Often the
(07:26):
church is unhealthy because oftentimes what the church is, is like, well,
it's like going to a football game. There's how many
people in a football team out on the field? There's 11.
So there's 22 people out in a football field that
desperately need a rest, and there's 40,000 spectators that desperately
(07:49):
need exercise. The spectators are sitting there with their beer
and their popcorn and their pot belly saying, come on,
go harder, man, those lazy bums, you're sitting on the chair.
These guys are down there sweating and breathing hard, and
(08:11):
we're all like coaches on the sideline. Tell them what
to do and how to do it, and bemoaning the
fact that they're not into it as much as they
should be into it. But in reality, the church at
times looks like a football field. The church at times
has this incredible potential of people, and normally there's a
(08:33):
few people down in the field going. I'm tired running
around trying to carrying the ball, doing the work. And
and the great majority of the people in the church
tend to be spectators. You know why? Because the great
majority of the people in the church have not discovered
that they have gifts that they can't, that they're empowered.
(08:58):
They have not discovered that there are players in the
game too, that God has called them just as much
as he's called the pastor, the worship leaders at the
Sunday school, teachers as well that everybody has a call,
that everybody has a gift, that we're all connected, and
that when everybody in the body begins to discover the
gifts that we have and we begin to use the
(09:19):
gifts that we have, then the church becomes the place
where God manifests his glory and power. And that's why
Jesus said of the church that the gates of hell
would not be able to withstand or prevail against the
church of the Living God. In other words, all of
the gates of hell cannot stop the power of a
(09:41):
church that's been unleashed with the power of God, the
power of the spirit, and everybody using their gifts. Someone
better get excited about that.
S1 (09:56):
You're listening to Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. I'm
so grateful for those of you who listen each day
and for those of you who become bold partners. Mark,
we cannot neglect the fact that God has called some
listeners to really get behind it and and catch the
vision for what we're doing here.
S2 (10:11):
And when we are able to do.
S3 (10:13):
What we do because of our bold partners. And these
are people that simply say, I love this program, I
believe in this message. I want other people to hear.
So I'm giving a monthly donation, automatic monthly donation, no
matter what the size it is to support this ministry.
And we are so grateful for our bold partners.
S1 (10:35):
Yeah, anyone who runs a budget, a monthly budget knows
how important it is to know what's what's going to happen.
You know, they have some basis. And to have these
bold partners give it a monthly basis is so encouraging.
Here's a note from a listener in Illinois. This is
by way of reporting back to our bold partners. My
name is Brian. I just want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for turning my life to Christ.
(10:56):
Your program has really helped me use logical thinking and
the Word of God to finally get my life back
on track. Even though I may still struggle with some things,
your program is always a way to keep me on
track with what God's loving plan has in store for me.
Thank you so much pastor Mark and the entire Moody
Crew for all your work. May God bless you.
S3 (11:16):
Hey Brian, what a great testimony that's so encouraging and
we are happy to come alongside of you and encourage you.
Stories like Brian are coming in left and right from
all over the country, and so we're so grateful for
the power of the word and the partnership of our
bold partners.
S1 (11:36):
Yes, and we've made partnering with us easy. Just go
to Bold Steps now. When you join, we'll give you
access to exclusive resources reserved for our monthly donors, such
as a signed copy of Mark's book, unstuck Access to
the Bold Partner. Post a special video message from Mark.
So become a bold partner today by going to Bold Steps.
(11:57):
Now let's not delay the message any longer. Mark is
much more to say about the church pursuing God's call.
S2 (12:11):
The church becomes. Becomes the place where God manifests his
glory and power. And that's why Jesus said of the
church that the gates of hell would not be able
to withstand or prevail against the church of the Living God.
In other words, all of the gates of hell cannot
stop the power of a church that's been unleashed with
(12:34):
the power of God, the power of the spirit, and
everybody using their gifts. Someone better get excited about that.
It was his intent was that now, through the church,
the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to
the rulers and the authorities. This is talking about the
(12:56):
spiritual world that when the church is united and people
begin to embrace their call and use their call that
it speaks volumes to the spiritual world. When the church
is united and the church is pursuing its call, then
what it begins to say is we are united. So
(13:18):
therefore we have influence. We are united and filled with
the Spirit of God. So therefore we reign. We are
united and filled with the Spirit of God. So therefore
we have power to change things. When the church is
asleep and people have not discovered that there's unity within
the body, and that all of us have our gift
when the church is asleep, it also sends the message
(13:40):
we are powerless. We are victims. We have little chance
of changing anything. We are spectators. We are captivated within
four walls and do nothing outside of those four walls.
When the church is divided and the church has not
(14:04):
understood the gifting, the people in the church have not
understood the gifting. Then the church becomes anemic, weak, concentrated
within its own walls. When the church begins to discover
the power of the Spirit of God, when you start realizing,
I have a gift, I have a mission. It's united
(14:25):
to the bigger mission that we have together, and people
rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then watch out world,
because the church has just awakened. And Paul says in
(14:46):
verse 11, according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished
in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith,
we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask
you therefore not to be discouraged because of my suffering
for you, which is your glory. Paul was trying to
tell them is, hey, rise up! You are the church
(15:08):
full of the power of God. You have gifts. You
have a mission. You can do things. You are the
manifestation of God's presence here on earth. Let me tell
you why I'm a pastor. I never grew up wanting
to be a pastor. Some people do. Some people from
the age of two, they say, I'm going to be
a pastor, I know that. I never did. Never wanted
(15:30):
to be a pastor. Never really saw myself as a pastor.
Thought I'd be a pretty lousy pastor, actually. I remember
the turning point for me where I decided I was
actually studying. I was in college, and I had gone
away to work at a hotel in France, in southern France,
(15:54):
working as a dishwasher, cleaning rooms. I was about Out 17,
18 years old, making money. And, um, I wasn't sure
what I wanted to do. I wasn't positive of where
what I wanted to do, what I wanted to throw
my life into. And, and, um, I remember getting a
(16:17):
hold of a book by A.W. Tozer called The Knowledge
of the Holy. I was trying to figure out what
am I going to do with my life and what
do I want to do? I mean, I knew I
was a Christian and I knew I, I was going
to somehow do something with my life, but I didn't
know what career or whatever I was going to pursue.
And I got Ahold of this book by A.W. Tozer
(16:38):
called The Knowledge of the Holy. The whole book is
about knowing God that you can never quite comprehend the
magnitude of God with your finite mind, that God is
bigger than what you could ever know or fathom or imagine.
And that part of our journey is just to get
to know God. And don't worry so much about what
(16:59):
you're going to do. Worry about knowing God and as
you know God and live for God, you'll end up
doing what you're supposed to do in God. And I
remember having that revelation and and having that sense of, okay,
I'm not going to worry as much about what I'm
going to do, but I'm going to worry about actually
knowing God and living for God in whatever I do.
(17:22):
And it was through that determination. It was through that
purpose that although I didn't plan on being a pastor
and didn't plan on coming to Chicago, didn't plan on that,
it was through that experience that actually, when the door opened,
I found myself saying yes to helping out a little
church that wanted a pastor. Although I said, I'm just
(17:43):
going to help you out here for a little bit
because you need to get yourself like a real pastor.
And I'm only going to help you out for three
years until you can pay someone a salary and kind
of get up and go, and then I'm out of here.
It was simply, God, I'm going to live for you.
I prayed for a young woman this morning that was
(18:06):
trying to figure out what college she's going to in
the university, and I said to her, listen, I know
that the future can be daunting, but I'm going to
challenge you to instead of trying to figure out all
your future, I'm going to challenge you to figure out
your walk with God and say, yes, God, I will
(18:28):
live for you now. Yes, God, I will do your bidding. Yes, Lord.
And as you begin to live day by day in
his will, what you will discover is that your future
will be your future will end up being the will
of God, because you will begin to make the right
decisions at the right time, the right choices. And you'll
(18:49):
end up right in the center where God wants you
to be, even though you hadn't planned it that way.
Some of you are saying, What's God's will for my life?
I just try to make a ten year plan and
I can't figure it out. Well, here's what I know today.
Live for God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
(19:13):
Lean not on your own understanding. On all your ways.
Acknowledge him and he will direct your path. I'm not
saying it's bad to plan plan. But listen, the plans
of man aren't always the plans of God and God's
plan supersede or trump the plans of man. And that's
(19:39):
the way God works. He leads us in his divine path,
as we say yes to God, as we discover our
calling and purposes, as we as we discover what what
God has, and we embrace what God has and realize
that we can be used. And here's what I totally
(19:59):
understand and I'll close with this. Listen, here's what I fully,
fully understand. What makes New life community church a church
to be reckoned with in Chicago, a church to be
reckoned with in the spiritual realm is not. Pastor Mark,
what makes this church a church that has power and
(20:20):
might is when the people of God is when the
church awakens to its calling. And there's literally thousands of
people saying, I too can be used of God because
I have a gift and I have a calling. When
thousands of people are awakened to the reality that they
(20:43):
have a gift and a calling that God can use them,
that they also can pray for people and counsel people
and minister to people, that they have the same Holy
Spirit inside of them, that some of the people that
they see on on the platform, that they can make disciples,
that God gives visions and dreams that they're a part
of something bigger, that their gifts can be released and
(21:04):
unleashed to do the bidding of God. When a church
begins to discover that when people begin to arise to
that be awakened to that reality, then watch out because
the church has just woken up and become what God
has called it to be a church that is unleashed,
full of people of God doing the work of God.
(21:28):
That's my prayer. That's my desire. I don't want to
pray for everybody and marry everybody and bury everybody and
baptize everybody and lead everybody to Christ. I have no
desire to do all that. I mean, I want to
do my part. I have a desire to unleash you,
(21:48):
to do the things that I know you can do.
I have a desire to see the gifts of God
stir up in your life. I have a desire to
unleash you, to begin to do things that you never
thought you could do. But you have the Spirit of
God inside of you. And believe me, some of you
can do parts of ministry much better than I can
(22:11):
do it. There's certain parts of ministry I just don't.
I try not to do because I'm not really good
at it. I try to stick with what I'm good at.
But there are some of you that do certain things
in ministry. Way better than I could do those things
in ministry. But you haven't discovered that that you have
the Spirit of God. The same Spirit of God that
(22:34):
dwells in me is the same Spirit of God that
dwells in you. The same callings of God that I have,
or the pastoral team have, is the same callings of God,
that you have the same anointings, the same purposes, the
same drive. We're all in this together. And there's something
powerful about understanding that and realizing that and waking up
(22:56):
to that, that God, you have called us together to
make a difference. It's the church unleashed by his power
and by his might.
S1 (23:12):
Learning to answer God's call for your life. That's today's
topic from Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps Weekend. Mark,
I love what you said to those who know God's
call for their lives, but what do you say to
those who feel like they're not doing enough? Or maybe
they feel like they've missed God's call?
S3 (23:27):
Yeah. You know, I would say, first of all, rest
in God's grace because our calling is never about striving
to achieve or to earn the merit of God. That's
been done for us. We serve in our calling, uh,
because we love God, not because we're trying to earn
the favor of God.
S1 (23:47):
And there's always time in God's plan.
S3 (23:49):
There is. And you know, Moses, think about this. Moses
was 80 years old when he finally discovered his calling.
So some of you have some time in your life.
S1 (23:58):
Haha. Thank you Mark. Thanks for such a great message today. Well,
if you want to know about your next bold step,
we'd love to hear from you. You can find us
online at Bold Steps or connect with us on our
social media platforms. We're on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and
we have a thriving and active community of believers who
would love to walk beside you there. We all know
(24:19):
someone who needs a second chance. Perhaps that someone is you.
This month's Bold Step gift is a book titled Moving
Forward After Messing Up. Doctor Chris Rappaccini combines personal experience
with biblical wisdom to guide readers through the challenging process
of restoration after failure. Don't miss this opportunity to receive
this life changing, bold step gift. When you give a
(24:41):
financial gift of any amount, you can write to us
at bold steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten.
But if it's easier, request this book moving forward after
messing up online by going to Bold Steps. Org or
even give us a call at 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800)Â 356-6639.
(25:05):
I'm Wayne Sheppard. Join us next time when Mark turns
to the book of Ephesians, chapter three, to show us
what the greatest power in the world is. If you
think the answer is nuclear or a generator that powers
the whole city, you'll want to tune in next time
to hear the answer. It's coming up next time right
here on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. Bold Steps
(25:27):
Weekend is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
Moody Bible Institute.
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