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00:00 This is Bishop Dale Broder. Thank you so much for joining our YouTube channel today.
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00:19 And then if you're in the metro Atlanta area on a Sunday, check out one of our exhilarating services at 8.30 a.m., 11 a.m. or 6 o'clock p.m.
00:29 Well if you would turn your attention to Job, the book of Job chapter 38 beginning with verse 4 through verse 7.
00:40 There you'll notice these words.
00:44 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you know so much.
00:52 Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?
00:58 What supports its foundations and who laid its cornerstone?
01:03 As the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
01:10 Today I'm speaking from the subject simply the power of a question. The power of a question. The power of a question.
01:19 Job had asked God some questions and now God was asking Job some questions.
01:26 God put him on the witness stand and said now let me let me ask you some questions.
01:32 And let me make this statement to you that questions win arguments.
01:38 Questions win arguments. And they do. They have the ability, the uncanny ability of actually winning an argument.
01:47 Jesus had this ability to be able to win arguments. There were some folks attacking Jesus in Matthew chapter 21 verse 23 down through 27.
01:57 And Jesus simply asked them a question and shut them all up.
02:02 He won the argument with a question, not a statement, but with a question.
02:08 Because a good question has the ability to keep asking the hearer to think about something long after the question is asked.
02:20 There's an old Chinese proverb that says that he who asks a question is a fool for five minutes.
02:27 But he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.
02:33 There is a power in just being able to ask a question.
02:38 Professor Richard Feynman said I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.
02:48 Because there is a power in just asking the right kind of question.
02:56 There was a dear woman, she went to a psychic, and you know I don't believe in psychics, that's a part of the occult.
03:03 But a woman went to a psychic, you know, that had some repute in her town, and to have some tarot cards read to talk about her future.
03:16 And she goes into this dimly lit place and there the lady sits in front of her with a single candle flickering in the darkness.
03:28 And she's reading the tarot cards and she said I've got some bad news to deliver to you.
03:35 She said I don't know, there's no easy way to say it so I'll just be blunt.
03:40 And she tells this lady, looks her in the eyes and tells her she said prepare yourself to be a widow.
03:47 Your husband will die a violent death this year.
03:52 And the woman was visibly shaken, you can imagine.
03:57 She's shaken to her core.
04:00 She stares at the psychic's lined face and looks at the flickering single candle there in the room.
04:08 And she takes a few deep breaths just to steady herself, to compose herself.
04:16 And she simply had to know, she looks at the psychic and she asks her this question.
04:24 Will I get away with it?
04:27 [Laughter]
04:36 The power of a question.
04:39 The power of a question.
04:44 Isn't that amazing?
04:47 You know when I grew up I would hear old people say you don't question God.
04:51 You don't question God. Anybody ever heard that?
04:53 You don't question God.
04:56 Well that's really not a scriptural concept because there were many people in the scriptures that did question God and God never rebuked them for it.
05:04 It's not a sin to question God.
05:07 We can question God. You don't get answers unless you ask questions.
05:12 Now let me just share this with you.
05:14 Luke chapter 1, I want you to notice Luke chapter 1 verse 38 down to 38. Notice this.
05:19 Then the angel said to her, this is at the well of annunciation.
05:23 And the angel speaking to Mary the mother of Jesus.
05:26 Do not be afraid Mary, for you found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.
05:36 And he will be great and will be called the son of the highest and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
05:42 And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end.
05:47 And then Mary said to the angel, how can this be since I do not know a man?
05:54 How can this be? She's questioning the very God who sent a message to her.
05:59 How can this be since I do not know a man?
06:03 Remember she was a virgin, number one. Number two, she was not married.
06:06 And he's telling her that she's going to conceive and have a child.
06:09 Number one, she doesn't have a husband and she's not married.
06:12 And then the angel said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you.
06:20 Therefore also the Holy One who is to be born will be called the son of God.
06:26 Now indeed Elizabeth, your relative has also conceived a son at her old age.
06:30 And this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
06:35 For with God, nothing will be impossible.
06:39 And then Mary said, behold the maidservant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.
06:46 And the angel departed from her.
06:49 I want you to realize this, that God is not intimidated or angered when we question him out of a pure heart.
06:58 Please understand that.
07:00 God is not intimidated nor angered when we question him out of a pure heart.
07:07 If you don't understand something, ask. Ask God.
07:11 If you don't understand it, ask God.
07:14 But ask him reverently.
07:17 You know, Mary was never rebuked because she simply was asking for clarity.
07:23 I don't have a husband. I'm a virgin. How is this going to happen?
07:27 She wasn't doubting that it was going to happen.
07:30 She was simply asking for the specifics, the detail.
07:33 How is this supposed to happen?
07:35 Realizing I don't have a husband, I'm a virgin.
07:38 And you're saying that I'm supposed to have a baby without a man.
07:40 How is this going to happen?
07:42 She's saying, it's not that I don't believe it.
07:45 I just want to know how is this going to happen.
07:48 And then he said, listen, the Holy Spirit is going to come upon you.
07:51 He's going to overshadow you. He's going to be the daddy to the baby.
07:55 That's going to be your baby daddy.
07:58 That's all she was asking. At the heart of it all, she was just asking, who's going to be my baby daddy?
08:03 Because he was letting them know it's not going to be an earthly man.
08:06 And so she's like, if I don't have a husband, who's going to be the daddy?
08:10 How am I going to get pregnant?
08:12 And so he never rebuked her.
08:14 Do you remember in Genesis chapter 18, when Abraham was having a conversation with God,
08:21 interceding over Solomon Gamorrah, and he says, Lord, please, would you spare the city if I can find 50 righteous people?
08:32 And then he saw it wasn't so easy to find 50 righteous people.
08:36 And he said, what about 45?
08:40 And he said, what about 40?
08:43 And then he brought it down to 30.
08:46 And then he's questioned God again. He says, Lord, would you spare it if I can find 20?
08:51 And he discovered it wasn't so easy even to find 20. He brought it finally down to 10.
08:56 He said, Lord, please, please be patient with me.
08:59 God never got upset with him. God never said, if you ask me this one more time.
09:05 God was very, very patient with him.
09:08 God was very patient because God is never intimidated when we ask him questions out of a pure heart.
09:14 It's OK to ask God. He knows. God is omniscient. He knows everything.
09:21 If there's something you don't understand, ask God.
09:24 The scriptures, James, the brother of Jesus, taught us. He says, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.
09:32 You need wisdom? Ask, ask, ask. You have not because you ask not.
09:37 And he says, and then you ask and don't receive because you ask amiss with wrong motives.
09:43 You ask amiss. So there's absolutely nothing that compares to sitting down and talking to the author of the book.
09:56 This is the only book that every time it is read, the author is present.
10:04 So if you don't understand something, ask him, Lord, what did you mean here when you said thus and such?
10:12 Talk to him. Ask the Lord questions. And you'll be surprised how God longs to have fellowship and talk to his children.
10:21 Just the power of a question, the power of a question.
10:25 But don't just ask any kind of way. Take your time and establish a rapport with God.
10:33 Here's how you ask. Ask honestly. Ask respectfully. Ask patiently.
10:43 There's a way to ask. You ask honestly, ask respectfully, and ask patiently.
10:52 There is a way to ask God. You can't be disrespectful to God. We reverence him.
10:59 And on your boss, you know, you've got to ask your boss on the job. Ask honestly, earnestly, out of a genuine, pure heart.
11:08 Ask respectfully. When children talk to their parents, ask respectfully.
11:13 Ask patiently. Don't ask out of entitlement. You're going to tell me something.
11:19 Ask honestly. Ask respectfully. Ask patiently. Ask patiently.
11:26 You know why? Because timing is everything. Timing is everything.
11:30 And oftentimes when you ask and you really want to receive a genuine answer, you have to wait for a proper window of opportunity to open.
11:40 You can't just always, you know, ask what you want to ask, when you want to ask it.
11:46 You have to wait until the moment is right. You have to wait until the moment is right.
11:50 A parent can't just ask their child whatever they want to ask them, whenever they want to ask them, just because it's your child.
11:56 You have to wait until a right window of opportunity has opened, and then have the conversation.
12:03 Then have the conversation. Children don't always talk to you when you want them to talk to you.
12:08 Since the moment, it's timing is everything. Timing is everything.
12:15 I mean, when sales are down in an organization, it's not a good time to go and ask for a raise.
12:20 Timing is everything. Since the timing. If you're dealing with something and somebody's just had a loss, if they just had a loss, don't go making an ask.
12:29 Timing is everything. You know, my three older brothers, you know, all had motorcycles.
12:36 And I wanted a motorcycle. And so I waited until my daddy had gone out of town.
12:43 He'd gone over to Jamaica for a whole month just to relax and to unwind.
12:47 He loved Jamaica, loved Jamaican food and jerk chicken and all of that kind of stuff, you know.
12:52 And he had been there for a whole month. He came back. He was all suntan, chilled out, relaxed.
12:58 And I said, here's my moment. Daddy has no stress. He's all chilled out.
13:05 I waited and I'm like, oh, dad, I'm so glad to see that you're back.
13:09 I'm so glad to see you're back. That's something I've been meaning to ask you.
13:14 I had to time it. My dad was so glad. He was so kind in providing the response.
13:21 And my daddy bought my motorcycle. He bought it with, you know, without having to go to a long lecture, without having to, you know, all of this kind of stuff.
13:29 But my daddy got my motorcycle. My, I ask at the right time, the window of opportunity.
13:37 I wasn't going to wait until he came home stressed out, worn out from the day.
13:42 And then said, dad, you know what? I want to ask you something that's going to cost money.
13:48 Timing is everything. Know how to stage it. There are certain windows of opportunity.
13:55 There are certain windows of opportunity. When you need to have certain conversations, you need answers.
14:01 Wait for the window to open and be ready for the window to open.
14:05 There's sometimes a child won't talk to you when you're ready for them to talk to you, but you'll be busy reading something.
14:11 And then all of a sudden that child will come up to you as an open window. Stop what you're doing.
14:15 Put it down and deal with the window right then. You've got a window of opportunity.
14:20 Deal with that right during that time. So it's very, very specific in terms of just asking, asking.
14:27 So ask honestly, ask respectfully, ask patiently, patiently.
14:33 And sometimes that patience is about waiting for the right window of opportunity to ask, waiting for the right opportunity to ask.
14:42 You know, if a man wants to marry a woman, he needs to wait for the right window of opportunity to propose.
14:49 You can't do it right after he's messed up. It's just not the right time.
14:55 Wait for the right opportunity. It needs to be the right situation.
14:59 But when you need answers, start asking questions. When you need answers, start asking questions at the right time.
15:10 Respectfully, honestly. It is practically impossible for a salesperson to satisfactorily help a client without first asking questions.
15:23 I hate to go into a place and somebody just throwing sales pitches on me. You don't even understand my needs.
15:29 Don't try to push your product on it because this has a high commission.
15:33 I want you to know me and I want you to take the time if you want to have repeat business,
15:37 and if you're only going to be successful if you can create satisfied customers.
15:41 You have to know, I mean, anybody can sell one time. Well, some people can sell one time.
15:45 But if you don't take my needs under consideration, and the only way that you'll know my needs is you have to ask me questions.
15:52 Don't just sell me the car that's on special for this month because I may not need a two-seater.
15:58 I might have a backseat full of children and I want four doors.
16:03 I know what it is to have to load up. I have five children. You know, I had four children at the age of five years old at one time.
16:09 You know what? Don't sell me a two-seater. Understand my needs or else you'll never be able to satisfy me.
16:16 So the best salespeople are the ones that ask questions and understand the needs of their clients.
16:23 Understand this. It's impossible. It's virtually impossible for a psychiatrist to help his patient if he doesn't ask him questions.
16:30 If he doesn't ask her questions. The power of a question. The power of a question.
16:35 It's impractical. It's impossible for a consultant to help their client without asking them a series of questions.
16:46 And most of the time, the questions, the consultant doesn't know the answers.
16:51 But their power is being able to frame the right questions to see what they need to ask so they'll know what to fill.
16:59 They just don't know what to ask.
17:01 The reason that businesses and organizations fail is because they are asking or answering a question that nobody is asking.
17:08 They're not asking the right questions.
17:11 And a consultant helps to define the questions that can change their future.
17:16 That's the power of a question. It's the power of a question.
17:21 Salespeople, how many of you all are in sales in any capacity? You're in sales.
17:25 See, use this. Talk to them. Ask questions. Get the information. Get asked questions.
17:31 Before you go for a job interview, find out everything about that organization.
17:34 Learn about its culture. Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions.
17:39 I was sitting with a multimillionaire friend and here he was. He wanted to hire this young promising guy.
17:44 He brought the guy in, interviewed him. The guy just shot off at the mouth.
17:48 Just had diarrhea at the mouth trying to impress the multimillionaire, almost a billionaire, with everything that he knew.
17:56 The guy said, "I was just about to hire him, but his arrogance."
18:02 He said, "Not once did he ask me a question."
18:06 And he says, "I'm looking for somebody who's ready to be mentored."
18:13 And it reminded me of the principle that I teach that you cannot teach a man a lesson that he thinks he already knows.
18:20 He says, "Not once." He says, "Here he was sitting with me with all of my years of experience, and he just got out of school.
18:27 And he didn't ask me one question."
18:30 He said he wanted to impress me with everything that he knew.
18:33 Sometimes the best thing that you can do when you go in is to ask the right questions.
18:37 And the measure of the intelligence of your questions can show whether or not you have even studied and prepared for them.
18:42 You measure people's intelligence by the quality of their questions.
18:46 I mean, if you ask me something dumb that was in the paper that I sent you, you're telling me you didn't read it.
18:53 So if you ask the right question, it's like, "Well, what did you mean exactly when you said this is perpendicular to..."
19:00 You know, when you start asking a specific question, you can measure the intelligence of how much they have comprehended by the quality of the question that they ask.
19:09 There is a power in just being able to ask the right questions.
19:13 Listen, this is not a shouting message, but it is a helping message.
19:17 To be able to help you to frame different things in your life at different times.
19:22 Because questions, questions help us to understand background.
19:27 They help you to understand root causes.
19:30 You know, you see people and that you say something to somebody and then they snap at you and give this big response.
19:38 Let me tell you this.
19:40 If a person's reaction was bigger than the action that you did, then the reaction was about something that happened before you got in the picture.
19:49 It wasn't about this instance. It was about something that happened before this.
19:55 And you need to ask, you need to have a serious, fierce conversation.
19:59 So that you begin to understand the background, the root causes of this.
20:04 Because you just touched a nerve of something that was injured before you even came in the picture.
20:11 That wasn't about this instance.
20:13 You touched a nerve that was still raw, that hasn't healed.
20:16 You need to find out what happened back here.
20:18 Questions help us to understand background.
20:20 Questions help us to understand context.
20:23 Questions help us to understand motive.
20:27 Just by asking questions.
20:29 What did you mean by that?
20:30 Are you trying to insinuate that I'm guilty?
20:33 What do you mean where was I at the time of the crime?
20:39 Can you imagine the lady that was at the psychic saying that her husband was going to die a violent death?
20:45 And she says, you know, when they find out will I get away with it?
20:50 When you ask the right question, it will help you to frame your life in a wonderful, wonderful way.
20:57 Now, answers are all around us. They're all around us.
21:01 But here's the deal.
21:03 Until you define the questions, you will not recognize the answers.
21:08 Until you define the questions, you will not recognize the answers.
21:15 You won't recognize the answers.
21:17 Now, let me ask you just a few questions to help stimulate your mind and your heart.
21:22 I want to ask you some questions.
21:25 Now, before I ask you the first question, let me say this.
21:29 The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.
21:36 The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.
21:41 Now, having said that, let me say this.
21:44 What do you do with what you have?
21:48 What do you do with what you have?
21:51 Just think about it. What do you do with what you have?
21:55 Because the measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.
21:59 What do you do with what you have?
22:01 Let me make this statement.
22:04 Two things define you.
22:06 Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.
22:12 Now, let me ask these questions.
22:15 How is your patience when you have nothing?
22:18 How is your patience when you have nothing?
22:22 And secondly, how is your humility when you have a whole lot?
22:27 How is your humility when you have a whole lot?
22:32 Let me say this.
22:34 The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time,
22:40 but to also leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
22:48 Now, let me frame this question.
22:50 How well are you able to restrain your tongue from speaking what shouldn't be said?
22:59 How well are you able to restrain your tongue from speaking what shouldn't be said?
23:05 You shouldn't say everything that comes to your mind.
23:07 That's not the purpose of it.
23:09 Don't show your whole hand.
23:14 There's no need to do that.
23:16 It's TMI.
23:19 Don't articulate.
23:21 Do not give voice to every crazy thought that comes to your mind.
23:26 You're under no obligation to do that.
23:29 Listen to me.
23:30 A thought will die unborn if it is unspoken.
23:34 The moment you speak it, you give life to it.
23:38 That's why the devil will put stupid thoughts in your mind.
23:40 You're going to die early.
23:42 You're going to die early.
23:44 You know your granddaddy died.
23:46 You know your grandmama died.
23:48 And then now this fear of death comes in you because of a thought.
23:53 But the moment you speak it out, you give life to it.
23:57 But a thought that is unspoken will die unborn.
24:01 Don't speak every thought the devil brings to your mind.
24:05 Please don't be his PA system where he sits on your shoulder and speaks a thought into your mind
24:10 and then the knucklehead, you go speaking it out.
24:14 And without even being aware of it, then you become his agent, unaware.
24:20 And he's using your mouth now to speak to somebody else,
24:23 and you're sometimes tearing somebody else down,
24:26 or sometimes you're speaking to your own detriment.
24:29 So questions lead us, though, to answer.
24:32 So that's why you ask questions.
24:35 Because I want you to get this very clearly.
24:37 Your future is shaped by the quality of questions you ask.
24:43 Your future is shaped by the quality of questions that you ask.
24:48 Can you imagine how a person's future is shaped when a man asks this question,
24:55 "Will you marry me?"
24:58 That's getting ready to shape his future.
25:01 That is getting ready to shape his future.
25:03 It'll shape the woman's future based on how she responds to that.
25:08 Your future is getting ready to be shaped.
25:11 Your future is shaped by the quality of the questions that you ask.
25:15 Your future, "Should I work for this organization?"
25:18 Your future is shaped by the quality of the questions that you ask.
25:23 Because the question raises your awareness,
25:27 and awareness is the beginning of change.
25:30 Awareness is the beginning of change.
25:32 You can't change something that you're not aware of.
25:35 And sometimes the question can be a polite way of just making us aware
25:40 that something needs to change.
25:42 Something needs to change.
25:43 Now, I want you to think about these key questions that are asked in Scripture.
25:48 These key questions, just a few of them.
25:50 Number one, Genesis 3, 9, "Where are you? Where are you?"
25:55 God asked Adam, "Where are you?"
26:01 Where are you? You just asked him a question.
26:03 Where are you?
26:04 Now, just for context, remember this is after Adam has sinned,
26:09 and he's playing hide and go-- hide and go sin.
26:12 Sin and go hide, not hide and go seek, but sin and go hide.
26:17 Because sin produces three things, guilt, fear, and hiding.
26:23 Sin produces three things, guilt, fear, and hiding.
26:28 And so Adam is hiding, and you know it's almost like you're playing hide and go seek with a little child.
26:35 You can see them, and they think that they're hiding from you,
26:39 because their eyes are closed.
26:40 They think you can't see them, because they're hiding.
26:44 They think-- but you know the eye of the Lord.
26:47 Nothing is hidden from him.
26:49 And God asked him, "Where are you?"
26:51 Please understand this.
26:52 Whenever God asks a question, he's never asking for information.
26:57 He's asking to raise an awareness in the person, "Where are you?"
27:01 And so God is asking us, "Think about that question.
27:05 Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"
27:07 You can't change awareness. It's the beginning of change.
27:09 Maybe God is asking us that question, "Where are you spiritually?"
27:13 "Where are you mentally?"
27:16 "Where are you emotionally?"
27:19 "Where are you financially?"
27:22 "Where are you relationally?"
27:24 I know that there are some people, their body is here, but their mind is on the other side of town.
27:30 And God is asking the question, "Where are you?"
27:34 You're sitting at your desk, but you're not there.
27:36 I mean, all of the lights are on, but nobody's home.
27:41 All of your chairs are not at the dining room table.
27:44 The cheese has slid off the cracker.
27:49 No, no, no, really. I mean, it's just...
27:51 I mean, he's asking the question, "Where are you?"
27:54 "Where are you?"
27:55 Maybe we need to think about that.
27:57 "Where are you?"
27:58 Because until you realize where you are, it was God's way of saying to Adam,
28:03 "Adam, you're lost. Your sin has caused you to lose your place with me.
28:08 You're lost. You're out of position spiritually. You're out of position."
28:12 So God didn't just tell him, "Adam, you're out of position."
28:15 He says, "Adam, where are you?"
28:16 Because he wanted Adam to think about where he was and what he had done to put him there.
28:21 "How did you get here?"
28:22 "Where are you, Adam? Where are you?"
28:24 "Why do you keep losing jobs? Where are you?"
28:27 "Stop blaming the system. Where are you?"
28:31 He's not going to ask you about stuff that you have no power to change.
28:36 "Where are you?"
28:39 "Where are you?"
28:40 "Where are you?"
28:41 Here's a second question.
28:43 "Where is Abel, your brother?"
28:45 This was asked of Cain.
28:46 God asked Cain this question.
28:47 "Where is Abel, your brother?"
28:49 "Where is your brother?"
28:50 This speaks of our responsibility to others.
28:53 "Where are you?"
28:55 Our responsibility to others.
28:56 Not for others, but to others.
28:58 We're responsible to our brothers and sisters.
29:01 There are people that you are duty-bound to help.
29:06 Duty-bound to help.
29:08 "Where is your brother? Where is your sister?"
29:11 It's not enough for you to just do well yourself.
29:14 There's somebody that's connected with you.
29:16 Don't just make it yourself and then nobody else.
29:18 "Where's your brother? Where's your sister?"
29:21 Where are the people that you're supposed to help?
29:24 There's some people that I've found that say, "You know what? I'm the only one up there on my job.
29:29 I'm the only one."
29:31 Well, maybe you should have been the first one.
29:32 Maybe he sent you to open a door.
29:35 "Where's your brother? Where's your sister?"
29:37 It's no fun to be anyplace by yourself.
29:40 "Where's your brother?"
29:41 We have a responsibility to other people
29:44 to be able that once God has empowered you,
29:46 he's brought you into a knowledge, share the knowledge.
29:48 "Where's your brother? Where's your sister?"
29:50 We have a responsibility for them.
29:53 Just the questions bring the awareness.
29:55 Number three, what's in your hand?
29:58 God asked Moses that.
30:00 He was getting ready to send him back to Pharaoh down to Egypt.
30:04 This speaks of our potential.
30:06 God says, "What's within your reach?
30:08 What do you have that's available to you that you're not using right now?"
30:12 Because God never asks you about something that is outside of your potential.
30:18 So what do you have that is available for use and how are you using it?
30:23 How are you using it?
30:25 Here's another question.
30:27 What are you doing here?
30:28 What are you doing here?
30:30 God asked Elijah that question.
30:32 Elijah was running for his life.
30:34 This is a purpose question.
30:36 What are you doing here?
30:37 What are you doing here?
30:38 What are you doing here?
30:39 Sometimes you might hear the Holy Spirit asking you when you're in the wrong place,
30:43 "What in the world are you doing here?"
30:45 Instead of God saying, "You don't have any business here,"
30:47 he'll ask you a question, "What are you doing here?"
30:50 What are you doing here?
30:52 And the question that I want to ask you is,
30:53 are you living on purpose and in your purpose or are you just surviving?
30:59 What are you doing here?
31:00 What are you doing here?
31:02 You're living by rote, just getting up and going to bed and time to make the doughnuts
31:06 and you're into this routine that you've almost lost yourself.
31:10 You've lost yourself.
31:12 Here's another question.
31:14 What do you want?
31:15 What do you want?
31:17 This is King Ahasuerus that is asking his beautiful wife Esther, Queen Esther,
31:22 "What do you want?"
31:24 Because she risked her life to go in to see him and he says, "What do you want?"
31:28 Jesus taught us, Mark 11, 24,
31:31 "What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them and then you'll have them."
31:38 What do you desire?
31:40 What do you want?
31:41 You ask some people what they want and they really don't know.
31:43 "Well, you know, it would be nice if such a..."
31:45 You ought to know specifically what you want.
31:48 You need to know specifically what you want.
31:51 Because if you've got an opportunity to be able to meet the person that you've been waiting to meet,
31:56 you need to have a 30-second elevator speech.
32:00 In case God causes your path to cross, you don't need to be fumbling around and say,
32:04 "Well, you know, I've been working on some things and it would be nice if, you know,
32:10 I've been trying to get in touch with you for a long time and, you know, praise God."
32:16 You know, the elevator is getting ready to open in just a minute and you don't have...
32:20 You've got 30 seconds. You've got 30 seconds.
32:23 And you need to be able to say, "Listen, I've been prepared. I've got my degree and I've studied.
32:26 For the last five years, I have waited for this moment and I am ready.
32:30 You give me one opportunity. All that I need is an opportunity to bid on your state and, listen, this is what I'm able to do."
32:35 And you have to be able to articulate that succinctly, be able to have it with focus and specificity and brevity.
32:43 And you'd be surprised if you can just synchronize that.
32:46 You have to understand your vision. If your vision won't fit on the front of a T-shirt, it's too complicated.
32:53 It's got to be simple enough that somebody can read it and understand what you're talking about.
32:58 They need to be able to understand it.
33:00 If you've got to write a dissertation to even understand your vision, it's ineffective and nobody's going to listen to you and give you the time of day.
33:07 I'm trying to help you. I'm your friend.
33:11 I'm just trying to help. Are we helping anybody today?
33:14 The power of a question. The power of a question. What do you want? What do you want?
33:18 I mean, if you've bumped into a rich man, most people in here today who are in debt don't even know exactly how much debt that they're in.
33:28 If somebody were ready to write a check out, you can't just tell me, "Just give me a million, that ought to cover it."
33:35 You need to know specifically, I am $27,386.22 in debt and it would be a wonderful blessing.
33:46 I mean, suppose there was somebody that had that capacity and they said, "I'm going to pay your debt off if you can tell me exactly how much you owe."
33:53 What do you want? What do you want?
33:56 Well, you know, you're not going to give you a big old jumbo number because they want to cover in some other stuff and then try to help their friends out.
34:04 Then you're going to offend, you're going to blow the whole deal for you and everybody else you know.
34:08 What do you want? Specifically, what do you want? What do you want? You've got to know what you want.
34:14 What do you desire? And the question I want to ask you, are your desires God-given desires or are they carnal desires?
34:22 Carnal desires. Here's another question. Where have you come from and where are you going?
34:28 The angel of the Lord asked Hagar this question. Where have you come from and where are you going?
34:34 He's trying to make her think about what she's doing. This is a destiny question.
34:38 This is a destiny question. You need to think about where am I going?
34:43 Where am I going? Am I going anywhere? Am I just going around the block?
34:47 I'm just getting up, going to work, trying to keep food on the table, keep all my utilities on it at the same time.
34:51 And if that's your goal, you're just running around, you're the hamster in the little wheel that's just spinning.
34:58 Making a whole lot of motion but you're not getting anywhere.
35:01 The question is where are you going? Where are you going?
35:04 Until you ask yourself that question, you can't change your course.
35:08 Where are you going? This is a destiny question.
35:11 And understand this, legacy is a gift from the past that helps you to create a better future.
35:18 Legacy is a gift from the past that helps you to create a better future.
35:24 Where are you going? And what does your future look like?
35:29 And here's another question. Jesus asked this question, "Why have you forsaken me?"
35:34 Why have you forsaken me? This is a question of frustration and feelings of abandonment.
35:41 And if you live long enough, you will have some of those God-forsaken moments where you feel like God has left you.
35:48 And God, how could you leave me in a mess like this?
35:52 Where are you, God, when I need you?
35:54 And you'll have some of those moments like that.
35:57 And my question to you is how do you respond when you feel God-forsaken?
36:02 Jesus felt that way. Now you know if Jesus felt that way from his own Father.
36:07 How much more we, when we go through things and we're speaking, we're praying to God and it looks like God is not hearing us.
36:13 And you're praying and things are moving in the opposite direction.
36:16 And you wonder, "God, I mean, have I committed blasphemy? You don't love me anymore? I mean, what did I do to deserve God?"
36:23 Where are you? Where are you? I've been talking to you. I've been crying. I haven't been sleeping.
36:26 Where are you, God?
36:28 And you're dealing with these feelings and you've got these questions.
36:34 Where, why have you forsaken me?
36:37 And let me give you a few more transformative questions that we must resolve to answer.
36:43 These are some transformative questions that we must resolve to answer.
36:47 Number one, who am I? Who am I? Who am I?
36:51 Because until you know who you are, you don't know what you're capable of doing.
36:55 And it is this, this is an identity question.
36:58 Who am I? And see, our society right now is experiencing a conundrum with this question.
37:05 We have an identity complex now where people don't know who they are.
37:10 And they are defining who they are by what they do.
37:16 You are not what you do.
37:18 You can quit what you do, but you can't quit who you are.
37:25 So the question is, who am I? This is an identity question.
37:29 And this question, who am I, invariably leads you back to God, the source.
37:36 Because until you know what you came from, you don't understand who you are nor how strong you are.
37:42 You see this podium here? This is wood here.
37:45 Until I know the kind of tree, if I understand something about the mahogany of the wood,
37:51 that this is not a cheap wood, this is not pine.
37:54 If I understand the strength of the tree that it came from, it tells me something about the strength of the wood.
37:59 And if I know the strength of the source that I came from, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
38:05 When I understand that I'm built from a different material, now you may be pine.
38:10 And you can see some other people that will go under some stuff that will snap them in two,
38:15 but you're different because you came from a different source.
38:20 And you have to understand who you are and how much you can bear.
38:23 Everybody is different. Everybody is different. So who am I?
38:26 Here's a second question. Why am I here? Why am I here?
38:29 These are defining questions, the power of a question. Why am I here?
38:33 This is about purpose. Until you know why you're here, you will misbehave and underperform.
38:40 Why am I here? Why am I here?
38:43 You need to understand that in your family. You need to understand that on your job.
38:46 Why am I here? Am I here so I can smoke out in the parking lot?
38:50 I mean, why am I here? So I can goof off and check my social media on the job?
38:55 I mean, why are they paying me? Why am I in the employment of this organization?
39:01 Ask yourself, why am I here? It will help keep you on task.
39:05 Here's a third question. What am I doing for others? What am I doing for others?
39:11 We live in too much of a me society that's not concerned about our brothers and sisters.
39:17 It's not concerned about community. And we just let people live any kind of way.
39:23 I long for those days to return where there was concern for others in the community.
39:28 It wasn't just about me and my child. If they knew Johnny May's child down the street,
39:33 they would spank that child's bottom and then call your mama on the telephone.
39:36 I'm going to tell my mama. No, no, I'm going to tell her.
39:40 And instead of defending that child, that mama joined in with the spanking
39:43 to reinforce what the neighbor had already done.
39:47 And it wasn't because they hated you. It's because they loved you.
39:51 What are you doing for others? What are you doing for others?
39:54 This is about mission and service. It's about mission and service.
39:58 And then this question number four, where am I going? Where am I going?
40:02 Where am I going? Where am I going? Where am I on my way to?
40:06 This is about destiny. Where am I going? Where am I going?
40:10 Where are you going? Ask yourself these questions.
40:13 Here's a fifth question. What are my gifts?
40:16 It's just a power of a question. What are my gifts?
40:18 See, your gifts will make room for you and bring you before great people.
40:22 What are your gifts? What are your gifts?
40:24 This is about the equipment with what you were born to do.
40:29 All of your gifts are equipment to do what God has called you to do.
40:33 It's just an equipment to be able to perform in the place where God has called you to be.
40:38 But great achievers are curious and they ask great questions.
40:43 And I encourage you, don't be a know-it-all, be a learn-it-all.
40:49 Don't be a know-it-all, be a learn-it-all.
40:52 Be a learn-it-all. Be a learn-it-all. Be open.
40:55 I mean, you don't need to have all the answers, but you need to be curious and open-minded enough to learn.
41:02 Ask questions and be prepared to change based on what you learn.
41:07 Ask questions and be prepared to change based on what you learn.
41:13 Albert Einstein said that the measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
41:19 The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
41:23 The measure of intelligence, it is the ability to change.
41:27 And I want to leave you with a list of reflective questions.
41:31 This is some homework for you.
41:33 This is not going to make you roll on the floor.
41:36 But it will help you to grow up.
41:38 It will help you to change from here.
41:41 Have reflection questions that you ask yourself.
41:45 Have reflection questions. Here's the first one.
41:47 What would I do if money were no object and I knew I could not fail?
41:55 What would I do? What would I do if money were no object and I knew I couldn't fail?
42:00 What would I do?
42:02 What would you do differently if money were no object?
42:05 Man, you know, if money were no object, what would you do?
42:09 And if you knew you couldn't fail, what is it that you would do if money were no object and you knew you couldn't fail?
42:16 Here's another question.
42:18 What do I discuss more, my problems or my dreams?
42:22 What do I discuss more, my problems or my dream?
42:28 You know, I'm allergic to negative people.
42:31 They make me break out.
42:34 Because they talk more about their problems.
42:37 And whatever you talk more about is what you'll have more of.
42:40 You know, have you ever noticed that complaining people always have more to complain about?
42:45 You can't ever do enough for complaining people.
42:47 They'll always find something to complain about.
42:49 But what do you discuss more, your problems or your dreams?
42:52 Talk about your dreams.
42:54 Give life to your dreams.
42:56 Maybe somebody will hear your dream and invest in it.
42:59 Maybe somebody will hear your dreams and direct you down a proper path of where you can make that thing a reality.
43:05 Ask this kind of question, "Can I afford this?"
43:08 You'd be surprised how many people would not be in debt if they would ask this question ahead of time, "Can I afford this?"
43:14 They ask the wrong question.
43:16 "Garyl, is this pretty?"
43:18 That's not the question.
43:21 Yeah, yeah, it is pretty.
43:23 The question is, "Can I afford it?"
43:25 "Can I afford it?"
43:26 "Can I afford it?"
43:28 And then here's another question, "Can I afford to live without this person?"
43:34 You meet somebody, ask yourself this question, "Can I afford to live without this person?"
43:40 I don't mean because they pay half of the bills.
43:43 I mean because of the worth and the value that they bring to your life, the peace, the contentment, the joy.
43:49 They know how to tame the beast in you.
43:51 They help you to be a better person.
43:53 "Can I afford to live without this? Do I really want to live this person?"
43:56 Or, "If I didn't have this person in my life, would I be better off?"
43:59 "Can I afford to live without this person?"
44:02 These are just questions that will help to shape your reality of where you're going.
44:07 "Can I afford to live without this person?"
44:09 Here's another question, "What would I do if given an opportunity?"
44:14 "What would I do if given an opportunity?"
44:18 Be ready to own the moment. Seize the moment.
44:22 "What would I do if given an opportunity?"
44:26 You don't have to really pray for opportunities. Opportunities come and go.
44:29 You just have to be ready for it when it comes.
44:33 And ask this question, "Who are my helpers?"
44:36 "Who are my helpers?"
44:38 God always sends people to help you.
44:40 "Who are my helpers?"
44:42 "Who are my helpers?"
44:44 Here's the next one, "What are my obstacles?"
44:48 When you realize your obstacles, now you know how to prepare yourself.
44:52 They're bigger than we are.
44:55 They've been in business longer than we have.
44:58 Look at the obstacles.
45:00 The advertising budget is stronger.
45:02 What are the obstacles?
45:04 So that you know how to plan your counterattack.
45:07 So you know how to plan to leverage your strength.
45:10 But you don't know how to do that until you realize what your obstacles are.
45:14 Then ask this question, "What do I do well?"
45:18 "What do I do well?"
45:20 Know your strengths. You can only build on your strengths.
45:25 You can only build on your strengths. You can't do everything.
45:28 You build on your strengths.
45:30 You build on your strengths.
45:32 You build on your strengths.
45:35 I like people that know exactly what they do.
45:38 And that's all they do. They focus on it and they do that well.
45:42 What do I do well?
45:44 Here's another question. "How can I improve?"
45:46 "How can I improve?"
45:48 These are questions that will help you to change your life.
45:50 "How can I improve?"
45:51 "How can I improve my prayer life?"
45:53 "How can I improve my walk with God?"
45:55 "How can I improve?"
45:56 Here's another question. "How can I avoid this in the future?"
46:00 We need to spend some time in reflection.
46:03 "How can I avoid this in the future?"
46:05 Don't keep making the same old mistakes.
46:07 And call it experience.
46:10 "How can I avoid this in the future?"
46:14 You need to ask this question.
46:16 "How much time do I have?"
46:18 The older you get, you're not getting any younger.
46:21 "How much time do I have?"
46:23 "How much time do I have?"
46:26 And then this question. "Will I regret not doing this?"
46:30 "Will I regret not doing this?"
46:35 And then this one.
46:37 "Will this decision compromise my integrity or character?"
46:43 "Will this decision compromise my integrity or character?"
46:47 You get ready to do something, ask yourself that question.
46:50 "Will this decision compromise my integrity or my character?"
46:57 And let me give you the final question that I want to share with you.
47:00 It is simply this.
47:03 At the end of the journey, what will you wish you had done or left undone?
47:11 At the end of the road, what will you wish you had done or left undone?
47:22 The power of a question.
47:24 It can help you to frame your life as to where you're going.
47:28 And I want you to just think about these.
47:30 I hope that you have jotted these down or taken a screenshot of the questions
47:35 and that you will meditate on them in your own private, personal time, reflective times
47:40 and start writing out some ideas, writing some responses.
47:45 Let it start to stimulate your thinking, your believing, and direct your prayer life
47:51 and help you to align your resources and your alliances that God will bring into your life.
47:57 The power of a question.
48:00 And the people who never change is because they never stop to evaluate
48:07 and ask the question, "How well did we do? How can we make this better?
48:12 What can we do more to get a better impact and result the next time?"
48:18 Unless you evaluate it, you can't make it better.
48:21 It's asking the question, "What went right? What went wrong?"
48:26 "How can we make it bigger?"
48:28 It's asking the right questions.
48:30 The power of a question will help to frame your future.
48:34 And I just wanted to give you some tools to use these questions as a template
48:38 to help springboard you into the next dimension of where I believe that God is calling you.
48:44 This is an exciting time to be alive
48:48 and to be able to use your faith to watch God do something exceptional in your life.
48:54 I pray that you got something out of the Word of the Lord today.
48:57 I really do. The power of a question.
49:00 The power of a question.
49:02 We hope that you enjoyed that message.
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