The Power of Letting Go... | John Giftah | Inspirational Christian Sermon

0:01 Do you ever look around and think, Wow, the world is a crazy place and it just seems to get crazier and crazier. Ease your mind and take a break. This is Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. We're a hub for inspirational Christian sermons, practical keys for Christian living, and Christian discussions and interviews. You'll be inspired to live the life that you were created for. Your host is a top ranking podcaster, best selling author, world record holder, aerospace engineer, life coach, evangelist and founder of John Gifta International.

0:43 Welcome to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. Hello everybody, It is wonderful for me to be here back on this episode of the Fuel for the Soul with John Giftup podcast. You know I was sharing with you a little earlier that I actually took a break after hitting thousand episodes of the podcast because there were a lot of things that were on stake, Like I wanted to check the condition of my heart, whether the podcast was my idol ord whereas I letting God be the center of my life? Where was I letting God know that you know what, God, I can live without the podcast, but I cannot live without you.

1:25 I need you, I need your presence. I need you more than I need anything else. I need your presence more than the platform. I need you know, your approval more than you know the podcast achievements and approvals and rankings and all of those things. And it was a really good time for me to check my heart, the condition of my heart, to see, you know, how much I'm willing to let go and trust in the Lord. And you know, sometimes I want you to understand that it's as easy to say, you know, let go into God's hands, trust that God has a plan for you, but it's another thing to come to the reality and say, you know what, God, I'm willing to let go.

2:00 And I actually saw the podcast, you know, it was it was really hurting a lot, Okay, especially when I started seeing the ranking go down and sometimes it went off the charts. But there were moments when I think people started coming back and listening to some of the podcasts episodes from the back, and you know, it started going up again and down, and you know, it was like, oh my gosh, John, like what is going on? You know what I mean? I was like, God, I said, you know what, God, you are beyond this.

2:29 I need you more than I need the ranking. I need you more than I need where the position of the podcast is, and all of these things. And you know, I want to talk to you today about the power of letting go into God's sense. You know, sometimes you think that you're the one keeping your life. It's your hard work that's keeping you in your job, or it's you who is you know, running your life. Can I tell you something, You're not the one running your life. God is. Now. I'm not asking you to be complacent and lazy.

2:53 I'm not asking you to you know, just be a place in a place of compromise and all of those things. I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is, be a person of integrity, Be a person goes thee extra mile. Be a person who's doing what you're supposed to do, you know, working hard and doing what you're supposed to do with a sense of responsibility and all of those things. I fully agree with all of that stuff, but I want you to understand that by the end of the day, it is not your hard work that keeps you where going.

3:17 It is the grace of God. You need to understand that if not for God's grace, you could be, you know, in a very bad shape. And you have to understand that God knows what he's doing with their life, and sometimes you need to be willing to let go when God says, you know what, I want you to show me that you'd really trust me in this area. And that's one of the reasons I had to say, you know what, I'm going to take a break and show God. God, you know what. I can live without the podcast. I can live without seeing the podcast ranking at number one or any other ranking, you know, because I would need you more than I need anything else.

3:52 Today, I want to ask you this question. Is there any area in your life where you need to let go into God's hands? When I see let go, you have to take drastic steps. Are you willing to take drastic steps? I don't want to preach from a place where I'm just preaching thiory. I want to share this from a place where I'm said I've done it, and are you willing to do this? That's what I want to challenge each one of us. You know, one of the scriptures I want to talk to you today is found in Mark chapter one, one of the famous passages that I really loved to speaking about.

4:22 When if you look at verse sixteen onwards, Okay, Jesus is calling out his first disciples. As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a netting to the lake. For they were fishermen. This was their livelihood. This is all they had. And Jesus said, come follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people. And verse eighteen. At once they left their nets, and they followed Jesus. And look at verse nineteen. When he had gone a little further, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat preparing their nets.

4:56 Without delay, he called them, and they left their father's everybody in the boat with the hired men, and they followed Jesus. Look at this, This was their livelihood. This was what they was, you know, like what they're always doing. This is where they were, you know, this is their life. You know, fishermen. They knew all about the fish, they knew all about fishing and all, you know, all of those things. And here's the thing. When Jesus calls them, the Bible says that at once they left everything and they followed Jesus.

5:26 They at once, they left everything and they left the people. They followed Jesus. Today, I want to ask you, are you in a position where when God is asking you to do something, are you willing to let go?

5:39 About two years ago, I was having a vacation in a place called Kerala in India. Okay, it's one of the southern states in India, and there is a lot of these areas which is explicitly covered with water. Okay, it's in the region of Alpe where there's water everywhere and a lot of people, you know, where where we have vehicles going around. Right, A lot of these people the only way to commute to their home is by a boat. Their boat is their livelihood, you know. The boat is everything for them. It's their mode of transportation.

6:13 Right. If they need to go anywhere, they need a boat. You know, that's what it is. Now, think about this. These men were willing to let go of the boat, which was the only thing that they had to follow Jesus. Today, I want to ask you, how much do you trust God to say, God, you call me, I'm going to follow you because I believe that you have what is best for me. I'm going to choose to show you that, you know what, nothing takes your place in my life. When you get to that place, God is going to honor you, you know, in ways I never expected.

6:46 Recently, I was featured in a I put the link to that in the description, A list of best Christian podcasts in the country of India. You know I was featured on this. I want you to check it in description. But you know what, I never expected that a moment when I took the break is when this actually happened. Sometimes, you know, when you take a break, when you are just you know, getting from a distance, you get a clearer picture, you understand things differently, and that is when God honors you in ways that you never even imagined.

7:18 And I want to tell you that when you take time to show God that you know what, you trust him with your life and you are are willing to put everything in the ballot for him, I'm telling you God will honor you. God is a faithful God and He's going to show up in a way that you never even imagine. Amen, God bless you. You've been listening to Fuel for the Soul with John GIFTA we hope you were blessed and inspired to live the life that God has for you. Make sure to subscribe to the John Gifta YouTube channel for regular uploads of sermons, skits, interviews and more.

7:56 Follow John Gifta on Instagram for regular inspirational pers and don't forget to check out the best selling books written by John Gifta, Who Am I which will help you understand your identity and the latest number one best seller Unveil your Purpose, helping you discover your purpose and to start walking in it. Make sure to leave a rating and review and be sure to share it with your friends and loved ones. If you'd like to donate, you can find the PayPal link in the description, and if you'd like to invite John Gifta to speak at your event or to get more details, go to the website at www dotjoongifted dot com.

8:32 See you on the next episode of The Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. God bless you