RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

MAY. 22, 2025

How to stay enthusiastic about God.

'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'" Jn 4:34 NIV

No one had more energy than Jesus. He got up early, stayed up late, and sometimes pulled all-nighters. Where did He get all that energy from? The answer is found in a fascinating dialogue. "His disciples urged him, 'Rabbi, eat something. But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about! Then His disciples said to each other, 'Could someone have brought him food?' 'My food, said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'" (vv. 31-34 NIV). 

When you see the word "food," you think energy because that's what food is. And Jesus makes an insightful point here: God's will is energizing. So, how do you keep yourself energized? By staying in the will of God. Engaging in God-ordained passions and pursuing God-sized dreams is how we produce energy. Nothing energizes us more. Don't just repent of doing what is wrong; replace it with what is right. 

Paul writes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]" (1Co 15:58 AMPC). If sin is a waste of energy, which it is, then discovering and fulfilling your God-given assignment in life is the most energizing thing that you can do.

How to stay enthusiastic about God God's will is energizing.

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MAY. 21, 2025

The secret to success.

"Whose weakness was turned to strength." Heb 11:34 NIV

The so-called "secret" to success is really no secret at all! It's simply getting back up when life has knocked you down and taking with you into the future the lessons you have learned. 

In talking about heroes such as Samson and David, the Bible goes on to say, "Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (v. 34 NIV). Notice these people weren't always strong, but they became strong. They didn't win every battle, but they went on to win the ones that mattered. 

In 1928, a thirty-three-year-old man named Paul Galvin found himself staring at failure...again. By this point, he had failed twice in industry, his competitors having forced him to fold up his latest venture in the storage-battery business. 

Convinced, however, that he still had a remarkable idea, Galvin attended the auction of his own business. And with the $750 he had managed to raise, he bought back the battery eliminator portion of the inventory. With it, he built a new company, one in which he succeeded, one from which he eventually retired, and one which became a household word: Motorola. You have probably heard of it. Business innovator Roger von Oech said: "Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach... Most people think of success and failure as opposites, but they both are products of the same process." Failure is delay, not defeat. We all make mistakes, especially those who act. It's only when you become unwilling to risk failure that you stop learning, you stop growing, and you stop succeeding.

The secret to success Failure is delay, not defeat.

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MAY. 20, 2025

Who are you depending on?

"Without Me you can do nothing." Jn 15:5 NKJV

Because God's Spirit lives within you doesn't guarantee His power is at work in your life. God's power is available, but you must plug into it. Jesus associates our spiritual life with a vine and its branches: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (v. 5 NKJV). 

In this comparison, the branch is completely dependent on the main vine; it cannot yield fruit on its own. Growing fruit is an internal job. If someone tied apples onto the branches of a dead tree and said, "Look at this fruit tree," what would you say? You would probably say, "You tied those things on." That's similar to when a Christian says, "I'm going to tie on a bunch of fruit in my life—a little patience now, a little goodness later, a little self-control at another time. I will do it by myself." Impossible! It's the fruit of the Spirit, not the efforts of the flesh. Jesus said, "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit." How can you tell you're abiding (or residing) in Christ? Consider your prayer life. Your prayers reveal your dependence on God. What do you pray about? Whatever you pray about is what you're relying on God for. The Bible says, "Never stop praying" (1Th 5:17 NLT). 

Pray about your decisions, needs, temptations, interests, plans, schedule, problems, purchases; specifically, pray about everything! Doing this is what it means to "abide"-being aware that God is always with you, practicing His presence.

Who are you depending on? Your prayers reveal your dependence on God.

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MAY. 19, 2025

Get alone with God (3)

"When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it." Ecc 5:4 NIV

When the pressures in your life begin to mount, the first thing you will be tempted to drop is your time alone with God, praying and reading His Word. And what's more, Satan knows if he can keep you from it, he has won the battle, and he will get no opposition from you. 

So, how can you overcome this problem?

(1) By making a covenant with God. Think about it: Why do we make marriage vows? So we will think twice about breaking them! It's the same in your devotional life: "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it."

(2) By scheduling it. Block out time to meet with God each day, just like you would for a doctor's appointment or a business lunch. Can you think of a more important appointment? Surely not! 

(3) By being prepared for the devil's excuses. Adopt the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Dr. Robert G.Lee used to say, "If you wake up in the morning and don't meet the devil face on, it means you're headed in the same direction!"

(4) By leaving your Bible open the night before to the verses you intend to read the next morning. When you wake up, it will remind you that the most important thing you have to do today is meet with God. What if you miss a day? Don't worry-and don't go on a guilt trip. If you miss a meal, you don't give up eating, right? It just means you eat a little more at the next one and move on from there.

Get alone with God Block out time to meet with God.

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MAY. 16, 2025

Don't lose your passion for God.

"Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God's house will consume me.'" Jn 2:17 NLT

Try to imagine the fire in the eyes of Jesus and the flex of His muscles as He turns over the tables of the money changers in the temple. And He does it while wielding a whip He made Himself. "Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God's house will consume me.'" Jesus was the wisest and kindest person who ever lived. Additionally, He was the most passionate. And those who follow Him ought to be the most passionate people on earth. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: en and theos, meaning "in God." And the more you get into God, the more passion you develop about the things of God. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4 NKJV). 

Yes, you're supposed to crucify your carnal desires daily. But God doesn't do away with your capacity for desire; He sanctifies and redirects it. When you "delight yourself also in the Lord," you get a "desire transplant."  C. S. Lewis said, "We are half-hearted creatures fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us." A pastor adds: "Sin is a waste of energy...And it's a double waste. After you waste your energy on things like lust and pride and anger, then you must waste even more energy on things like guilt and shame and regret. Nothing is more de-energizing than sin, but by the same token, nothing is more reenergizing than obedience. It's pure energy."

Don't lose your passion for God Get a "desire transplant."

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MAY. 15, 2025

Free from jealousy.

"If your heart is full of...jealousy...don't... cover up the truth." Jas 3:14 CEV

The Bible says, "People are slaves to whatever has mastered them" (2Pe 2:19 NIV). And that's especially true of jealousy. Chuck Swindoll writes: "Jealousy and envy are often used interchangeably, but there's a difference. Envy begins with empty hands; it mourns what it doesn't have...Jealousy begins with full hands; it's threatened by the pain of losing what you have to someone else despite your efforts to hold on to it...This was Cain's sin. He was jealous of Abel. He resented God's acceptance of his brother, and not until Abel's blood poured over Cain's cruel hands did jealousy subside. 

Solomon might well have written the epitaph for Abel's tombstone: 'Jealousy is [cruel] as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire' (SS 8:6 ESV). Anyone who has experienced deliverance from this hellish giant knows too well how jealousy can decimate a friendship, dissolve a romance, destroy a marriage, shoot tension through the ranks of professionals, nullify unity on a team, ruin a church, separate preachers, foster competition among the choir, bring bitterness and finger-pointing among talented instrumentalists and capable singers. Jealousy questions motives and deplores another's success." 

The Bible says, "If your heart is full of...jealousy...don't... cover up the truth." Instead, determine that by the grace of God, you're going to break free from its control.  Swindoll adds: "I lived many years obeying its commands. It was gross agony. Finally, I realized I didn't have to live in darkness. I slew the giant and crawled out...and the releasing sunlight of freedom captured my heart. The air was so fresh and clean. Oh, the difference it has made! It's utter delight. Ask my wife."

Free from jealousy. Jealousy is cruel as the grave.

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MAY. 14, 2025

Have a biblical perspective.

"That through the endurance taught in the Scriptures...we might have hope." Ro 15:4 NIV

There is a cute story about a girl who left home and went away to college. After her first semester, she emailed her mother, saying, "I think it's time I brought you up to date on what's going on in my life. 

• Shortly after I arrived at college, 
• I got bored with dormitory life and stole fifty dollars from my roommate's purse. 
• With the money, I rented a motorcycle, which I crashed into a telephone pole a few blocks from the dorm. 
• I broke my leg in the accident and am unable to attend classes, so I'm coming home to live with you and dad." 

After hitting "send," she immediately sent a second email: "Mom, I was only joking. I didn't steal any money, or rent a motorcycle, or hit a telephone pole, or break my leg. And I won't be coming home to live with you and dad either. 

However, I am getting a D in mathematics and an F in literature, and I wanted you to keep my grades in proper perspective!" 

Seriously, having a biblical perspective on life's challenges can lift you out of discouragement and despair. 

Paul said, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures...we might have hope." For every problem you face in life, God's Word has a principle to be practiced or a promise to be claimed. So, the way to overcome discouragement is to get into God's Word and get it into you.

Have a biblical perspective Get into God's Word.

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MAY. 13, 2025

Faith is not faith until it is acted upon.

"Faith without works is dead." Jas 2:26

Could it be that the negative perception people have of the church stems from the negative energy we project?  And could it be that our negative energy stems from our negative view of righteousness?  We falsely view righteousness as doing nothing wrong: "Don't do this. Don't do that. And you're okay."  The problem with that approach is you can do nothing wrong and still not do the right thing; the thing God is calling you to do. Righteousness means more than doing nothing wrong. Do you really think God's ultimate dream for us is doing nothing wrong? You love it when your children make a difficult decision not to do something wrong. 

But the thing that brings you greater joy is seeing them develop their gifts and maximize their potential. And that's what God wants for each of us. 

The Bible teaches two kinds of sin: 

• the sin of commission, which is doing something you shouldn't have done, 
• and the sin of omission, which is all the things we could and should have done to advance God's kingdom but didn't do. 

A pastor writes: "In God's economy, breaking even is a total loss. Isn't that the lesson of the parable of the talents? The servant with one talent broke even... [and] Jesus called him a 'wicked and lazy servant' (Mt 25:26 NKJV). The greatest risk is taking no risks…

Righteousness is using all our God-given gifts to their full God-given potential. 

• Love doesn't play it safe; it takes risks. 
• Love doesn't make excuses; it takes responsibility.
• Love doesn't see problems; it seizes opportunities to step up and step in."

Faith is not faith until it is acted upon  The greatest risk is taking no risks.

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MAY. 12, 2025

Knowing the season you're in.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecc 3:1 NKJV

Your life's purpose is connected to a specific time and season. In other words, it will have a beginning and an ending. Some of God's purposes can be fulfilled in a short time, while others take a lifetime. You won't always be able to do what you're doing today, or at least to the extent you're doing it now. The Bible teaches, "As your days, so shall your strength be" (Dt 33:25 NKJV). 

That's why some of the world's best sports players transition into coaching. Three important observations: 

(1) You must understand and maximize the season you're in right now. 

(2) When one season ends, you must transition graciously into the next. 

(3) You must learn to enjoy whatever season you're in. 

Here is an interesting phenomenon: 

• Elijah passed his mantle of power to Elisha, but nowhere do we read that Elisha passed it on to anyone else.
• But when Paul passed his mantle on to Timothy, it didn't end there. Paul told him,

"The things...you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit...to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2Ti 2:2 NKJV). 

Instead of lamenting that he had run out of time, Paul rejoiced in knowing that God had helped him to fulfill his assignment. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown" (2Ti 4:7-8 NKJV). 

The truth is, God only gives you grace for the season you're in. And when a season ends, and it's time to transition, the grace lifts. So, pay attention and know when to move on!

Knowing the season you're in When the season ends-the grace lifts.

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MAY. 7, 2025

Why can't we work together? (4)

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Eph 4:3 NIV

A lady told her friend, "My husband and I have a very happy marriage. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for me. And that's the way we go through life-doing nothing for each other!" We smile, but that's not so funny when it's true. 

That attitude paves the road to disaster in marriage, business, church, personal relationships, and everywhere else. Often people join a team for their own advantage— they want supporting players so they can receive all the accolades. But ultimately, that attitude not only hurts them, but it also hurts the people they work with and hinders the results they otherwise could have had.

President Woodrow Wilson asserted: "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." Here is a true statement, if ever there was one: When you use people, exploit them, and take advantage of them, you inevitably fail in life. Is it easy to work with others and always get along? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That's why Paul writes, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." You have to work at it. When someone criticizes, offset it with a compliment. When someone complains, find something to be thankful for. When someone comes across as self-centered, remind them that the collective goal you're striving for is greater than any one individual.

Why can't we work together? You are here to enrich the world.

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