Out of literally millions in the race you were the sole victor!

Only one very special seed broke that finish tape and fertilised that egg, and it was you!

You started as a winner, and you’ll end as one also. As a Christian, even death will not be able to hold you. Sin has already lost it’s grip and the grim reaper has no claim to your eternal destiny.

The greatest power in this natural universe, death itself, is rendered null in your presence. He may take a swipe, he will cost certainly swing his weight, but the final bell will declare your triumph!

You begin as a winner.

You end as a winner.

It seems that there’s a pattern here.

https://davidleemartin.com/you-are-a-winner/

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00:00:02.480]
Hey there, folks, I want to talk today about just the reality of the creative life that we’ve been called to live as Christians, as as, you know, my wife Larna and I passed it and planted churches for many years. And we during all that time, we always kind of engaged very much with creative people, you know, whether it be artists or dancers or musicians. We felt very much called to kind of work with people who were ideas, people, people who were communicators and wanted to communicate a message, but maybe not in in the typical sense of the word yet.

00:00:47.660]
Man, we would do it out on the streets with groups of dancers. We would do it with painters. We would do it with artists, musicians, all sorts of different ways. And, you know, over the years, I’ve really thought a lot about the creative life and the just living out of that place and that DNA that God has placed in us as creative people. And I was thinking today about how it is so much about being willing to share the journey, how really the boldness and the courage to step out and step up and share our worth with the world.

00:01:36.270]
It does take courage, you know, and sometimes we feel as though we have to have kind of gone somewhere before we can have anything worth sharing. We need to feel as though we’ve made it or become something or become someone or made a name for ourselves before we can actually begin to kind of presume to stand and speak and help others. But, you know, I just want to tell you today that that is really not the case. That’s not the way that God is wired things to work.

00:02:14.660]
Each one of us is called to play our part in the kind of development and building of other people. And, you know, that doesn’t always have to be from a place of kind of high standing. It doesn’t have to be from some pulpit or some stage somewhere. It can be even just as I am right now, right here in my office at home with a garden light behind me and a grey painted wall. You know, it’s there’s just there’s so much that God wants to do in us and through us and for us.

00:02:58.820]
And it’s when we begin to just step out and share the journey with others, that we begin to discover really who we are and what we’ve got to bring rather than waiting until we feel as though we’ve got something. How about we just begin sharing what we have and in that process discover more? It’s like drawing water up from a well. It can take a bit of strength and a bit of pumping to get the thing flowing. But once it’s flowing, once the flow begins, it really becomes it becomes easier.

00:03:40.670]
And I’m learning as I go that as I step out, as I step forward, as I come and kind of just. Like, don’t allow my own doubts, don’t allow my own insecurities, don’t allow my own fears to dictate to me that this whole thing becomes much more adventurous, it becomes much richer, it becomes much fuller. And I’m just I really feel kind of stoked and anointed to encourage other people to do the same. Now, I’m not saying jump up in front of a camera and speak like this live every day.

00:04:26.150]
But what I am saying is, you know, there are there are ways that are fitted for each one of us. The scriptures say that Jesus yoke is easy and his burden is light, that we should follow him and follow his leading whatever. The reason that his yoke is easy is because it’s well fitting for me that is that means writing. I love to write. That’s one of my favourite ways to communicate the value that God has placed in my heart.

00:04:58.940]
I actually do believe it or not, even though I sometimes get nervous with it. I do. I do enjoy speaking, especially if I feel as though the words are penetrating and going deeper than just the surface. I really don’t want to just be adding more noise to the world. I want to bring value in what I share. But I was thinking today, like, man, you are a winner, OK? You like out of literally millions of others, you were the one who broke through and became.

00:05:36.650]
Yeah. Like there were so many seeds, but only one of them reached the egg and fertilised the egg and it was you. And then and then like, like you began life as a winner. And I know that that’s kind of twee and sounds like. Yeah, right. But you know, even at the end of your life and here we are, it doesn’t matter what we go through in between to some degree, because at the end of life, if we have followed Jesus, if we have given our hearts and our minds and our passions to follow him and build his kingdom, he then at the end, even death itself cannot stop us standing on the winner’s podium.

00:06:20.120]
You know, it may knock us down for a moment, but I can assure you we will rise again and we will stand before our God and we will taste victory right from beginning. You begin as a winner. You finish as a winner. I tell you, this is a pattern. There’s a pattern here. And I believe that the Holy Ghost has got great things for you here. I mean, the scriptures here, the scriptures here tell us that we are more than conquerors through him that loved us in Romans Chapter eight, that you are more than a conqueror.

00:07:04.700]
It doesn’t matter what life throws at you. It doesn’t matter what challenges you face. It doesn’t matter that, you know, sometimes things may seem difficult. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had your fair share of failures or whatever you are on the winning side and not like I don’t know about you, but I joke sometimes, probably more often than I should, that I’m a bit of a Gideon. You know, in the story of Gideon, in the Book of Judges, God comes to him and says, Gideon, you might be a man of valour.

00:07:43.790]
And Gideon’s like, Yeah, who? And sometimes I feel as though I certainly can be, but I don’t know about you. Sometimes God wants to reveal our greatness. Sometimes what God wants to call for, what he is placed and planted within us. Yeah. And we’re like looking around thinking, okay, great and mighty man or great and mighty woman of valour. Where where are they? And and like Gideon, we have our excuses. We have our reasons why not, you know, we have that kind of smelly statement, but.

00:08:23.390]
Okay, but oh but I’m the least amongst the least of the least family in the least tribe, you know, that was Gideons excuse. You know, that’s how he tried to divert away from the call of God to become something more and step into his destiny. You know, what’s your excuse? What is it that that speaks to you or what do you say to yourself when you. Can the mirror that would run contrary to what you believe God is saying over your life?

00:08:57.740]
I believe, like Gideon, God is standing there and he is saying great and mighty one, great and mighty one, beautiful one intelligent one, breakthrough one, victorious one. And the funny thing is, in the story of Gideon there, you know, he God says great and mighty man of valour. And then Gideons like, yeah, right. Who I’m the least amongst the least. God does not turn around and suddenly say, oh, man, actually, you’re right.

00:09:31.810]
You are pathetic. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. You know, you’re right. Oh, man. You know, you’d think is that the ultimate intelligence in the universe? And the all knowing one, I would have realised, Gideon, that you’re not the right man for the job. I do apologise. Sorry for wasting your time. I’ll go find someone else. God doesn’t do that. You know, God does not turn away. God does not turn away from you.

00:09:59.470]
God does not change his testimony just because you’ve had some hard yards, just because you’ve had some seeming failures, just because you’ve maybe tried and it hasn’t worked out the way you wanted. I mean, honestly, Larna and we’ve got the badges to show for it. We’ve got the bruises to show for some of those things that could easily be translate some of those circumstances, some of those kind of hopes that didn’t realise we’ve got the bruises to show.

00:10:34.120]
Yeah, we’ve got the badges, the t shirt, the hat, the cap, the shoes and the pants. Okay. And those things, those those circumstances sometimes can translate into a testimony that simply is not true. Okay. We can look at ourselves in the mirror and we can say like Gideon. But but but but Lord, how could I ever be a businessman? You know, I would have said that many years ago. And by God’s grace and by his goodness and through his word, we now run a six figure publishing business.

00:11:10.930]
I mean, I am the most I’m the most mind boggled that that’s possible of anyone. I honestly, I just I can tell you this much. Jesus is someone who thinks bigger than we do, and Jesus does not change his testimony. He said Gideon mighty man of valour. And he didn’t change his test. He didn’t ignore it. He like it’s like God ignored Gideons kind of diversionary tactics and just kept speaking over him, you know? And I believe that he does the same for us, is saying, you know, Lori Alli, Glenn, George, Bill, Jason, Jack, Jacklyn, Margaret, whatever your name is, Mighty Man and Woman of Valour.

00:12:16.120]
I’ve called you to greatness. You are a winner. You started a winner. You ended a winner. And in between, there are going to be many, many milestones of victory as you go forward, not victory as the world gives, not victory as the world measures, although there may be some of those accolades in there as well. But we don’t put our identity and our trust in those things. We put our identity and our trust in the one who are spoken into our hearts and has called us force.

00:12:51.830]
You know, if you want to write a book, write the book, start. If you want to start a blog, start the blog, share your story, create your course. You know, prepare and create. Prepare your retreat, invite people into your world, invite people in that you know you can help take the next steps in their journey. That’s what this whole thing is about. And God is with you. Yeah. God is here today with you to keep you moving forward.

00:13:31.570]
And he is speaking over you today just as he spoke of his servant, Gideon, I believe. And I think for all of our excuses for all of our butts and ifs and wise, I know in the name of Jesus that he can bring a mighty turn. Around for you, whatever your situation and circumstance, I encourage you today, you are more than a conqueror. Go for it, step out, do something today toward fulfilling whatever it is that the Holy Ghost has planted in your heart.

00:14:11.490]
Don’t let anyone even and maybe especially not yourself, talk you out of it. Well, thanks for listening. Hopefully it’s been an encouragement to you today. If you want to connect any further, you can do so through my website at Davidleemartin.com. Have a great day.