I’LL TELL YOU, WHEN YOU GET WITH GOD, TOO, HE’S SAYING, “HEY, YOU MIGHTY WOMAN OF FEARLESS COURAGE. HEY, YOU MAN OF FEARLESS COURAGE. I’M WITH YOU! LET’S DO SOMETHING GREAT THROUGH THIS LIFE OF YOURS!” NOT JUST GET UP EVERY DAY: “I JUST CAN’T WAIT TILL SOME DAY WHEN JESUS COMES BACK. I’LL GET TO GO TO HEAVEN AND LIVE IN GLORY.” (laughing) I’LL TELL YOU WHAT — I DON’T KNOW WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS AN EXCUSE BAG. (cheering/applause) IT’S THIS LITTLE INVISIBLE THING THAT WE CARRY AROUND WITH US ALL THE TIME. AND, BOY, WHEN GOD OR ANYBODY ELSE MENTIONS ANYTHING THAT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING… “I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY.” (laughing) “I CAN’T DO THAT, LORD; I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY.” “WELL, THIS ISN’T WHAT I HAD PLANNED. (laughing) THAT’S NOT GOING TO WORK.” LET’S SEE — GOD’S STILL AFTER ME… “I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.” (laughing) WELL, YOU KNOW THE BAG IS… WE JUST CARRY A LOT OF STUFF IN HERE JUST IN CASE. “I DON’T KNOW HOW.” WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE ONE WHO GETS TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING? I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING, AND I’M RUNNING A WORLD-WIDE MINISTRY! (cheering/applause)
I’M UP HERE TELLING YOU ABOUT MY MUSCLE IN THE BACK OF MY LEG AND MY EXERCISE, AND SOMETIMES I THINK, “GOD, HAVE YOU KIND OF NOTICED HOW I GO ABOUT THIS?” OH, WE’VE GOT LOTS MORE IN HERE. “I’M AFRAID!” WELL, THEN, LEARN TO DO IT AFRAID! (It’s too hard!) EVERYBODY HAS ONE OF THESE IN YOUR EXCUSE BAG. I THINK PROBABLY WE USE THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING. I THINK WE’RE DEFEATED BY THAT “IT’S TOO HARD” THINKING. HOW CAN YOU DECIDE THAT SOMETHING IS TOO HARD WHEN YOU HAVEN’T EVEN GIVEN IT YOUR BEST? “I JUST HAVE TOO MANY PERSONAL PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW. (laughing) I CAN’T DO THAT RIGHT NOW. THERE’S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON IN MY OWN LIFE THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH.” “I’M JUST NOT READY FOR THIS YET! (laughing) CHECK ME OUT NEXT YEAR, WILL YOU, LORD?” “I DON’T EVEN KNOW ANYBODY WHO’S EVER DONE THIS!” (laughing) YOU ALL RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS, DON’T YOU? “I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY TO HELP ME. NOBODY’S ON MY SIDE. I’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.” EXCUSE BAG. I’D LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL TO THROW YOURS AWAY, STOP MAKING EXCUSES, AND START DOING WHAT GOD IS TELLING YOU TO DO. (applause) SAY: I CAN DO (I can do) WHATEVER I NEED TO DO (whatever I need to do) IN MY LIFE. (in my life.)
