Interview | Preaching To Yourself with Pastor Ben Courson

Pastor Daniel talks with Ben Courson, founder of Hope Generation, about the value of preaching to yourself. David preached to himself in Psalm 42:11, Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Ben shares his own painful experience with hopelessness and how God brought Him through it and gave him a message of hope in Him. He gives seven keys to defeat depression, which he discusses in his new book, Optimisfits. It’s a message we all need to hear.

‘You can’t go through life without having problems. In the world you will have tribulation.” -Ben Courson

“Hope is the antidote to anxiety.” -Ben Courson

“Sometimes as leaders we are waiting for other people to encourage us when, really, we need to encourage ourselves.” -Ben Courson

“When God healed my heart, when God gave me hope, that became the one theme that would become my message.” -Ben Courson

Interview | Memorizing Scripture with Pastor Ben Courson

Interview | Pastor Ben Courson

This week Daniel talks with his friend Ben Courson, the hope-full and hope-filled founder and director of Hope Generation, an international ministry including television, radio, podcast, YouTube and Instagram. He also pastors in Medford, Oregon. And he memorizes a LOT of scripture. In this lesson, Ben talks about how he does it and why it’s important. What motivated him to get started memorizing scripture? Growing up as a pastor’s kid and listening to scripture songs started Ben on this lifelong practice of memorizing scripture. “It’s just easier if it’s set to music.” What does the Bible have to say about the power of God’s word in our hearts? Psalm 1 speaks of the blessing that comes with meditating on the law of God day and night. It gives you strength. So what is the key to memorizing scripture? You just have to do the work. The Bible talks a lot about diligence, sticking with something. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23) Ben himself followed the 10,000 hour principle of mastery, devoting that amount of time over a 5-year period to studying, memorizing, writing and teaching about God’s word. But you start where you’re at. If you have an hour a week, memorize one scripture. Sometimes you don’t have anyone around to encourage you. David encouraged himself in the Lord. You can, too. Ben’s favorite verse? Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will also give you the desires of your heart. Follow Ben at www.bencourson.com. Here is the link to his YouTube video: www.bencourson.com/hope-generation-creative-1/1/21/2017/promises  
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“The Hebrew idea of meditation, in contrast with the Eastern concept of emptying your mind, is about filling your mind. So the biblical authors are saying you ought to fill your mind with the word of God.” -Ben Courson

“Faith can move mountains but don’t be surprised if God hands you a shovel.” -Ben Courson

“Success only comes before work in the dictionary.” -Ben Courson

“If you’re constantly speaking scripture into your soul, you’re going to be a lot more joyful, you’re going to be a lot more spiritually healthy, you’re going to be more physically healthy because the book of Proverbs says “a merry heart does good like medicine.” -Ben Courson

“Even start with one verse and just repeat it until you know it backwards and forwards for a week and you watch how it will galvanize you for the saying of words and the doing of deeds for the kingdom.” -Ben Courson

Pastor Ben Courson on Hope

Pastor Daniel has a fired-up conversation with the founder and director of Hope Generation, Ben Courson. With an international ministry including television, radio, podcast, YouTube and Instagram, Ben is a man with a passion to share the message of hope God has given him. Ben shares his own history of lost hope and depression and how God showed him the way through it, with Biblical hope. “Biblical hope is the absolute expectation of coming good; the looking forward to the future saving acts of God, predicated on the foundation of the salvation that God has already wrought in the past.” “He’s been faithful in the past, so I’m going to be faith-filled about the future and fulfilled today.” How is this message of hope changing lives? People who are being reached are those who aren’t interested in “religion.” Everyone needs hope. People who are suicidal are receiving hope! That is the best part of the message, that it comes from God and is being received directly in the hearts of hopeless people. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) The Bible is brimming with the message of hope! So what can a person do to bring hope into their everyday life? Ben lists three things: 1) Get rid of stinking thinking. Outlook determines outcome. 2) Have a check-up from the neck-up. Take time to think about what you’re thinking about. 3) Have an attitude of gratitude. “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Ben’s energetic and joyful message of hope will encourage you and get you pumped up. Because hope is dope. Just ask Ben.