Inspire

Guest (Female): Aloha and welcome to the Inspire Church podcast. Whether you are on a walk, driving to work, or just need to hear a fresh word, this is your spot to get inspired, challenged, and equipped to live a faith-filled life. Each episode, you will hear powerful sermons straight from our weekend services that speak into your life, your leadership, and your legacy.

Before we dive in, do us a favor. Hit that subscribe button, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs a word today. If you want more resources like Pastor Mike's newest book, *Blow Your Mind*, head over to MikeKai.tv. All right, let’s lean in, open your hearts, and let God speak through this message.

Mike Kai: Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus. God, we thank you for your presence that is here today. We thank you that you are touching people all over, like everybody in the room and everyone who is watching online or in overflow right now. Father, we give you all the glory, the honor, and the praise. Help me to preach tonight, to say what I never meant to say, and to see what I never saw before. God, we give you all the glory, honor, and praise. In Jesus' name, and everybody said amen. Come on, thank him one more time, everybody. He is worthy of our praise.

I want you to open your Bibles today to Genesis chapter 29. If you don't have a Bible, it is okay; we have it on the screen. One day, please make sure soon that you get yourself a paper Bible so that you can mark it up. The more that you read the Bible, the more the Bible reads you. Every time you are in the Word and every time you are reading it, you solidify your relationship with God.

It does not mean that attacks are not going to come or that you won't get spiritual warfare. You are going to go through it. But if you are not in the Word, you are going to be emotional and unstable. So when those attacks come, when a diagnosis happens, or when you have drama in your family, if you are in the Word of God, you will make it through anything. You will get there because the Word is our sure foundation.

In Genesis chapter 29, we are going to talk about Jacob. But before we can talk about Jacob, we have to talk about the history of Israel. We have to talk about Abraham and Isaac. We all know that God picked a man out of that Mesopotamian region, and his name was Abram. God changed his name to Abraham and told him and his wife, Sarah, that they would become a great nation. The problem was they didn't have kids. How can you become a nation if you don't have offspring?

God performed a miracle. They had been trying to get pregnant for years, and at the ripe old age of 100, they gave birth to a miracle son named Isaac. Isaac is the son of the promise. But we have a problem because they were impatient; they could not wait for God's promise. They had another kid on the side with Sarah's handmaid, Hagar, and that boy’s name was Ishmael.

Ishmael was not what God picked. It was not the way that God wanted it to happen, so the promise sticks with Isaac. However, God had a different promise for Ishmael. Ishmael pretty much became the spiritual father of that region, specifically regarding Islam. Ishmael and Isaac would never get along. God eventually had to send Ishmael away, but He promised he would have 12 princes and become a great nation himself, though he would always be in hostility toward his brother. This makes sense considering what is going on today in that region of the world.

The promise goes from Abraham to Isaac. Isaac married a woman named Rebekah, and they had twins: Jacob and Esau. The promise had to stay with one, so it went to Jacob. A lot of people believe that Jacob stole the birthright because the birthright goes to the oldest son. If you are the number one son, you get double everything else. That is why being the number one son was so important; you got the double portion of land, livestock, and everything else.

Because Esau was famished coming in from hunting, he focused on short-term goals rather than long-term ones. He told Jacob to give him a bowl of stew, and Jacob asked what he would trade for it. Esau said he would give his birthright. Jacob took the trade, and Esau gave up his birthright because he was the older of the twins.

Years went by, and Isaac was on his deathbed. He wanted that stew one more time. Jacob and his mother manipulated the situation so that Jacob would be in position to get the deathbed blessing instead of Esau. The reason was that Rebekah had heard from the Lord when she was pregnant that she had two nations inside of her. God told her they would be warring with one another and the older would serve the younger. Mom remembered it and never forgot the promise.

She positioned Jacob to receive Isaac's blessing while Isaac was dying and blind. Esau was in a rage and chased after his brother. Jacob became a man on the run. While he was on the run through the desert, we arrive at Genesis 29:1. Jacob hurried off and finally arrived in the land of the East. He saw a well in the distance with three flocks of sheep and goats lying in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered.

A heavy stone covered the mouth of the well. It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward, the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked where they were from. They replied they were from Haran. He asked if they knew a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor. They replied that they did. He asked if he was doing well, and they said he was.

Then they pointed out that his daughter Rachel was coming with the flock. Jacob suggested it was still broad daylight and too early to round up the animals. He asked why they didn't water the sheep and goats so they could go back out to pasture. They explained they couldn't water the animals until all the flocks arrived and the shepherds moved the stone from the mouth of the well.

While Jacob was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd. Because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle, Jacob went over to the well, moved the stone from its mouth, and watered his uncle's flock. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

Wait a minute, kissing cousins? What was going on over here? He was kissing his cousin, and the Bible says he wept aloud. You can see how emotional this guy was. Finding Rachel or the family was like finding a needle in a haystack in those days. You were traveling by caravan across the desert. It was definitely a miracle led by God.

He wept aloud and explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father's side, the son of her aunt Rebekah. Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban. It sounds like Hawaii, right? Everyone is related. As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him home. When Jacob told him the story, Laban exclaimed, "You really are my own flesh and blood."

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, Laban told him he shouldn't work without pay just because they were relatives. He asked Jacob what his wages should be. Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was Rachel. There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father he would work for him for seven years if he gave him Rachel as his wife.

Laban agreed. Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel, but his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. Finally, the time came for him to marry her. He told Laban he had fulfilled his agreement and wanted his wife so he could sleep with her. Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

He pulled the old switcheroo. Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid. Jacob went to bed thinking it would be Rachel, but it was not Rachel. He woke up in the morning, looked over, and realized what had happened. I don't know how you would react, but I’d react the same way because that was not what I bargained for.

But here is the deal: God was dealing with Jacob because Jacob was the same way. Jacob had met his match in his uncle Laban. The fruit doesn't fall too far from the tree. Jacob's name means "grasper" or "heel-grabber." When Jacob woke up and saw it was Leah, he raged at Laban, asking why he had been tricked after working seven years for Rachel. Laban replied that it wasn't their custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn.

Laban told him to wait until the bridal week was over, and then he would give him Rachel too, provided Jacob promised to work another seven years for him. Another switcheroo. Jacob agreed to work seven more years, and a week after he married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel too. Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid. Jacob slept with Rachel too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son she named Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me." She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son she named Simeon, for she said, "The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son."

Then she became pregnant again a third time and gave birth to another son she named Levi, for she said, "Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me since I have given him three sons." Once again, Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son she named Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the Lord," and then she stopped having children.

Today's message is called "The Four Longings of Every Heart." We all have these four longings. It is interesting how she names her children based on what she was going through in those seasons. These are emotional confessions and heart cries. They are identity markers. She had four sons and four names for these children representing four stages of the human soul. This isn't just Leah's story; this is our story.

The first longing is represented by the name Reuben. Reuben means "to be seen." Leah said, "The Lord has seen my misery." Her husband loved her sister more than he loved her. Now, I am not advocating in any way for more than one spouse; I just want to say that upfront. But think about this for a moment. The most important human cry is to be seen.

We want to be seen. I think a lot of us go through our lives hoping to be seen—not seen on a stage or on Instagram or TikTok, but simply recognized. My dad went to be with the Lord, and it was important for me growing up to have his attention. My mom always saw me, but I wanted my dad's attention too. He was a dad, and I needed that. I wanted him to see me.

I had an older brother and a younger brother. I am the middle brother, and I also have a sister. I was the hand-me-down child. I got my brother's hand-me-downs. Joni gave me all his hand-me-downs, and Lenny got brand-new stuff because by the time he grew up, it was out of fashion. Lisa is a one-off and a girl, so she got everything.

I was that middle boy, and I just wanted to be seen by my dad. I was small for my age because I am a December baby. All of my friends were born in January and February. When you are in the ninth grade, a year’s difference is big. In the Big Island, I don't know what it was, but those guys grew faster. They hit puberty when they were seven years old. Me, I was a late bloomer.

I went out for the basketball team my freshman year of high school. It was JV basketball. I didn't make the team. I had to go play Parks and Rec instead. Back then, it was brutal how they let you know. If you made the team, your name was on a board where the whole school could see it. If your name wasn't on that board, it was too bad for you. My name wasn't on that board. I was so sad I wanted to go home. I went home sick because I was bummed and couldn't face my friends.

I remember being out in the garage shooting hoops in the driveway. My dad came home from work, and my mom told him he’d better go out there. I didn't want my dad to come out. The more I felt that way, the more I actually wanted him there. My dad came out, and he didn't tell me what I did wrong or that I should have worked harder. He didn't say anything. He just caught rebounds and passed the ball to me. He just caught rebounds and passed it back.

It is important for us to be seen. To be seen by people that you love the most and people that you respect is vital. Sometimes in great crowds, it is hard to be seen. Leah didn't feel like she was seen, but I can tell you that God sees you. No matter what is going on in your life today, God sees you. The Bible says that the eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to Him. God is looking and seeking.

Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous." In Exodus 3:7, when God calls Moses, He says, "Surely I have seen the affliction of My people." To be seen is important. People may ignore you or pass you by, but God says, "I see you." His name is El Roi; He sees you. Leah said, "Now my husband will love me." She was still looking horizontally, but being seen by God is more powerful. Chasing validation from people will still leave you empty.

Lisa and I raised three girls, and we wanted them to follow their paths. Courtney was more on the creative side, while Becca and Karis were more on the athletic side. I never wanted them to live out the life I wanted vicariously. They did play in college, and we are proud of them, but I never wanted to impose my dreams on my kids. I wanted to make sure my kids were seen. We all look back and think we could have done things better, but I’m not going to beat myself up over that because now I have two grandkids and I’m going to give it all to them.

The second longing is represented by the second son, Simeon. Simeon means "the Lord has heard that I was unloved." People want to be seen, and people want to be heard. To be seen and heard in every relationship is essential. Being heard is sometimes harder than being seen because to be heard means I have to actively listen. To be heard means I have to listen and have patience, even if I want to say something or if I am not in agreement.

People just want to be heard. When I think about Lisa and our marriage for 32 years, it has been the best 32 years of her life. No, it has been my favorite. I have been blessed for 32 years. But sometimes, she just wants to be heard. Once in a while, I have to ask God for patience because I might not be agreeing or I want to defend myself. But people want to be heard.

You’ve heard of the five love languages by Gary Chapman. The first one is physical touch and closeness. When you touch my hand or put your arm on me, I feel loved. Second is words of encouragement. When you say nice things to me, it fills my tank. Third is receiving gifts. You thought of me and went through the effort of picking something out. Fourth is quality time. When you spend quality time with me, it fills my tank. The fifth is acts of service. When you clean the house, wash the dishes, or wash my car, I feel loved.

My top languages are physical touch and closeness, quality time, and words of affirmation. Lisa's top two are quality time and acts of service. It is easy for me to think she doesn't need words of encouragement because that’s not what helps her. I just have to go wash her car, but I have to make sure she knows I did it.

The third son is Levi. Leah said, "Now my husband will become attached to me." I have given him three sons, and she thought Jacob would finally come around and leave Rachel. The sibling rivalry going on between these two women was intense. The position Laban put his daughter in was difficult. It says Leah's eyes were not good. Some scholars say she was cross-eyed or had an astigmatism.

I was once cross-eyed as a little boy in preschool. I had a lazy eye, and I was the only kid in preschool with glasses. Those glasses corrected my vision. Leah was never the first choice; Rachel was. I can identify with Leah. There is something about Leah wanting to be validated and loved. I think we all can see a little bit of Leah in ourselves.

What matters is how God sees her. Her husband may not see her that way yet. Psalm 63:8 says, "My soul follows close behind you." This is where people start chasing. We chase relationships, approval, and attachment. That is why people join gangs and why people look to be accepted wherever they are. They think if they can just get someone to stay or choose them, they will be okay. Leah was trying to fix a heart issue with a human solution. We put too much pressure on people sometimes.

Something changes with the fourth child, Judah. Leah said, "This time I will praise the Lord." She changed. The moment shifted from mentioning her husband or her pain or rejection. This time, she focused on praise. People need to be seen, heard, and connected, but they also need to be praised. You have to get good at praising someone and telling your children and spouse how much they mean to you.

I have been in the ministry for 31 years, and it hasn't always been easy. In the family, it wasn't always easy. We have had drama too. But when Judah was born, Leah stopped striving for validation and started living in revelation instead. Psalm 150:6 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Hebrews 13:15 says to offer the sacrifice of praise. That is why it is so important that we switch to praise—shifting from what is missing to who God is, from what hurts to who God heals. We go from people to God. The first three sons were about her pain, but the fourth son was about her praise.

Judah changed her perspective. Through the fourth son, Judah, comes the line and the promise of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. King David comes out of that line. Out of the 12 sons Jacob will have, God will change his name from Jacob to Israel, meaning the father of nations. God used Jacob’s son, Joseph, to go down to Egypt to save them. God works everything out for good.

I don't know what you are going through today, but I want you to know that God sees you. He sees your pain, your grief, your happiness, and your coming and going. Don't ever think otherwise. God sees you, God hears you, and God loves you. No matter what you go through in life, never doubt that for a moment. If you are a teenager in this room, do not doubt that God sees you and cares for you.

Praise wasn't just her breakthrough; it became her legacy. When we stop chasing validation and start giving praise to God, we step into a lineage of royalty. Reuben asks, "Do you see me?" Simeon asks, "Do you hear me?" Levi asks, "Will you stay with me?" But today, God is calling you into a Judah season: "This time, I will praise the Lord."

Guest (Male): (Singing)

There’s just something about your name.

There’s just something about your name.

There’s just something about your name that makes me cry holy.

There is no other name.

There is no other name.

There is no other name that makes me cry holy.

Jesus be the name.

Jesus be the name.

Jesus be the name that gets all the glory.

Mike Kai: Let's all stand together and praise Him. No matter what you are going through, you have to praise Him through it. Lift your hands and put a song in your heart. Let Him hear it from your mouth. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

Every eye closed and every head bowed right now. If this message hit, if there is someone you know needs to be seen, heard, or connected, I want you to raise your hand. We are going to pray. If that is you and you need to look to the Lord, the Lord is your portion.

Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus. God, you are the all-seeing God. You are El Roi. You see us, you love us, and you know us. You are coming down to meet us right now. Thank you for the power of the presence of Jesus. Thank you for His name being the name above all names. We give you the burden on our hearts. Give us the vocabulary and the words to bring healing to the bones. Thank you that you are bringing healing to our hearts right now.

I feel like I am saying to several people in this room that you carried this burden of not being validated when you were younger. You didn't have the validation of a family or a parental figure. You have learned to live without it and just carry on. But I want you to know that God saw you all along and He is bringing healing right now to so many hearts. There was a piece of you that was missing, but God filled that piece for you. He saw you when you were crying and when you were alone. He saw when you made a vow that you would never let that happen to you again. He is breaking that chain off of you right now.

There is evil in this world, but He loves you. Here you are today, sitting in a row with your family or having brought yourself here, and all you can do is look back and say, "My God, I am grateful." Even though you went through it, God brought you through it. Give a Judah praise in the house of God.

I want to introduce you to the God who loves you. His name is Jesus. He died on the cross for you and for me. When you felt unworthy, he gave you this gift. He is the God I met when I was 21 years old. He died on the cross over 2,000 years ago and shed His blood for us. He was beaten beyond recognition, but with resurrection power, He came out of the grave. Because He is out of the grave, you and I have the moment to surrender. It is the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. We are all dying, but where are you going to live for all eternity?

If you want to give your life to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life, at the count of three, I want you to throw your hands in the air. He’s going to come into your life and change you from the inside out. Get ready to put them up. One, two, three.

Put your hands up all over the house so I can count them. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. God bless you. Eleven, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. I got you. Twenty, 21, 22. Thank you, Lord. Twenty-three, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Thirty-one, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Thirty-eight, 39, 40. Forty-one, young lady. Forty-two, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50. Fifty-one, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. Sixty-one, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70. Seventy-one, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80. Eighty-one, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90. At least 92 people. Can we thank the Lord?

I am going to get you out of here on time, but I don't want you to rush it. My instructions are this: after we pray, tap to connect. You need connection—not just to be seen or heard, but connected and attached. There is a number on the screen. I want you to connect with that. Text the word "faith" to 97000. We have seven ways for you to connect.

Ninety-two people, are you ready? Repeat after me: "Jesus, today I surrender. I give you my life. Thank you for dying on the cross and shedding your blood that washes my sins as white as snow. I thank you that when I die, I'll be in your presence for all eternity. While I'm here, be my strength and my hope. You're my God, I'm your child. The old is passed, the new has begun. I'm a new creation in Christ Jesus, created to serve you and to bring you glory. Mold me and shape me. Lead me and guide me. Heal me and fill me. Use me and send me to fulfill your call and your purpose for my life. In Jesus' name." And everybody said amen. Come on, thank the Lord.

I am going to pray us out. We have five weeks for this series. This is week one. Lock in for four more weeks to thrive in your relationships. Father God, we thank you for a great day in the house of God. Thank you for all the healings and the awareness. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He turn His countenance toward you. May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you, be gracious to you, and grant you peace. In Jesus' mighty name, and everybody said amen. God bless you guys. See you next week.

Guest (Female): What a powerful word. Come on, somebody. If that stirred something in you, don't keep it to yourself. Share it, rate it, and let us know how God is speaking to you through these messages. We believe your best days are ahead and we are honored to be part of the journey. For sermon notes, leadership tools, coaching resources, and more, visit MikeKai.tv. Stay inspired, stay planted, and stay ready because God's not done with you yet. Until next time, God bless you and aloha.