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Speaker 1: Life audio.

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Speaker 2: When people look at me and say, why is that

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Speaker 2: burning bush not consumed? Why are you not consumed by

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Speaker 2: your trials? Missus Tadda. I think it sparks curiosity, and

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Speaker 2: not only other Christians, but among a cynical and skeptical world.

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Speaker 3: Well, the celebration of Christmas is almost tear. Have you

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Speaker 3: got all your Christmas shopping done?

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Speaker 4: You know?

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Speaker 3: You get out of the local mall and you're looking

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Speaker 3: for a parking space. You have to do that stock

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Speaker 3: where you slowly follow someone. They have their packages, they

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Speaker 3: go to their car, they put the packages in the trunk,

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Speaker 3: they get in the car.

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Speaker 4: You're waiting.

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Speaker 3: You've got your churning signal on. You're waiting. You're still waiting.

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Speaker 3: They're sitting there. You're waiting. Ah, the reverse lights go on.

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Speaker 3: Here it is, and then they get out of their

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Speaker 3: car and go back in. There should be a law

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Speaker 3: against that. Once you're in your car, you have to

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Speaker 3: leave your space. But so much busyness in this time

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Speaker 3: of the year. I heard Christmas summed up this way,

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Speaker 3: And here's a little cartoon I drew to illustrate it.

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Speaker 3: Here's Christmas in four stages. Number one, you believe in

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Speaker 3: Santa Claus number two. You don't believe in Santa Claus

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Speaker 3: number three, you become Santa Claus number four. You look

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Speaker 3: like Santa Claus. I think that's in the phase I'm

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Speaker 3: in right now. Christmas can be a wonderful fun time,

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Speaker 3: and it can be for some a difficult time, especially

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Speaker 3: if you've lost a loved one, because that's a first

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Speaker 3: anniversary without them. You have that empty seat at the table,

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Speaker 3: a lot of sorrow, a lot of sadness. But let's

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Speaker 3: remember the essential message of Christmas is not let us

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Speaker 3: shop or let it snow. It's let us worship. And

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Speaker 3: also it's a simple message that Emmanuel God is with us.

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Speaker 3: You're not alone in your Christmas season. So I want

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Speaker 3: to share a conversation with you with a friend of mine.

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Speaker 3: You maybe have heard of her. She's a national treasure.

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Speaker 3: Her name is Johnny Ericson Toada. Johnny had a tragic

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Speaker 3: accident when she was seventeen years old where she broke

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Speaker 3: her neck while swimming and had a spinal cord injury

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Speaker 3: as a result, and since that day she has spent

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Speaker 3: her life in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic. But Johnny,

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Speaker 3: despite this life altering tragedy has chosen to honor and

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Speaker 3: glorify God, and her life has been a powerful testimony

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Speaker 3: to people all around the world. You know, when hardship

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Speaker 3: or suffering comes our way, we have a choice as

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Speaker 3: to what we will do with it. We can become

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Speaker 3: better or we can become better. Well, Johnny is chosen

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Speaker 3: to become better, and because of testimony, many others are

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Speaker 3: better as well. So I want to take you to

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Speaker 3: a conversation I had with Johnny some years ago. Well,

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Speaker 3: we talked about her life. We talked about how Jesus

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Speaker 3: meets us in our suffering and hardship. So if you're

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Speaker 3: carrying grief right now, or you're battling depression, or if

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Speaker 3: you're wondering, why don't miss this. This is a conversation

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Speaker 3: Everyone should hear this Christmas. You know, there's not many

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Speaker 3: people that you could say they're a living legend. I

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Speaker 3: like to say I'm a living legend, but I'm not,

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Speaker 3: so it doesn't apply to me. But there are people

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Speaker 3: that really are our living legends. And you're gonna meet

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Speaker 3: one of them in just a moment. And you know

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Speaker 3: who she is already. Johnny Ericksontata She's really a national treasure,

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Speaker 3: and her life and her ministry, her life and her

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Speaker 3: ministry has brought hope and encouragement to millions.

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Speaker 1: Of people around the world.

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Speaker 3: Johnny is the CEO and founder of Johnny and Friends,

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Speaker 3: an organization that accelerates Christian outreach in the disability community.

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Speaker 3: She's married to our wonderful husband, Ken, who's here tonight, and.

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Speaker 4: So we're thankful for him as well. So come on out.

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Speaker 3: Let's welcome Johnny Ericksontata.

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Speaker 2: And I am certain that a lot of that applause

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Speaker 2: was for my husband of thirty five years.

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Speaker 4: A blod him. Yeah, damn, welcome him.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, Johnny's thanks for coming back. You know you were

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Speaker 3: here last Christmas.

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Speaker 2: Remember I cannot believe where the year is gone?

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Speaker 4: I know, is it fast? And you look great? You

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Speaker 4: haven't aged at all.

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Speaker 2: Thank you.

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Speaker 3: I had a full head of hair last Christmas, you

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Speaker 3: remember that, But that was a hairpiece I was wearing,

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Speaker 3: so I stopped wearing. And I'm kidding, but I remember

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Speaker 3: that message you gave and it just impacted me.

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Speaker 4: In fact, what we did.

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Speaker 3: You gave a message to the ladies, and we took

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Speaker 3: your message and I showed it up on a Thursday

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Speaker 3: nightdea everybody because they said everyone needs to hear this message,

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Speaker 3: and so I thought it brought such a great perspective

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Speaker 3: on Christmas. But Johnny, if you wouldn't mind, you know,

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Speaker 3: not everyone knows your story. It's hard to believe many do,

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Speaker 3: of course, but there are some who are meeting you

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Speaker 3: here for the first time. And of course your life

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Speaker 3: changed in nineteen sixty seven.

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Speaker 4: You were a young girl.

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Speaker 3: Unlike any young girl, you love to hike and ride

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Speaker 3: horses and swim and dive, yeah, and dive, and so

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Speaker 3: you were a very active young lady. And then an

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Speaker 3: event happened that of course changed your life, and that

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Speaker 3: brings you to today where you've spent almost fifty years

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Speaker 3: in a wheelchair.

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Speaker 4: Years.

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Speaker 2: You know, I'd mentioned I'd like to dive, and I

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Speaker 2: guess I was a little bit cocky sitting on the

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Speaker 2: edge of that raft in the water, and I took

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Speaker 2: a very reckless dive into what ended up being extremely

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Speaker 2: shallow water. I hit the sandbars, snap my head back,

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Speaker 2: crunched my verse bray, severed my spinal cord, and left

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Speaker 2: me without use of my hands or my legs. Now,

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Speaker 2: when they took me to the hospital. I was so depressed,

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Speaker 2: so despairing. The one bright spot was going to occupational

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Speaker 2: therapy because in occupational therapy they let me put a

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Speaker 2: pen between my teeth. I must confess, at first, I

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Speaker 2: did not like having to put a pencil between my teeth.

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Speaker 2: I kept spitting it out, and my occupational therapist kept

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Speaker 2: taking it off the floor and wiping it off of

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Speaker 2: lysol and sticking it back in my mouth. But when

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Speaker 2: I finally got proficient in drawing, because I was an

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Speaker 2: artist before my accident, my thought was, Oh God, this

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Speaker 2: is now my life, This is it. My goodness. I

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Speaker 2: would wrench my head back and forth on the hospital

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Speaker 2: pillow every night, hoping to break my neck up at

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Speaker 2: a higher level and thereby end my life. But that

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Speaker 2: is to me a precious memory of what God can

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Speaker 2: take us from when we embrace His son Jesus.

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Speaker 4: Yes, that reminds me of a story that Kreyton Boom

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Speaker 4: told you. Remember Corey tin.

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Speaker 5: Boom, Oh yes, she said to me.

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Speaker 2: The last time I saw her when she was alive,

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Speaker 2: I saw at her funeral, but.

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Speaker 4: She was alive in heaven.

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Speaker 2: She was alive in heaven. She said, Oh, Johnny one day,

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Speaker 2: We're going to dunce together in heaven a Dutch accent.

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Speaker 4: Yes.

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Speaker 3: Well, the reason I brought her up is it reminded

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Speaker 3: me of a story she used to tell. Of course,

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Speaker 3: she went through all of her suffering in the concentration

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Speaker 3: camp Revensbrooke and with their sister, and lost her sister

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Speaker 3: and father and was released. But remember she would talk

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Speaker 3: about that a stitching. On one side it would be

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Speaker 3: I think a scripture perhaps, But on the other side

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Speaker 3: it was all tattered threads with no rhyme or reason.

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Speaker 3: But it's sort of a picture of From our side,

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Speaker 3: it looks like tattered threads or a puzzle scattered. But

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Speaker 3: from God's side there's a logic to it, because there's

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Speaker 3: something that you believe in that we all believe in

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Speaker 3: or should believe in. It's called the sovereignty of God.

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Speaker 3: Tell us what this we hear that phrase, what is

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Speaker 3: the sovereignty of God? And what does that mean to

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Speaker 3: you in what you face every day?

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Speaker 2: Well, at first, when I heard about the sovereignty of God,

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Speaker 2: that is that the God of the Bible is a

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Speaker 2: god who whose overarching decrees govern everything that happens. At

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Speaker 2: first I was frightened by that idea. It was scary

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Speaker 2: because if that was the God who allowed this to happen,

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Speaker 2: then how can he possibly be good? What is his

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Speaker 2: idea of good? But God allows all sorts of things

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Speaker 2: he does not approve of. He doesn't approve of spinal

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Speaker 2: cord injury, multiple sclerosis, he doesn't approve of stroke. He

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Speaker 2: does not approve of down syndrome, or autism or all.

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Speaker 2: But a Christian friend shared with me ten little words

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Speaker 2: when I was first injured that changed my life.

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Speaker 4: Wow.

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Speaker 2: God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.

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Speaker 2: And the way he explained it, Greg, was that he

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Speaker 2: pointed to Jesus at the cross, Look what God permitted? Treason, injustice, murder, torture.

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Speaker 2: How can any of that be the Father's will? And

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Speaker 2: yet we're told in Act chapter four, verse twenty eight

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Speaker 2: that he permitted it says that I'm export twenty eight. God,

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Speaker 2: I've got this right on the tip of my tongue.

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Speaker 2: I really do actually look it up, Greg, Export twenty eight.

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Speaker 2: You can probably retat it better than I can.

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Speaker 4: I should have ever memorized.

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Speaker 1: But yes, I think I know where you're going.

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Speaker 4: But I want to make sure you get it right.

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Speaker 3: Get it right, because it's very sad.

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Speaker 2: The writer of the Book of Acts is talking about

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Speaker 2: the evil men who instigated the cause of Christ. And

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Speaker 2: this is what he said about these men.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's not and I found the verse for me.

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Speaker 3: It's like reading through a contact.

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Speaker 4: Lens in.

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Speaker 2: Okay, I can do it.

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Speaker 5: It's it's.

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Speaker 2: God.

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Speaker 5: Oh my goodness, we both did.

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Speaker 2: It's impossible.

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Speaker 4: Can you read it? Yeah, it's sad.

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Speaker 2: I know this verse five heart. These men did what

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Speaker 2: God's power there is will had decided beforehand should happen.

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Speaker 3: You do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before

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Speaker 3: to be done.

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Speaker 2: So there you go. I mean treason, injustice, murder, and

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Speaker 2: in torture. So right there. God permitted something he hated,

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Speaker 2: the crucifixion, the gruesome crucifix the carnage, the terrible crucifixion

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Speaker 2: of his own precious son. He promoted, permitted what he hated,

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Speaker 2: to accomplish something that he loved. What could he possibly

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Speaker 2: love more than his own?

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Speaker 5: What would he.

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Speaker 2: Prize above his son's own crucifixion? Our salvation, that's it,

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Speaker 2: our salvation. And so although the devil may have instigated

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Speaker 2: the events that led up to the crucifixion. You know,

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Speaker 2: treason and justice, murder, torture.

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Speaker 5: God won't have it.

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Speaker 2: He didn't to do with those things in terms of

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Speaker 2: his wanting or delighting in them happening. But God aborted

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Speaker 2: those devilish schemes to serve his own ends and accomplish

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Speaker 2: his own purposes. I like the way Dorothy Sayers once

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Speaker 2: said it. God reaches down into what otherwise looks like

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Speaker 2: terrible evil, and he he he wrenches out of it

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Speaker 2: positive good for us and glory for himself. And so

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Speaker 2: the world's worst murder becomes the world's only salvation. And

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Speaker 2: my friend who shared those ten little words with me,

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Speaker 2: God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves,

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Speaker 2: said Johnny. The same is true in your life. God

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Speaker 2: permitted what he hated, a spinal cord injury, to accomplish

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Speaker 2: something that he loves more than the hardship you are

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Speaker 2: gonna have to go through for the rest of your life.

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Speaker 5: And that is Christ in me, the hope of glory.

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Speaker 2: Yes, And oh my goodness, Greg, I've given up trying

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Speaker 2: to untangle the matted threads underneath that broidery that you

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Speaker 2: spoke about. I've given it up because the whole point

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Speaker 2: behind my quadriplegia is that I get to know Jesus

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Speaker 2: in such a tender, warm, poignant, personal, powerful way. I

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Speaker 2: mean my goodness every single morning when I wake up,

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Speaker 2: I think I shared this with the women when I

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Speaker 2: was here the last time. Literally, I wake up in

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Speaker 2: the morning and my girlfriends are running water for coffee.

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Speaker 2: They're gonna come into my bedroom, They're gonna have a cheery,

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Speaker 2: happy hello. And there I am almost ninety eight percent

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Speaker 2: of the time lying there with my eyes closed, thinking God,

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Speaker 2: I hate quadriplegia. I am so tired of this. I

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Speaker 2: have no strength for this day.

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Speaker 4: I have no.

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Speaker 2: Resources, no power, no energy. I cannot do quadriplegia today.

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Speaker 2: But Jesus you can, so you can. I can do

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Speaker 2: all things?

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Speaker 3: Do you?

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Speaker 2: So? Would you please be the good quadriplegic today because

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Speaker 2: I cannot do it? And it is the perfect example

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Speaker 2: of dying to self so that God's power can live

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Speaker 2: through me, Which makes the smile that I have on

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Speaker 2: my face when I wheel out of the front door

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Speaker 2: in the morning ape made of coldgate. This is a

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Speaker 2: real smile, hard fought for and hard one every single morning.

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Speaker 2: And Greg, that's the Christian way to wake up, that's

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Speaker 2: the best way to that's the Biblical way to wake up.

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Speaker 2: Needing Jesus desperately and I really need him.

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Speaker 4: We all do it. We all do it.

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Speaker 2: I really did can't do it without him.

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Speaker 3: So from the worst injustice and travesty of all time,

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Speaker 3: the murder and crucifixion of the very Son of God,

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Speaker 3: came the greatest good of all time. So when we

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Speaker 3: apply the sovereignty of God to our life, what it

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Speaker 3: is saying is you may be going through something now

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Speaker 3: that makes no sense, but ultimately you're going to see

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Speaker 3: God's plan and purpose, maybe part of it this side

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Speaker 3: of heaven, but certainly all of it on the other side.

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Speaker 3: But for now, it's not so much an issue of why,

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Speaker 3: because you can ask that forever, and people in the

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Speaker 3: Bible asked why. Even Jesus on the cross said, my God,

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Speaker 3: my God, why have you've forsaken me? But I think

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Speaker 3: there has to come a point where we ask what,

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Speaker 3: as in what do I do? And you've taken your

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Speaker 3: very difficult pain and you've used it as a tool

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Speaker 3: for God's glory. You've used it as a we against

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Speaker 3: the forces of darkness, and you continue to do so,

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Speaker 3: and we thank you for that. Here's something you wrote.

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Speaker 3: You're a very good writer, by the way. Yes, I

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Speaker 3: have to tell you that.

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Speaker 4: Thank you. You know.

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Speaker 3: You know when you talk with Johnny, it's like whatever

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Speaker 3: you ask her when she speaks, it's like, was that

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Speaker 3: just pre written? Did that actually just come out that

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Speaker 3: way from your very well organized brain or what You're

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Speaker 3: just so articulate, But you wrote this quote. I knew

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Speaker 3: in a vague sort of way that answers from my

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Speaker 3: questions about and about my paralysis were probably hidden somewhere

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Speaker 3: between the pages of the Bible, but I had no

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Speaker 3: idea where. So there are certain passages and you already

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Speaker 3: took us to one that I could obviously not read

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Speaker 3: very well.

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Speaker 4: Me neither.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think of another one that I'm sure

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Speaker 3: is meaningful to you, and I'm sure you could add

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Speaker 3: to this list, and please do. But one that comes

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Speaker 3: to mind is an off quoted verse maybe not always

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Speaker 3: understood Romans eight twenty eight. How is that a verse

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Speaker 3: that has brought comfort to you? Is it a verse

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Speaker 3: that an initially was hard to deal with and later

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Speaker 3: brought comfort or was it always a verse that was like, yeah,

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Speaker 3: I get that.

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Speaker 2: Well Romans eight twenty eight, And okay, you're asking me

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Speaker 2: to quote this one too.

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Speaker 4: Right, Well, you know, all things work together, they.

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Speaker 1: Work together for good.

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Speaker 4: Love them.

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Speaker 2: I love God and are called according to his purpose.

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Speaker 2: And then the next verse in Romans eight twenty nine

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Speaker 2: says that all these things are fitting together into a

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Speaker 2: pattern for good to conform you to the image of

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Speaker 2: Jesus Christ. And so I see that. I don't know.

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Speaker 2: I don't want to second guess God, greg but I

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Speaker 2: do think that that God has permitted this accident.

304
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Speaker 5: To make me more like Jesus.

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Speaker 2: He prizes in my life patience, endurance, self control, compassion, kindness.

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Speaker 2: All of these things are far more important than walking.

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Speaker 2: They are far more important than walking and having use

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Speaker 2: of your hands. And so one of the qualities of

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Speaker 2: Jesus is compassion. Well, back, I'm.

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Speaker 5: Gonna be back up.

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Speaker 2: One of the qualities of Jesus is a hatred of sin.

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Speaker 2: When we say we want to be like Jesus, we

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Speaker 2: normally think of all those qualities I just listed, But

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Speaker 2: if we really want to get bare knuckles about it,

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Speaker 2: the quality that is most like Jesus is his hatred

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Speaker 2: of anxiety, fear, worship, prejudice, snobbery, I mean, self righteousness.

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Speaker 2: These are the things that he hates, and so suffering

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Speaker 2: is like the textbook that will teach you about who

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Speaker 2: you really are. And I often liken my disability to

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Speaker 2: elemon that God squeezes in the morning and outcomes the cranky, crabbiness,

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Speaker 2: the sour disposition, the peevish attitude. And when I see

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Speaker 2: that about myself, Oh my God, I say, Jesus, I

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Speaker 2: don't want to be that person that was Johnny from yesterday. Please,

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Speaker 2: I want to be a different Johnny today. Would you

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Speaker 2: make me more like Jesus and help me get rid

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Speaker 2: of this sin, this ickiness in my life that is

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Speaker 2: so offensive to you and unpleasant to other people. The

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Speaker 2: second quality I think for me at least, I hatred

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Speaker 2: of sin, and secondly compassion. I talked to a lot

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Speaker 2: of people with disabilities who are as disabled as I am,

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Speaker 2: and I'm pretty disabled. Can't do my own toileting routines,

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Speaker 2: can't make my own dinner, can't cut my food, can't

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Speaker 2: hold a bottle of coke. But I talk to a

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Speaker 2: lot of people like me who are disabled less than

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Speaker 2: I am. Some who are disabled more than I am,

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Speaker 2: and they're depressed. It's totally humanly understandable why they would

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Speaker 2: be depressed. Oh my goodness, I was depressed for years.

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Speaker 2: It took three years for me to dig up out

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Speaker 2: of that myrie pit of despair. But what I will

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Speaker 2: often tell people with disabilities is get up tomorrow morning

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Speaker 2: and get dressed, wheel at the front door if you're able,

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Speaker 2: and go find somebody in your community who's hurting worse

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Speaker 2: than you are, who's hurting worse than you are. And

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Speaker 2: I think that that is a sure remedy for depression,

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Speaker 2: to look for other people who are hurting more than

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Speaker 2: you are and help them. That's the Second Corinthians, Chapter one,

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Speaker 2: kind of we've been comfort comforted for the benefit of others.

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Speaker 2: And it's one reason why I started Johnny and Friends

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Speaker 2: of ministry that distributes wheelchairs around the world and bibles,

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Speaker 2: and we hold retreats for special needs families and both

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Speaker 2: here in America and in international developing nations, and YadA, YadA, YadA.

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Speaker 2: But it's I've been so blessed, man, I want to

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Speaker 2: squeeze every ounce of ministry effort that I possibly can

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Speaker 2: out of this quadriplegic body to pass on the blessing

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Speaker 2: to others. I've been given so much. You've been given

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Speaker 2: so much. We've been given so much. Find somebody else

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Speaker 2: who's hurrying worse than you are, and make a difference

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Speaker 2: for Christ in their lives.

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Speaker 4: Amen. Yeah, that's right.

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Speaker 3: I read there's a ten step curative depression. Step number one,

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Speaker 3: finds someone that's worse off than you and help them.

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Speaker 3: Step number two, repeat step number one nine more times.

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Speaker 4: You know, So I like that it's you.

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Speaker 3: Know, but but depression can be bigger than I mean.

365
00:20:41,844 --> 00:20:44,604
Speaker 3: That's a great piece of advice and something we all

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Speaker 3: should do. But but I mean, you've you know, you've

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Speaker 3: dealt with severe depression, and you know, in the holidays,

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Speaker 3: a lot of people are depressed. And maybe it's because

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Speaker 3: they expect Christmas to deliver what it can't.

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Speaker 4: They expect Christmas.

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Speaker 3: To be the end all, or maybe getting together with family.

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Speaker 3: But you know, people have broken families and they have

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Speaker 3: problems and and false expectations and a list of other things.

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Speaker 4: But they might be dealing with depression.

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Speaker 3: But there might be someone here listening or watching later

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Speaker 3: that you know has lost a loved one and now

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Speaker 3: this is a marker of time that my loved one

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Speaker 3: was with.

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Speaker 4: Me last year and they're not here this year.

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Speaker 3: Or maybe they've had an event, a tragedy since last

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Speaker 3: Christmas and now here they are in this place. What

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Speaker 3: would you say like if someone is depressed right now,

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Speaker 3: they're like they're in the pit and they don't know

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Speaker 3: how to get out of the pit. Okay, you've given

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Speaker 3: us a great piece of advice. Find someone that is,

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Speaker 3: you know, hurting more than you. How did you or not?

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00:21:43,564 --> 00:21:45,004
Speaker 3: How did you? How did you?

388
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Speaker 4: How do you do? How do you.

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Speaker 3: Continue to climb out and be the better Johnny?

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Speaker 4: If you will and face each day.

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Speaker 2: Well, I've got two friends here, Jen and Rainy sitting

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Speaker 2: over there. They were the ones who got me up

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Speaker 2: this morning and got me dressed and did my totleting

394
00:22:01,284 --> 00:22:03,725
Speaker 2: routines and put on a lipstick. They do good lipstick

395
00:22:03,764 --> 00:22:12,725
Speaker 2: and hairy set. But they will tell you. They will

396
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Speaker 2: tell you that because of my daily battle with chronic pain,

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Speaker 2: which incidentally makes my quadriplegia look like a walk in

398
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Speaker 2: the park. They will tell you that there are times

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Speaker 2: when I'm so depressed when I come to work and

400
00:22:29,365 --> 00:22:31,564
Speaker 2: I quick rush by the receptionist desk, and I wheel

401
00:22:31,604 --> 00:22:34,124
Speaker 2: upstairs fast and I close the office door and I

402
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Speaker 2: grab them and I.

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Speaker 5: Say, girls, please pray for me.

404
00:22:40,885 --> 00:22:43,924
Speaker 2: I need help. I need your prayers, don't I?

405
00:22:44,004 --> 00:22:45,804
Speaker 4: Girls, I need prayer.

406
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Speaker 2: And I think if anyone is depressed, and I will

407
00:22:50,165 --> 00:22:55,285
Speaker 2: counsel people with disabilities in the same way. Try ever

408
00:22:55,405 --> 00:22:58,164
Speaker 2: so hard not to be a preyer depressed alone. Because

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Speaker 2: God never intended for us to suffer in isolation. It's

410
00:23:01,725 --> 00:23:05,004
Speaker 2: why he created spiritual community. It's why he created a

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00:23:05,004 --> 00:23:08,965
Speaker 2: part of us fellowship. Find somebody who will pray for you.

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00:23:09,725 --> 00:23:13,965
Speaker 2: Because we wrestle not against spinal cord injury, or chronic pain,

413
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Speaker 2: or stroke, or autism or Alzheimer's or bankruptcy or an

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Speaker 2: unexpected divorce. We wrestle not against the flesh and blood

415
00:23:23,165 --> 00:23:28,364
Speaker 2: of these things. We wrestle against powers and principalities who

416
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Speaker 2: would love nothing more than to keep us steeped in depression.

417
00:23:33,084 --> 00:23:35,045
Speaker 2: They would love to convince you that you're never going

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Speaker 2: to get rid of that cloud of despair over your head. Well,

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Speaker 2: you know what, that's a lie.

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Speaker 4: That's a lie.

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Speaker 2: So find people who will pray for you. Earnest prayer

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00:23:43,725 --> 00:23:47,365
Speaker 2: warriors who will buckle down, hit their knees, press their

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00:23:47,405 --> 00:23:51,845
Speaker 2: hands together and plead to Heaven on your behalf. And

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Speaker 2: I think that's what people who are strugling with depression

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00:23:55,484 --> 00:23:57,324
Speaker 2: need to do, or at least their loved ones need

426
00:23:57,365 --> 00:24:00,284
Speaker 2: to do that for them. Contact some good Christian friends

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00:24:00,564 --> 00:24:04,804
Speaker 2: who will earnestly, specifically committedly pray for that individual.

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Speaker 3: Yes, amen, Well, Johnny, tell me a little bit about

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Speaker 3: how you met ken and uh, and tell us a

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00:24:18,764 --> 00:24:21,484
Speaker 3: little bit about your very wonderful marriage that God has

431
00:24:21,524 --> 00:24:22,084
Speaker 3: blessed you with.

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Speaker 2: Oh no, man, I love him so he'll never know

433
00:24:28,244 --> 00:24:30,125
Speaker 2: when he takes me in his arms.

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Speaker 4: Anyway, that's good.

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Speaker 1: I like that, Yeah, Johnny, Okay, quick quest?

436
00:24:37,645 --> 00:24:40,205
Speaker 4: Who sung that in what movie? Well? I don't know

437
00:24:40,284 --> 00:24:40,804
Speaker 4: that song.

438
00:24:41,004 --> 00:24:44,925
Speaker 3: Oh come on, sorry, she said, Judy Garland is not

439
00:24:45,004 --> 00:24:45,725
Speaker 3: Judy Garland.

440
00:24:46,244 --> 00:24:49,645
Speaker 2: Oh come on, Chris STRAI said, And what movie?

441
00:24:49,725 --> 00:24:50,405
Speaker 5: What movie?

442
00:24:51,284 --> 00:24:51,885
Speaker 2: Funny Girl?

443
00:24:51,925 --> 00:24:52,605
Speaker 4: Funny Girl?

444
00:24:53,604 --> 00:24:55,844
Speaker 2: She sings, it's the last song, and I love it.

445
00:24:55,885 --> 00:24:58,764
Speaker 2: Every time I see my husband dressed in his Brooks

446
00:24:58,804 --> 00:25:01,965
Speaker 2: Brother's shirt, heading off your shirt up to church in

447
00:25:02,004 --> 00:25:04,844
Speaker 2: the morning Sundays sometimes so open the front door and

448
00:25:04,885 --> 00:25:07,565
Speaker 2: before I pass by. Oh my man, I love him.

449
00:25:07,645 --> 00:25:13,845
Speaker 2: So my husband and I were both in our thirties.

450
00:25:14,965 --> 00:25:18,445
Speaker 2: I liked being single. I was in my early thirties.

451
00:25:18,564 --> 00:25:22,365
Speaker 2: He was single as well, and we were at ten,

452
00:25:22,405 --> 00:25:26,284
Speaker 2: both attending John MacArthur's church. He was away one Sunday,

453
00:25:27,004 --> 00:25:29,804
Speaker 2: and so there was some visiting pastor who was preaching.

454
00:25:29,844 --> 00:25:34,244
Speaker 2: It wasn't you, yeah, because the sermon was boring, so

455
00:25:34,365 --> 00:25:38,484
Speaker 2: we know it wasn't your. Excuse me, the sermon was

456
00:25:38,524 --> 00:25:40,604
Speaker 2: and you know, it's Sunday. You don't want to be

457
00:25:40,645 --> 00:25:44,604
Speaker 2: sitting there being born in the Lord's House. And so

458
00:25:44,844 --> 00:25:48,364
Speaker 2: I asked the Holy Spirit, well, okay, so then you

459
00:25:48,405 --> 00:25:49,845
Speaker 2: haven't heard some boring sermons?

460
00:25:51,965 --> 00:25:52,404
Speaker 4: Yeah, right.

461
00:25:52,445 --> 00:25:55,524
Speaker 2: Anyway, the Holy Spirit nudged me, and I thought, you know,

462
00:25:55,564 --> 00:25:58,004
Speaker 2: I got to do something that honors God during this hour.

463
00:25:58,685 --> 00:26:00,645
Speaker 2: And so my eyes fell on the back of this

464
00:26:00,685 --> 00:26:03,364
Speaker 2: man's head who was sitting about five or six pews

465
00:26:03,405 --> 00:26:05,804
Speaker 2: in front of me. Didn't know its name, didn't if

466
00:26:05,804 --> 00:26:08,564
Speaker 2: he you know, was wearing a wedding ring or you know.

467
00:26:09,244 --> 00:26:13,445
Speaker 2: I just felt compelled to pray for him, which I

468
00:26:13,484 --> 00:26:16,364
Speaker 2: did for the balance of that sermon. I prayed that,

469
00:26:16,645 --> 00:26:19,205
Speaker 2: oh my goodness, if he had conflicts at work, they'd

470
00:26:19,205 --> 00:26:21,564
Speaker 2: be resolved. If there were problems with his family, they

471
00:26:21,564 --> 00:26:24,324
Speaker 2: would be resolved. I prayed that he would remain morally pure.

472
00:26:24,604 --> 00:26:26,244
Speaker 2: I prayed that if he did not know Jesus, there

473
00:26:26,284 --> 00:26:27,965
Speaker 2: might be something in this sermon that this guy was

474
00:26:27,965 --> 00:26:29,165
Speaker 2: saying that might rescue him.

475
00:26:29,365 --> 00:26:30,364
Speaker 5: I would stand.

476
00:26:31,604 --> 00:26:35,764
Speaker 2: And by the time the benediction was over, I almost

477
00:26:35,885 --> 00:26:40,324
Speaker 2: wheeled up to this Manda, tell him, you know, guess

478
00:26:40,324 --> 00:26:43,804
Speaker 2: what I did for you. But I thought that would

479
00:26:43,844 --> 00:26:48,445
Speaker 2: look awfully pushy. So we happened to be introduced to

480
00:26:48,524 --> 00:26:51,525
Speaker 2: mutual friends about two or three months later. And literally

481
00:26:51,725 --> 00:26:54,244
Speaker 2: the first thing I said to Ken Tutor, where are you? Ken, Tutta?

482
00:26:55,205 --> 00:26:57,285
Speaker 2: What's here over there? He's the first thing I said

483
00:26:57,324 --> 00:26:59,445
Speaker 2: to Ken's stand up Ken, because I want them to

484
00:26:59,484 --> 00:27:01,604
Speaker 2: see you. When the first thing I said to that

485
00:27:01,645 --> 00:27:04,044
Speaker 2: man was turn around and let me see the back

486
00:27:04,084 --> 00:27:07,884
Speaker 2: of your head. I know you, I said, and then

487
00:27:07,925 --> 00:27:10,004
Speaker 2: I proceeded to tell him what I had done. I

488
00:27:10,125 --> 00:27:13,405
Speaker 2: prayed for him, and we ended up marrying about a

489
00:27:13,484 --> 00:27:14,165
Speaker 2: year and a half late.

490
00:27:14,284 --> 00:27:16,445
Speaker 4: Wow, yeah, how long have you been married?

491
00:27:16,645 --> 00:27:17,324
Speaker 2: Thirty five years?

492
00:27:17,445 --> 00:27:20,005
Speaker 4: Thirty five years? Wow? Fantastic.

493
00:27:23,044 --> 00:27:26,244
Speaker 3: Well, of course Christmas is here, we know, because the

494
00:27:26,365 --> 00:27:28,324
Speaker 3: point set he is Is that how you pronounce it?

495
00:27:28,365 --> 00:27:30,884
Speaker 3: Point said, he has and uh all around us of

496
00:27:30,965 --> 00:27:32,884
Speaker 3: the signs. And when you were here last time, he

497
00:27:32,965 --> 00:27:35,965
Speaker 3: did such a great job sharing so many important things.

498
00:27:36,004 --> 00:27:39,964
Speaker 3: And I thought you a fantastic job explaining, you know,

499
00:27:40,004 --> 00:27:43,124
Speaker 3: what Christmas should be. And I think we sort of

500
00:27:43,244 --> 00:27:47,205
Speaker 3: so romanticized this story. I'm talking now about the Nativity

501
00:27:47,244 --> 00:27:49,484
Speaker 3: story itself, that.

502
00:27:49,645 --> 00:27:52,405
Speaker 1: Maybe we miss the real.

503
00:27:52,564 --> 00:27:55,004
Speaker 4: Raw, profound meaning of it.

504
00:27:55,084 --> 00:27:57,844
Speaker 3: You know, because we see them Mary and Joseph bathed

505
00:27:57,844 --> 00:28:01,244
Speaker 3: in blue light, and the animals are bowing reverently, and

506
00:28:01,524 --> 00:28:04,044
Speaker 3: you know the stars in the distance, and the wise

507
00:28:04,084 --> 00:28:05,044
Speaker 3: men are there.

508
00:28:05,244 --> 00:28:07,044
Speaker 4: They probably weren't even there. They came later.

509
00:28:07,125 --> 00:28:09,484
Speaker 3: But you know, we have this romanticized image, and I

510
00:28:09,524 --> 00:28:12,965
Speaker 3: think we've missed what really happened when God came to

511
00:28:13,044 --> 00:28:16,484
Speaker 3: this earth. And you said this last time, because ultimately,

512
00:28:16,484 --> 00:28:18,524
Speaker 3: of course, Christ came to go to the cross. You said,

513
00:28:18,804 --> 00:28:21,564
Speaker 3: the cross is God's taking on flesh and blood, and saying,

514
00:28:21,645 --> 00:28:25,605
Speaker 3: need to I understand, I identify I am God with you,

515
00:28:26,084 --> 00:28:28,564
Speaker 3: after all, I am am Manuel.

516
00:28:28,445 --> 00:28:29,044
Speaker 4: God with you.

517
00:28:29,205 --> 00:28:32,725
Speaker 3: So share a little bit about how you see Christmas

518
00:28:32,725 --> 00:28:35,124
Speaker 3: and what we might be missing in this season.

519
00:28:36,445 --> 00:28:41,485
Speaker 2: Well, think about it. I mean, when Mary and Joseph

520
00:28:41,805 --> 00:28:47,005
Speaker 2: took that sixty mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it

521
00:28:47,045 --> 00:28:50,364
Speaker 2: was no girl scout hike. I mean, this was a rocky,

522
00:28:50,765 --> 00:28:55,325
Speaker 2: rugged road, three day journey, Mary nine months pregnant, jos

523
00:28:55,805 --> 00:28:59,605
Speaker 2: Joscelyn and jogging on a donkey, and you know, having

524
00:28:59,604 --> 00:29:02,525
Speaker 2: to turn by the dirt road to let other caravans

525
00:29:02,565 --> 00:29:05,124
Speaker 2: go past, and then in the dust which they're eating,

526
00:29:05,125 --> 00:29:08,325
Speaker 2: they can on their journey. They get to Bedlochem, there's

527
00:29:08,405 --> 00:29:10,965
Speaker 2: no room at the end, except that they are told

528
00:29:11,245 --> 00:29:14,605
Speaker 2: there is room in a stable. And so the Son

529
00:29:14,685 --> 00:29:19,604
Speaker 2: of God does not enter human history with trumpets blasting

530
00:29:19,645 --> 00:29:24,765
Speaker 2: and red carpets rolling. He doesn't enter with pomp and circumstance.

531
00:29:24,844 --> 00:29:29,885
Speaker 2: He gets himself born in a stinky stable on straw,

532
00:29:30,604 --> 00:29:36,005
Speaker 2: in a splintered wood manger. From the very onset of

533
00:29:36,084 --> 00:29:40,085
Speaker 2: his life, he was identifying with our weakness. You don't

534
00:29:40,125 --> 00:29:45,924
Speaker 2: think God understands He does, He gets it. He resonates

535
00:29:45,925 --> 00:29:51,565
Speaker 2: with your weakness. He owns it. And I think that

536
00:29:51,685 --> 00:29:56,164
Speaker 2: sometimes we forget that when Jesus was born, this was

537
00:29:56,245 --> 00:29:59,325
Speaker 2: the one man born to die. This was God's way

538
00:29:59,365 --> 00:30:04,045
Speaker 2: of saying the war is over. The war is over.

539
00:30:04,285 --> 00:30:07,925
Speaker 2: There is no longer. You'd be better, you know, explaining

540
00:30:07,965 --> 00:30:10,645
Speaker 2: what that word means. And I would enmity. Why would

541
00:30:10,645 --> 00:30:10,965
Speaker 2: you say?

542
00:30:11,045 --> 00:30:18,325
Speaker 3: Enmity is well opposition to God, even hating God, opposing God.

543
00:30:18,685 --> 00:30:22,565
Speaker 2: Yeah, the enmity is over. There is no enmity, no

544
00:30:22,685 --> 00:30:28,405
Speaker 2: longer between God and man and Jesus. When he was

545
00:30:28,445 --> 00:30:35,485
Speaker 2: on the cross, he bore all of the Father's white

546
00:30:35,645 --> 00:30:40,165
Speaker 2: hot wrath against your sin and mine.

547
00:30:40,525 --> 00:30:41,405
Speaker 5: He absorbed it.

548
00:30:42,205 --> 00:30:45,405
Speaker 2: The apple of God's eye turned brown with the rot

549
00:30:45,445 --> 00:30:49,084
Speaker 2: of our sin. He was steeped, He was soaked in

550
00:30:49,205 --> 00:30:53,604
Speaker 2: our sin and the stench that must have been risen

551
00:30:54,165 --> 00:30:57,205
Speaker 2: to the Father's nostrils. No wonder, God the Father turned

552
00:30:57,205 --> 00:31:02,325
Speaker 2: his back on his own son, which means that God

553
00:31:02,365 --> 00:31:05,124
Speaker 2: the Father has no more anger left for you and me,

554
00:31:05,685 --> 00:31:11,765
Speaker 2: No more white hot wrath, no more enmity, no more judgment.

555
00:31:13,045 --> 00:31:15,644
Speaker 2: It was all taking care of the cross, which Greg

556
00:31:15,725 --> 00:31:19,005
Speaker 2: makes me love Jesus so much. Oh if I don't,

557
00:31:19,285 --> 00:31:26,084
Speaker 2: if I don't love him enough. Yes, if you find

558
00:31:26,125 --> 00:31:29,125
Speaker 2: that your soul is dry and cracked, and you find

559
00:31:29,125 --> 00:31:32,365
Speaker 2: that your spirit is not warm with devotion to your savior,

560
00:31:32,805 --> 00:31:35,325
Speaker 2: you think about those things that Greg and I just

561
00:31:35,365 --> 00:31:39,405
Speaker 2: talked about about how Jesus absorbed the wrath of the

562
00:31:39,445 --> 00:31:44,405
Speaker 2: Father so that all he has left for us is forgiveness, mercy, love, tender,

563
00:31:44,445 --> 00:31:48,684
Speaker 2: loving kindness, compassion. What a savior, What a savior?

564
00:31:49,565 --> 00:31:50,365
Speaker 1: High ever love?

565
00:31:53,045 --> 00:31:55,925
Speaker 2: In fact, you know that is such an exclamation point.

566
00:31:56,525 --> 00:31:57,765
Speaker 2: I don't know about you, and my heart is just

567
00:31:57,765 --> 00:32:00,124
Speaker 2: filled overflow, and just thinking about that. We've got to

568
00:32:00,485 --> 00:32:04,725
Speaker 2: as a corporate group, praise God for it.

569
00:32:04,844 --> 00:32:05,404
Speaker 4: So singing with.

570
00:32:05,925 --> 00:32:07,245
Speaker 2: Joy to the world.

571
00:32:07,604 --> 00:32:10,364
Speaker 4: The Lord is letter.

572
00:32:10,805 --> 00:32:19,604
Speaker 3: Recur king, Let every hard prepare room and heaven.

573
00:32:19,405 --> 00:32:23,124
Speaker 1: And nature, scene and heaven and nature, scene.

574
00:32:23,565 --> 00:32:27,285
Speaker 4: And ev let and nature.

575
00:32:27,885 --> 00:32:28,245
Speaker 3: See.

576
00:32:28,805 --> 00:32:29,605
Speaker 2: I love that stuff.

577
00:32:29,725 --> 00:32:36,565
Speaker 1: Yes, you know we should. We should do a record together.

578
00:32:36,645 --> 00:32:39,325
Speaker 4: We can call No. I've got the title. I've got

579
00:32:39,365 --> 00:32:41,285
Speaker 4: the title Beauty and the Beast. What do you think?

580
00:32:43,485 --> 00:32:45,844
Speaker 2: You know? My favorite verse in that wonderful carol is

581
00:32:45,885 --> 00:32:50,245
Speaker 2: the third one. No more let's sin or sorrow grow,

582
00:32:50,925 --> 00:32:53,965
Speaker 2: nor thorns infest the ground. He's come to make his

583
00:32:54,084 --> 00:32:58,725
Speaker 2: blessings known far as the curse is fast. Isn't that

584
00:32:58,765 --> 00:33:00,045
Speaker 2: good news? Wow?

585
00:33:00,604 --> 00:33:03,285
Speaker 3: There's some great theology in those old Christmas songs. A

586
00:33:03,285 --> 00:33:06,485
Speaker 3: lot of people miss it. Building flesh the Godhead see

587
00:33:06,565 --> 00:33:10,325
Speaker 3: hail incarnate Deity. You know, please as man with man

588
00:33:10,365 --> 00:33:13,805
Speaker 3: to dwell Jesus orry Manuel Man. Just those words are

589
00:33:14,365 --> 00:33:15,364
Speaker 3: you know? They're biblical?

590
00:33:15,445 --> 00:33:16,005
Speaker 2: Absolutely.

591
00:33:16,045 --> 00:33:18,245
Speaker 3: I'm going to sort of shift gears now talk about

592
00:33:18,565 --> 00:33:21,884
Speaker 3: a subject that you've written a book on and I

593
00:33:21,925 --> 00:33:23,684
Speaker 3: wrote a book on it. My book isn't as good

594
00:33:23,725 --> 00:33:25,645
Speaker 3: as your book on the topic, but we both love

595
00:33:25,725 --> 00:33:26,365
Speaker 3: the subject.

596
00:33:26,525 --> 00:33:26,884
Speaker 4: Heaven.

597
00:33:27,205 --> 00:33:28,685
Speaker 5: Oh my goodness, yes.

598
00:33:28,525 --> 00:33:30,245
Speaker 4: I mean, and you know so.

599
00:33:30,485 --> 00:33:34,525
Speaker 3: In your book called Heaven Your Real Home, you write this,

600
00:33:34,685 --> 00:33:38,205
Speaker 3: I love this. Just thirty seconds in Heaven, well atone

601
00:33:38,285 --> 00:33:42,085
Speaker 3: for all the heartache and hardship you went through. Probably

602
00:33:42,205 --> 00:33:44,605
Speaker 3: just a second or two, you'll look out in your

603
00:33:44,604 --> 00:33:48,005
Speaker 3: rearview mirror and you'll see Earth like a half forgotten dream,

604
00:33:48,445 --> 00:33:52,565
Speaker 3: and suddenly you will be home. I love that Earth,

605
00:33:52,604 --> 00:33:56,165
Speaker 3: a half forgotten dream, And suddenly you will be home.

606
00:33:56,325 --> 00:33:59,805
Speaker 3: You know, Johnny, when you get to Heaven, you believe

607
00:33:59,844 --> 00:34:03,525
Speaker 3: your questions will be answered. And what do you think

608
00:34:03,565 --> 00:34:05,364
Speaker 3: it will be like? And I'm sure you've thought of it.

609
00:34:06,445 --> 00:34:08,805
Speaker 3: The moment you enter Heaven and see Heaven for the

610
00:34:08,844 --> 00:34:10,765
Speaker 3: first time, have you ever just you know, you have

611
00:34:10,805 --> 00:34:12,085
Speaker 3: such a vivid imagination.

612
00:34:12,205 --> 00:34:12,965
Speaker 4: You're an artist.

613
00:34:13,045 --> 00:34:17,725
Speaker 3: You speak so eloquently and write, just what do you

614
00:34:17,845 --> 00:34:20,085
Speaker 3: think it will be like when you first enter heaven?

615
00:34:20,805 --> 00:34:23,725
Speaker 2: Okay, do you know? Do you know the Castaways, the

616
00:34:23,725 --> 00:34:28,125
Speaker 2: movie Castaways? Have you all seen that movie Castaways? Tom Hanks?

617
00:34:28,165 --> 00:34:29,565
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, the theme music.

618
00:34:30,125 --> 00:34:33,364
Speaker 2: When I hear the theme music play to the Castaways,

619
00:34:35,005 --> 00:34:38,765
Speaker 2: this is gonna sound silly. I can see the pearly

620
00:34:38,885 --> 00:34:44,645
Speaker 2: gates slowly open, huh. I can see my dead form rise.

621
00:34:45,765 --> 00:34:51,285
Speaker 2: I can feel the strength of resurrected legs holding up

622
00:34:51,325 --> 00:34:55,045
Speaker 2: my glorified body, and I take gentle steps and Dick,

623
00:34:55,445 --> 00:34:57,965
Speaker 2: you gotta go find the theme music to Castaway and

624
00:34:58,125 --> 00:35:01,925
Speaker 2: listen to it, because it is awesome. And that's what

625
00:35:02,085 --> 00:35:05,765
Speaker 2: I that's what I sense. It's like this mare a

626
00:35:05,845 --> 00:35:09,405
Speaker 2: sense of wonder and Greg. Just earlier today I was

627
00:35:09,445 --> 00:35:12,965
Speaker 2: reading Philippians three twenty. We are citizens of that place,

628
00:35:13,525 --> 00:35:17,325
Speaker 2: citizens of heaven, and we eagerly expect a savior from there.

629
00:35:17,605 --> 00:35:22,445
Speaker 2: Not just expect a savior, we eagerly, I love that adverb.

630
00:35:22,845 --> 00:35:26,285
Speaker 2: Eagerly expect a savior from there. The Lord Jesus Christ,

631
00:35:26,325 --> 00:35:29,565
Speaker 2: who will bring everything under who has brought everything under

632
00:35:29,605 --> 00:35:34,405
Speaker 2: his control, will transform our lowly bodies to be like

633
00:35:34,485 --> 00:35:39,445
Speaker 2: his glorious body. But please don't be thinking greg that

634
00:35:39,605 --> 00:35:42,965
Speaker 2: I am most looking forward to the body that works.

635
00:35:43,005 --> 00:35:47,525
Speaker 2: I'm looking forward to the glorified heart. I want a

636
00:35:47,565 --> 00:35:50,605
Speaker 2: heart that no longer tries to twist the truth. I

637
00:35:50,645 --> 00:35:54,565
Speaker 2: want a heart that doesn't hog the spotlight. I want

638
00:35:54,605 --> 00:35:57,125
Speaker 2: a heart that doesn't always want to try to get

639
00:35:57,165 --> 00:35:59,605
Speaker 2: its way. I want a heart that is quick to

640
00:35:59,605 --> 00:36:02,245
Speaker 2: give credit to others. I want a heart that is

641
00:36:02,245 --> 00:36:05,925
Speaker 2: not anxious or fearful about the future. I want a

642
00:36:05,925 --> 00:36:10,045
Speaker 2: heart that trusts God and is instant in obedience and

643
00:36:10,165 --> 00:36:13,405
Speaker 2: absolute And it's trust that that's what I want.

644
00:36:13,405 --> 00:36:15,285
Speaker 4: I want to glorified heart.

645
00:36:16,085 --> 00:36:18,965
Speaker 2: So every single morning, as I like to say, I

646
00:36:19,005 --> 00:36:23,845
Speaker 2: get actively engaged in my own sanctification. Oh God, Like

647
00:36:23,885 --> 00:36:25,365
Speaker 2: I said earlier, I don't want to be the Johnny

648
00:36:25,405 --> 00:36:26,205
Speaker 2: I was yesterday.

649
00:36:27,085 --> 00:36:28,725
Speaker 4: That's what sanctification means.

650
00:36:29,605 --> 00:36:31,245
Speaker 2: Thank Okay, you're alone.

651
00:36:31,325 --> 00:36:32,245
Speaker 4: I'm asking you. I like.

652
00:36:32,565 --> 00:36:35,005
Speaker 3: I like the way you say better than I can.

653
00:36:35,085 --> 00:36:37,364
Speaker 3: You say it'll be eloquent. If I say it'll, they'll

654
00:36:37,405 --> 00:36:38,045
Speaker 3: fall asleep.

655
00:36:38,485 --> 00:36:42,565
Speaker 2: Well okay, Well, when we come to Christ, we're justified, right, Yes,

656
00:36:42,885 --> 00:36:47,445
Speaker 2: we're justified. It's it's a once, one time event. The

657
00:36:48,085 --> 00:36:52,125
Speaker 2: gabble is banged, and and your your name is written

658
00:36:52,165 --> 00:36:55,325
Speaker 2: in the Lamb's book of life. But it's a little

659
00:36:55,405 --> 00:37:01,485
Speaker 2: like Congress passing the Clean Water Act, because the next

660
00:37:01,565 --> 00:37:04,165
Speaker 2: day you can't go out to the Los Angeles River

661
00:37:04,365 --> 00:37:07,485
Speaker 2: and drink clean water. It's going to take a long

662
00:37:07,525 --> 00:37:10,645
Speaker 2: time for that Clean Water Act to kick into gear

663
00:37:11,005 --> 00:37:13,965
Speaker 2: and make the Los Angeles River flow sweetly so that

664
00:37:14,005 --> 00:37:14,725
Speaker 2: you can drink from it.

665
00:37:14,805 --> 00:37:14,965
Speaker 4: Right.

666
00:37:16,125 --> 00:37:21,125
Speaker 2: Well, that's sanctification, is as colloquially as I can explain it.

667
00:37:21,125 --> 00:37:26,165
Speaker 2: It's then taking that justification. We're justified before God, Thank

668
00:37:26,205 --> 00:37:30,245
Speaker 2: you Jesus. And then we work it out, work out

669
00:37:30,285 --> 00:37:34,325
Speaker 2: your salvation with fear and trembling. The Holy Spirit tells us,

670
00:37:34,605 --> 00:37:38,605
Speaker 2: make your calling an election. Sure, do you have doubts

671
00:37:38,645 --> 00:37:43,525
Speaker 2: about your salvation, start obeying God. And if you don't

672
00:37:43,525 --> 00:37:47,565
Speaker 2: know where to start obeying God, how about Philippians Chapter two,

673
00:37:47,645 --> 00:37:51,685
Speaker 2: verse fourteen, which says do everything without complaining. There you go,

674
00:37:52,045 --> 00:37:54,205
Speaker 2: that's a good place to obey. That's a start. You

675
00:37:54,245 --> 00:37:57,844
Speaker 2: can start living the will of God tomorrow morning by

676
00:37:58,125 --> 00:38:00,325
Speaker 2: purposing to go through the day, in fact the rest

677
00:38:00,365 --> 00:38:04,445
Speaker 2: of your life without complaining. And as you do, you

678
00:38:04,485 --> 00:38:09,845
Speaker 2: will have obayed and God will transform your life. You'll change.

679
00:38:10,125 --> 00:38:10,805
Speaker 5: You won't be the.

680
00:38:10,765 --> 00:38:14,525
Speaker 2: Same Mary or Joe or Bob you were yesterday. You'll

681
00:38:14,565 --> 00:38:17,364
Speaker 2: be a different person. And because that's what it means

682
00:38:17,365 --> 00:38:20,364
Speaker 2: to behold the glory of God and be changed from

683
00:38:20,445 --> 00:38:24,645
Speaker 2: glory to glory to glory and to become like him. Yes,

684
00:38:24,925 --> 00:38:27,805
Speaker 2: that's a wonderful thing, sanctification. And if you don't know

685
00:38:27,885 --> 00:38:29,845
Speaker 2: much about it, I'm sure Gregg's written about it.

686
00:38:29,885 --> 00:38:31,685
Speaker 4: So you all read that. I love the way you

687
00:38:31,725 --> 00:38:32,005
Speaker 4: put it.

688
00:38:32,045 --> 00:38:34,085
Speaker 3: You know, you quart of the verse work out your

689
00:38:34,085 --> 00:38:36,085
Speaker 3: own salvation with fear and trembling. Then it goes on

690
00:38:36,125 --> 00:38:37,605
Speaker 3: to the safe for it is God that works in

691
00:38:37,685 --> 00:38:39,685
Speaker 3: you both do will and do if He has good pleasure.

692
00:38:40,045 --> 00:38:42,405
Speaker 3: And the phrase work out's interesting because it's a phrase

693
00:38:42,445 --> 00:38:44,965
Speaker 3: that was used to describe going into a mind in

694
00:38:45,005 --> 00:38:47,685
Speaker 3: getting the gold out. So it's like the gold is there,

695
00:38:48,085 --> 00:38:51,325
Speaker 3: like your analogy the clean water actor. It's been passed,

696
00:38:51,325 --> 00:38:54,045
Speaker 3: but now we have to apply it. And so it's

697
00:38:54,045 --> 00:38:56,485
Speaker 3: like work it out, which means carry it to the gold,

698
00:38:56,605 --> 00:39:00,045
Speaker 3: not work for your own salvation. It's a gift from God,

699
00:39:00,245 --> 00:39:01,165
Speaker 3: but work it out.

700
00:39:01,365 --> 00:39:04,805
Speaker 2: And it relates to heaven. Yes, because as Jonathan Edward

701
00:39:04,845 --> 00:39:07,125
Speaker 2: once said, it's my this is my favorite all time

702
00:39:07,245 --> 00:39:12,645
Speaker 2: quote from Jonathan Edwards, who is America's premier theologian in

703
00:39:12,685 --> 00:39:16,165
Speaker 2: the seventeenth centuries. He's one of America's actually one of

704
00:39:16,205 --> 00:39:19,725
Speaker 2: America's greatest thinkers. And this is what he said.

705
00:39:20,645 --> 00:39:21,245
Speaker 4: Every day.

706
00:39:22,725 --> 00:39:25,845
Speaker 2: I'm colloquial, I'm making this in the vernacular. You know,

707
00:39:25,885 --> 00:39:30,045
Speaker 2: I can't speak seventeenth century English. But what he was

708
00:39:30,085 --> 00:39:34,645
Speaker 2: saying was, every day you and I have an opportunity

709
00:39:35,205 --> 00:39:40,165
Speaker 2: to stretch our soul's capacity for heaven, because everything we

710
00:39:40,245 --> 00:39:43,645
Speaker 2: do down here on earth has a direct bearing on

711
00:39:43,765 --> 00:39:47,925
Speaker 2: our capacity for joy and worship and service in heaven.

712
00:39:49,485 --> 00:39:51,445
Speaker 2: I don't want to be quote least in the kingdom

713
00:39:51,445 --> 00:39:53,725
Speaker 2: of heaven. The Bible talks about people who will be

714
00:39:53,805 --> 00:39:56,725
Speaker 2: quote least in the kingdom of Vue. I don't want

715
00:39:56,725 --> 00:39:59,085
Speaker 2: to be there, and I do not want to diminish

716
00:39:59,605 --> 00:40:03,005
Speaker 2: my eternal estate. I want to build, to warrant, lay

717
00:40:03,045 --> 00:40:06,405
Speaker 2: up treasures in heaven about it because I want to

718
00:40:06,445 --> 00:40:10,045
Speaker 2: experience the fullest that I possibly can of joy and

719
00:40:10,085 --> 00:40:11,285
Speaker 2: worship and service in heaven.

720
00:40:11,525 --> 00:40:12,885
Speaker 5: But it all is linked.

721
00:40:12,885 --> 00:40:16,285
Speaker 2: It all depends to the degree that we trust and

722
00:40:16,325 --> 00:40:21,765
Speaker 2: obey God down here on earth. And John and Edwards

723
00:40:21,805 --> 00:40:25,285
Speaker 2: went further. He talked about these various degrees in heaven.

724
00:40:25,965 --> 00:40:29,045
Speaker 2: Some of us will have joy the size of a thimble.

725
00:40:30,285 --> 00:40:33,445
Speaker 2: Others like Billy Graham, might have joy the size of

726
00:40:33,485 --> 00:40:37,405
Speaker 2: a supertanker. Others might have joy the size of a baptub.

727
00:40:38,005 --> 00:40:39,565
Speaker 2: But we're not going to be envious of each other

728
00:40:39,565 --> 00:40:43,725
Speaker 2: in heaven because all of our capacities will be absolutely

729
00:40:43,765 --> 00:40:46,845
Speaker 2: filled to overflowing, and we will be so delighted to

730
00:40:47,045 --> 00:40:51,565
Speaker 2: enjoy each other and our Savior. So don't jeopardize your

731
00:40:51,605 --> 00:40:56,125
Speaker 2: eternal estate. We only got once to go around in life,

732
00:40:56,685 --> 00:41:00,925
Speaker 2: only once. Don't jeopardize it. Heaven's going to be a

733
00:41:01,005 --> 00:41:01,805
Speaker 2: long time.

734
00:41:02,125 --> 00:41:02,725
Speaker 4: And as C. S.

735
00:41:02,805 --> 00:41:06,485
Speaker 2: Lewis said, this is merely the title pay of the

736
00:41:06,565 --> 00:41:10,005
Speaker 2: real story that's about to begin on the other side

737
00:41:10,045 --> 00:41:12,884
Speaker 2: of your tombstone. So don't risk it, don't jeopardize it.

738
00:41:13,125 --> 00:41:16,125
Speaker 2: Trust and obey, and and so doing increase your capacity

739
00:41:16,405 --> 00:41:18,844
Speaker 2: for joy and worship and service and heaven, which in

740
00:41:18,845 --> 00:41:23,845
Speaker 2: turn means you can cast more crowns at Jesus' feet. Hallelujah.

741
00:41:23,965 --> 00:41:26,605
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, we talk about the afterlife. I mean,

742
00:41:26,725 --> 00:41:28,925
Speaker 3: maybe we should call this life here the before life.

743
00:41:28,925 --> 00:41:32,205
Speaker 3: It's so brief compared to eternity that lasts forever. And

744
00:41:32,245 --> 00:41:35,645
Speaker 3: then Colossians three Paul tells us to you know, set

745
00:41:35,685 --> 00:41:38,165
Speaker 3: your mind on things that are above. And it's interesting

746
00:41:38,165 --> 00:41:41,485
Speaker 3: because they get translate out think very careful about these things,

747
00:41:41,605 --> 00:41:45,565
Speaker 3: or very simplified translation, think heaven. But then the objection

748
00:41:45,685 --> 00:41:48,205
Speaker 3: as well, they're so heavenly minded, they're no worthily good.

749
00:41:48,245 --> 00:41:51,045
Speaker 3: And my response is, well, some people are so earthly

750
00:41:51,085 --> 00:41:52,525
Speaker 3: minded they're no heavenly good.

751
00:41:52,885 --> 00:41:54,805
Speaker 4: You know, what do you think? And you've already touched

752
00:41:54,805 --> 00:41:55,085
Speaker 4: on it.

753
00:41:55,125 --> 00:41:57,685
Speaker 3: But like so, when we hear we should seek the

754
00:41:57,725 --> 00:42:00,645
Speaker 3: things that are above, or think heaven. You know, how

755
00:42:00,725 --> 00:42:06,285
Speaker 3: can thinking about heaven and contemplating what's if sure teaches

756
00:42:06,285 --> 00:42:09,605
Speaker 3: about heaven affect this in life on earth? How does

757
00:42:09,645 --> 00:42:10,845
Speaker 3: that work out practically?

758
00:42:11,405 --> 00:42:15,405
Speaker 2: Well? I think a good role of thumb is before

759
00:42:15,445 --> 00:42:19,125
Speaker 2: you make a choice, before you let those biting words

760
00:42:19,285 --> 00:42:24,005
Speaker 2: slip your mouth, before you complain or gossip, before you

761
00:42:24,125 --> 00:42:29,325
Speaker 2: choose an immoral path, stop and think, would you want

762
00:42:29,645 --> 00:42:31,525
Speaker 2: would you want the movie real of that to be

763
00:42:31,565 --> 00:42:32,205
Speaker 2: shown in heaven?

764
00:42:32,445 --> 00:42:32,685
Speaker 4: Wow?

765
00:42:33,045 --> 00:42:34,885
Speaker 2: Would you want that to be shown in heaven? About you?

766
00:42:35,445 --> 00:42:40,605
Speaker 2: I don't. I don't. I want to present to God

767
00:42:42,005 --> 00:42:46,085
Speaker 2: as much of myself that is His as is possible

768
00:42:46,765 --> 00:42:49,725
Speaker 2: in the sense of my sanctification, in the sense of

769
00:42:51,085 --> 00:42:53,445
Speaker 2: Jesus in me. I want to see more of Jesus

770
00:42:53,645 --> 00:42:57,285
Speaker 2: in me. And so just think twice before you choose

771
00:42:57,325 --> 00:43:01,445
Speaker 2: an immoral path, A snarky path. I love that word.

772
00:43:01,565 --> 00:43:05,085
Speaker 2: SUNARKI yeah, snarky. That's how I am in the morning

773
00:43:05,085 --> 00:43:09,685
Speaker 2: when I wake up, sunarky. And I hate that. Learn

774
00:43:09,725 --> 00:43:13,485
Speaker 2: to hate those things about yourself. And if you think

775
00:43:13,525 --> 00:43:16,045
Speaker 2: you don't have those things in your life, ask your

776
00:43:16,125 --> 00:43:19,605
Speaker 2: husband or wife. I'm serious, I'll tell you can will

777
00:43:19,645 --> 00:43:22,925
Speaker 2: tell you that I have told him. Sweetheart. Would you

778
00:43:23,005 --> 00:43:26,045
Speaker 2: please point out in my life things that you think

779
00:43:26,285 --> 00:43:29,485
Speaker 2: I need to change. There's areas in my life that

780
00:43:29,525 --> 00:43:32,205
Speaker 2: I'm sure I'm blind to. Would you point out to

781
00:43:32,285 --> 00:43:35,485
Speaker 2: me things I need to change? And keep short lists

782
00:43:35,645 --> 00:43:38,085
Speaker 2: with the friends and neighbors and co workers that you

783
00:43:38,205 --> 00:43:42,245
Speaker 2: have if you offend them, make it right. I have

784
00:43:42,405 --> 00:43:45,325
Speaker 2: told Reinie I think on a couple of occasions, Rainie,

785
00:43:46,125 --> 00:43:47,884
Speaker 2: that was the wrong thing of me to say. I

786
00:43:47,925 --> 00:43:51,485
Speaker 2: am so sorry. I regret it. It was thoughtless of me,

787
00:43:51,925 --> 00:43:52,965
Speaker 2: and not only thoughtless.

788
00:43:52,965 --> 00:43:53,605
Speaker 5: It was rude.

789
00:43:53,845 --> 00:43:57,405
Speaker 2: Would you please forgive me? And the result of that

790
00:43:57,525 --> 00:44:01,045
Speaker 2: is that Rainie and I are better friends. We're better friends.

791
00:44:01,605 --> 00:44:04,685
Speaker 2: So those are just some practical ways I think that

792
00:44:04,725 --> 00:44:05,965
Speaker 2: you can get ready for heaven.

793
00:44:06,205 --> 00:44:07,765
Speaker 4: Amen. I love that. Johnny.

794
00:44:07,965 --> 00:44:10,844
Speaker 3: You know, Johnny has written a new book called a

795
00:44:10,925 --> 00:44:15,005
Speaker 3: Spectacle of Glory. God's lights shining through me every day.

796
00:44:15,005 --> 00:44:19,005
Speaker 3: And you know when you listen to her, just the

797
00:44:19,205 --> 00:44:22,445
Speaker 3: profound insights are incredible and this book is filled with it.

798
00:44:22,685 --> 00:44:25,245
Speaker 3: And so tell us a little bit about this book.

799
00:44:25,485 --> 00:44:28,125
Speaker 3: Did it just come out? And this is sort of

800
00:44:28,125 --> 00:44:31,205
Speaker 3: a devotional You would read a page or two every day,

801
00:44:31,765 --> 00:44:33,245
Speaker 3: two and a half pages.

802
00:44:33,005 --> 00:44:36,885
Speaker 2: Well, it's a three hundred and sixty five page devotional.

803
00:44:37,445 --> 00:44:39,725
Speaker 2: I wrote it for my friends in twenty seventeen.

804
00:44:39,845 --> 00:44:41,805
Speaker 5: And can I tell you about the title please?

805
00:44:42,405 --> 00:44:46,565
Speaker 2: The title is a Spectacle of Glory. When John Owen,

806
00:44:47,045 --> 00:44:51,565
Speaker 2: excuse me, John Owen? Was it John Owen or John Newton?

807
00:44:52,125 --> 00:44:56,925
Speaker 2: It was John Newton? Okay, Now I need a theologian

808
00:44:56,925 --> 00:44:57,645
Speaker 2: to tell me which one.

809
00:44:57,645 --> 00:44:57,925
Speaker 4: It was.

810
00:44:59,045 --> 00:45:00,165
Speaker 2: Probably John Newton.

811
00:45:00,365 --> 00:45:01,605
Speaker 5: Yeah.

812
00:45:01,925 --> 00:45:07,045
Speaker 2: He wrote about how Moses in Exodus chapter three, when

813
00:45:07,085 --> 00:45:10,205
Speaker 2: he was shepherding the flock of his father in law

814
00:45:10,325 --> 00:45:14,525
Speaker 2: Jeffro Jethro in the desert. He turned aside, and he

815
00:45:14,645 --> 00:45:19,365
Speaker 2: saw a bush that was a flaming bush. It was

816
00:45:19,485 --> 00:45:23,285
Speaker 2: the presence of the Great I Am. And he noticed

817
00:45:23,405 --> 00:45:25,885
Speaker 2: that the bush was burning.

818
00:45:26,365 --> 00:45:27,965
Speaker 5: And yet it was unconsumed.

819
00:45:28,965 --> 00:45:34,205
Speaker 2: And in Exodus chapter three, it records Moses saying, let

820
00:45:34,245 --> 00:45:42,005
Speaker 2: me turn aside to see this strange sight. Christians who suffer,

821
00:45:42,685 --> 00:45:47,405
Speaker 2: yet suffer graciously, who have a godly response to their suffering,

822
00:45:47,885 --> 00:45:54,445
Speaker 2: who limit the complaining, We are like burning bushes, unconsumed,

823
00:45:55,565 --> 00:45:58,884
Speaker 2: the chronic pain, the quadriplegia, the inability to walk or run,

824
00:45:59,245 --> 00:46:00,765
Speaker 2: can't hold things with your hands.

825
00:46:02,845 --> 00:46:05,365
Speaker 5: When people look at me and say, why.

826
00:46:05,245 --> 00:46:07,965
Speaker 2: Is that burning bush and not consumed? Why are you

827
00:46:08,085 --> 00:46:12,445
Speaker 2: not consumed by your trials? Missus tada? And it's a

828
00:46:12,445 --> 00:46:17,325
Speaker 2: strange sight, But like Moses, I think it sparks curiosity,

829
00:46:17,645 --> 00:46:21,844
Speaker 2: and not only other Christians, but among a cynical and

830
00:46:21,925 --> 00:46:25,965
Speaker 2: skeptical world. People see Christians not complaining although they're suffering

831
00:46:26,045 --> 00:46:28,685
Speaker 2: so greatly. Let me find out what this.

832
00:46:28,725 --> 00:46:29,245
Speaker 5: Is all about.

833
00:46:29,805 --> 00:46:34,605
Speaker 2: That girl's God must be amazing to inspire that kind

834
00:46:34,645 --> 00:46:38,205
Speaker 2: of loyalty. That's what I want people to think when

835
00:46:38,205 --> 00:46:40,205
Speaker 2: they see my smile and an elevator. You know, I

836
00:46:40,205 --> 00:46:43,045
Speaker 2: can't do a lot in an elevator. I con sit

837
00:46:43,165 --> 00:46:45,845
Speaker 2: in my wheelchair and sing amazing grace or from it,

838
00:46:46,365 --> 00:46:49,365
Speaker 2: and there are people and I'm singing I'm an amazing grace.

839
00:46:50,285 --> 00:46:54,085
Speaker 2: But they can connect the dots, and so everywhere, at

840
00:46:54,125 --> 00:46:58,365
Speaker 2: all times, we're on display, people watching, and we can

841
00:46:58,405 --> 00:47:01,205
Speaker 2: either dishonor the playwright and add lib our lines and

842
00:47:01,285 --> 00:47:04,925
Speaker 2: do something stupid that stains his reputation and makes him

843
00:47:04,925 --> 00:47:12,925
Speaker 2: look really bad. Or we can live obediently, trustfully, kindly, compassionately,

844
00:47:13,285 --> 00:47:16,125
Speaker 2: and it'll make your neighbors, your coworkers look at you

845
00:47:16,165 --> 00:47:22,085
Speaker 2: and think, Okay, why why is this person not complaining

846
00:47:22,285 --> 00:47:27,765
Speaker 2: her His wife just suffered a massive stroke, he just

847
00:47:27,805 --> 00:47:32,125
Speaker 2: got the diagnosis of cancer, her husband just walked out

848
00:47:32,125 --> 00:47:35,045
Speaker 2: of her Why is she smiling? I want to know

849
00:47:35,085 --> 00:47:38,565
Speaker 2: about that. So that inspired the title A spectacle of glory.

850
00:47:38,565 --> 00:47:41,165
Speaker 2: We are all spectacles of God's glory as we obey

851
00:47:41,245 --> 00:47:41,885
Speaker 2: him un trusting.

852
00:47:42,165 --> 00:47:44,965
Speaker 3: Yes, you know, when Paul and Silas are thrown in prison,

853
00:47:45,445 --> 00:47:48,605
Speaker 3: the Bible says at midnight they began to sing praises

854
00:47:48,645 --> 00:47:51,725
Speaker 3: to God, and it says the other prisoners listened it's

855
00:47:51,765 --> 00:47:54,485
Speaker 3: interesting in the original language that say listen with pleasure.

856
00:47:54,805 --> 00:47:57,405
Speaker 3: They probably never heard a concert in that prison before.

857
00:47:57,805 --> 00:48:00,485
Speaker 3: And then of course they were treated cruelly by the jailer.

858
00:48:00,605 --> 00:48:03,565
Speaker 3: But then an earthquake came and the jailer, being a

859
00:48:03,645 --> 00:48:06,765
Speaker 3: Roman guard, knew the you know, the penalty was he

860
00:48:06,805 --> 00:48:09,365
Speaker 3: would be put to death for losing his prisoners. Paul said,

861
00:48:09,485 --> 00:48:12,005
Speaker 3: don't do yourself any harm. We're here, and then the

862
00:48:12,085 --> 00:48:14,605
Speaker 3: jailer said, sir, what must I do to be saved?

863
00:48:14,645 --> 00:48:17,925
Speaker 3: And it's Paul and Seinist effectively earned the right to

864
00:48:18,045 --> 00:48:21,845
Speaker 3: their suffering to reach that man, and he was moved deeply.

865
00:48:21,885 --> 00:48:24,325
Speaker 3: He was a hard man. And you know, and when

866
00:48:24,365 --> 00:48:27,085
Speaker 3: you take your pain and you use it for God's glory,

867
00:48:27,125 --> 00:48:29,685
Speaker 3: and we all take whatever pain we have in life,

868
00:48:29,685 --> 00:48:33,285
Speaker 3: and we have different kinds of pain, some absolutely more

869
00:48:33,325 --> 00:48:35,205
Speaker 3: than others, but every one of us is going to

870
00:48:35,245 --> 00:48:37,685
Speaker 3: face pain. We're going to lose loved ones, we're gonna

871
00:48:37,685 --> 00:48:40,405
Speaker 3: have setbacks, we're going to have things happen that we

872
00:48:40,485 --> 00:48:43,364
Speaker 3: had not planned for. But we have to just take

873
00:48:43,445 --> 00:48:46,165
Speaker 3: that platform and use it, as you say in your book,

874
00:48:46,525 --> 00:48:50,365
Speaker 3: as a spectacle of glory. Right, absolutely, let me do

875
00:48:50,485 --> 00:48:53,365
Speaker 3: kind of a lightning round this little bit from the

876
00:48:53,405 --> 00:48:56,725
Speaker 3: sublime to the ridiculous. Now, these are just real simple questions,

877
00:48:56,765 --> 00:49:00,125
Speaker 3: like Johnny Ericksontada, what is your favorite color?

878
00:49:01,485 --> 00:49:06,125
Speaker 4: Really? Do you have a favorite color? That's my favorite color? Yes?

879
00:49:06,405 --> 00:49:10,885
Speaker 2: Blue, a blue hearty god hot. Okay, every question you

880
00:49:11,165 --> 00:49:12,125
Speaker 2: asked me is going to have a song.

881
00:49:12,245 --> 00:49:14,685
Speaker 4: Yeah, I have songs too. Yeah, I have songs too.

882
00:49:16,645 --> 00:49:21,325
Speaker 1: She war blue flve it right blue?

883
00:49:23,445 --> 00:49:25,205
Speaker 2: You saw me standing all.

884
00:49:25,525 --> 00:49:28,045
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a good song. I like that, so okay.

885
00:49:28,165 --> 00:49:30,765
Speaker 3: Favorite food. We talked about food in the back room.

886
00:49:31,085 --> 00:49:34,125
Speaker 3: What is your you know, like Mexican Italian? Do you

887
00:49:34,165 --> 00:49:34,845
Speaker 3: like sushi?

888
00:49:34,885 --> 00:49:35,405
Speaker 4: What do you like?

889
00:49:35,485 --> 00:49:38,125
Speaker 2: I love well, I love sushi. Yeah, I love sushi. Yeah,

890
00:49:38,245 --> 00:49:42,245
Speaker 2: I love sashimi because I'm from Maryland and so you know,

891
00:49:42,325 --> 00:49:44,365
Speaker 2: I like oyster stew and all that kind of stuff.

892
00:49:44,765 --> 00:49:46,805
Speaker 2: I love my mother's crab cakes.

893
00:49:46,965 --> 00:49:47,885
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, crabcakes.

894
00:49:48,165 --> 00:49:48,645
Speaker 2: I love them.

895
00:49:48,645 --> 00:49:50,925
Speaker 4: My wife loves crabcakes too, And we.

896
00:49:50,925 --> 00:49:55,285
Speaker 2: Even order the thirty six dollars or can jumbo lump

897
00:49:55,365 --> 00:49:59,165
Speaker 2: crab from Chrisfield, Maryland. It's like takes a mortgage payment

898
00:49:59,205 --> 00:50:02,245
Speaker 2: to pay for it. But you know, when I really

899
00:50:02,245 --> 00:50:05,085
Speaker 2: want to taste my mother's crab cakes. I order big

900
00:50:05,125 --> 00:50:06,085
Speaker 2: time from Elson's.

901
00:50:06,325 --> 00:50:08,885
Speaker 4: Yeah good. So what what makes you laugh?

902
00:50:10,325 --> 00:50:20,405
Speaker 2: My husband, he's the girls, the girls who get me

903
00:50:20,445 --> 00:50:22,485
Speaker 2: up in the morning. They're all nodding their heads over there.

904
00:50:22,845 --> 00:50:25,725
Speaker 2: I mean he comes into the Sometimes he's wearing the

905
00:50:25,765 --> 00:50:32,884
Speaker 2: minion eyes, you know. Yeah, sometimes he does this very

906
00:50:32,925 --> 00:50:36,005
Speaker 2: silly impression of doctor Yamaguchi.

907
00:50:36,445 --> 00:50:36,685
Speaker 4: Wow.

908
00:50:36,845 --> 00:50:39,045
Speaker 2: And we won't go there because it's kind of ethnic

909
00:50:39,805 --> 00:50:43,765
Speaker 2: and racial. But you know, he's Asian, so he can

910
00:50:43,765 --> 00:50:47,205
Speaker 2: get away with it. My husband really makes me laugh.

911
00:50:47,245 --> 00:50:49,285
Speaker 2: He's like, he's got a great sense of humor.

912
00:50:50,165 --> 00:50:51,885
Speaker 4: So what makes you sad?

913
00:50:53,365 --> 00:50:54,445
Speaker 5: A wasted life?

914
00:50:55,805 --> 00:51:03,205
Speaker 2: Yes, I know some people who, uh, who are wasting

915
00:51:03,285 --> 00:51:03,965
Speaker 2: their lives.

916
00:51:05,165 --> 00:51:07,844
Speaker 5: And they have so much, so.

917
00:51:07,805 --> 00:51:11,245
Speaker 2: Much to be thankful for so many material blessings. But

918
00:51:11,605 --> 00:51:15,445
Speaker 2: they either turned away from God and are not believers,

919
00:51:15,445 --> 00:51:19,765
Speaker 2: not followers of Jesus, or they are followers of Jesus,

920
00:51:20,165 --> 00:51:24,165
Speaker 2: but they've chosen a carnal path. And you know, I'm

921
00:51:24,165 --> 00:51:29,565
Speaker 2: of the persuasion of Hebrews chapter twelve. I'll tell you Greg,

922
00:51:30,005 --> 00:51:33,245
Speaker 2: when I was in high school, I named Christ as

923
00:51:33,285 --> 00:51:37,605
Speaker 2: my savior. I accepted Jesus at a Young Life weekend retreat,

924
00:51:38,085 --> 00:51:41,245
Speaker 2: and I was involved in a Bible study and doing

925
00:51:41,285 --> 00:51:43,805
Speaker 2: great things. But on Friday night, in the backseat of

926
00:51:43,845 --> 00:51:48,165
Speaker 2: my boyfriend's car, it was another story. And so I

927
00:51:48,205 --> 00:51:51,364
Speaker 2: felt terribly guilty. Oh God, I'm so sorry. But then

928
00:51:51,445 --> 00:51:53,925
Speaker 2: what do you know? I confessed my sins on Sunday morning,

929
00:51:54,165 --> 00:51:56,325
Speaker 2: and next Friday night it would be a repeat of

930
00:51:56,365 --> 00:52:01,365
Speaker 2: the same old thing until I had dug myself into

931
00:52:01,845 --> 00:52:07,924
Speaker 2: slavery and it was impossible to break free of sexual sin.

932
00:52:08,645 --> 00:52:14,325
Speaker 2: Couldn't do it. And so in April of nineteen sixty seven,

933
00:52:14,725 --> 00:52:19,085
Speaker 2: after a sordid date with my boyfriend, I came home

934
00:52:19,125 --> 00:52:22,765
Speaker 2: one Friday night, threw myself into bed sobbed into my pillow.

935
00:52:23,125 --> 00:52:27,645
Speaker 1: Oh God, I'm gonna go away to college.

936
00:52:27,245 --> 00:52:28,445
Speaker 5: In just a couple of weeks.

937
00:52:28,445 --> 00:52:28,845
Speaker 4: That I know.

938
00:52:29,405 --> 00:52:31,605
Speaker 2: I just know what I'm gonna do there, because my

939
00:52:31,605 --> 00:52:33,405
Speaker 2: boyfriend's going to the same college.

940
00:52:33,645 --> 00:52:35,885
Speaker 5: We're just gonna sleep together and I'll take birth control.

941
00:52:35,645 --> 00:52:38,765
Speaker 2: Of pills, and I'm gonna make a mess of stuff.

942
00:52:39,125 --> 00:52:40,325
Speaker 2: I'm such a hypocrite.

943
00:52:40,365 --> 00:52:41,685
Speaker 5: I don't want to be, though.

944
00:52:41,885 --> 00:52:45,325
Speaker 2: Please Jesus do something in my life to turn it around.

945
00:52:48,165 --> 00:52:53,205
Speaker 2: And then I broke my neck three months later. Was

946
00:52:53,245 --> 00:52:57,645
Speaker 2: God dealing harshly with me. I thought so in the beginning.

947
00:52:58,245 --> 00:53:03,805
Speaker 2: I mean I was I was outraged that God could

948
00:53:04,085 --> 00:53:05,365
Speaker 2: take a prayer so seriously.

949
00:53:06,605 --> 00:53:08,245
Speaker 4: Why did you take that perath so seriously?

950
00:53:09,725 --> 00:53:12,805
Speaker 2: And you know, I spat things out at him like, okay,

951
00:53:13,005 --> 00:53:14,165
Speaker 2: that's the way you want to be. I'm never going

952
00:53:14,245 --> 00:53:16,085
Speaker 2: to trust you with another one of my prayers again.

953
00:53:16,565 --> 00:53:19,965
Speaker 2: That's it. And you know, I just but I realized

954
00:53:20,005 --> 00:53:22,725
Speaker 2: what I was doing is digging myself into another cycle

955
00:53:22,725 --> 00:53:26,685
Speaker 2: of slavery bitterness, and there's nothing worse than a bitter spirit.

956
00:53:27,605 --> 00:53:30,765
Speaker 2: So I can look back and see that my diving accident.

957
00:53:30,965 --> 00:53:33,285
Speaker 2: And you may disagree with me, you may think it

958
00:53:33,325 --> 00:53:37,364
Speaker 2: makes God look harsh, but I believe it was an

959
00:53:37,365 --> 00:53:42,485
Speaker 2: example of Hebrews chapter twelve. A father loves the child

960
00:53:42,485 --> 00:53:46,565
Speaker 2: that he disciplines. If the child is not discipline, If

961
00:53:46,605 --> 00:53:50,565
Speaker 2: a wayward, rebellious child who names his father as his

962
00:53:50,605 --> 00:53:56,245
Speaker 2: father is being disobedient and unruly and rebellious and stiff

963
00:53:56,285 --> 00:54:01,965
Speaker 2: necked and stubborn, a loving father will reproof and correct

964
00:54:02,005 --> 00:54:04,885
Speaker 2: that child and bring about discipline. That doesn't mean that

965
00:54:04,885 --> 00:54:09,685
Speaker 2: God is punished. It's not retribution, like throw her in

966
00:54:09,765 --> 00:54:11,765
Speaker 2: jail and see how that feels so there and slam

967
00:54:11,805 --> 00:54:15,325
Speaker 2: the door, throw away the keys. No, but it is

968
00:54:15,805 --> 00:54:19,285
Speaker 2: punishment quote, punishment in the sense of discipline and restoration.

969
00:54:19,925 --> 00:54:24,805
Speaker 2: Not retribution, but restoration. God restored me through this accident.

970
00:54:24,885 --> 00:54:31,525
Speaker 2: And oh my goodness, I often, at least about three

971
00:54:31,565 --> 00:54:35,445
Speaker 2: or four times a week, I'll be sitting at work

972
00:54:36,165 --> 00:54:39,645
Speaker 2: or I'll be in my house and Ken'll be just

973
00:54:40,085 --> 00:54:43,805
Speaker 2: so you know, wonderfully supportive, and I'm sitting there saying

974
00:54:43,845 --> 00:54:47,805
Speaker 2: to myself, actually, I'm praying Jesus, Oh Jesus, thank you

975
00:54:47,885 --> 00:54:50,445
Speaker 2: for allowing my broken neck. Man, you were such a

976
00:54:50,525 --> 00:54:53,844
Speaker 2: wise god. I didn't like it at the time, but

977
00:54:53,925 --> 00:54:54,405
Speaker 2: you were.

978
00:54:54,285 --> 00:54:55,565
Speaker 5: So good and so wise.

979
00:54:56,205 --> 00:54:58,565
Speaker 2: Look what you have done. You brought such peace into

980
00:54:58,605 --> 00:55:01,205
Speaker 2: my heart and set me free of sin.

981
00:55:02,125 --> 00:55:02,605
Speaker 5: Bless you.

982
00:55:02,725 --> 00:55:06,365
Speaker 2: And it's just a constant wellspring of prayer to my

983
00:55:06,525 --> 00:55:09,445
Speaker 2: Savior because of what He's done in my life. And

984
00:55:09,565 --> 00:55:13,125
Speaker 2: it's I think his disciplined. You might disagree. Others might disagree,

985
00:55:13,285 --> 00:55:16,765
Speaker 2: and you're free to disagree, because who really understands. You know,

986
00:55:16,885 --> 00:55:21,085
Speaker 2: God's purpose isn't intent, He hadn't perhaps maybe other things

987
00:55:21,085 --> 00:55:25,245
Speaker 2: on his mind. Maybe when I read Hebrews twelve, I think, no,

988
00:55:26,125 --> 00:55:27,285
Speaker 2: I think that it's disciplined.

989
00:55:27,485 --> 00:55:29,925
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, we will know when we get to heaven.

990
00:55:30,445 --> 00:55:34,645
Speaker 3: You know, my son, Christopher died in an automobile accident,

991
00:55:34,725 --> 00:55:37,205
Speaker 3: you know, eight years ago, and he had a conversation

992
00:55:37,325 --> 00:55:40,165
Speaker 3: with his brother Jonathan, and Jonathan was struggling with drugs

993
00:55:40,765 --> 00:55:44,365
Speaker 3: and Christopher had come through that and had recommitted his

994
00:55:44,445 --> 00:55:47,165
Speaker 3: life to Christ and he was talking to his brother

995
00:55:47,285 --> 00:55:50,165
Speaker 3: and he said, you know, what's it going to take,

996
00:55:50,245 --> 00:55:52,365
Speaker 3: Jonathan for you to kind of come to your senses.

997
00:55:52,445 --> 00:55:56,645
Speaker 3: And the next day Christopher was in heaven. And that's

998
00:55:56,685 --> 00:55:59,765
Speaker 3: what it took to bring Jonathan back to Christ. But

999
00:55:59,885 --> 00:56:01,525
Speaker 3: so I don't look at that and say, Okay, God

1000
00:56:01,565 --> 00:56:04,645
Speaker 3: took Christopher to bring Jonathan to a place of recommitment.

1001
00:56:04,685 --> 00:56:07,285
Speaker 3: I look at it more like God took Christopher in

1002
00:56:07,405 --> 00:56:10,725
Speaker 3: his sovereignty, in his will. I don't know why. I

1003
00:56:10,805 --> 00:56:13,285
Speaker 3: know God's in control. I know God loves me. I

1004
00:56:13,325 --> 00:56:16,965
Speaker 3: know I'll see my son again. But despite this tragedy,

1005
00:56:17,125 --> 00:56:19,085
Speaker 3: just like what happened to you, that was tragic, But

1006
00:56:19,645 --> 00:56:24,485
Speaker 3: despite the tragedy, God has brought honor and brought Jonathan

1007
00:56:24,525 --> 00:56:27,045
Speaker 3: to himself and touched so many other lives. And though

1008
00:56:27,045 --> 00:56:30,445
Speaker 3: we miss our son, so deeply we see that he

1009
00:56:31,325 --> 00:56:33,645
Speaker 3: can well. As you say here, it can be a

1010
00:56:33,685 --> 00:56:37,445
Speaker 3: spectacle of glory. And you know, I think another thing, Johnny.

1011
00:56:37,485 --> 00:56:40,485
Speaker 3: I think that God looked at you and a young woman. Yes,

1012
00:56:40,525 --> 00:56:42,525
Speaker 3: you were going in the wrong direction, but he saw

1013
00:56:42,565 --> 00:56:46,205
Speaker 3: a vessel that he could trust with his glory, that

1014
00:56:46,285 --> 00:56:49,045
Speaker 3: would have integrity and would walk with him and would

1015
00:56:49,085 --> 00:56:51,405
Speaker 3: honor him, and he said, I'm gonna put her in

1016
00:56:51,445 --> 00:56:53,885
Speaker 3: a place. You've heard the expression if you see a

1017
00:56:53,925 --> 00:56:55,925
Speaker 3: turtle on a fence post. You know he didn't get

1018
00:56:55,965 --> 00:57:00,485
Speaker 3: there by himself, right. So, God, you know people would

1019
00:57:00,565 --> 00:57:03,125
Speaker 3: listen to your testimony if you stood before us as

1020
00:57:03,165 --> 00:57:06,925
Speaker 3: a healthy lady. But because you're in the place you're in,

1021
00:57:07,245 --> 00:57:09,445
Speaker 3: you've been able to bring honor to the Lord in

1022
00:57:09,525 --> 00:57:10,805
Speaker 3: an amazing way.

1023
00:57:10,885 --> 00:57:12,645
Speaker 4: And so we thank you for that and.

1024
00:57:12,925 --> 00:57:16,485
Speaker 3: Not wasting your pain and being a blessing to many,

1025
00:57:16,725 --> 00:57:19,845
Speaker 3: So many, including me, I talk about you all the time.

1026
00:57:20,165 --> 00:57:22,685
Speaker 3: They know that they know I talk about you. You're

1027
00:57:22,685 --> 00:57:23,605
Speaker 3: one of my heroes of.

1028
00:57:23,605 --> 00:57:25,365
Speaker 4: The thing you are no question.

1029
00:57:26,405 --> 00:57:28,765
Speaker 3: Well, when you get to heaven, Johnny, what would you

1030
00:57:28,845 --> 00:57:30,045
Speaker 3: like to hear the Lord say to you?

1031
00:57:33,125 --> 00:57:33,805
Speaker 5: My husband.

1032
00:57:35,805 --> 00:57:39,445
Speaker 2: I've never talked about this or said this anywhere, but

1033
00:57:40,245 --> 00:57:45,245
Speaker 2: he has a favorite name for me, gee Gig. It's

1034
00:57:45,365 --> 00:57:47,725
Speaker 2: because my sister, when I was a little girl, called

1035
00:57:47,765 --> 00:57:51,085
Speaker 2: me Jonathan Brundy born on Monday, Crystal Tuesday blah, and

1036
00:57:51,165 --> 00:57:54,485
Speaker 2: so Jonathan Bundy. You heard my sister recite that little poem,

1037
00:57:54,525 --> 00:57:56,325
Speaker 2: and he kind of picked up the Jonathan Grundy and

1038
00:57:56,365 --> 00:58:02,845
Speaker 2: it's jg and then it became Gigi. I've often told

1039
00:58:02,885 --> 00:58:06,125
Speaker 2: my friends that when I get to than I would

1040
00:58:06,485 --> 00:58:08,565
Speaker 2: to see Jesus and have him walk up to me

1041
00:58:08,725 --> 00:58:09,485
Speaker 2: tenderly and.

1042
00:58:09,805 --> 00:58:11,525
Speaker 5: Put his hand, put those hands on the side of

1043
00:58:11,565 --> 00:58:12,485
Speaker 5: my cheek and say.

1044
00:58:12,605 --> 00:58:18,725
Speaker 2: Welcome home, Gee, welcome home. Gg Oh, my goodness. I

1045
00:58:18,765 --> 00:58:22,565
Speaker 2: get tears in my eyes even thinking about it. But

1046
00:58:22,645 --> 00:58:25,965
Speaker 2: then I hope he says, O, Ken, you're.

1047
00:58:25,845 --> 00:58:26,645
Speaker 5: Gonna have to help me here.

1048
00:58:26,685 --> 00:58:31,605
Speaker 2: I'm so sorry. I have quadriplegic ones and they don't

1049
00:58:31,605 --> 00:58:32,285
Speaker 2: work real well.

1050
00:58:33,165 --> 00:58:33,925
Speaker 4: But I hope that.

1051
00:58:35,405 --> 00:58:39,365
Speaker 2: Don't be alarmed. Don't call nine one one just to

1052
00:58:39,405 --> 00:58:48,085
Speaker 2: help me. Okay, now you gotta set me up, sweetheart. Okay,

1053
00:58:48,125 --> 00:58:54,605
Speaker 2: there you go. That's it, Thank you, hon, I'm my

1054
00:58:54,685 --> 00:58:59,965
Speaker 2: best audio visual aid. She was. Then I want to

1055
00:58:59,965 --> 00:59:04,485
Speaker 2: hear Jesus say, well, done well, don Johnny, you were

1056
00:59:04,525 --> 00:59:07,645
Speaker 2: trustworthy and a few things. Now I'm gonna put you

1057
00:59:07,725 --> 00:59:12,525
Speaker 2: in charge of ten cities. Yes, no, thank you. I'll

1058
00:59:12,605 --> 00:59:15,805
Speaker 2: just take a little, my little imagine. But I'm want

1059
00:59:15,805 --> 00:59:17,365
Speaker 2: to hear those words well done, good and safe.

1060
00:59:17,485 --> 00:59:21,205
Speaker 3: Amen in your book Heaven your new home. You write this,

1061
00:59:21,725 --> 00:59:24,885
Speaker 3: Uh know more about our new bodies. No more bulging

1062
00:59:25,005 --> 00:59:26,845
Speaker 3: muscles or balding tops.

1063
00:59:27,045 --> 00:59:27,965
Speaker 4: I'm happy about that.

1064
00:59:28,405 --> 00:59:28,525
Speaker 2: Uh.

1065
00:59:29,165 --> 00:59:32,565
Speaker 3: No varicos, veins or crows feet, remember this. No more

1066
00:59:32,685 --> 00:59:37,005
Speaker 3: cellulite or support hosts. Forget those thunder thighs and highway hips?

1067
00:59:37,245 --> 00:59:38,885
Speaker 2: Was nickname in high school?

1068
00:59:39,005 --> 00:59:40,725
Speaker 4: What was your nickname thunder thighs?

1069
00:59:42,645 --> 00:59:45,405
Speaker 2: Because I was so good on lacrosse team.

1070
00:59:45,685 --> 00:59:48,325
Speaker 3: So no more thunder thighs and highway hips. Just to

1071
00:59:48,885 --> 00:59:51,485
Speaker 3: a quick leap, brog over the tombstone, and it's the

1072
00:59:51,525 --> 00:59:55,925
Speaker 3: body you've always dreamed of, fit and trim, smooth and sleek,

1073
00:59:57,085 --> 01:00:00,565
Speaker 3: well written, and that's our hope. And let me just

1074
01:00:00,645 --> 01:00:05,005
Speaker 3: close with this question, Johnny. Someone's listening to you right now,

1075
01:00:05,045 --> 01:00:08,725
Speaker 3: and you know, maybe they're disabled, maybe they're facing the tragedy.

1076
01:00:08,805 --> 01:00:13,565
Speaker 3: Maybe everything's kind of going well relatively in life. But

1077
01:00:13,925 --> 01:00:18,045
Speaker 3: the biggest problem of all is that sin that separates

1078
01:00:18,125 --> 01:00:21,205
Speaker 3: us from God. They see you talking about your faith

1079
01:00:21,245 --> 01:00:24,125
Speaker 3: in Jesus and how he gives you the strength for

1080
01:00:24,245 --> 01:00:26,205
Speaker 3: each day, and the hope that you have.

1081
01:00:26,165 --> 01:00:27,605
Speaker 4: Of heaven, the hope that we all have.

1082
01:00:28,165 --> 01:00:30,885
Speaker 3: So someone that's listening to you right now wonders, how

1083
01:00:30,925 --> 01:00:34,045
Speaker 3: can I have that faith? How can I have Jesus

1084
01:00:34,165 --> 01:00:38,005
Speaker 3: in my heart in a way have a relationship with

1085
01:00:38,045 --> 01:00:38,965
Speaker 3: God like Johnny has.

1086
01:00:39,005 --> 01:00:40,245
Speaker 4: What would you say to that person?

1087
01:00:41,285 --> 01:00:46,765
Speaker 2: Well, if if you've come tonight dragged here by your

1088
01:00:46,805 --> 01:00:50,885
Speaker 2: elbow by your Christian friend, and you weren't sure you

1089
01:00:50,925 --> 01:00:54,045
Speaker 2: wanted to come, but you've been sitting there and the

1090
01:00:54,125 --> 01:00:57,125
Speaker 2: things that Greg and I have been saying have warmed

1091
01:00:57,165 --> 01:01:01,805
Speaker 2: your heart. You know there's something that has the ring

1092
01:01:01,845 --> 01:01:04,445
Speaker 2: of truth and what we're saying, and your heart is

1093
01:01:04,485 --> 01:01:08,965
Speaker 2: being warmed. It ain't me, and it's not Greg talking.

1094
01:01:09,645 --> 01:01:13,805
Speaker 2: It's the Holy Spirit that God is bending over backward

1095
01:01:14,245 --> 01:01:17,645
Speaker 2: to bring you home. And there's no better time to

1096
01:01:17,725 --> 01:01:21,205
Speaker 2: come home than at Christmas. Yes, so I would just

1097
01:01:21,325 --> 01:01:25,725
Speaker 2: encourage you to certainly celebrate the advent of Jesus a

1098
01:01:25,765 --> 01:01:29,645
Speaker 2: baby in a manger, but remember that the cradle always

1099
01:01:29,725 --> 01:01:32,365
Speaker 2: leads to the cross. Yes, look, at the cross of

1100
01:01:32,445 --> 01:01:37,325
Speaker 2: Calvary and see a savior who has rescued you already

1101
01:01:37,365 --> 01:01:38,125
Speaker 2: from your sins.

1102
01:01:38,445 --> 01:01:41,085
Speaker 5: All you need to do is trust him.

1103
01:01:40,885 --> 01:01:44,765
Speaker 2: Minute and believe him for it, and invite His Holy

1104
01:01:44,845 --> 01:01:47,845
Speaker 2: Spirit to sit on the throne of your heart as

1105
01:01:47,925 --> 01:01:50,925
Speaker 2: you confess your sin, and say, Jesus, I don't want

1106
01:01:50,965 --> 01:01:53,605
Speaker 2: to follow my old way of doing things. I don't

1107
01:01:53,605 --> 01:01:55,965
Speaker 2: want to be the stiff, next stubborn person that my

1108
01:01:56,165 --> 01:01:59,565
Speaker 2: husband knows I am and not for me. I want

1109
01:01:59,605 --> 01:02:02,605
Speaker 2: to change. I want you to change me. Give me

1110
01:02:03,325 --> 01:02:06,045
Speaker 2: new life in you, and then give me the power

1111
01:02:06,285 --> 01:02:10,245
Speaker 2: to wake up tomorrow morning trusting you in a fresh

1112
01:02:10,285 --> 01:02:15,165
Speaker 2: new way, and you'll be on your way home when

1113
01:02:15,205 --> 01:02:17,165
Speaker 2: you put your hand in the hand of Christ. For

1114
01:02:17,165 --> 01:02:21,405
Speaker 2: those of you who are Christians, perhaps God is calling

1115
01:02:21,445 --> 01:02:24,885
Speaker 2: you to rise to some new, fresh level of confidence

1116
01:02:24,925 --> 01:02:29,045
Speaker 2: in Christ. You are tired of a mediocre Christian walk.

1117
01:02:30,525 --> 01:02:32,685
Speaker 2: You want to rise to a new level of trusting

1118
01:02:32,725 --> 01:02:36,045
Speaker 2: confidence in Him. Get in the practice of getting actively

1119
01:02:36,085 --> 01:02:39,765
Speaker 2: engaged in your own sactification every single morning. Be intentional

1120
01:02:40,125 --> 01:02:43,325
Speaker 2: about the way you live tomorrow. Think about think about

1121
01:02:43,325 --> 01:02:46,085
Speaker 2: the choice, think about the choices you're making. Think about

1122
01:02:46,125 --> 01:02:48,525
Speaker 2: the words before they come off your tongue, die to

1123
01:02:48,685 --> 01:02:52,085
Speaker 2: the sins that he died for on his cross for you.

1124
01:02:52,445 --> 01:02:55,405
Speaker 2: That's what it means to become like him in its death. Daily,

1125
01:02:55,445 --> 01:02:58,125
Speaker 2: pick up your cross and die to the sins that

1126
01:02:58,205 --> 01:03:03,685
Speaker 2: he died for on his cross for you, And my goodness,

1127
01:03:04,645 --> 01:03:07,205
Speaker 2: your soul will be able. Your soul will be so

1128
01:03:07,285 --> 01:03:10,045
Speaker 2: much better bonded to the heart of your savior. Your

1129
01:03:10,125 --> 01:03:12,805
Speaker 2: heart's gonna get beating in rhythm with his, and before

1130
01:03:12,845 --> 01:03:15,685
Speaker 2: you know it, his joy because he shares his joy

1131
01:03:15,725 --> 01:03:18,445
Speaker 2: on his terms, and his terms call for us to,

1132
01:03:18,525 --> 01:03:22,285
Speaker 2: in some measure suffer as his own son suffered when

1133
01:03:22,325 --> 01:03:25,805
Speaker 2: he walked on earth. So get your heart beating in

1134
01:03:25,845 --> 01:03:28,405
Speaker 2: rhythm with his, and before you know it, his joy

1135
01:03:28,485 --> 01:03:31,685
Speaker 2: is gonna spill over Heaven's walls, splash up in your heart,

1136
01:03:32,045 --> 01:03:36,205
Speaker 2: effer fest out to others in an ecstatic encouragement, a

1137
01:03:36,285 --> 01:03:38,725
Speaker 2: river of encouragement, and then rise up back to the

1138
01:03:38,765 --> 01:03:40,045
Speaker 2: Lord in a fountain of praise.

1139
01:03:41,245 --> 01:03:42,285
Speaker 5: Don't you want to live that way?

1140
01:03:42,485 --> 01:03:42,805
Speaker 4: Amen?

1141
01:03:43,445 --> 01:03:47,365
Speaker 2: Don't you want to live that way?

1142
01:03:47,805 --> 01:03:48,165
Speaker 4: Oh?

1143
01:03:48,205 --> 01:03:54,125
Speaker 2: My goodness, the world would be turned upside down? A hallelujah.

1144
01:03:54,165 --> 01:03:56,805
Speaker 3: Amen, Let's thank Johnny Ericson taught up for being here

1145
01:03:57,125 --> 01:04:05,125
Speaker 3: tonight and you'll keep john Wow, just incredible, doesn't that

1146
01:04:05,165 --> 01:04:08,125
Speaker 3: a mean? I'm just so blessed to be able to

1147
01:04:08,165 --> 01:04:10,525
Speaker 3: sit there and talk with her. And I thought we

1148
01:04:10,525 --> 01:04:13,165
Speaker 3: would close with a prayer, and I would like to

1149
01:04:13,205 --> 01:04:16,285
Speaker 3: extend that invitation for you to believe in Jesus. You

1150
01:04:16,325 --> 01:04:19,525
Speaker 3: know some of you have never made that commitment to Christ.

1151
01:04:19,605 --> 01:04:22,045
Speaker 3: I thought it was very interesting and very candid what

1152
01:04:22,165 --> 01:04:24,485
Speaker 3: Johnny shared about when she.

1153
01:04:24,565 --> 01:04:25,285
Speaker 4: Was a young girl.

1154
01:04:25,285 --> 01:04:28,285
Speaker 3: I've never heard her tell that story before, and the

1155
01:04:28,325 --> 01:04:33,805
Speaker 3: struggles she was having with promiscuity and immorality, and you know,

1156
01:04:34,085 --> 01:04:36,965
Speaker 3: just hey, that's the story of some young kid here tonight,

1157
01:04:37,045 --> 01:04:39,525
Speaker 3: a young man, a young woman, and then there's somebody

1158
01:04:39,525 --> 01:04:43,005
Speaker 3: else that is dealing with other problems in life, and

1159
01:04:43,445 --> 01:04:46,085
Speaker 3: whatever it is, the answer is Jesus. You know I

1160
01:04:46,125 --> 01:04:48,685
Speaker 3: was thinking when she was talking about that. I thought

1161
01:04:48,685 --> 01:04:50,685
Speaker 3: of that song I'll be home for Christmas, you know,

1162
01:04:51,365 --> 01:04:54,245
Speaker 3: but home with the Lord, home and a relationship with God,

1163
01:04:54,285 --> 01:04:56,325
Speaker 3: and then one day we'll be home in heaven. And

1164
01:04:56,405 --> 01:04:59,685
Speaker 3: that is the hope only the Christian has. So if

1165
01:04:59,725 --> 01:05:03,045
Speaker 3: you're not sure if Christ is in your heart right now,

1166
01:05:03,365 --> 01:05:05,405
Speaker 3: if you don't have the confidence that you'll go to

1167
01:05:05,605 --> 01:05:08,965
Speaker 3: heaven when you die. If you want this relationship with

1168
01:05:09,005 --> 01:05:12,205
Speaker 3: the Lord like Johnny has and people around you have,

1169
01:05:12,925 --> 01:05:14,565
Speaker 3: I'm going to lead you in a prayer right now

1170
01:05:14,565 --> 01:05:16,965
Speaker 3: where you can ask Christ to forgive you of all

1171
01:05:17,005 --> 01:05:20,245
Speaker 3: of your sin, no matter what you've done. He'll forgive you,

1172
01:05:20,725 --> 01:05:23,085
Speaker 3: but you have to be sorry for that sin. You

1173
01:05:23,205 --> 01:05:25,565
Speaker 3: have to turn from that sin, and you need to

1174
01:05:25,605 --> 01:05:27,765
Speaker 3: ask Him to come into your life and he'll do it,

1175
01:05:28,125 --> 01:05:31,325
Speaker 3: because Jesus says, I stand at the door and I knock,

1176
01:05:31,405 --> 01:05:33,645
Speaker 3: and if you'll hear my voice and open the door,

1177
01:05:33,965 --> 01:05:37,285
Speaker 3: I will come in. So He'll come in live inside

1178
01:05:37,325 --> 01:05:40,685
Speaker 3: of you. That's the message of Christmas. I'm Manuel. God

1179
01:05:40,765 --> 01:05:43,245
Speaker 3: is with us. That's what the word means. And he

1180
01:05:43,325 --> 01:05:45,765
Speaker 3: can be with you, and he can be in you tonight,

1181
01:05:46,365 --> 01:05:48,405
Speaker 3: and he's just a prayer away. So we're going to

1182
01:05:48,445 --> 01:05:51,165
Speaker 3: close him prayer and let me invite you to believe,

1183
01:05:51,285 --> 01:05:53,805
Speaker 3: or for some of you maybe to make a recommitment

1184
01:05:53,805 --> 01:05:56,205
Speaker 3: to Christ if you need to. Tonight, let's all of

1185
01:05:56,325 --> 01:05:59,045
Speaker 3: our heads, Father, thank you for this night, and thank

1186
01:05:59,085 --> 01:06:01,565
Speaker 3: you for sending your son Jesus Christ to die on

1187
01:06:01,645 --> 01:06:02,565
Speaker 3: the cross for us.

1188
01:06:03,165 --> 01:06:04,845
Speaker 4: And Lord Jesus, thank you for coming.

1189
01:06:05,485 --> 01:06:07,765
Speaker 3: You were born in the manger, and you lived a

1190
01:06:07,805 --> 01:06:10,925
Speaker 3: perfect life, and then you died that perfect death, and

1191
01:06:11,005 --> 01:06:13,925
Speaker 3: you absorbed the wrath of the Father and our place,

1192
01:06:14,005 --> 01:06:16,685
Speaker 3: and then you rose again from the dead, and you

1193
01:06:16,765 --> 01:06:20,365
Speaker 3: stand ready to come into any human heart. And I

1194
01:06:20,485 --> 01:06:22,845
Speaker 3: pray for those that don't know you that they will

1195
01:06:22,885 --> 01:06:24,805
Speaker 3: come to you. Now I'll leave you that have raised

1196
01:06:24,805 --> 01:06:27,205
Speaker 3: your hand, I want you to pray this prayer. Write

1197
01:06:27,245 --> 01:06:29,965
Speaker 3: where you are. In fact, pray it out loud after me,

1198
01:06:30,845 --> 01:06:32,645
Speaker 3: just pray this prayer. And even if you didn't raise

1199
01:06:32,645 --> 01:06:34,765
Speaker 3: your hand, but you want to make this commitment or

1200
01:06:34,805 --> 01:06:38,285
Speaker 3: recommitment to Christ, pray this out loud right where you stand.

1201
01:06:38,525 --> 01:06:43,245
Speaker 3: Pray this Lord Jesus. I know I have sinned against you,

1202
01:06:44,405 --> 01:06:48,325
Speaker 3: and I am sorry for my sin, and I turn

1203
01:06:48,645 --> 01:06:53,405
Speaker 3: from my sin, and I choose to follow you as

1204
01:06:53,525 --> 01:06:59,645
Speaker 3: savior and as Lord, as friend and as God from

1205
01:06:59,725 --> 01:07:05,765
Speaker 3: this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer. Thank

1206
01:07:05,805 --> 01:07:11,485
Speaker 3: you for forgiving me. Now in Jesus' name, I pray, Amen,

1207
01:07:11,725 --> 01:07:14,285
Speaker 3: God bless each one of you. I prayed that prayer,

1208
01:07:14,405 --> 01:07:15,285
Speaker 3: and then God bless you.