WEBVTT - Karl and Crew Rewind 03-21 0:00:00.380 --> 0:00:04.190 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.220 --> 0:00:05.960 This is Carl and crew. 0:00:05.990 --> 0:00:11.869 Mornings helping you take your next step with Jesus. That's 0:00:11.869 --> 0:00:13.190 what we're all about here. Ali, do. 0:00:13.190 --> 0:00:15.470 You. Have you ever counted your steps? Have you ever 0:00:15.470 --> 0:00:16.790 worn some sort of a tracker? 0:00:16.820 --> 0:00:19.070 That's funny that you say. Oh, steps. I thought you 0:00:19.070 --> 0:00:22.280 were meaning steps with Jesus. Uh, yeah, I have. Do 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:23.960 you still have your step tracker? 0:00:23.989 --> 0:00:26.689 Oh, I do, and my daughter wears one, too. So 0:00:26.690 --> 0:00:29.120 she's always trying to compete with me. 0:00:29.150 --> 0:00:29.720 That's great. 0:00:29.750 --> 0:00:33.530 It's never even a competition. Mom. How are your steps doing? Uh, 0:00:33.530 --> 0:00:39.620 I'm somewhere around 3400. I have 11,000. It's always way more. 0:00:39.650 --> 0:00:41.960 So mom doesn't take nearly as many steps in a 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:43.910 day as my active 13 year old. 0:00:43.940 --> 0:00:47.990 All we need you to take today is one giant step. 0:00:48.020 --> 0:00:48.500 Just one. 0:00:48.500 --> 0:00:52.010 And we've got some content that will help you do that. 0:00:52.430 --> 0:00:56.480 He was running from God, but God's love brought him home. 0:00:56.510 --> 0:01:00.450 Carl is in the crew. It's Carl and crew on 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:01.800 Moody Radio. 0:01:02.340 --> 0:01:04.590 I have a fear. 0:01:04.709 --> 0:01:05.369 Oh. 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:08.610 I have a lot of fears. I'm not jumping out 0:01:08.610 --> 0:01:10.440 of a plane, by the way. That's crazy. 0:01:10.470 --> 0:01:11.940 No skydiving for you. 0:01:11.970 --> 0:01:14.940 I don't call that fear. I just call that wisdom. 0:01:14.970 --> 0:01:17.100 A little apprehension with heights. 0:01:17.130 --> 0:01:20.220 Yeah, especially these guys that take these full body glider 0:01:20.220 --> 0:01:22.440 suits and jump off cliffs and then. Oh, I can't. 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:23.310 Imagine that, man. 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:26.280 No, I just don't get it, man. No, I just 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:29.370 I love watching the videos on their GoPros, but no, 0:01:29.370 --> 0:01:31.380 I'm not doing I'm not going there. I'm staying on 0:01:31.380 --> 0:01:31.920 the ground. 0:01:31.950 --> 0:01:32.340 I'm with. 0:01:32.340 --> 0:01:36.330 You. Oh my goodness. But my fear revolves around something 0:01:36.330 --> 0:01:39.750 that happened at lunch in Portland, Oregon, on the river. 0:01:40.230 --> 0:01:46.410 Downtown Portland, nice little restaurant. Beautiful lunch out with a 0:01:46.410 --> 0:01:53.940 few friends. My bride, great waitress, comes out boldly coming 0:01:53.940 --> 0:01:57.600 up to the table. She says to me, fresh mahi 0:01:57.630 --> 0:02:01.200 mahi as she's coming at terminal velocity. 0:02:02.310 --> 0:02:03.060 Oh, no. 0:02:03.090 --> 0:02:06.570 Tried to set that plate down, but it didn't work. 0:02:06.900 --> 0:02:17.940 The entire entree rice, fish, vegetables, lemon wedges. Plop right 0:02:17.940 --> 0:02:18.540 in my lap. 0:02:18.570 --> 0:02:19.290 Oh, boy. 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:20.429 The whole thing. 0:02:20.460 --> 0:02:21.150 Oh. 0:02:21.180 --> 0:02:25.109 I mean, they're out scrambling. Here comes the general manager. Mr. Claussen, 0:02:25.110 --> 0:02:27.869 can we launder your clothes? I said they're jeans, bro. 0:02:27.900 --> 0:02:29.010 It's okay. 0:02:29.100 --> 0:02:30.209 It's gonna be fine. 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:30.959 Oh, man. 0:02:30.990 --> 0:02:36.300 It's okay. Uh. It's fine. But ever since then, when 0:02:36.300 --> 0:02:42.630 somebody brings out food to the table, I not any food. 0:02:42.630 --> 0:02:44.760 You bring out a burger or whatever. I'm not yipping 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:48.090 about that, but I got one of my favorite joints 0:02:48.090 --> 0:02:52.260 in Des Plaines is called. I think it's called Jo 0:02:52.290 --> 0:02:55.500 Cho Dong, but it's spelled Cho dang. You know, it's 0:02:55.510 --> 0:02:58.960 one of those things. Okay, but Chodang has these hot 0:02:58.990 --> 0:03:05.169 pots where they come out. No kidding. They are absolutely 0:03:05.169 --> 0:03:12.550 bubbling with boiling brew. So it's a tofu beef spices. 0:03:12.550 --> 0:03:15.670 Super spicy, man. I mean, it's great. It'll clean you out. 0:03:15.700 --> 0:03:18.339 No one walks out of there. It gets regular spice 0:03:18.340 --> 0:03:22.119 or hotter. That isn't absolutely blowing their schnozzle. It's great. 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:23.829 Decongestant on steroids. 0:03:23.860 --> 0:03:24.280 Wow. 0:03:24.310 --> 0:03:27.640 But every time they set that down, I go back 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:29.470 to Portland, Oregon. In my mind. 0:03:29.860 --> 0:03:32.320 You just get a little nervous. Well, I mean, mahi 0:03:32.350 --> 0:03:35.110 mahi is I mean, does mahi mahi come hot or 0:03:35.110 --> 0:03:36.010 is it one of the fish. 0:03:36.010 --> 0:03:38.650 Was it was it was pretty hot. It wasn't the 0:03:38.650 --> 0:03:41.470 heat factor. It was just the dump in my lap. Oh, yeah. 0:03:41.500 --> 0:03:45.790 So when I see a boiling cauldron of goodies, I'm like, 0:03:45.790 --> 0:03:50.740 now aim that sucker. Oh, don't drop it. Oh, good. 0:03:50.770 --> 0:03:53.870 She touched down. And sometimes they walk up like, yeah, 0:03:53.900 --> 0:03:55.460 this ain't nothing but a thing, right? 0:03:55.490 --> 0:03:56.960 Because they've done it a million times. Yeah. 0:03:56.960 --> 0:03:59.900 And they're looking around. One time she's plopping it down. 0:03:59.900 --> 0:04:02.360 She's looking at her manager saying something to her, and 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:07.160 I'm like, pay attention to the boiling cauldron that is 0:04:07.190 --> 0:04:11.630 being placed six inches in front of my lap. Can 0:04:11.630 --> 0:04:12.590 you feel that with me? 0:04:12.710 --> 0:04:15.710 A little a little bit of PTSD from. 0:04:15.710 --> 0:04:18.500 Oh my goodness, isn't that funny how that works? 0:04:18.529 --> 0:04:19.310 Oh, yeah. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:24.529 I mean, it's just crazy. You know, it's one thing 0:04:24.529 --> 0:04:27.049 when you're worried about someone else, but when you've got 0:04:27.050 --> 0:04:32.570 control over things yourself. I really hope that you have 0:04:32.570 --> 0:04:35.419 a question mark about, am I going to miss the 0:04:35.420 --> 0:04:44.990 mark for eternity and life today? I really do. I 0:04:45.020 --> 0:04:47.390 hope that there is a holy gut check in you 0:04:47.420 --> 0:04:53.370 where you ask, wow, am I born again? the Apostle 0:04:53.370 --> 0:04:57.330 Paul said, examine yourself to see if you're in the faith. 0:04:58.380 --> 0:05:01.680 And by the way, this isn't about being freaked out 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:06.120 about whether or not you're born again. Imperfection. In Followers 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:12.240 of Christ, it happens. This is about when you're when 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:16.169 you're born again. There is conviction. And I tell most 0:05:16.170 --> 0:05:18.180 people who go, man, I'm just freaked out. I don't 0:05:18.210 --> 0:05:21.000 know if I'm born again. And I tell them, first off, 0:05:21.029 --> 0:05:25.830 your concern is one of the greatest evidences that you are. 0:05:25.860 --> 0:05:29.580 Because all that then fills in the blank is by faith. 0:05:29.580 --> 0:05:32.280 Are you ready to surrender all to Jesus Christ? And 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:34.830 they're like, oh, I've done that. You know what you 0:05:34.830 --> 0:05:39.720 struggle with? You struggle with condemnation or conviction not dealt 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:43.320 with in your life. But my greater concern are the 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:48.450 people that suffer from some barriers to salvation. This morning 0:05:48.450 --> 0:05:52.710 I want to give you the three barriers to salvation 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:56.669 and what God wants to do with you. This morning 0:05:56.670 --> 0:05:58.740 he brought you here for a reason. Some of you 0:05:58.770 --> 0:06:01.200 have been praying for loved ones or wondering how to 0:06:01.230 --> 0:06:03.720 pray for loved ones. That's the bigger thing, isn't it, Ali? 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:05.820 Oh yeah. Like, oh, what do I do? I've got 0:06:05.850 --> 0:06:08.010 a I've got a child, I got a husband, I 0:06:08.010 --> 0:06:10.409 got a wife, I got a friend, I got a neighbor, 0:06:10.410 --> 0:06:13.740 I've got this person. I go to church with someone, 0:06:13.740 --> 0:06:18.810 but they, they don't know Christ. And what do I do? Well, 0:06:18.810 --> 0:06:21.240 it's it's the Holy Spirit's work. But there are things 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:22.260 that we can do. 0:06:22.890 --> 0:06:26.400 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:06:30.810 --> 0:06:34.440 I love this story. Out of acts 16. It's about 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:37.440 the missionary journey. Paul and Silas actually find their way 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:42.239 via a vessel through Neapolis onto Philippi, and then they 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:43.770 go into the city and they sit down with a 0:06:43.770 --> 0:06:49.780 group of women, and they sat down and spoke to 0:06:49.810 --> 0:06:53.380 the women who had come together. And then it says 0:06:53.380 --> 0:06:56.529 in verse 14, this really cool one who heard us. 0:06:56.710 --> 0:06:59.770 Isn't that funny? So they spoke to a group of women. 0:06:59.770 --> 0:07:04.360 One who heard us was a great woman named Lydia. 0:07:04.390 --> 0:07:07.870 She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, 0:07:07.870 --> 0:07:11.080 and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention. So 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:16.030 they're speaking to these women. But one heard. Isn't that great? 0:07:16.030 --> 0:07:17.200 I love that distinction. 0:07:17.230 --> 0:07:18.670 Oh, isn't that beautiful? 0:07:18.700 --> 0:07:21.070 I wish more heard, but at the same time, I love. 0:07:21.100 --> 0:07:24.340 I love the this one person. The Lord cut through 0:07:24.370 --> 0:07:27.100 her heart and she said, hey, I'm all in. 0:07:28.570 --> 0:07:31.450 So there's a few things here going on, but one 0:07:31.450 --> 0:07:35.170 is when we preach the gospel or when we share 0:07:35.170 --> 0:07:38.620 with a friend. I've had this happen many times when 0:07:38.620 --> 0:07:41.770 I've been preaching the clear gospel of Jesus, and I 0:07:41.770 --> 0:07:44.860 see people. This last Sunday I was preaching the gospel 0:07:44.860 --> 0:07:47.810 at our church in the campus in Elk Grove, and 0:07:47.810 --> 0:07:49.970 I saw three high school boys. In fact, I was 0:07:49.970 --> 0:07:52.040 talking to some guys afterwards. They say, you see those 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:55.700 high school boys, they just know no mom or dad 0:07:55.700 --> 0:07:58.160 in the church. They just join 180 Chicago. 0:07:58.280 --> 0:07:59.090 Wow, great. 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:03.530 Three high school boys. They are sitting on the. And 0:08:03.530 --> 0:08:05.120 when I say, you know, sitting on the edge of 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.850 your seat, usually that's a you know, that's. 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:08.870 An expression. 0:08:08.870 --> 0:08:11.330 An expression there on the edge of their seat. One 0:08:11.330 --> 0:08:14.030 guy I felt like saying to him, dude, go back 0:08:14.060 --> 0:08:16.400 a couple inches, you're about to do a face plant 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:20.210 just leaning in. Wow. But then in the audience you 0:08:20.210 --> 0:08:24.410 can see some people that are hearing, but they're not hearing. 0:08:24.890 --> 0:08:26.090 Isn't that something? 0:08:26.750 --> 0:08:30.440 And can you observe even in the body language? 0:08:30.470 --> 0:08:32.630 I think I know in the spirit and the body 0:08:32.630 --> 0:08:35.630 language what's going on? I don't always get it right, sure, 0:08:35.630 --> 0:08:39.410 but I often do. But here's what's amazing in this 0:08:39.410 --> 0:08:43.160 story here in acts 16, they spoke to these women 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.099 and one heard. Now, there might have been more, but 0:08:46.100 --> 0:08:49.490 one heard and they're focusing on Lydia. And they said, 0:08:49.490 --> 0:08:50.809 and the Lord opened her heart. 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:51.410 Wow. 0:08:52.100 --> 0:08:53.300 Is that awesome, Ali? 0:08:53.330 --> 0:08:56.420 And that's what has to happen. I mean, lest we 0:08:56.420 --> 0:09:00.470 think that it's us opening our own heart. I mean, 0:09:00.470 --> 0:09:03.560 we have a part in it, but ultimately it's the 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:05.839 spirit that has to draw us. Yeah. 0:09:05.990 --> 0:09:10.520 Yeah. I have such joy in my heart because, boom! Crew, 0:09:10.550 --> 0:09:14.960 you're off the hook. You share your story, you talk 0:09:14.990 --> 0:09:17.720 about the Lord, you sit down with the men and women. 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:21.440 You sit down with those boys and girls, and you pray, Lord, 0:09:21.980 --> 0:09:27.260 open the heart of one cause. One to hear I'm 0:09:27.260 --> 0:09:30.470 speaking cause one to hear. Isn't that beautiful, guys? 0:09:30.500 --> 0:09:31.280 It is. 0:09:31.370 --> 0:09:34.880 I mean, isn't it beautiful? Okay, coming up here in 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:41.179 three minutes, I'm going to share. I'm going to speak 0:09:41.179 --> 0:09:48.000 the gospel. Three barriers to salvation. And I'm going to 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.490 ask the Lord to open your heart, to hear. 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:53.550 Your shot of hope, to help you through the day. 0:09:53.580 --> 0:09:57.090 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:09:57.179 --> 0:10:02.489 I'm going to speak the gospel here, and I am 0:10:02.490 --> 0:10:05.609 praying that the Lord causes you to hear. What a 0:10:05.610 --> 0:10:11.250 beautiful thing, man. Pressure's off here. There are three barriers 0:10:11.250 --> 0:10:13.470 to salvation, and I'm going to go through them quickly. 0:10:13.470 --> 0:10:16.770 The first is rebellion. Just good old fashioned rebellion, you 0:10:16.770 --> 0:10:21.510 might say. Well, really? Yeah. In Romans one we find 0:10:21.510 --> 0:10:24.840 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:28.020 all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And that makes sense, 0:10:28.020 --> 0:10:31.620 who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can 0:10:31.620 --> 0:10:33.510 be known about God is plain to them, because God 0:10:33.510 --> 0:10:38.100 has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely 0:10:38.100 --> 0:10:41.740 his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived 0:10:41.740 --> 0:10:44.950 ever since the creation of the world in the things 0:10:44.950 --> 0:10:51.490 that have been made. So they are without excuse. Here's 0:10:51.490 --> 0:10:55.270 an amazing reality of this text. All you got to 0:10:55.270 --> 0:10:58.660 do is look around at creation and go, oh my goodness. 0:10:58.660 --> 0:11:01.960 I mean, I put bird feed out in our feeders 0:11:01.990 --> 0:11:04.510 again and those things are coming back. And I just 0:11:04.510 --> 0:11:07.990 sat looking through the slats of our blinds yesterday for 0:11:07.990 --> 0:11:13.300 just a couple of minutes. These birds are so amazingly built. 0:11:13.300 --> 0:11:16.750 I mean, these guys are amazing and they can't see 0:11:16.750 --> 0:11:19.240 I see them, so I'm really up close and personal, 0:11:19.270 --> 0:11:22.390 you know what I'm saying? And and I'm watching these things. 0:11:22.390 --> 0:11:27.070 I'm like, man, how can you how. 0:11:27.070 --> 0:11:30.130 Can you not see God? You know what I'm saying? 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:30.850 Yeah. 0:11:31.300 --> 0:11:34.449 But here's the reality a heart that's. 0:11:34.450 --> 0:11:39.280 Hard can look at all of creation and go, I'm 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:43.579 not going your way. Rebellion is one, blindness is another. 0:11:43.580 --> 0:11:46.459 Second Corinthians four three through four says, and even if 0:11:46.460 --> 0:11:50.330 our gospel is veiled, this is Paul's preaching here. It 0:11:50.330 --> 0:11:53.179 is veiled to those who are perishing in their case, 0:11:53.179 --> 0:11:56.240 the God of this world, that Satan has blinded the 0:11:56.240 --> 0:12:00.380 minds of unbelievers. Great. We got a blinding problem going 0:12:00.380 --> 0:12:04.430 on here. Now I just want to speak to this one. 0:12:04.429 --> 0:12:07.910 Some of it is just straight up light pollution. You 0:12:07.910 --> 0:12:13.340 cannot see stars in the city of Chicago. Not well 0:12:13.340 --> 0:12:17.540 with all the light pollution. And sometimes we are blinded 0:12:17.540 --> 0:12:21.979 from the light of Jesus Christ because we've got so 0:12:21.980 --> 0:12:26.000 much stuff. Light polluting the ability to see the one 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:30.440 who loves us. Maybe God is taking you out of 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:35.390 town spiritually today. Maybe he's taking you to the woods 0:12:35.390 --> 0:12:38.690 and you're looking up, going, who you're speaking, but I 0:12:38.690 --> 0:12:42.589 think I'm hearing it for the first time. Carl. Another 0:12:42.590 --> 0:12:48.170 barrier to salvation is deception. We hit this a lot 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.900 around here. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, 0:12:50.900 --> 0:12:54.170 will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who 0:12:54.170 --> 0:12:56.780 does the will of my father who is in heaven. 0:12:56.929 --> 0:13:01.190 On that day, many, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, 0:13:01.190 --> 0:13:03.710 did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons 0:13:03.710 --> 0:13:05.840 in your name, and do mighty works in your name? 0:13:05.870 --> 0:13:08.000 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. 0:13:08.030 --> 0:13:15.080 Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness! Oh! So this 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:19.670 is really simple. I've just been speaking here for a 0:13:19.670 --> 0:13:24.530 few moments. We've just been speaking. And the question is, 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:29.179 is someone hearing? Because just like Lydia, the seller of 0:13:29.179 --> 0:13:34.190 purple from the town of Thyatira, the Lord opened her heart. 0:13:34.370 --> 0:13:38.010 Maybe the Lord's open in your heart today. And I 0:13:38.010 --> 0:13:41.790 want to ask you, are you ready to surrender your 0:13:41.790 --> 0:13:45.930 life to Jesus Christ for the first time ever? No 0:13:45.929 --> 0:13:48.929 more rebellion. You look at creation today and go, I 0:13:48.929 --> 0:13:50.729 don't know how I didn't see it before, but this 0:13:50.730 --> 0:13:52.620 heart of stone. You're turning to a heart of flesh. 0:13:52.620 --> 0:13:56.189 I see it and I surrender. Maybe it's been blindness. 0:13:56.580 --> 0:13:59.280 I don't know what kind of light pollution I had, 0:13:59.309 --> 0:14:01.739 but I did not see the light of the world. 0:14:01.740 --> 0:14:07.050 And I see him right now so clearly. And maybe 0:14:07.050 --> 0:14:12.540 it's deception. I thought all my Christian stuff could get 0:14:12.540 --> 0:14:18.750 me right with God. And it hasn't. And you're hearing 0:14:18.750 --> 0:14:20.790 the voice of God. You're not hearing my voice. You're 0:14:20.790 --> 0:14:23.520 not hearing alleys or Young Thunder's voice. You're hearing the 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:27.480 voice of God saying, come on, give me your life. 0:14:28.290 --> 0:14:33.630 And I want to tell you how. Jesus said to 0:14:33.660 --> 0:14:37.720 a troubled heart, I am the way, the truth and 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:42.100 the life. No man can go to the father but 0:14:42.100 --> 0:14:47.290 through me. No woman can get there. But through Jesus 0:14:47.290 --> 0:14:51.790 he said, I am the way. He got to turn around. Repent. 0:14:51.820 --> 0:14:56.440 Surrender your life and follow Jesus Christ today. All in. 0:14:57.340 --> 0:14:59.380 It's not looking over your shoulder saying, hey, I know 0:14:59.380 --> 0:15:02.590 you're there. It's turning around saying, I'm going with you today. 0:15:04.060 --> 0:15:07.000 Too many people in church saying, hey, I know he's there. 0:15:07.540 --> 0:15:11.230 He's a good man. Today you're surrendering all that you 0:15:11.230 --> 0:15:13.510 are to Jesus. I am the way. I'm the truth, 0:15:13.510 --> 0:15:17.680 he said. The truth is this we're sinners born with 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:21.760 our backs to God. Alli born with your back to God, right? Sister. 0:15:21.790 --> 0:15:24.070 Every single one of us. Yes. I was born with 0:15:24.070 --> 0:15:25.270 my back to God. 0:15:26.470 --> 0:15:30.130 Born with your back to God. And it means you 0:15:30.130 --> 0:15:33.020 got to repent. Turn around. And in order to repent, 0:15:33.020 --> 0:15:37.520 you got to know that there's a reason to turn around. Yeah, 0:15:38.060 --> 0:15:41.510 you got to admit I'm a sinner. I'm missing the mark. 0:15:41.510 --> 0:15:45.770 I admit it. I'm not doing it. It's not working. 0:15:46.940 --> 0:15:50.150 I give my life to Jesus. See, belief in Jesus 0:15:50.150 --> 0:15:52.940 real biblical belief is the full and total surrender of 0:15:52.940 --> 0:15:56.630 your life to him. It sure ain't perfection, but it's 0:15:56.630 --> 0:15:59.660 just surrender. It's like saying, I'm jumping in your arms 0:15:59.660 --> 0:16:02.930 right now and he's got you. And I'm asking you 0:16:02.930 --> 0:16:06.200 right now, is that you? I've been speaking, but have 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:09.680 you been hearing. And if you have, the Lord has 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.970 opened your heart. And I want you to pray with 0:16:13.970 --> 0:16:16.970 me right now. This is a prayer of faith. I 0:16:16.970 --> 0:16:19.130 don't care where you are in this world right now. 0:16:19.130 --> 0:16:21.980 I don't care where you are, what state, what burg. 0:16:21.980 --> 0:16:25.670 I don't care if you are. You might have us 0:16:25.670 --> 0:16:30.230 on Wi-Fi at 30,000ft. You might. I don't care where 0:16:30.230 --> 0:16:33.680 you are right now. Today is your day of salvation. 0:16:33.710 --> 0:16:36.859 It's a cry of the heart. You might whisper along. 0:16:36.860 --> 0:16:39.290 You might shout aloud. You don't have to say a word. 0:16:39.290 --> 0:16:43.430 Your heart surrendered to God is an act of faith. 0:16:43.430 --> 0:16:47.120 And it's putting words to your soul just like this. 0:16:47.150 --> 0:16:51.680 Say them with me. Today I give up, God, I surrender. 0:16:52.910 --> 0:16:59.420 I'm turning around today. You've had a heart of rebellion. 0:17:00.110 --> 0:17:03.890 Maybe you've been blind. Maybe you've been deceived. But today 0:17:03.890 --> 0:17:09.590 you're going in a new way. No more barriers. Is 0:17:09.590 --> 0:17:16.100 that you? All in with Jesus, holding nothing back? Count 0:17:16.100 --> 0:17:18.800 the cost. Think about it. It's going to. This is 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:22.879 going to change some things now, friend. Whole new direction. 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:26.180 It's the best life ever. I can testify to that. 0:17:26.180 --> 0:17:30.030 But this is a new day. Is that a new 0:17:30.030 --> 0:17:39.330 day for you? Is it good? All in with Jesus today? Good. 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:44.430 Holding nothing back. Right? Brand new. Never had this kind 0:17:44.430 --> 0:17:47.760 of surrender before. The surrender before. Maybe was just cries 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:50.369 to God with, you know, giving him one hand. He 0:17:50.369 --> 0:17:53.490 wants both hands, both feet. All in with Jesus today. 0:17:53.490 --> 0:17:57.540 Is that you? Good. I'm going to pray for you. 0:17:57.540 --> 0:17:58.919 And then we're going to give you a link to 0:17:58.950 --> 0:18:04.649 help you. God. Thank you. We've been speaking. Summer hearing 0:18:04.890 --> 0:18:08.280 because the Lord opens the heart and I give you 0:18:08.310 --> 0:18:10.770 thanks in the name of Jesus that you're still working 0:18:10.770 --> 0:18:14.520 miracles today. God, you're still taking rebels with hard hearts, 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:18.209 and you're taking a blind people with light pollution. And 0:18:18.210 --> 0:18:21.090 you're you're showing them the the light of the world, 0:18:22.230 --> 0:18:25.140 and you're taking those in deception and you're showing them 0:18:25.140 --> 0:18:29.949 the truth. That you are the way, the truth and 0:18:29.950 --> 0:18:33.940 the life. Now God flood them with life. Flood this 0:18:33.940 --> 0:18:38.230 young lady with life. This older gentleman with life. This 0:18:38.230 --> 0:18:42.909 teenager listening right now. Flood them with life. And I 0:18:42.940 --> 0:18:47.740 give you praise in Jesus name. Amen. We want to 0:18:47.740 --> 0:18:50.619 help you, Ali. Walk them through what they're going to 0:18:50.619 --> 0:18:51.340 get here. 0:18:51.369 --> 0:18:53.290 Yeah. We have a resource that we're going to send 0:18:53.290 --> 0:18:59.080 to you. If you text the word new to 800 555, 78, 98. 0:18:59.109 --> 0:19:04.450 Just text new to 800 555 7898. You're going to 0:19:04.450 --> 0:19:07.420 get an auto reply to your phone. Click the link. 0:19:07.420 --> 0:19:10.990 Read through it very carefully. There's some hyperlinks embedded in there. 0:19:11.020 --> 0:19:13.120 What to look for in a church. How to make 0:19:13.150 --> 0:19:16.030 sure that I've got a Bible in my hands, and 0:19:16.030 --> 0:19:18.250 an opportunity to get a resource sent to your home 0:19:18.250 --> 0:19:21.970 from us. So if you today, today you are turning 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:25.630 to Jesus for salvation. There's no other name by which 0:19:25.660 --> 0:19:28.510 men will be saved. Just text the word new to 0:19:28.540 --> 0:19:36.970 800 555 7898, new to 800 555 7898. 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:40.629 And if you listen closely, there's angels celebrating what God's 0:19:40.630 --> 0:19:43.270 doing in you. It's a new day, friend. 0:19:43.690 --> 0:19:46.960 It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.440 Okay, this is a big aha moment here. And this 0:19:50.440 --> 0:19:53.890 is a great inductive study. I want you to know 0:19:53.890 --> 0:19:59.200 the pressure is off. Imagine what Paul and Silas would 0:19:59.230 --> 0:20:02.080 have felt if they were called by God to head 0:20:02.109 --> 0:20:07.840 on a voyage through Neapolis, Samothrace, first Neapolis, and then 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:13.510 on to the district of Macedonia into Philippi, and to 0:20:13.540 --> 0:20:16.720 plop down with a group of women and share the gospel. 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:20.860 Imagine if they were commissioned by God saying, you got 0:20:20.859 --> 0:20:24.110 to go save people, man. That pressure would have been heavy. 0:20:24.140 --> 0:20:26.570 Oh, goodness. Yeah, you would have been thinking about it 0:20:26.570 --> 0:20:29.149 all the time. Every time someone didn't listen to you. 0:20:29.180 --> 0:20:30.590 You would have been like, oh man, I didn't get 0:20:30.590 --> 0:20:32.449 that one. I think I was supposed to get that one. 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:35.240 Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I didn't say that just right. 0:20:35.270 --> 0:20:35.629 Yeah. 0:20:35.660 --> 0:20:36.890 You ever had that before, Ali? 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:37.610 Oh, yes. 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:39.470 I didn't say that just right. 0:20:39.500 --> 0:20:40.100 Boy. 0:20:42.020 --> 0:20:44.600 That's such a common one. That's like, every time, every 0:20:44.630 --> 0:20:46.490 time I go, oh, I don't know, I don't know. 0:20:46.490 --> 0:20:48.620 I could have done better there. I could have done better. 0:20:50.390 --> 0:20:53.270 And you know, how you do better is when you 0:20:53.270 --> 0:20:54.680 realize the pressure's off. 0:20:54.710 --> 0:20:55.190 Amen. 0:20:55.220 --> 0:21:00.020 So this story from Lydia, from Thyatira, who was a 0:21:00.020 --> 0:21:04.640 seller of purple, is one awesome example because I don't 0:21:04.670 --> 0:21:09.680 know who else heard, but they spoke. And the way 0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:12.109 the narrative goes until the story. Ali. And then you 0:21:12.109 --> 0:21:13.580 can read what you want to read. But this is 0:21:13.580 --> 0:21:16.520 a great story. I mean, this is they sat down 0:21:16.520 --> 0:21:19.219 and what did they do? They began to speak the gospel. Right? 0:21:19.250 --> 0:21:21.320 And Lydia heard. 0:21:21.810 --> 0:21:22.439 She heard. 0:21:22.440 --> 0:21:25.170 She heard, and her heart was opened. 0:21:25.440 --> 0:21:28.590 Yeah. And the coolest thing here is found in verse 14. 0:21:28.590 --> 0:21:32.340 And it says, the Lord opened her heart to pay 0:21:32.340 --> 0:21:36.629 attention to what was said. Isn't that awesome? 0:21:36.660 --> 0:21:37.439 Yeah. I love that. 0:21:37.470 --> 0:21:40.170 Have you ever sat down with someone that you really love? 0:21:40.170 --> 0:21:44.040 And you're like, they're hearing me, but they are not 0:21:44.040 --> 0:21:45.090 hearing me? 0:21:45.390 --> 0:21:47.580 Yeah. You just feel like. You feel like it's kind 0:21:47.609 --> 0:21:49.139 of going in one ear and out the other. 0:21:49.170 --> 0:21:53.700 Oh, yeah. Or you feel like it's like they've got this, um, 0:21:53.730 --> 0:21:57.270 it's kind of like an airfoil, like a race car. 0:21:57.270 --> 0:22:00.000 And it's like your message is like air over a 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:00.900 race car. It's like. 0:22:01.619 --> 0:22:02.340 Yeah, just kind. 0:22:02.340 --> 0:22:04.350 Of over the top and back. Yeah. 0:22:04.380 --> 0:22:08.129 Yeah, absolutely. And there's nothing you can do about that. 0:22:08.130 --> 0:22:11.070 That's not up to you. It's up to what God's 0:22:11.070 --> 0:22:12.149 going to do in them. 0:22:14.070 --> 0:22:18.899 The pressure's off. Well, Carl, what do I do? You 0:22:18.900 --> 0:22:24.100 know what I'm going to boil it down here. Matthew 516. 0:22:25.390 --> 0:22:29.109 Let your light so shine before men and women, boys 0:22:29.109 --> 0:22:31.060 and girls, that they may see your good deeds and 0:22:31.060 --> 0:22:33.670 glorify your father who is in heaven. That's for sure. 0:22:33.700 --> 0:22:35.169 Something we can do, right, Ali? 0:22:35.200 --> 0:22:39.400 Yeah. I mean, and when you have good information, you 0:22:39.400 --> 0:22:41.410 have good intercession. You always say that. 0:22:41.440 --> 0:22:42.760 Yes, yes, yes. 0:22:43.090 --> 0:22:46.000 When you have good information, then you pray rightly. 0:22:46.030 --> 0:22:46.540 Yeah. 0:22:46.570 --> 0:22:47.590 For people. 0:22:47.619 --> 0:22:50.440 See you pray. See you pray. How can you pray 0:22:50.440 --> 0:22:52.780 according to this Lydia story? How can you pray? 0:22:52.810 --> 0:22:56.740 Well, you can pray that someone would first listen, that 0:22:56.740 --> 0:23:00.369 they would be willing to sit down and have the conversation. Okay, 0:23:00.400 --> 0:23:03.790 you can pray that they would not just hear the 0:23:03.790 --> 0:23:06.640 words and that it would go into their ears, but 0:23:06.640 --> 0:23:09.100 that they would actually hear it and it would go 0:23:09.100 --> 0:23:10.480 into their heart. 0:23:10.510 --> 0:23:11.350 Yeah. 0:23:11.530 --> 0:23:14.770 You can also pray that God would take the pressure 0:23:14.770 --> 0:23:17.050 off of you and just allow His Spirit to speak 0:23:17.050 --> 0:23:17.950 through your words. 0:23:17.980 --> 0:23:20.980 Okay, that's a cool implication from the text, isn't it? 0:23:21.010 --> 0:23:21.550 Absolutely. 0:23:21.700 --> 0:23:24.730 Here's what's cool. Paul and Silas came in. They sat down. 0:23:24.760 --> 0:23:29.140 They knew this is the Lord's work, because that's what 0:23:29.140 --> 0:23:33.880 is written by Doctor Luke in Acts 16. And the 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:38.200 Lord opened her heart. Yeah. How cool that we don't 0:23:38.200 --> 0:23:40.540 have to open our kids hearts to the Lord. 0:23:40.690 --> 0:23:43.750 It's so freeing, because when we feel like the pressure's 0:23:43.750 --> 0:23:47.770 on us, then we. We start to strive. We start 0:23:47.770 --> 0:23:53.560 to beg and plead. And it becomes more about us. 0:23:53.590 --> 0:23:57.129 Us. I mean, we're panicked. 0:23:57.160 --> 0:24:00.070 And it's not that we don't. It's not like about 0:24:00.070 --> 0:24:03.130 us in terms of a selfishness aspect, because our heart, 0:24:03.190 --> 0:24:06.670 our heart's desire, is to see our unsaved loved one 0:24:06.670 --> 0:24:10.179 come to know Jesus. But it becomes about, okay, how 0:24:10.180 --> 0:24:11.919 can I do this better? 0:24:11.950 --> 0:24:16.879 Yeah, it really can. Yeah. So coming up, we're going 0:24:16.910 --> 0:24:21.290 to do something crazy here. We're going to pray that 0:24:21.290 --> 0:24:23.899 the pressure is off of you today. We're going to 0:24:23.900 --> 0:24:26.960 pray for you. We can pray for you as Christ followers, 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:29.960 that the freedom that you would feel today is that 0:24:31.280 --> 0:24:33.560 the Lord has opened their heart. Okay. You know what 0:24:33.560 --> 0:24:36.560 that gives you? It gives you the latitude to tend 0:24:36.560 --> 0:24:41.119 to your own lordship. To tend to. All right. If 0:24:41.119 --> 0:24:44.570 I don't have that pressure on me, I now can 0:24:44.600 --> 0:24:48.830 actually tend to me shining brightly rather than me getting 0:24:48.830 --> 0:24:53.719 it rightly. Little iteration there for you. And that's liberty, 0:24:53.720 --> 0:24:54.379 isn't it, Ali? 0:24:54.410 --> 0:24:58.520 It is. It is. Because then you're trusting in the 0:24:58.520 --> 0:25:00.680 Lord who opens hearts. 0:25:00.710 --> 0:25:01.700 Yes. Yes. 0:25:01.730 --> 0:25:05.540 And you're not trusting in your own ability to convince 0:25:05.540 --> 0:25:07.070 somebody of something. 0:25:07.400 --> 0:25:10.760 Who thought it was on you. Or at least you 0:25:10.760 --> 0:25:13.490 felt the weight of something being on you that God 0:25:13.490 --> 0:25:17.430 never intended. And today may be your freedom is is 0:25:17.430 --> 0:25:20.490 that it's not on you who was stuck there. And 0:25:20.490 --> 0:25:24.990 today you're getting it. They're coming in now. Somebody said, yep. 0:25:25.020 --> 0:25:28.590 When someone says I have, that's me. See, they're coming 0:25:28.590 --> 0:25:31.680 in here. And can I get a big confession? Are 0:25:31.680 --> 0:25:35.970 you ready for this? That's me. And you know what? 0:25:35.970 --> 0:25:40.439 You can be clear on this today. And like a 0:25:40.440 --> 0:25:43.770 banana peel on a sidewalk, you can slip back into 0:25:43.770 --> 0:25:46.380 it tomorrow. You got to hold on to these truths. 0:25:46.410 --> 0:25:48.690 Look at the responses pouring in your alley. 0:25:48.750 --> 0:25:51.780 I mean, so many people have felt this, this sort 0:25:51.810 --> 0:25:57.690 of pressure of, I have to get them saved me. 0:25:57.690 --> 0:25:58.980 I got to do it. 0:26:00.240 --> 0:26:05.310 And if they don't follow Jesus, that's my fault. We're 0:26:05.310 --> 0:26:10.440 going to pray for you because the greatest powerful witnesses 0:26:10.440 --> 0:26:14.940 and light shining know that it's God who saves souls. 0:26:14.940 --> 0:26:18.150 All you do is shine and share. That's it. 0:26:18.210 --> 0:26:23.159 She's a choreographer extraordinaire and everything is Greek to her. 0:26:23.190 --> 0:26:27.150 Super die is in the crew. It's Carl and crew 0:26:27.180 --> 0:26:28.500 on Moody Radio. 0:26:28.530 --> 0:26:31.440 A couple of things are happening. People are surrendering to Jesus. 0:26:31.440 --> 0:26:34.500 But here is the beauty. In acts 16, we get 0:26:34.500 --> 0:26:37.980 a story of Lydia. She's a seller of purple. She's 0:26:38.010 --> 0:26:41.490 an entrepreneur. And she happened to be huddled up with 0:26:41.490 --> 0:26:45.780 a group of ladies in Philippi. And Paul and Silas 0:26:45.780 --> 0:26:51.750 sailed into town by way of Neapolis and Samothrace first, 0:26:51.750 --> 0:26:55.859 and then Neapolis, into the district of Macedonia and then 0:26:55.859 --> 0:27:00.629 into Philippi. They sit down and they speak, but at 0:27:00.660 --> 0:27:06.210 least one person heard what a huge thing, guys! They spoke, 0:27:06.240 --> 0:27:10.169 at least one heard. And that was Lydia. And you 0:27:10.170 --> 0:27:14.590 know why the Lord opened her heart. Where Paul and 0:27:14.590 --> 0:27:20.680 Silas swashbuckling gospel presenters. Actually, Paul was a little bit 0:27:20.710 --> 0:27:26.679 insecure about his ability to communicate well. So here's the deal. 0:27:28.150 --> 0:27:33.460 The pressure's off. God is the one who saves the 0:27:33.460 --> 0:27:38.379 Holy Spirit. Convicts of sin. It's the Lord that opens hearts. 0:27:38.380 --> 0:27:41.260 He pulls down blinders. He takes a heart of stone 0:27:41.260 --> 0:27:44.379 and turns it into a heart of flesh. We can pray, 0:27:44.380 --> 0:27:47.739 we can share. We can shine. We can get it 0:27:47.740 --> 0:27:50.530 all right. Actually, you can have a three point outline 0:27:50.530 --> 0:27:54.010 with a poem at the end. And that doesn't necessarily 0:27:54.010 --> 0:27:57.730 mean that anyone will really hear unless the Lord opens 0:27:57.730 --> 0:28:01.300 their heart, but he can. Ellie, I want you to 0:28:01.330 --> 0:28:07.090 pray this back over people. We've got so many responding, going, shoot, man, 0:28:07.090 --> 0:28:10.609 I felt so long. I just somebody said I've, I've 0:28:10.640 --> 0:28:13.940 felt the weight of trying to save my sons for years. 0:28:13.970 --> 0:28:16.490 And this sets me free today. Isn't that awesome? Yeah. 0:28:16.790 --> 0:28:21.800 It really is. So let's pray. Lord, we come to 0:28:21.830 --> 0:28:25.820 you and just thank you that you are sovereign. Yes, 0:28:25.850 --> 0:28:29.810 over all things, Lord. And I pray, Lord, that as 0:28:29.810 --> 0:28:34.159 you give us opportunities, first help us to be faithful 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:38.360 as ambassadors, that we would be those who let our 0:28:38.360 --> 0:28:41.930 light shine before men, that people would see our good 0:28:41.930 --> 0:28:44.600 deeds and praise you in heaven. Help us to live 0:28:44.600 --> 0:28:47.660 those kind of lives. And Lord, when you lead us 0:28:47.660 --> 0:28:52.070 into moments where we have the opportunity to speak, I 0:28:52.070 --> 0:28:55.580 pray that you would remove pressure, that you would remove unbelief, 0:28:55.580 --> 0:28:58.400 that you would remove doubt, and that you would give 0:28:58.430 --> 0:29:01.910 us full freedom to speak as you would lead. And Lord, 0:29:01.910 --> 0:29:06.020 for the person who's going to hear us, Lord, allow 0:29:06.020 --> 0:29:11.460 hearts to be opened. Lord, would you give someone, even today, 0:29:11.460 --> 0:29:15.540 even this weekend? Give them ears to hear what you 0:29:15.540 --> 0:29:19.710 are saying through us. Open their heart. Help them to 0:29:19.740 --> 0:29:24.300 pay attention, Lord, not to our words, but to you, God. 0:29:24.510 --> 0:29:29.190 I pray that we would see people saved even this weekend. God, 0:29:29.190 --> 0:29:33.000 as we're gathering, as we're attending sporting events and family 0:29:33.000 --> 0:29:36.000 gatherings and other things that happen on the weekend. Lord, 0:29:36.000 --> 0:29:39.750 I pray that this verse would come to mind all 0:29:39.750 --> 0:29:42.810 across Chicagoland and beyond. This would come to mind that 0:29:42.810 --> 0:29:47.070 we would speak and that you would open hearts to 0:29:47.100 --> 0:29:51.720 pay attention. Lord, it's your work and not ours. And 0:29:51.720 --> 0:29:54.060 we thank you that you allow us to play even 0:29:54.060 --> 0:29:57.000 a small part in it. The pressure's off, and we 0:29:57.000 --> 0:29:59.670 thank you. In Jesus name, Amen. 0:29:59.700 --> 0:30:06.990 Amen. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention. They 0:30:06.990 --> 0:30:15.540 were speaking. Lydia heard the pressure's off. Ali prayed. It 0:30:15.570 --> 0:30:19.260 gives you more freedom to shine more brightly and gives 0:30:19.260 --> 0:30:22.650 you more freedom to not get it perfectly. Isn't that. 0:30:22.890 --> 0:30:27.240 Isn't that I want to just I want to I 0:30:27.240 --> 0:30:29.370 want to jump in a pool somewhere, man. I mean, 0:30:29.400 --> 0:30:31.710 this is liberating stuff, guys. 0:30:31.740 --> 0:30:34.320 It really is. Because, you know, there's a lot of 0:30:34.320 --> 0:30:37.770 conversations around evangelism. And, you know, I think especially with 0:30:37.770 --> 0:30:39.930 young people, young people are always kind of like, you 0:30:39.930 --> 0:30:41.490 got to get out there. You got to share your faith, 0:30:41.490 --> 0:30:43.350 you got to share your faith. And I think if 0:30:43.380 --> 0:30:46.740 you've grown up in Christian, in kind of a Christian culture, 0:30:46.740 --> 0:30:52.830 you sort of absorb this low grade pressure of, okay, 0:30:52.860 --> 0:30:54.450 I gotta do it, I gotta do it, I gotta 0:30:54.450 --> 0:30:57.420 do it. They might not know Jesus. The Lord is 0:30:57.420 --> 0:30:59.010 the one who opens hearts. 0:30:59.040 --> 0:31:00.120 He does. 0:31:00.330 --> 0:31:03.360 Your shot of hope to help you through the day. 0:31:03.370 --> 0:31:06.730 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:31:06.760 --> 0:31:10.540 Life can be going along pretty well. And then a 0:31:10.540 --> 0:31:14.410 crisis hits. And it's what we do at that point 0:31:14.410 --> 0:31:21.520 of crisis that'll make or break our relationship with God, 0:31:22.510 --> 0:31:28.959 our mind, our soul, our spirit, our body. Anyone listening 0:31:28.960 --> 0:31:31.390 right now can relate to that. And boy, have we 0:31:31.390 --> 0:31:33.610 got a guest here with us today that's going to 0:31:33.610 --> 0:31:34.959 drive this home. 0:31:34.990 --> 0:31:37.150 She is near and dear to our hearts. She is 0:31:37.150 --> 0:31:39.520 one of our colleagues. Her name is Kenz Weatherford. She 0:31:39.520 --> 0:31:42.580 works in the promotion department, helps with social media. The 0:31:42.580 --> 0:31:46.240 crisis that hit for you was a breakup of a 0:31:46.240 --> 0:31:49.990 pretty serious relationship. And though you had been raised in 0:31:49.990 --> 0:31:53.229 a Christian home around the things of God, when that 0:31:53.230 --> 0:31:57.490 crisis hit, you had a moment of decision and you 0:31:57.490 --> 0:32:01.090 did not turn to God. Yeah. Tell us about that moment. 0:32:01.090 --> 0:32:04.760 So growing up in the faith, there was so much 0:32:04.760 --> 0:32:09.590 that was instilled in me. And my parents got divorced 0:32:09.590 --> 0:32:11.960 at some point when I was in high school. And 0:32:11.960 --> 0:32:14.750 when I started a relationship in college, that was for 0:32:14.750 --> 0:32:17.540 about three years. I got to a spot that that 0:32:17.540 --> 0:32:20.540 relationship ended, which was really, really hard. We were looking 0:32:20.540 --> 0:32:23.990 at rings, we were talking about marriage, and when that ended, 0:32:23.990 --> 0:32:28.310 it broke my heart in such a way. And instead 0:32:28.310 --> 0:32:32.690 of turning to God with that hurt that I felt, 0:32:32.720 --> 0:32:36.740 I was introduced to astrology and I thought this might 0:32:36.740 --> 0:32:39.500 be an answer that's going to conclude for me. I 0:32:39.500 --> 0:32:42.020 will not go through a heartbreak. I will know who 0:32:42.020 --> 0:32:44.209 I'm going to marry, I'm not going to go through divorce, 0:32:44.210 --> 0:32:47.030 and I'm going to pour myself into this. And I 0:32:47.060 --> 0:32:51.260 gave myself over to astrology and fortune telling, and that 0:32:51.260 --> 0:32:54.590 ended up being my pursuit for the next three years. 0:32:54.590 --> 0:32:57.110 So this was a self-protection kins. 0:32:57.140 --> 0:32:57.830 Yeah. 0:32:57.860 --> 0:32:59.690 And I'm not going to I'm not going to. That's 0:32:59.690 --> 0:33:01.500 not going to happen to me again. I'm not going 0:33:01.530 --> 0:33:02.760 to get burned like that again. 0:33:02.790 --> 0:33:06.210 Exactly. And so when I, I remembered the next day 0:33:06.210 --> 0:33:08.610 after the breakup, it was a rainy day in a cafe, 0:33:08.640 --> 0:33:10.560 of course, and I pulled out a journal and I 0:33:10.560 --> 0:33:12.840 was like, I am going to write down, I'm going 0:33:12.870 --> 0:33:15.030 to memorize all the signs and the stars, and I'm 0:33:15.030 --> 0:33:16.980 just going to give myself to this thing because I 0:33:16.980 --> 0:33:20.190 think there's something here. And along the way, I started 0:33:20.190 --> 0:33:23.850 to meet more like minded people that practiced spirituality. I 0:33:23.880 --> 0:33:26.160 had stopped going to church. It was Covid about that 0:33:26.160 --> 0:33:27.810 time as well, and so I felt like it was 0:33:27.810 --> 0:33:29.760 another thing of, hey, I don't really need to, I 0:33:29.760 --> 0:33:31.800 don't really need to open my Bible. I think that 0:33:31.800 --> 0:33:34.440 there's some answers here that I can just dive into. 0:33:34.470 --> 0:33:37.560 And so let me memorize this. God has gifted me 0:33:37.560 --> 0:33:41.340 with memorizing. I've I've always loved acting, and I've always 0:33:41.370 --> 0:33:44.310 been able to memorize the words so well. And that 0:33:44.310 --> 0:33:47.580 was twisted in a way to use it for darkness. 0:33:47.580 --> 0:33:49.800 But God can redeem anything. 0:33:49.830 --> 0:33:55.200 In the moment. What did you feel like? Astrology? The cards. 0:33:55.200 --> 0:34:00.030 What did you feel like that offered you That God wasn't. 0:34:00.030 --> 0:34:07.410 I felt that there was words for spiritual circumstances in 0:34:07.410 --> 0:34:12.270 my life, like dreams about people before they happened or 0:34:12.300 --> 0:34:14.850 knowing things before it happened. I didn't talk about that 0:34:14.850 --> 0:34:17.820 in my Christian community. So then when I met a 0:34:17.820 --> 0:34:22.950 spiritual community that talked openly about auras and sensing and 0:34:22.950 --> 0:34:26.370 presences in the room, it felt like I had language 0:34:26.370 --> 0:34:28.469 for things that I didn't have language for before. And 0:34:28.469 --> 0:34:31.439 I was like, well, there's probably something, something true in this. 0:34:31.440 --> 0:34:36.270 And it wasn't truthful. It wasn't right. I had right 0:34:36.270 --> 0:34:40.259 answers about the future, but it wasn't truthful and it 0:34:40.260 --> 0:34:44.340 wasn't building up. It ended up leading to hopelessness. Something 0:34:44.340 --> 0:34:46.859 I want to share is that when I had an 0:34:46.860 --> 0:34:50.520 opportunity to look at the future, I thought that this 0:34:50.520 --> 0:34:53.820 was going to buffer my heart. I thought, okay, so 0:34:53.820 --> 0:34:55.230 I can know when the bad things are going to 0:34:55.230 --> 0:34:59.320 come Well in life. We are going to continue to 0:34:59.350 --> 0:35:03.100 have trials and hardships. And I thought that if I 0:35:03.100 --> 0:35:06.700 knew in my strength what that thing was going to be, 0:35:06.700 --> 0:35:08.620 I could buffer it a little bit more. My heart's 0:35:08.650 --> 0:35:11.110 not going to hurt nearly as much if I can 0:35:11.110 --> 0:35:15.399 do that myself. But God showed me that he loves 0:35:15.400 --> 0:35:18.640 me and there is hope when we partner with him 0:35:18.640 --> 0:35:22.000 and look at the future through his eyes. He gives 0:35:22.000 --> 0:35:26.200 us love and hope. And it's him who holds our future. 0:35:26.200 --> 0:35:27.850 He knows the plans for us. 0:35:27.880 --> 0:35:32.170 With us right now is Kenz Weatherford. She's a sister 0:35:32.170 --> 0:35:35.680 in Jesus. We'll get to that part of the story 0:35:35.710 --> 0:35:38.920 here in just a moment. But she's a radiant woman 0:35:38.950 --> 0:35:42.219 of God. Guys, what's wild about your story, Kenz? Is 0:35:42.219 --> 0:35:44.650 that a lie is nothing but the truth with the 0:35:44.650 --> 0:35:47.739 twist at the end. And I've heard insight. You wanted. 0:35:47.739 --> 0:35:51.759 You wanted power. Yeah, but how did this begin to 0:35:51.790 --> 0:35:55.640 bite you back? It sounds good going in, but boy, 0:35:55.640 --> 0:35:57.200 it's got some whiplash, doesn't it? 0:35:57.650 --> 0:36:00.920 One of the strange things that started to happen was 0:36:00.920 --> 0:36:04.880 I could feel physical pain in my body from other 0:36:04.880 --> 0:36:09.380 people in the room, and what started to happen was, 0:36:09.380 --> 0:36:11.630 is if I felt pain in my left elbow. Oh, 0:36:11.660 --> 0:36:13.819 I know who in this room is having pain in 0:36:13.820 --> 0:36:15.620 their left elbow. And then I would go and I 0:36:15.620 --> 0:36:17.989 would ask that person and offer to do a reading, 0:36:17.989 --> 0:36:19.910 and I would know things about them and no pain 0:36:19.910 --> 0:36:21.290 in their body that they were like, how did you 0:36:21.320 --> 0:36:23.690 know that? How did you know? I hit my head 0:36:23.690 --> 0:36:27.620 when I was around eight. Like things like that. And 0:36:27.650 --> 0:36:30.260 it felt like it was validating. I was like, okay, great. 0:36:30.260 --> 0:36:32.029 I get to help these people. I get to tell 0:36:32.030 --> 0:36:35.720 them about themselves. I get to build them up. But 0:36:35.750 --> 0:36:39.049 it started to get so yucky. I started to feel 0:36:39.080 --> 0:36:43.160 pain in my body every day. If I didn't meditate, 0:36:43.160 --> 0:36:47.240 I was going to be overwhelmed by people's pain by 0:36:47.270 --> 0:36:49.969 going into any public space. So I tried to avoid 0:36:49.969 --> 0:36:51.980 public spaces if I could help it, unless if I 0:36:51.980 --> 0:36:56.000 was meditated or practicing in that. So I felt pain 0:36:56.000 --> 0:36:58.549 in my body, in any room that I walked into, 0:36:58.580 --> 0:37:02.330 except when I went to a small group for the 0:37:02.330 --> 0:37:06.589 first time. This was the strangest thing. So I wanted 0:37:06.590 --> 0:37:08.989 to try out this church. And so I sat down 0:37:08.989 --> 0:37:12.650 in the group and I felt around the room, and 0:37:12.650 --> 0:37:15.739 it was about half of the people that I spiritually 0:37:15.739 --> 0:37:20.060 could not feel at all. And there was another couple 0:37:20.090 --> 0:37:25.340 of people that I felt like if I practice extending 0:37:25.340 --> 0:37:28.970 my spiritual arm to feel pain in this room, I 0:37:28.969 --> 0:37:30.589 feel like my powers are going to get shut off. 0:37:30.590 --> 0:37:32.570 I feel like something bad is going to happen. And 0:37:32.570 --> 0:37:36.319 so I sat in a room of Christians looking at 0:37:36.350 --> 0:37:38.420 them like I was scared, and they probably looked at 0:37:38.420 --> 0:37:42.049 me a little scared too, honestly, because it was this 0:37:42.050 --> 0:37:46.009 strange world of me living in a kingdom of darkness, 0:37:46.010 --> 0:37:49.310 thinking that I knew about the kingdom of heaven in 0:37:49.340 --> 0:37:52.680 that world. And yet I couldn't understand those people. And 0:37:52.680 --> 0:37:55.020 I think they were wearing the armor of God. I 0:37:55.020 --> 0:37:57.930 want to throw in something encouraging, too, that while we 0:37:57.930 --> 0:38:00.779 were still sinners, Christ died for us, even when we 0:38:00.780 --> 0:38:03.030 fall short of the glory of God. I think about 0:38:03.030 --> 0:38:04.710 when I walked into that small group. I don't know 0:38:04.710 --> 0:38:07.080 how many people like prayed up before they went to 0:38:07.110 --> 0:38:11.040 small group, but there was still a covering upon them 0:38:11.040 --> 0:38:12.840 because they walk with God. 0:38:12.870 --> 0:38:16.080 Ken Weatherford, our guest right now from the kingdom of 0:38:16.080 --> 0:38:19.410 darkness to the Kingdom of Light, the rest of her 0:38:19.410 --> 0:38:20.759 story coming up. 0:38:21.270 --> 0:38:24.690 This is Carolyn Crew on Moody Radio. 0:38:24.750 --> 0:38:28.859 So what is that one thing that's holding you back? 0:38:29.010 --> 0:38:33.030 For our guest right now, it was a need to control. 0:38:33.030 --> 0:38:35.700 It was coming out of a bad breakup. And it was. 0:38:35.700 --> 0:38:38.610 Instead of turning to God, the God of her youth, 0:38:38.610 --> 0:38:40.890 the God that she learned about from her parents, she 0:38:40.890 --> 0:38:44.339 turned to the world of astrology and tarot card reading 0:38:44.340 --> 0:38:46.950 and all of these dark things that seemed so appealing 0:38:46.950 --> 0:38:49.930 at first. But things started to shift quickly. Take us 0:38:49.930 --> 0:38:52.839 back to this Bible study, which you decided to go to. 0:38:52.870 --> 0:38:54.970 You were in a room of Christians. You were used 0:38:54.969 --> 0:38:58.330 to being able to experience pain and all these different 0:38:58.330 --> 0:39:01.630 spiritual perceptions that you had because of the kingdom of darkness. 0:39:01.630 --> 0:39:04.060 But something was different this day. Tell us about it. 0:39:04.090 --> 0:39:07.540 Yeah. So when I went to this small group and 0:39:07.540 --> 0:39:11.740 I noticed that I couldn't feel their physical pain, I 0:39:11.739 --> 0:39:14.260 thought that was weird. And so I started to go 0:39:14.260 --> 0:39:17.860 to their church. And the first time that I went 0:39:17.860 --> 0:39:22.390 up for hands on prayer, somebody prayed for me and 0:39:22.390 --> 0:39:26.380 it was like I could breathe a full breath of 0:39:26.380 --> 0:39:30.399 air again. It was like fog was lifting. And if 0:39:30.400 --> 0:39:32.739 I could use the spiritual terms that I would use 0:39:32.739 --> 0:39:35.439 at the time, it was like a blue aura or 0:39:35.469 --> 0:39:37.989 like a shield, a bubble that covered me. And I 0:39:37.989 --> 0:39:40.210 remember when I got home, I looked around my apartment 0:39:40.210 --> 0:39:43.720 and it was like swirling fog was trying to get 0:39:43.719 --> 0:39:47.690 at me, but it couldn't touch me because I was protected. 0:39:47.690 --> 0:39:50.120 It was the coolest thing. God is so good. 0:39:50.150 --> 0:39:52.340 You know, you might be listening to this saying, this 0:39:52.340 --> 0:39:55.280 is something that I've never heard of. This is happening, 0:39:55.280 --> 0:39:58.399 and there's portals for this. A quick side note before 0:39:58.400 --> 0:40:00.020 we go on to more of your victory, I know 0:40:00.020 --> 0:40:03.620 you got a heart for people that are dabbling in darkness. 0:40:03.650 --> 0:40:06.650 What are some of the common portals that you know of, Ken, 0:40:06.650 --> 0:40:08.750 so that people can be on alert for even things 0:40:08.750 --> 0:40:11.060 like this in themselves or people they love? 0:40:11.090 --> 0:40:14.870 I think that if there's something that you felt hurt 0:40:14.870 --> 0:40:20.150 about and you've been seeking out answers, the spiritual community 0:40:20.150 --> 0:40:25.520 will only give you more hopelessness as you walk down. 0:40:25.520 --> 0:40:29.120 Because I remember going to get a reading where somebody 0:40:29.120 --> 0:40:32.930 could read candle wax and they could read about my ancestry, 0:40:32.930 --> 0:40:37.549 and it left me with more anxiousness, but I thought 0:40:37.550 --> 0:40:39.200 I was prepared. I was like, okay, great, I'm walking 0:40:39.200 --> 0:40:42.739 away more prepared, I know more. But when we're walking 0:40:42.739 --> 0:40:47.000 with God, we cast our anxieties upon him because he 0:40:47.000 --> 0:40:50.689 cares for us, and so we can actually walk through 0:40:50.690 --> 0:40:53.989 and walk forward with the next trial that comes if 0:40:54.020 --> 0:40:57.140 we're Christians or not, Christians. When we walk toward that 0:40:57.140 --> 0:41:01.100 next trial, we have comfort in walking in God. When 0:41:01.100 --> 0:41:04.340 we abide in him, he gives us peace and hope. 0:41:04.370 --> 0:41:07.370 Ken, when did you come to a breaking point where 0:41:07.370 --> 0:41:11.060 you realized, this is this is getting really dark and 0:41:11.060 --> 0:41:12.740 and I'm out? 0:41:13.160 --> 0:41:18.469 It was an interesting thing. I went to church and 0:41:18.500 --> 0:41:22.879 it was a class on freedom. And again, somebody prayed 0:41:22.880 --> 0:41:25.520 for me. It was hands on prayer. And there was 0:41:25.520 --> 0:41:29.000 something that switched within me that I, I did not 0:41:29.000 --> 0:41:31.790 have the words for. And I really just kind of 0:41:31.820 --> 0:41:34.040 sat zonked for a bit. I was like, I have 0:41:34.040 --> 0:41:37.100 no words to describe what's happening in me. But when 0:41:37.100 --> 0:41:39.590 I got home, it was just me and the apartment 0:41:39.590 --> 0:41:43.190 and I started washing dishes. There were statues and idols 0:41:43.190 --> 0:41:46.620 all around the apartment and rocks and sage burning and incense. 0:41:46.650 --> 0:41:50.760 I was standing at the sink washing dishes and it 0:41:50.760 --> 0:41:54.989 was slowly feeling like my head was so loud. I 0:41:54.989 --> 0:41:57.720 was starting to feel angry, and then I was like, 0:41:57.750 --> 0:42:00.569 that's it. I put down the dishes and I walked 0:42:00.600 --> 0:42:03.330 to my room, and before I really knew what was happening, 0:42:03.330 --> 0:42:06.270 I was throwing away tarot cards and I was six 0:42:06.270 --> 0:42:09.750 decks in when I had stopped and realized that my 0:42:09.750 --> 0:42:14.700 life has been changed forever by God. And after that 0:42:14.700 --> 0:42:19.350 brief pause, I continued to get more things thrown in boxes. 0:42:19.350 --> 0:42:21.839 I filled up a box as much as I could, 0:42:21.840 --> 0:42:25.950 and I kept going. And I just kept going. And 0:42:25.950 --> 0:42:29.489 I had one moment where I had my my birth 0:42:29.489 --> 0:42:32.310 chart of where the stars were when I was born, 0:42:32.310 --> 0:42:36.540 and I took it out of the frame, and I 0:42:36.540 --> 0:42:39.360 looked at it and I started to tear up a 0:42:39.360 --> 0:42:41.400 little bit, and I knew I couldn't keep it anymore. 0:42:41.400 --> 0:42:44.410 And so I looked away, ready to tear it, and 0:42:44.410 --> 0:42:46.960 I just felt prompted, like, no, I need you to 0:42:46.989 --> 0:42:50.860 see that you are tearing this up because your identity 0:42:50.860 --> 0:42:53.080 is in me and not the stars. And so I 0:42:53.080 --> 0:42:55.330 ripped up the birth chart of where the stars were 0:42:55.330 --> 0:42:57.910 on the day that I was born. My identity is 0:42:57.910 --> 0:43:01.660 in Christ. It is not in the stars. 0:43:01.690 --> 0:43:02.320 Beautiful. 0:43:02.320 --> 0:43:05.710 So I threw away all the spiritual modalities. And then 0:43:05.739 --> 0:43:07.450 my small group showed up to help me move out 0:43:07.450 --> 0:43:10.870 of that apartment. I moved into a new apartment in 0:43:10.870 --> 0:43:13.600 less than a week. I moved into a three bedroom 0:43:13.600 --> 0:43:16.299 because I felt like God had a reason for me 0:43:16.300 --> 0:43:18.160 to be there. I'm still in that three bedroom. I 0:43:18.160 --> 0:43:20.770 have two roommates now that both believe in Jesus. It's 0:43:20.770 --> 0:43:23.259 so cool. But when I moved out of that first apartment, 0:43:23.260 --> 0:43:26.890 I left behind the couch, the TV and tables. I 0:43:26.920 --> 0:43:29.290 left my wardrobe, which I looked back at a receipt 0:43:29.290 --> 0:43:32.710 and it's like over $1,200. It was things that I 0:43:32.710 --> 0:43:35.380 was like, I don't want to carry anything with me 0:43:35.380 --> 0:43:38.770 if it will not bring me peace. And even when 0:43:38.770 --> 0:43:40.810 I moved into the new apartment and I still, you know, 0:43:40.840 --> 0:43:43.450 my small group, they helped me move some some things 0:43:43.450 --> 0:43:48.130 like books and clothes and these things I still felt like, no, no, I, 0:43:48.130 --> 0:43:51.190 I really need a new life in Christ. And this 0:43:51.190 --> 0:43:54.070 was McKenzie's decision. I prayed with God, and it felt 0:43:54.070 --> 0:43:56.049 like the right thing for me to do was to 0:43:56.080 --> 0:44:00.879 throw away my clothes. And then literally my sister in law, 0:44:00.880 --> 0:44:03.100 who did not know what was going on at the time, 0:44:03.100 --> 0:44:05.650 like had a duffel bag of clothes and was like, hi, 0:44:05.650 --> 0:44:07.569 I'm about to donate these. Do you want to go 0:44:07.570 --> 0:44:10.870 through this? And guys clothes have like never fit when 0:44:10.870 --> 0:44:13.630 it comes to donations like it was. That in itself 0:44:13.630 --> 0:44:18.700 was a miracle and I just really material possessions do 0:44:18.700 --> 0:44:22.120 not hold the weight that they had at that time. 0:44:22.150 --> 0:44:24.549 Set your minds on things that are above, not on 0:44:24.550 --> 0:44:25.870 things that are of this earth. 0:44:25.900 --> 0:44:30.610 This is amazing. Colossians three guys. Kenz Weatherford, our guest 0:44:30.610 --> 0:44:34.630 right now and this is speaking for some of you, 0:44:34.660 --> 0:44:39.799 some sensitivity and maybe freedom is calling your name today. Kenz, 0:44:39.800 --> 0:44:42.440 what do you say to the person that has been 0:44:42.440 --> 0:44:47.000 really dabbling on the dark side, looking for power? I'm 0:44:47.000 --> 0:44:50.000 fed up with brokenness in their life. And they they 0:44:50.030 --> 0:44:53.509 buy their own strength and by their own will they said, 0:44:53.510 --> 0:44:56.480 I'm not going to let pain happen to me again. 0:44:56.480 --> 0:44:58.250 What do you say to them today? 0:44:58.340 --> 0:45:05.509 The power of God is incomparable to the spirits that 0:45:05.510 --> 0:45:09.380 we partner with. Any spirit that I ask any medium, 0:45:09.380 --> 0:45:17.089 even myself. There is no power that is more comforting, 0:45:17.090 --> 0:45:21.379 more true, more secure than the power and the presence 0:45:21.380 --> 0:45:27.200 of God Almighty. He loves you. He really, really does 0:45:27.200 --> 0:45:30.350 love you, and you can share your heart with him 0:45:30.680 --> 0:45:32.360 and just see what he says. 0:45:33.469 --> 0:45:36.450 So I think people want to know, what's Kenz Ken's 0:45:36.450 --> 0:45:40.140 Weatherford do today? What's an average day look like for 0:45:40.140 --> 0:45:41.460 Ken's Weatherford? 0:45:42.690 --> 0:45:46.140 Um, well, uh, I'm here at Moody Radio. I work 0:45:46.140 --> 0:45:50.489 in promotions and social media, but an average an average 0:45:50.489 --> 0:45:53.670 day today. So I'm about two years in now, if 0:45:53.700 --> 0:45:55.260 you can believe it. A little over two years of 0:45:55.260 --> 0:46:00.270 walking with God. And I'm finding that trials are still coming. 0:46:00.270 --> 0:46:02.160 And I'm like, well, I thought that that was supposed 0:46:02.160 --> 0:46:05.160 to end when I gave my life to Jesus, but 0:46:05.160 --> 0:46:10.530 that's still information. Yeah. And I'm I'm realizing that when 0:46:10.530 --> 0:46:14.550 I sit and I talk with God, he really wants 0:46:14.550 --> 0:46:18.810 to know my heart and man, he really is faithful 0:46:18.810 --> 0:46:21.840 when I'm unfaithful. And I'm realizing when I look back 0:46:21.840 --> 0:46:24.150 at my history, it wasn't just those three years that 0:46:24.150 --> 0:46:27.150 I was practicing astrology and fortune telling that I wasn't 0:46:27.150 --> 0:46:30.360 following God. Like, there's been times way before that that 0:46:30.360 --> 0:46:33.180 I was not a perfect person, and I didn't see 0:46:33.180 --> 0:46:35.420 that before I thought that I was I thought that 0:46:35.420 --> 0:46:38.270 I was walking as best as I could. But I'm 0:46:38.270 --> 0:46:42.350 realizing that God has been faithful my entire life, and 0:46:42.350 --> 0:46:44.390 when I take time to sit with him, he really 0:46:44.390 --> 0:46:46.220 offers true peace and comfort. 0:46:46.250 --> 0:46:51.770 Kenz, we love you. You are inspiring. You are radiant. 0:46:51.770 --> 0:46:56.660 And what's amazing is you are a new creation. The 0:46:56.660 --> 0:47:01.160 old has gone, the new has come. You are that 0:47:01.160 --> 0:47:03.890 girl and we're proud of you. You know, as you're 0:47:03.890 --> 0:47:07.370 listening right now, you might be saying, all right, how 0:47:07.370 --> 0:47:10.460 in the world do we conquer this stuff? You know, 0:47:10.489 --> 0:47:16.279 our heart aches for whatever kind of deception you've bought into, 0:47:16.310 --> 0:47:19.760 no matter what it is. And some of them manifest 0:47:19.760 --> 0:47:24.500 themselves in these dark, spiritual ways. Some of them cloak 0:47:24.530 --> 0:47:26.900 themselves in everyday life. Right, Allie? 0:47:26.930 --> 0:47:31.759 Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I'm seeing more of this introduced 0:47:31.760 --> 0:47:34.540 in spaces where it wouldn't have been where. And I 0:47:34.540 --> 0:47:37.300 think there's an allure, even for the Christ follower to 0:47:37.330 --> 0:47:41.320 start to dabble in things that promise a little bit 0:47:41.320 --> 0:47:43.989 of protection or a little bit of deliverance. And I 0:47:43.989 --> 0:47:47.319 think we have to be so on guard that we 0:47:47.320 --> 0:47:51.400 don't invite darkness into our home, into our hearts and 0:47:51.400 --> 0:47:55.000 to our minds, whether it's through. And I don't want 0:47:55.030 --> 0:47:58.060 to start sounding legalistic, but we need to be on 0:47:58.060 --> 0:48:00.580 guard for ourselves and for our children, that we are 0:48:00.580 --> 0:48:03.700 not opening the door to the things of darkness when 0:48:03.700 --> 0:48:06.100 we are called into the kingdom of light. 0:48:06.130 --> 0:48:09.610 The one thing I'd add to that is there is nothing. 0:48:09.610 --> 0:48:12.310 We don't want you paralyzed with fear. Like, oh, what's 0:48:12.310 --> 0:48:16.780 spooky here? What's spooky there? This is as practical as. 0:48:16.810 --> 0:48:21.220 All right. Anything that is leading me away from God 0:48:21.250 --> 0:48:23.020 is clearly not his will. 0:48:23.050 --> 0:48:23.770 Yes. 0:48:23.770 --> 0:48:26.980 Those things that are leading me to God and His 0:48:26.980 --> 0:48:30.790 glory are his will. Stay in that wheelhouse. You know, 0:48:30.790 --> 0:48:33.049 I don't know what it is you're battling and what's 0:48:33.050 --> 0:48:35.600 defeating you today. But I know this. We've got a 0:48:35.630 --> 0:48:38.870 God who will make you more than a conqueror through 0:48:38.870 --> 0:48:41.899 Christ Jesus. That's the hope that we have. 0:48:42.140 --> 0:48:45.530 You're listening to Kerlin Crewe on Moody Radio. 0:48:45.560 --> 0:48:49.700 You know, you might be thinking, I don't know if 0:48:49.700 --> 0:48:53.420 I can be made new. And that's a fair question. 0:48:54.200 --> 0:48:56.750 You know, you've seen maybe in the end zone of 0:48:56.750 --> 0:48:59.149 big games, they still put them up. Big old boards. 0:48:59.150 --> 0:49:02.930 Reader boards are born again. You must be born again. 0:49:03.770 --> 0:49:06.290 And a lot of people wonder, well, what does that mean? 0:49:06.320 --> 0:49:08.870 What does it mean to be born again? What's it mean? 0:49:08.930 --> 0:49:13.370 Mean to be made new. How can God make me new? 0:49:13.400 --> 0:49:17.900 How can that possibly happen? There's a teaching of Jesus 0:49:17.900 --> 0:49:22.640 that's found in Matthew 11 that's incredibly profound. And in 0:49:22.640 --> 0:49:26.240 one little portion it's cited by Matthew himself. He says 0:49:26.239 --> 0:49:29.450 that Jesus spoke. He said, come to me, all who 0:49:29.460 --> 0:49:32.100 are weary and are heavy laden. And I'm going to 0:49:32.100 --> 0:49:35.430 give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for you 0:49:35.460 --> 0:49:39.000 will learn from me. I am gentle and humble in heart, 0:49:39.000 --> 0:49:41.790 and you will find rest for your soul. And there's 0:49:41.790 --> 0:49:45.840 some souls that are really tired listening this morning, and 0:49:45.840 --> 0:49:48.570 I want to give you some incredible hope this morning. 0:49:49.230 --> 0:49:53.129 The way you come under the yoke of God is 0:49:53.130 --> 0:49:56.460 found by just looking back a few verses before him 0:49:56.460 --> 0:50:01.080 saying this, and he was speaking to a couple of 0:50:01.080 --> 0:50:06.149 cities in the northern reaches of Israel. And what he 0:50:06.150 --> 0:50:11.460 said was, man, if I'd done these miracles up in 0:50:11.460 --> 0:50:17.220 Chorazin or Tyre and Sidon, excuse me like I've done 0:50:17.219 --> 0:50:22.739 for you, Chorazin and Capernaum, they would have repented. And 0:50:22.739 --> 0:50:26.370 you got to ask the question, well, what's God's goal? 0:50:26.400 --> 0:50:29.500 To show that he's got power. No, it's for you 0:50:29.500 --> 0:50:33.310 to experience it. And there's one way to do that. Repentance. 0:50:34.000 --> 0:50:38.200 You see, we're born going our own way. And Jesus says, 0:50:38.200 --> 0:50:41.560 come to me. What does that require? Turning around, repenting 0:50:41.590 --> 0:50:43.989 of your sin and saying, alright, I'm going to give 0:50:43.989 --> 0:50:48.130 you my heavy yoke. I've been carrying it way too long. 0:50:48.790 --> 0:50:52.180 As much as we want to believe that maybe going 0:50:52.210 --> 0:50:54.370 to church can set us free, there's a lot of 0:50:54.370 --> 0:50:57.100 well-meaning people that have gone to church and never found 0:50:57.100 --> 0:50:59.710 freedom from that weight that they're carrying around. It's just 0:50:59.710 --> 0:51:03.670 a reality, guys. We've all experienced that. I think all 0:51:03.670 --> 0:51:05.950 of us in this room. Yep. We did. We've all 0:51:05.950 --> 0:51:09.490 experienced a long season for some of us, some of 0:51:09.489 --> 0:51:12.310 us shorter where we went to church, but we hadn't 0:51:12.310 --> 0:51:16.810 released that weight that we were carrying by repenting, coming 0:51:16.840 --> 0:51:22.420 to Jesus and taking on his yoke. Repentance sounds so rough, 0:51:22.420 --> 0:51:25.750 but it's really the turning around and turning away from 0:51:25.750 --> 0:51:29.740 a life of sin and shame and surrendering all to 0:51:29.770 --> 0:51:34.600 Jesus Christ. And my heart, passion for you is to 0:51:34.630 --> 0:51:38.290 come as you are and be changed like you never 0:51:38.290 --> 0:51:43.840 could ever be or ever imagined before. It's repentance, and 0:51:43.840 --> 0:51:45.520 I'm going to pray for you in a moment here. 0:51:45.520 --> 0:51:50.200 But this born again or this all things new experience 0:51:50.230 --> 0:51:54.220 is really about you surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. 0:51:54.219 --> 0:51:57.340 Come to him. So I invite you to come to him. 0:51:58.630 --> 0:52:01.420 I want to urge you. Don't let pride hold you back. 0:52:01.450 --> 0:52:04.210 I don't know if you're going to get this opportunity 0:52:04.210 --> 0:52:07.090 again in your life. We don't know what today holds, 0:52:07.090 --> 0:52:11.950 let alone tomorrow. But we do know that God holds 0:52:11.950 --> 0:52:16.000 out before you today a light yoke to come under it, 0:52:16.030 --> 0:52:21.670 to be a friend of God, all of us, all 0:52:21.670 --> 0:52:24.920 of us in studio here, and A whole lot of 0:52:24.920 --> 0:52:30.109 people listening came to that point where they said, I'm done. 0:52:31.040 --> 0:52:36.980 I surrender. I repent. I'm turning around. And that acknowledgement 0:52:36.980 --> 0:52:39.170 that you've missed the mark, that you're a sinner and 0:52:39.170 --> 0:52:41.360 you need someone to save you and you're carrying a 0:52:41.360 --> 0:52:44.900 load you can't carry anymore. That can be a crushing moment. 0:52:44.900 --> 0:52:46.970 But what's on the other side of that is this 0:52:46.969 --> 0:52:53.510 incredible life in Jesus Christ. It's not without pain. It's 0:52:53.510 --> 0:52:57.800 not without challenges. It's not without tears. But, man, it's 0:52:57.800 --> 0:53:01.070 filled with hope. And you'll know that you've touched on 0:53:01.070 --> 0:53:03.830 this friendship with God and being yoked up with Jesus. 0:53:03.830 --> 0:53:06.830 Because in a moment, that heavy weight will be thrown 0:53:06.860 --> 0:53:11.570 off you. And in the spiritual realm, you will realize, 0:53:11.570 --> 0:53:15.530 oh my goodness, I'm a friend of God. So I 0:53:15.530 --> 0:53:18.229 just urge you, wherever you are across this nation or 0:53:18.230 --> 0:53:21.860 the world or in Canada. I just urge you right now, 0:53:21.860 --> 0:53:24.600 today is the day of salvation. Today is the day 0:53:24.600 --> 0:53:27.870 when God can make you born again. And I just 0:53:27.870 --> 0:53:32.370 want to ask you three questions here this morning. Three questions. 0:53:32.370 --> 0:53:37.980 Real simple. Number one, are you done yet? Are you done? 0:53:38.640 --> 0:53:43.380 Is today the day that you're done? Today. The day 0:53:43.380 --> 0:53:47.580 that you're done. Good. Are you willing to admit I'm 0:53:47.580 --> 0:53:51.690 a sinner? I've been missing the mark. I've been wandering 0:53:51.690 --> 0:53:55.950 my own path. It's been leading nowhere. You might have 0:53:55.950 --> 0:53:58.530 been in church. Don't. Don't worry, don't. Don't even think 0:53:58.530 --> 0:54:01.650 about that. It's not about where you're physically located. It's 0:54:01.650 --> 0:54:06.150 about where you're spiritually located. So are you done in? 0:54:06.150 --> 0:54:08.940 Are you willing to admit I'm a sinner and I 0:54:08.940 --> 0:54:11.400 need someone to save my life and take this weight 0:54:11.400 --> 0:54:14.040 from me today? And I've never before done this. But 0:54:14.040 --> 0:54:18.150 today I'm repenting. I'm turning around and I'm following Jesus Christ. 0:54:18.630 --> 0:54:22.110 If that's you, man, if that's you, young lady. If 0:54:22.110 --> 0:54:26.880 that's you, sir, and you've been in church many, many years. You, ma'am. 0:54:27.330 --> 0:54:32.100 No matter how long you have lived, God has not 0:54:32.100 --> 0:54:36.299 done offering real life to you today. So I'm going 0:54:36.330 --> 0:54:38.250 to pray with you right now. And then Allie's going 0:54:38.280 --> 0:54:41.489 to give you a link, because if you pray along 0:54:41.489 --> 0:54:43.589 with me, which is really just a cry of the heart, 0:54:43.590 --> 0:54:47.880 there's nothing magical about this prayer, but there's something incredibly 0:54:47.880 --> 0:54:52.110 transformational about this prayer. And if you join us in this, 0:54:52.140 --> 0:54:55.109 we're going to help you because you've got new legs 0:54:55.110 --> 0:54:57.870 under you, you've got new feet because you're going a 0:54:57.870 --> 0:55:00.930 new direction, and you've got the light yoke of Jesus 0:55:00.930 --> 0:55:04.710 who set you free from that thing that's been killing you. 0:55:04.860 --> 0:55:07.920 Let me pray. Father, thank you for this person or 0:55:07.920 --> 0:55:11.580 persons who's come here today. And this is their time, 0:55:11.580 --> 0:55:14.729 isn't it? God, you you knew that they needed you 0:55:14.760 --> 0:55:18.239 today and you brought them here. What a beautiful thing 0:55:18.850 --> 0:55:22.450 You're pulling down all these blinders and you're letting people 0:55:22.450 --> 0:55:25.299 see exactly what they need to see about themselves. And 0:55:25.300 --> 0:55:29.049 now there's full surrender. So, Lord, we just pray. And 0:55:29.050 --> 0:55:34.480 I want you to say, God, I'm done. Good. And 0:55:34.480 --> 0:55:37.060 then just tell him, Jesus, I just confess to you 0:55:37.060 --> 0:55:39.399 I'm a sinner. I'm missing the mark in my life. 0:55:40.870 --> 0:55:45.850 I need a Savior. And today I repent, I turn around, 0:55:46.870 --> 0:55:50.290 I'm coming to Jesus. Today, for the first time in 0:55:50.290 --> 0:55:55.120 my life. I am finally giving it all to Jesus. 0:55:55.630 --> 0:55:59.500 Every bit of it. And Lord, I thank you for 0:55:59.500 --> 0:56:02.830 this person right now. What a sweet thing that they're 0:56:02.830 --> 0:56:06.790 not only a friend of God, but they are now 0:56:06.790 --> 0:56:09.969 friends with us at a whole new level, a whole 0:56:09.969 --> 0:56:14.020 new place in the spiritual realm. We are now brothers 0:56:14.020 --> 0:56:16.210 and sisters and what a sweet thing that is. And 0:56:16.210 --> 0:56:18.540 I give you thanks today. In the name of Jesus, 0:56:18.540 --> 0:56:20.190 I say it. Amen. 0:56:20.219 --> 0:56:20.759 Amen. 0:56:20.790 --> 0:56:22.290 Ali. We're helping, aren't we? 0:56:22.320 --> 0:56:26.489 Sister, if that's you. If today you are following Jesus, 0:56:26.489 --> 0:56:29.340 we have a resource for you. Just text the word 0:56:29.340 --> 0:56:34.170 new to 800 555, 78, 98. You're going to get 0:56:34.170 --> 0:56:37.050 a link. Click it, open it up. Read it through carefully. 0:56:37.050 --> 0:56:39.870 There's some hyperlinks in there as well. An opportunity for 0:56:39.870 --> 0:56:42.450 you to get a resource sent directly to your home. 0:56:42.450 --> 0:56:48.390 Just text the word new to 800 555 7898. New 0:56:48.390 --> 0:56:51.870 to (800) 555-7898. 0:56:51.900 --> 0:56:57.120 And if there is one, welcome. Because God knew that 0:56:57.120 --> 0:57:00.810 you'd be here today and we're just grateful. Our God 0:57:00.810 --> 0:57:03.930 is so alive. He's so at work and in the 0:57:03.930 --> 0:57:06.870 spiritual realm. He cuts through the fog of the earthly 0:57:06.870 --> 0:57:09.690 realm and he says, come to me. Your life is 0:57:09.690 --> 0:57:12.720 new and you've surrendered to him. Just text new to 0:57:12.750 --> 0:57:19.140 800 555, 7898. You're turning around and you are giving 0:57:19.140 --> 0:57:20.820 your life to Jesus today. 0:57:21.060 --> 0:57:24.240 He was sharing the gospel on the radio and then 0:57:24.240 --> 0:57:28.590 he got saved. Young thunders in the crew. It's Carl 0:57:28.590 --> 0:57:30.630 and crew on Moody Radio. 0:57:30.750 --> 0:57:34.290 When someone turns around and takes on the yoke of 0:57:34.290 --> 0:57:37.710 Jesus Christ man, it is something worth celebrating. We're grateful 0:57:37.710 --> 0:57:39.900 for all of you that have been transformed by the 0:57:39.900 --> 0:57:42.570 power of God. And you know what? We're grateful for 0:57:42.570 --> 0:57:45.900 all of you that are still wondering, can Christ really 0:57:45.900 --> 0:57:49.110 do this in me? And our appeal to you is 0:57:49.230 --> 0:57:52.530 it's it's never too late and it's never too soon 0:57:52.530 --> 0:57:53.790 to give your life to Jesus. 0:57:53.820 --> 0:57:56.040 And so we're so grateful for you. You know, my 0:57:56.040 --> 0:57:59.070 daughter goes to church a lot. She's in youth group 0:57:59.070 --> 0:58:01.530 all the time. So she goes, man, they're always they're 0:58:01.530 --> 0:58:03.780 always sharing the gospel. I feel like we're always having 0:58:03.780 --> 0:58:06.060 people get saved. And she was excited about it. But 0:58:06.060 --> 0:58:08.280 at the same time, she's like, I keep hearing the 0:58:08.310 --> 0:58:10.080 same thing every week. And I said, I want you 0:58:10.080 --> 0:58:12.510 to picture that each time you hear the gospel and 0:58:12.510 --> 0:58:15.960 someone raises a hand that it's like standing outside of 0:58:15.960 --> 0:58:18.810 a house that's burning, and the firefighter goes in and 0:58:18.990 --> 0:58:22.140 another one is brought out of the house. And so 0:58:22.140 --> 0:58:23.880 I told both of my kids, I said, don't get 0:58:23.910 --> 0:58:27.030 don't let that get old to you. That excitement that 0:58:27.030 --> 0:58:29.580 you have that another one was saved from the flames. 0:58:29.580 --> 0:58:32.100 Picture that every time you hear the gospel, maybe for 0:58:32.100 --> 0:58:34.770 the 10th or the hundredth time and someone else raises 0:58:34.800 --> 0:58:37.380 a hand. It is that crucial. 0:58:37.500 --> 0:58:42.060 Boom! Ali. That's right on. Yeah, that's. I never get 0:58:42.090 --> 0:58:47.130 tired of casting that net of hope, casting that line 0:58:47.130 --> 0:58:50.280 into the water of people that are drowning in sin. 0:58:50.370 --> 0:58:53.850 And what a great mercy of God. Even while we 0:58:53.850 --> 0:58:58.260 were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What an amazing thing. Never, 0:58:58.470 --> 0:59:02.880 never grow weary of the message of salvation and never 0:59:02.910 --> 0:59:07.350 grow weary in doing good. Remember what Jesus has set 0:59:07.350 --> 0:59:11.460 you free from. Yes, and go live like it today. Right, guys? 0:59:11.490 --> 0:59:12.270 Amen.