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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joelan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening

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Speaker 1: to the podcast, and thanks.

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Speaker 2: For supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to.

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Speaker 1: Have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, and favor filled.

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Speaker 1: God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well, God

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Speaker 1: bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes.

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Speaker 1: We love you, We know God has great things.

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Speaker 2: In store for you.

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Speaker 1: If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop

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Speaker 1: buy and be a part of one of our services.

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Speaker 1: I promise you this will make you feel right at home.

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Speaker 1: But thanks so much for tuning in. Thanks again for

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Speaker 1: coming out today. And I like to start with something funny.

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Speaker 1: And I heard about this young man. He was talking

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Speaker 1: to God and he said, God, what's a million years

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Speaker 1: like to you? God said, son, a million years to

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Speaker 1: me is like one second to you. He said, well, God,

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Speaker 1: what's a million dollars like to you? God said, a

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Speaker 1: million dollars to me is like one penny to you.

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Speaker 1: He thought about it, finally got his nerve up and said, God,

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Speaker 1: would you give me a penny?

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Speaker 2: God said just a second.

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Speaker 1: All right, hold up your bibles, say it like you

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Speaker 1: mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it

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Speaker 1: says I am. I have what it says I have.

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Speaker 1: I can do what it says I can do. Today

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Speaker 1: I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess.

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Speaker 1: My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will

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Speaker 1: never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you.

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Speaker 1: I want to talk to you today about overcoming discouragement.

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Speaker 1: One of the tests that we all have to face

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Speaker 1: in life on a regular basis is the test of

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Speaker 1: not getting discouraged. No matter how successful you are or

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Speaker 1: how many victories you've had in the past, sooner or

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Speaker 1: later there will be an opportunity to get discouraged. Now

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Speaker 1: I see too many people that have let life wear

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Speaker 1: them down. They used to have a spring in their step,

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Speaker 1: they used to go out each day with excitement. But

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Speaker 1: now they've allowed this heaviness to come on them, just

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Speaker 1: like a dark cloud.

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Speaker 2: It follows them everywhere they go.

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Speaker 1: And unless they learn this principle of how to pass

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Speaker 1: the discouragement test, it'll keep them from God's best. And

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Speaker 1: this is what happened to the people of Israel. They

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Speaker 1: were headed toward the Promised Land, but the scripture says

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Speaker 1: they became discouraged along the way. What's interesting is God

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Speaker 1: is the one that was leading them.

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Speaker 2: It's not that they weren't being led the right way.

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Speaker 1: The problem is they didn't handle the discouragement the right way.

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Speaker 1: And a lot of times we think, well, I'm discouraged

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Speaker 1: because of where I am. I'm discouraged because of these problems.

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Speaker 2: No, God is.

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Speaker 1: Directing our steps as well. He's given us the strength

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Speaker 1: to be where we are with a good attitude. When

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Speaker 1: that discouraging spirit comes knocking on the door, you don't

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Speaker 1: have to answer, just say no thanks. I'm going to

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Speaker 1: keep my joy. I know God is in control of

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Speaker 1: my life. He's going to get me to where I'm

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Speaker 1: supposed to be. It says they became discouraged along the way,

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Speaker 1: in other words, didn't happen all at once. Little by

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Speaker 1: little they got worn down. And they were good people

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Speaker 1: that loved the Lord. They'd seen great victories in the past.

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Speaker 1: Down deep, they knew they were headed toward the Promised Land,

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Speaker 1: but over time they lost their passion for life. Finally

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Speaker 1: they said, forget it, let's just go back to Egypt.

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Speaker 2: It's never going to work.

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Speaker 1: What happened they didn't pass the discouragement test. In life,

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Speaker 1: We're going to face all the same type of situations

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Speaker 1: on the way to our destiny.

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Speaker 2: There will be opposition.

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Speaker 1: It may take longer than we'd hoped. It may be

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Speaker 1: more difficult than we thought. It's easy to get discouraged

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Speaker 1: and think it's never going to work out. I'm tired

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Speaker 1: of believing for this child to turn around. I'm tired

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Speaker 1: of treating these people right that are treating me wrong.

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Speaker 1: I'm tired of tithing my income. Now you have to

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Speaker 1: realize on the other side of that discouragement is a

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Speaker 1: new level of your destiny. When you pass the test,

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Speaker 1: there will always be promotion. And if we're going to

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Speaker 1: become everything God's created us to be, we've got to

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Speaker 1: dig our heels in and say I have come too

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Speaker 1: far to stop now.

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Speaker 2: It may be tough, it may be.

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Speaker 1: Taking a long time. I may not understand it, but

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Speaker 1: I do know this. My God is still on the

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Speaker 1: throne and what he promised he will bring to pass.

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Speaker 1: You got to have a made up mind or resolve

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Speaker 1: that no matter what comes your way, no matter how

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Speaker 1: long it takes or impossible it looks, you are in

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Speaker 1: it for the long haul. You're not going to lose

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Speaker 1: your passing. You're going to pass these discouragement tests. You

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Speaker 1: may be in a difficult season right now. You have

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Speaker 1: plenty of reasons that you could be sour and live

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Speaker 1: down and discouraged. Perhaps you're struggling in your finances, or

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Speaker 1: you don't feel well physically. Maybe your relationship is giving

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Speaker 1: you trouble. It'd be easy to settle there and think,

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Speaker 1: you know what, forget it. It's not going to work

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Speaker 1: out now. God sent you here today to breathe new

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Speaker 1: life into your spirit. He's saying, where you are is

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Speaker 1: simply a test. If you will shake off the discouragement,

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Speaker 1: shake off the self pity, and get a fresh new

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Speaker 1: vision for your life, then where you are is not

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Speaker 1: where you're going to stay. It may be difficult, but

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Speaker 1: God has armed you with strength for every battle. It

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Speaker 1: may be taken a long time, but know this, you

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Speaker 1: are closer than you think. Your victory is already on

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Speaker 1: the way. Galatian six puts it like this, don't get

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Speaker 1: tired of doing what's right, for in due season you

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Speaker 1: will reap if you just don't give up. For many

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Speaker 1: of you, like the people of Israel, you are right

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Speaker 1: next door to your promised land. Your due season is

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Speaker 1: right around the corner. That breakthrough, that dream coming to pass,

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Speaker 1: meeting the right person, overcoming that obstacle. God has already

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Speaker 1: put it on his schedule. He's already set the time

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Speaker 1: and the date to make it happen. So now is

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Speaker 1: not the time to get discouraged. Now more than ever

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Speaker 1: is the time to be a believer. It's the time

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Speaker 1: to stay in faith. The scripture says, lift up your head,

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Speaker 1: and the King of Glory will come in. If you

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Speaker 1: want God to come in and show you his favor,

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Speaker 1: you got to lift up your head.

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Speaker 2: That's where your help comes from.

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Speaker 1: The Psalmist said, I don't look to the mountains for help.

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Speaker 1: I look to the God who made the mountains. We

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Speaker 1: cannot go through life looking down, thinking about our problems,

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Speaker 1: dwelling on how bad it is, reliving every negative thing

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Speaker 1: that's happened, and expect to have God's best. You got

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Speaker 1: to lift up your head, get a fresh new vision

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Speaker 1: for your life. There are greater victories in your future

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Speaker 1: than you have experienced in your past. But as long

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Speaker 1: as we're looking down wondering why it's not working and

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Speaker 1: why it's taking so long. That's going to keep us

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Speaker 1: from rising higher. Set in Psalm three that God is the.

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Speaker 2: Glory and the lifter of our heads.

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Speaker 1: Sometimes circumstances try to convince us to keep our heads down.

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Speaker 1: Got too many problems. I'm tired of dealing with it.

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Speaker 1: It's just not worth it.

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Speaker 2: Now.

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Speaker 1: God is saying, today, your head's been down long enough.

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Speaker 1: I'm the glory and the lifter of your head. You

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Speaker 1: know what that word glory means. It means favor. One

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Speaker 1: translation says heavy favor. The enemy tries to weigh us

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Speaker 1: down with heavy burdens, convince us to look down, stay

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Speaker 1: focused on our difficulties, and before long that discouragement is

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Speaker 1: like a heavy weight.

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Speaker 2: That we're dragging around.

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Speaker 1: But if you'll let God be the glory and the

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Speaker 1: lifter of your head and work with them to shake

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Speaker 1: off that discouragement, then the only thing that'll be heavy

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Speaker 1: on you is the favor of God.

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Speaker 2: Instead of being heavy with.

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Speaker 1: Discouragement and depression and burdens, you'll be heavy with joy,

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Speaker 1: heavy with favor, heavy with blessings, with victory. He is

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Speaker 1: the glory and the lifter of our heads. That means

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Speaker 1: when we can't lift our heads in our own strength.

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Speaker 1: When our circumstances have overwhelmed us, when the medical report

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Speaker 1: knocks the wind out of us, when a relationship hits

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Speaker 1: a major storm and we can't lift our head on

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Speaker 1: our own, that's when God will show up as the

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Speaker 1: glory and the lifter of our heads. You know what

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Speaker 1: God's doing today through my words.

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Speaker 2: He's lifting your heads.

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Speaker 1: He's breathing new life, new hope into your spirit. He's

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Speaker 1: saying there are brighter days up ahead. David experienced this

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Speaker 1: lifting power. He said in Psalm forty. God lifted me

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Speaker 1: out of a horrible pit and set my feet on

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Speaker 1: a rock and put a new song in my heart.

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Speaker 1: There's some lifting going on today. The creator of the

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Speaker 1: universe is saying, if you put your trust in me

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Speaker 1: and shake off the discouragement, then I'm going to lift

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Speaker 1: you to places that you could not get to on

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Speaker 1: your own. I'm gonna lift you out of trouble into victory.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna lift you out of sickness into health. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna lift you out of lack into abundance. Or how

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Speaker 1: about this, God will lift you out of unfair situations

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Speaker 1: and give your beauty for ashes in those times where

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Speaker 1: you feel like being discouraged, it's good to just look

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Speaker 1: up and say, Father, I want.

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Speaker 2: To thank you that you're the glory and the lifter

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Speaker 2: of my head.

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Speaker 1: Father, you said you'd put a new song in my heart.

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Speaker 1: You said you've armed me with strength for every battle.

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Speaker 1: So I'm not gonna drag around defeated and depressed. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna get my joy back and start expecting your favor.

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Speaker 1: That's what it says in Psalm thirty. Weeping may endure

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Speaker 1: for a night, but joy.

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Speaker 2: Is coming in the morning.

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Speaker 1: Think about this morning starts at twelve oh one am.

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Speaker 1: What's interesting is, even though it's a new morning at midnight,

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Speaker 1: it's still dark at one am, two am, three as four,

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Speaker 1: still dark. Doesn't look like anything's happening. No, stay in faith.

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Speaker 1: Joy is coming. You've entered into a new day. About

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Speaker 1: six or seven o'clock, you will suddenly see the sun

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Speaker 1: break forth over the horizon.

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Speaker 2: Things will start to brighten up.

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Speaker 1: In other words, business will increase, health will be restored,

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Speaker 1: dreams will come to pass. And in these discouraging seasons,

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Speaker 1: you got to remind yourself that the lifter of your head,

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Speaker 1: the most high God, has promised that joy is coming,

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Speaker 1: And just because it's dark doesn't mean it's not on

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Speaker 1: its way.

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Speaker 2: You've entered into a new day.

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Speaker 1: It's just a matter of time before you see the

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Speaker 1: sun break forth. But I see too many people that

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Speaker 1: have become discouraged along the way. They started out fine,

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Speaker 1: but they hit some setbacks, and instead of shaking it

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Speaker 1: off and having a new vision, they let life wear

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Speaker 1: them down and they lose their passion. They end up

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Speaker 1: settling for less than God's best. In the scripture, there's

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Speaker 1: a man like this.

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Speaker 2: We don't know his name.

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Speaker 1: He's simply called the man with the withered hand. That

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Speaker 1: withered hand represents how life can wear us down. When

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Speaker 1: something withers doesn't happen overnight.

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Speaker 2: It's a gradual process.

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Speaker 1: We've had people send us flowers before, and we take.

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Speaker 2: Them home and put them on our.

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Speaker 1: Kitchen table, and they're just as beautiful and colorful. They

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Speaker 1: look like a picture of life. But after a week

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Speaker 1: or two, little by little they start to wither. We

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Speaker 1: don't go in there and think, oh wow, look they're withering.

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Speaker 2: No, it's so slow of a process.

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Speaker 1: You can barely tell that they're losing a little color,

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Speaker 1: a little vibrancy, getting a little more dull. You can't

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Speaker 1: really tell it. But then after a few weeks they're

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Speaker 1: totally withered. If we're not careful, that's what can happen

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Speaker 1: to us in life. We start out passionate about our dreams,

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Speaker 1: we're excited about our marriage. We're going to do something

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Speaker 1: great in life. But then we hit some setbacks. Somebody

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Speaker 1: does us wrong, or we have a sickness that we

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Speaker 1: never thought we'd have to deal with. We make a mistake,

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Speaker 1: and now we're very.

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Speaker 2: Hard on ourselves.

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Speaker 1: We don't realize it, but little by little life has

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Speaker 1: withered us. We've lost our passion. And it's interesting what

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Speaker 1: Jesus said to the man. He didn't say, sir, I'm

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Speaker 1: sorry that you have a withered hand. I'm sorry that

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Speaker 1: life hasn't treated you fair. I'm sorry you can't do

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Speaker 1: what other people can do. No, Jesus asked him to

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Speaker 1: do something that almost could seem cruel, something that the

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Speaker 1: man had never done before. He looked at him and said, sir,

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Speaker 1: stretch forth your hand. The man had to make a decision.

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Speaker 1: Could he do what he had never done before? Don't

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Speaker 1: you know there was a battle taking place in his mind.

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Speaker 1: There were strongholds that had been there for years, that

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Speaker 1: had convinced him.

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Speaker 2: He would never get better.

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Speaker 1: He could have made plenty of excuses. Jesus, what do

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Speaker 1: you mean, I can't stretch out my hand. I was

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Speaker 1: born this way? Was it my fault? Life hasn't treated

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Speaker 1: me fair? No, this man must have been coming to life.

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Speaker 1: Would he knew he wasn't a victim, he was a victor.

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Speaker 1: He did not make any excuses. He dared to take

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Speaker 1: a step of faith, and he stretched forth his hand.

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Speaker 2: The scripture says, immediately he was made whole.

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Speaker 1: Life may have withered you in some area along the way.

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Speaker 1: You got discouraged, and now you've given up on the

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Speaker 1: dream of having a happy family, the dream of being

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Speaker 1: healthy and whole again, the dream of getting out of debt,

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Speaker 1: paying off your house. You've got plenty of excuses, Joel,

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Speaker 1: this is the way it's always been. I've made too

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Speaker 1: many mistakes. I come from the wrong family. No, those

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Speaker 1: are strongholds that will keep you from God's best. And

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Speaker 1: God is saying to us what he said to this man.

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Speaker 1: Stretch forth your hand.

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Speaker 2: That means believe.

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Speaker 1: You can go places that you've never been before. Stretch

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Speaker 1: into a new way of thinking, stretch into a bigger vision.

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Speaker 1: Where you are is not where God wants you to stay.

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Speaker 1: And just because it hasn't happened in the past doesn't

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Speaker 1: mean that it cannot happen in the future. If you'll

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Speaker 1: get in agreement with God and stretch forth your hands,

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Speaker 1: so to speak, then God has new seasons of promotion

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Speaker 1: and increase come in your way. One time, I was

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Speaker 1: in my backyard talking to a man that helps me

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Speaker 1: with my landscaping. Was the middle of wintertime, and the

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Speaker 1: grass was very brown. It looked really bad, like it

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Speaker 1: was totally dead. And I commented to the man about

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Speaker 1: how bad the grass looked and how dead it was.

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Speaker 1: He said, well, Joe, it doesn't look very good. But

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Speaker 1: the truth is the grass is not really dead. It's

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Speaker 1: just not in season. In the springtime, this same grass

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Speaker 1: will be just as lush and green as it can be.

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Speaker 1: That's the way it is in life. Sometimes our circumstances

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Speaker 1: look dead. May look like a dream is dead, a

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Speaker 1: marriage is dead, a promise is dead. You have to

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Speaker 1: realize it's not really dead, it's just not in season.

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Speaker 2: It's coming back.

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Speaker 1: New seasons of growth are coming, new health, new relationships,

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Speaker 1: new opportunities.

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Speaker 2: What am I saying?

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Speaker 1: Just because something looks dead, don't write it off. Our

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Speaker 1: God is a god of new beginnings, and when we

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Speaker 1: go through these disappointments, these setbacks, instead of getting all

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Speaker 1: down and discouraged and giving up, we should have the attitude.

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Speaker 1: May not look good, looks like it's over, but I

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Speaker 1: know the truth, it's not really dead.

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Speaker 2: It's just not in season.

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Speaker 1: I'm in winter time, but I know springtime is coming.

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Speaker 1: So I'm going to lift up my head and get

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Speaker 1: ready for the new things God is about to do.

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Speaker 1: If we're going to overcome discouragement, we've got to learn

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Speaker 1: how to transition into the different seasons of life. There's

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Speaker 1: a lady in the scripture named Naomi. She didn't do

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Speaker 1: this very well. She failed to realize that just because

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Speaker 1: a season is over doesn't mean that your life is over.

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Speaker 1: Often we want a certain season to last forever. That

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Speaker 1: may not be how God has it planned. We have

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Speaker 1: to be open enough, be willing to adapt and adjust

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Speaker 1: when these changes come, and not get bitter when something

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Speaker 1: happens that we don't like or we don't understand. Of course,

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Speaker 1: no one likes to go through changes or loss or disappointment,

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Speaker 1: but it's all a part of life. In those difficult seasons,

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Speaker 1: you have to remind yourself that God is still on

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Speaker 1: the throne. And even though the grass looks dead, it

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Speaker 1: doesn't mean that it's not going to be green once again.

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Speaker 1: And it's interesting the name Naomi actually means my joy.

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Speaker 1: So every time someone said hello Naomi, they were saying hello,

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Speaker 1: my joy, Good morning Naomi, good morning, my joy. Naomi

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Speaker 1: was going along just great. Life was good, the grass

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Speaker 1: was green. But over time she went through a series

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Speaker 1: of losses. Her husband died later her two sons were

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Speaker 1: killed in battle. Of course, it's difficult to go through

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Speaker 1: a loss, and there's a proper time for grieving, so

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Speaker 1: you have to make sure you don't let a season

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Speaker 1: of mourning turn into a lifetime of morning. Naomi made

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Speaker 1: the mistake of letting the bitterness, the discouragement get on

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Speaker 1: the inside. She didn't think the grass would ever be

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Speaker 1: green again, and she actually changed her name Tomorrow Mara

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Speaker 1: means sorrow. When somebody said hey Naomi, she said, don't

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Speaker 1: call me that. Don't you know what I've been through.

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Speaker 1: I don't have any joy, I don't have any hope,

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Speaker 1: call me by my new name, Maa. Now when they

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Speaker 1: said hello, Mara, they were reminding her of her pain

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Speaker 1: and misery. Her attitude was, all my dreams have been shattered.

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Speaker 1: I'm never going to be happy again. Just leave me

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Speaker 1: in my trouble and heartache. Now, when you go through

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Speaker 1: a loss, a disappointment, an unfair situation, you have to

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Speaker 1: make sure that you don't let life change your name.

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Speaker 1: I know people at one time they were happy, positive, hopeful,

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Speaker 1: but over time they've let life with them. They didn't

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Speaker 1: handle the different transitions into seasons well, and now they've

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Speaker 1: let life change their name. But here's how good God is.

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Speaker 1: If you'll get your joy back, if you'll shake off

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Speaker 1: the discouragement, if you'll lift up your head, you will

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Speaker 1: discover that just because a season is over, it does

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Speaker 1: not mean that your life is over. Naomi went through

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Speaker 1: all this loss and she moved back to her original

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Speaker 1: hometown with her daughter in law, Ruth. One day, Ruth

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Speaker 1: met a man, fell in love, and got married, and

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Speaker 1: eventually Ruth had this baby boy. By now, Naomi was

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Speaker 1: an old woman, way up there in years, but when

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Speaker 1: she saw that little baby boy, something lit up on

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Speaker 1: the inside. She felt a new sense of purpose, a

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Speaker 1: new sense of destiny. Now she was holding the baby,

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Speaker 1: something amazing happened. Milk begin to be produced in her body.

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Speaker 1: The scripture says, this older woman, way up in her

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Speaker 1: senior years, was.

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Speaker 2: Able to nurse the little baby.

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Speaker 1: Naomi was just as happy and fulfilled as can be.

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Speaker 2: What am I saying?

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Speaker 1: Just because a good season is over doesn't mean God

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Speaker 1: doesn't have another good season coming. You wouldn't be alive

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Speaker 1: if God didn't have a purpose for you. You may

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Speaker 1: have been through a disappointment. A good season may be over,

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Speaker 1: but if you'll shake it off and keep moving forward,

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Speaker 1: you're going to come into another good season. God is

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Speaker 1: going to reveal to you a new purpose, with new friends,

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Speaker 1: with new opportunities. Once you discover your purpose, your milk

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Speaker 1: will begin to flow. It doesn't matter if you're thirty,

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Speaker 1: or you're fifty, or you're ninety five. God still has

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Speaker 1: something for you to do. But some of you are

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Speaker 1: here today kind of like Naomi. You've gone through a

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Speaker 1: great disappointment. Something unfair has happened. You basically thought, you

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Speaker 1: know what I'm done. I'm just gonna go home, give

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Speaker 1: up on life, give up on my family, give up

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Speaker 1: on my dreams. No, understand there's another Ruth out.

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Speaker 2: There that needs you.

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Speaker 1: There's a baby boy that's counting on you. Don't let

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Speaker 1: life change your name. Get your enthusiasm back. You wouldn't

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Speaker 1: be breathing unless God had an assignment for you to do,

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Speaker 1: something for you to accomplish. Somebody needs what you have

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Speaker 1: heard this young lady talking. She'd been in an accident

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Speaker 1: where she lost both of her legs, and she was

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Speaker 1: so distraught and so depressed. She didn't think she had

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Speaker 1: any reason to be alive. She didn't see anything good

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Speaker 1: in her future. But I love what she did. She

388
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Speaker 1: would quote Jeremiah twenty nine to eleven and say, God,

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Speaker 1: even though I don't see any reason for me to

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Speaker 1: be alive, I know you have a plan for my life,

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Speaker 1: and I know it's good to give me a future

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Speaker 1: and a hope. And if you ever find yourself overwhelmed

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Speaker 1: and you don't see anything good in your future, I

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Speaker 1: would encourage it to do like her and just get

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Speaker 1: in agreement with God and say, God, I know you've

396
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Speaker 1: got a good plan, You've got a purpose for me,

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Speaker 1: You've got brighter days up ahead. Sometimes when we're in

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Speaker 1: one of these discouraging tests. It seems like God is silent.

399
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Speaker 1: We pray and we don't hear anything. We read the

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Speaker 1: scripture and feels like God is a million miles away.

401
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Speaker 1: Think about this when you're in school taking a test.

402
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Speaker 2: The teacher never talks during the test.

403
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Speaker 1: They stand up at the front of the room very quietly,

404
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,040
Speaker 1: just watching all the students take in the exam. If

405
00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,480
Speaker 1: the test is on Friday, during the week, they will talk.

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Speaker 1: During the week.

407
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:42,840
Speaker 2: They'll get you prepared.

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Speaker 1: They'll show you what to study, explain the concepts, and

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Speaker 1: make sure you know exactly what's on the exam. Monday

410
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,679
Speaker 1: through Thursday, they'll be there to answer all the questions,

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Speaker 1: make sure that you understand.

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Speaker 2: They'll even stay after school if they need to.

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Speaker 1: They'll go overboard to make sure that you're prepared for Friday.

414
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,359
Speaker 1: But on Friday, during the test, the teacher will just

415
00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,680
Speaker 1: stand back very quietly and watch you take the exam.

416
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Speaker 1: They know that you have the information that you need.

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Speaker 1: They know you're prepared. You're ready. Now, all you've got

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Speaker 1: to do is put into practice what you've learned. Well

419
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,800
Speaker 1: in the same way with God, when it seems like

420
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Speaker 1: he's silent and we don't hear anything, we don't feel anything.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that God has left you. Doesn't mean

422
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Speaker 1: that God is not concerned. He's right there with you

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Speaker 1: during the test. The silence means that God has you prepared.

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Speaker 1: He wouldn't have given you the test unless he knew

425
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Speaker 1: you were ready. So often we think just the opposite

426
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Speaker 1: when God is silent, we think, oh, man, God's mad

427
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Speaker 1: at me.

428
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Speaker 2: I must have.

429
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Speaker 1: Been doing something wrong because I don't hear anything, I

430
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Speaker 1: don't feel anything. Now, God being silent is not a

431
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,760
Speaker 1: sign that he's forsaken you. It's a sign that he

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Speaker 1: has great confidence in you.

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Speaker 2: He knows you've got what it takes.

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Speaker 1: He knows you're gonna come through that test victoriously, or

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Speaker 1: he would not.

436
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,080
Speaker 2: Have permitted it. Now here's the key during the test.

437
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,119
Speaker 1: Don't get discouraged, fall apart, have a chip on your shoulder. No,

438
00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,480
Speaker 1: put into practice what you've learned. Stay in faith, keep

439
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,800
Speaker 1: being good to people, keep coming to church, keep blessing others,

440
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:24,800
Speaker 1: stay in that attitude of faith.

441
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:26,440
Speaker 2: If you do that, just like.

442
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,720
Speaker 1: Naomi, you're going to come into a new season of

443
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:30,320
Speaker 1: your life.

444
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:32,160
Speaker 2: Your milk will begin to flow.

445
00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:34,560
Speaker 1: In other words, God will bring things out of you

446
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,200
Speaker 1: that you didn't even know what's in you. He'll give

447
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,159
Speaker 1: you supernatural ability that'll take your places you've never dreamed of.

448
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,960
Speaker 1: And now I know right now, some of you are

449
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,080
Speaker 1: in this discouragement test. You feel the weight of the heaviness.

450
00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,840
Speaker 1: You're tired, you don't feel like fighting. Life is just

451
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,680
Speaker 1: about to wither you another notch.

452
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,880
Speaker 2: But today is a new day.

453
00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,879
Speaker 1: God is breathing new hope into your heart, new vision

454
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,800
Speaker 1: into your spirit. Now you've got to do your part

455
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:03,880
Speaker 1: and lift.

456
00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:04,359
Speaker 2: Up your head.

457
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,120
Speaker 1: Yes it may be difficult, but you've come too far

458
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:08,760
Speaker 1: to stop.

459
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:09,040
Speaker 2: Now.

460
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,240
Speaker 1: The grass may look dead, but you know the truth,

461
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,399
Speaker 1: it's not dead. It's just not in season. Springtime is coming.

462
00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,200
Speaker 1: New opportunities are in your future. If you will pass

463
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,600
Speaker 1: the discouragement test, you'll step into a new level of

464
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,879
Speaker 1: your destiny. Just like in school, when you pass the test,

465
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,280
Speaker 1: you graduate to the next level. You don't keep passing

466
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,639
Speaker 1: the test and stay in the fourth grade for twenty

467
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,960
Speaker 1: two years. Now you go to the fifth grade, to

468
00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 1: junior high, to high school to college. Same way with God.

469
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,160
Speaker 1: If you'll just keep shaking off the discouragement, shaking off

470
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:47,080
Speaker 1: the self pity being your best. Pressing forward, God will

471
00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,520
Speaker 1: keep taking you higher and higher, giving you more of

472
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:57,000
Speaker 1: his favor, bringing more opportunity, more fulfillment, more influence. And understand,

473
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 1: if the enemy can't keep you discourage, you have taken

474
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,960
Speaker 1: away one of his greatest weapons. When things don't go

475
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,840
Speaker 1: your way, and you should get negative, bitter, complaining down,

476
00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,760
Speaker 1: but instead you shake it off, You lift up your head.

477
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,560
Speaker 1: You put on a new attitude. You expect God's favor.

478
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,199
Speaker 1: You do that, and you'll give the enemy a nervous breakdown.

479
00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,000
Speaker 1: He doesn't know what to do with people like that.

480
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:27,240
Speaker 1: And here's the thing. You may have gotten discouraged along

481
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,320
Speaker 1: the way, but the good news is you can get

482
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,919
Speaker 1: encouraged along the way. Life may have withered you a

483
00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,359
Speaker 1: little bit, but God has a way of rejuvenating and

484
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,679
Speaker 1: restoring what looked dead. He's the glory and the lifter

485
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,080
Speaker 1: of our heads. By faith today, let him lift your head.

486
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,640
Speaker 1: Stop looking down, look up from where you are, get

487
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,040
Speaker 1: a fresh new vision. If you do that, God will

488
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 1: do what he promised David The're in Psalm forty. He'll

489
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,240
Speaker 1: lift you out of a pit. He'll set your feet

490
00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,760
Speaker 1: on a rock. He'll put a new song in your heart.

491
00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:04,240
Speaker 1: You won't drag through life defeated and depressed. No, you'll

492
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 1: soar through life full of joy, full of faith, full

493
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,920
Speaker 1: of victory. And I know some of you have struggled

494
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,600
Speaker 1: with discouragement, depression, heaviness. I want to speak words of

495
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,800
Speaker 1: faith over you today. I declare right now, in the

496
00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,880
Speaker 1: name of Jesus, that spirit of discouragement is broken off

497
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:27,240
Speaker 1: of your life. I declare that spirit of heaviness, that

498
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,080
Speaker 1: spirit of depression is broken off of you, off of

499
00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:35,080
Speaker 1: your family, off of your future. It will no longer

500
00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: have any effect on you. I declare it, and I

501
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,439
Speaker 1: believe it in the name of Jesus. And if you

502
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:46,520
Speaker 1: receive it, can you say him in today? We never

503
00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,560
Speaker 1: like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity

504
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,240
Speaker 1: to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you

505
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:56,359
Speaker 1: pray with me? Just say Lord, Jesus, I repent of

506
00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:02,159
Speaker 1: my sins, Come into my heart, wash me clean. I

507
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:05,800
Speaker 1: make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed

508
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:06,880
Speaker 1: that simple prayer, we.

509
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,080
Speaker 2: Believe you got born again.

510
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,520
Speaker 1: Get in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place.

511
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,119
Speaker 2: He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of.

512
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 1: This is my Bible. I am what it says I am,

513
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,080
Speaker 1: I have what it says I have. I can do this.

514
00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,040
Speaker 1: As the first Bible that my parents gave me I

515
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,040
Speaker 1: was six years old, they taught me the importance of

516
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,440
Speaker 1: believing what God says about you and letting that determine

517
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,320
Speaker 1: your self image, and how through the Scripture you can

518
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,879
Speaker 1: learn to handle challenges and pursue your dreams. Some people

519
00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,320
Speaker 1: tell me that the Bible's not practical for them.

520
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 2: How they don't understand it.

521
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,720
Speaker 1: We've created a new resource called how to Read Your

522
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,919
Speaker 1: Bible and Enjoy It. It provides twelve distinct lenses that

523
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,560
Speaker 1: will help you see the Bible with fresh eyes so

524
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,840
Speaker 1: you can discover the hidden treasures that increase your faith,

525
00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,560
Speaker 1: practical truths that will help you in your everyday life.

526
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,760
Speaker 1: When you tap into the power of God's word, there's

527
00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:03,439
Speaker 1: no limit to where He'll take you.

528
00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

529
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,240
Speaker 3: of any size to the ministry this month, Joel would

530
00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:13,440
Speaker 3: like to send you this inspiring new resource. Sometimes reading

531
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,000
Speaker 3: the Bible can feel confusing, out of touch, or even

532
00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,240
Speaker 3: produce more fear than faith. But now with this new resource,

533
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,320
Speaker 3: how to read your Bible and enjoy it. It will

534
00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,240
Speaker 3: make the Word of God come alive in new ways.

535
00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,320
Speaker 3: You'll discover fresh inspiration on every page of your Bible.

536
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,800
Speaker 3: The twelve lenses give you the power to see the

537
00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:38,320
Speaker 3: scripture in a whole new light. When you experience the

538
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,920
Speaker 3: right way to approach God's Word, it will ignite renewed

539
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 3: passion in your life.

540
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,360
Speaker 1: When you get God's Word down in you, it brings

541
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,920
Speaker 1: life and victory. This has a great Bible reading plan

542
00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,960
Speaker 1: plus introductions to each book. It'll help you enjoy reading

543
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,640
Speaker 1: the Bible. Thanks so much for being a part of

544
00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,280
Speaker 1: the ministry. Victoria and I pray for you and your

545
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 1: family and we appreciate your prayers and support. Remember you

546
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,720
Speaker 1: can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our

547
00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,120
Speaker 1: daily podcast, watch on YouTube, or we have a new

548
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,240
Speaker 1: joel Ostein television network twenty four hours a day, and

549
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 1: of course syrixxm as well. Until we see you next time,

550
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,200
Speaker 1: May the Lord bless you and keep you.

551
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,280
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of How to Read

552
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:27,440
Speaker 3: Your Bible and Enjoy It today. Visit Joelostein dot com

553
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,360
Speaker 3: or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel Call

554
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,800
Speaker 3: or click anytime, twenty four hours a day,