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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Jolan Victorium. Thanks so much for listening

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Speaker 1: to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We

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Speaker 1: believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive,

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

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Speaker 1: God bless you. It is always a joy to come

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Speaker 1: into your homes. We're believing that this is going to

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Speaker 1: be the best year of your life so far. We

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Speaker 1: pray for you. We speak God's blessings over you, so

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Speaker 1: I hope that you'll get that down on the inside

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Speaker 1: as well. But thanks so much for tuning in today.

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Speaker 1: I like to get started each week with something kind

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Speaker 1: of funny, and I heard about this older preacher. He

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Speaker 1: was very near death. He sent word for two of

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Speaker 1: his members, an I ours agent and a lawyer to

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Speaker 1: come to his house. When they arrived, he motioned for

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Speaker 1: them to sit on each side of the bed. The

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Speaker 1: men were very moved to be with the minister in

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Speaker 1: his final moments. Finally, the lawyer asked, Sir, why did

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Speaker 1: you choose both of us? The minister mustard up enough

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Speaker 1: strength say, Jesus died between two sinners, and that's how

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Speaker 1: I want to go all right. Hold up your Bible.

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Speaker 1: Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible.

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

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

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Speaker 1: I can do. Today I will be taught the word

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Speaker 1: of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my

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Speaker 1: heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name,

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Speaker 1: God bless you. I want to talk to you today

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Speaker 1: about not allowing the critical voices to steal the dream

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Speaker 1: out of your heart. If you're going to do anything

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Speaker 1: great in life, you're going to be criticized. People are

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Speaker 1: gonna talk, find fault, be judgmental. We've all had times

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Speaker 1: when somebody doesn't understand us, they don't accept us, and

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Speaker 1: we can feel the sting of that rejection. But our

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Speaker 1: job is not to try to win over all of

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Speaker 1: our critics and prove that we're right they're wrong. Our

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Speaker 1: job is to run our race focused on what God's

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Speaker 1: put in our heart and not allow the critics and

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Speaker 1: the naysayers to distract us. Now, I've found some people

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Speaker 1: have been through a lot of hurt in their own life.

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Speaker 1: The only way they know how to respond is out

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Speaker 1: of that hurt. It's just their nature to dish out criticism,

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Speaker 1: to be judgmental, to be a fault finder. But here's

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Speaker 1: the key. You can't let their messed up life poison

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Speaker 1: your life. They may be spewing out the bitterness, the criticism,

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Speaker 1: the rejection, but you've got to learn to just shake

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Speaker 1: that off. Don't let that poison get on the inside

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Speaker 1: of you. Friends, you are called to be an eagle,

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Speaker 1: to soar, You're called to do great things. But throughout life,

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Speaker 1: there will always be a few crows crowing at you.

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Speaker 1: There'll always be a few chickens pecking at you, trying

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Speaker 1: to bring you down. There'll even be a few hawks

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Speaker 1: here and there trying to argue with you, trying to

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Speaker 1: fight with you, trying to get you all distracted. What

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Speaker 1: you've got to do is learn to rise above that.

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Speaker 1: Do you know the chickens, the hawks, the crows, they

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Speaker 1: cannot live at the elevation that an eagle lives at.

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Speaker 1: There's been eagle spotted as high as thirty thousand feet

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Speaker 1: up where the big jets fly. When a crow is

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Speaker 1: pestering an eagle, even though the eagle is much bigger

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Speaker 1: and stronger and more powerful, the eagle doesn't fight with

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Speaker 1: the crow. He doesn't chase the crow around, thinking I'll

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Speaker 1: show you your little troublemaker. No, the eagle is much

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Speaker 1: smarter than that. When the crows pestering the eagle, the

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Speaker 1: eagle simply flies up higher. He knows the crow cannot

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Speaker 1: live at his altitude. He knows he doesn't have to fight,

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Speaker 1: so he just puts his wings out, he catches the

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Speaker 1: thermal winds, and before long, that old crow is nowhere

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Speaker 1: to be found. And the truth is, we all have

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Speaker 1: a few crows in our lives. Some of us have

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Speaker 1: a whole flock. Have people that are gonna gossip, try

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Speaker 1: to make you look bad, try to blow things out

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Speaker 1: of proportion. And if we're not careful, even though God's

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Speaker 1: created us as eagles, we'll sink down to their level,

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Speaker 1: start talking bad about them, start trying to argue, prove

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Speaker 1: that we're right. But that's just like that eagle chasing

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Speaker 1: around a chrow. What a waste of his time. Now

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Speaker 1: I'm asking us today to start rising up higher, start

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Speaker 1: overlooking offenses, start shaking things off. Don't spend all your

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Speaker 1: time trying to change your critics' mind. The way you

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Speaker 1: defeat them is by simply going up higher. In other words,

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Speaker 1: let your life do the talking. Let the way you live,

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Speaker 1: the integrity of your heart, the excellence of your work,

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Speaker 1: the kindness of your character, Let those things answer your critics.

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Speaker 1: Many times words are not even necessary. You want to

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Speaker 1: answer a critic, Stay peaceful even when they're talking about you.

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Speaker 1: Be respectful even when they're being disrespectful. Do your best

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Speaker 1: even when they're mocking you and making fun of you.

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Speaker 1: If you'll stay on the high road, time will always

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Speaker 1: answer your critics. In eighteen sixty five, Abraham Lincoln gave

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Speaker 1: his famous speech, the Gettysburg Address. The next day, the

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Speaker 1: Chicago Paper said it was one of the worst speeches

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Speaker 1: in history. They use words like shameful, silly, unintelligent, But

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Speaker 1: we know today the Gettysburg Address is regarded as one

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Speaker 1: of the most brilliant speeches of all time. See Time

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Speaker 1: answered his critics. Thomas Edison was ridiculed for trying to

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Speaker 1: invent a light bulb. He felled over a thousand times.

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Speaker 1: His critics had a heyday making fun of him laughing.

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Speaker 1: But toward the end of Edison's life, a reporter asked

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Speaker 1: him what he thought about all of his critics, Edison

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Speaker 1: didn't say a word. He simply walked over and flipped

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Speaker 1: on the light bulb. Enough said, let your actions do

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Speaker 1: the talking. Words are not always necessary. Even Jesus when

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Speaker 1: he was being criticized, when people were making false accusations,

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Speaker 1: what did he do? The scripture says he answered, not

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Speaker 1: a word. In other words, he rose above it. His

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Speaker 1: attitude was, my life will do the talking. Time, will

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Speaker 1: answer my critics. And see when somebody's talking about you

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Speaker 1: and being disrespectful, we have to make a decision. Am

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Speaker 1: I going to be a chicken and start talking bad

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Speaker 1: about them? Am I going to be a crow and

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Speaker 1: argue and try to prove that I'm right? Or am

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Speaker 1: I going to be an eagle and rise above it

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Speaker 1: and let my life answer my critics. There's something about

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Speaker 1: a person that's being talked about and criticized, but he

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Speaker 1: just keeps giving it his best, being promoted, seeing God's

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Speaker 1: blessings in favor. Even an athlete, think about. You can

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Speaker 1: criticize the guy, bad mouth them, say he's all washed up,

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Speaker 1: but then he goes out week after week, hits home runs,

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Speaker 1: makes game winning catches, plays like au superstar. He doesn't

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Speaker 1: have to answer his critics. He lets his actions defend himself.

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Speaker 1: The same way, we should not spend all of our

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Speaker 1: time trying to win our critics over. We should spend

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Speaker 1: that same time improving our own skills, bettering our own life.

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Speaker 1: I know when my father went to be with the

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Speaker 1: Lord and I first started ministering, I heard some people saying, well,

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Speaker 1: I don't really think Joel can preach. And the reason

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Speaker 1: I didn't argue is because I agreed with him. I

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Speaker 1: had never preached before. I didn't know how. But instead

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Speaker 1: of letting that insult me get me all discourage and ah,

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Speaker 1: they're right, I'm not too hot at this. No, I

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Speaker 1: spent that same time and energy studying, reading, praying, learning, practicing.

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Speaker 1: I haven't arrived, but I've grown from where I was

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Speaker 1: eight years ago. And if people are talking, if people

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Speaker 1: are being disrespectful and saying demeaning things about you, instead

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Speaker 1: of letting that get you upset and all soured, why

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Speaker 1: don't you just prove, work hard, develop your skills, be

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Speaker 1: the very best that you can be. We need to

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Speaker 1: let our actions answer our critics. Another important key is

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Speaker 1: don't let your critics keep you from taking a step

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Speaker 1: of faith. I know people that play it safe all

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Speaker 1: the time. They won't do what God has really put

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Speaker 1: in their heart because they're afraid somebody will talk. They're

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Speaker 1: afraid they'll be criticized, and they let the fear of

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Speaker 1: what people are gonna think keep them from stepping out.

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Speaker 1: We have to accept the fact that not everybody is

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Speaker 1: going to understand us. And when you have a big

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Speaker 1: dream for your life and you start pressing forward doing

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Speaker 1: something new, don't be surprised if you ruffle a few feathers.

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Speaker 1: If you get out of the box that your family

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Speaker 1: and friends are used to. They may not cheer you own.

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Speaker 1: Everybody may not be excited about your dreams. In fact,

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Speaker 1: some people are gonna get jealous. Who does he think

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Speaker 1: he is? He just thinks he's better than us. But

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Speaker 1: you cannot let people heap you from pursuing your dreams.

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Speaker 1: Only you know what God has put in your heart,

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Speaker 1: and you really shouldn't expect everyone else to understand. Certainly,

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Speaker 1: people will criticize, they'll find fault. You may even have

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Speaker 1: to go through some rejection, but you've got to just

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Speaker 1: shake that off and keep pressing forward. This is what

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Speaker 1: Joseph did. He had a big dream in his heart.

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Speaker 1: He wasn't satisfied to just sit back and accept the

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Speaker 1: status quo, and not everybody understood him. And one day

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Speaker 1: his brothers saw him coming, were in his coat of

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Speaker 1: many colors that his father had given him. And those

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Speaker 1: brothers weren't jealous because Joseph was a sharp dresser. They

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Speaker 1: weren't jealous because he was their father's favorite. They were

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Speaker 1: jealous of the dream God put in his heart. They

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Speaker 1: were jealous of the fact that Joseph wasn't just gonna

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Speaker 1: sit around and do what all the other family members

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Speaker 1: were doing. He had a dream to rise higher. Many times,

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Speaker 1: when you have a dream to increase, when you start

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Speaker 1: doing something out the ordinary, your critics will come out

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Speaker 1: of the woodwork. They're fine as long as you're in

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Speaker 1: your box, as long as you're all at the same level.

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Speaker 1: But very often when you start pressing forward, that'll stir

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Speaker 1: up that critical, jealous spirit. And this is where so

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Speaker 1: many people miss it. They get distracted and they start

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Speaker 1: trying to prove that they're right. They get revengeful, they

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Speaker 1: get defensive. But you need to recognize what's happening. Don't

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Speaker 1: let that stuff poison you. Learn to just shake it off.

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Speaker 1: Joseph's brothers, they rejected him, They sold him into slavery,

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Speaker 1: and it wasn't easy. Do you know what Joseph did.

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Speaker 1: He just shook it off. He did not let their

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Speaker 1: rejection steal the dream out of his heart. I'm sure

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Speaker 1: at times he was discouraged. I'm sure he didn't understand it.

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Speaker 1: But I love the fact he didn't let it poison him.

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Speaker 1: He didn't get bitter, he didn't spend his time thinking

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Speaker 1: of ways to pay his brothers back. He didn't go

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Speaker 1: around blaming God. No, year after year, he just kept

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Speaker 1: shaking it off. You know the story. One day God

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Speaker 1: brought justice into his life. One day, some fifteen years later,

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Speaker 1: he was put in charge of all the affairs of Egypt.

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Speaker 1: But how many times today when we go through some rejection,

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Speaker 1: somebody's talking about us, something unfair happened. Do we let

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Speaker 1: that poison us and we end up giving up on

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Speaker 1: our dream? Well, it wasn't fair. I don't understand why

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Speaker 1: my own family rejected me. I don't understand why they're

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Speaker 1: talking about me. No nobody ever said life was going

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Speaker 1: to be fair. But the good news is God is fair.

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Speaker 1: God is a god of justice. And God is keeping

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Speaker 1: the records. God knows every person that's ever mistreated you.

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Speaker 1: He knows every time they talk behind your back. He

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Speaker 1: can feel the hurt, the pain, the rejection. And God

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Speaker 1: wants to restore you. He wants to bring you out

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Speaker 1: better off than you were before. But the key is

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Speaker 1: you have to stay on the high road. You have

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Speaker 1: to be an eagle. Let that stuff poison you and

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Speaker 1: cause you to get bitter. You can't get in there

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Speaker 1: and try to fight with them and fix it all

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Speaker 1: in your own strength. No, just turn it over to God.

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Speaker 1: Trust him to fight your battles. Trust him to take

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Speaker 1: care of your critics. It may not happen overnight, but

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Speaker 1: one day God will bring justice into your life. He'll

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Speaker 1: make your wrongs right some of you today you need

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Speaker 1: to get your dream back. Does it matter who has

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Speaker 1: rejected you, does it matter what you've been through and

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Speaker 1: how impossible it looks. God is a supernatural God. If

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Speaker 1: you'll keep shaking it off and not let the poison

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Speaker 1: get in you, then all the forces of darkness cannot

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Speaker 1: hold you back. When God's ready to promote you, just

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Speaker 1: like Joseph, you will be promoted. God will make sure

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Speaker 1: your dreams come to pass, But we have to accept

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Speaker 1: the fact that not everybody is going to believe in you.

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Speaker 1: You have to believe in yourself and God are a majority,

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Speaker 1: and sometimes you may feel like everybody has turned against you.

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Speaker 1: Men told me the other day his friend of over

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Speaker 1: thirty years, a business partner, all of a sudden got

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Speaker 1: jealous of him, started talking, spreading rumors, and the pain

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Speaker 1: was real. He was so hurt by it. But you

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Speaker 1: cannot let someone else's poison get on the inside of you.

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Speaker 1: If your friends reject you, just stay on the high

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Speaker 1: road and God will give you some new friends, says

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Speaker 1: in Psalms. Even if your mother and father rejects you,

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Speaker 1: God will adopt you as his very own child. Don't

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Speaker 1: give up on those dreams. Recognize not everybody's going to

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Speaker 1: cheer you on. Not everybody's gonna encourage you. Some people

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Speaker 1: are gonna talk behind your back and try to bring

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Speaker 1: you down. But that does not change what God has

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Speaker 1: put in your heart. Your destiny is not tied to

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Speaker 1: what other people are saying about you. You may have

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Speaker 1: been through a lot in the past, maybe people have

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Speaker 1: hurt you, done you wrong, but quit looking back. The

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Speaker 1: past is the past. Let God take care of the

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Speaker 1: people that hurt you. Let God bring justice into your life.

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Speaker 1: One thing I loved about Joseph he stayed focused on

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Speaker 1: the future. He didn't spend that time bitter. He could

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Speaker 1: have thought, you know, God, why did this happen to me?

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Speaker 1: It's so unfair. My own family rejected me. What did

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Speaker 1: I do to deserve this? No, he just shook it off.

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Speaker 1: You got to quit trying to figure everything out. People

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Speaker 1: ask me, Joel, whose fault was it? What did I do?

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Speaker 1: Some things you're never going to understand. The main thing

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Speaker 1: is let it go right now so it doesn't poison

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Speaker 1: your life. Do like Joseph and keep your eyes focused

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Speaker 1: on the future. I've known people that have gone through

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Speaker 1: some kind of rejection, some kind of hurt, and they

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Speaker 1: let that become the central focus of their life. By that,

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Speaker 1: I mean they're always talking about it. It's always in

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Speaker 1: the front of their mind. But that's just like picking

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Speaker 1: a wound that's trying to heal. It's never going to

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Speaker 1: get better unless you leave it alone. Let it go.

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Speaker 1: This is a new day. God has a new beginning.

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Speaker 1: Somebody may have walked out of a relationship on you.

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Speaker 1: Somebody may have done you wrong, but that doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: that God doesn't have another plan. When one door closes,

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Speaker 1: God always opens up another door. And the scripture says

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Speaker 1: here Isaiah sixty one, verse seven, God will give us

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Speaker 1: a twofold recompense for our former shame. That means when

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Speaker 1: people mistreat us, when unfair things happen, If we'll stay

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Speaker 1: on the high road and just keep shaking it off,

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Speaker 1: then God will pay us back double for all that

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Speaker 1: hurt and pain. He'll add up the heartache, the sorrow,

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Speaker 1: the mistreatment, and he'll pay you back with twice the joy,

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Speaker 1: twice the peace, twice the favor, twice the victory. Some

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Speaker 1: of you today you need to get a new vision

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Speaker 1: for your life. Somebody may not have treated you right.

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Speaker 1: Somebody may be talking about you right now, But the

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Speaker 1: good news is really what they've done is qualified you

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Speaker 1: for double. They did it for your harm, but God

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Speaker 1: wants to turn it around and use it to your advantage.

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Speaker 1: You got to do your part, though, Quit dwelling on it,

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Speaker 1: quit living discourage. Wow, Joel, I've been through so much

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Speaker 1: and I just don't see how my dreams could ever

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Speaker 1: come to pass. Now, you've got to keep shaking that

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Speaker 1: stuff off. You need to get up every morning and

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Speaker 1: just say God, you know the people that have hurt me.

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Speaker 1: You know it wasn't fair. But God, I know you're

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Speaker 1: a God of justice, and I just want to thank

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Speaker 1: you right now. I'm going to come out of this

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Speaker 1: with twice the joy, twice the peace, twice the honor,

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Speaker 1: twice the victory. Understand, God doesn't want to just barely

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Speaker 1: bring you out of your difficulties, all beat up and bedraggled,

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Speaker 1: half dead. Well, at least, Joel, I'm still here, still breathing.

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Speaker 1: That's good, But that's not the way our God works.

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Speaker 1: He wants to make the enemy pain. He wants to

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Speaker 1: bring you out better off than you were before. Why

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Speaker 1: don't you get a vision for double today. I've known

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Speaker 1: people that have gone through a breakup in a relationship,

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Speaker 1: something very unfair, and now they have no dream for

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Speaker 1: their life. They internalize everything, Well, it was my fault

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Speaker 1: and if I just tried harder, or maybe if I

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Speaker 1: just a little more attractive. Now, have you ever thought

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Speaker 1: about that other person probably had a few problems of

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Speaker 1: their own, and instead of spending all that time blaming

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Speaker 1: yourself and trying to pay your critics back and trying

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Speaker 1: to get even. I'm asking you to spend that same

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Speaker 1: amount of time thanking God that Double is on his wife. Well,

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Speaker 1: you say, Joel, I heard somebody talking about you again

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Speaker 1: last week. Really, in a sense, that's good news God,

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Speaker 1: you heard that. I'm believing for Double. What I'm saying

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Speaker 1: is get your fire back. Most of the time when

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Speaker 1: we experience criticism or rejection, we do just the opposite.

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Speaker 1: We get down and discouraged. We get revengeful, defensive. No

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Speaker 1: shake that junk off. God is in control of your life.

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Speaker 1: He has you in the palm of his hand. He said,

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Speaker 1: no weapon formed against you will ever prosper. The enemy

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Speaker 1: means for evil. What God wants to use for your good.

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Speaker 1: If he did it for Joseph, he'll do it for you.

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Speaker 1: Don't be a chicken and sit around in self pity.

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Speaker 1: Don't be a crow and try to pay people back.

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Speaker 1: Rise up and be the eagle that God created you

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Speaker 1: to be. I know my father he went through a

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Speaker 1: great rejection, a great disappointment. Back in the late nineteen fifties.

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Speaker 1: He was a pastor of a very successful church. Things

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Speaker 1: were going great, but my sister Lisa was born with

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Speaker 1: something like cerebral palsy, and this really challenged my dad's faith.

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Speaker 1: He went away for several weeks and he got alone.

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Speaker 1: He began to search the scriptures in a new way,

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Speaker 1: and he saw how God was a healing god, a

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Speaker 1: good God. He went back to his church and he

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Speaker 1: preached with a new fire, a new enthusiasm. He thought

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Speaker 1: everybody would be excited, but it was just the opposite.

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Speaker 1: Many of them didn't understand. They were very steeped in

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Speaker 1: their traditional ways and they didn't like this quote new message.

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Speaker 1: People started talking, started criticizing, started judging him. See, any

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Speaker 1: time you step out to do something out of the ordinary,

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Speaker 1: not everybody will understand. And here's a key. The dream

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Speaker 1: in your heart may be bigger than the environment that

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Speaker 1: you're in. Sometimes you've got to get out of that

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Speaker 1: environment in order to see that dream fulfilled. You think

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Speaker 1: about it like an oak tree. If you plant it

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Speaker 1: in a pot, it can only grow so big. Once

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Speaker 1: its roots feel that pot, it's gonna quit growing. But

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Speaker 1: the problem is not with the tree. The problem is

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Speaker 1: with the environment that is in. It's stifling its growth.

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Speaker 1: And some of you have bigger things in your heart

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Speaker 1: than the environment that you're in. But the problem is

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Speaker 1: where you are. It's safe. You've been at that job

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Speaker 1: for twenty two years, you've been hanging around those friends

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Speaker 1: since you're in high school. But you know, down in

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Speaker 1: here it's holding you back. You know you have more

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Speaker 1: on the inside, but you're kind of a You may

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Speaker 1: ruffle some feathers, you may hurt some feelings are you're

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Speaker 1: afraid you might step out there and fail. Listen, I

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Speaker 1: don't know all about you. I'd rather take a step of

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Speaker 1: faith and fail than have to look back and wonder

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Speaker 1: all my life what I could have been. People may

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Speaker 1: reject you, they may criticize, but really, life is way

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Speaker 1: too short to live it just trying to please everybody.

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Speaker 1: Life is too short to go around worried about what

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Speaker 1: people are gonna think. Some of my father's lifelong friends

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Speaker 1: started talking about him, judging him, and really they weren't

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Speaker 1: bad people, they just didn't understand. My father knew the

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Speaker 1: best thing for him to do was to just move on,

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Speaker 1: and so he left that place hurt and dejected. He

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Speaker 1: could have allowed that one negative experience to poison the

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Speaker 1: rest of his future. He could have gotten bitter, angry,

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Speaker 1: gone around blaming God, blaming people. You know what my

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Speaker 1: father did, He basically just shook it off. He accepted

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Speaker 1: the fact that not everybody was going to understand him.

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Speaker 1: He recognized the dream in his heart was bigger than

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Speaker 1: the environment that he was in. So he went down

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Speaker 1: the street to an abandoned feed store and started Lakehood.

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Speaker 1: That was on Mother's Day in nineteen fifty nine. We've

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Speaker 1: been going strong ever since then. But some of you today,

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Speaker 1: like my father, you have so much more in you,

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Speaker 1: but you're letting the fear of what people will say

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Speaker 1: or what people will think. Well, my family understand, you're

380
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Speaker 1: letting that hold you back. But you got a break

381
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,800
Speaker 1: free from trying to please everybody. You got to get

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Speaker 1: out of the safe zone and get over into the

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Speaker 1: faith zone. I talked to a young man the other day.

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Speaker 1: He grew up in a very small town. He came

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Speaker 1: from a great family, loving parents, five brothers and sisters.

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Speaker 1: He was the youngest, and all of his other siblings

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Speaker 1: had stayed there close and worked in the little town.

388
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Speaker 1: But this young man had a dream of something bigger

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Speaker 1: in his heart. He really struck with it because he

390
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Speaker 1: loved his family. He loved his parents, but he knew

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Speaker 1: in order to fulfill his destiny, he needed to take

392
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Speaker 1: a job offer with a company several hundred miles away

393
00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,040
Speaker 1: in a larger city. He told me it was the

394
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,040
Speaker 1: hardest thing that he had ever done. His family, his

395
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Speaker 1: parents loved him, but they didn't understand him. His brothers

396
00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,480
Speaker 1: and sisters started talking, what he thinks, he's better than us,

397
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Speaker 1: He's too good for our small town had nothing to

398
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,680
Speaker 1: do with that, but that rejection cut him like a knife.

399
00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,640
Speaker 1: Here the people that were closest to him didn't understand him.

400
00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,920
Speaker 1: He was so tempted to get bitter. He was tempted

401
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,600
Speaker 1: to think, I'll show you and not have anything to

402
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,400
Speaker 1: do with him. But instead he chose to be an eagle.

403
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,639
Speaker 1: He chose to rise above it and just shake it off.

404
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,320
Speaker 1: He recognized not everybody was going to understand him, not

405
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,680
Speaker 1: everybody was going to cheer him off. Just like Joseph,

406
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,080
Speaker 1: he kept doing his best, didn't let it poison him.

407
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,439
Speaker 1: When he would come back for the hollow days to

408
00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,640
Speaker 1: visit his family, although they were kind of cold, he

409
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,399
Speaker 1: was the bigger person. He loved them anyway, In spite

410
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:11,119
Speaker 1: of their rejection, he would send them gifts. He supported

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Speaker 1: his parents. This young man continued to get promoted, and

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Speaker 1: today he not only owns his own business, but he's

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Speaker 1: a leader in his field. He's extremely talented, extremely successful.

414
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Speaker 1: But he could have so easily succumbed to that pressure, thinking, oh, man,

415
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Speaker 1: I don't want to ruffle some feathers, and what's my

416
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,879
Speaker 1: family members gonna think. He could have easily lived just

417
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Speaker 1: to please people. But the problem with that is we'll

418
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,320
Speaker 1: never know what we could have been. We'll never know

419
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Speaker 1: the abundant life that God really had in store. This

420
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,000
Speaker 1: is what David faced when he was a young man.

421
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,040
Speaker 1: He was out in the shepherd's fields taking care of

422
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Speaker 1: his father's sheep, and one day his dad asked him

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Speaker 1: to go take his brother some food. They were out

424
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Speaker 1: on the front lines of the battle. When David got

425
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 1: out there, he heard go taunting the people of Israel,

426
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Speaker 1: and something rose up in him. He knew he wanted

427
00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,280
Speaker 1: to fight Goliath. God put that dream in his heart.

428
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Speaker 1: But David's older brother, Eliab tried to discourage him. He said, sarcastically, David,

429
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Speaker 1: what are you even doing here? And with whom have

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00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,960
Speaker 1: you left those few sheep? Notice he was trying to

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00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 1: make him feel small. He was saying, David, you're never

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Speaker 1: going to do anything great in life. You're just a

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00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,760
Speaker 1: shepherd boy. You don't have what it takes. David could

434
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,959
Speaker 1: have let that rejection sink in and keep him from

435
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,600
Speaker 1: pressing forward. He could have stayed out there and the

436
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,199
Speaker 1: shepherds fills his whole life. But no, David knew he

437
00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,680
Speaker 1: had something bigger on the inside. He was content where

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00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,040
Speaker 1: he was. That was a time of training, but he

439
00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,520
Speaker 1: wasn't satisfied to stay there. And isn't it interesting how

440
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,560
Speaker 1: his own family came against him. His brother was really saying, David,

441
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 1: don't ruffle any feather's, just stay where you are. But

442
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 1: David would not have fulfilled him his destiny if he'd

443
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,080
Speaker 1: stayed in that environment, if he'd let that rejection and

444
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,320
Speaker 1: criticism sink in. I don't believe we'd be talking about

445
00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,920
Speaker 1: him today. And some of you, too, will not fulfill

446
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 1: your god given dreams in the environment that you're in

447
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:14,440
Speaker 1: right now.

448
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:15,080
Speaker 2: Now.

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00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:17,280
Speaker 1: I'm not saying to be foolish and pack up and lead,

450
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,520
Speaker 1: but I am saying you cannot let the fear of

451
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,119
Speaker 1: what people are gonna say or what people are gonna

452
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,679
Speaker 1: think keep you from doing what you know in your

453
00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,639
Speaker 1: heart God's called you to do. Friends, you have seeds

454
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 1: of greatness on the inside. You know where the most

455
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,199
Speaker 1: valuable treasure in all the world is. It's not in

456
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,399
Speaker 1: the diamond minds of South Africa, It's not in the

457
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,560
Speaker 1: oil fields of the Middle East. It's in the cemeteries

458
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:47,000
Speaker 1: all around us. Buried in those graveyards are dreams that

459
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,000
Speaker 1: never came alive, books that were never written, businesses that

460
00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:55,440
Speaker 1: were never started, relationships that were never formed. Somebody was

461
00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,520
Speaker 1: afraid to take a risk, somebody was afraid they'd be criticized,

462
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,159
Speaker 1: or maybe somebody tried it and failed once and so

463
00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,159
Speaker 1: they just gave up. Don't let that be you. You

464
00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,600
Speaker 1: have a treasure on the inside. You have so much

465
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,160
Speaker 1: to offer. But throughout life, everything in the world will

466
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,240
Speaker 1: come against you to try to get you to give

467
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:21,920
Speaker 1: up on your dreams. People, circumstances, criticism, rejection, sometimes even

468
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,200
Speaker 1: your own family. You got to dig your heels in

469
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,919
Speaker 1: and just keep pressing toward what God has put in

470
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:32,240
Speaker 1: your heart. When you suffer rejection, when people do you wrong,

471
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,760
Speaker 1: be quick to forgive. Don't get discouraged, learn to just

472
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,919
Speaker 1: shake it off and start believing. For double, and some

473
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,080
Speaker 1: of you are way overdue. You've had more than your

474
00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,520
Speaker 1: share of negative things come against you, people pulling you down,

475
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 1: trying to keep you from rising higher. Listen, you got

476
00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,120
Speaker 1: to get your fire back, get your hopes up again,

477
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 1: keep that dream alive. Remember it's not over until God

478
00:26:54,720 --> 00:27:00,480
Speaker 1: says it's over. God has the final say. If your

479
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,680
Speaker 1: heart free from the poison of offense, the poison of criticism,

480
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,840
Speaker 1: and just stay on the high road and keep doing

481
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,359
Speaker 1: your best. I know God will do for you what

482
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,240
Speaker 1: he did for Joseph. He'll bring justice into your life.

483
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 1: He'll make your wrongs right, He'll take care of your critics,

484
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 1: and you too will see those dreams come to pass. Amen.

485
00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,480
Speaker 1: Do you receive it today? We never like to close

486
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,080
Speaker 1: our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus

487
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,399
Speaker 1: the lord of your life. Would you pray with me?

488
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:33,480
Speaker 1: Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come

489
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:38,720
Speaker 1: into my heart. I make you my lord and savior. Friends,

490
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,160
Speaker 1: if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got

491
00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,120
Speaker 1: born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Keep

492
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,919
Speaker 1: God first place. He's going to take your places that

493
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:47,879
Speaker 1: you've never dreamed of.

494
00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,480
Speaker 2: It's a new year, an opportunity for a fresh start.

495
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 2: It's a new year, time to forget the struggles of

496
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,159
Speaker 2: the past and make room for new blessings. It's a

497
00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 2: new year, the perfect time to build expectation and faith

498
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,800
Speaker 2: for an amazing new season.

499
00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,840
Speaker 1: The beginning of the year is a great time to

500
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,880
Speaker 1: start afresh and a new to let go of negative

501
00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,080
Speaker 1: things of the past and to get ready for the

502
00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:17,080
Speaker 1: new things God has in store. Every January we create

503
00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:20,680
Speaker 1: a new devotional calendar. When you start off each day

504
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,560
Speaker 1: in faith, grateful for what God has done, making positive

505
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,159
Speaker 1: declarations over your future, you're setting the tone for a

506
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,600
Speaker 1: blessed day and a victorious year. This devotional calendar will

507
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,120
Speaker 1: help you get your mind going in the right direction

508
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,800
Speaker 1: so you can live in faith expecting the goodness of God.

509
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:41,920
Speaker 2: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

510
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 2: of any amount this first month of the year, we

511
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,720
Speaker 2: would like to send you a copy of our brand

512
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,920
Speaker 2: new twenty twenty five three hundred and sixty five day

513
00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:54,440
Speaker 2: devotional calendar. Using this devotional calendar is as easy as

514
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:58,800
Speaker 2: one two three one. Wake up with an expectancy in

515
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:03,120
Speaker 2: your heart, reflect on the daily scripture Verse and devotional

516
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,880
Speaker 2: from Joel three capture the Lord's promises to you on

517
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,240
Speaker 2: journaling lines for writing and reflection.

518
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,080
Speaker 1: This is going to be one of your best years.

519
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,360
Speaker 1: Our twenty twenty five devotional calendar is going to help

520
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,880
Speaker 1: you stay in faith and see the goodness of God

521
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 1: in ways you've never seen. Victoria and I pray for

522
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,000
Speaker 1: you and your family every day, and thank you so

523
00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,160
Speaker 1: much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting

524
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:31,080
Speaker 1: lives around the world. And a special thank you to

525
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,440
Speaker 1: our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. If

526
00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,200
Speaker 1: you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one.

527
00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,600
Speaker 1: Remember you can watch the services online live every Sunday morning,

528
00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,959
Speaker 1: download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube now the new

529
00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,840
Speaker 1: Jewel Osting Network twenty four hours a day, and of

530
00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,240
Speaker 1: course listen live on Serious XM as well. But until

531
00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,320
Speaker 1: we meet again, met the Lord bless you and keep you,

532
00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,120
Speaker 1: may show you His favor and watch over you.

533
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,520
Speaker 2: Be sure to request you copy of the twenty twenty

534
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:06,120
Speaker 2: five devotional calendar today. Visit Joelostein dot com or call

535
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,880
Speaker 2: us toll free