1
00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,160
Speaker 1: Always great to have you with us on the podcast,

2
00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,199
Speaker 1: and have a new book out called Speak the Blessing

3
00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,800
Speaker 1: talking about speaking words of faith and hope and victory

4
00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,200
Speaker 1: over your life. I know you'll enjoy it, but blessings

5
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,959
Speaker 1: to you today and enjoy the podcast. Well, God bless you.

6
00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:19,959
Speaker 1: It's the joy to come into your homes. We love

7
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,720
Speaker 1: you guys. We pray for you every day and just

8
00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,400
Speaker 1: believing for God's very best in your life. And when

9
00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,639
Speaker 1: you're ever out in the Houston area, stop by it

10
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,479
Speaker 1: and see us. We love to have you be a

11
00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,040
Speaker 1: part of one of our services. But thanks for tuning in.

12
00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,120
Speaker 1: Thanks again for coming out this morning. I always like

13
00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,519
Speaker 1: to start with something funny, and I heard about these

14
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,320
Speaker 1: three men that were traveling together, a Hindu priest, a

15
00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,040
Speaker 1: Jewish rabbi and a televangelist. They stopped at this farmhouse

16
00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,560
Speaker 1: and for lodging, and the farmer said, I only have

17
00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,199
Speaker 1: room for two in the house. Someone will have to

18
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,120
Speaker 1: stay in the barn. The Hindu priest said, I'll do it.

19
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:56,440
Speaker 1: A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

20
00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,040
Speaker 1: He said, I can't stay out there. There's a cow

21
00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,080
Speaker 1: and cows are sacred in our religion. The Jewish rabbi said,

22
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,240
Speaker 1: I'll do it. A few minutes later, there was a

23
00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,119
Speaker 1: knock on the door. He said, I can't stay out there.

24
00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,000
Speaker 1: There's a pig and that wouldn't be kosher. The televangelist

25
00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,800
Speaker 1: finally said, all right, I'll do it. A few minutes later,

26
00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,760
Speaker 1: there was a knock on the door. It was the

27
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:22,040
Speaker 1: cow and the pig. All right, hold up your Bible.

28
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,319
Speaker 1: Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible.

29
00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,080
Speaker 1: I am what it says I am. I have what

30
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,520
Speaker 1: it says I have. I can do what it says

31
00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,240
Speaker 1: I can do. Today I will be taught the word

32
00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,399
Speaker 1: of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my

33
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,880
Speaker 1: heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name,

34
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,280
Speaker 1: God bless you. I want to talk to you today

35
00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,160
Speaker 1: about silencing the voice of the accuser. Too many people

36
00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,120
Speaker 1: go around feeling bad about themselves when they make mistakes.

37
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,639
Speaker 1: Instead of receiving God's mercy and moving forward, they listen

38
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,400
Speaker 1: to the voice of the accuse, and it's constantly reminding

39
00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,000
Speaker 1: them how bad they are and how they blew their

40
00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,720
Speaker 1: diet and lost their temper, and how.

41
00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,360
Speaker 2: They're never going to measure up before long.

42
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,000
Speaker 1: They're carrying a heavy load of guilt and condemnation. I

43
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,320
Speaker 1: talked to a young lady that felt so guilty because

44
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,640
Speaker 1: she gave her baby up for adoption. She was a

45
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,760
Speaker 1: teenage mother. It's been ten years now and she's still

46
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,720
Speaker 1: so down on herself. She said, I feel ashamed, like

47
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:32,840
Speaker 1: I'm a terrible mother. I don't know what was wrong

48
00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,720
Speaker 1: with me, what's the problem. She's listening to the voice

49
00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,240
Speaker 1: of the accuser and now she's carrying a heavy load

50
00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,400
Speaker 1: of guilt that's trying to destroy her future. Guilt is

51
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,679
Speaker 1: like being on a treadmill. You're constantly working and struggling

52
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,920
Speaker 1: and sweating, but you're not going anywhere. It drains your strength,

53
00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,760
Speaker 1: your energy, your enthusiasm. Guilt will keep you from having

54
00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,320
Speaker 1: good relationships. It can act you not only emotionally, but

55
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,560
Speaker 1: eventually even physically. I know people that have had nervous

56
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,079
Speaker 1: breakdowns because of guilt.

57
00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,200
Speaker 2: Year after year, They've carried the heaviness.

58
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,040
Speaker 1: Now it's worn them down to where they can barely

59
00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:15,760
Speaker 1: even function friends.

60
00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,760
Speaker 2: Guilt is a dead end strength.

61
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,200
Speaker 1: You may have made mistakes and done things that you're

62
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,640
Speaker 1: not proud of, but the moment you ask for forgiveness.

63
00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:25,800
Speaker 2: God forgave you.

64
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,639
Speaker 1: It says he will not remember our sins anymore. If

65
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,120
Speaker 1: God doesn't remember them, that tells me. When the accusing

66
00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 1: voice comes reminding you of what you've done wrong, how

67
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,160
Speaker 1: bad you are, trying to make you feel guilty, condemned, unworthy,

68
00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,640
Speaker 1: that's a sure sign it's not God. That's the accuser

69
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,080
Speaker 1: trying to sour your future. You can do one of

70
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:52,720
Speaker 1: two things.

71
00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,680
Speaker 2: You can believe those lies, dwell on.

72
00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,600
Speaker 1: Them, let it weigh you down, or a much better

73
00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,560
Speaker 1: decision is to rise up in faith and say no thanks.

74
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,640
Speaker 1: I'm not going there. I realize I've made mistakes. I'm

75
00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,640
Speaker 1: not perfect, but I know this, I'm forgiven. God's not

76
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,320
Speaker 1: holding anything against me. And if God doesn't condemn me,

77
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,200
Speaker 1: then I'm not gonna condemn myself. There's a difference between

78
00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,560
Speaker 1: God's voice and the accusing voice. When we make mistakes

79
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,640
Speaker 1: as believers, we will feel a conviction on the inside.

80
00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,760
Speaker 1: We will feel guilty. Our conscience will tell us that's

81
00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,800
Speaker 1: not right. That's the spirit of God convicting us. The

82
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,440
Speaker 1: right thing to do is repent, ask for forgiveness, and

83
00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,400
Speaker 1: go forward. The moment we do that, God doesn't remember

84
00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,719
Speaker 1: the mistakes. He has no record of it. It's not

85
00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,960
Speaker 1: on a secret database somewhere. He totally lets it go.

86
00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,440
Speaker 1: But this is exactly when the accuser goes to work,

87
00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,839
Speaker 1: even though God has forgotten about it, the accuser will

88
00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,520
Speaker 1: try to keep us feeling bad about ourselves. It reminds

89
00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,800
Speaker 1: you of everything you did wrong, how bad it was,

90
00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,080
Speaker 1: and how you just need to sit on the sidelines.

91
00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,039
Speaker 2: His goal is to deceive us.

92
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,240
Speaker 1: In the living, condemned, feeling unworthy, like we don't deserve

93
00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,039
Speaker 1: to be blessed. You've got to be keen enough to

94
00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,400
Speaker 1: recognize that is not God's voice. That is the accuser

95
00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,320
Speaker 1: trying to sour my future. That's the accuser trying to

96
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,120
Speaker 1: dump another load of guilt on me, trying to keep

97
00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,880
Speaker 1: me feeling wrong about myself. But I know better. I

98
00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:31,480
Speaker 1: don't have to.

99
00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:32,600
Speaker 2: Listen to his lies.

100
00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,520
Speaker 1: I believe what God says about me. I'm forgiving, I'm redeemed,

101
00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,880
Speaker 1: my past is erased, and my future is bright. By

102
00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,039
Speaker 1: not dwelling on those lies, you silence the voice of

103
00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,719
Speaker 1: the accuser. But some of you have been living with

104
00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:53,479
Speaker 1: guilt for years, to nagging feeling on the inside like

105
00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,479
Speaker 1: a dark cloud that follows you around, telling you you've

106
00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,320
Speaker 1: blown it too many times. You should have spent more

107
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,000
Speaker 1: time with your children when you were raising them. You're

108
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,960
Speaker 1: just not disciplined enough. Listen. Those thoughts will dog you

109
00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,120
Speaker 1: for a lifetime unless you rise up and put a

110
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,040
Speaker 1: stop to it. Just like you can use the remote

111
00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,560
Speaker 1: control to change the channel on the television, you can

112
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,479
Speaker 1: change the channel in your thought life. And when those

113
00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:23,080
Speaker 1: accusing voice comes reminding you of a mistake you made,

114
00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,560
Speaker 1: bringing up a failure of the past, whether it was

115
00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,080
Speaker 1: forty minutes ago or forty years ago, you need to

116
00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,880
Speaker 1: immediately change the channel. Don't dwell on it.

117
00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:34,400
Speaker 2: Have the attitude.

118
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,880
Speaker 1: I refuse to live my life condemned. I may have

119
00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,040
Speaker 1: made mistakes, but I can't do anything about the past.

120
00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,760
Speaker 1: I can do better next time, but I am not

121
00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:48,160
Speaker 1: going to drag yesterday's failures into today. I know I

122
00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,680
Speaker 1: am forgiven, and God is not looking at what's wrong

123
00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,279
Speaker 1: with me. He's looking at what's right with me. When

124
00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,280
Speaker 1: we have this guilt and condemnation, it's like we're carrying

125
00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,120
Speaker 1: around heavy load everywhere we go. Let me get my

126
00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,640
Speaker 1: bag of guilt. Hang on, let me get my bag

127
00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,920
Speaker 1: of condemnation. Just second before we leave, I've got to

128
00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,680
Speaker 1: pack up my bag of regrets, my bag of failures,

129
00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,760
Speaker 1: my bag of mistakes. No, today we are going to

130
00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,800
Speaker 1: unload all the baggage. Like the airlines tell you only

131
00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,280
Speaker 1: two bags per customer. I've got an announcement, new rule

132
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,680
Speaker 1: around here, no bags per customer.

133
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,720
Speaker 2: We're gonna go out of here lighter.

134
00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,000
Speaker 1: The scripture says, when you know the truth, it will

135
00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,760
Speaker 1: make you free. The truth you're hearing today is you

136
00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,240
Speaker 1: don't have to carry the guilt. You don't have to

137
00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,800
Speaker 1: listen to the accuser. You don't have to try to

138
00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,240
Speaker 1: pay God back for mistakes you've made. The price has

139
00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,480
Speaker 1: already been paid. When you make a mistake, that accusing

140
00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,200
Speaker 1: voice comes saying you've blown your future. Nothing good is

141
00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,160
Speaker 1: in store. You just gotta pay it back by living

142
00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,480
Speaker 1: depressed and defeated. Now you shake that off and say,

143
00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,600
Speaker 1: I know the truth. The price has already been paid

144
00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,920
Speaker 1: two thousand years ago on the cross at Calvary. I

145
00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,840
Speaker 1: don't have to pay again. I'm not gonna go around

146
00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:15,120
Speaker 1: living guilty, condemned, feeling unworthy, ashamed. No, I know I've

147
00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,000
Speaker 1: been redeemed. God's mercy is bigger than any of my mistakes.

148
00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,720
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna press forward with my head held high,

149
00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,400
Speaker 1: knowing that my best days are still out in front

150
00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,480
Speaker 1: of me. Friends, I'm asking you to unload the baggage,

151
00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,880
Speaker 1: get off the treadmill. You're not supposed to go through

152
00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:35,680
Speaker 1: life feeling bad about yourself. Don't drag the regrets of

153
00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,000
Speaker 1: yesterday into today. You can't do anything about your past,

154
00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,320
Speaker 1: but you can do something about your future. Receive God's

155
00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,680
Speaker 1: mercy and keep moving forward. I read about these three men.

156
00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,000
Speaker 1: They were carrying two sacks, one on the back and

157
00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,640
Speaker 1: one of the front. Someone asked the first man what

158
00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,240
Speaker 1: was in his sacks. He said, the sack in my

159
00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,200
Speaker 1: back is filled with all the good things that have

160
00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,760
Speaker 1: happened to me. The sack in the front is filled

161
00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,400
Speaker 1: with all the bad things that have happened. He was

162
00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,360
Speaker 1: constantly focused on the bad. Couldn't even see the good,

163
00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,000
Speaker 1: they asked. The second man was just the opposite response.

164
00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,680
Speaker 1: He said, the sack in the back is filled with

165
00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,280
Speaker 1: the bad things. The sack in the front is filled

166
00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:18,680
Speaker 1: with the good things. At least he could see the

167
00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,800
Speaker 1: good and not focus on the negative. But with both

168
00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,719
Speaker 1: of the sacks being so full, it still weighted him

169
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,760
Speaker 1: down and made life a burden.

170
00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:28,640
Speaker 2: The third man was asking.

171
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,280
Speaker 1: He told how the sack in the front was filled

172
00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,640
Speaker 1: with all of his accomplishments, his victories, the good things,

173
00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,280
Speaker 1: and the sack in his back was totally empty.

174
00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,360
Speaker 2: He had cut a hole in the bottom of it.

175
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,240
Speaker 2: That's where he put all.

176
00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,880
Speaker 1: His mistakes, his failures, the guilt, the shame, the condemnation.

177
00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,840
Speaker 1: He explained, because the sack in the front is full

178
00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,000
Speaker 1: and the sack in the back is empty, it keeps

179
00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,120
Speaker 1: me moving forward.

180
00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,000
Speaker 2: I'm weighted toward.

181
00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,679
Speaker 1: The front and it acts just like a sa and

182
00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:04,880
Speaker 1: naturally pushes me ahead. That's what happens when we focus

183
00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:08,520
Speaker 1: on the right things. It moves us in the forward direction.

184
00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,800
Speaker 1: So many people today are focused on their mistakes, their failures.

185
00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,560
Speaker 1: They carry them around everywhere they go. They wonder why

186
00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,160
Speaker 1: they don't enjoy life is because they're weighted down. Why

187
00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,440
Speaker 1: don't you do like that third man and cut a

188
00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,080
Speaker 1: hole in the bottom of that negative bag. Why don't

189
00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:29,800
Speaker 1: you let go of the things that are doing nothing

190
00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,400
Speaker 1: but slowing you down and making you feel bad about yourself.

191
00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,240
Speaker 2: Life is too.

192
00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,360
Speaker 1: Short to go around carrying things that we don't need.

193
00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:40,280
Speaker 2: One way we know.

194
00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,760
Speaker 1: That guilt and condemnation is not from God. Is because

195
00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,280
Speaker 1: it doesn't help you improve. It doesn't make you do better.

196
00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,200
Speaker 1: When we go around feeling wrong about ourselves, we are

197
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,720
Speaker 1: much more likely to make another mistake. I've seen people

198
00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,280
Speaker 1: that blow their diet. They get so down on themselves.

199
00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,160
Speaker 1: They think, I've already blown it once today, let me

200
00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,280
Speaker 1: just eat this bowl of ice cream. They get up

201
00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,080
Speaker 1: the next day so condemned, so guilty. They think, what's

202
00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,520
Speaker 1: the use I'm so undisciplined, I'll never lose this weight.

203
00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,199
Speaker 1: They lose their passion, they give up on their goals.

204
00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,040
Speaker 1: It's because guilt doesn't make us do better, it makes

205
00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,840
Speaker 1: us do worse. You should not spend time thinking about

206
00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,439
Speaker 1: what's wrong with you, but rather about what's right with you.

207
00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,520
Speaker 1: I told that young lady that gave up her baby

208
00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:36,040
Speaker 1: for adoption. Look at you. You're beautiful, you're talented, you're successful,

209
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,200
Speaker 1: You've got a great job. Why are you still so

210
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,400
Speaker 1: down on yourself? That is over and done. See, there's

211
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,000
Speaker 1: a right way to handle guilt. Repent, ask for forgiveness,

212
00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,120
Speaker 1: move forward. The wrong way is to hold on to

213
00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:54,719
Speaker 1: it for a week, a year, or a lifetime. There

214
00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:59,720
Speaker 1: are some things that we cannot undo. You can't unscramble,

215
00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,679
Speaker 1: you cannot relive yesterday.

216
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,440
Speaker 2: But you can be your best today.

217
00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,720
Speaker 1: Don't let the accuser sour your future any longer. Start

218
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,520
Speaker 1: dwelling on what's right with you, not what's wrong with you.

219
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,080
Speaker 1: Have you noticed how human nature is drawn toward the negative.

220
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,839
Speaker 1: I can have one hundred people tell me after service, Joel,

221
00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:22,920
Speaker 1: that was a great message.

222
00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:23,920
Speaker 2: I really needed to hear that.

223
00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,360
Speaker 1: But then one person will say, I don't know if

224
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,280
Speaker 1: I really understood that point, and I'm not really sure

225
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,959
Speaker 1: I agree with you on that. I used to go

226
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,160
Speaker 1: home depress, discourage feeling like a failure. I've learned how

227
00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,320
Speaker 1: to shake it off. Somebody doesn't like it.

228
00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,280
Speaker 2: My attitude is I can't help it.

229
00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:46,480
Speaker 1: If there's something wrong with you. I don't know about you,

230
00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,440
Speaker 1: but I feel good about who I am, and I

231
00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:53,240
Speaker 1: am not going to let one bad report cancel out

232
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,720
Speaker 1: one hundred good reports. In the same way, don't let

233
00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,480
Speaker 1: one weakness that you have, one mistake that you made,

234
00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,679
Speaker 1: cancel out all the other great things about you. You

235
00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,280
Speaker 1: may have made a lot of wrong choices, but you've

236
00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,360
Speaker 1: also made a lot of right choices.

237
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:11,480
Speaker 2: Look at you today.

238
00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,319
Speaker 1: You're sitting in church, you're honoring God, you're giving, you're serving.

239
00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:16,920
Speaker 2: You've got a heart to do what's right.

240
00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,079
Speaker 1: Focus on your good qualities, focus on your victories.

241
00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,319
Speaker 2: Get off the treadmill of guilt.

242
00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,559
Speaker 1: It's not taking you anywhere. Some of you have been

243
00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,920
Speaker 1: guilty about something that happened a long time ago, years

244
00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,240
Speaker 1: and years, and it's stealing your joy. And you're down

245
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,320
Speaker 1: on yourself, feeling condemned. Listen, that has soured your life

246
00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,920
Speaker 1: long enough. Don't live another moment in regrets. It may

247
00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,800
Speaker 1: have been your fault, but that's what mercy is all about.

248
00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,240
Speaker 1: You've got to rise up and say, this is a

249
00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:52,200
Speaker 1: new day. I'm unloading the baggage. I am done feeling

250
00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,840
Speaker 1: wrong about myself. I'm done going around condemned. I focus

251
00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,760
Speaker 1: long enough on what I've done wrong. I'm gonna start

252
00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,480
Speaker 1: for on what I'm doing right. But for most of us,

253
00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,120
Speaker 1: it's very difficult to accept the fact that God forgives

254
00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:08,520
Speaker 1: us so easily.

255
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,280
Speaker 2: When we make mistakes.

256
00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,400
Speaker 1: We think we have to pay, so we get discouraged,

257
00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,240
Speaker 1: no joy, down on ourselves, and sure, we should be

258
00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:21,560
Speaker 1: remorseful when we do wrong. We should be genuinely sorry,

259
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,800
Speaker 1: and not just flippant like it's no big deal. But

260
00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,560
Speaker 1: we don't have to spend month after month wallowing around

261
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,320
Speaker 1: in guilt and condemnation. I know people that did something

262
00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,680
Speaker 1: wrong years ago, but they're still asking God to forgive them.

263
00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,480
Speaker 1: They've probably asked for forgiveness for the same thing a

264
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:45,240
Speaker 1: thousand times. They don't realize God forgave them the very

265
00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:50,200
Speaker 1: first time. The problem is they have not received God's forgiveness.

266
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,200
Speaker 1: They think they have to show God how sorry they

267
00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,640
Speaker 1: are by giving up their joy and paying some kind

268
00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,480
Speaker 1: of penance. And so they live defeated, discouraged, and they

269
00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,640
Speaker 1: beg and beg, God, Please forgive me. God.

270
00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,280
Speaker 2: I'm so sorry. Please God.

271
00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,240
Speaker 1: Now let me challenge you today. Don't be a beggar,

272
00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,520
Speaker 1: be a believer. Believe God forgave you the very first time.

273
00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,240
Speaker 1: You don't have to keep asking, receive God's mercy and

274
00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,760
Speaker 1: just keep moving forward. I read about this nine year

275
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,680
Speaker 1: old boy named Sam. He was visiting his grandparents. They

276
00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,800
Speaker 1: lived on a big farm. Sam had a slingshot that

277
00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,080
Speaker 1: he loved, and all during the day he'd go out

278
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,240
Speaker 1: in the woods and shoot at different targets. He practiced,

279
00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,520
Speaker 1: and he practiced but he wasn't that accurate. One evening,

280
00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,560
Speaker 1: he heard the dinner bell. As he was walking toward

281
00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,600
Speaker 1: the house, he saw his grandmother's pet duck sitting by

282
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,440
Speaker 1: the pond. He never dreamed in a million years he

283
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,760
Speaker 1: could hit it, but he pulled the slingshot back, let

284
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,240
Speaker 1: the rock fly, and believe it or not, it hit

285
00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,760
Speaker 1: the duck square in the head and the duck.

286
00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:56,480
Speaker 2: Fell over dead.

287
00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,440
Speaker 1: He felt terrible. He panicked. He ran over and got

288
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,560
Speaker 1: the duck and secretly buried it behind the woodpile. As

289
00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,840
Speaker 1: he was walking toward the house, he realized his twelve

290
00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,800
Speaker 1: year old sister, Julie, had seen the whole thing take place.

291
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,000
Speaker 1: That night, after dinner, the grandmother said, Julie, I'd like

292
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:18,880
Speaker 1: you to stay and help me do the dishes if

293
00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:19,600
Speaker 1: you don't mind.

294
00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,840
Speaker 2: Julie said, grandmother, I'd love.

295
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,720
Speaker 1: To, but Sam said he wants to do the dishes tonight.

296
00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,520
Speaker 1: She whispered in his ear, remember the duck. Sam went

297
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,600
Speaker 1: over and did the dishes. The next morning, the grandfather

298
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,680
Speaker 1: was going fishing. He invited both of the children to go.

299
00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,560
Speaker 1: The grandmother said, I really need Julie to stay here

300
00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,280
Speaker 1: and help me do some chores. Julie said, grandmother, Sam

301
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,160
Speaker 1: said he'd like to stay with you and help you

302
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,760
Speaker 1: out today. She whispered in his ear again, remember the duck.

303
00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:50,960
Speaker 2: Sam stayed and did the chores.

304
00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,160
Speaker 1: Julie went fishing with her grandfather. After a couple of

305
00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,320
Speaker 1: days of doing both his and his sister's chores, Sam

306
00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,080
Speaker 1: finally had had enough. He went to his grandmother and said, Grandmother,

307
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,240
Speaker 1: I'm so sorry, but I got to tell you something.

308
00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:05,000
Speaker 2: I didn't mean to.

309
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:10,120
Speaker 1: I accidentally killed your pet duck. The grandmother gave him

310
00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,800
Speaker 1: a big hug and said, Sam, I know you did.

311
00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:17,320
Speaker 1: I was standing at the window. I saw the whole

312
00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,200
Speaker 1: thing take place, and.

313
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,040
Speaker 2: I've already forgiven you.

314
00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,520
Speaker 1: I've just been waiting to see how long you would

315
00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,199
Speaker 1: let Julie make a slave of you.

316
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,360
Speaker 2: Can I tell you something today? God was standing at

317
00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:32,880
Speaker 2: the window.

318
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:39,439
Speaker 1: He has seen every mistake, every failure, every weakness. The

319
00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,040
Speaker 1: good news is he has already forgiven you. He's not

320
00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,040
Speaker 1: holding anything against you. He's just waiting to see how

321
00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,320
Speaker 1: long you're going to let the accuser make a slave

322
00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,040
Speaker 1: of you. How long are you going to live guilty

323
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,960
Speaker 1: and condemned? How long are you going to keep asking

324
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,320
Speaker 1: for forgiveness for the exact same thing.

325
00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:01,600
Speaker 2: Declaration is no more.

326
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,720
Speaker 1: This is a new day. We're gonna rise up like

327
00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,960
Speaker 1: Sam and say enough is enough.

328
00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:10,280
Speaker 2: I may have made mistakes.

329
00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,280
Speaker 1: I'm not happy about it, but I'm not going to

330
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:18,639
Speaker 1: let the accuser manipulate me into living life depressed thinking

331
00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,600
Speaker 1: that I've blown my future trying to pay a debt

332
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,119
Speaker 1: that I don't have to pay. I'm gonna go to

333
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,359
Speaker 1: my father and say, here I am, I've blown it.

334
00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,640
Speaker 1: I've made mistakes, but I know you're a God of mercy.

335
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,600
Speaker 1: You restore, you forgive, so I'm gonna get my joy back.

336
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,200
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get my vision back, and I'm not gonna

337
00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,520
Speaker 1: let one mistake or a series of mistakes to keep

338
00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,480
Speaker 1: me from pursuing my God given destiny. What am I saying?

339
00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,119
Speaker 1: Don't let the accuser manipulate you anymore? You know the truth.

340
00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,080
Speaker 1: God was standing at the window. He's already forgiven you.

341
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,280
Speaker 1: He accepts you, He approves you. Now rise up in

342
00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,879
Speaker 1: that freedom, unload the baggage, leave the guilt behind. That's

343
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,679
Speaker 1: what it says in Romans eight, verse one. There is

344
00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,440
Speaker 1: no condemnation when we're in Christ Jesus.

345
00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,399
Speaker 2: Here's the key when we.

346
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,840
Speaker 1: Walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Notice,

347
00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,119
Speaker 1: we're only not going to be condemned when we're in

348
00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:24,320
Speaker 1: the spirit. In other words, when we make mistakes, if

349
00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,040
Speaker 1: we're in the flesh, we beat ourselves up, we lose

350
00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,440
Speaker 1: our passion, we feel unworthy. We live depressed and defeated,

351
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,640
Speaker 1: trying to show God that we're sorry. When we do that,

352
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,040
Speaker 1: we will be condemned, we'll feel a heaviness, we'll miss

353
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,880
Speaker 1: God's best. But when we're in the spirit, we say, yes,

354
00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:44,200
Speaker 1: I made mistakes.

355
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:45,639
Speaker 2: It was my fault.

356
00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,160
Speaker 1: But I know the moment I ask for forgiveness, God

357
00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,359
Speaker 1: not only forgave me, but he doesn't remember it. So

358
00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,840
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna fall into the trap of guilt. I'm

359
00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,199
Speaker 1: gonna move forward. That's when we're not condemned, when we

360
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,639
Speaker 1: don't listen to the accuser's lives, when we don't walla

361
00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,720
Speaker 1: in defeat, when we don't carry the heavy load of guilt,

362
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,399
Speaker 1: but we keep moving forward in life, I loved the

363
00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,560
Speaker 1: story of the prodigal son. The young man took his

364
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:18,240
Speaker 1: inheritance and left home and went out partying, living wild, undisciplined,

365
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:23,080
Speaker 1: making terrible choices. He blew his whole inheritance. He lost

366
00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:26,800
Speaker 1: it all. Now he had no money, no place to stay.

367
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,359
Speaker 1: It got so bad he ended up working in a

368
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,800
Speaker 1: hog farm feeding the hogs. He was so desperate, so hungry,

369
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,480
Speaker 1: he even had to eat the hogfood just to stay alive.

370
00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:45,879
Speaker 1: But one day, as he was sitting in the hogpen, guilty, condemned, ashamed, depressed,

371
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,520
Speaker 1: something rose up on the inside. He thought to himself,

372
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,760
Speaker 1: even the servants at my father's house lived better than this,

373
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,440
Speaker 1: and here I'm a son sitting in the hogpen, wallowing

374
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,600
Speaker 1: in defeat and mediocrity. He made a statement that changed

375
00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,000
Speaker 1: his future. Without this statement, we would hear no more

376
00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:11,399
Speaker 1: of this young man. He said, I will arise and

377
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,960
Speaker 1: go to my father. He was saying, yes, I've made mistakes.

378
00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,320
Speaker 1: I brought the trouble on myself, but I'm not going

379
00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:22,200
Speaker 1: to let one bad season of my life ruin the

380
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,440
Speaker 1: rest of my future. I will arise. Maybe today you've

381
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,040
Speaker 1: made some poor choices. You're not where you want to

382
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,360
Speaker 1: be in life. The accusing voice keeps telling you it's

383
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,600
Speaker 1: your fault. Too bad, you brought it on yourself. If

384
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,360
Speaker 1: you're going to be restored, if you're going to fulfill

385
00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,760
Speaker 1: your destiny. It's not up to God, it's up to you.

386
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,080
Speaker 1: You've got to do like this young man and say,

387
00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,919
Speaker 1: I may be down, but I'm not going to stay down.

388
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,240
Speaker 1: I've made mistakes, it's my fault, but I know the secret.

389
00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:54,200
Speaker 1: I will arise and go to my father. I believe

390
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,960
Speaker 1: one reason this young man could arise is because deep

391
00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:02,640
Speaker 1: down he knew who he was. He knew what family

392
00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,960
Speaker 1: he belonged to. When you understand your position, you can

393
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,560
Speaker 1: change your condition. When you understand that you are a

394
00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,320
Speaker 1: child of the most High God. God breathed his life

395
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:22,440
Speaker 1: into you. You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed, unworthy. No,

396
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,640
Speaker 1: you were created to rule, to reign, to be victorious.

397
00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:28,560
Speaker 2: Your condition.

398
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,920
Speaker 1: May be way down here because of poor choices, mistakes

399
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,480
Speaker 1: you've made. You don't feel like you deserve it, you

400
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,080
Speaker 1: don't feel like you're worthy. But you've got to shake

401
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,080
Speaker 1: that off and say, I understand my position. I know

402
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,720
Speaker 1: who I am, a child of Almighty God. Now I

403
00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,239
Speaker 1: may not feel like I deserve it. I may not

404
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,360
Speaker 1: feel like I'm worthy, but I know because of what

405
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,280
Speaker 1: Christ did. He made me worthy. He took my guilt

406
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,480
Speaker 1: so that I can be free. So I'm gonna arise

407
00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,320
Speaker 1: and go to my father. That's what this young man did.

408
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,080
Speaker 1: And when the father saw him coming way down the road,

409
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,280
Speaker 1: the father took off running toward him. He gave his

410
00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:12,840
Speaker 1: son a big hug, put a ring on his finger,

411
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,920
Speaker 1: a robe on his back. He said to his servants,

412
00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:20,800
Speaker 1: let's celebrate. My son has come back home. God will

413
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,359
Speaker 1: do the same thing for you when you make that

414
00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,840
Speaker 1: decision that you're gonna shake off the guilt, shake off

415
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,439
Speaker 1: the condemnation, and say I'm gonna move forward with my life.

416
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,520
Speaker 1: When you make a move, God will make a move.

417
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:40,240
Speaker 1: He'll come running towards you with mercy, forgiveness, restoration, favor increase.

418
00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:42,960
Speaker 2: God can still get you to where you're supposed to be.

419
00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,480
Speaker 1: So often when we make mistakes, the accusing voices go

420
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,879
Speaker 1: into overdrive, telling us that you can't ask God for help.

421
00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:55,720
Speaker 1: It was your fault. You would be a hypocrite. You

422
00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,840
Speaker 1: brought this trouble on yourself. Now this is when mercy comes.

423
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,800
Speaker 1: Then when we do wrong, we ask for forgiveness. God

424
00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:07,280
Speaker 1: forgives us. But when you really understand who you are,

425
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,000
Speaker 1: you won't just ask for forgiveness. You'll take it one

426
00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,960
Speaker 1: step further and ask God for his mercy. Mercy, says God,

427
00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:20,000
Speaker 1: I believe you will bless me in spite of these mistakes.

428
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 2: That's what Jacob did.

429
00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,120
Speaker 1: He had lived his life as a cheater, a deceiver,

430
00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,919
Speaker 1: doing people wrong. One day he decided he wanted to

431
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,640
Speaker 1: make things right. He got tired of living that way.

432
00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,480
Speaker 1: He went down to the brook so he could be alone.

433
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,159
Speaker 1: The scripture talks about how the Angel of the Lord

434
00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,760
Speaker 1: appeared under him in the form of a man. Jacob

435
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,880
Speaker 1: and the angel begin to wrestle. It went on all night,

436
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,600
Speaker 1: and Jacob said to the angel, I know who you are,

437
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,680
Speaker 1: and I'm not going to let you go until you

438
00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,679
Speaker 1: bless me. When the angel saw how determined Jacob was

439
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,159
Speaker 1: and how he wasn't going to give up, he reached

440
00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,360
Speaker 1: over and gave Jacob god God's blessing. Jacob left there

441
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,760
Speaker 1: a different person. God even changed his name from Jacob

442
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,320
Speaker 1: to Israel. Israel means prince with God. But can you

443
00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,240
Speaker 1: imagine the nerve of Jacob.

444
00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 2: Don't you know? That took a lot of boldness here.

445
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:22,120
Speaker 1: He had practically lived his whole life making poor choices, deceiving, cheating, lying.

446
00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:27,159
Speaker 1: He should have felt overwhelmed with guilt, condemnation, all washed up,

447
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,480
Speaker 1: but somehow he had the confidence to not only ask

448
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 1: for forgiveness, but he said, God, I believe you will

449
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:39,919
Speaker 1: bless me in spite of the way I've lived. Surely

450
00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,520
Speaker 1: God would say, Jacob, what are you talking about? Are

451
00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,560
Speaker 1: you crazy? You don't deserve to be blessed, not even

452
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,160
Speaker 1: really forgiven. I'm not gonna bless you. No, God said,

453
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,119
Speaker 1: in effect, Jacob, I love the fact that you know

454
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:58,000
Speaker 1: who you are, my child, redeemed, forgiven, made worthy. You

455
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 1: not only asked to be forgive but you ask for

456
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,560
Speaker 1: my mercy. And Jacob, if you're bold enough to ask that,

457
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,480
Speaker 1: I'm bold enough to do it. That's the kind of

458
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:12,119
Speaker 1: faith that gets God's attention. Not when we drag around guilty, condemned,

459
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,800
Speaker 1: feeling wrong on the inside. No, it's time for us

460
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 1: to arise and go to our father. God is not

461
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:24,240
Speaker 1: the one condemning you. That is the accuser. Change the channel.

462
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,480
Speaker 1: Stop dwelling on those thoughts. You may have failed, but

463
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:32,919
Speaker 1: God's mercy never fails. The sad thing is most people

464
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,680
Speaker 1: accept the condemnation quicker than they accept God's mercy. Don't

465
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,359
Speaker 1: let that be you. Shake off the guilt, shake off

466
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,560
Speaker 1: the negative mistakes from the past. Don't go another minute

467
00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:49,480
Speaker 1: in regrets, feeling bad about yourself. The moment you ask

468
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,800
Speaker 1: for forgiveness, God forgave you. Now you do your part

469
00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,680
Speaker 1: and unload the baggage. Remember our new rule around here,

470
00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:01,640
Speaker 1: no bags per customer. That means leave the guilt right

471
00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,160
Speaker 1: where you are. Don't take it with you. We'll put

472
00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,359
Speaker 1: it in the dumpster for you. Leave the bag of regrets,

473
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,400
Speaker 1: leave the bag of failures, leave the bag of condemnation

474
00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 1: right where you are. Friends, If you will learn to

475
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,560
Speaker 1: silence the voice of the accuser, then guilt and condemnation

476
00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,000
Speaker 1: cannot weigh you down. You will live a life of freedom,

477
00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:28,680
Speaker 1: rising higher, overcoming obstacles, accomplish in dreams. And even though

478
00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:32,479
Speaker 1: you make mistakes, I believe and declare you will still

479
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:34,440
Speaker 1: fulfill your God given destiny.

480
00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,760
Speaker 2: Amen, how many of you receive it today?

481
00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 1: We never like to close our broadcast without giving you

482
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,560
Speaker 1: an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life.

483
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,200
Speaker 1: Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I

484
00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:54,120
Speaker 1: repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make

485
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,679
Speaker 1: you my lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that

486
00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,760
Speaker 1: simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in

487
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 1: a good Bible based church.

488
00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:03,760
Speaker 2: Keep God first place.

489
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,280
Speaker 1: He's going to take your places you've never dreamed of.

490
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,840
Speaker 3: When God created the world, he did it specifically with

491
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,400
Speaker 3: you in mind. He used his words. He spoke everything

492
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:25,119
Speaker 3: into existence, light, oceans and dry land, plants, sun and stars, animals,

493
00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:30,959
Speaker 3: man and woman. Your words have that same creative power.

494
00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:33,639
Speaker 1: If you want to know what you're going to be

495
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,679
Speaker 1: like five years from now, listen to what you're saying

496
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 1: about yourself. You are prophesying your future, and too often

497
00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:45,280
Speaker 1: we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll

498
00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:49,719
Speaker 1: never get healthy, I'm not attractive, this dreams impossible. Instead

499
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,000
Speaker 1: of limiting your future, why don't you start blessing your future.

500
00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,120
Speaker 1: If you'll change your words, you can change your world.

501
00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,040
Speaker 1: I have a new book called Speak the Blessing to

502
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,760
Speaker 1: help you to speak positive, faith filled words.

503
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,560
Speaker 2: There are declarations in it that you can make.

504
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:09,200
Speaker 1: Over your family, your health, your finances, and your future.

505
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,400
Speaker 1: When you get your words aligned with what God says,

506
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: you'll see his favor in greater ways.

507
00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 3: As our thank you for your gift of any amount

508
00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,479
Speaker 3: to the ministry. This month, we want to send you

509
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,000
Speaker 3: Speak the Blessing. Send your words in the direction you

510
00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,080
Speaker 3: want your life to go. You can begin to enjoy

511
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 3: a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity

512
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,560
Speaker 3: as you discover the authority and power of speaking God's word. Yes,

513
00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:42,240
Speaker 3: Speak the Blessing will unlock life changing possibilities that are unlimited.

514
00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 1: When you declare what God says about you. I'm strong,

515
00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,920
Speaker 1: I'm healthy, I'm favored. You are blessing your life. I

516
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 1: hope you'll request your copy to day. Remember you can

517
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:58,120
Speaker 1: watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast,

518
00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,800
Speaker 1: watch on YouTube, listen on serious exam. We'll keep you

519
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:03,280
Speaker 1: encouraged and inspired.

520
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,800
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of Speak the Blessing today.

521
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,200
Speaker 3: Visit Joelousen dot com or call eighty eight five six

522
00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:12,200
Speaker 3: seven Joel.

523
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:17,280
Speaker 1: Our homecoming weekend is this Saturday and Sunday. Some of

524
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,440
Speaker 1: you have never been to Lakewood. This is a perfect time.

525
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,800
Speaker 1: We'd love to meet you. We'd be honored to have

526
00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:24,080
Speaker 1: you and your family