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If you enjoy today's message, why don't you 36 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 5: be a blessing and share it with a friend. We 37 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 5: appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. 38 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 4: Well, God bless you. Always enjoy to come into your 39 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 4: homes and we love you. 40 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 5: We know God's got great things in store for each 41 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 5: one of you. He rewards people that seek after him. 42 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 5: If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll come 43 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 5: out and be a part of one of our services. 44 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 5: I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 45 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 5: But thanks so much for tuning in today. I like 46 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 5: to get started each week with something kind of funny. 47 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 5: And I heard about this little girl. She was attending 48 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 5: a wedding for the first time. She asked her mom, 49 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 5: why is the bride wearing all white? The mom smiled 50 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 5: and said, all white is the color of happiness. Today 51 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 5: is the happiest day of her life. The little girl 52 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 5: thought about it and said, why is the groom wearing 53 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 5: all black? All right, hold up your bible. Let's say 54 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 5: it like we mean it. This is my Bible. I 55 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 5: am what it says I am. I have what it 56 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 5: says I have. I can do what it says I 57 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 5: can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 58 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 5: I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 59 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,119 Speaker 5: I will never be the same. I am about to 60 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 5: receive the incorruptible, the indestructible, ever living seed of. 61 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 4: The Word of God. 62 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 5: I'll never be the same, never, never, never, I'll never 63 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 5: be the same. 64 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 4: In Jesus' name, God bless you. 65 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 5: I want to talk to you today about enlarging your 66 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 5: circle of love. Too often we only associate. 67 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 4: With people just like us, the people that. 68 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 5: Look like us, people that have our same interest, our 69 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 5: same personality types. It's easy to include them. We're comfortable, 70 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 5: that's what we're used to. But what about the people 71 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 5: that don't dress like us, the people that don't come 72 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 5: from our same background, people that we see as being different. 73 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 5: It's very easy to just write them off and think 74 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 5: they're not like me. They don't come from my same faith, 75 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 5: or they've got an addiction and I don't. They're old 76 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 5: and I'm young. I don't have to interact with them. No, 77 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 5: God put the people in your life for a reason. 78 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 5: His love is inclusive, not exclusive. And that man at 79 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 5: the office may not come from our same faith, but 80 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 5: that doesn't give us the right to treat him like 81 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 5: he's second class. 82 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 4: Enlarge your circle of love. 83 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 5: Find somebody that you would normally not be friendly to 84 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 5: and reach out to them. You don't have to agree 85 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 5: with everything about them, Just be kind, be friendly, show acceptance. 86 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 5: Too many people have their walls up. Well he's got 87 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 5: long hair, he's got an ear ring. Or they're a 88 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 5: Democrat and I'm a Republican. They're a Baptist and I'm 89 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 5: a Catholic. 90 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 4: Or Joel, he's an Aggie, I'm a longhorn. No get 91 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 4: outside of your box. 92 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 5: Don't let these labels and these preconceived ideas keep you 93 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 5: from reaching out to other people. The scripture says here 94 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 5: in John seven twenty four, be honest in your judgment 95 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 5: of people. Do not decide at a glance, superficially and 96 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 5: by appearances. We don't realize how many times we look 97 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 5: at someone and in a split second we decide if 98 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 5: we're going to like them or not. We size them 99 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 5: up to see if they fit into our box. Do 100 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 5: they look like me? Do I approve the way they 101 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 5: wear their hair? Do I like their clothes? All this 102 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 5: can take place in just three or four seconds. We 103 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 5: categorize them and they don't measure up to our standards. 104 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 5: They don't fit into our box. We just write them off. 105 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 5: We make a judgment, yet we don't even really know 106 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 5: the person. Much of this comes from how we were raised. 107 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 5: I know, when I was growing up, if I saw 108 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 5: somebody smoking, I immediately thought, man, they're a ciner. They 109 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 5: got a lot of problems. In my mind, that was 110 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 5: a big category. 111 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 4: But as I got older. 112 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 5: I began to realize being overweight, living stressed out, that's 113 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 5: just about as unhealthy as smoking. But I would never 114 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 5: see an overweight person in that same light. Had all 115 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 5: these categories in my mind of how I judged people. 116 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 5: I've learned since not to make those judgments. Don't look 117 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 5: at someone and decide in a glance, get to know 118 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 5: the person. I've seen people that have all kinds of 119 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 5: hang ups, yet there's some of the warmest, kindest. 120 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 4: People you could ever possibly meet. 121 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 5: And really what causes us to judge is pride. We 122 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 5: think I would never do that, I would never smoke, 123 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 5: I would never wear what she has on. No, we 124 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 5: don't know what we would do. We haven't walked in 125 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 5: their shoes. We weren't raised the way they were raised. 126 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 5: We haven't had the experiences that they have had. Most 127 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 5: of our behavior is based out of our experiences. The 128 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 5: only person that really knows is that other person. Let's 129 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 5: not make these quick judgments. After all, if it were 130 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 5: not for the grace of God, there's no telling where 131 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 5: any of us would be. 132 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 3: Now. 133 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 5: I've seen people they look down on people that struggle 134 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 5: with their weight. In the back of their mind, they 135 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 5: kind of think, well, they're just lazy, just undisciplined. I 136 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 5: would never let myself get that out of shape. No, 137 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 5: you don't know the battles they fight. You don't have 138 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 5: their genetics, you don't have their metabolism, you don't have 139 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 5: their appetite. 140 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 4: Don't make judgments. Give people the benefit of the doubt. 141 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 5: When we see other people that struggle in an area, 142 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 5: maybe they have a negative quality. 143 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 4: Instead of being. 144 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 5: Quick to judge and condemn and be critical, what we 145 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 5: really should do is a father, thank. 146 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 4: You for giving me grace in that area. Thank you 147 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 4: that I don't struggle with that. We don't know what 148 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 4: people have been through. 149 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 5: Some people have hang ups because of the way they 150 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 5: were raised. They couldn't help it. We don't choose our environment. 151 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 5: We didn't pick our parents. I talked to a lady 152 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 5: last week. She's in her sixties. As a little girl, 153 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 5: she was mistreated physically, emotionally, verbally. It's a very traumatic, 154 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 5: hurtful experience. And for the most part, she's over that today. 155 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 5: But she said, I still have things that I deal with. 156 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 5: I still have things that affect me in my thoughts, 157 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 5: in my mind from what happened way back then. Even 158 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 5: though we overcome things doesn't mean we don't still have 159 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 5: some residual effects. Let's quit being so judgmental. Let's give 160 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 5: everybody a little bit of room. Let's be more understanding. Well, Joel, 161 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 5: he's got long hair, he's got a tattoo, he's far out. 162 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 4: I just don't agree with that now. 163 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 5: As far as I know, Jesus had long hair, Moses 164 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 5: had long hair, Charlton Heston had long hair. 165 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 4: I saw the movie. 166 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 5: We have to get past this thinking that as long 167 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 5: as you're like me, then I'll accept you. If you 168 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 5: look like me, if you come to my church, if 169 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 5: you have my same interests. 170 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:38,719 Speaker 3: No. 171 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 5: Some of you have people in your life right now 172 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 5: that could bring you great joy. You could have a 173 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 5: great friendship, but you've already judged them and put them 174 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 5: into a not for me category in your mind. Yet 175 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 5: you've not even taken time to get to know that person. 176 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 5: A very close friend of mine told how when she 177 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 5: was in college, a young man invited her out on 178 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 5: a date. They had known each other for several years, 179 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 5: just casually enough to say hi. They'd never really talked before, 180 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 5: but when he invited her out, she immediately said no. 181 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 5: She already had her mind made up the kind of 182 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 5: man she was going to date. What he's going to 183 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 5: look like, his qualities, his personality. In her mind, this 184 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 5: young man didn't meet any of those requirements. He was 185 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 5: too tall, he had read hair, he wasn't outgoing enough, 186 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 5: all these things that didn't measure up to her standards. 187 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 5: And of course, it's fine to have personal tastes, but 188 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 5: don't be so close minded that you don't at least 189 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 5: get to know someone. 190 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 4: Month after month, he kept inviting her out. He wasn't bothersome, 191 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 4: but he was persistent. 192 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 5: One day she finally gave in. They went out with 193 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 5: another young couple. She had already made up her mind 194 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 5: she wasn't going to like him, but that night she 195 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 5: saw sight of him that she had not seen before. 196 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 5: He was kind, friendly, outgoing, loving. Today that couple has 197 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 5: been married more than twenty one years. 198 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 4: I have four beautiful children. The point I want you 199 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 4: to see is. 200 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 5: That young lady almost missed out on somebody God brought 201 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 5: into her life because she judged him based on superficial things. 202 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 5: She judged him without really getting to know him. I 203 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 5: wonder how many of. 204 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 4: Us miss out on great friendships because we do. 205 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 5: The same thing. We make a quick judgment in our mind. 206 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 5: We size a person up to see if they fit 207 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 5: into our box. If they don't, we just write them off. 208 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 5: All we know is her hair's too long, or I 209 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 5: don't like the way they look. They come from a 210 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 5: different nationality. I'm sure we couldn't have anything in common. 211 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 5: The word prejudice means to prejudge. In other words, I 212 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 5: judge you, and I'm gonna make a decision whether I 213 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 5: accept you or not based on your appearance, based on 214 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 5: what I see on the surface. What a shallow way 215 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,839 Speaker 5: to live, you think about it. We didn't choose our race. 216 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,959 Speaker 5: God chose it for us. That means we shouldn't hold 217 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 5: that against another part. For the most part, we don't 218 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 5: choose our looks. I'm sure we can stay in shape, 219 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,559 Speaker 5: take care of ourselves, but we can't change our overall makeup. 220 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 5: Don't prejudge someone because they don't meet up. 221 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 4: To your standards. Maybe they weren't blessed with good looks 222 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 4: like you and me. 223 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 5: At least this time I included you. You know how 224 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 5: human nature is. We all think we're the best looking. 225 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 5: It's like this lady I heard about. She felt like 226 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 5: she was so young and she had aged so well. 227 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 5: And one day she went to the dentist office and 228 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 5: she noticed the name of this one dentist up on 229 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 5: the wall, and she thought, that's the same name of 230 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 5: a guy I dated in high school. 231 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 4: Thirty years ago. 232 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 5: I wonder if it could be him. A few minutes later, 233 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 5: this old man came. 234 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 4: Out, wrinkled gray hair glasses. She thought, surely that couldn't 235 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:52,479 Speaker 4: be him. He is so old. 236 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 5: She said, sir, did you go to such and such 237 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 5: high school and graduating such and such year? 238 00:11:58,040 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 4: He said, I sure did. 239 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 5: She said, wouldn't And you know it, I think you 240 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 5: were in my class. He squinted his eyes and said, really, 241 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 5: what subject did you teach? We see ourselves through rose 242 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 5: colored glasses, we say everybody else through that magnifying glass. 243 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 5: Much of our wrong judgment is based. 244 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 4: On the culture we were raised in. 245 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 5: We don't understand the new Young people these days wear 246 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 5: their hair much more messy. 247 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 4: Sometimes it looks like they just got out of bed. 248 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 5: Not long ago, we were leaving the house and I 249 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 5: said to our twelve year old son, Jonathan, you need 250 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 5: to run comb your hair. He said, Daddy, I just did, 251 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 5: And I thought, okay, but styles come and go. I 252 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 5: like my hair back up off of my forehead. This 253 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 5: is my style. Been wearing it like this for years. 254 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 5: My son Jonathan, he likes his hair as far down 255 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 5: on his forehead as he can get it and still 256 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 5: be able to see. 257 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 4: One time I told him, Jonathan, I don't particularly like 258 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:58,199 Speaker 4: your hair like that. 259 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 5: He said, Daddy, would I get in trouble if I 260 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 5: told you I didn't like yours. 261 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 4: I said, you just did. Oh, you got to give 262 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 4: people a little room. 263 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 5: I went to buy some jeans the other day and 264 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 5: the only ones I could find had these tears all 265 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 5: through them. 266 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 4: They were faded, raggedy, beat up. I thought, at least 267 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 4: i'd get a discount. 268 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 5: I got home and Jonathan said, oh, Dad, you got 269 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 5: some cool jeans. I love those tears. I thought, yeah, 270 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 5: those tears cost me a lot of money. It's a 271 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 5: generational thing. When my father was a teenager, the founder 272 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 5: of our church growing up back in the nineteen. 273 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 4: Thirties, he wore what they called a zoot suit. 274 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 5: The pants were up to hear, the jacket went down 275 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 5: to hear. He had this hat cocked over to one side. 276 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 4: Now out of this pocket, he had a. 277 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 5: Long gold chain and he'd walk around swinging that chain, 278 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 5: looking like a cool cat. Today we would say he's 279 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 5: got some bling, but as a teenager. As a teenager, 280 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 5: my father was one of the far out ones. Isn't 281 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 5: it interesting that God called him to be the pastor 282 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 5: of a great church. Some of you are wondering about 283 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 5: you're a young people. You're wondering about your children. Maybe 284 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 5: because they got. 285 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 4: Messy hair, baggy pants. 286 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 5: They talk a language you can't understand, and I don't 287 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 5: mean speaking in. 288 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 4: Tongues, so you don't know what God's gonna do with 289 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 4: that young person. 290 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 5: God looks past the surface, He looks at our heart. 291 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 5: Sometimes we think, oh, they got long hair, they're just 292 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 5: a hippie, they got some bling. 293 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 4: I'm sure they're up to no good. Or he's got 294 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 4: a tattoo. I know he's going to hell. 295 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 5: Now I realize not everybody has my same taste. Not 296 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 5: everybody was raised in the culture I was raised in. 297 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 4: I'm gonna stay open. I'm gonna look past. 298 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 5: The surface and not makejudgements without getting to know someone. 299 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 5: When we make these superficial judgments, it affects the way 300 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,479 Speaker 5: we treat that person. When I first started dating Victoria, 301 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 5: some of my friends were kind of stand offish toward her. 302 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 5: They were very reserved and almost unfriendly. Several months later, 303 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 5: they told how they thought, because she was so beautiful 304 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 5: and carried herself so confidently, that she would surely be 305 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 5: stuck up. They found out later she was just the opposite. 306 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 5: You can't find a more down to earth loving person. 307 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 5: But they had already judged her in their minds to 308 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 5: be arrogant and unfriendly simply because of her looks. That's 309 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 5: what we do many times. We make these judgments. Then 310 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 5: we go into a relationship with all these walls up, 311 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 5: treating people the way we think they're going to be. 312 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 5: It's much better to just stay open and look past 313 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 5: the surface. And even if there are some things about 314 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 5: a person that we don't understand, let's give them a 315 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 5: little room. God's made us all different. Heard this lady 316 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 5: tell how one day her son came home with a tattoo. 317 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 4: She was so upset she couldn't believe it. 318 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 5: She didn't want her son to have any tattoos, and 319 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 5: she went on and on telling him how disappointed she was. 320 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 4: Finally, the young man pulled up his sleeve. 321 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 5: And he said, oh, mom, it's just a tattoo with 322 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 5: your name on it. She said, oh, well, maybe just 323 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 5: one would be Okay, I don't personally care for tattoos, 324 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 5: but when I see somebody that has one, I'm not 325 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 5: going to judge them and put them into a certain category. 326 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 5: Several years ago, a young man came up to me 327 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 5: in a mob. He had tattoos all over his arm, 328 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 5: completely covering them, and he had lived a very rough 329 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 5: life recently had got it turned around. Now he was 330 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 5: serving God, and he was about to spend thousands of 331 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 5: dollars to try to have those tattoos surgically removed. He 332 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 5: asked my opinion, and I asked what his motive was 333 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 5: for doing that. He said, well, Joe, the main reason 334 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 5: I want to get rid of him is because I 335 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 5: don't think my new friends will accept me looking like this. 336 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 5: I told him, you do what you feel good about 337 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 5: concerning the surgery. But let me tell you, if your 338 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 5: friends want to accept you the way you are, they're 339 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 5: not really your friends. You can't be in your best 340 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 5: and God will give you some true friends. 341 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 4: That kind of judgment is based out of pride. 342 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 5: There's nothing God dislikes anymore than being holier than thou 343 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 5: having a better than you attitude. The scripture says that's 344 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 5: a stitch in the nostrils of God. In other words, 345 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 5: being proud, being judgmental, looking down on people that don't 346 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 5: meet up to our standards in God's eyes. That's the 347 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,199 Speaker 5: very worst I heard about. This man that went to 348 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 5: a real fancy church. He was dressed in blue jeans, 349 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,959 Speaker 5: cowboy boots, and an old cowboy hat. He walked in 350 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 5: on a Sunday morning, sat down on the third row. 351 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 4: Much of the congregation were appalled. 352 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 5: They sent letters to the minister expressing their concern. Afterwards, 353 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 5: the minister got him aside and told him he needed 354 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 5: to ask God how to dress before he came back 355 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 5: to his church. The next Sunday, the man showed up 356 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 5: dressed exactly the same. The minister scolded him and said, 357 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 5: I told you to ask God how to dress before 358 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 5: you come back to my church. The man said, I 359 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 5: did ask God, but he told me he didn't know 360 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 5: because he's never been here before. We got to have 361 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 5: a wide circle of life. Let's quit judging people by 362 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 5: the exterior. I found whether I wear blue jeans or 363 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 5: whether I wear a suit, it doesn't affect the annoying. 364 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 4: It's not affected by it's not affected by. 365 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 5: Cotton or denim from my brother Paul's sake, or polyester. Seriously, 366 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 5: you know what affects the annoying the attitude of our heart. 367 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 5: Some people look like a saint on the outside, but 368 00:18:56,119 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 5: on the inside they're full of poison, pride, judgment, criticism, 369 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 5: like a pharisee. They look down on other people. They 370 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 5: have a little bitty circle of love. If you don't 371 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 5: look like them, talk like them, think like them, they 372 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 5: shut you out. 373 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 4: You're outside their circle. 374 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 5: On the other hand, I've known people that have some 375 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 5: hang ups. They don't perform perfectly all the time, yet they. 376 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 4: Have a pure heart toward God. 377 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 5: Let me tell you, God is more pleased with that 378 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 5: than he is a person that performs perfectly all the 379 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 5: time but has a lousy heart. What's going on on 380 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 5: the inside is more important than what people see on 381 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 5: the outside. 382 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 4: One time, a man. 383 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 5: Came up to me in the visitor's reception and he 384 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 5: looked like a biker. 385 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 4: He was dressed real rough. I hope you're not offended. 386 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 5: When I tell you this, But he said, Joel, I 387 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 5: got to tell you that was a hell of a 388 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 5: sermon today. I thought, next time, tell me what you 389 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 5: really meant. That didn't bother me. I realized he comes 390 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 5: from a different background, no doubt, he wasn't raised like me. 391 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 5: Hopefully over time he'll come up higher. But I believe 392 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 5: that his heart was pure down in here where it 393 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,199 Speaker 5: really counted. He was as sincere as he can be. 394 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 5: It's funny the way I was raised. If you said hell, 395 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 5: you were probably going to go there. I mean, if 396 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 5: we said dog gonet, that was a big deal in 397 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 5: my family. But we can't go around shutting people out 398 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 5: because they're not just exactly like us. Well, I don't 399 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 5: think she should come to church, Joel looking like that. 400 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 4: That dress is not appropriate. That's too revealing. 401 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 5: Yes, I'm all for dressing modestly, but I would rather 402 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 5: her be here than out in. 403 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:36,880 Speaker 4: The bars or the clubs. 404 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 5: I'd rather than be here than out on the streets somewhere. 405 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 5: We have to give people a little room while they're 406 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 5: in the process of changing. Jesus said, it's the sick 407 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 5: who need a doctor, not the healthy. But if they 408 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 5: come into our churches feeling so condemned, or if they 409 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,640 Speaker 5: get around us during the week and we shut them 410 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 5: out looking down on them being holy, than now, they 411 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 5: may never become all God's created them. 412 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 4: To be. If there's anything that fires me. 413 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 5: Up is to see people judging and being critical toward 414 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 5: a person, yet they know nothing about what that person 415 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 5: is going through. 416 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 4: That young lady may be here on her last leg. 417 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 5: She may be thinking, let me go to church one 418 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 5: more time to see if I can get my life 419 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 5: straightened out. 420 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 4: What a shame if we would be so full. 421 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 5: Of pride or so judgmental that she felt unwelcome. Why 422 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 5: don't you give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking 423 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 5: maybe she wasn't raised like I was, Maybe she didn't 424 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 5: get the breaks that I got. Maybe she's doing the 425 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 5: best she can with what she's got. 426 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 4: Let's have a wide circle of love. That's what I love. 427 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 4: That's what I love about you guys. 428 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 5: You make everyone feel welcome, rich, poor, black, white people 429 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 5: that have it together, and people that are trying to 430 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 5: get it together. The scripture talks about the same amount 431 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 5: of mirdy we show to other people, that's the amount 432 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 5: of mercy God will show back to us. I believe 433 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 5: we can even store up mercy for our children, for 434 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 5: our grandchildren. When you have a large circle of love, 435 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 5: you're mercy falling, even though you don't understand somebody. You 436 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 5: don't judge them, You give them the benefit of the doubt. 437 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 5: You're friendly anyway. You help them come up higher when 438 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 5: you live your life like that than when you need 439 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 5: mercy or your children or your grandchildren. God will make 440 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 5: sure mercy is extended back to you. There's too much 441 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 5: judgment in our society today. We're so quick to condemn. 442 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 5: We shut people out of our group if they're not 443 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,479 Speaker 5: exactly like us. I don't know about you, but I'm 444 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 5: gonna have a. 445 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 4: Large circle of love. 446 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 5: I may not understand everyone, I may not agree with them, 447 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 5: but that's not gonna keep me from being good to them. 448 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 5: It's not gonna keep me from showing God's kindness. 449 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 3: I know. 450 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 4: I get letters all the time from atheist. 451 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 5: They say, oh, we love watching your program. I think 452 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 5: that's great. Doesn't bother me a bit. I don't judge them. 453 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 5: If they don't believe like me, that doesn't mean they're 454 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 5: a bad person. We have to understand it's not our 455 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 5: job to convert everyone. It's our job to simply present 456 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 5: the truth. 457 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 4: The Holy Spirit. 458 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 5: Is the only one that can convict people. Sometimes we 459 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 5: think we have to make people believe, but only God 460 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 5: can do that Jesus said, the way people will know 461 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 5: where his disciples is by our love for one another. 462 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 5: Today there are so many walls up. You're not from 463 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 5: my group, You're not from my same faith. You're a Methodist, 464 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 5: you're a Catholic, you're a Pentecostal. People ask me, Joel, 465 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 5: what are you? We're just a group of believers that 466 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 5: are excited about serving God. 467 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 4: I don't want any labels on me. 468 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 5: Somebody said, well, are you an evangelical? I don't even 469 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,399 Speaker 5: know what evangelical means. All I know is this, I 470 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 5: believe in Jesus, I believe in sharing my faith, and 471 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 5: I love everyone. 472 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 4: Well, Joel, what about what about the Muslims? 473 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 5: I love them too. They are God's creation. What about 474 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 5: the Hindus? They are God's creation? What about the Buddhists? Joel? 475 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 4: You don't want them in here? Do you sure? I do? 476 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 5: I've got a wide circle of love. I know our God, 477 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 5: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God 478 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 5: of Jacob. He loves the Muslims as much as he 479 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 5: loves the Christians. He loves the Buddhists, the Hindus, the atheists, 480 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 5: all the same. 481 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 4: And if God does surely we can as well. 482 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 5: I see too many people looking down on people of 483 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 5: other faith, thinking, well, they don't believe in Jesus like 484 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 5: I do, But it doesn't say to love them as 485 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 5: long as they believe like us. We're supposed to love 486 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 5: people unconditionally. We should never look down on someone. What 487 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 5: a shame to treat another one of God's creation with 488 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 5: less love and less respect just because they don't agree 489 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 5: with us. We have to realize when we get to heaven, 490 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 5: there's not going to be a Baptist section, a Methodist section, 491 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 5: a Catholic section. Let's put the Pentecostals way over there, 492 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 5: they're so loud. No, We're gonna all be up there together. 493 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 5: It's gonna look just like Lakewood, all people, all races, 494 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 5: all walks of life. There's gonna be Democrats and Republicans, tattoos, 495 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 5: no tattoos, bling and no bleing, denim and cotton, long 496 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 5: hair and beautiful hair. Get outside of your normal box, 497 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 5: be open to people that are not just like you. 498 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 4: A while back, we. 499 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 5: Had a significant amount of funds that we were going 500 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 5: to give to organizations that were helping people affected by 501 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 5: Hurricane Katrina, and our staff made the recommendations. And I 502 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 5: knew most of the people on the list, or at 503 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 5: least I. 504 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 4: Knew of them. 505 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 5: But there's this one man on the list that I 506 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,120 Speaker 5: knew had been critical toward us, And when I saw 507 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 5: his name, I had to think long and hard. Do 508 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 5: we want to give him a large donation knowing that 509 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 5: he's out there knocking us. 510 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 4: My first thought was absolutely not. I'm nice, but not 511 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 4: that nice. But after I. 512 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 5: Thought about it and prayed about it, I thought, you 513 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 5: know what, I'm gonna be bigger than this. 514 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 4: I'm will widen my circle of love. 515 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 5: He drew a circle and shut me out, I'm gonna 516 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:25,440 Speaker 5: draw bigger circle and shut him in. I thought, he 517 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 5: doesn't even really know me, because if he did, he 518 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 5: liked me. At least that's what I thought. We hand 519 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 5: delivered the funds. A couple months later, I got a 520 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 5: call from a friend of mine that works in that organization. 521 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 4: He said, Joel, our CEO, got up. 522 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 5: In front of the staff today and he apologized for 523 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 5: everything he's ever said about you. I thought, isn't that 524 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 5: interesting When we widen our circle of love, it changes 525 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 5: people's hearts. Now, the rest of you critics don't expect 526 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 5: me to pay you off. 527 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 4: But sometimes when if. 528 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 5: Somebody does us wrong, easy thing to do is to 529 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 5: say forget you. See, if I give you the time 530 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 5: of day, now be the bigger person, so a seed 531 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 5: of kindness, go out of your way to do something 532 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 5: good for them. Talks about in proverbs when we are 533 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 5: kind to our enemies, when we return good for evil, 534 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 5: it's like keeping coals of fire on their head. 535 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 4: And that's not talking about making them suffer. 536 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 5: It means when you're good to people that don't deserve it, 537 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 5: that softens their hard heart. Those coals of fire help 538 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 5: melt away the judgment and the criticism that they have 539 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 5: toward us. And again, it's easy to love people that 540 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 5: are just like us. But I'm asking us today to 541 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 5: widen our circle of love. Find somebody that's not like you, 542 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 5: and instead of making a quick judgment, instead of stereotyping them, at. 543 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 4: Least take time to get to know them. 544 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,640 Speaker 5: And even if you don't have common interest, doesn't mean 545 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 5: you still can't be kind and respectful. Get outside of 546 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 5: your normal box. I bet every one of us has 547 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 5: someone in our. 548 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 4: Life right now that we're kind of shutt now thinking 549 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 4: all they're just not like me. So let's have an 550 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 4: open mind. 551 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 5: If you'll have a wide circle of love and not 552 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 5: make judgments based on the appearance, it will not only 553 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 5: make a difference in other people's lives, it'll make a 554 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 5: difference in your own life, because when you sol mercy, 555 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 5: you're gonna read mercy. When you're good to others, God 556 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 5: will always be good to you. He'll pour out his blessings, 557 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 5: his favor. You'll live that life of victory he has 558 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 5: in story. Amen, do you receive it today? We never 559 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 5: like to close on broadcast without giving you an opportunity 560 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,359 Speaker 5: to make Jesus the lord of your life. 561 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 4: Would you pray with me? Just say Lord Jesus, I'll 562 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 4: repent of my sins. 563 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 5: Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 564 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 5: if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 565 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 5: born again. Get in a good Bible based church, keep 566 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 5: God first place. 567 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 4: He's gonna take you places that you've never dreamed of. 568 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 6: Thank you for listening to the Joels Deine podcast. Help 569 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 6: us continue to share the message of hope with those 570 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 6: all over the world. Visit jolostein dot com slash give 571 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 6: Hope to give a gift today. 572 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 4: Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 573 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 5: I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 574 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 5: podcast to keep you. 575 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 4: Inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I 576 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 4: know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.