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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to

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Speaker 1: our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you

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Speaker 1: enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and

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Speaker 1: share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray

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Speaker 1: for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you.

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Speaker 1: It is always a joy to come into your homes.

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Speaker 1: We love you and we believe that your best days

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Speaker 1: are still out in front of you. We pray for

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Speaker 1: you every single day. If you're ever in our area,

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Speaker 1: I hope you'll stop by and see us. I promise

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Speaker 1: you it. We'll make you feel right at home. But

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Speaker 1: thanks for tuning in and thanks again for coming out today.

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

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Speaker 1: and I heard about these two little boys. They were

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Speaker 1: spending the night with their grandparents. Before they went to bed,

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Speaker 1: they got down on their knees to say their prayers.

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Speaker 1: The youngest one started praying at the top of his lungs, saying, God,

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Speaker 1: I pray that you'll give me a new bicycle, and

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Speaker 1: I pray that you'll give me a new PlayStation, and

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Speaker 1: pray that you'll give me a new DVD. His brother said,

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Speaker 1: why are you screaming, God is not death, said I

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Speaker 1: know that, but Grandmother is all right, hold up your Bible,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Speaker 1: about being secure in who God made you to be.

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Speaker 1: One of the greatest needs we all have is to

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Speaker 1: feel important and to be admired. Deep down, we all

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Speaker 1: want to know that we're wanted, we're needed, and we're valuable.

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Speaker 1: But too many people are trying to get this value

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Speaker 1: the wrong way. They think if they work hard enough,

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Speaker 1: or if they look good enough, if they impress their friends,

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Speaker 1: then they'll feel important. Then they'll get that respect they need.

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Speaker 1: In the back of their mind, they're always trying to

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Speaker 1: prove something, trying to prove they're successful, trying to prove

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Speaker 1: they're talented. I know people that work eighty hours a

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Speaker 1: week trying to prove to themselves that they're important. They

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Speaker 1: don't feel good about who they are unless they're achieving,

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Speaker 1: unless they're impressing the people around them. But anytime we're

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Speaker 1: trying to prove something, the root cause is insecurity. We

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Speaker 1: need to learn to get our value from who we

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Speaker 1: are and not from what we do. We need to

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Speaker 1: know deep down in here we are children of the

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Speaker 1: most high God. We've been created in his image. He's

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Speaker 1: already accepted and approved us. We don't have to go

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Speaker 1: through life trying to prove our worth, trying to make

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Speaker 1: somebody respect us, trying to make people think that we're important.

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Speaker 1: Now we should have a quiet confidence. We don't have

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Speaker 1: to live to impress people. We can be secure, simple

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Speaker 1: in the fact of who God made us to be.

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Speaker 1: But I know people they only feel good about themselves

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Speaker 1: if they're doing something that looks important, if they have

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Speaker 1: the right title behind their name, if they drive the

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Speaker 1: right car, if they're keeping up with their friends. But

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Speaker 1: if you have to have a certain position in order

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Speaker 1: to feel valuable, if you have to be in a

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Speaker 1: certain group or wear certain clothes, then you have your

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Speaker 1: value your worth in the wrong places. Your position, your

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Speaker 1: job may or may not be considered important, your income

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Speaker 1: may be large or small, but you cannot allow those

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Speaker 1: things to determine your value. If you do, you'll constantly

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Speaker 1: live in this proving mode. I've got approve to my

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Speaker 1: friends that I'm as good as they are. I've got

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Speaker 1: approve to my peers that I can build a big

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Speaker 1: church God, approve to my parents that I can make

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Speaker 1: it on my own. It's good to have goals, it's

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Speaker 1: good to stretch our faith. But we should not do

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Speaker 1: things simply to impress people so we can feel good

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Speaker 1: about who we are. It's very freeing when we realize

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Speaker 1: I don't have anything to prove. I don't have to

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Speaker 1: feel bad about myself because I can't do something that

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Speaker 1: someone else can. I don't have to feel inferior that

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Speaker 1: my brother is a medical doctor and I never got

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Speaker 1: my college degree. I realize he got the brains, I

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Speaker 1: got the looks. But seriously, my security doesn't come from

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Speaker 1: what I do, or what I wear, or who I

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Speaker 1: know or the title behind my name. My security comes

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Speaker 1: from the fact that I'm a child of Almighty God.

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Speaker 1: We have to get our value from who we are

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Speaker 1: and not from what we do, or we'll go through

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Speaker 1: life constantly struggling competing with others, trying to prove we're important,

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Speaker 1: trying to convince people to respect us. Look at my accomplishments,

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Speaker 1: Look at the car I drive, Look at how good

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Speaker 1: a shape I'm in. Now, the problem is that's all superficial.

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Speaker 1: Those things can change. If we put our value in

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Speaker 1: that and it goes down, then our self worth and

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Speaker 1: our self image will go down as well. Insecure people

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Speaker 1: are always comparing. Once we compare, the next step is

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Speaker 1: we start competing. A friend gets a promotion. Instead of

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Speaker 1: being happy for them, it makes us feel bad toward ourselfs.

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Speaker 1: A coworker loses twenty pounds. Instead of letting that inspire you,

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Speaker 1: it depresses you think, man, I am so overweight. Or

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Speaker 1: maybe a neighbor pulls in with a new car. Instead

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Speaker 1: of focusing on your race, you think, man, I got

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Speaker 1: to work harder. I've got to keep up with them,

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Speaker 1: or I'm going to feel inferior. I'm going to feel

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Speaker 1: less than I know people that have spent their whole

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Speaker 1: life struggling trying to get their worth in value from positions, titles, cars,

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Speaker 1: what they wear. But that is a never ending cycle

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Speaker 1: because there will always be someone a fead of us.

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Speaker 1: If we go around constantly competing and comparing, it just

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Speaker 1: wears us out. It's like we're on a treadmill. We're

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Speaker 1: constantly working, but not going anywhere. We'll never get to

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Speaker 1: that place where we really feel good about who we

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Speaker 1: are because there's always one more thing somebody else to

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Speaker 1: keep up with. And I'm asking us today to step

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Speaker 1: off of that treadmill, make a decision. I'm going to relax.

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Speaker 1: I don't have to prove that I'm important. I don't

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Speaker 1: have to impress anybody to feel good about who I am.

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Speaker 1: I know I am a child of the Most High God.

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Speaker 1: That's where I get my value from who I am

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Speaker 1: and not from what I do. It's important that we

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Speaker 1: don't get our who mixed up with our due. In

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Speaker 1: other words, you may be a successful businessman, or maybe

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Speaker 1: you're a gifted teacher, or at the office you can

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Speaker 1: operate the equipment like nobody else, and that's great. That's

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Speaker 1: your gifts, your talents, God's favor. But keep it in perspective,

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Speaker 1: that's what you do, that's not who you are. And

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Speaker 1: if you get your worth and value from your occupation

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Speaker 1: or your accomplishments or what you do, then if for

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Speaker 1: some reason you're not able to do that, or if

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Speaker 1: it's not as important in other people's eyes as you

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Speaker 1: think it should be, then you'll feel inferior, less than

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Speaker 1: your self worth and self image won't be what it

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Speaker 1: should be. And it's good to be accomplishing, it's good

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Speaker 1: to be productive. I hope you have a great job.

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Speaker 1: But what I'm saying is you should get your value

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Speaker 1: from the fact that you're a child of God, and

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Speaker 1: not from your position and not from your talents. Because

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Speaker 1: these days we put so much emphasis on our title,

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Speaker 1: on where we fit into the company's flow chart. How

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Speaker 1: does this look to people? Will this impress my friends?

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Speaker 1: And of course it's good to have a good title

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Speaker 1: and to want to be successful, but many times we

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Speaker 1: go overboard trying to impress people. We make sure our

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Speaker 1: title is listed, our accomplishments, our credits, make sure people

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Speaker 1: know what neighborhood we live in, what school we went to.

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Speaker 1: But that just breeds competitiveness, and there's a healthy confidence

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Speaker 1: that we should have. I guess you could even call

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Speaker 1: it a healthy competitiveness to where we see somebody succeeding

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Speaker 1: and it inspires us to rise higher, not out of

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Speaker 1: jealousy for the wrong reason, but it challenges our faith.

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Speaker 1: But there's also this unhealthy competition to where we're doing

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Speaker 1: things just to keep up so people won't think that

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Speaker 1: we're less than. In the back of our mind, we

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Speaker 1: think we have to prove that we're still important and

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Speaker 1: prove that we're acceptable. But if you'll learn to get

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Speaker 1: your value from who you are and not from what

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Speaker 1: you do, it will free you from the frustration of

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Speaker 1: this unhealthy competition that's never really satisfied. And we have

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Speaker 1: to recognize God's given us all different gifts, and some

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Speaker 1: gifts look more important than others. And you may think, well,

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Speaker 1: I would like to be able to do what he

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Speaker 1: or she does. They're in leadership. But God may have

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Speaker 1: given them the gift of leadership, the gift of administration.

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Speaker 1: They're good at it. It comes naturally to them. But

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Speaker 1: God's given you a different gift. Maybe you're good with

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Speaker 1: your hands, a skilled musician, a cabinet maker. Maybe you're

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Speaker 1: a great teacher, or you have great people's skills, you

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Speaker 1: could sell anything in the natural. Those gifts may not

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Speaker 1: look as important as other gifts, but you have to

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Speaker 1: be content with what God's given you. You have what

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Speaker 1: you need to fulfill your destiny. It may not be

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Speaker 1: that you're necessarily going to be the leader. You may

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Speaker 1: be the helper. But what I'm saying is you don't

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Speaker 1: have to feel less than just take the gift God's

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Speaker 1: given you and make the most of it. Be the

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Speaker 1: best that you can be, and understand, in God's eyes,

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Speaker 1: the janitor is just as important as the CEO. The

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Speaker 1: usher is just as important as the past The person

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Speaker 1: taking tickets down there at the ballpark that's making ten

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Speaker 1: dollars an hour, he's just as important as the ballplayers

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Speaker 1: that are making millions. Why. Because we're all created in

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Speaker 1: the image of Almighty God. It's very free. When we

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Speaker 1: realized we don't have to compete and compare. We don't

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Speaker 1: have to try to get the right title to prove

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Speaker 1: our worth. Now get your value from who you are,

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Speaker 1: not from what you do. I heard about this man

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Speaker 1: that ran a big company. He didn't feel like he

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Speaker 1: was getting the respect and admiration that he deserves, so

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Speaker 1: he decided to take some action and prove to his

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Speaker 1: employees who he was. He got this big sign and

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Speaker 1: put it on the door at his office. It said

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Speaker 1: the boss, the big cheese, the top dog, the head honcho.

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Speaker 1: The buck stops here. He sat back in his desk,

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Speaker 1: feeling so proud, feeling so important. A few minutes later,

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Speaker 1: one of his employees came by and said, sir, your

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Speaker 1: wife just called and she said she wants her sign back.

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Speaker 1: Get your value from who you are, not from your

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Speaker 1: position or your title. It's like this guy was bragging

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Speaker 1: to all of his buddies about how he was the

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Speaker 1: head of his house. He said, yeah, guys, I run

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Speaker 1: things at my house. About that time, his wife stepped

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Speaker 1: up and gave him that look. He put his head

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Speaker 1: down and said, I run the vacuum, I run the dishwasher,

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Speaker 1: I run the law more. Victoria always says, Joel's the

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Speaker 1: head of our house, but I'm the neck that turns

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Speaker 1: the head. Several years ago, I was in the front

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Speaker 1: lobby after the service, greeting visitors, and I'd been there

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Speaker 1: about an hour. The line was very long, and I

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Speaker 1: noticed the next man that came up was a gentleman

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Speaker 1: that I'd met earlier in the week. He was the

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Speaker 1: CEO of probably the largest corporation in the world.

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Speaker 2: He treated me.

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Speaker 1: So nice at the event we were at together. And

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Speaker 1: I was so surprised to see him. I said, why

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Speaker 1: didn't you tell me you were coming. You didn't have

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Speaker 1: to wait in this long line. I could have got

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Speaker 1: your parking, you could have sat with us. He said, no, Joel,

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Speaker 1: I didn't want any preferential treatment. I just wanted to

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Speaker 1: come out and enjoy the services. And I thought, here,

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Speaker 1: he could have had that big shot mentality. He could

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Speaker 1: have thought, don't they know who I am? I'm important,

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Speaker 1: I'm not waiting in this line. No, he knew he

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Speaker 1: had nothing to prove. He knew who he was. He

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Speaker 1: had this quiet confidence. The scripture says they're in Romans twelve,

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Speaker 1: verse six, that we've all been given gifts and talents

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Speaker 1: that differ. The fact is not everyone is gifted to

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Speaker 1: be the boss or to be the leader, and it's

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Speaker 1: important that we accept the gift God's given us and

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Speaker 1: not allow it to frustrate us, because too many times

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Speaker 1: we're only going to be happy if we're in a

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Speaker 1: certain position, if we're leading the team, if we're one

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Speaker 1: step ahead of where we are, But it may be

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Speaker 1: that we're not gifted to be in that position. And

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Speaker 1: if you have your worth in attaining a certain position

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Speaker 1: or having a certain title. That's when you go through

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Speaker 1: life frustrated, feeling less than, feeling inferior. It's because you

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Speaker 1: have your self worth in what you do and the

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Speaker 1: position that you want. But if we can just realize

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Speaker 1: this scripture is saying God made you like you are

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Speaker 1: on purpose. He's given you the gifts and talents you need.

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Speaker 1: You don't have to go around frustrated feeling less than

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Speaker 1: because you don't have a certain position or you can't

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Speaker 1: do something that someone else can do. I know when

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Speaker 1: I hear Marcos Witt minister. He's our Spanish pastor, of course,

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Speaker 1: and many times after he gets through speaking, he'll burst

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Speaker 1: out into a song and it comes natural to him.

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Speaker 1: It looks totally effortless, and he's got this great voice.

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Speaker 1: He's won three Grammy, sold millions of recordings. And the

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Speaker 1: other night after he ministered, he did just that. He

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Speaker 1: started seeing man. I could feel the goosebumps, And when

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Speaker 1: I walked out of here, I was tempted to think, God,

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Speaker 1: that is not fair. How come he got two good

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Speaker 1: gifts he can minister in sing. See. Human nature wants

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Speaker 1: to compare, But I've learned instead of comparing and feeling

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Speaker 1: less than and like we've got to prove ourselves in

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Speaker 1: another area. I recognize those are the gifts that God's

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Speaker 1: given him. We should not complain about what we can't do.

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Speaker 1: We shouldn't feel the least bit inferior when somebody else

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Speaker 1: shines in a certain area. Accept what God's given you.

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Speaker 1: Take your gift and develop it. But don't get your

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Speaker 1: value from your gift. Get your value from who you are.

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Speaker 1: Remember God's given us all different gifts. And yes, Marcos

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Speaker 1: has a great voice, but I have more here than

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Speaker 1: he has. Don't tell him I said that, or he'll

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Speaker 1: feel inferior. Take this in the right way. We have

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Speaker 1: to accept our limitations. In other words, we're not going

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Speaker 1: to be good at everything. I may have a desire

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Speaker 1: to sing. I can pray and ask God to help me.

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Speaker 1: I can go take voice lessons. But if God has

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Speaker 1: not given me that gift, it's not gonna happen. And

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Speaker 1: here's the key. I don't have to feel inferior. I

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Speaker 1: don't have to feel less than. I just have to

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Speaker 1: recognize that is not an area that God's gifted me in.

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Speaker 1: Now I've got to be open and willing enough to

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Speaker 1: accept it. A while back, I was meeting with a

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Speaker 1: group of pastors here. During the meeting, they asked me

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Speaker 1: if I would share on a certain subject. It had

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Speaker 1: to do with the end times and the Book of Revelation,

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Speaker 1: and I didn't think twice. I said, you know, men,

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Speaker 1: that is not a subject that I'm very knowledgeable in.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just not an expert in that area,

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Speaker 1: and I'm gonna have to pass and allow somebody else

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Speaker 1: to share. Well, their eyes got this big, they said, Joel,

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Speaker 1: you mean you're the head of this large ministry and

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Speaker 1: you don't know all the facts and details about the

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Speaker 1: end time doctrine. I said, I hate to disappoint you,

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Speaker 1: but I don't know all the facts and details about

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Speaker 1: the present day doctrine, much less the end time doctrine.

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Speaker 1: You said, Joe, didn't that make you feel inferior? Weren't

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Speaker 1: you a little bit embarrassed to admit that? Not a bit.

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Speaker 1: I don't feel less than just because I'm not mister

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Speaker 1: super Christian. I just stay in the anointing that God's

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Speaker 1: given me, and I may not be able to explain

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Speaker 1: all the doctrine, but I can encourage people. I can

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Speaker 1: plan a set of hope I can challenge and inspire

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Speaker 1: us to come up higher. You've got to know not

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Speaker 1: only what you are, you need to know what you're not.

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Speaker 1: I recognize I'm not a theologian, I'm not a debater.

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Speaker 1: I'm not a line by line precept by precept minister.

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Speaker 1: I'm an encourager and I do my best to stay

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Speaker 1: in the area of my main gifting. It is when

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Speaker 1: we try to be something that we're not, or when

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Speaker 1: we look down on others that don't do it just

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Speaker 1: like us, that's when we get off course. Stay in

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Speaker 1: your annoying. I remember, right after I first started ministering,

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Speaker 1: a reporter asked me what I thought about the second

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Speaker 1: dispensation of the Spirit. I said, I'll be glad to

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Speaker 1: tell you if you will just explain to me what

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Speaker 1: it was. I thought, Dear God, I must have missed

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Speaker 1: the first one. But I realized we can all grow.

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Speaker 1: We should always be learning, but we need to know

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Speaker 1: what our gifts are, what we're good at. Naturally. One

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Speaker 1: time in the New Testament, John the Baptist was baptizing people,

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Speaker 1: and he was having such great success. There were so

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Speaker 1: many of them. They finally asked him, John, are you

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Speaker 1: the Messiah or should we keep looking Without missing a beat,

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Speaker 1: he said, no, I am not the Messiah. See John

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Speaker 1: knew what he was and he knew what he was not.

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Speaker 1: And it's just as important to know what you're not

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Speaker 1: as is to know what you are, because if you

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Speaker 1: don't realize what you're not good at and what you

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Speaker 1: can't do, then you'll get pulled off into all these

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Speaker 1: other areas. They may look important, they may be impressive,

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Speaker 1: they may feed our ego, but they're outside of our anointing.

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Speaker 1: And it's easy to do things because this is going

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Speaker 1: to make me look good. This is going to prove

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Speaker 1: to my friends that I am talented. Once we get

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Speaker 1: outside of what we're called to do, it's a constant struggle.

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Speaker 1: There's no grace for it. You have to run your race.

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Speaker 1: This is what Moses did one time. He was trying

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Speaker 1: to do it all. He was being the judge, the administrator,

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Speaker 1: trying to keep everybody happy. Finally he said, I can't

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Speaker 1: do it all. I need some help. What he was

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Speaker 1: saying was these are not my strengths, and he focused

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Speaker 1: on what he was good at. My point is he

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Speaker 1: didn't feel inferior. You say Joel, I can't do that.

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Speaker 1: People may look down on me, They may think I

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Speaker 1: have a weakness. The fact is we all have weaknesses,

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Speaker 1: and when you really know who you are, you won't

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Speaker 1: live to impress people. It's very freeing to go through

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Speaker 1: the day and not have to prove your worth and

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Speaker 1: prove your value. Try to impress somebody over here and

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Speaker 1: try to make somebody respect me over there. No, take

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Speaker 1: the pressure off yourself. Some of you are constantly competing.

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Speaker 1: If you're not competing with others, you're competing with yourself.

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Speaker 1: You're not going to be happy until you get that promotion,

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Speaker 1: until you get that new title. You feel like you

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Speaker 1: have to prove your worth. Why don't you learn to

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Speaker 1: accept yourself right where you are. You don't have to

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Speaker 1: go to the next level in order to feel good

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Speaker 1: about yourself. You don't have to drive a certain car,

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Speaker 1: you don't have to be in with a certain group.

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Speaker 1: We have to get past this feeling that we have

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Speaker 1: to constantly prove ourselves. I got to prove my ministry,

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Speaker 1: make sure it keeps growing, got to prove that I'm

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Speaker 1: a good mother, work night and day. No, just relax.

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Speaker 1: You don't have to carry that burden. As long as

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Speaker 1: you're being your best, you have nothing to prove. Just

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Speaker 1: be confident and stay in your annoying And it's good

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Speaker 1: to stretch. It's good to get out of our comfort zones,

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Speaker 1: but we need to learn to always stay in our

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Speaker 1: strength zones. Focus on what you're good at. A while back,

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Speaker 1: we were thinking about hiring this gentleman. He was very gifted,

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Speaker 1: very talented. He was a leader in his field. We

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Speaker 1: wanted him to manage this certain department. It was a

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Speaker 1: little outside of what he was used to doing, but

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Speaker 1: we thought he would stretch and be willing to do it.

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Speaker 1: He tried it for a while, but after several weeks

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Speaker 1: he said, you know, I'd love to do this, but

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Speaker 1: I'm just not good at it. My main gifting is

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Speaker 1: in this other area, so I'm going to have to pass.

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Speaker 1: And I so appreciated the fact that he recognized his limitations.

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Speaker 1: Some people would be too proud, some people would be

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Speaker 1: too caught up in the big promotion, but he realized

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Speaker 1: even though he was exceptional in one area, he did

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Speaker 1: not have the same gifting in this other are The

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Speaker 1: fact is what he went back to was much less impressive.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't in management, didn't have the big title. But see,

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Speaker 1: he knew what he was called to do. He wasn't

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Speaker 1: trying to prove himself, trying to impress people. He got

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Speaker 1: his value from who he was and not from what

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Speaker 1: he did. He had this quiet confidence. And I'm all

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Speaker 1: for stretching again, I'm all for getting out of our

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Speaker 1: comfort zones. But we have to work with the gifts

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Speaker 1: God's given us. There's nothing wrong with saying I'm not

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Speaker 1: good at that. I'd love to be in management, but

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Speaker 1: I think my real gift is in teaching. I'd love

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Speaker 1: to run the company, but I believe i'd be a

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Speaker 1: better supervisor. A lot of people can't do that because

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Speaker 1: they think they have to prove their worth, and that's

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Speaker 1: why there's so much comparing in competition these days, and

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Speaker 1: all that does is steal our joy. I remember when

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Speaker 1: we were renovating this facility, a friend of mine came

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Speaker 1: by and he's a pastor as well, and he too,

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Speaker 1: was in the process of building a new auditorium. It

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Speaker 1: was going to see four or five thousand people. He

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Speaker 1: was very successful, done very well. But when we came

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Speaker 1: into our facility, we walked into the auditorium together, and

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Speaker 1: I'll never forget what he said. He shook his head

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Speaker 1: and said, Joel, how am I supposed to go back

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Speaker 1: and be excited about my new place after seeing this place?

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Speaker 1: And he was halfway kidding, but I had to encourage him,

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Speaker 1: like I'm encouraging you to run your race. Don't compare

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Speaker 1: your life to somebody else's life. Don't compare your dreams

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Speaker 1: to other people's dreams. I know my father has put

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Speaker 1: me forty years down the road. When it comes to

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Speaker 1: the size of our church. Some of you have gotten

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Speaker 1: a lot of breaks. Others you've gotten just a few,

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Speaker 1: and it's easy to think, well, this isn't fair. Wish

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Speaker 1: I had what he had. I wish I had his talent,

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Speaker 1: Or I wish I had her metabolism. She can eat

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Speaker 1: anything she wants. She never gains a pound. I look

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Speaker 1: at the refrigerator and gain weight. No, don't compare, do

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Speaker 1: you know? Comparing leads to frustration. Some of you, like

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Speaker 1: my friend, you were excited about your life until you

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Speaker 1: started comparing. You were excited about your husband until you

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Speaker 1: met Susie's husband. You found out he brings her breakfast

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Speaker 1: in bed, he rubs her feet, he takes her fresh

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Speaker 1: cut flowers. Now you're wondering what happened to your old goat,

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Speaker 1: I mean your husband. Don't compare your husband to somebody else.

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Speaker 1: Just run your race. If we compare ourselves to other people,

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Speaker 1: over time, maybe even subconsciously, we may not realize it,

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Speaker 1: but we start to compete with them, we'll start being

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Speaker 1: overly critical, start finding fault. That jealous spirit rises up.

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Speaker 1: Why does she wear that or why does he drive

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Speaker 1: that car? Why does Marcos have to sing after the service? Anyway,

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Speaker 1: that's not necessary. When we compare, it not only poisons

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Speaker 1: our own life, but it causes us to lose our focus.

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Speaker 1: I remember one time, years ago, my father wanted to

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Speaker 1: build a new sanctuary. They were in the auditorium that

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Speaker 1: held a thousand people for several years. They had drawn

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00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,359
Speaker 1: the plans and saved up the resources, but it just

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00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,960
Speaker 1: didn't seem like he could get it going. And four

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00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,160
Speaker 1: or five of his pastor friends, men that were much

431
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,959
Speaker 1: younger than he was, they were building these large auditoriums.

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Speaker 1: Every time my father heard this, he got him all

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00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,280
Speaker 1: fired up, and he'd try to make it happen. In

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00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,560
Speaker 1: the back of his mind, he was thinking I can't

435
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,120
Speaker 1: let them out do me. I'm getting older, I've got

436
00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:42,800
Speaker 1: to get going. See, when we compare, that competitive spirit

437
00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:47,560
Speaker 1: comes out, and many times that's what frustrates us. It

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00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,600
Speaker 1: causes us to lose our focus. We don't appreciate where

439
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,760
Speaker 1: we are and we start thinking, well, I got to

440
00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:57,480
Speaker 1: prove I'm talented. I got to prove I'm successful. My

441
00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,200
Speaker 1: father tried again and again, but something always stopped. It

442
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,600
Speaker 1: was because it wasn't the right time. We have to

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00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,119
Speaker 1: learn to run our own race. Just as God has

444
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:11,240
Speaker 1: given us specific gifts, he also has an individual plan

445
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,480
Speaker 1: for each of our lives. The good news is I

446
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,480
Speaker 1: don't have to keep up with you, and you don't

447
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,160
Speaker 1: have to keep up with me. Now our attitude should

448
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,119
Speaker 1: be I am secure in who God made me to be.

449
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 1: I don't have to compete with my coworker in order

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00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,000
Speaker 1: to feel good about myself. I don't have to be

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00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,200
Speaker 1: in competition with my friend, try to outdo them, try

452
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,680
Speaker 1: to make people accept me. It's very free. It takes

453
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,240
Speaker 1: all the pressure off of us when we realize we're

454
00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,199
Speaker 1: not in a contest with anybody. We're not competing with

455
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,800
Speaker 1: a colleague, competing with a family, member competing with a friend,

456
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,240
Speaker 1: if they rise higher and more power to them. We

457
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,359
Speaker 1: don't have to feel inferior. We don't have to feel

458
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,840
Speaker 1: less than Let's just run our race. Let's be who

459
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,000
Speaker 1: God made us to be. If we don't understand this

460
00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:00,359
Speaker 1: principle of not having to always prove ourselves, then life

461
00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,520
Speaker 1: is going to be very frustrating, because, as I mentioned,

462
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,400
Speaker 1: there will always be somebody that's ahead of us. No

463
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,199
Speaker 1: matter how talented you are, there will be somebody that's

464
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,760
Speaker 1: more talented. You may be good looking like me, but

465
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,040
Speaker 1: there will always be somebody that's better looking. No matter

466
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,560
Speaker 1: how much weight you lose, one of your friends will

467
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,000
Speaker 1: be thinner. You may pray thirty minutes a day, you're

468
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,320
Speaker 1: feeling so good about yourself, feeling so holy. You find

469
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,600
Speaker 1: out a neighbor prais an hour a day and he

470
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,080
Speaker 1: doesn't even go to church. Now you're down discourage. That

471
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 1: competitive spirit comes out. Well, I got to outdo him.

472
00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,680
Speaker 1: Know you have nothing to prove, after all, Your worth

473
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,800
Speaker 1: and value doesn't come from what you do, It comes

474
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,879
Speaker 1: from who you are. When you really understand this, you

475
00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,479
Speaker 1: won't live in competition, competing with other people, trying to

476
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,000
Speaker 1: prove your importance. I'm asking you today to take the

477
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,560
Speaker 1: pressure off yourself. Don't live to try to impress people.

478
00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,800
Speaker 1: Don't go around competing trying to keep up with everyone.

479
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,080
Speaker 1: Run your race, stay in your annoying. Remember you've got

480
00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,439
Speaker 1: to know not only what you are, know what you're not.

481
00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:10,120
Speaker 1: If you'll get your worth and value from who you are,

482
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,080
Speaker 1: a child of the most High God, and not from

483
00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:16,639
Speaker 1: your position or title or friends. But instead, you'll be

484
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,560
Speaker 1: secure in who God made you to be. And I

485
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,200
Speaker 1: can promise you you'll have that quiet confidence, you'll be happier,

486
00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,920
Speaker 1: and you'll live that life of victory that God has

487
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: in story. Amen, do you receive it today? We never

488
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,720
Speaker 1: like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity

489
00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,359
Speaker 1: to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you

490
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,720
Speaker 1: pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of

491
00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:45,159
Speaker 1: my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my

492
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,080
Speaker 1: Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer,

493
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 1: we believe you got born again. Get in a good

494
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,680
Speaker 1: Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to

495
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,800
Speaker 1: take your places that you've never dreamed of. Each week

496
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,560
Speaker 1: I stand on this stage and remind you of what

497
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,920
Speaker 1: God says about you. Because it's easy to be defined

498
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,400
Speaker 1: by who people say we are, or by our own

499
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:11,119
Speaker 1: negative thoughts that were not talented or problems too big.

500
00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,920
Speaker 2: The key is to go back to who God says

501
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:14,320
Speaker 2: you are.

502
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,600
Speaker 1: Now. I love to send you by new book one

503
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,520
Speaker 1: hundred and one Great Things that God Says about You.

504
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,040
Speaker 1: I'll help you discover your true identity. God says you're blessed,

505
00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,920
Speaker 1: You're chosen, You're forgiven, you have seeds of greatness.

506
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:29,240
Speaker 2: Your future is bright.

507
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,280
Speaker 1: When you get in agreement with God and declare his promises,

508
00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,879
Speaker 1: you'll rise higher and become all you were created to be.

509
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,280
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

510
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,800
Speaker 3: of any amount this month, we would like to send

511
00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,880
Speaker 3: you a copy of Joel's brand new resource one hundred

512
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Speaker 3: and one Things God Says About You Faith reminders when

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Speaker 3: you need them most. As you read and reflect the

514
00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,640
Speaker 3: story of your life, the way you see yourself will

515
00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,240
Speaker 3: radically change. It will become a reflection of God himself, health,

516
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,560
Speaker 3: and what He says about you. Use this resource to

517
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Speaker 3: encourage your heart and remind you of who you are

518
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Speaker 3: in Him. You are everything God says about you within

519
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,160
Speaker 3: these pages, So read it, experience it, and believe it.

520
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,480
Speaker 3: As an added bonus, you can detach the beautiful poster

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Speaker 3: at the back of the book to read and declare

522
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,800
Speaker 3: these reminders every day. Yes, you are who God says

523
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,719
Speaker 3: you are. Now is your time to start believing it.

524
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,760
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of one hundred and

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Speaker 3: one Things God Says About You. Visit Joelostein dot com

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Speaker 3: or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel.

527
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Speaker 2: As you dwell on.

528
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Speaker 1: What God says about you, you're going to see yourself.

529
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 2: For who you really are.

530
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:48,400
Speaker 1: Strong, talented, valuable, a victor never a victim. Victoria and

531
00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 1: I want you to know that we love you and

532
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,280
Speaker 1: we pray for you every day. Thanks so much for

533
00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:57,520
Speaker 1: your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping people around

534
00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:00,400
Speaker 1: the world. Special thank you to our Champion of Hope

535
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,600
Speaker 1: partners for your monthly support. If you're not a partner,

536
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,880
Speaker 1: I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember you can watch

537
00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:11,240
Speaker 1: the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast,

538
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,320
Speaker 1: listen on Serious Exam, watch our YouTube channel and the

539
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,880
Speaker 1: new jewel Ostein network streaming twenty four hours a day

540
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:20,240
Speaker 1: until we meet again.

541
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 2: Meid the Lord bless you and keep.

542
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,480
Speaker 3: You be sure to request your copy of one hundred

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Speaker 3: and one Things God Says About You. Visit Joelostein dot

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Speaker 3: com or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel

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Speaker 3: for an additional donation. This month, we are also offering

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Speaker 3: one hundred and one Great Things God Says About You

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Speaker 3: card set. These cards can serve as daily reminders of

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Speaker 3: who God says you are. Additionally, you can request the

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Speaker 3: beautiful copy of the Passion Translation, Power, Provision and Peace.

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Speaker 3: This book brings fresh insight and deeper understanding to the

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Speaker 3: Early Church's journey, Paul's teachings, and the practical application of

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Speaker 3: faith in daily life. You can request these unique resources

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Speaker 3: by calling eight eight eight five six seven Joel or

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Speaker 3: logging on to jolostein dot com today.

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Speaker 1: Call or click.

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Speaker 3: Anytime, twenty four hours a day. Discover your true identity

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