1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks so much for 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: listening to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 2: We believe you're going to have an. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: Awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, and favor filled. God 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: bless you today and enjoy the message. 6 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 3: When Joel and I first started dating many years ago, 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 3: we had a mutual friend and I didn't know this 8 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 3: at the time, but my friend was talking behind my 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 3: back with Joel. She would say things like, she likes you. 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 3: She told me she did, and Joel would say, well, 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 3: tell you what she said. What did she think about 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 3: our first date? He began to question her, and she 13 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 3: began to tell him, just keep doing what you're doing. 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 3: She really likes you a lot. 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: See. 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 3: He began to hear how much I liked him at 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 3: the very start of our relationship, and so it gave 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 3: him the confidence to pursue this relationship, and he began 19 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,639 Speaker 3: to pursue a relationship with me. He found out something 20 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: very important. He found out that I liked him too 21 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 3: a lot. So as we continued with our relationship, discovering 22 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 3: things about one another, learning things about one another, and 23 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 3: it began to grow, and it began to flourish, and 24 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: twenty nine years later, it's still growing and it's still flourishing. 25 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 4: You see, Joel. 26 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 3: Went from hearing that I liked him to experiencing that 27 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 3: I liked him. He went from hearing to literally knowing 28 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 3: by my words and by my actions. And too often 29 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: we sit on this sidelines of life because we hear 30 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 3: something is good, but we don't allow it to develop 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 3: a confidence in us to pursue what is good, to 32 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 3: pursue those things that we want. It's like that with 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 3: the love of God, your family, your friends. Maybe you 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 3: heard about Jesus when you were young, but you know what, 35 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 3: there's just some areas of your life you cannot pursue him. 36 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 3: You've let him in maybe a little bit, but there's 37 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 3: areas that you think, I don't want him to get 38 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 3: to know me. In that area, he may not like 39 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: me anymore. You feel condemned. Sometimes people think they need 40 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 3: to clean themselves up, they need to fix themself up 41 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 3: nice and shiny before they can develop a relationship with Jesus. Well, 42 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 3: they know that he loves them, they've heard it, but 43 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 3: they've never taken the next step. Or maybe they have 44 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 3: served God. But like I said, there are those doors 45 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,519 Speaker 3: that they just won't open. And you know, when that happens, 46 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 3: our relationship doesn't deepen and strengthen. We don't develop all 47 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 3: that we can in the relationship. Listen, if I shut 48 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 3: some doors to Joel and wouldn't let him in, there 49 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 3: would be some problems. But I had confidence that he 50 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 3: wasn't gonna judge me. He knew I wasn't judging him. 51 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 3: We were in this together and we love each other 52 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: and we developed it. And that's what we have to 53 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 3: believe about the love of Christ. God does not condemn you. 54 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 3: In Jesus Christ. He loves you. In Jesus Christ. There 55 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 3: is no door that you cannot open to him. There 56 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: is no sin too great. There is nothing that you've 57 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: done that he will not forgive you. For the Bible 58 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 3: says when you were yet sinners, he came and gave 59 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 3: his life for you. See, before we wherever even knew him, 60 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 3: he already fell in love with us. Let's go from 61 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: just hearing about the love of God to truly developing 62 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: and experiencing the love of God. If you're sitting here 63 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 3: today and you've got some condemnation or some shame, can 64 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 3: I tell you that is not Jesus. That is the accuser, 65 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 3: and Jesus is not the accuser. There's a story in 66 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 3: John aight that exemplifies this so very well. Jesus was 67 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 3: teaching one afternoon near the temple, and the scribes and 68 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 3: the Pharisees, that's the religious leaders of that day, drag 69 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 3: a woman to him in front of everybody, and said, Jesus, 70 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 3: this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Now 71 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 3: in the Law of Moses it says that such an 72 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: act and such a woman should be stoned to death. 73 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 3: I'm sure they came. They came with stones in their 74 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 3: hand and dragging that woman along. They stood her there 75 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: at Jesus' feet. I can only imagine the hush, hush 76 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 3: that came over the crowd because he said. 77 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 4: Jesus, what do you say about this? 78 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 3: The Bible says that he kneeled down. Now, wait a minute. 79 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 3: That woman is standing there. I can only imagine as 80 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 3: she has her eyes glued to Jesus to see what 81 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 3: the verdict is. When he began to kneel down, I 82 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 3: can only imagine her heart beginning to flutter in her chest, thinking, 83 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 3: oh no, what is he going to do? Is he 84 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 3: going to pick up a rock? Is he going to 85 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 3: start this execution right now? Because see, we read that 86 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 3: story quickly, but when it's happening to you, it's happening 87 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 3: in slow motion. You got time to think about it. 88 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 3: Why else would he bend down if he wasn't going 89 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 3: to pick up a rock. Can you imagine that going 90 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 3: on in her mind? But the scripture says that he 91 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,679 Speaker 3: knelt down and he began to write in the dirt. 92 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 3: Then he stood up again, and he looked at those accusers, 93 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 3: and he said, those of you without you cast the 94 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 3: first stone. He looked at them, and then he knelt 95 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 3: down again. The scripture says that one by one, one 96 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 3: by one, they begin to walk off, from the oldest 97 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 3: to the youngest. You know, that's just like Jesus. He 98 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 3: gives you time to think about it. He tells you something, 99 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 3: and then he gives you time to think about it. 100 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 3: He stood up again, looked around. It was no one, 101 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 3: just he and the woman. Can you imagine that woman 102 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 3: standing there still trembling. She's standing there thinking. 103 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: What just happened? 104 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 3: You know? The law that they talked about was the 105 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 3: law of Moses that was given to Moses by God, 106 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 3: and it was written on tablets of stone by God's 107 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 3: own finger, was written on Mount Sinai. Jesus when he 108 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 3: knelt down. We don't know what he wrote. He didn't 109 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 3: come to a ball the law. The scripture tells us. 110 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 3: He came to fulfill the law. And I find it 111 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 3: quite interesting that the same law that was written by 112 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 3: God's finger, he sent his son to write something else 113 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 3: with his finger in the dark, and that was mercy. 114 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 3: We don't know what he wrote, but it had to 115 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 3: have been mercy, because he looked at that woman and said, 116 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 3: where are your accusers? Is there anyone here condemning you? 117 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: She said, no, sir, and he said I don't condemn 118 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 3: you either. He said, go and sin no war. As 119 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 3: she stood face to face with Mercy, she went from 120 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: hearing about Jesus. Everybody in the town knew about Jesus. 121 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 3: They had heard something about him. She probably heard, yes 122 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 3: he performed some miracles, Yeah, he's a nice man. But 123 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 3: she went that day from hearing about Jesus to experiencing 124 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 3: the love of Jesus, went from hearing to knowing this love. 125 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 3: Standing face to face with Mercy, can you imagine that 126 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 3: day her heart was opened in such a way that 127 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 3: when she walked off, she didn't walk off condemned. She 128 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 3: walked off convinced this is a man of love, This 129 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 3: is a man that just touched me. I mean, mercy 130 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 3: opens the door of our heart for repentance. He told her, 131 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 3: go back and sin no more. I'm empowering you and 132 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 3: I'm strengthening you by my mercy and my grace to 133 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 3: stand against sin. You see, grace does not give us 134 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 3: a license to sin. Grace gives us a power to 135 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 3: stand against sin, the power to say no to sin. 136 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 3: That day, Jesus was in a very intimate place with 137 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 3: that woman, a part of her life. She wouldn't want 138 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 3: no one to see. But everyone saw, and they saw 139 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 3: Jesus not pick up a rock, but take his own 140 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 3: finger and write mercy in the dart. If you're here today, 141 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 3: I want to tell you Jesus isn't condemning you. Rocks 142 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 3: they hurt Jesus. 143 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 5: Love it heals no today if anybody's throwing rocks to you, 144 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 5: if there's condemnation in your mind, because there's areas of 145 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 5: your life you really. 146 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 3: Don't want to expose to Jesus, know today that he 147 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 3: is not going to condemn you. He wants to convince 148 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 3: you that, yes, there is power to turn that thing 149 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,719 Speaker 3: around and go another way. He wants to strengthen you 150 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 3: and give you the power you need to live the 151 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 3: life He's called you to live. Amen. 152 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 4: Amen, What if what you imagine came to pass? What 153 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 4: if what you asked for turned out greater than what 154 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 4: you can see? What if you could. 155 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: Plan for God's best in your life. 156 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: We all have hopes and dreams and things we're believing for, 157 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: but what God has in store for you is more 158 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: than you can imagine. When you start the year off 159 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: in faith, believing for greater things, that's when God will 160 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: exceed your expectations. We love to send you our twenty 161 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: twenty five More to Imagine planner. You can write down 162 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: your dreams and goals, plus use it for your everyday 163 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:29,599 Speaker 1: activity and reminders. 164 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 3: It is so important to feed yourself hope and faith 165 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 3: on a daily basis. This planner is not only a calendar, 166 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 3: but it's filled with inspiration and scripture to help you 167 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 3: stay encouraged and keep believing for what God is put 168 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 3: in your heart. 169 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: He sees your faithfulness, how you're being your best each day. 170 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: You're going to see the goodness of God in new 171 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: ways in twenty twenty five. 172 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: As you support the ministry this month with a special 173 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 2: year end gift of any amount, we would like to 174 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: bless you with the More to Imagine twenty twenty five planner. 175 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: With a new planner, you can start each day writing 176 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 2: down the fresh vision God gives you, whether it's appointments, 177 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 2: daily tasks, or long term desires in your heart. Let 178 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 2: each note be a testament to your faith. Included our 179 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 2: handpicked scriptures end uplifting reflections to empower you as you 180 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 2: walk this faith journey with Jesus one day at a time. 181 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 3: Joel and I are standing in faith with you that 182 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 3: twenty twenty five will be a year of far and 183 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 3: beyond favor for you and your family. 184 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: We pray for you every day for God's very best, 185 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: and we want to thank you for your prayer and support, 186 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: especially your year end gifts. You are impacting people all 187 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: over the world. Remember you can watch the services online 188 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on SERIOUSXM, 189 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: or watch our YouTube channel and the new Jewel Osteine 190 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: streaming television network twenty four hours a day until we 191 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: see you next time. Have a very merry Christmas. 192 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 2: Be sure to request your copy of the More to 193 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,679 Speaker 2: Imagine twenty twenty five Planner today. Visit Joelostein dot com 194 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 2: or call us toll free