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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Furtick.

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Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast.

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Speaker 2: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope

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Speaker 2: this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it

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Speaker 2: gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

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Speaker 1: Enjoy the message.

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Speaker 2: I want to go back to Corinth this week. We

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Speaker 2: were last week talking about a troubled mind and an

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Speaker 2: open door. That greatest opposition comes in the moments of

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Speaker 2: of greatest opportunity. I believe God gave somebody discernment last

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Speaker 2: week about a door you're standing in front of and

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Speaker 2: the Devil you're fighting to get through it. Well, this

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Speaker 2: week I want to journey further into the book of

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Speaker 2: 2 Corinthians. I'm really excited. I'm gripping onto the pulpit,

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Speaker 2: just trying to calm down. Oh, man, this is so good.

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Speaker 1: This is so good. I already heard it.

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Speaker 2: The Holy Spirit preached it to me, and I promise

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Speaker 2: you it's good. Now, I might mess it up trying

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Speaker 2: to preach it to you, but the way God gave

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Speaker 2: it to me ….

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Speaker 1: Breathtaking. So, we're going back to Corinth.

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Speaker 2: This is a very culturally compromised church, confused church, but

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Speaker 2: we're going to Corinth one more time. The apostle Paul

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Speaker 2: is getting personal with these believers. I believe he has

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Speaker 2: a personal word to speak to us today. Not Paul,

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Speaker 2: but God. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 6. Paul says, Even

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Speaker 2: if I should choose to boast, I would not be

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Speaker 2: a fool, because I'd be speaking the truth.

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Speaker 1: He's quite confident, this apostle. He's like, I can back

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Speaker 1: it up. If I told you everything that God had

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Speaker 1: did for me, it wouldn't be boasting. It'd just be facts. Wow.

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Speaker 1: But I refrain, he.

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Speaker 2: Said, so that no one will think more of me

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Speaker 2: than is warranted by what I do or say, or

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Speaker 2: because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to

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Speaker 2: keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn

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Speaker 2: in my flesh.

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Speaker 1: Messenger of Satan to torment me.

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Speaker 2: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it

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Speaker 2: away from me, but he said to me, My grace

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Speaker 2: is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect

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Speaker 2: in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly

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Speaker 2: about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

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Speaker 2: That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses

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Speaker 2: and insults and hardships and persecutions and difficulties. For when

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Speaker 2: I am weak, then I am strong. Now I want

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Speaker 2: to preach about verse 7. Therefore, in order to keep

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Speaker 2: me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in

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Speaker 2: my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. We're

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Speaker 2: going to call this message, The Mentor You Didn't Ask For.

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Speaker 2: The Mentor You Didn't Ask For. Holy Spirit, administer your

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Speaker 2: word in Jesus' name. Amen. Be seated.

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Speaker 1: Be seated. Be seated.

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Speaker 2: The mentor you didn't ask for. Had a little argument

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Speaker 2: with some family members recently. Not necessarily an argument. It

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Speaker 2: wasn't contentious.

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Speaker 1: It just was.

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Speaker 2: I probably stated my position too strongly now that I

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Speaker 2: look back on it. We were talking about people who

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Speaker 2: had influenced our life for Christ, and somebody said the

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Speaker 2: word mentor. I don't even know if that's a buzzword anymore.

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Speaker 2: It was a big buzzword when I was starting Elevation Church.

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Speaker 1: Mentor. Who's your mentor?

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Speaker 2: You need a mentor in the ministry. It's still obviously

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Speaker 2: a corporate America term. Culturally, I don't know so much anymore.

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Speaker 2: It's been replaced by influencers. I don't know if we

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Speaker 2: talk in the language of mentor, but I made a

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Speaker 2: statement to my family who attend our Greenville campus, Holly's

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Speaker 2: sister and.

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Speaker 1: Husband and dad and mom.

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Speaker 2: I said, I don't believe in mentors anymore. Everybody said,

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Speaker 2: now that's extreme. It probably was. Looking back, it probably

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Speaker 2: was extreme. But you have to understand, I've just had

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Speaker 2: some weird experiences with weird people. So, I'm probably coming

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Speaker 2: from that standpoint of the idea of a mentor. If

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Speaker 2: it was Paul, I could get it, because Paul was

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Speaker 2: a master builder. He called himself that Now do you

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Speaker 2: see why God had to give him a thorn to

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Speaker 2: keep him humble? He called himself a master builder.

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Speaker 1: But everybody is not Mr. Miyagi.

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Speaker 2: In certain moments of my life, I've been a little

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Speaker 2: bit resistant to people who have a lot of expertise

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Speaker 2: without much experience. It seems to be the day we're

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Speaker 2: living in. There is no shortage of unsolicited opinions. Even

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Speaker 2: one time when the church was first getting going, we

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Speaker 2: needed a building to meet, and I went to meet

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Speaker 2: with a guy.

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Speaker 1: I can remember the room. I don't remember his name.

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Speaker 2: I remember the room, and I remember something so weird

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Speaker 2: that happened. This is probably why I don't really like

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Speaker 2: the term mentor that much, because I was talking about,

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Speaker 2: you know, we need some resources, and can we use

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Speaker 2: your building to meet when you're not using it and

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Speaker 2: things like that.

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Speaker 1: The guy took it a little too far.

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Speaker 2: He said, Son, you're here asking me for a building

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Speaker 2: and a little bit of money for your budget, but

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Speaker 2: it seems like to me what you really need is

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Speaker 2: a daddy. Then he goes, Larry Bright is my witness.

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Speaker 2: He goes, I'll be your daddy. So, you'll understand …

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Speaker 2: The idea of a mentor is just a little complicated

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Speaker 2: for me, not just because of that one experience, but

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Speaker 2: I think early in my life I wanted God to

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Speaker 2: give me somebody who … I see this video game

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Speaker 2: that Graham plays called 2K, and he builds a player,

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Speaker 2: It's called My Player. He goes in and gives the

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Speaker 2: player everything, not only cosmetically but the skills and abilities.

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Speaker 2: I kind of always wanted God to give me someone

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Speaker 2: who would give me the right amount of lateral movement

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Speaker 2: and the right tattoos on my left arm and the

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Speaker 2: right height and the right speed and the right dunking.

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Speaker 2: I kind of wanted ministry to be like My Player

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Speaker 2: on 2K, where somebody could supercharge me with the answers

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Speaker 2: and stuff. One time, Holly … Y'all, Holly has this

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Speaker 2: ability to say stuff in a sentence.

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Speaker 1: That will stick with you.

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Speaker 2: So, I was complaining that I didn't really have …

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Speaker 2: I had a great dad, a great mom. I had

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Speaker 2: great people in my life who helped me along the way.

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Speaker 2: I could stand up here for a year and list them.

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Speaker 2: But I was looking for that one person who would

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Speaker 2: put their arm around me and say, this is.

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Speaker 1: How you do it in regards to preaching and leadership.

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Speaker 2: This is when you should build the building, and this

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Speaker 2: is when you should launch this part of the ministry,

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Speaker 2: and this is how you hire the right staff, and

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Speaker 2: basically somebody to shepherd me through a mistake-free ministry and

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Speaker 2: life and marriage.

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Speaker 1: A one-stop shop.

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Speaker 2: Holly said to me, in the middle of my discouragement,

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Speaker 2: this is what she said to comfort me. You know

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Speaker 2: God is never going to give you what you're asking for.

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Speaker 2: He's going to give you a lot of people to

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Speaker 2: guide you, but he is not going to let your

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Speaker 2: guides become your God.

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Speaker 1: She said that.

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Speaker 2: That sweet little Holly Furtick, thank you for your service

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Speaker 2: hours outreach.

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Speaker 1: She talked to the man of God that way.

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Speaker 2: In my face, God is never going to give you

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Speaker 2: book club Holly, bird lover Holly, french fry loving Holly

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Speaker 2: said that to me.

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Speaker 1: Can you believe it? She was right. God wasn't going

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Speaker 1: to give me what I was asking for.

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Speaker 2: One reason is that God cannot give you a mentor

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Speaker 2: for where you are that will limit you from where

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Speaker 2: he is ultimately leading you to be. If God would

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Speaker 2: have sent me in that season of my life one

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Speaker 2: person that I would pattern my life after totally ….

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Speaker 1: She said something important.

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Speaker 2: He's going to give you a lot of guides, but

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Speaker 2: he wants to be your God. He gave you a

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Speaker 2: unique gift, and only he knows.

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Speaker 1: … She didn't say all this. I'm preaching off of

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Speaker 1: what she said to me.

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Speaker 2: Fifteen years ago, God is not going to give you

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Speaker 2: a my-player career mode for your ministry. God is not

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Speaker 2: going to give you one person to model after, because

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Speaker 2: if you modeled after them completely and entirely, you would

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Speaker 2: be them, and.

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Speaker 1: He already has them, so he could kill you.

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Speaker 2: If God gave you one person, the person you compare

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Speaker 2: yourself to and think, oh, I could just be like them,

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Speaker 2: and if I could have what they have and do

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Speaker 2: what they do … If God gave.

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Speaker 1: You them, it would make you unnecessary.

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Speaker 2: She was trying to get me to see that in

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Speaker 2: life I will have many guides, but only one God.

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Speaker 2: Only one God who knows me. What I love about God,

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Speaker 2: the more I experience his will and his plan for

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Speaker 2: my little life, is that he's the only one who

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Speaker 2: can match the courses to the calling. If you go

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Speaker 2: to college, if you stay in college, you'll have to

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Speaker 2: declare a major eventually. The classes you take … You

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Speaker 2: can take any classes you want to. You can show

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Speaker 2: up when you want to. Nobody is going to make

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Speaker 2: you do anything. You can have a.

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Speaker 1: 7 GPA, Eric Phillips, if you want to.

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Speaker 2: You can party and flunk out and come to North

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Speaker 2: Greenville and follow me there and ask me to help

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Speaker 2: you get your life together if you want to, Eric Phillips.

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Speaker 2: But you can't declare a major and then pick the …

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Speaker 2: I think a lot of us want to pick an

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Speaker 2: outcome we want in our lives, but then … We

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Speaker 2: want to customize.

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Speaker 1: The courses, because we live in that age. We think that.

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Speaker 2: Mentorship is like a menu, like you're at Cheesecake Factory,

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Speaker 2: where the menu is thicker than the Bible.

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Speaker 1: Have you been to Cheesecake Factory? The menu is thicker

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Speaker 1: than the Septuagint.

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Speaker 2: That's kind of how the Corinthian church wanted to do

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Speaker 2: with Paul. I'm so furious at this church, because they

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Speaker 2: had the best pastor, the master pastor, Paul. How can

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Speaker 2: they be fighting with each other and divided within each

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Speaker 2: other when Paul is their pastor?

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Speaker 1: How can they have such.

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Speaker 2: A master mentor like Paul and be so petty and

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Speaker 2: How can they have a master mentor like Paul and

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Speaker 2: be so immature?

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Speaker 1: Now he's writing them a.

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Speaker 2: Letter, not as an advisor, not as a critic, as

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Speaker 2: a father.

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Speaker 1: To say to you, I see some things in your life.

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Speaker 2: This is one reason I don't like the concept of

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Speaker 2: a mentor either, because usually if we ask somebody to

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Speaker 2: be our mentor, we mean, will you be my mentor

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Speaker 2: until I don't agree with you anymore? Then I'll get

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Speaker 2: another one. Lord, you told me this message was going

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Speaker 2: to be hard to preach, but you didn't tell me

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Speaker 2: it was going.

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Speaker 1: To be this hard to preach to them. Now help

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Speaker 1: me out. No, we do this all the time. It's like, okay, okay, okay.

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Speaker 1: Here's how I typically do it in my life.

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Speaker 2: It's like I want to select certain things that I

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Speaker 2: want God to bring into my life to teach me lessons,

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Speaker 2: but not only do I want to select the lesson,

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Speaker 2: I want to select the outcome of the lesson. Paul

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Speaker 2: is having none of it. He's saying, you cannot customize Christ.

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Speaker 2: You can't customize Christ. What Paul went through to be

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Speaker 2: who he was, it cost him greatly. In chapter 11

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Speaker 2: of 2 Corinthians, he mentions a shipwreck. He mentions a stoning.

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Speaker 2: He mentions many storms. He mentions betrayals. He mentions opponents.

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Speaker 1: All of that In.

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Speaker 2: 2 Corinthians 11, Paul, who paid the price to be

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Speaker 2: an apostle of Jesus Christ, mentions all the things that

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Speaker 2: made him such.

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Speaker 1: A master pastor.

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Speaker 2: Now he's writing to a church that is in rebellion,

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Speaker 2: and he's reminding them of his resume. He says, I

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Speaker 2: could brag even more, but I'm not going to. I

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Speaker 2: just want you to judge me based on my results

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Speaker 2: and see if I'm somebody worth listening to. But before

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Speaker 2: you judge me based on my results, let me remind

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Speaker 2: you a little bit more of what qualifies me to

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Speaker 2: be in this position. We live in a day with

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Speaker 2: a lot of advice and not much authority. Everybody has

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Speaker 2: an advice column, but very few people have true authority.

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Speaker 2: Paul is not writing advice in the Scripture. Sometimes we

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Speaker 2: read the Bible like it's quotes on Pinterest. My grace

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Speaker 2: is sufficient for you. Well, that's true, but before Paul

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Speaker 2: said that sentence in that quote, he puts it in

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Speaker 2: a context that's.

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Speaker 1: A little more interesting.

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Speaker 2: That's what I want to speak to you a little

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Speaker 2: bit about today is that context. Paul mentions that he

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Speaker 2: had a revelation of God. He actually talks about himself

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Speaker 2: in the third person. At one point, he says,' I

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Speaker 2: know a man who was caught up to the third heaven,'

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Speaker 2: but he's talking about himself.

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Speaker 1: This is Paul.

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Speaker 2: No wonder Paul needed something to keep him grounded, because

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Speaker 2: there was so much glory on his life. No wonder

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Speaker 2: Paul needed something in his flesh, because he had so

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Speaker 2: much revelation in his spirit.

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Speaker 1: But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

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Speaker 2: Paul said, I saw amazing things, and I could tell

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Speaker 2: you even more about it, but I'm not going to.

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Speaker 1: I don't want to boast about it.

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Speaker 2: Instead, he opens a window … He shows the wound

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Speaker 2: he calls a thorn and the weakness most people would hide.

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Speaker 2: I think we need more mentors like Paul, more people

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Speaker 2: who will show us not only the great power but

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Speaker 2: the problems they have to overcome to operate in that power.

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Speaker 2: I don't ever want my kids to see me not struggle.

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Speaker 2: You say, Well, don't you want to set a good example?

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Speaker 2: I want to set an example of overcoming struggle. not

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Speaker 2: avoiding it. Paul is like that. We need this message

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Speaker 2: now more than ever. I really think this is a

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Speaker 2: timely word from God, because now everybody wants to share

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Speaker 2: their opinion, whether or not it's even solicited.

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Speaker 1: We live in a day.

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Speaker 2: Of 12-year-old life coaches … I used to read a

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Speaker 2: guy's books early on until I realized he had started

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Speaker 2: six churches and all of them imploded. He was a

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Speaker 2: church-planting consultant. Oh, but you don't have to pay for

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Speaker 2: a consultant these days. Just go to the comments section

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Speaker 2: of any Facebook post, and you will find consultants in

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Speaker 2: the comments. Speaking of Holly, about a year ago she

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Speaker 2: showed me a comment. I asked her to send it

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Speaker 2: to me, because this is just unbelievable, y'all. what people

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Speaker 2: will offer in the way of expert opinion that you

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Speaker 2: did not solicit. She put a picture of me and

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Speaker 2: her on Instagram, and somebody said, y'all are so cute

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Speaker 2: and awe and hearts and pandas with hearts and all

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Speaker 2: of the things we put to feign emotion. Somebody said,' Hi, Holly.

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Speaker 2: Not sure if you noticed, but just wanted to say

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Speaker 2: your skin looks so great.

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Speaker 1: It's glowing and super clear. Thought you should know.

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Speaker 2: Ha!' Do share if you've recently changed something in your skincare,

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Speaker 2: red heart. Three comments later. Y'all ready for this? I

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Speaker 2: feel like you look way better without eyeliner. All the

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Speaker 2: makeup for so many years is making your skin saggy.

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Speaker 2: I might give y'all her username so y'all can look

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Speaker 2: her up and talk to her. How many of y'all

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Speaker 2: would enjoy that?

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Speaker 1: Y'all aren't saved.

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Speaker 2: Y'all are not mature enough to handle it. I have

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Speaker 2: permission to share this. Holly said I could share it.

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Speaker 2: The lady said, Botox can help with the wrinkles.

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Speaker 1: Listen to this. You're still beautiful. Thanks.

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Speaker 2: I wish I could show y'all her profile picture, because

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Speaker 2: she has crazy eyes. Her eyes are crazy, this woman,

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Speaker 2: and she misspelled your. She's a makeup consultant, y'all. She's

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Speaker 2: an amateur Mary Kay in the comments section, but she

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Speaker 2: needs a spelling teacher for the fifth-grade words.

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Speaker 1: Sorry. Sanctify me, Lord. You're still beautiful. I just don't.

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Speaker 2: Think you need so much makeup. It's ruining your skin.

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Speaker 2: In the words of my kids, who asked the unsolicited

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Speaker 2: opinions of people about how you should raise your kids,

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Speaker 2: about how you should relate to your husband, about what

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Speaker 2: age you should be married by. If you're married about

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Speaker 2: what age y'all really should start thinking about having kids,

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Speaker 2: you're not getting any younger. Paul is not a consultant

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Speaker 2: in the comments to the church at Corinth that's trolling

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Speaker 2: them with some little slivers of truth that are quoted

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Speaker 2: out of context and telling.

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Speaker 1: Them the great advice and plan.

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Speaker 2: That he asked for their life independent of God's will.

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Speaker 2: He's an apostle by the will of God speaking to

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Speaker 2: people he has a relationship with. This is not some

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Speaker 2: generic advice from an inspirational speaker who wants to sell

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Speaker 2: you something for $ 299. 99 on an infomercial or an e-course.

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Speaker 2: This is not an influencer on Instagram who needs you

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Speaker 2: to follow them in order for them to get a

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Speaker 2: swipe-up commission from a store.

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Speaker 1: This is Paul.

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Speaker 2: And he does something dangerous because they respect him, but

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Speaker 2: they're starting to question him because there are super apostles

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Speaker 2: that have infiltrated the church, and they've started to inundate

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Speaker 2: God's people with opinions.

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Speaker 1: You really don't have to follow Christ like that.

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Speaker 2: You should … You should mix a little Judaism and

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Speaker 2: a little bit of Christianity. Now there are so many

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Speaker 2: mixed opinions. Paul has to set the record straight and say,

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Speaker 2: I could lay down my authority if I needed to.

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Speaker 2: I don't want to do it like that. I would

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Speaker 2: rather speak to you out of the love for my heart.

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Speaker 2: But in order that you just don't think that I'm

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Speaker 2: putting my authority on you to tell you what I

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Speaker 2: want you to do, I want to talk.

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Speaker 1: To you about my adversity. That really touched me.

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Speaker 2: It's difficult to find somebody who will break it down

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Speaker 2: for you to the level that Paul does. It's not

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Speaker 2: difficult to find somebody who will complain to you. It's

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Speaker 2: not difficult to find somebody who will tell you what

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Speaker 2: they would do. It's not difficult at all to find

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Speaker 2: a parent whose kids are out of the house. Their

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Speaker 2: kids are lawyers and doctors now, and what you should

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Speaker 2: do in your kid is seven.

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Speaker 1: That's very easy. That's very easy to do.

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Speaker 2: Paul in the middle of his struggle to walk in

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Speaker 2: the authority of an apostle and what God has called

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Speaker 2: him to do. He shows appropriate vulnerability. I could go

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Speaker 2: on and on about going to the third heaven. I

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Speaker 2: could go on and on about what I endured. I'm

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Speaker 2: choosing not to do that. Instead, I want to tell

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Speaker 2: you about my thorn.

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Speaker 1: I want to tell you about my thorn. Somebody say,

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Speaker 1: show me the thorn. Show me the thorn. The thorn.

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Speaker 1: It's a metaphor, y'all. It's a metaphor. It's even like

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Speaker 1: a cliche. This is the verse we get it for.

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Speaker 1: It's like a thorn in my side. It's a metaphor.

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Speaker 2: Most of the things we really deal with When we

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Speaker 2: sing about them in church, we have to put them

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Speaker 2: in a metaphor form, because if we really mentioned what

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Speaker 2: we really struggle with, it would scare people, and they

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Speaker 2: would judge us.

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Speaker 1: At least we think they would.

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Speaker 2: Probably surprised you the person with their hands lifted higher

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Speaker 2: than you this morning. They probably got more thorns than you,

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Speaker 2: but that's not the point of this message.

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Speaker 1: Paul said, I want to tell you about my.

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Speaker 2: Now, since I've studied this text all week, I've learned

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Speaker 2: a lot about different interpretations of what Paul's thorn was historically.

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Speaker 2: Some people say that poor Paul had epileptic seizures. Nothing

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Speaker 2: funny about that, but the reason they trace it is

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Speaker 2: because when he was blinded and knocked off of his

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Speaker 2: horse on the road to Damascus where he was going

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Speaker 2: to persecute Christians, he never quite recovered.

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Speaker 1: That was his thorn.

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Speaker 2: Other people would say there was something wrong with Paul's eyesight.

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Speaker 2: When he wrote to the church at Galatia, he talked

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Speaker 2: about how large his letters were because he wrote with

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Speaker 2: his own pen. He even mentions that the Galatians would

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Speaker 2: be willing to give their own eyes to him if necessary.

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Speaker 2: Some scholars say it was from the blinding on the

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Speaker 2: road to Damascus that his eyesight never fully recovered. Other

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Speaker 2: people don't associate it with blindness or seizures at all

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Speaker 2: or a medical condition. Luther and Calvin identified it with

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Speaker 2: a spiritual.

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Speaker 1: Temptation Paul faced.

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Speaker 2: There is a little bit of support for this scripturally,

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Speaker 2: because in 2 Corinthians 11 he mentions,' I inwardly burn.

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Speaker 1: Not just persecution.

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Speaker 2: Some people think Paul's thorn was the opponents who were

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Speaker 2: saying about Paul, he's not real and he's not valid

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Speaker 2: and you can't believe him. His letters are good, but

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Speaker 2: he doesn't speak so well. It was those opponents that

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Speaker 2: were coming against him. Paul does what we do when

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Speaker 2: you have something in your life that you can't mention.

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Speaker 1: He gives it a metaphor. It's a metaphor. It's a metaphor.

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Speaker 2: No matter how many different scholars and how many different

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Speaker 2: theologians trace the Greek and the precedents and all of

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Speaker 2: the different things it could be, it seems to be

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Speaker 2: a lot of confusion about what was Paul's thorn.

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Speaker 1: This is the thing I was excited to tell you.

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Speaker 2: I studied all week, and I found out, y'all, what

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Speaker 2: Paul's thorn was. From this pulpit, I am going to

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Speaker 2: announce to you today You don't look like you believe me.

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Speaker 2: For the first time … Come on. There have been

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Speaker 2: thousands of years of preachers, but today I am going

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Speaker 2: to definitively tell you what was Paul's thorn in 2

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Speaker 2: Corinthians 12. Before we get there, let's talk a little

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Speaker 2: bit about the metaphor. First of all, a thorn is

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Speaker 2: a small thing. We sing about a God who can

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Speaker 2: do big things, but when Paul went to talk about

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Speaker 2: what God had taught him that meant the most to

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Speaker 2: him in his life, he did not talk about a

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Speaker 2: big thing. He talked about a small thing. He said

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Speaker 2: three times. The King James says thrice. Thrice I asked

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Speaker 2: God to take it away.

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Speaker 1: Three times. Now, this does not mean three times.

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Speaker 2: Paul prayed, take it away, take it away, take it away. Okay, God,

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Speaker 2: I guess I have to live with it. Which brings

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Speaker 2: me to an important point. If you have a thorn

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Speaker 2: in your life that you're dealing with that nobody knows

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Speaker 2: about and you need.

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Speaker 1: God to take it away, ask him. Ask him.

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Speaker 2: Don't say God's no for him. I was taught this

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Speaker 2: in negotiating. I was taught this in dating. Don't say

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Speaker 2: somebody's no for them. Well, they wouldn't want to go

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Speaker 2: out to eat with me. Well, you know what? You're

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Speaker 2: not out to eat with them now. If you ask

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Speaker 2: them and they say no, you still won't be out

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Speaker 2: to eat with them. so it would be the same

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Speaker 2: result if you risked the rejection and put yourself out

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Speaker 2: there and get some practice.

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Speaker 1: Then you can analyze the process by which you might

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Speaker 1: have failed at the endeavor of getting a date. Apply

440
00:26:52,830 --> 00:26:53,590
Speaker 1: it to your next.

441
00:26:53,470 --> 00:26:57,050
Speaker 2: Opportunity, and maybe one day you'll name your kid Stephen

442
00:26:57,330 --> 00:27:00,650
Speaker 2: after you get married, because I told you don't ever

443
00:27:00,750 --> 00:27:02,600
Speaker 2: let somebody else ….

444
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:11,000
Speaker 1: Don't let anybody else say God's no for him. Ask God.

445
00:27:12,190 --> 00:27:14,930
Speaker 1: Did you ask him? Yeah, I prayed about it. You did?

446
00:27:14,950 --> 00:27:18,820
Speaker 2: Because I thought you just were worrying about it.

447
00:27:20,190 --> 00:27:23,109
Speaker 1: Did you ask him to do it?

448
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,700
Speaker 2: I don't mean, you know, throw it on top like

449
00:27:27,740 --> 00:27:31,820
Speaker 2: a sprinkle after you tried everything else. No, no, no.

450
00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:44,149
Speaker 2: I'm saying like, Paul doesn't throw in words. He said,

451
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,860
Speaker 2: I pleaded with God. I don't think it even means

452
00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:50,719
Speaker 2: he asked God three times. I think it means he

453
00:27:50,740 --> 00:27:56,560
Speaker 2: launched three separate campaigns to try to get God to

454
00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 2: change his situation. After every campaign to get God to

455
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,659
Speaker 2: change it failed, then he accepted it.

456
00:28:07,619 --> 00:28:11,850
Speaker 1: But at least ask. At least ask. If you need

457
00:28:11,890 --> 00:28:14,850
Speaker 1: God to heal somebody, I know, of course, if it's

458
00:28:14,890 --> 00:28:21,489
Speaker 1: God's will, he'll heal them. Okay. Great. Ask him. Ask him. Well,

459
00:28:21,510 --> 00:28:23,380
Speaker 1: I know God probably won't do that for me, because

460
00:28:23,390 --> 00:28:26,210
Speaker 1: I'm probably not going to … Ask him. He's a

461
00:28:26,300 --> 00:28:26,970
Speaker 1: big boy.

462
00:28:27,940 --> 00:28:30,860
Speaker 2: Let him say his own no. He doesn't need you

463
00:28:30,900 --> 00:28:33,000
Speaker 2: to protect him. God doesn't need you.

464
00:28:32,940 --> 00:28:34,820
Speaker 1: To be his assistant. Oh, you can't ask him that

465
00:28:34,859 --> 00:28:37,980
Speaker 1: right now. He's very busy to care about your little problem.

466
00:28:38,420 --> 00:28:40,550
Speaker 1: Ask him. for yourself.

467
00:28:40,930 --> 00:28:43,050
Speaker 2: Maybe he likes you more than you think he does.

468
00:28:43,410 --> 00:28:45,390
Speaker 2: Maybe he'll say yes and surprise you.

469
00:28:45,410 --> 00:28:47,330
Speaker 1: I ask God sometimes.

470
00:28:47,390 --> 00:28:49,970
Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, I don't have much time to study today,

471
00:28:50,190 --> 00:28:53,990
Speaker 2: but God, would you give me my message quick? Sometimes

472
00:28:54,030 --> 00:28:58,370
Speaker 2: he doesn't, but sometimes he does. So now I ask

473
00:28:58,410 --> 00:29:01,290
Speaker 2: him every time. If he says no and I have

474
00:29:01,310 --> 00:29:03,950
Speaker 2: to study all week, I was going to have to study.

475
00:29:03,690 --> 00:29:08,320
Speaker 1: All week anyway. It never hurts to ask. But ask him.

476
00:29:09,490 --> 00:29:14,660
Speaker 1: Ask him. Ask him. I used to rebuke Holly. You

477
00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 1: can't pray for a good parking space. She said, why not?

478
00:29:23,940 --> 00:29:28,610
Speaker 1: That's a good question. Ask him. Ask him. I have

479
00:29:28,650 --> 00:29:30,390
Speaker 1: some things I'm asking God for that.

480
00:29:30,290 --> 00:29:32,469
Speaker 2: Are so stupid I would never tell you about them.

481
00:29:33,190 --> 00:29:36,630
Speaker 2: You would laugh me out of the room. But I'm

482
00:29:36,650 --> 00:29:37,660
Speaker 2: not asking you, am I?

483
00:29:39,230 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 1: That's why I didn't ask. ask you.

484
00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:45,440
Speaker 2: I don't ask people who don't have the authority to

485
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,720
Speaker 2: give me what I'm asking for, so some stuff I

486
00:29:48,740 --> 00:29:52,570
Speaker 2: have to ask God. I have to ask God. I

487
00:29:52,590 --> 00:29:56,370
Speaker 2: need to see your supervisor, somebody.

488
00:29:56,030 --> 00:29:59,560
Speaker 1: With the authority to get it done. I'll need advice.

489
00:30:00,060 --> 00:30:03,720
Speaker 1: I need authority. I need somebody who has the keys

490
00:30:04,660 --> 00:30:09,719
Speaker 1: to walk me through this door. You're asking people questions

491
00:30:09,740 --> 00:30:10,890
Speaker 1: who don't even have the keys.

492
00:30:16,650 --> 00:30:20,990
Speaker 2: My family has launched three separate campaigns against me to

493
00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 2: get a dog. I can mark each phase of the

494
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,470
Speaker 2: campaign as really Graham, but he's enlisted everybody in the family.

495
00:30:30,850 --> 00:30:33,990
Speaker 2: The only one who's standing with me in solidarity is Elijah,

496
00:30:34,470 --> 00:30:35,750
Speaker 2: my firstborn son.

497
00:30:36,270 --> 00:30:39,060
Speaker 1: Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones. We

498
00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:45,210
Speaker 1: don't want a dog. So, the first phase, he wrote

499
00:30:45,250 --> 00:30:50,840
Speaker 1: a song. Daddy, can I get a dog? He took

500
00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,470
Speaker 1: the piano lessons I paid for and perverted.

501
00:30:53,910 --> 00:30:56,530
Speaker 2: It against me to ask me for a pet I

502
00:30:56,710 --> 00:30:58,450
Speaker 2: parentally have already prohibited.

503
00:31:03,610 --> 00:31:06,290
Speaker 1: Then he started phase two. That went on for months.

504
00:31:06,710 --> 00:31:07,290
Speaker 1: Phase two.

505
00:31:07,690 --> 00:31:11,620
Speaker 2: Signs all over the house and text messages with pictures

506
00:31:11,930 --> 00:31:18,160
Speaker 2: of rescue dogs all day long. The saddest Sarah McLachlan-eyed

507
00:31:18,260 --> 00:31:21,760
Speaker 2: dogs you've ever seen in your life just flooding my

508
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:27,590
Speaker 2: text message. This is what Paul meant in the text

509
00:31:27,610 --> 00:31:31,110
Speaker 2: where he said, a messenger of Satan. No, no, no.

510
00:31:31,130 --> 00:31:32,870
Speaker 1: That's not in the Greek, but.

511
00:31:35,020 --> 00:31:39,940
Speaker 2: The third phase they're currently doing because he finally realized, Mom,

512
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:46,910
Speaker 2: you're the only one. Now all of hell and all

513
00:31:46,950 --> 00:31:51,050
Speaker 2: of Holly and everybody in my house except Elijah, my

514
00:31:51,090 --> 00:31:56,570
Speaker 2: true son, in the faith, my Timothy, is against me.

515
00:31:57,110 --> 00:31:58,969
Speaker 2: Not just three prayers that they said.

516
00:31:59,010 --> 00:32:03,350
Speaker 1: Three seasons. Three seasons. Three seasons.

517
00:32:05,210 --> 00:32:07,370
Speaker 2: When you see God about something for a whole season,

518
00:32:09,750 --> 00:32:11,610
Speaker 2: whatever Paul's thorn was … I'm going to tell you

519
00:32:11,630 --> 00:32:12,370
Speaker 2: what it was in a minute.

520
00:32:12,930 --> 00:32:14,510
Speaker 1: I have not forgotten to tell you what it was.

521
00:32:14,530 --> 00:32:15,470
Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you what it was.

522
00:32:18,170 --> 00:32:20,180
Speaker 2: All the commentators have something different to say, but I

523
00:32:20,420 --> 00:32:21,240
Speaker 2: found out what it was.

524
00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,680
Speaker 1: I studied all weekend. I found out what it was.

525
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:27,459
Speaker 2: I asked God to show me quick. He didn't show

526
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:29,740
Speaker 2: me quick, so I kept studying, and I found out

527
00:32:30,740 --> 00:32:34,120
Speaker 2: what it was. But before we get to what it

528
00:32:34,180 --> 00:32:40,880
Speaker 2: was … Let's talk about what it represents. You think

529
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,620
Speaker 2: maybe Paul didn't mention it by name because he did

530
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,770
Speaker 2: not want to limit the application to the people he

531
00:32:47,790 --> 00:32:48,460
Speaker 2: was sharing it with?

532
00:32:50,750 --> 00:32:54,630
Speaker 1: A metaphor gives you more room than an issue does.

533
00:32:55,650 --> 00:32:56,890
Speaker 1: If Paul said exactly what he struggled with, you'd go,

534
00:32:56,890 --> 00:32:59,130
Speaker 1: I don't struggle with that. I'm better than Paul.

535
00:33:00,730 --> 00:33:03,230
Speaker 2: Or if it was something that is less than what

536
00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:06,500
Speaker 2: you struggle with, you'd go, huh. Well, if he calls

537
00:33:06,540 --> 00:33:09,770
Speaker 2: that a struggle, there's no hope for me. I used

538
00:33:09,790 --> 00:33:11,130
Speaker 2: to talk to a guy, and he'd be like, I've

539
00:33:11,150 --> 00:33:13,290
Speaker 2: been really struggling lately. I've had to cut my prayer

540
00:33:13,330 --> 00:33:15,910
Speaker 2: time to two hours a day. The way that would

541
00:33:15,930 --> 00:33:17,370
Speaker 2: make you feel … He was a pastor, and he

542
00:33:17,410 --> 00:33:20,390
Speaker 2: would say that to the church. The guy sitting out

543
00:33:20,410 --> 00:33:21,930
Speaker 2: there who has to do a real job and can't

544
00:33:21,950 --> 00:33:25,240
Speaker 2: just sit around reading about Bartholomew and Thomas and Alphaeus

545
00:33:25,260 --> 00:33:26,540
Speaker 2: and all these Bible names all.

546
00:33:26,420 --> 00:33:31,460
Speaker 1: Week is sitting there feeling like crap, comparing himself. Oh,

547
00:33:31,500 --> 00:33:32,280
Speaker 1: that's your thorn?

548
00:33:33,700 --> 00:33:36,270
Speaker 2: I was going to show you mine, but I'm going

549
00:33:36,290 --> 00:33:42,010
Speaker 2: to put this thorn right back here where it was. Oh, God.

550
00:33:43,410 --> 00:33:46,130
Speaker 2: That's why the power of a metaphor. I don't mean

551
00:33:46,150 --> 00:33:48,070
Speaker 2: to make this English class, but I keep coming back

552
00:33:48,110 --> 00:33:50,730
Speaker 2: to the power of a metaphor. We have one new

553
00:33:50,770 --> 00:33:52,390
Speaker 2: song we've been singing in the church. We're going to

554
00:33:52,410 --> 00:33:56,670
Speaker 2: record it on October 6th. You're like, I can plug

555
00:33:57,190 --> 00:33:59,630
Speaker 2: a song in a sermon. I've been doing this a

556
00:33:59,650 --> 00:34:04,610
Speaker 2: long time. I like the song because it gives you examples.

557
00:34:05,310 --> 00:34:08,670
Speaker 2: It says, I'm calling on the God of Jacob. I'm

558
00:34:08,730 --> 00:34:12,710
Speaker 2: calling on the God of Moses. I'm calling on the

559
00:34:12,750 --> 00:34:17,370
Speaker 2: God of David. That's my favorite one, because it says,

560
00:34:17,630 --> 00:34:20,489
Speaker 2: I'm calling on the God of David, who made a

561
00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:25,520
Speaker 2: shepherd boy courageous. But this is my favorite line. I

562
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:32,160
Speaker 2: may not face Goliath, but I have my own giants. Now,

563
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:41,299
Speaker 2: The reason it says it like that is because if

564
00:34:41,380 --> 00:34:45,360
Speaker 2: it addressed the specific issue, that would be too awkward

565
00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,930
Speaker 2: and limited. So, we just say, I may not face Goliath.

566
00:34:50,950 --> 00:34:54,890
Speaker 2: That's the name of a particular enemy David faced. but

567
00:34:55,030 --> 00:34:59,219
Speaker 2: I have my own giants. So, when you sing that line,

568
00:34:59,820 --> 00:35:06,620
Speaker 2: no matter how dirty, dark, stinky, rotten, filthy, corrupted, perverted,

569
00:35:06,980 --> 00:35:12,000
Speaker 2: or subversive your giant is, you can sing it with

570
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:15,020
Speaker 2: a big old smile on your face. Because the other

571
00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,910
Speaker 2: way would be too awkward. I'm calling on the God

572
00:35:18,950 --> 00:35:24,839
Speaker 2: of David, who made a shepherd boy courageous. You know,

573
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,520
Speaker 2: I may not face Goliath. Can't be too specific here.

574
00:35:27,540 --> 00:35:32,779
Speaker 2: You got to have a metaphor. I may not face Goliath,

575
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:35,859
Speaker 2: but I'm a functional alcoholic.

576
00:35:36,660 --> 00:35:37,940
Speaker 1: You're going to do that. You're going to do that.

577
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,839
Speaker 1: You're going to do that. It doesn't even rhyme. Let's

578
00:35:41,930 --> 00:35:44,590
Speaker 1: at least get it to rhyme. I may not face Goliath,

579
00:35:44,610 --> 00:35:47,590
Speaker 1: but I can't stick to a diet.

580
00:35:49,150 --> 00:35:49,390
Speaker 2: Right?

581
00:35:50,489 --> 00:35:51,130
Speaker 1: Y'all like that one?

582
00:35:51,150 --> 00:35:53,350
Speaker 2: I may not.

583
00:35:55,469 --> 00:35:57,529
Speaker 1: You can't sing.

584
00:35:59,210 --> 00:36:06,230
Speaker 2: About them while they're sitting next to you.

585
00:36:06,969 --> 00:36:08,500
Speaker 1: The funny thing is.

586
00:36:08,900 --> 00:36:12,580
Speaker 2: Two people sitting next to each other singing about the

587
00:36:12,660 --> 00:36:15,100
Speaker 2: other one they came to church with, and the other

588
00:36:15,180 --> 00:36:17,080
Speaker 2: one didn't know, you're my Goliath.

589
00:36:17,790 --> 00:36:21,790
Speaker 1: You're the one … Look straight ahead right now. Look

590
00:36:21,850 --> 00:36:22,890
Speaker 1: straight ahead right now.

591
00:36:23,290 --> 00:36:26,450
Speaker 2: You didn't even know you're the one I'm singing about.

592
00:36:27,130 --> 00:36:33,799
Speaker 1: You're the one I'm crying about. And I can't tell you,

593
00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:35,520
Speaker 1: you're my thorn.

594
00:36:38,660 --> 00:36:41,880
Speaker 2: Oh, that's mean, Pastor Stephen.

595
00:36:43,410 --> 00:36:44,920
Speaker 1: But it begs a question, doesn't it?

596
00:36:46,130 --> 00:36:50,160
Speaker 2: Why would a God … who has enough power to

597
00:36:50,219 --> 00:36:54,360
Speaker 2: take down a giant with a rock, leave something as

598
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:55,400
Speaker 2: small as a thorn?

599
00:36:58,460 --> 00:36:59,960
Speaker 1: Why would a God.

600
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:04,259
Speaker 2: Who said you could have mustard seed faith and move

601
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:11,450
Speaker 2: something as big as a mountain leave something as small.

602
00:37:11,110 --> 00:37:14,950
Speaker 1: As a thorn in the life of someone as important

603
00:37:15,010 --> 00:37:19,569
Speaker 1: as Paul? It begs a better question. Why would God

604
00:37:19,610 --> 00:37:20,129
Speaker 1: allow you.

605
00:37:20,270 --> 00:37:25,390
Speaker 2: Season after season, to sing about Goliaths, to sing about mountains,

606
00:37:25,650 --> 00:37:28,969
Speaker 2: to pray about them, to ask about them, to strategize?

607
00:37:29,350 --> 00:37:32,189
Speaker 2: Maybe it'll be different this time. Paul said, I asked

608
00:37:32,270 --> 00:37:39,430
Speaker 2: three times. Three times now. I launched three separate campaigns

609
00:37:39,660 --> 00:37:42,799
Speaker 2: that I waged with heaven to see if God would

610
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:44,900
Speaker 2: take this away so I could be more.

611
00:37:44,780 --> 00:37:49,900
Speaker 1: Effective for him. This was something I wanted, and it

612
00:37:49,940 --> 00:37:53,450
Speaker 1: was something I thought God would want. We don't get

613
00:37:53,489 --> 00:37:55,790
Speaker 1: to know, was it physical? We don't get to know,

614
00:37:56,030 --> 00:37:56,650
Speaker 1: was it mental?

615
00:37:56,890 --> 00:37:59,589
Speaker 2: Or did the great apostle struggle with depression? See, we

616
00:37:59,610 --> 00:38:02,130
Speaker 2: probably couldn't handle that. Then we wouldn't listen to him

617
00:38:02,150 --> 00:38:04,569
Speaker 2: if he said, Rejoice in the Lord always, because we'd

618
00:38:04,590 --> 00:38:05,870
Speaker 2: be like, Oh, you're a hypocrite, Paul.

619
00:38:05,910 --> 00:38:06,530
Speaker 1: You're canceled.

620
00:38:06,770 --> 00:38:09,009
Speaker 2: You can't struggle with that and preach to me, because

621
00:38:09,070 --> 00:38:11,700
Speaker 2: we like to cut people out when they don't live

622
00:38:11,739 --> 00:38:15,219
Speaker 2: up to our exact standards. But all have sinned and

623
00:38:15,300 --> 00:38:37,520
Speaker 2: fallen short of the glory of God. All up in

624
00:38:37,540 --> 00:38:39,580
Speaker 2: the seat next to you. Don't get too close to her.

625
00:38:39,940 --> 00:38:45,120
Speaker 2: You might get stuck. She has thorns. I want to

626
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,319
Speaker 2: say something else before I tell you what Paul's thorn was,

627
00:38:47,340 --> 00:38:48,790
Speaker 2: because you're not going to believe it when you see it.

628
00:38:51,790 --> 00:38:56,129
Speaker 2: I want to make sure you understand that life will

629
00:38:56,170 --> 00:38:57,830
Speaker 2: give you an ample supply of thorns.

630
00:38:59,550 --> 00:39:04,730
Speaker 1: You don't have to ask for one. Okay, Lord. All right, Lord.

631
00:39:04,770 --> 00:39:05,689
Speaker 1: I hear the preacher today.

632
00:39:05,710 --> 00:39:07,810
Speaker 2: He's saying we have to suffer.

633
00:39:09,110 --> 00:39:13,589
Speaker 1: Persecution is bringing on, Lord. I'm ready, God. I was

634
00:39:13,620 --> 00:39:15,810
Speaker 1: in a prayer service one time, and somebody started praying. God,

635
00:39:15,850 --> 00:39:21,610
Speaker 1: I just prayed for a trial by fire. I backed

636
00:39:21,730 --> 00:39:23,589
Speaker 1: up so quickly. Hold up, y'all. I have a phone call.

637
00:39:24,690 --> 00:39:25,290
Speaker 1: I didn't come back.

638
00:39:25,850 --> 00:39:28,130
Speaker 2: I don't even want to be in the prayer circle

639
00:39:28,170 --> 00:39:30,410
Speaker 2: with somebody dumb enough to pray that. Oh, God.

640
00:39:30,670 --> 00:39:33,469
Speaker 1: When I'm with somebody and they start praying for patience ….

641
00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 2: It's all in the text. He said in verse 7,

642
00:39:50,230 --> 00:39:53,700
Speaker 2: I was given a thorn. I didn't ask for it.

643
00:39:53,700 --> 00:39:56,660
Speaker 2: I'm preaching to people who are fighting something you didn't

644
00:39:56,680 --> 00:40:03,490
Speaker 2: ask for. I'm preaching to people who are fighting something

645
00:40:04,370 --> 00:40:08,279
Speaker 2: you didn't ask for. All of these categories Paul lists

646
00:40:08,300 --> 00:40:10,880
Speaker 2: will make a good starting place for us to evaluate

647
00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:12,719
Speaker 2: our life and see what is that thing where we

648
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,399
Speaker 2: need God. He mentions hardships. He mentions insults. He mentions persecutions.

649
00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:21,219
Speaker 2: He mentions difficulties. He mentions all of these things, weaknesses.

650
00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:27,339
Speaker 2: He mentions them categorically and metaphorically, but this is not

651
00:40:27,390 --> 00:40:32,350
Speaker 2: a shopping list. Life will give you enough of those.

652
00:40:33,430 --> 00:40:34,750
Speaker 2: You don't have to go looking for them.

653
00:40:36,660 --> 00:40:41,739
Speaker 1: Insults. Life will give you plenty of those. You don't

654
00:40:41,780 --> 00:40:46,080
Speaker 1: have to infer them when they're not there. Insults. Life

655
00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:49,840
Speaker 1: will give you enough. You'll get insulted for real.

656
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,060
Speaker 2: Somebody will be on your comments looking for you to

657
00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,400
Speaker 2: have a Botox, a Mary Kay consultant, a ninja in

658
00:41:08,420 --> 00:41:09,700
Speaker 2: the comments trying to take you down.

659
00:41:09,980 --> 00:41:14,020
Speaker 1: You won't have to go looking for a hardship. Yeah,

660
00:41:14,060 --> 00:41:14,740
Speaker 1: it'll give you enough.

661
00:41:15,820 --> 00:41:20,469
Speaker 2: That's why, for me … This is just me in

662
00:41:20,489 --> 00:41:25,430
Speaker 2: my house. Social media is really dangerous. I'm not saying

663
00:41:25,469 --> 00:41:28,110
Speaker 2: it's bad, because right now, while I'm preaching, they're posting

664
00:41:28,150 --> 00:41:29,910
Speaker 2: on an account about my sermon on the thing.

665
00:41:31,550 --> 00:41:32,469
Speaker 1: But for me ….

666
00:41:33,750 --> 00:41:35,969
Speaker 2: Because life gives me enough thorns, I have enough insecurity.

667
00:41:36,989 --> 00:41:39,719
Speaker 2: I deal with enough in my head. I mean, I've

668
00:41:39,739 --> 00:41:41,759
Speaker 2: got enough movies to make me miserable the rest of

669
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:49,180
Speaker 2: my life. Regrets, things I replay, self-doubt, even self-loathing. Hold

670
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:54,230
Speaker 2: on now, Pastor Stephen. You are a preacher. You should

671
00:41:54,250 --> 00:41:56,529
Speaker 2: have worked through these issues.

672
00:41:59,450 --> 00:42:03,370
Speaker 1: Paul had a thorn. You have a thorn.

673
00:42:06,140 --> 00:42:08,560
Speaker 2: If you keep looking at me this fake, I'm going

674
00:42:08,660 --> 00:42:11,379
Speaker 2: to interview your family members, and I'm going to find

675
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,420
Speaker 2: out your thorn, and I'm going to put you on

676
00:42:13,460 --> 00:42:19,920
Speaker 2: blast in the pulpit next week. But what got me

677
00:42:19,980 --> 00:42:25,080
Speaker 2: about it was that social media can be like a

678
00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:30,510
Speaker 2: thorn store, where as if you don't have enough already

679
00:42:31,950 --> 00:42:36,400
Speaker 2: to feel worried about or to compare yourself … If

680
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:38,480
Speaker 2: it's not hard enough to be a teenager with the

681
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:40,480
Speaker 2: fear of missing out, you can go and find proof

682
00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:42,259
Speaker 2: that you're missing out of all the people who didn't

683
00:42:42,300 --> 00:42:47,750
Speaker 2: invite you and watch the things they're doing. For me,

684
00:42:47,790 --> 00:42:51,130
Speaker 2: I don't go on Facebook, because it'll make me too angry.

685
00:42:52,230 --> 00:42:54,250
Speaker 2: I may not face Goliath, but I already have a

686
00:42:54,270 --> 00:42:58,799
Speaker 2: really bad temper. I may not face Goliath, but I

687
00:42:58,860 --> 00:43:08,960
Speaker 2: have anger issues. so I don't need all that. I

688
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:13,190
Speaker 2: don't need more thorns. I don't need to borrow your thorns.

689
00:43:13,810 --> 00:43:15,950
Speaker 2: I don't need to be swimming in the sewage of

690
00:43:16,030 --> 00:43:19,350
Speaker 2: other people's anger when I've already got enough anger of

691
00:43:19,410 --> 00:43:23,290
Speaker 2: my own. For me, Instagram is like Thornhub. It's just like, oh, God.

692
00:43:29,489 --> 00:43:33,530
Speaker 2: He's preaching a real sermon today. He's saying real things today.

693
00:43:33,910 --> 00:43:35,890
Speaker 2: To me, this is like a … I'm not looking

694
00:43:35,930 --> 00:43:41,170
Speaker 2: for insults, hardships, persecutions, weaknesses. I've already got enough of those.

695
00:43:41,770 --> 00:43:45,270
Speaker 2: I need a word from God. I need an encouraging voice.

696
00:43:45,750 --> 00:43:48,870
Speaker 2: I need an image I can aspire to that looks

697
00:43:48,950 --> 00:43:57,290
Speaker 2: like Christ's. He said a thorn was given to me.

698
00:43:58,300 --> 00:44:00,779
Speaker 2: and he says a strange phrase. He says it was

699
00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,800
Speaker 2: a messenger of Satan. The word in Greek for messenger

700
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,920
Speaker 2: is angelos. What does that sound like?

701
00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:18,820
Speaker 1: Angelos. Angelos. Angel. The same word that is used for messenger.

702
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:23,010
Speaker 1: Y'all don't believe me. Put my Bible verse back up.

703
00:44:24,260 --> 00:44:27,140
Speaker 2: He said, because of these surpassingly great revelations, therefore, in

704
00:44:27,180 --> 00:44:28,660
Speaker 2: order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given

705
00:44:28,700 --> 00:44:31,610
Speaker 2: a thorn, a messenger of Satan.

706
00:44:33,050 --> 00:44:35,870
Speaker 1: Angelos. Same word as angel.

707
00:44:39,190 --> 00:44:42,830
Speaker 2: The same word as angel. An angel, a messenger. It's

708
00:44:42,870 --> 00:44:44,850
Speaker 2: the same word. There's no difference in the word. An

709
00:44:45,170 --> 00:44:51,980
Speaker 2: angel of Satan to torment me. An angel of Satan?

710
00:44:53,750 --> 00:44:57,910
Speaker 2: I don't want that kind. I never prayed for Satan

711
00:44:57,950 --> 00:45:00,580
Speaker 2: to give me anything in my life, and Paul didn't

712
00:45:00,620 --> 00:45:02,219
Speaker 2: like it either. He said the first time he got

713
00:45:02,420 --> 00:45:07,660
Speaker 2: hit with that thing, he said, return to cinder, and

714
00:45:07,700 --> 00:45:11,739
Speaker 2: he did it three times. Sometimes that works, and God

715
00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:13,400
Speaker 2: helps you through it, and you're like, oh, I'm not

716
00:45:13,420 --> 00:45:15,880
Speaker 2: going to struggle with that anymore, and that's awesome, and

717
00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:18,980
Speaker 2: you can testify and help others. In this case, he said,

718
00:45:19,140 --> 00:45:24,650
Speaker 2: I had to see that. It was given to me,

719
00:45:26,110 --> 00:45:31,120
Speaker 2: even though the Enemy delivered it. He said, it came

720
00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:35,840
Speaker 2: from an angel. An angel of Satan gave me a

721
00:45:35,900 --> 00:45:40,750
Speaker 2: gift from God? That's why I think this week, when

722
00:45:40,790 --> 00:45:44,210
Speaker 2: it comes to the thorns in your life … Even

723
00:45:44,250 --> 00:45:46,230
Speaker 2: if it's a person that gets on your nerves …

724
00:45:46,330 --> 00:45:49,910
Speaker 2: Raise your hand if there's one in your life. So,

725
00:45:49,950 --> 00:45:54,160
Speaker 2: this week, tell them, you're such an angel. Now, if

726
00:45:54,520 --> 00:45:56,839
Speaker 2: they go to church here, don't say that, because they'll

727
00:45:56,860 --> 00:46:00,500
Speaker 2: know the Greek. But if they don't go to church here,

728
00:46:00,860 --> 00:46:04,030
Speaker 2: they won't have a clue what you're talking about. Say, man,

729
00:46:04,050 --> 00:46:05,330
Speaker 2: you're just like an angel to.

730
00:46:07,010 --> 00:46:14,430
Speaker 1: Me. What the angel brought me is a thorn.

731
00:46:16,100 --> 00:46:19,180
Speaker 2: I started to get confused, because he said it was

732
00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:19,920
Speaker 2: an angel.

733
00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:26,890
Speaker 1: You're teenagers. Did you know you're teenagers, parents? are angels? Teenagers,

734
00:46:26,910 --> 00:46:28,430
Speaker 1: did you know your parents are angels?

735
00:46:30,610 --> 00:46:33,230
Speaker 2: I can't wait all week for people walking.

736
00:46:32,989 --> 00:46:35,160
Speaker 1: Around their house being like, what's up?

737
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:39,320
Speaker 2: All the angels saluting each other that God is using

738
00:46:39,340 --> 00:46:43,060
Speaker 2: to keep us dependent on him. You gave me a

739
00:46:43,140 --> 00:46:54,640
Speaker 2: gift of realizing how much I need God. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

740
00:46:54,660 --> 00:46:57,680
Speaker 2: You're going to see angels everywhere this week. Put the

741
00:46:57,700 --> 00:47:00,469
Speaker 2: verse back up. He said, it's a messenger from Satan.

742
00:47:00,489 --> 00:47:03,370
Speaker 2: He said, but I don't have.

743
00:47:03,270 --> 00:47:05,710
Speaker 1: To like the delivery service to open the package.

744
00:47:08,810 --> 00:47:12,950
Speaker 2: So, it was an angel, a messenger of Satan, in

745
00:47:12,969 --> 00:47:15,730
Speaker 2: order to keep me from getting so conceited.

746
00:47:16,370 --> 00:47:17,670
Speaker 1: God knows what you're prone to.

747
00:47:19,489 --> 00:47:21,870
Speaker 2: God knew that Paul was prone to pride, so What

748
00:47:21,890 --> 00:47:28,000
Speaker 2: God does is he matches your thorn, your course, to

749
00:47:28,020 --> 00:47:33,219
Speaker 2: your calling. The reason I can't pick my own mentor

750
00:47:33,340 --> 00:47:36,000
Speaker 2: in life is I don't know what I need, because

751
00:47:36,020 --> 00:47:38,700
Speaker 2: I don't even know who I really am yet, and

752
00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:40,239
Speaker 2: I certainly don't know who I'm going to be when

753
00:47:40,260 --> 00:47:44,430
Speaker 2: God gets done with me. So, God is so good

754
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:50,770
Speaker 2: that he knows how to match your thorn, your thorn,

755
00:47:52,989 --> 00:47:57,290
Speaker 2: From his throne, he said, it was sent.

756
00:47:59,870 --> 00:48:05,650
Speaker 1: A messenger of Satan to torment me.

757
00:48:07,510 --> 00:48:14,610
Speaker 2: Torment me. You've been tormented by it. You've been tormented

758
00:48:14,670 --> 00:48:18,450
Speaker 2: by it. It torments you. When there's a weakness and

759
00:48:18,489 --> 00:48:19,630
Speaker 2: you can't get stronger in it.

760
00:48:19,610 --> 00:48:24,310
Speaker 1: It torments you. that I should be further along, and

761
00:48:24,350 --> 00:48:25,130
Speaker 1: I did it again.

762
00:48:25,150 --> 00:48:29,670
Speaker 2: It torments you. Other people can do that easily, but

763
00:48:29,710 --> 00:48:32,310
Speaker 2: it's not easy for me. It torments you.

764
00:48:33,450 --> 00:48:54,270
Speaker 1: Torment. Torment. Torment. Torment. Tormentor. Mentor. Mentor. Mentor. Mentor. Mentor. Tormentor. Mentor. mentor.

765
00:48:55,790 --> 00:48:58,680
Speaker 1: Paul's thorn was his mentor.

766
00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:13,180
Speaker 2: I told you I'd tell you what Paul's thorn was,

767
00:49:13,340 --> 00:49:18,200
Speaker 2: and I did. It was his mentor. It was the

768
00:49:18,260 --> 00:49:26,910
Speaker 2: thing God gave him to teach him grace. So, I

769
00:49:26,950 --> 00:49:29,250
Speaker 2: actually don't have to interview anybody to find out what

770
00:49:29,270 --> 00:49:29,890
Speaker 2: your thorn is.

771
00:49:31,150 --> 00:49:33,650
Speaker 1: I already know. It's your mentor.

772
00:49:34,890 --> 00:49:40,859
Speaker 2: It's the mentor you didn't ask for. It's the thing

773
00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:44,890
Speaker 2: that showed up in your life. See, you've been trained

774
00:49:44,930 --> 00:49:47,509
Speaker 2: in a lot of things. Some of you have a

775
00:49:47,570 --> 00:49:50,990
Speaker 2: master's degree. Some of you know how to run a business.

776
00:49:51,790 --> 00:49:54,430
Speaker 2: Some of you know how to make straight A's. Some

777
00:49:54,450 --> 00:49:56,870
Speaker 2: of you know how to impress others. Some of you

778
00:49:56,910 --> 00:49:59,230
Speaker 2: know how to dress. Some of you know how to

779
00:49:59,290 --> 00:50:01,850
Speaker 2: talk real good, and you can flatter people and say

780
00:50:01,890 --> 00:50:04,830
Speaker 2: things to get out of the situation. But there are

781
00:50:04,910 --> 00:50:09,170
Speaker 2: some things that can only be learned in Thorne University.

782
00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:12,680
Speaker 1: There are some.

783
00:50:12,520 --> 00:50:16,200
Speaker 2: Things God can only teach you not through advice but

784
00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:17,080
Speaker 2: through adversity.

785
00:50:19,610 --> 00:50:20,730
Speaker 1: Paul was not a rookie.

786
00:50:21,630 --> 00:50:24,589
Speaker 2: And Paul was not a noob, and Paul was not

787
00:50:24,630 --> 00:50:30,549
Speaker 2: an unsolicited Dear Abby advice columnist. Paul was an apostle

788
00:50:30,890 --> 00:50:33,500
Speaker 2: of Jesus Christ, and he didn't even want to be.

789
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,219
Speaker 2: Paul never even applied to be an apostle.

790
00:50:38,060 --> 00:50:40,580
Speaker 1: He was just riding on his donkey through Damascus.

791
00:50:41,989 --> 00:50:45,460
Speaker 2: And God knocked him off his donkey and said, New boss,

792
00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:48,700
Speaker 2: I am Jesus, whom.

793
00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:49,820
Speaker 1: You are persecuting.

794
00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:54,040
Speaker 2: They had to lead him by the hand.

795
00:50:55,219 --> 00:50:59,219
Speaker 1: You have a new mentor now, Paul. This is difficult.

796
00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:05,489
Speaker 2: Because Paul studied under Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a father of

797
00:51:05,530 --> 00:51:09,450
Speaker 2: the Sanhedrin, not just a member. Gamaliel was the grandson

798
00:51:09,489 --> 00:51:13,120
Speaker 2: of Hillel. Gamaliel was so powerful. They said the glory

799
00:51:13,160 --> 00:51:15,880
Speaker 2: of the Torah died when Gamaliel died, but he was

800
00:51:15,980 --> 00:51:19,969
Speaker 2: steeped only in Judaism. When Gamaliel mentored Paul, he could

801
00:51:20,010 --> 00:51:22,450
Speaker 2: teach him so much. He could teach him about the law.

802
00:51:22,710 --> 00:51:25,209
Speaker 2: He could teach him about the oral tradition. Paul sat

803
00:51:25,250 --> 00:51:28,640
Speaker 2: at his feet. He defends himself in Acts 22, verse 3.

804
00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:30,819
Speaker 2: He said, I grew up in Jerusalem, and I sat

805
00:51:30,860 --> 00:51:33,640
Speaker 2: at the feet of Gamaliel. He was my mentor. But

806
00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,420
Speaker 2: one day, as I was going to persecute the church

807
00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:38,799
Speaker 2: and wipe out those who were members of the way …

808
00:51:39,100 --> 00:51:42,170
Speaker 2: Help me, Holy Spirit. I got knocked down by something

809
00:51:42,230 --> 00:51:45,310
Speaker 2: bigger than me. I got blinded by a light I.

810
00:51:45,270 --> 00:51:46,549
Speaker 1: Didn't even ask for.

811
00:51:51,260 --> 00:51:55,279
Speaker 2: Gamaliel could teach me about grammar, but he couldn't teach

812
00:51:55,320 --> 00:52:00,689
Speaker 2: me about grace. It took a thorn to show me that.

813
00:52:03,130 --> 00:52:06,529
Speaker 2: I didn't ask for it. God, if you want to

814
00:52:06,570 --> 00:52:10,230
Speaker 2: take it, it's still on the table. You can have

815
00:52:10,270 --> 00:52:17,100
Speaker 2: it back any time. But the torment stops here. I

816
00:52:17,140 --> 00:52:22,690
Speaker 2: will not be tormented by this thorn one more day.

817
00:52:25,410 --> 00:52:31,130
Speaker 2: If you're not going to take this thorn away, then, God,

818
00:52:32,270 --> 00:52:33,890
Speaker 2: you will need to give me the grace.

819
00:52:38,050 --> 00:52:42,799
Speaker 1: So, when Paul preaches and.

820
00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:45,700
Speaker 2: He talks about the thorn, I want you to realize

821
00:52:45,739 --> 00:52:49,650
Speaker 2: that that is the thing God wouldn't take away. But

822
00:52:49,690 --> 00:52:53,350
Speaker 2: he says in verse 7 something very interesting. He says,' Therefore,

823
00:52:54,380 --> 00:52:57,779
Speaker 2: in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was

824
00:52:57,860 --> 00:53:00,680
Speaker 2: given a thorn.' I just read that a bunch, and

825
00:53:00,700 --> 00:53:09,200
Speaker 2: I eventually began to see,' Therefore, in order to keep

826
00:53:09,239 --> 00:53:12,300
Speaker 2: me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn.

827
00:53:12,660 --> 00:53:14,500
Speaker 1: It came through an instrument of Satan.

828
00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,540
Speaker 2: But God used it as a vessel of grace. Isn't

829
00:53:17,580 --> 00:53:18,600
Speaker 2: that what he did with Paul?

830
00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:23,419
Speaker 1: Paul was a tool who was used by the Enemy

831
00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:24,540
Speaker 1: to torment the church.

832
00:53:25,739 --> 00:53:29,600
Speaker 2: When God transformed him, he became a vessel for the gospel.

833
00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:33,609
Speaker 2: If God can do that through Paul, now he said,

834
00:53:33,620 --> 00:53:36,210
Speaker 2: I'm going to do it for Paul, and if you

835
00:53:36,230 --> 00:53:39,930
Speaker 2: can receive it, he's going to do it for you. Therefore,

836
00:53:40,670 --> 00:53:44,370
Speaker 2: I was given a thorn. God didn't take it away.

837
00:53:44,710 --> 00:53:49,520
Speaker 2: He showed me what it was. Therefore, So ask God

838
00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:54,250
Speaker 2: for this. Ask God for a therefore. I'm celebrating today

839
00:53:54,270 --> 00:53:58,489
Speaker 2: because God gave me a therefore. I'm not celebrating that

840
00:53:58,530 --> 00:54:02,580
Speaker 2: the thorn is gone. I'm celebrating that God gave me

841
00:54:02,600 --> 00:54:03,819
Speaker 2: a therefore.

842
00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:07,140
Speaker 1: I'm going to find another church to preach this in.

843
00:54:07,380 --> 00:54:13,110
Speaker 1: This is too good. Somebody celebrate the therefore. Therefore.

844
00:54:13,190 --> 00:54:19,080
Speaker 2: Therefore. So he said, therefore, all the more gladly, for

845
00:54:19,180 --> 00:54:24,920
Speaker 2: Christ's sake, I will boast in the things that make

846
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:30,520
Speaker 2: me appear broken. Therefore, I will glory not in the

847
00:54:30,580 --> 00:54:36,380
Speaker 2: thorn but in the grace that God released for it.

848
00:54:38,070 --> 00:54:42,170
Speaker 2: Don't glory in the thorn. Don't walk around just worshiping

849
00:54:42,190 --> 00:54:48,710
Speaker 2: your weakness. He said, I'm celebrating because I have a

850
00:54:48,730 --> 00:54:54,890
Speaker 2: grace for it. I've walked with hundreds of people through

851
00:54:54,930 --> 00:55:03,170
Speaker 2: seasons of unimaginable struggle, and what they all seem to

852
00:55:03,210 --> 00:55:06,660
Speaker 2: have in common when you talk to them if they

853
00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:10,860
Speaker 2: go on living is that God gave them a grace

854
00:55:12,060 --> 00:55:23,240
Speaker 2: that was proportional to the problem. And if they live

855
00:55:23,260 --> 00:55:27,430
Speaker 2: through it, they live long enough to talk about not

856
00:55:27,469 --> 00:55:31,410
Speaker 2: just what I went through, but what God taught me.

857
00:55:33,950 --> 00:55:36,930
Speaker 2: And they stop talking about the thorn so much. Even

858
00:55:36,969 --> 00:55:40,569
Speaker 2: if it was a really big thing, in comparison to

859
00:55:40,590 --> 00:55:43,590
Speaker 2: the glory of the grace God gives.

860
00:55:43,390 --> 00:55:47,720
Speaker 1: Them, they start making it look like a small thing.

861
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:54,450
Speaker 2: So, I wonder who you are today, and I wonder

862
00:55:54,489 --> 00:55:57,569
Speaker 2: what your thorn is, but I don't really need to know,

863
00:55:57,610 --> 00:55:58,890
Speaker 2: because God already showed me.

864
00:56:00,570 --> 00:56:01,469
Speaker 1: That thorn.

865
00:56:03,070 --> 00:56:09,879
Speaker 2: Is the mentor you didn't ask for. It's the thing

866
00:56:09,900 --> 00:56:10,859
Speaker 2: that's going to teach you.

867
00:56:12,900 --> 00:56:16,799
Speaker 1: One old preacher said, the thorn is what takes you

868
00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:17,390
Speaker 1: to the throne.

869
00:56:23,010 --> 00:56:27,739
Speaker 2: Paul said, I know me, and God knows me. I

870
00:56:27,780 --> 00:56:29,840
Speaker 2: would have gotten out ahead of myself if God didn't.

871
00:56:29,620 --> 00:56:30,100
Speaker 1: Give me this.

872
00:56:32,140 --> 00:56:36,839
Speaker 2: So, take your thorn to the throne and ask God.

873
00:56:38,219 --> 00:56:39,800
Speaker 2: I didn't ask you for this thorn, but I'm asking

874
00:56:39,820 --> 00:56:44,620
Speaker 2: you now. I need a grace for this season. I

875
00:56:44,660 --> 00:56:47,700
Speaker 2: need a grace for this insult. God, you told me

876
00:56:47,940 --> 00:56:48,899
Speaker 2: to turn the other cheek.

877
00:56:49,120 --> 00:56:49,800
Speaker 1: I'm out of cheeks.

878
00:56:49,980 --> 00:56:55,280
Speaker 2: I only got so many. I'm going to need some grace.

879
00:56:56,560 --> 00:56:57,990
Speaker 2: Three seasons I've petitioned you.

880
00:56:58,969 --> 00:57:05,210
Speaker 1: Still no dog. So, if you won't give me a breakthrough,

881
00:57:06,530 --> 00:57:07,350
Speaker 1: give me a therefore.

882
00:57:09,570 --> 00:57:12,069
Speaker 2: Reveal something here in my life that I couldn't see

883
00:57:12,130 --> 00:57:15,350
Speaker 2: anywhere else. I'm not telling you to thank God for

884
00:57:15,550 --> 00:57:18,950
Speaker 2: your thorn. I'm not there yet. Some people can do that.

885
00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:21,040
Speaker 2: I'm not that good of a Christian. I'm not Paul,

886
00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:25,640
Speaker 2: and most of y'all aren't either. If we can't thank

887
00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:30,590
Speaker 2: him for the thorn, which is understandable, let's thank him

888
00:57:30,630 --> 00:57:34,850
Speaker 2: for the therefore. Therefore, I will boast all the more

889
00:57:34,890 --> 00:57:42,050
Speaker 2: gladly about what God gave me through it. It's a

890
00:57:42,110 --> 00:57:45,690
Speaker 2: pivotal moment when you don't allow the Enemy to torment

891
00:57:45,730 --> 00:57:46,540
Speaker 2: you anymore with it.

892
00:57:48,550 --> 00:57:49,770
Speaker 1: He doesn't want you to see.

893
00:57:49,670 --> 00:57:53,440
Speaker 2: This, because he wants to keep you weak where you

894
00:57:53,480 --> 00:57:53,960
Speaker 2: won't worship.

895
00:57:56,520 --> 00:57:59,800
Speaker 1: Paul said, therefore, I boast all the more. I glory

896
00:58:01,540 --> 00:58:05,030
Speaker 1: in what the thorn brought me to. Long glory in

897
00:58:05,050 --> 00:58:07,170
Speaker 1: the thorn. I don't like the thorn. I tried to

898
00:58:07,210 --> 00:58:11,750
Speaker 1: send it back. I didn't order the thorn. But regardless

899
00:58:11,770 --> 00:58:15,830
Speaker 1: of how it came, right now I need grace.

900
00:58:17,360 --> 00:58:19,800
Speaker 2: Everybody under the sound of my voice, this is not

901
00:58:19,820 --> 00:58:21,360
Speaker 2: your chance to slip out of the room early.

902
00:58:21,780 --> 00:58:22,210
Speaker 1: Stand up.

903
00:58:29,130 --> 00:58:32,670
Speaker 2: In this moment, I wonder, would you receive what you

904
00:58:32,710 --> 00:58:38,030
Speaker 2: really need from God? I wonder, can you be humble

905
00:58:38,070 --> 00:58:42,000
Speaker 2: enough to lift your hands like you need them and

906
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:48,600
Speaker 2: not clench your fists like you have this? That's the posture.

907
00:58:49,800 --> 00:58:57,230
Speaker 1: Of power right there. That's it. Lord, we thank you

908
00:58:57,270 --> 00:58:57,970
Speaker 1: for the therefore.

909
00:58:59,920 --> 00:59:02,260
Speaker 2: We thank you for the Holy Spirit, our divine mentor.

910
00:59:06,130 --> 00:59:09,350
Speaker 2: We thank you that you're teaching us about your grace

911
00:59:09,410 --> 00:59:11,540
Speaker 2: in this season. There is a supernatural grace that comes

912
00:59:11,600 --> 00:59:15,400
Speaker 2: upon you in seasons like this. There is a supernatural

913
00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:19,160
Speaker 2: grace that comes upon the saints. There is a grace

914
00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:27,230
Speaker 2: for your thorn. One day, if we cannot be so

915
00:59:27,270 --> 00:59:30,580
Speaker 2: proud and arrogant to deny it, If we cannot be

916
00:59:30,640 --> 00:59:34,130
Speaker 2: so bitter about the fact that it happened, one day

917
00:59:34,170 --> 00:59:36,150
Speaker 2: maybe we'll get to talk about what God taught us

918
00:59:37,450 --> 00:59:42,590
Speaker 2: like Paul did. Maybe one day we can say, when

919
00:59:42,630 --> 00:59:48,400
Speaker 2: I'm weak, then I'm strong. Maybe we can let God in.

920
00:59:50,000 --> 00:59:56,120
Speaker 2: Maybe he's bigger than our thorn. Maybe his grace is

921
00:59:56,140 --> 01:00:04,590
Speaker 2: sufficient for you too. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh.

922
01:00:06,970 --> 01:00:13,340
Speaker 2: Anoint us with oil. For the thorns in our flesh

923
01:00:14,380 --> 01:00:18,419
Speaker 2: and the pressure we face and the temptation we're under

924
01:00:20,020 --> 01:00:23,260
Speaker 2: and the weakness we know all too well, we need

925
01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:30,780
Speaker 2: your oil. I lift up every thorn to you today

926
01:00:32,610 --> 01:00:36,070
Speaker 2: We ask you to take it away, and we'll probably

927
01:00:36,100 --> 01:00:43,440
Speaker 2: keep asking, but while we're working through it, we thank

928
01:00:43,480 --> 01:00:44,340
Speaker 2: you for the therefore.

929
01:00:46,280 --> 01:00:47,120
Speaker 1: It's there for a reason.

930
01:00:48,720 --> 01:00:52,150
Speaker 2: We'll see what it is in time, in time, in time,

931
01:00:53,490 --> 01:00:58,510
Speaker 2: in time. I want to tell you one more thing

932
01:00:58,550 --> 01:01:06,000
Speaker 2: while you pray. Satan was the messenger, but he wasn't

933
01:01:06,040 --> 01:01:21,810
Speaker 2: the master. While you pray, consider this, that in God's hands, Paul,

934
01:01:23,350 --> 01:01:29,170
Speaker 2: who tortured and tormented the church, became a mentor for

935
01:01:29,210 --> 01:01:29,650
Speaker 2: the gospel.

936
01:01:32,870 --> 01:01:34,380
Speaker 1: That's what's going to happen in your life.

937
01:01:35,840 --> 01:01:40,780
Speaker 2: The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing

938
01:01:41,220 --> 01:01:48,530
Speaker 2: with the glory that will be revealed in you. So, God,

939
01:01:49,290 --> 01:01:52,290
Speaker 2: I thank you for a release of your glory. I

940
01:01:52,330 --> 01:01:55,280
Speaker 2: thank you for these things that drew us closer to you, God.

941
01:01:55,640 --> 01:01:58,360
Speaker 2: We wouldn't have prayed. We would have been proud. We

942
01:01:58,380 --> 01:02:01,040
Speaker 2: would have thought it was our strength, our might, our armor,

943
01:02:01,200 --> 01:02:02,340
Speaker 2: our sling, our sword.

944
01:02:02,660 --> 01:02:07,550
Speaker 1: It wasn't. In this moment of weakness, we declare we

945
01:02:07,610 --> 01:02:14,410
Speaker 1: are strong. We are blessed. We are filled. We are overcomers.

946
01:02:15,330 --> 01:02:19,850
Speaker 1: We are conquerors. We are more than conquerors. Let the

947
01:02:19,910 --> 01:02:24,530
Speaker 1: weak say, I am strong. Let the poor say, I

948
01:02:24,630 --> 01:02:30,540
Speaker 1: am rich. We thank you for it.

949
01:02:30,560 --> 01:02:35,000
Speaker 2: In Jesus' name, we offer you this praise, and the

950
01:02:35,040 --> 01:02:40,980
Speaker 2: whole church said, Amen. Take a screenshot and share it

951
01:02:41,120 --> 01:02:42,700
Speaker 2: on your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church.

952
01:02:42,720 --> 01:02:44,160
Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. God bless you.