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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting

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Speaker 2: the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you

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Speaker 2: be a blessing and share it with a friend. We

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Speaker 2: appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

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Speaker 1: Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into

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Speaker 1: your homes. We love you.

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Speaker 2: If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop

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Speaker 2: buy and be a part of one of our services.

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Speaker 1: I promise you we'll make you feel right at home.

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Speaker 2: But thanks so much for tuning in today, and thanks

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Speaker 2: again for coming out. I'd like to start each week

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Speaker 2: with something funny and I should mention this. This was

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Speaker 2: sent to me from a woman. But according to the

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Speaker 2: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and

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Speaker 2: female reindeer grow antlers in the summer, male reindeer lose

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Speaker 2: their antlers at the start of winter in late November.

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Speaker 2: Female reindeer keep their antlers until spring. This means all

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Speaker 2: of Santa's reindeer, from Rudolph to Blitzen had to be female.

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Speaker 1: She goes on to say, we should.

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Speaker 2: Have known only women would be able to drag around

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Speaker 2: a fat man in a red.

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Speaker 1: Velvet suit all around the world in one night and

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Speaker 1: not get lost. All right.

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Speaker 2: I don't know about you men, but I'm offended. Hold

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Speaker 2: your Bible up, say it like you mean it. This

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Speaker 2: is my Bible. I am what it says.

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Speaker 1: I am.

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Speaker 2: I have what it says I have. I can do

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Speaker 2: what it says I can do. Today I will be

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Speaker 2: taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind

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Speaker 2: is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be

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Speaker 2: the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want

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Speaker 2: to talk to you today about developing your pearl. Pearls

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Speaker 2: are made from irritations and oyster feeds off the bottom

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Speaker 2: of the ocean, and occasionally it will get a grain

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Speaker 2: of sand lodged on the inside. That sand causes the

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Speaker 2: oyster disco comfort.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't like it.

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Speaker 2: It rubs and rubs trying to get rid of it,

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Speaker 2: but eventually it's formed into a beautiful pearl. Pearls are expensive.

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Speaker 2: People pay thousands of dollars for pearls. Ladies wear them

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Speaker 2: around their neck. But the fact is that pearl is

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Speaker 2: birthed out of something uncomfortable. The oyster would have preferred

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Speaker 2: to not deal with it. If you could ask it,

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Speaker 2: it would say I don't like being uncomfortable, don't give.

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Speaker 1: Me any more. Irritations make everything easy.

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Speaker 2: No, God designed the irritation to become something beautiful, to.

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Speaker 1: Make it more valuable.

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Speaker 2: In the same way, every irritation in our life is

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Speaker 2: designed to become a pearl. The scripture talks about how

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Speaker 2: God is the potter and we are the clay. One

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Speaker 2: way that God forms us and molds us is by

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Speaker 2: allowing us to be in situations where we're uncomfortable. We're

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Speaker 2: not getting our way, We're not being treated right, it's

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Speaker 2: not happening as fast as we would like.

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Speaker 1: This pressure brings delight.

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Speaker 2: Impurities in our character, things like pride, selfishness, being critical,

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Speaker 2: being easily offended, things.

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Speaker 1: That we need to get rid of.

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Speaker 2: We may not like it, but God uses every situation,

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Speaker 2: every traffic jam, every person that's hard to deal with,

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Speaker 2: every time we could get our feelings hurt. We need

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Speaker 2: to remind ourselves this is only a test. This is

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Speaker 2: an opportunity to come up higher. See, the irritation was

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Speaker 2: never designed to frustrate you. It was designed to help

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Speaker 2: you grow, to help you develop that pearl. Now I've

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Speaker 2: learned you can't pray away every uncomfortable situation.

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Speaker 1: You can't rebuke every trial.

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Speaker 2: God allows difficulties to help grow us up. He uses

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Speaker 2: people that are hard to get along with like sandpaper.

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Speaker 1: To rub the rough edges off of us.

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Speaker 2: And if we don't understand how God operates and the

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Speaker 2: process he uses, then we'll go through life frustrated, wondering

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Speaker 2: why God's not answering our prayers, trying to run from

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Speaker 2: everything that's difficult. Joel, my supervisor gets on my nerves.

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Speaker 2: He's inconsiderate, he's grouchy.

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Speaker 1: I don't have to put up with this. I'm going

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Speaker 1: to leave this job.

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Speaker 2: So have you ever thought about God may have put

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Speaker 2: him in your life to help develop your pearl so

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Speaker 2: you could learn to love those that are not lovely,

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Speaker 2: so you could learn to be good to people that

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Speaker 2: are not being good.

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Speaker 1: To you, so you could develop.

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Speaker 2: Patience, kindness, long suffering. You know what long suffering is.

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Speaker 2: It's when you have to suffer a long time putting

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Speaker 2: up with something that you don't like. I learn long

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Speaker 2: suffering growing up with my brother Paul. If every irritation

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Speaker 2: can become a pearl. He helped me to have a

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Speaker 2: whole strand between him and my sister Lisa.

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Speaker 1: I could open up a jewelry store. But if you

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Speaker 1: leave that job because the boss is hard.

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Speaker 2: And you don't let God do the work in you,

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Speaker 2: that next position you take, there'll be two more people

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Speaker 2: just like him. That's God having you on the potter's whill,

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Speaker 2: spinning you around and around. He'll give you another opportunity to.

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Speaker 1: Pass that test.

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Speaker 2: But understand that irritation, just like the oyster, is not

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Speaker 2: God trying to make our lives miserable.

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Speaker 1: No, God knows there's a pearl in you waiting to

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Speaker 1: be formed.

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Speaker 2: The only way it can be developed is by passing

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Speaker 2: these tests. By being kind to a coworker that's not

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Speaker 2: kind to you, by biting your tongue when you feel

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Speaker 2: like telling somebody off, by keeping a good attitude even

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Speaker 2: when you get stuck in traffic. Those are opportunities to

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Speaker 2: develop our pearl. Our attitude should be. If this is

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Speaker 2: where God has me, I must need it. I'm not

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Speaker 2: going to fight against it. I'm not going to try

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Speaker 2: to pray it away. I'm going to embrace the place

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Speaker 2: where I am. I know God's given me the grace

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Speaker 2: to be here. He's got me on the Potter's wheel.

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Speaker 2: So I'm going to keep a good attitude, knowing right

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Speaker 2: beyond this irritation is a beautiful pearl. You may be

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Speaker 2: uncomfortable and kind of have to suffer through it, but

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Speaker 2: if you'll stay on the wheel, if you'll be willing

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Speaker 2: to change and not try to pray away every traffic

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Speaker 2: jam and pray away every difficult person. But let God

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Speaker 2: use that to refine you, to develop your character. That's

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Speaker 2: when you grow. When you pass those tests, you'll step

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Speaker 2: into a new level of your destiny. And Paul said

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Speaker 2: in Romans eight eighteen, these present sufferings are nothing compared.

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Speaker 1: To the glory that's coming. Paul was mistreated, lied about, persecuted.

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Speaker 2: He had to put up with all kinds of unfair things,

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Speaker 2: but he didn't complain. He didn't try to run from

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Speaker 2: every difficult situation. He said, in effect, these hard times,

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Speaker 2: these irritations.

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Speaker 1: Are no big deal.

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Speaker 2: They're helping to develop my perl. I know God's going

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Speaker 2: to use them to do a work in me. The

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Speaker 2: scripture talks about how if we're going to share in

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Speaker 2: Christ's glory, we're going to have to be willing to

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Speaker 2: share in his sufferings. This suffering doesn't mean accidents, tragedy, cancer, injustice, abuse.

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Speaker 2: I'm not telling you to put up with those things

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Speaker 2: we stand against that The suffering this is talking about

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Speaker 2: is when we have to say no to our flesh

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Speaker 2: and not get upset when we don't get our way

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Speaker 2: and treat someone right that's treating us wrong, and stay

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Speaker 2: in faith even though it's unfair.

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Speaker 1: When we pass those tests.

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Speaker 2: Our flesh, that's the natural part of us, is not

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Speaker 2: going to like it. We're going to be uncomfortable and

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Speaker 2: we're going to do and to do what we feel.

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Speaker 2: But if you will stay on the high road and

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Speaker 2: be willing to suffer through that period of being uncomfortable,

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Speaker 2: then you're allowing God to refine you. Your character is

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Speaker 2: being developed. That pearl is being polished. The scripture talks

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Speaker 2: about Timothy said how there are different levels that we

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Speaker 2: can grow into vessels of clay and wood use.

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Speaker 1: For ordinary purposes.

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Speaker 2: But if you'll let God refine you, if you will

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Speaker 2: be willing to change and you don't get stuck at

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Speaker 2: one level in your attitude and how you treat people

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Speaker 2: and how you handle disappointment, but you continue to let

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Speaker 2: God refine you. Then you will become a vessel of

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Speaker 2: gold used for God's highest purposes. A lot of people

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Speaker 2: get stuck at clay, at wood, at silver, but I

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Speaker 2: know today I'm looking at people like me. We are

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Speaker 2: going for the gold. But we all start off at

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Speaker 2: the exact same place.

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Speaker 1: We're a lump of haart claim. We've got impurities, pride, selfishness, impatience, anger, resentment.

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Speaker 2: God puts us on the potter's will, begins to spin

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Speaker 2: us around, and he comes across one of those lumps,

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Speaker 2: those impurities. He will put us in a situation to

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Speaker 2: work that out of us. The key is to pass

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Speaker 2: the test. Don't fight against everything that you don't like.

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Speaker 2: Learn to overlook an offense, make allowances for somebody that's hard.

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Speaker 1: To get along with.

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Speaker 2: Quit getting your feelings hurt because they offended you. Toughen

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Speaker 2: up and pass those tests. Let the irritation become a pearl.

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Speaker 1: Here's a key.

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Speaker 2: If you're praying about a situation and God is not

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Speaker 2: removing it, it's not changing, that's a sign that God's.

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Speaker 1: Using it to do a work in you.

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Speaker 2: When we were trying to acquire this facility, I prayed,

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Speaker 2: I believed, I stood in faith, but it didn't look

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Speaker 2: like anything was happening. Month after month went by, even

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Speaker 2: year after year, we had all kinds of opposition, two lawsuits,

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Speaker 2: battle after battle. Finally, three and a half years later,

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Speaker 2: God gave us the victory. What's interesting is God could

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Speaker 2: have given us the victory the first week just as

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Speaker 2: easily as he gave it to.

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Speaker 1: Us three and a half years later. He's God. It

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Speaker 1: wouldn't have been any big deal.

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Speaker 2: He could have just said, to the angels, make it happen.

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Speaker 2: He would have saved us so much struggle, so much effort.

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Speaker 2: But do you know, during those three and a half years,

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Speaker 2: I learned to trust God like I had never trusted

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Speaker 2: him before. Some things you can only learn by experience.

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Speaker 2: You have to go through the fire, so to speak,

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Speaker 2: for that pearl to be developed. Those three and a

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Speaker 2: half years, I was uncomfortable. There was pressure, not knowing

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Speaker 2: what was going to happen. But without that irritation, I

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Speaker 2: would have never developed the.

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Speaker 1: Pearl of really learning how to trust God.

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Speaker 2: We can say all day long, God, I trust you, God,

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Speaker 2: I believe you. But when you're put in a situation

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Speaker 2: where you have to use your spiritual muscles where you

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Speaker 2: have to show God what you're made of. That's where

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Speaker 2: you prove what you believe. Some of you are there

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Speaker 2: right now in what the scripture talks about, the fire

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Speaker 2: of affliction, where you could either give up and get sour,

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Speaker 2: or you can dig your heels in and say, God,

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Speaker 2: I'm going to show you what I'm made of. I'm

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Speaker 2: going to forgive that person that hurt me.

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Speaker 1: I'm going to.

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Speaker 2: Keep believing even though it looks impossible. I'm going to

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Speaker 2: stay in faith even though.

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Speaker 1: It was unfair.

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Speaker 2: Listen, when you pass those tests, something is deposited on

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Speaker 2: the inside that nothing can take away. There's a trust,

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Speaker 2: a confidence, a knowing that can only be developed by

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Speaker 2: going through the fire of affliction. Now I've learned that

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Speaker 2: God is not as in interested in changing my circumstances

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Speaker 2: as he is in changing me. Where you are is

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Speaker 2: not near as important as who you are. While God

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Speaker 2: is changing the where, allow him to change the who

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Speaker 2: he wants to bring.

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Speaker 1: The pearl out of you.

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Speaker 2: The question I asked myself quite often is how much

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Speaker 2: have I grown in the last five years? Do I

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Speaker 2: have a better attitude? Do I trust God more? Do

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Speaker 2: I treat people better? Am I more patient. Do I

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Speaker 2: forgive quicker friends. We should be growing, we should be

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Speaker 2: bearing more fruit. We shouldn't be at the same place

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Speaker 2: this year as we are last year. If you're still

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Speaker 2: getting upset over the same things that you were five

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Speaker 2: years ago, let me put it real direct.

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Speaker 1: It's time to grow up.

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Speaker 2: If five years ago that same person is getting on

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Speaker 2: your nerves and they're still still in your joy, you

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Speaker 2: need to look inside and make some changes. God is

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Speaker 2: not going to change them, He wants to use them.

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Speaker 1: To change you. Life is flying by.

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Speaker 2: We cannot waste the time going around the same mountain.

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Speaker 1: Year after year.

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Speaker 2: Like the people of Israel headed toward the Promised Land.

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Speaker 2: Do you remember that was an eleven day journey that

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Speaker 2: took them forty years to make you and I cannot

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Speaker 2: afford forty years to learn lessons that we can easily

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Speaker 2: learn in a fraction of the time. You got to

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Speaker 2: dig your heels in, put your foot down and say

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Speaker 2: that's it.

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Speaker 1: This is a new day.

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Speaker 2: I'm not going to keep going around that same mountain

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Speaker 2: having a bad attitude every time I don't get my way,

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Speaker 2: arguing with my spouse over the same petty issues, giving

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Speaker 2: into the same temptation time and time again. No, look inside,

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Speaker 2: determine you're going to make the changes. The sooner you

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Speaker 2: start passing these tests, the better off you're going to be.

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Speaker 1: There's a pearl in you.

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Speaker 2: You may have a lot of rough edges, you may

254
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Speaker 2: have a thousand areas you need to improve in. But

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Speaker 2: know this, as long as you're moving forward, God is

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Speaker 2: pleased with you. As long as you're making progress, even

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Speaker 2: if it's small, God.

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Speaker 1: Is up in the heavens cheering you on.

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Speaker 2: But if your attitude is no better now than it

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Speaker 2: was five years ago, God is saying, come on, now,

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Speaker 2: let's get busy. He's got you on the Potter's wheel.

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Speaker 2: You can pray all day long. God, deliver me from

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Speaker 2: these rude people. God take away all these inconveniences. God,

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Speaker 2: change my spouse is not going to happen. God wants

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Speaker 2: you to change. You've got to pass that test. Every

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Speaker 2: time you pass it.

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Speaker 1: It will get easier and easier and easier.

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Speaker 2: The truth is, God may never remove the irritation, but

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Speaker 2: you will have grown to such a point that it

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Speaker 2: doesn't even bother you anymore.

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Speaker 1: What's happening.

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Speaker 2: Your character is being developed, That pearl is being polished one.

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Speaker 2: Peter four to twelve says that trials are to test

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Speaker 2: our quality. We may not like it, but trials are beneficial.

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Speaker 2: They bring the light things that we need to deal with.

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Speaker 2: Most of the time, you're going to be tested in

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Speaker 2: the areas that you need to improve in. For instance,

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Speaker 2: if you struggle with being impatient, don't be surprised if

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Speaker 2: you get behind every slow driver that's out there. You'll

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Speaker 2: catch every light, find every freeway with construction, get caught

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Speaker 2: by every train. God has you there for one reason,

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Speaker 2: not to frustrate you, but to refine you.

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Speaker 1: You've got to recognize.

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Speaker 2: That trial, that irritation is not a coincidence.

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Speaker 1: It's a test of your quality. Are you going to

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Speaker 1: get upset, lose.

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Speaker 2: Your cool maybe like you've done in the past, Or

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Speaker 2: are you going to say, I recognize this is an

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Speaker 2: opportunity to grow. God wouldn't have me here if I

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Speaker 2: didn't need it. So I'm going to stay in peace,

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Speaker 2: keep a good attitude.

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Speaker 1: And pass this test. When you do that, you're coming

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Speaker 1: up higher. Anytime you pass the test, you're headed for promotion.

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Speaker 2: When Victoria and I first got married and we were

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Speaker 2: about to go somewhere, I would ask her if she

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Speaker 2: was ready to leave, and she would say yes. So

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Speaker 2: I would go sit in the car and wait and

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Speaker 2: wait and wait.

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Speaker 1: Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes.

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Speaker 2: I'd get so frustrated. I'd go back in and said, Victoria,

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Speaker 2: I thought you said you were ready. She would say

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Speaker 2: I am ready. I would say, well, would you mind

303
00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,520
Speaker 2: walking out to the car. This would happen time and

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Speaker 2: time again. I'd get so stressed. Soul been out of shape.

305
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Speaker 2: I was praying, God, you gotta change her. God, make

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Speaker 2: her into this, God, make her into that. I had

307
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Speaker 2: her on the potter's wheel. One day I realized I'm

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Speaker 2: not the potter God is. And it's funny. God never

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Speaker 2: changed her. He used her to change me. My prayer's backfired.

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Speaker 1: God has a sense of humor.

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Speaker 2: Now when she says she's ready, I know that means

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Speaker 2: in general, she's ready. It's kind of like the two

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Speaker 2: minute warning in football. The clock officially says two minutes,

314
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Speaker 2: but you know it's gonna take fifteen or twenty minutes.

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Speaker 2: When she says she's ready, now, I'll go sit down,

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Speaker 2: watch TV, get something to eat, take a walk.

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Speaker 1: It's no big deal.

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Speaker 2: She doesn't realize God has used her to help develop

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Speaker 2: my pearl. She's a good irritation. Though so often we

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Speaker 2: pray for God to change the other person. God change

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Speaker 2: my spouse, God change my child. God, you've got to

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Speaker 2: change my boss. I've learned, don't ever pray for God

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Speaker 2: to change somebody else without first saying, God, change me.

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Speaker 1: And some of you.

325
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Speaker 2: Are still getting upset over the same petty issues. And

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Speaker 2: if you don't make these changes, you'll go the next

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Speaker 2: twenty thirty years being upset frustrated.

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Speaker 1: It's not worth it.

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Speaker 2: They may never change, but you can change.

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Speaker 1: I know this lady.

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Speaker 2: Her husband doesn't come to church with her, and there

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Speaker 2: are a lot of issues in her home she's been

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Speaker 2: dealing with, and for years she used to come down

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Speaker 2: front for prayer. She had this list of all the

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Speaker 2: things that she wanted God to fix, and she didn't

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Speaker 2: think she could be happy unless they all turned around.

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Speaker 1: The main thing was her husband. I saw her recently.

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Speaker 2: And she was just beaming with joy. She was more

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Speaker 2: beautiful and more at peace than I'd ever seen her before,

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Speaker 2: and I thought, surely everything must have worked out, but

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Speaker 2: she said, no, joy, my husband is just the same.

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Speaker 1: Still got a lot of issues. He hasn't changed, but

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Speaker 1: you know what I have changed.

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Speaker 2: I don't let that frustrate me anymore. I don't let

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Speaker 2: him keep me from enjoying my life. What happened She

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Speaker 2: let that irritation become a pearl. When you can be

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Speaker 2: happy not because of your circumstances, but in spite of

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Speaker 2: your circumstances.

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Speaker 1: Then nothing can take your joy. You may be in

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Speaker 1: a trial right now. That is a test of your quality.

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Speaker 2: I was in New York City last week, and early

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Speaker 2: one morning I went to this little diner to eat breakfast.

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Speaker 2: A gentleman sitting a couple of tables over came up

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Speaker 2: and told how when he walked into the restaurant that

355
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Speaker 2: morning was very windy outside, the person in front of

356
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Speaker 2: him let the door slam in his face. This person

357
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,840
Speaker 2: clearly saw that he was coming, but he just let

358
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Speaker 2: it go like he did it on purpose. Normally, this

359
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,120
Speaker 2: man would have gotten in his face and told him

360
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Speaker 2: what he thought. But he'd been watching our broadcast the

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Speaker 2: last few weeks about staying on the Potter's wheel growing

362
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Speaker 2: coming up higher, he said. Just when I was about

363
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Speaker 2: to let him have it, Joel, I heard your voice

364
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,840
Speaker 2: saying let it go, and God will fight your battles.

365
00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,840
Speaker 2: He let it go and sat down to eat breakfast.

366
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Speaker 2: He felt a joy bubbling up on the inside, like

367
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Speaker 2: something that he.

368
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:00,560
Speaker 1: Had never felt before.

369
00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,000
Speaker 2: When I walked in there five minutes later, he said, Joel,

370
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,040
Speaker 2: I nearly passed out. I knew that was God saying

371
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Speaker 2: that he was pleased with me. Friends, when you passed

372
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,680
Speaker 2: these tests, you will feel.

373
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Speaker 1: God's sense of approval.

374
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Speaker 2: You will feel a new joy on the inside. You'll

375
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Speaker 2: know the creator of the universe is smiling down on you.

376
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Speaker 1: I was reading about how up in.

377
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Speaker 2: The Northeast, fishing for codfish.

378
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Speaker 1: Had become a big business.

379
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,760
Speaker 2: But this company had a major problem with the distribution.

380
00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:34,119
Speaker 2: When they frozed the fish and shipped it out like

381
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,960
Speaker 2: they did their other product, they found, for some reason

382
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,199
Speaker 2: that codfish after it had been frozen lost all of

383
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Speaker 2: its taste. They decided to try shipping the fish in

384
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,320
Speaker 2: these big tanks of water alive. They thought for sure

385
00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,960
Speaker 2: that would fix the problem, but actually it made it worse.

386
00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,120
Speaker 2: Because the fish were sitting in the water inactive, they

387
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,560
Speaker 2: got soft and mushy, and again they lost their taste.

388
00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,120
Speaker 2: They were very puzzled. Somebody had an interesting idea. They

389
00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,440
Speaker 2: decided to put a catfish in the tank with the codfish.

390
00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,359
Speaker 2: The catfish is the natural enemy of the codfish, so

391
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,439
Speaker 2: when those codfish were being shipped, they had to stay

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00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,639
Speaker 2: active and alert, constantly looking out for that catfish.

393
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Speaker 1: Do you know that solved the problem.

394
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Speaker 2: Sometimes what we think is an enemy, what we think

395
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Speaker 2: is there to defeat us.

396
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Speaker 1: The truth is God put it there to make us better.

397
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Speaker 2: Like iron sharpens iron, that's going to sharpen you and

398
00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,199
Speaker 2: cause you to grow and force you to come up higher.

399
00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,320
Speaker 2: Some of you may work with the catfish. You may

400
00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,720
Speaker 2: be married to a catfish. Your mother in law may

401
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,800
Speaker 2: be the catfish. Have a new perspective. This person was

402
00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,800
Speaker 2: not put here to defeat me. They're here to help

403
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,400
Speaker 2: me polish my pearl. The reason it's uncomfortable is because

404
00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,359
Speaker 2: God loves you too much to leave you alone. He

405
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,240
Speaker 2: has too great a future in front of you to

406
00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,920
Speaker 2: let you stay at the same level you're at right now.

407
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,919
Speaker 2: So He'll use these difficulties to grow us up, to

408
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,479
Speaker 2: develop our character so we will be prepared.

409
00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,399
Speaker 1: For the amazing future he has in store.

410
00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,560
Speaker 2: And the scripture says that our faith is tried in

411
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:24,800
Speaker 2: the fire of affliction, just as fire test and purifies gold.

412
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,800
Speaker 2: Some of you are in that refiner's fire right now.

413
00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,320
Speaker 2: You're going through a tough time. You don't like it.

414
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,320
Speaker 2: It's not fair, But let me encourage you. If you'll

415
00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,720
Speaker 2: stay in faith and keep pushing forward, you're going to

416
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:43,400
Speaker 2: come out of that refined, purified, stronger, better off than

417
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,720
Speaker 2: you were before. I was reading about this couple that

418
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,639
Speaker 2: loved to go shopping for antiques.

419
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,600
Speaker 1: One day they were in this small country store.

420
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,359
Speaker 2: Up on the shelf, they saw the most beautiful teacup

421
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:57,760
Speaker 2: they had ever seen before.

422
00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:58,960
Speaker 1: It was magnificent.

423
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:03,399
Speaker 2: As they standing there admiring it, the teacup began to talk.

424
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,600
Speaker 2: It said, I haven't always looked like this. There was

425
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,679
Speaker 2: a time that nobody wanted me. I wasn't attractive. I

426
00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,000
Speaker 2: was just a hard lump of clay. But then this

427
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,639
Speaker 2: potter came along and began to shape me and mold me.

428
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,200
Speaker 2: And I said, hey, what are you doing. You're making

429
00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:27,000
Speaker 2: me uncomfortable. That hurts Leave me alone. He simply smiled

430
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,240
Speaker 2: and said not yet. Then he put me on a

431
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,840
Speaker 2: wheel and began to spin me around and around. I

432
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,600
Speaker 2: got so dizzy, but after a while I had taken

433
00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:41,320
Speaker 2: on a new shape. He formed me into this teacup.

434
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,760
Speaker 2: I thought he was finished, but then he put me

435
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,400
Speaker 2: into a furnace. It was so hot I didn't think

436
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,600
Speaker 2: I could stand it. When he came and checked on

437
00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,159
Speaker 2: me and looked through that window of the furnace, he

438
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,320
Speaker 2: had a sparkle in his eyes. I screamed out, let

439
00:23:57,359 --> 00:23:58,360
Speaker 2: me out of here, it's.

440
00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,960
Speaker 1: Too hot, but he smiled and said not yet.

441
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,000
Speaker 2: He finally took me out and put me up on

442
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,400
Speaker 2: a shelf so I could cool off. And I thought,

443
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,000
Speaker 2: thank goodness, is over. Now I can go back to

444
00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:12,199
Speaker 2: being my normal self. But then the potter came and

445
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,920
Speaker 2: got me and began to paint me, changing me from

446
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:20,200
Speaker 2: this gray to this beautiful blue. The paint was sticky,

447
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,280
Speaker 2: it was uncomfortable. I thought I was going to choke.

448
00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,960
Speaker 2: I told him to stop, but he said not yet.

449
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,200
Speaker 2: Then he put me into a second oven, twice as

450
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,959
Speaker 2: hot as the first one. This time I knew it

451
00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,240
Speaker 2: was over. I screamed, I'm not kidding. I can't take it.

452
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,000
Speaker 2: I'm going to die again.

453
00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,680
Speaker 1: He said not yet. Finally he opened the oven door

454
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:42,800
Speaker 1: put me on a shelf.

455
00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 2: A few weeks later he came by and handed me

456
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 2: a mirror, and when I looked at myself, I couldn't

457
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,800
Speaker 2: believe how beautiful I had become. I couldn't believe how

458
00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,560
Speaker 2: much I had changed. I didn't look anything like that

459
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 2: old lump of clay I used to be. There was

460
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,080
Speaker 2: a time that nobody wanted me. But now I'm this

461
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:11,479
Speaker 2: beautiful teacup, valuable, expensive, unique, all because of this potter.

462
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,120
Speaker 2: He made me into something amazing. That's the way God

463
00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,320
Speaker 2: works in all of our lives. He's changing us little

464
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:24,920
Speaker 2: by little, from glory to glory. But on the way

465
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,280
Speaker 2: to the glory, there may be a little bit of

466
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,160
Speaker 2: suffering that we have to endure.

467
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:30,200
Speaker 1: There are going to.

468
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,840
Speaker 2: Be times that we say, God, get me off of

469
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:33,800
Speaker 2: this potter's will.

470
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:35,400
Speaker 1: I can't take it anymore.

471
00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,199
Speaker 2: I can't deal with this child, I can't handle this boss,

472
00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,679
Speaker 2: this grouse gye. God, I can't put up with this

473
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,879
Speaker 2: catfish in my life anymore. But God is going to

474
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:47,800
Speaker 2: smile and say not yet.

475
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:48,400
Speaker 1: See.

476
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,560
Speaker 2: God sees your value. He knows what he's making you into.

477
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,240
Speaker 2: Sometimes when we look at ourselves, we think I got

478
00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,880
Speaker 2: a lot of flaws, Joel, I got a hot temper,

479
00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,560
Speaker 2: I got a problem with my mouth.

480
00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:02,160
Speaker 1: I'm not that disciplined.

481
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,040
Speaker 2: We see the clay, but God sees the beautiful teacup.

482
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:10,040
Speaker 2: The good news is you're not a finished product. God

483
00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,520
Speaker 2: is still working on you. And if you will work

484
00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,520
Speaker 2: with God and let him remove those impurities, God will

485
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,199
Speaker 2: make more out of your life than you've ever dreamed of.

486
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,639
Speaker 2: One day you'll look back and say, like that teacup,

487
00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,159
Speaker 2: I can't believe how far God has taken me. The

488
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,320
Speaker 2: scripture says, after you have passed the test, you will

489
00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:34,440
Speaker 2: receive the victor's crown of life. My challenge is, past

490
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 2: your test, there's a victor's.

491
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,200
Speaker 1: Crown waiting for you.

492
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,199
Speaker 2: Recognize God has you on the wheel. Don't fight against it.

493
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:46,000
Speaker 2: Let God refine you. These present sufferings are nothing compared

494
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:47,159
Speaker 2: to the glory that's coming.

495
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 1: And if you will.

496
00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,720
Speaker 2: Stay moltible, pliable, be willing to change. Let me tell

497
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,120
Speaker 2: you you won't be at this same place next year

498
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,280
Speaker 2: as you are right now. God will take every irritation

499
00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,920
Speaker 2: and turn it into a pearl. You won't get starf

500
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,159
Speaker 2: buck at wood, at clay, at silver. No, I believe

501
00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,639
Speaker 2: in declare you'll become that vessel of gold that vessel

502
00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,440
Speaker 2: of honor use for God's highest purposes?

503
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:10,720
Speaker 1: Do you receive that today?

504
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,520
Speaker 2: But we never like to close our broadcast without giving

505
00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,560
Speaker 2: you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life.

506
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,920
Speaker 1: Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll

507
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,840
Speaker 1: repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make

508
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:28,000
Speaker 1: you my Lord and savior.

509
00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,600
Speaker 2: Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you

510
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,360
Speaker 2: got born again. Get in a good Bible based church.

511
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,960
Speaker 2: Keep God first place. He's going to take your places you've.

512
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:38,440
Speaker 1: Never dreamed of.

513
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 2: When was the last time you asked God to do

514
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:46,840
Speaker 2: something that seemed impossible? If you only pray small, ordinary prayers,

515
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,120
Speaker 2: you live a small, ordinary lie.

516
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,640
Speaker 1: I have a new book called Pray Bone.

517
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,200
Speaker 2: I'll challenge you to stretch your faith and believe of

518
00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,399
Speaker 2: the big things God puts in your heart. Victoria and

519
00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,960
Speaker 2: I used to have seasoned tickets to watch the Rocket

520
00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:01,280
Speaker 2: play basketball here.

521
00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,840
Speaker 1: We never dreamed it could be ours. When they moved out.

522
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,560
Speaker 1: Somehow we had the faith to pray a bold prayer.

523
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,879
Speaker 2: God made things happen that we could never make happen.

524
00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,880
Speaker 2: It's the same for you, who knows what God will

525
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,399
Speaker 2: do in your life. If you'll dare to pray bold,

526
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,800
Speaker 2: ask him for your dreams, ask for your healing, ask

527
00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,760
Speaker 2: for your freedom. That's when God will show up and

528
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 2: do more than you could ever imagine.

529
00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,680
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

530
00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,359
Speaker 3: of any amount this month, we would like to send

531
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,880
Speaker 3: you a copy of Joel's brand new book, Pray Bold.

532
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,600
Speaker 3: Dare to Ask and Believe Big. Joel shares that when

533
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,680
Speaker 3: we pray, we can tap into God's creative, awesome power,

534
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,920
Speaker 3: something bigger than we have ever imagined. God doesn't want

535
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 3: us to just pray in our comfort zones. No, God

536
00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,640
Speaker 3: loves when we pray big, believe big, expect him to

537
00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,920
Speaker 3: do the unexpected. There are inspiring stories from the Bible,

538
00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:02,720
Speaker 3: from history, and personal testimonies of people who dared to

539
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:07,040
Speaker 3: believe God in extraordinary ways. You'll learn how to practically

540
00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,400
Speaker 3: expand your prayers and watch your life move from the

541
00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 3: common to the extraordinary, from less than to overflowing. Be

542
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:20,080
Speaker 3: sure to request your copy of Praybold today, visit Joeloustein

543
00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,800
Speaker 3: dot com or call us toll free.

544
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,080
Speaker 2: God has put dreams in your heart, things He's whispered

545
00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:29,080
Speaker 2: in the night that seem impossible but as you pray

546
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 2: these Bold prayers, you're going to see the goodness of

547
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,120
Speaker 2: God in ways you've never seen victor in our belief,

548
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,480
Speaker 2: and you're going to have a great twenty twenty five.

549
00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 2: We pray for you and your family every day for

550
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,200
Speaker 2: God's very best. We want to thank you for your

551
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,760
Speaker 2: prayer and your support. You're impacting people all over the world.

552
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of Pray Bold today,

553
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,840
Speaker 3: visit Joeloustein dot com or call us toll free. Finally,

554
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,640
Speaker 3: elevates your personal time with God by requesting the My

555
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:03,120
Speaker 3: Time with God collect This beautiful collection contains the.

556
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,360
Speaker 1: Pre Bold new release, plus.

557
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,240
Speaker 3: The new Living Translation, one year Chronological Study Bible, and

558
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,760
Speaker 3: a beautiful glass mug and throw blanket based around the

559
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 3: inspiring scripture from Psalm forty six to ten. Be still

560
00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,720
Speaker 3: and know that I Am God. You can learn more

561
00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:22,960
Speaker 3: about this unique new gift collection by calling eight eight

562
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,840
Speaker 3: eight five six seven Joel. We're logging on to Joeloustein

563
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 3: dot com today.

564
00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,520
Speaker 2: Remember you can watch the services online every Sunday morning,

565
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:37,320
Speaker 2: download our daily podcast missing on Sirius XM, watch on YouTube,

566
00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,320
Speaker 2: and now the new Joelostin Network streaming on television twenty

567
00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,320
Speaker 2: four hours a day. If you've never been to Lakewood,

568
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:48,520
Speaker 2: we have a great opportunity. We called it Homecoming weekend.

569
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,880
Speaker 2: We'd love to meet you and your family. You can

570
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,920
Speaker 2: see the building and attend one of the services. It's

571
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,800
Speaker 2: a great time to be a part of the Lakewood family.

572
00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,360
Speaker 2: Looking forward to seeing your homecoming. We can

573
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:03,640
Speaker 1: MHM