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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Jolan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening

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Speaker 1: to the podcast and thanks.

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Speaker 2: For supporting the ministry.

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Speaker 1: We believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive,

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Speaker 1: and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message.

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Speaker 2: God bless you.

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Speaker 1: It's the joy to come into your homes each week,

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Speaker 1: and we love you guys. We appreciate the opportunity to

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Speaker 1: spend the next half hour or so with you, and

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Speaker 1: so we just thank you for tuning in. And if

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Speaker 1: you're ever in our area, we give you a personal

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Speaker 1: invitation come be a part of one of the Lakewood Services.

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Speaker 2: These are the.

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Speaker 1: Finest people in all of Houston right here, so come be.

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Speaker 2: A part of it. God bless you today.

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

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Speaker 1: of funny, and I heard about this young police recruit.

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Speaker 1: He was taking his final exam and he was in

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Speaker 1: the front of the classroom and the sergeant asked him,

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Speaker 1: what would you do if you had to arrest your

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Speaker 1: own mother in law without missing a beat?

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Speaker 2: He said, call for backup. All right, of your Bible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Speaker 1: God bless you. We've been talking about trusting God and

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Speaker 1: learning to embrace the place where we are. Too many

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Speaker 1: people are always fighting against everything.

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Speaker 2: That doesn't go their way.

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Speaker 1: They end up living frustrated and stressed out, wondering why

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Speaker 1: God isn't answering their prayers and why things aren't changing

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Speaker 1: any sooner. But if we really believe that God is

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Speaker 1: directing our steps, then each one of us is exactly

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Speaker 1: where we're supposed to be. And it may be we're

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Speaker 1: in a place that's uncomfortable, a place where we're not

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Speaker 1: getting our way, and it's easy to think, well, this

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Speaker 1: couldn't be right, this couldn't be God. My prayers are

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Speaker 1: not being answered. But no, God is still in control.

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Speaker 1: He's got you there for a reason. The fact is,

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Speaker 1: it's in the difficult times that we really grow. That's

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Speaker 1: when we're being stressed, That's when God's developing our character

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Speaker 1: and preparing us for promotion. We may not like it,

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Speaker 1: it may be uncomfortable, but if we can just learn

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Speaker 1: to keep the right attitude, then we're going to come

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Speaker 1: out of that better off than we were before.

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Speaker 2: But the whole key is we have to pass the test.

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Speaker 1: If we're going around defeated, negative, frustrated, fighting against everything

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Speaker 1: that's not going our way, we're just slowing the process down.

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Speaker 1: We need to come to a place of peace. When

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Speaker 1: you're in peace, you have power. When you're at rest,

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Speaker 1: God can fight your battles for you. Too many people

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Speaker 1: today are just wearing themselves out, frustrated because they don't

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Speaker 1: have the job they want, upset because a child won't

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Speaker 1: do right, worried because of a health problem. Now you've

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Speaker 1: got to turn all that over to God and just

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Speaker 1: learn to embrace the place where you are. You cannot

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Speaker 1: pray away every uncomfortable situation from your life. You cannot

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Speaker 1: pray away every difficulty. You've got to be willing to

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Speaker 1: go through some things with a good attitude.

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Speaker 2: It's interesting.

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Speaker 1: In Colossians chapter three, Paul prayed that the people would

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Speaker 1: have the strength to endure whatever came their way.

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Speaker 2: Think about it, the great apostle Paul. He didn't pray

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Speaker 2: that God would.

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Speaker 1: Remove every difficulty. He didn't pray that God would deliver

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Speaker 1: them instantly. He prayed that they'd have the strength to

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Speaker 1: go through it. And sometimes we pray the wrong way. God,

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Speaker 1: You've got to get me out of this situation today.

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Speaker 1: I can't stand it any longer.

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Speaker 2: If it goes on another week, I'm not going to

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Speaker 2: make it.

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Speaker 1: No. A better way to pray is, God, give me

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Speaker 1: the strength to go through this with a good attitude.

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Speaker 1: Help me to keep my joy, help me to keep

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Speaker 1: my peace. See, we've got to change our approach. Our

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Speaker 1: circumstances are not gonna.

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Speaker 2: Change until we change.

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Speaker 1: Hey, you say, George's so difficult, Got this problem with

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Speaker 1: my health, got this situation at work. No, listen, you

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Speaker 1: have the power of the most High God on the

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Speaker 1: inside of you. You can withstand anything that comes your way.

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Speaker 1: You are more than a conquer a victor and not

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Speaker 1: a victim. And sure, we'd all love for God to

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Speaker 1: deliver us instantly, but most of the time that's not

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Speaker 1: the way it works. We have to dig our heels

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Speaker 1: in and not only endure it. Let's learn to enjoy it.

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Speaker 1: Make a decision to turn the situation over to God,

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Speaker 1: Quit worrying about it, quit letting it dominate you, and

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Speaker 1: get back to that place of peace.

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Speaker 2: Get back to that place of rest.

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Speaker 1: And know this, even though it's hard, even though you

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Speaker 1: may not like it, the good news is you are growing.

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Speaker 1: God's getting you prepared for promotion, and you're gonna come

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Speaker 1: out of that better off than you were before.

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Speaker 2: See.

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Speaker 1: God has a purpose for everything, and we may not

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Speaker 1: be able to see it right now, but God is

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Speaker 1: promised he will not allow anything to come into our

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Speaker 1: life unless he can ultimately get some.

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Speaker 2: Good out of it. This should take all the pressure

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Speaker 2: off of us.

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Speaker 1: That means if our prayers aren't being answered in the

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Speaker 1: way we want, God must have something better in store.

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Speaker 2: He knows what's best for us. Why don't you trust him?

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Speaker 2: Why don't you believe that God has you in the

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Speaker 2: palm of his hand. Why don't you.

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Speaker 1: Believe that all things are gonna work together for your good.

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Speaker 1: Don't live life stressed out. Learn to just accept the

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Speaker 1: place where you are, and even in those difficult times,

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Speaker 1: even when things aren't going our way, our attitude should

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Speaker 1: be I must need this because this is where God

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Speaker 1: has me. And I may not like it, but I'm

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Speaker 1: not gonna fight it. I'm not gonna go around depressed

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Speaker 1: because my business hasn't grown like I wanted it to.

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Speaker 2: Or because my child is not doing right.

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Speaker 1: No, I'm gonna stay in peace, trusting God, and at

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Speaker 1: the right time, God's going to turn it around and

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Speaker 1: use it to my advantage.

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Speaker 2: That's a very freeing way to live.

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Speaker 1: Some of you today, you've always got stomach problems, headaches, ulcers,

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Speaker 1: you can't sleep at night, and it's because you're fighting

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Speaker 1: against everything that doesn't go your way.

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Speaker 2: You're trying to change.

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Speaker 1: Things that only God can change, and God is not

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Speaker 1: removing it, either because it's not the right time, or

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Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe he's trying to.

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Speaker 2: Do a work in you.

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Speaker 1: And if you could just get back to that place

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Speaker 1: of peace and instead of fighting it, saying all right, God,

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Speaker 1: not my will but yours. If you do that, things

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Speaker 1: would begin to improve in your life. And I'm asking

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Speaker 1: you today to lighten up and take the pressure off yourself.

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Speaker 1: If your prayers aren't being answered in the way you want,

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Speaker 1: no big deal.

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Speaker 2: God has something else in store.

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Speaker 1: If you're in a difficult time, won't fight it. God's

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Speaker 1: doing the work in you. He's still in control. Learn

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Speaker 1: to relax and just go with the fl and even

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Speaker 1: in small things.

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Speaker 2: I know.

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Speaker 1: A few years ago, Victoria and I had this big

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Speaker 1: vacation planned.

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Speaker 2: We'd really been looking forward.

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Speaker 1: To getting away by ourselves, and so months before I'd

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Speaker 1: made all the reservations and got everything lined up.

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Speaker 2: And we were so excited about going.

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Speaker 1: But just a week or so before we were to leave,

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Speaker 1: my mother got a call from the hospital and she

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Speaker 1: was scheduled to have her hip replaced. Mother had polio

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Speaker 1: when she was a child, and the operation was supposed

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Speaker 1: to take place the week we got back, but they

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Speaker 1: said something came up with the doctor and he had

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Speaker 1: to move it up, and it just so happened. It

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Speaker 1: fell on the exact day that we were leaving for

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Speaker 1: our vacation, and I had to make a decision. Do

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Speaker 1: I love my mother more than I want to go

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Speaker 1: on this vacation, And after much prayer and fasting, I

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Speaker 1: decided to stay home and take care of my mother.

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Speaker 1: But at first I was so disappointed. I'd really been

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Speaker 1: looking forward to getting away and lost my deposit at

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Speaker 1: the hotel and my mother is still.

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Speaker 2: Never paid me back.

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Speaker 1: But now I've learned to just go with the flow.

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Speaker 1: My plans didn't work out, but you know what, I

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Speaker 1: believe that God is still directing my steps.

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Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe he was.

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Speaker 1: Keeping us from an accident, maybe he was keeping us

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Speaker 1: from danger.

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Speaker 2: Whatever it was, I know this.

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Speaker 1: God has our best interest at heart, and as long

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Speaker 1: as we're trusting him, as long as we're doing our best,

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Speaker 1: he has a purpose for it. And each one of

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Speaker 1: us is exactly where we're supposed to be. And when

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Speaker 1: you really understand this principle.

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Speaker 2: It makes life so much easier.

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Speaker 1: You don't have to live frustrated because your plans didn't

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Speaker 1: work out. You don't have to be disappointed for a

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Speaker 1: month because you didn't get the promotion you wanted. You

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Speaker 1: don't have to get upset because somebody is being unfair

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Speaker 1: to you. You know that God is in control and

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Speaker 1: he's got you exactly where he wants you. And as

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Speaker 1: long as you keep trusting him, God is going to

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Speaker 1: fight your battles for you. That's what it says in

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Speaker 1: the Book of Exodus, chapter fourteen. If you will remain

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Speaker 1: at rest and hold your peace, then the battle is

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Speaker 1: not yours, but the battle is the lord's. Think about

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Speaker 1: the principle there, you have to remain at rest. We

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Speaker 1: have to hold our peace. In other words, that's saying,

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Speaker 1: as long as we're upset and frustrated and all been

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Speaker 1: out of shape, God's just going to back away. Really,

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Speaker 1: there's no better way to show God that we're trusting

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Speaker 1: him than by just staying in peace, then by keeping

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Speaker 1: a smile on our face, then by having a good

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Speaker 1: attitude day in and day out. Do you know when

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Speaker 1: you're consistent, when you're stable and you're not moved by

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Speaker 1: your circumstances, you're saying loud and clear, God, I believe

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Speaker 1: that you're in complete control of my life. I'll never forget.

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Speaker 1: A friend of mine.

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Speaker 2: We used to.

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Speaker 1: Play basketball several times a week, and one night after

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Speaker 1: the game, it was still kind of early, I asked

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Speaker 1: him if he wanted to go somewhere with me, and

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Speaker 1: he said, almost in passing, no, Joel, I got to

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Speaker 1: go up to the hospital. I'm taking chemotherapy. I said,

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Speaker 1: you've got to be kidding, you're doing what he said. No.

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Speaker 1: This is my second bout with cancer and I take

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Speaker 1: it three times a week. And man, I was so impressed.

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Speaker 1: You would have never known anything was wrong with him.

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Speaker 1: He always had a smile on his face, always was

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Speaker 1: in an attitude of faith. Looked like he was on

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Speaker 1: the top of the world. But a lot of people

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Speaker 1: in that situation, you know, they'd be dragging around, defeated,

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Speaker 1: blaming God, having a pity party.

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Speaker 2: But not him.

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Speaker 1: He knew that God was still in control. He knew

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Speaker 1: that God was still directing his steps. Even though he

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Speaker 1: didn't like it, even though he was uncomfortable.

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Speaker 2: He didn't allow it to get him down.

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Speaker 1: His attitude was, this is the hand that I've been dealt,

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Speaker 1: and I'm not gonna sit around feeling sorry for myself.

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna let this be the center of my life.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna deal with it and move on.

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Speaker 2: And he did exactly that.

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Speaker 1: Today, several years later, he's cancer free. God has totally

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Speaker 1: healed him. I saw him not long ago. He's as

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Speaker 1: healthy as he can be. And I realize some of you,

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Speaker 1: like him, are fighting some serious battles.

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Speaker 2: But the good news is God is bigger than anything

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Speaker 2: that you're facing. He can make a way even when

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Speaker 2: it looks like there is no way.

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Speaker 1: Don't quit living your life. Don't let that obstacle be

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Speaker 1: the central focus. Keep on pressing forward, keep on trusting God,

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Speaker 1: knowing that as you believe, all things are possible. It

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Speaker 1: may look kind of dark in your life, but the

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Speaker 1: scripture says, weeping may endure for a night, but joy

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Speaker 1: is coming in the morning. And really it doesn't matter

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Speaker 1: what it looks like in the natural, because our God

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Speaker 1: is a supernatural god. And when you're in faith, there's

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Speaker 1: a rest. You're not stressed out, you're not worried. You

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Speaker 1: know that you know that everything is going to be

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Speaker 1: all right. You know that God has in the palm

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Speaker 1: of his hand, And as long as you hold your peace,

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Speaker 1: God is gonna fight your battles for you, and He's

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Speaker 1: gonna make sure that you fulfill every single day that

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Speaker 1: He has ordained for you.

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Speaker 2: That's what the Bible says.

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Speaker 1: No man can snatch you out of God's hands. That

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Speaker 1: means no sickness is too great, no enemy is too powerful.

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Speaker 2: If God be for you, who dare even be against you?

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Speaker 1: Even when it's difficult, even when you're uncomfortable, You just

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Speaker 1: got to remind yourself in the end, you're gonna come.

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Speaker 2: Out of that better off than you were before.

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Speaker 1: Now I like to even think about, you know, even

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Speaker 1: The worst case scenario is if we die, we go

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Speaker 1: to heaven to be with the Lord, and that's not

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Speaker 1: too bad. Keep your joy, keep your peace, remain at rest.

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Speaker 1: Too many people today they're up when their circumstances are up,

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Speaker 1: down when they're down.

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Speaker 2: But you don't have to live that way.

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Speaker 1: When you really know that God is directing your steps,

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Speaker 1: you can be consistent no matter that what comes into

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Speaker 1: your life, God is going to use that for your good.

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Speaker 1: When you say, Joel, I don't understand why this has

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Speaker 1: happened to me. I'm a good person. Why did I

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Speaker 1: get sick? Why do I have these bad breaks in life?

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Speaker 1: Why didn't God answer my prayers? No quit trying to

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Speaker 1: figure out why. Proverbs twenty twenty four says, since the

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Speaker 1: Lord is directing our steps, why try to figure out

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Speaker 1: everything that happens along the way.

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Speaker 2: Some things we're never going to figure out.

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Speaker 1: You may never understand why you had to go through

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Speaker 1: what you went through, or why somebody treated you a

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Speaker 1: certain way, But know this, God has a purpose.

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Speaker 2: The enemy may have brought that into.

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Speaker 1: Your life, but God is so good He's promised he'll

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Speaker 1: turn it around and still use it to your advantage.

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Speaker 1: But you've got to trust him. You've got to believe

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Speaker 1: that he's in control. Now. I found sometimes God will

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Speaker 1: ask us to go through some things in order to

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Speaker 1: help somebody else. I was reading about these two young

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Speaker 1: men that were traveling to Kenya to work on a

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Speaker 1: missions project, and it was their first trip overseas, and

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Speaker 1: they were so excited about it.

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Speaker 2: They were in the early twenties.

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Speaker 1: Both of them were former college basketball players, and they'd

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Speaker 1: prayed and prayed.

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Speaker 2: Just believing that everything would go real smoothly.

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Speaker 1: But unfortunately, when the plane tried to land in London,

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Speaker 1: it was too foggy. They got delayed and they missed

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Speaker 1: their connecting flight to Kenyon. They were sitting around the

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Speaker 1: airport a little disappointed, a little bit frustrated. The next

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Speaker 1: flight wasn't for seven or eight hours, and when it

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Speaker 1: came time for them to leave, the only seats available

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Speaker 1: were up in first class, and so they put them

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Speaker 1: up there, and of course they were excited about that.

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Speaker 1: But about midway through the flight, the plane took a

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Speaker 1: nose dive straight toward the ground. People were hollering and screaming.

301
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Speaker 2: They thought they were all gonna die.

302
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Speaker 1: About that time, they heard some noise up in the

303
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Speaker 1: cockpit sounded like a struggle. And of course this was

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Speaker 1: before nine to eleven, and they were somehow able to

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Speaker 1: make their way up there. And sure enough, when they

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Speaker 1: opened up the door, there was this direction man there.

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Speaker 1: He was a huge man. He had taken over the

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Speaker 1: controls of the plane. And these pilots were just little men.

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Speaker 1: They didn't have a chance. But these were big, tough,

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Speaker 1: strong guys. They got in there and wrestled with him. Finally,

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Speaker 1: after a couple of minutes, they got him under control.

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Speaker 1: That plane had fallen from forty thousand feet to four

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Speaker 1: thousand feet.

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Speaker 2: Just a little while longer, they had all been done.

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Speaker 2: The point I want you to see.

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Speaker 1: Sometimes God will put you in an uncomfortable place in

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Speaker 1: order to help somebody else. God delayed those two young

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Speaker 1: men on purpose. He put them right.

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Speaker 2: Up front so they could save that entire plane. See.

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Speaker 1: God knows the future, and he's got you exactly where

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Speaker 1: he wants you. Why don't you quit fighting everything in

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Speaker 1: your life? Why don't you quit resisting everything that doesn't

323
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Speaker 1: go your way? You say, Joel, I can't stand my job.

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Speaker 1: These people get on my nerves. They irritate me. I

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Speaker 1: shouldn't have to put up with them. Have you ever

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Speaker 1: thought about maybe God has you there on purpose so

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Speaker 1: he can do a work in them. Maybe God's counting

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Speaker 1: on you to let your light shine. Maybe God wants

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Speaker 1: you to plant that seed of hope so that he

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Speaker 1: can change their hearts. Well, Joel, I'm uncomfortable. I don't

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Speaker 1: like it where you're gonna have to get a bigger

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Speaker 1: view because it's not all about you, and you just

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Speaker 1: can't pray that away. The way you pass that test

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Speaker 1: is by keeping a good attitude and doing the right.

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Speaker 2: Thing even though the wrong things happening too.

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Speaker 1: You sow a seed and be willing to go through

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Speaker 1: some things. You may be in a relationship today that's uncomfortable.

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Speaker 1: Maybe that other person is doing things that you don't like,

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Speaker 1: but understand that doesn't give you the right to treat

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Speaker 1: them the same way that they're treating you. You've got

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Speaker 1: to be the bigger person. You've got to swallow your

342
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Speaker 1: pride and sometimes even apologize when it wasn't your fault.

343
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Speaker 1: You've got to overlook some things that tend to get

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Speaker 1: on your nerves and be determined enough to stick with

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Speaker 1: that person, stick with that husband, stick with that wife,

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Speaker 1: stick with that child.

347
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Speaker 2: That's hard to raise. We give up too easily on

348
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Speaker 2: people these days.

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Speaker 1: I know this young lady, and she had some very

350
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Speaker 1: unfair things happened to her growing up. Her first marriage

351
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Speaker 1: didn't last very long, and she married this second man,

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Speaker 1: and she was basically making his life miserable. And the

353
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Speaker 1: truth is she wasn't trying to. She had just been

354
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Speaker 1: so hurt and so messed up. She couldn't trust anybody.

355
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Speaker 1: She was very negative and bitter. And this man told

356
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Speaker 1: how a thousand times he wanted to leave her.

357
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Speaker 2: He had every excuse in the world. Nobody would have

358
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Speaker 2: ever blamed him, but he knew down and here he

359
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Speaker 2: was supposed to stay with her. He said, Joel, it

360
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Speaker 2: was the most difficult thing that I ever did.

361
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Speaker 1: I was uncomfortable. I didn't like it. I didn't understand it.

362
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Speaker 1: But do you know today it's a different story. He's

363
00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,600
Speaker 1: stuck with her. He was willing to pay the price.

364
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Speaker 1: And now that young lady is healthy and hold their

365
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Speaker 1: relationship couldn't be any better. She said, Joel, What if

366
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Speaker 1: he had been like that first guy in just taking

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Speaker 1: the easy way out. What if he had not stuck

368
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Speaker 1: with me? Now, sometimes God's going to ask you to

369
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Speaker 1: suffer for somebody else. Sometimes God's going to ask you

370
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Speaker 1: to go through some things in order to help somebody

371
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Speaker 1: else that's in need. And where are the people that

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Speaker 1: are unselfish enough to say, God, I'm trusting you. I

373
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Speaker 1: believe that you're in control. And even though I don't

374
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Speaker 1: understand this, even though I don't like it, I'm going.

375
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Speaker 2: To stick with it.

376
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Speaker 1: I'm going to keep a good attitude. And God, I'm

377
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Speaker 1: not doing it because I feel like it. I'm doing

378
00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,000
Speaker 1: it as a sacrifice under you. I'm doing it because

379
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Speaker 1: I love you and I trust you.

380
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Speaker 2: Let me tell you that's the kind of people that

381
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Speaker 2: God rewards.

382
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Speaker 1: Don't give up on that husband, don't give up on

383
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Speaker 1: that life, don't give up on that child.

384
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Speaker 2: Well, you say, Joel, they just won't do right. They're

385
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Speaker 2: causing me so much turmoil.

386
00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:10,480
Speaker 1: Now, even though it's difficult, keep loving them, keep praying

387
00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,880
Speaker 1: for them, keep encouraging them, keep forgiving them. You've got

388
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Speaker 1: to be willing to go through some things in order

389
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,320
Speaker 1: to help somebody else. And know this, God is keeping

390
00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,600
Speaker 1: the records. And as you sow those seeds, God's gonna

391
00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,359
Speaker 1: reward you as well, and I found that sometimes that

392
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,480
Speaker 1: we can get so focused on what we want, or

393
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,280
Speaker 1: even so focused on overcoming an obstacle, that we let

394
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,520
Speaker 1: it consume us. That's all we think about, all we

395
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,480
Speaker 1: talk about, and we're not gonna be happy unless it

396
00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,840
Speaker 1: comes to pass exactly the way we want. I've seen

397
00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,280
Speaker 1: people that are not going to be happy until they

398
00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,720
Speaker 1: get married. They're not gonna be happy until their business grows,

399
00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,000
Speaker 1: or until they get out of a certain situation. You know,

400
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,359
Speaker 1: it's so important that we turn the situation over to

401
00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,760
Speaker 1: God and that we learn to be content right where

402
00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,600
Speaker 1: we are. It's when we turn loose of it that

403
00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,199
Speaker 1: God can begin to work. But as long as we

404
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,040
Speaker 1: don't have any peace and we're frustrated and upset because

405
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,200
Speaker 1: it's not happening sooner, we're just slowing the process down.

406
00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,880
Speaker 1: My sister Lisa told how she and her husband Kevin

407
00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,760
Speaker 1: really wanted to have a baby, and they had tried

408
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,040
Speaker 1: and tried and tried for a long time, but for

409
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,120
Speaker 1: some reason, Lisa just couldn't conceive, and so she went

410
00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:28,439
Speaker 1: through all the fertility treatments. They spent a lot of money. Finally,

411
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,800
Speaker 1: after several years, the doctor said Lisa I'm sorry. There's

412
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,320
Speaker 1: nothing we can do for you. You're not going to

413
00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,920
Speaker 1: be able to have any children. And Lisa was so disappointed,

414
00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,880
Speaker 1: so discouraged. Here she has spent all this time and energy,

415
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,200
Speaker 1: always praying, believing, doing everything she could.

416
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Speaker 2: Really she was consumed by.

417
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,440
Speaker 1: It, and now she was just emotionally and physically drained.

418
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Speaker 1: And she told how one day she got tired of fighting,

419
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Speaker 1: she got tired of struggling, and she said, God, I'm

420
00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,320
Speaker 1: not going to ask you another time about having this baby.

421
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,159
Speaker 1: You already know what I want, and I'm just turning

422
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Speaker 1: it all.

423
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Speaker 2: Over to you. She said.

424
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Speaker 1: From that day forward, she did her best not to

425
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:13,399
Speaker 1: worry about it. She didn't beg God for anytime she

426
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,119
Speaker 1: thought about it. She just thanked God that he was

427
00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:17,040
Speaker 1: still in control.

428
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Speaker 2: Really, she was saying, God, not my will, but yours.

429
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Speaker 2: And do you know it.

430
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Speaker 1: Wasn't a couple of months after that that they got

431
00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,479
Speaker 1: a call from a friend of ours about adopting baby

432
00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,919
Speaker 1: twin girls. Long story short, they ended up doing exactly that,

433
00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,640
Speaker 1: and today they have three beautiful children. But the point

434
00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,479
Speaker 1: I want you to see is it was when Lisa

435
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,479
Speaker 1: turned loose of it that things begin to change and

436
00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,639
Speaker 1: sometimes we can get so consumed with our dreams or

437
00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,040
Speaker 1: even so consumed with overcoming an obstacle that that's all

438
00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,639
Speaker 1: we think about and talk about and pray about, and

439
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:54,760
Speaker 1: we're not going to be happy unless it comes to

440
00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,000
Speaker 1: pass exactly the way we want.

441
00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,520
Speaker 2: But that's when we end up being frustrated.

442
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,399
Speaker 1: I have to get back to that place of rest.

443
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,280
Speaker 1: You got to get back to that place of peace

444
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,000
Speaker 1: where you say, God, I trust you. I believe that

445
00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: you know what's best for me and God, even if

446
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,119
Speaker 1: this doesn't work out the way I want, I'm not

447
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,000
Speaker 1: gonna be unhappy. I'm not gonna let this ruin the

448
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,960
Speaker 1: rest of my life. I'm making a decision that I'm

449
00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,240
Speaker 1: gonna be content right where you have me today. I'm

450
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,320
Speaker 1: gonna embrace the place where I am. He was reading

451
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,240
Speaker 1: a story about a man by the name of Horatio Spafford.

452
00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,240
Speaker 1: He was a wealthy businessman that lived back in the

453
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,240
Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, and he encountered a great tragedy in his life.

454
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,840
Speaker 1: One day, his wife and four daughters were on a

455
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:47,119
Speaker 1: ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and they had a collision

456
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:48,840
Speaker 1: and all four.

457
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,800
Speaker 2: Of his daughters lost their lives.

458
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,520
Speaker 1: His wife sent a telegram back informing him of the

459
00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,159
Speaker 1: terrible news. A few weeks later, mister Spafford got on

460
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,920
Speaker 1: a ship was crossing the Atlanta Ocean, was going to

461
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,399
Speaker 1: meet up with his wife, and at one point the

462
00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 1: captain came to him and notified him that they were

463
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,200
Speaker 1: at the exact spot.

464
00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:11,200
Speaker 2: Where his daughters had been killed.

465
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,600
Speaker 1: Mister Stafford got out of pen and he wrote down

466
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:20,040
Speaker 1: these words, When peace like a river attendeth my soul,

467
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:26,399
Speaker 1: when sorrows like sea billows row, whatever my lot, you

468
00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:30,679
Speaker 1: have taught me to say, it is well, it is well.

469
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:31,320
Speaker 2: With my soul.

470
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,840
Speaker 1: And really, each one of us, no matter what comes

471
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,960
Speaker 1: our way in life, we need to be able to

472
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:37,320
Speaker 1: say with.

473
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,040
Speaker 2: Him, it is well with my soul. Life may have

474
00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,200
Speaker 2: thrown me some curves, but it is well with my soul.

475
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,639
Speaker 2: All my dreams may not have come to pass just yet,

476
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:48,960
Speaker 2: but that's okay.

477
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,160
Speaker 1: I'm not in a hurry. I know in God's timing

478
00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,040
Speaker 1: they will. It is well with my soul.

479
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,200
Speaker 2: I didn't get my way, my plans didn't work out,

480
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,120
Speaker 2: but you know what, it is well with my soul.

481
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,760
Speaker 1: Or I got a bad report from the doctor. Things

482
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,640
Speaker 1: don't look good, but I know God has another report.

483
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,199
Speaker 1: I know he can do what men can't do, and

484
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,600
Speaker 1: whatever happens to me, it is well. It is well

485
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,360
Speaker 1: with my soul. That's the kind of attitude we need

486
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 1: to have in some of you today. You need to

487
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,040
Speaker 1: get a new perspective. You are too focused on what

488
00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,720
Speaker 1: you don't have and on what's wrong in your life,

489
00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,600
Speaker 1: and you're telling God every five minutes what to do

490
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,720
Speaker 1: and how to do it, and you're not gonna be

491
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,160
Speaker 1: happy unless it turns out exactly like you want. Now,

492
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,639
Speaker 1: you have got to make a decision to be happy

493
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,399
Speaker 1: right now. And I realize it may be a little

494
00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:40,359
Speaker 1: cloudy in your life. In other words, you may not

495
00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,120
Speaker 1: see too many good things happening. But know this, the

496
00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,679
Speaker 1: sun is always shining. You just have to get above

497
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,200
Speaker 1: those dark clouds. You have to get a higher perspective.

498
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:54,320
Speaker 1: I know the other day we were flying out of

499
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 1: Houston and it was so overcast. It was early in

500
00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 1: the morning, and driving to the airport it looked very depressing,

501
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,840
Speaker 1: real gray and gloomy. But we got on that plane.

502
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,600
Speaker 1: The first few minutes we were in these thick, thick clouds.

503
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,600
Speaker 1: You couldn't see anything. But finally when we hit about

504
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,679
Speaker 1: five thousand feet. We broke out of the clouds and

505
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,920
Speaker 1: it was the most beautiful sunrise you can imagine.

506
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,280
Speaker 2: It was spectacular, and I thought to.

507
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,639
Speaker 1: Myself, I bet nobody down there in Houston would believe

508
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,320
Speaker 1: what's up here because it was so dark and gloomy,

509
00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,560
Speaker 1: but just right over their heads, separated by a few clouds,

510
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 1: it was as bright and beautiful as can be. And

511
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,359
Speaker 1: really it's the same way in our own lives. Sometimes

512
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,840
Speaker 1: it's kind of cloudy. We go through difficulties, and we

513
00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,080
Speaker 1: wonder when it's ever gonna change, when's it ever gonna

514
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:42,520
Speaker 1: get better.

515
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,119
Speaker 2: That's why I'm so discouraged. Joel. No, you can be

516
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,639
Speaker 2: happy right now. You just got to go up higher.

517
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,439
Speaker 2: The way you do it is found in Psalm fifty

518
00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:51,600
Speaker 2: five twenty two.

519
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,760
Speaker 1: Cast your burdens on the Lord, release the weight of them,

520
00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,520
Speaker 1: and God will sustain you no matter how dark and

521
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:01,640
Speaker 1: gloomy it looks in.

522
00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: Your life right now.

523
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,680
Speaker 1: If you can just release the weight of those burdens,

524
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:07,080
Speaker 1: you know what's gonna happen.

525
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,840
Speaker 2: You're gonna go up higher, You're gonna get a new perspective.

526
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,360
Speaker 1: And you're gonna see the sun break forth In your

527
00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:14,080
Speaker 1: own life.

528
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:15,680
Speaker 2: So let me challenge again.

529
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,760
Speaker 1: This all starts by believing that God is in control.

530
00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:24,040
Speaker 2: Trust Him wherever you are. Stay in peace.

531
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,879
Speaker 1: When you do that, the battle is not yours. The

532
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,040
Speaker 1: battle is the Lord's. And learn not to be upset

533
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,120
Speaker 1: when you don't get your way or when your prayers

534
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,320
Speaker 1: aren't answered. Be willing to go through some things with

535
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,159
Speaker 1: a good attitude. Ask God to give you the strength

536
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,880
Speaker 1: to endure, and always remember the sun is shining.

537
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,240
Speaker 2: You just gotta go up a little higher. You gotta

538
00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:46,200
Speaker 2: get your peace back.

539
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,600
Speaker 1: Quit fighting everything, turn it over to God, and get

540
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:50,400
Speaker 1: back into.

541
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,640
Speaker 2: That place of rest. If you do that, no matter

542
00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,119
Speaker 2: what comes against you, you'll be able to say, with

543
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,520
Speaker 2: a smile, it is well. It is well with my soul.

544
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:04,200
Speaker 2: Receive it today. Well I know you do. We never

545
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:05,080
Speaker 2: like to close our.

546
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 1: Broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the

547
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,560
Speaker 1: lord of your life. Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus,

548
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 1: I repent of my sins.

549
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,840
Speaker 2: Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior.

550
00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you

551
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,399
Speaker 1: got born again. Get in a good Bible based church,

552
00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,280
Speaker 1: Keep God first place. He's going to take your places

553
00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: you've never dreamed of.

554
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,879
Speaker 3: Three minutes can such a small amount of time make

555
00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 3: a big difference to your day? To turn worry into confidence,

556
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:43,640
Speaker 3: frustration to hope, defeat to victory. Maybe you just need

557
00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:44,679
Speaker 3: a boost of faith.

558
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,119
Speaker 1: When we put God first place and get our thinking

559
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,480
Speaker 1: in line with his, even a small seed of time.

560
00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:52,800
Speaker 2: Can make a huge difference.

561
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,080
Speaker 1: We have a new resource called three minute Mornings. Start

562
00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,520
Speaker 1: your day the blessed way. My challenge is when you

563
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,919
Speaker 1: wake up, before you leave the house, take three minutes

564
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 1: to speak blessings over your life and to declare God's favor.

565
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,840
Speaker 1: Get your mind going in the right direction. When you

566
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,880
Speaker 1: do that, you're setting yourself up for a blessed, victorious day.

567
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

568
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 3: of any size to the ministry, this month, Joel and

569
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,040
Speaker 3: Victoria would like to send you this just released life

570
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 3: giving new daily devotional. Before your feet hit the ground

571
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 3: or go out the door, have your heard experience a

572
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,919
Speaker 3: bit of heaven, set your mind on the things above

573
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,560
Speaker 3: with our new three minute Mornings devotional. With this new

574
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,280
Speaker 3: three hundred and sixty five day devotional three Minute Mornings,

575
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 3: you'll experience God showering down his favor like never before.

576
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,880
Speaker 3: You'll focus on the better that is coming and fully

577
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,040
Speaker 3: realize the freedom of not worrying about tomorrow.

578
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,600
Speaker 1: Victoria, I pray for you and your family every day.

579
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,000
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your prayer and support. You're

580
00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,080
Speaker 1: making a difference all over the world. Remember you can

581
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:06,800
Speaker 1: watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen.

582
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,000
Speaker 2: On Sirius XM. But until we meet again, met the

583
00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,680
Speaker 2: Lord bless you and keep you.

584
00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,360
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of Three Minute Mornings today.

585
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:19,360
Speaker 3: Visit Joelostein dot com or call eight eight eight five

586
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:20,560
Speaker 3: six seven Joel