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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 always a joy to come

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Speaker 1: into your homes.

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Speaker 2: We love you and we know God has great things

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Speaker 2: in store. And if you're ever in our area, I

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Speaker 2: hope you'll stop by and be a part of one

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Speaker 2: of our services. I promise you it will make you

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Speaker 2: feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning

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Speaker 2: in today, Thanks for coming out again. I like to

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Speaker 2: start with something funny each week, and I heard about

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Speaker 2: this teenager. He had just gotten his driver's permit and

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Speaker 2: he asked his dad if he could borrow the car.

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Speaker 2: The dad said, son, I'll make a deal with you.

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Speaker 2: If you bring your grades up, read your Bible every day,

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Speaker 2: and get your haircut, I'll let you borrow the car.

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Speaker 2: Months later, he came back and asked about the car,

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Speaker 2: and the dad said, son, you brought your grades up,

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Speaker 2: you've been reading your Bible, but you still haven't gotten

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Speaker 2: your haircut. The son said, well, Dad, I've been thinking

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Speaker 2: about it. Moses had long hair, Sampson had long hair,

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Speaker 2: even Jesus had long hair. The dad said, yes, son,

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Speaker 2: and they walked everywhere they went. Hold up your bible,

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Speaker 2: say it like you mean it. This is my Bible.

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Speaker 2: I am what it says I am. I have what

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

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Speaker 2: I can do. Today I will be taught the word

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Speaker 2: of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my

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Speaker 2: heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name,

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Speaker 2: God bless you. I want to talk to you today

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Speaker 2: about pushing people up. There are people that God brings

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Speaker 2: into our lives that hold the key to our promotion.

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Speaker 2: They hold the key to us reaching our full potential.

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Speaker 2: But these are not people that are there to help us,

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Speaker 2: to give us breaks and to open new doors.

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Speaker 1: It's just the opposite.

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Speaker 2: These are people that God puts in our path so

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Speaker 2: we can help them, so we can show them favor

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Speaker 2: and help them.

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Speaker 1: Get to a new level.

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Speaker 2: They are divinely connected to our destiny. We won't go

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Speaker 2: higher until we help them go higher. God's waiting for

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Speaker 2: us to sow a seed and if you will push

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Speaker 2: them up and help them succeed. It's all connected. The

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Speaker 2: higher they go, the higher you're going to go. If

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Speaker 2: you will help others fulfill their dreams, God will help

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Speaker 2: you fulfill your dreams.

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Speaker 1: On purpose. God will put people in our life. May

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Speaker 1: be a neighbor, a coworker, a student.

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Speaker 2: From another country, or even a cashier at the grocery

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Speaker 2: store that you see each week. You may not realize it,

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Speaker 2: but that person could be connected to your destiny. And

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Speaker 2: if you will take time to invest in them, to

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Speaker 2: encourage them, to use your influence to push them up,

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Speaker 2: then as they go higher, you're going to go higher.

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Speaker 2: When you sow those seeds of kindness and help others improve,

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Speaker 2: it's just like a boomerang is going to come.

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Speaker 1: Right back to you. That's what it says in Ecclesiastes.

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Speaker 2: Eleven to one give and your gifts will come back

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Speaker 2: to you. That means when you give favor, you're going

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Speaker 2: to receive favor. When you give your influence and open

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Speaker 2: doors for others, you're going to receive more influence.

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Speaker 1: People will open doors for you.

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Speaker 2: When you help somebody get better, somebody will be there

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Speaker 2: to help you get better. And every one of us

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Speaker 2: should have a project. Somebody we're believing in, somebody we've

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Speaker 2: taken under our wings. We're encouraging them, We're giving them advice,

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Speaker 2: introducing them to our contacts, doing everything we can to

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Speaker 2: help them become the best.

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Speaker 1: That they can be.

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Speaker 2: It may be a coworker at the office, at the

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Speaker 2: job site. You could easily help that person go to

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Speaker 2: a new level. They just need a little mentoring, a

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Speaker 2: little training.

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Speaker 1: A little advice. Well, Joe, I'm busy. I've got my

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Speaker 1: own goals, I've got my own challenges. I don't have time.

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Speaker 2: No, you need to see it a different way. Your

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Speaker 2: increase is linked to that person. God brought them into

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Speaker 2: your path for a reason. If you will push them up,

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Speaker 2: God will make sure you get pushed up. What you

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Speaker 2: may happen for others, God will make happen for you.

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Speaker 2: We were never created to live in grown where we

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Speaker 2: just focus on ourselves, and this is what limits many people.

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Speaker 1: They think inward.

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Speaker 2: But when you take time to invest in someone else,

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Speaker 2: you go out of your way to give them a break.

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Speaker 2: Maybe you introduce them to somebody they would never normally meet.

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Speaker 2: What you send out is going to come back That's

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Speaker 2: when God will open the right doors for you. He'll

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Speaker 2: bring the right people into your life and those seeds

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Speaker 2: that you're so and they'll not only come back, they

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Speaker 2: will come back multiplied. Let me ask you today, who

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Speaker 2: are you pushing up? Who are you investing in? Who

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Speaker 2: are you promoting? Who are you helping with their dreams?

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Speaker 1: Look around?

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Speaker 2: There are people in your life that hold the key

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Speaker 2: to your promotion. I realize I am where I am

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Speaker 2: today because people have pushed me up, people have invested

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Speaker 2: in me.

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Speaker 1: I think about all the seeds that.

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Speaker 2: My parents have sun, all the times they've encouraged me

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Speaker 2: and told me that.

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Speaker 1: I could do anything.

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Speaker 2: Think about all the meals my mother cooked growing up.

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Speaker 2: I mean, it took a lot of work to heat

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Speaker 2: up those TV dinners. I think about how my grandparents

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Speaker 2: on my mother's side, they made great sacrifices for us children.

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Speaker 2: When my parents were out of the country, they would

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Speaker 2: always stay with us, and grandmother and granddaddy were always

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Speaker 2: building me up and telling me how great they thought

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Speaker 2: I was. I found a note from my grandmother the

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Speaker 2: other day. I was nine years old. It said, Darling, Joel,

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Speaker 2: you are so sweet. I've never seen another young man

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Speaker 2: like you. I must admit my grandmother didn't get out much,

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Speaker 2: but they invested in me. I remember specific Sunday school

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Speaker 2: teachers that took time to impart in my life. A

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Speaker 2: baseball coach that went out of his way. He'd swing

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Speaker 2: by and pick me up and take me to practice,

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Speaker 2: take me to the batting cages.

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Speaker 1: When I was.

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Speaker 2: Nineteen and I first started working here doing the television production,

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Speaker 2: there was an older gentleman, very experienced, very knowledgeable. He

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Speaker 2: took me under his wing and he taught me everything

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Speaker 2: that he knew about production. And if you could see

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Speaker 2: all the people that made me into who I am today,

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Speaker 2: they wouldn't fit on this platform. Brothers, sisters, parents, cousins, friends, relatives.

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Speaker 2: The fact is none of us got to where we

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Speaker 2: are by ourselves.

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Speaker 1: Somebody pushed us up.

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Speaker 2: Somebody made sacrifices so that we could go further. Somebody

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Speaker 2: put in a kind word when we were down. Somebody

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Speaker 2: gave us a break when we needed it. Well, you say, Joel,

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Speaker 2: I wasn't raised in a good environment like you were.

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Speaker 1: Maybe not, but you wouldn't be as.

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Speaker 2: Far along as you are if somebody somewhere didn't go

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Speaker 2: out of their way to help you. Well, my father

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Speaker 2: left us at an early age, maybe so, but your

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Speaker 2: mother stepped up. She worked twice as hard to give

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Speaker 2: you everything you needed.

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Speaker 1: Or maybe those grandparents came.

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Speaker 2: Into your life to give you guidance, or that coach

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Speaker 2: took you under his wing to help you succeed. Nobody

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Speaker 2: makes it alone. You may think you got that good position,

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Speaker 2: you got that break just because you were lucky, but listen,

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Speaker 2: luck didn't have anything to do with it. It wasn't

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Speaker 2: a coincidence. Somebody in your family line was praying. It

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Speaker 2: may have been a great great grandmother you didn't even know,

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Speaker 2: but she prayed that her seed would be blessed. And

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Speaker 2: today God is honoring that prayer through you. Somebody pushed

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Speaker 2: you up, or you wouldn't be where you are now.

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Speaker 2: One of our goals should be to reach out and

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Speaker 2: push somebody else up. Should be a continual cycle. We're

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Speaker 2: doing our best to help someone else be better. We're

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Speaker 2: going out of our way to give a break. We're

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Speaker 2: using our influence to do something good for somebody, And

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Speaker 2: as we sow those seeds, God is orchestrating another person's

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Speaker 2: steps to be there for us, to give us a

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Speaker 2: break to put in a kind word when we need it.

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Speaker 1: When we're pushing.

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Speaker 2: People up, God will make sure that we're going to

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Speaker 2: get pushed up. I read a story about a little

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Speaker 2: boy by the name of Andy Valdez.

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Speaker 1: He grew up in a single parent home.

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Speaker 2: They didn't have too much, and so he would sell

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Speaker 2: newspapers on the street corner. This was back in the

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Speaker 2: early nineteen sixties. During the summer, little eight year old

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Speaker 2: Andy would go to the same street corner Main Street

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Speaker 2: and Second he would make three cents of paper.

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Speaker 1: After four or.

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Speaker 2: Five hours, he'd usually come home with a little more

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Speaker 2: than a dollar. There was a gentleman named Jack Keller

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Speaker 2: that owned a printing shop across the street. Every morning,

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Speaker 2: Jack would pass by a little Andy, but he already

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Speaker 2: had his paper. One day, Andy got his nerve up

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Speaker 2: and he said, hey, mister, why don't you ever buy

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Speaker 2: your paper from me?

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Speaker 1: That kind of.

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Speaker 2: Took Jack back, and he laughed. He said, I don't know,

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Speaker 2: maybe I'll start. That man not only began buying a

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Speaker 2: newspaper from him, but he took little Andy under his

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Speaker 2: wing and began to mentor him. He met with his

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Speaker 2: mom and asked if he could come help at the

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Speaker 2: printing shop.

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Speaker 1: She was thrilled.

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Speaker 2: At eleven years old, Jack started taking Andy to the

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Speaker 2: country club where he belonged, and he taught him how

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Speaker 2: to play tennis. Andy would hear some of the other

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Speaker 2: kids joking behind his back about his clothes, about his race,

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Speaker 2: about how he was different. Jack would tell him, don't

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Speaker 2: worry about that, Andy, you don't have a problem.

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Speaker 1: They have the problem.

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Speaker 2: He instilled confidence and self esteem into this young man.

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Speaker 2: Andy got better and better at tennis. In fact, when

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Speaker 2: he graduated from high school, he was offered a full

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Speaker 2: tennis scholarship to a major university. Nobody in Andy's family

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Speaker 2: had ever gone to college, and Andy decided that he

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Speaker 2: was going to become a lawyer because all the people

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Speaker 2: at the country club that were nice suits were lawyers.

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Speaker 2: He said, the lawyers dressed better than the drug dealers

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Speaker 2: in my neighborhood. Today it's no longer Andy, it's Judge

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Speaker 2: Andrew Valdez. He's not only a lawyer, he's a state

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Speaker 2: district judge. One of the things that Judge Valdez is

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Speaker 2: known for is he started all these youth mentoring programs,

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Speaker 2: helping other troubled teams. Now he's reaching out helping teenagers

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Speaker 2: that were just like him. And what's interesting is over

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Speaker 2: the years, Judge Valdez lost contact with his friend Jack.

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Speaker 2: He began to wonder about it and worried about how

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Speaker 2: he was doing.

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Speaker 1: So he went back to.

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Speaker 2: The printing shop, couldn't find him, which to the home

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Speaker 2: where Jack lived, but he had moved. He even checked

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Speaker 2: the death records, assuming that he could have died.

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Speaker 1: Still nothing.

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Speaker 2: For six years, Judge Valdez looked for his friend Jack.

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Speaker 2: One day, he was at a grocery store and he

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Speaker 2: saw this old man over in the corner.

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Speaker 1: He was about to be arrested.

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Speaker 2: He was homeless, disoriented, had the health problems. When they

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Speaker 2: looked at each other, their eyes met. He said, Jack,

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Speaker 2: is that you There was a small smile. Jack was

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Speaker 2: in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He had wandered from

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Speaker 2: his home and lost everything. Now it was Judge Valdez's

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Speaker 2: time to return to favor. When you give your gifts

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Speaker 2: will come back to you, Judge Valdez. Judge Valdez took

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Speaker 2: Jack in, got him a place to live, and hired

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Speaker 2: somebody to take care of him, to feed him, to

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Speaker 2: watch over him for the next four years until Jack

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Speaker 2: went to be with the Lord, Judge Valdez would go

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Speaker 2: visit with him time and time again. He said his

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Speaker 2: favorite thing was to walk in and see Jack reading

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Speaker 2: the paper, sitting there eating dinner.

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Speaker 1: That's where it all began. Friends.

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Speaker 2: You never lose when you push people up. Today, Judge

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Speaker 2: Valdez is pushing other young people up. Why because Jack

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Speaker 2: pushed him up. When you take time to invest in others,

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Speaker 2: it starts a chain reaction. Not only will you come

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Speaker 2: up higher, but all down the line people are going

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Speaker 2: to be impacted. Ever know the difference you make when

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Speaker 2: you take time to care, When you take time to

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Speaker 2: make someone else's life better. It may seem like something small,

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Speaker 2: but very often it'll have a domino effect. It'll keep

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Speaker 2: giving and giving. Let's develop a lifestyle of pushing people up.

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Speaker 2: Let's get in a habit of looking for people we

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Speaker 2: can be good too. Doesn't have to be something big.

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Speaker 2: Wherever you go, give a smile, brighten somebody's day, give

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Speaker 2: a compliment, hey, you look great today. Or if you

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Speaker 2: see someone sitting alone by themselves, don't stay in your

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Speaker 2: same group, reach out.

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Speaker 1: To them, invite them to dinner.

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Speaker 2: We should always be looking for ways to push people up. Remember,

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Speaker 2: the higher they go, the higher we're going to go.

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Speaker 1: Here's the key.

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Speaker 2: It may not be someone under you, they may be

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Speaker 2: over you. You're tempted to think, well, all I'm doing

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Speaker 2: is making my company rich. All I'm doing is making

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Speaker 2: my boss look good.

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Speaker 1: I do all the work and he takes all the credit.

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Speaker 2: Had a lady tell me the other day, Joel, my

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Speaker 2: supervisor takes all all my ideas. I'll work for two

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Speaker 2: days planning, strategizing, meeting with people, and she'll walk in

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Speaker 2: a room and present it like she was the one

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Speaker 2: that did it all. I told her what I'm telling you.

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Speaker 2: You got to look at it differently. You're so in seeds.

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Speaker 2: The higher you help your supervisor go, the higher you're

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Speaker 2: gonna go, the better you make that person look. Eventually,

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Speaker 2: it's gonna boomerang right back to you, and God's gonna

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Speaker 2: get you to where he wants you to go. You're

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Speaker 2: gonna get the credit that you deserve. I think about

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Speaker 2: in the scripture Elisha. For a long time he took

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Speaker 2: care of the prophet Elijah. Elijah was much older than

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Speaker 2: he was, and Elisha was basically bringing him food and

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Speaker 2: water and just doing these menial tasks here. Elisha was

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Speaker 2: a young man. He had big dreams and goals. He

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Speaker 2: wanted to do something great in life. I'm sure some

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Speaker 2: of his friends said, Elisha, what are you doing wasting

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Speaker 2: your time taking.

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Speaker 1: Care of this old man.

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Speaker 2: Why are you spending all your energy trying to make

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Speaker 2: him look good. You need to go out and do

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Speaker 2: your own thing. But Elisha understood this principle. He knew

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Speaker 2: his destiny was linked to Elijah, and the higher Elijah went,

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Speaker 2: the higher he was going to go.

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Speaker 1: So he just kept pushing him up and pushing him up.

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Speaker 2: When it came to the end of Elijah's life, he

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Speaker 2: was caught up in that whirlwind taken to heaven, and

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Speaker 2: as he went up, the mantle that he had came

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Speaker 2: down on Elisha.

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Speaker 1: Not only that, it was a double portion.

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Speaker 2: Elisha had twice the annoying, twice the favor. He did

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Speaker 2: twice as many miracles as Elijah did. And that's what happens.

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Speaker 2: When you push people up, blessings are going to come down.

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Speaker 2: Don't ever be intimidated to invest in those that are

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Speaker 2: ahead of you. A lot of times we think, well, Joel,

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Speaker 2: they don't need my help. They're successful, they should be

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Speaker 2: helping me. They don't need me to give them a break.

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Speaker 2: They got so much favor or that church. They got

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Speaker 2: so many people, they don't need me to serve.

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Speaker 1: No, it's just the opposite.

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Speaker 2: If you'll get linked up to the right people, just

303
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Speaker 2: like a train, the higher they go, the higher you're

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Speaker 2: gonna go. When you push people up, the blessings are

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Speaker 2: gonna come down on you. For seventeen years, I worked

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Speaker 2: behind the scenes here with my father, doing the television production.

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Speaker 2: And I say this very humbly, but I always did

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Speaker 2: my best to make my father look good. I know

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Speaker 2: I was called to be here. I didn't understand it

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Speaker 2: all at the time, but I realize now my destiny

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Speaker 2: was linked to my father. The more I pushed him up,

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Speaker 2: the more it was pushing me up.

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Speaker 1: I would spend.

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Speaker 2: Hours working on the lighting, adjusting one little slash, making

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Speaker 2: sure it was perfect. I would go to my parents'

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Speaker 2: house every Saturday night and pick my dad out a

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Speaker 2: suit and tie to wear. I wanted to make sure

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Speaker 2: it looked good on television. I'd seen some of the

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Speaker 2: other things my father had picked out. I mean, put

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Speaker 2: it this way. My dad loved color. If you've been

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Speaker 2: around here very long, you remember at the old campus,

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Speaker 2: the blue buildings, the red buildings, the orange buildings, the

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Speaker 2: yellow buildings. Because a friend came by and said, John,

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Speaker 2: you ought to paint this place like a rainbow. My

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Speaker 2: father took him seriously. I still haven't forgiven that man.

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Speaker 2: When we remodeled the platform area at the other facility,

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Speaker 2: I had my father come in stand behind the podium,

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Speaker 2: make sure it was the right height, the right with

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Speaker 2: make sure everything was sized properly.

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Speaker 1: I never dreamed one day I.

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Speaker 2: Would be standing behind the podium, never dream one day

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Speaker 2: the lights would be focused on me. But that's what happens.

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Speaker 2: When you push people up, you're sowing seeds.

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Speaker 1: The higher you help them to go, the higher you're

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Speaker 1: going to go.

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Speaker 2: Some of you today this may be the reason you're

337
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Speaker 2: not seeing God's blessings and favor like you should.

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Speaker 1: Are you pushing anybody up?

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Speaker 2: Are you making someone look better? Are you investing in

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Speaker 2: that friend? If you're not sowing into others, you don't

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Speaker 2: have any good seed in the ground. We need to

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Speaker 2: be on the lookout of who we can be good to. Remember,

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Speaker 2: God sends people as they to our promotion. It may

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Speaker 2: not be a family member. It may be a friend,

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Speaker 2: may be a neighbor, may be a young man selling

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Speaker 2: newspapers on a street corner.

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Speaker 1: In the scripture, there.

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Speaker 2: Was a lady that lived in a certain town, and

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Speaker 2: every so often Elisha would come through that town. She

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Speaker 2: started noticing him, and she began to feel this desire

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Speaker 2: to help him, a desire to be good to him,

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Speaker 2: to make his life easier. She sensed that her destiny

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Speaker 2: was linked to Elisha, and so she simply invited him

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Speaker 2: to her house to have dinner with her and her family.

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Speaker 2: Then she offered him a place to stay. Elisha was

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Speaker 2: gracious and he accepted that. The next day, after he left,

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Speaker 2: she said to her husband, let's add a room to

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Speaker 2: the house, so anytime Elisha's in town, he'll always have

359
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Speaker 2: a place to stay. She reached out to him from

360
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Speaker 2: the kindness of her heart, and they built that spare bedroom,

361
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Speaker 2: and time and time again, Elisha would come and stay

362
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Speaker 2: with her family. This lady wasn't trying to get anything.

363
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Speaker 2: She wasn't trying to manipulate him into doing something for her.

364
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Speaker 2: She was simply investing into his life, pushing him up,

365
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Speaker 2: making it a little bit easier on him. And one day,

366
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Speaker 2: while Elisha was staying there, he said to his servant,

367
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Speaker 2: go find out what this lady wants. Go find out

368
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Speaker 2: if there's anything she needs. I want to be good

369
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Speaker 2: to her. That's the way God works. When you're good

370
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Speaker 2: to other people, God will cause people to want to

371
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Speaker 2: be good to you.

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Speaker 1: It may not even be the same people.

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Speaker 2: You may so accede and do good for someone or

374
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Speaker 2: some company for a lifetime, yet you never receive anything

375
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Speaker 2: in return from them.

376
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Speaker 1: But don't get discouraged.

377
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Speaker 2: The way God works is you cannot give without it

378
00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,480
Speaker 2: causing a chain reaction. When you push people up, it

379
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Speaker 2: sets a series of events into motion.

380
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Speaker 1: Somewhere, somehow. God will cause a person to feel a

381
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Speaker 1: need to be good to you.

382
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Speaker 2: They may not even know you, they may be in

383
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Speaker 2: a different city, but all of a sudden, they have

384
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Speaker 2: a desire to show you favor, a desire to give

385
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Speaker 2: you a good break. It's those seeds of kindness that

386
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Speaker 2: you're showing. This servant came back and said, Elisha, the

387
00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,920
Speaker 2: lady doesn't want anything, she's perfectly happy. But Elisha wasn't satisfied.

388
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Speaker 2: He said, go back and ask her again. I want

389
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Speaker 2: to do something good for her. He was determined. It's

390
00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,960
Speaker 2: because you can't sew a seed without it bringing you

391
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Speaker 2: a harvest. The servant finally came back and said, Okay, Elisha.

392
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Speaker 2: She said, she's never had a baby, but she's an

393
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Speaker 2: old lady and her husband's even older than she is.

394
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Speaker 2: That's impossible. Elia said, that doesn't matter. You go back

395
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Speaker 2: and tell her. By this time next year, she's going

396
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Speaker 2: to have a child. The servant went back. When he

397
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Speaker 2: told her, the lady laughed and laughed. She thought it

398
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Speaker 2: was a joke. She said, tell Elisha to quit kidding

399
00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,800
Speaker 2: with me. That'll never happen. But sure enough, a year

400
00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,600
Speaker 2: later she was showing off her new baby boy.

401
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Speaker 1: A dream come true. What am I saying today?

402
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,320
Speaker 2: When you are good to people and you develop a

403
00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,480
Speaker 2: lifestyle of pushing them up, God will bring you dreams

404
00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,919
Speaker 2: to pass. Doesn't have to be something big, even small things.

405
00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,720
Speaker 2: When my mother was a child, she had polio. She

406
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,199
Speaker 2: had to wear braces on her legs so she couldn't

407
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,160
Speaker 2: run and play sports like the rest of the children.

408
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,320
Speaker 2: Not long ago, she met an old friend that she

409
00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,879
Speaker 2: hadn't seen in over sixty years. They had gone to

410
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,720
Speaker 2: grade school together. This lady reminded my mom when they

411
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,720
Speaker 2: would play softball as little kids, and my mother was

412
00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,000
Speaker 2: up to bat. When my mother would hit the ball,

413
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,920
Speaker 2: this was the lady that ran the basis for my mother,

414
00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,520
Speaker 2: just a small thing, just pushing her up, making her

415
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,440
Speaker 2: feel a part. One time, Moses was on a hill

416
00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:43,399
Speaker 2: overlooking this battle taking place. He was holding his rod

417
00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:45,800
Speaker 2: up in the air. As long as he had his

418
00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,679
Speaker 2: rod up, the people of Israel were winning. But the

419
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,119
Speaker 2: battle went on hour after hour, and he got tired.

420
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Speaker 2: When he put the rod down, the Amalekites would start

421
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:54,760
Speaker 2: to win.

422
00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,520
Speaker 1: Moses couldn't take it anymore. He's just too tired.

423
00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,120
Speaker 2: When Erin and her saw what was happening, they ran

424
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Speaker 2: up the hill, God on each side of Moses, and

425
00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:05,920
Speaker 2: they held his hands.

426
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Speaker 1: Up for him.

427
00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:12,000
Speaker 2: Because they stepped up and did something seemingly insignificant, the

428
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,080
Speaker 2: people of Israel went on to win the battle. You

429
00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,760
Speaker 2: may not be able to do something big. Maybe you

430
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,320
Speaker 2: can't add a room to your house or give somebody

431
00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,960
Speaker 2: a job, but you can run.

432
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Speaker 1: For a child that's not able to You.

433
00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 2: Can't hold up somebody's hands. In other words, you can

434
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,760
Speaker 2: give somebody a ride to work to church. You can

435
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,720
Speaker 2: babysit someone's children, or you can teach someone tips about

436
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:35,320
Speaker 2: what you know.

437
00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:36,000
Speaker 1: In your field.

438
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,360
Speaker 2: There's all kinds of ways we can push people up

439
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,199
Speaker 2: and understand. It doesn't have to be something big in

440
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,760
Speaker 2: order to make a big difference. Probably nobody has done

441
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,640
Speaker 2: more to help mankind, at least in the field of medicine,

442
00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,000
Speaker 2: than doctor Michael de Bakey. He has spent his lifetime

443
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,280
Speaker 2: studying the heart, many of the procedures that linked in

444
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:01,440
Speaker 2: our lives today, even the artificial heart developed by doctor DeBakey.

445
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,680
Speaker 2: But do you know where it all really started. When

446
00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,359
Speaker 2: he was a little boy, way back in the early

447
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,439
Speaker 2: nineteen hundreds, his mother taught him how to sew. She

448
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,680
Speaker 2: took time and invested into him. Little did she realize

449
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,120
Speaker 2: that small seed that she planted in an eight year

450
00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,560
Speaker 2: old boy would one day grow and develop, and those

451
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,400
Speaker 2: hands would become one of the most skilled surgeons that's

452
00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,800
Speaker 2: ever lived. Take time to invest in those around you.

453
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 1: Here's the key.

454
00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,919
Speaker 2: Start with your own family. Make sure you're pushing up

455
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,880
Speaker 2: those that are closest to you. Don't take them for granted.

456
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,320
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be half of who I am today if

457
00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:42,560
Speaker 2: it was not for Victoria.

458
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,359
Speaker 1: She's always pushing me up. In these days, in.

459
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,639
Speaker 2: Families, there's competition in marriages, competition in families.

460
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:51,680
Speaker 1: But if we can just.

461
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,920
Speaker 2: Realize the higher we help others go, the.

462
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,160
Speaker 1: Higher we're going to go. It's all connected.

463
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,720
Speaker 2: I've got to tell you my brothers, sisters, brothers in law,

464
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,320
Speaker 2: sisters in law, they're always encouraging me, so loyal, so supportive,

465
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,400
Speaker 2: no wonder, I'm so blessed. They inspire me to want

466
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,680
Speaker 2: to return the favor. That's the way it should be.

467
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,600
Speaker 2: Push your spouse up, push your children up, push your

468
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,680
Speaker 2: cousin up, push your nephew up, push your grandparents up.

469
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,280
Speaker 1: Start with your own family.

470
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,640
Speaker 2: One more I left out, push your mother in law up,

471
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:30,360
Speaker 2: and not out. I read a story about a young

472
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,080
Speaker 2: man named Patrick Henry. He was born with no eyes,

473
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:35,680
Speaker 2: totally blind.

474
00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: And he had no ability to walk.

475
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,600
Speaker 2: He couldn't fully straighten his arms and legs out. His

476
00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 2: parents were so discouraged, but after a few months they

477
00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,880
Speaker 2: discovered that little Patrick had an incredible gift for music.

478
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,520
Speaker 2: He actually started to learn to play the piano at

479
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,040
Speaker 2: nine months old. He grew up and not only became

480
00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,639
Speaker 2: a concert pianist, but he was a world class trumpet player.

481
00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,000
Speaker 2: He went to the Universe of Louisville and they invited

482
00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,600
Speaker 2: him to play in the marching band. Of course, he

483
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,480
Speaker 2: couldn't march, he couldn't walk, he couldn't see.

484
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,320
Speaker 1: He was in a wheelchair. But that didn't stop him.

485
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,120
Speaker 2: His father resigned from his daytime job and he took

486
00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,320
Speaker 2: an overnight position at the mail company so he could be.

487
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:19,320
Speaker 1: There to help his son.

488
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,160
Speaker 2: The father attended every band practice. He learned all the routines.

489
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,600
Speaker 2: I'm talking about a marching band, not putting his child

490
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,720
Speaker 2: on the sideline and letting them march around him.

491
00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:31,879
Speaker 1: This father would push his.

492
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:37,960
Speaker 2: Child in a wheelchair in perfect formation, zigging, zagging, grooving, moonwalking.

493
00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,920
Speaker 2: You're talking about pushing people up. When you watched them

494
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,800
Speaker 2: on the field, you would have thought the father was

495
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,320
Speaker 2: the child. He was so happy, he had a big

496
00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:50,680
Speaker 2: smile just maneuvering that wheelchair. He told later, when their

497
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,240
Speaker 2: child was first born, he and his wife said, God,

498
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:54,760
Speaker 2: why us, What did we.

499
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,240
Speaker 1: Do to deserve a child like this?

500
00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,520
Speaker 2: Now they asked the question in a different light, us

501
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,280
Speaker 2: what did we do to deserve such a great child

502
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:06,040
Speaker 2: like this? A child that could bring us so much joy,

503
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:10,639
Speaker 2: so much happiness. Let me ask you again, are you

504
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,439
Speaker 2: pushing anybody else? Are you encouraging your family? Are you

505
00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,879
Speaker 2: investing your time and energy making someone else better?

506
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:19,240
Speaker 1: Look around you.

507
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,080
Speaker 2: There are people in your life that are connected to

508
00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,640
Speaker 2: your joy, to your peace, to your dreams. They hold

509
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,000
Speaker 2: the key to your promotion. If you'll help them go higher,

510
00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,479
Speaker 2: then you're going to go higher. When you give, your

511
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,320
Speaker 2: gifts will come back to you. I heard somebody say,

512
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,400
Speaker 2: if you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If

513
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:40,080
Speaker 2: you want happiness for a month.

514
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,960
Speaker 1: Get married. And I didn't say this.

515
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,240
Speaker 2: If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.

516
00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,720
Speaker 2: But if you want happiness for a lifetime, help others.

517
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,600
Speaker 2: I'm asking us today to develop a habit of pushing

518
00:25:55,640 --> 00:26:01,160
Speaker 2: people up. When you take time to invest in someone else,

519
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:05,240
Speaker 2: it doesn't go unnoticed. Every minute you encourage that friend,

520
00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,520
Speaker 2: every mile you go out of your way to do

521
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 2: a good deed, every penny you spend to make someone

522
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,720
Speaker 2: else better. God sees that he's keeping the records. He's

523
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 2: not only gonna pay you back, He's gonna multiply what

524
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:17,200
Speaker 2: you've sown.

525
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,840
Speaker 1: When you push people up, you might as well. Get ready.

526
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,719
Speaker 2: The blessings are gonna come down. You're gonna get breaks,

527
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,800
Speaker 2: You're gonna see favor. New doors are gonna open. I

528
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 2: believe because you're a giver, because you're looking out for others,

529
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,120
Speaker 2: You're gonna see your dreams, your desires, every promise God

530
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,280
Speaker 2: put in you, your goodness is gonna boomerang right back,

531
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,560
Speaker 2: and you're gonna see those promises come to pass.

532
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,000
Speaker 1: Amen. Do you receive it today?

533
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,840
Speaker 2: We never like to closure broadcast without giving you an

534
00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,159
Speaker 2: opportunity to make.

535
00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,840
Speaker 1: Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me?

536
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 1: Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come

537
00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,360
Speaker 1: into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior.

538
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,240
Speaker 2: If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got

539
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:02,840
Speaker 2: born again.

540
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 1: Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place.

541
00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 1: He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of.

542
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,720
Speaker 3: It's a new year. Time to see the impossible become possible.

543
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:15,920
Speaker 1: It's a new year.

544
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,680
Speaker 3: Life setbacks are about to become God's setups for new opportunity.

545
00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,600
Speaker 3: It's a new year. Cherished dreams will become unexpected reality.

546
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 2: The start of the new year is the perfect time

547
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,240
Speaker 2: to reset your focus, release disappointments of the past, and

548
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,879
Speaker 2: get ready for the new things God has in store.

549
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 2: Every January we create a new three hundred and sixty

550
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:40,680
Speaker 2: five day devotional calendar.

551
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:42,119
Speaker 1: I'd love to send it to you.

552
00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:46,880
Speaker 2: Each day is filled with inspiration, scripture, and uplifting declarations

553
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:47,919
Speaker 2: to fuel your faith.

554
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,240
Speaker 1: When you begin the day thanking.

555
00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:53,320
Speaker 2: God for what He's done, speaking victory over your future,

556
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:58,320
Speaker 2: you're positioning yourself for a blessed, favor filled year. Amazing

557
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,760
Speaker 2: things happen when you keep God first place.

558
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,000
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

559
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,679
Speaker 3: of any amount this first month of the year, we

560
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,959
Speaker 3: would like to send you a copy of our brand

561
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,160
Speaker 3: new three hundred and sixty five day twenty twenty six

562
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,040
Speaker 3: devotional calendar. Do you want to overcome your most pressing

563
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,960
Speaker 3: challenges in twenty twenty six? Do you want to see

564
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:22,720
Speaker 3: your life take off in new directions of influence, favor,

565
00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,800
Speaker 3: and provision in the year ahead. With this daily encouragement,

566
00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,399
Speaker 3: you'll not only smile at your day, You'll be reminded

567
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,160
Speaker 3: that God is smiling on your entire life. Each day

568
00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:38,640
Speaker 3: will be a fresh new day. Turn discouragement to encouragement,

569
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:45,680
Speaker 3: frustration to fulfillment, anxiety to overcoming. Start each morning knowing

570
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,680
Speaker 3: that it's God's desire to turn what seems like an

571
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:54,800
Speaker 3: ordinary life into extraordinary favor, strength, and opportunities. Using this

572
00:28:54,920 --> 00:29:00,880
Speaker 3: devotional calendar is as easy as one, two three. Wake

573
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,920
Speaker 3: up with an expectancy in your heart. Two reflect on

574
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:09,480
Speaker 3: the daily scripture, verse and devotional from Joel. Three Capture

575
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,040
Speaker 3: the Lord's promises to you on journaling lines for writing

576
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:13,840
Speaker 3: and reflection.

577
00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,880
Speaker 2: Twenty twenty six is going to be one of your

578
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,600
Speaker 2: best years ever. We're going to help you stay in

579
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,240
Speaker 2: faith so you can see the goodness of God in

580
00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,040
Speaker 2: new ways. Victory and I pray for you and your

581
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,480
Speaker 2: family every day, and we want to thank you for

582
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,880
Speaker 2: your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting lives around

583
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,560
Speaker 2: the world. A special thank you to our Champion of

584
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,760
Speaker 2: Hope partners for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner,

585
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:39,720
Speaker 2: I hope you'll consider becoming one.

586
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:41,240
Speaker 1: Remember you can watch the.

587
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,200
Speaker 2: Services online live every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast,

588
00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,000
Speaker 2: watch on YouTube or the new Joel Oste Network twenty

589
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,240
Speaker 2: four hours a day. Of course, listen live on SERIOUSXM

590
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,320
Speaker 2: as well, but until we meet again. Mad the Lord

591
00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:57,720
Speaker 2: bless you and keep you.

592
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,680
Speaker 3: Be sure to requests copy of the twenty twenty sixth

593
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:06,000
Speaker 3: devotional calendar available this month by simply visiting us at

594
00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,320
Speaker 3: joelostein dot com or calling eight eight eight.

595
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:10,840
Speaker 1: Five six seven Joel.

596
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,720
Speaker 3: Also, no matter what season you're in, joy, sorrow, waiting, growth,

597
00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,840
Speaker 3: God wants to speak into each and every moment. God's

598
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,720
Speaker 3: Word for Every Season is a guided journal series designed

599
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,160
Speaker 3: to help you slow down, write out scripture, and reflect

600
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,320
Speaker 3: on its truth, one verse at a time. As you

601
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:35,680
Speaker 3: engage with His Word, you'll discover fresh strength, deeper peace,

602
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,920
Speaker 3: and timely encouragement for every step of your journey. You

603
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,800
Speaker 3: can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight eight

604
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,880
Speaker 3: five six seven Joel or logging on to joelostein dot

605
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:52,080
Speaker 3: com today call or click anytime twenty four hours a day.

606
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,440
Speaker 3: Request these resources today