WEBVTT - Save Your Strength Pt. 2

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope

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<v Speaker 2>this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it

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<v Speaker 2>gives your perspective to see God is moving in your life.

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<v Speaker 2>Enjoy the message. Who set your standard? Have you even

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<v Speaker 2>thought about it? Or this is just inherited? Who set

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<v Speaker 2>your standard? You look into celebrities for your standard? Really?

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<v Speaker 2>Them the ones who are so miserable they can only

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<v Speaker 2>be happy when they have attention.

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<v Speaker 1>Really, that's your standard. Who set your standard?

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<v Speaker 2>Who set your standard of what you will and will

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<v Speaker 2>not listen to?

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<v Speaker 1>Who set your standard?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh you think you're better than us, That's what they'll

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<v Speaker 2>say when you start living with standards.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh you think you're better than us.

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<v Speaker 2>No, it's just that I know how much I need

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<v Speaker 2>a source that is not me, because I am weak

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<v Speaker 2>without him. In fact, I'm nothing without him.

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<v Speaker 1>So excuse me.

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<v Speaker 2>But the battle that I'm in is too real for

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<v Speaker 2>me to play around and live my life with exposed.

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<v Speaker 1>Places and low standers. So I gotta get this right

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<v Speaker 1>this year.

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<v Speaker 2>I like that.

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<v Speaker 1>I like that boy right there.

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<v Speaker 2>He looks like a teenager with standards right sitting there

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<v Speaker 2>leaning in in church. Some kids would be texting in church,

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<v Speaker 2>but not you. You look like you want something from God. Boy,

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<v Speaker 2>you look like you got a mission. You look like

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<v Speaker 2>God might use you. Don't you live down to the

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<v Speaker 2>level of your friends. Your friends don't know anything yet

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<v Speaker 2>God has taking you places.

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<v Speaker 1>Stand up on your feet right now. Yeah, you stand

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<v Speaker 1>up right now.

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<v Speaker 2>Raise the standard, don't.

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<v Speaker 1>Lower it when you show up at school.

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<v Speaker 2>God walks through the wen show up at school the

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<v Speaker 2>presence of God.

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<v Speaker 1>Raise the standard.

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<v Speaker 2>You're really gonna let your unmarried friends tell you how

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<v Speaker 2>to do your marriage.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll tell you if I had a wife, I wouldn't.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh huh, you said all I needed to hear in

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<v Speaker 2>that if I had a wife hard, if I wanted

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<v Speaker 2>what you had, i'd do what you're doing.

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<v Speaker 1>But I want something better.

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<v Speaker 2>It's your standard. Sometimes our standards need to be lowered. Yeah, yeah, no,

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<v Speaker 2>sometimes they do because sometimes it takes too much to

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<v Speaker 2>make us happy. Who set the standard for what it

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<v Speaker 2>takes to make you happy?

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<v Speaker 1>Who set the standard for what.

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<v Speaker 2>It takes to have a good day. I'm bad about

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<v Speaker 2>this one bad meeting, and I had a bad day. No, no, no,

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<v Speaker 2>it's like that old man told me that time.

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<v Speaker 1>I said, how you doing? He said, I'm alive.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought, well, you didn't answer me, and then I realized,

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<v Speaker 2>yes he did, because for him to be alive, he

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<v Speaker 2>woke up, it's a good day.

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<v Speaker 1>He woke up, it's a good day. We'll set your standards.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, when did.

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<v Speaker 2>We come to the point when kids had to watch

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<v Speaker 2>a movie in the car.

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<v Speaker 1>Trip to target.

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<v Speaker 2>I used to have to dry ride four hours with

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<v Speaker 2>a crayon and a book, and now you need alsa

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<v Speaker 2>to get the Harris Teeter set the standard that we

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<v Speaker 2>ought to mine.

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<v Speaker 1>Through What time I was complaining? I preach on a

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday night. My friend came he's on staff at another church.

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<v Speaker 2>And I was apologizing to him because the crowd was

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<v Speaker 2>a little down because I was used to being packed

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<v Speaker 2>out an elevation on Saturday night. I said, I'm sorry, man,

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<v Speaker 2>it was kind of it was kind of down today.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, your down day would be my revival.

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<v Speaker 2>I needed that because sometimes you let your standard get

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<v Speaker 2>out of control. Sometimes as the church, we want to

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<v Speaker 2>put a standard on the world that we ourselves don't

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<v Speaker 2>even exemplify. We can't even figure out racial reconciliation within

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<v Speaker 2>the context of the community of faith.

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<v Speaker 1>But then we want to judge it when it's in

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<v Speaker 1>the world.

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<v Speaker 2>For God's got a remnant. God always has a remnant.

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<v Speaker 2>I believe God is raising up elevation Church as a remnant.

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<v Speaker 1>In this day to.

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<v Speaker 2>Raise the standard of what church can be and how

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<v Speaker 2>broad this message really is. We're here to raise the standard.

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<v Speaker 2>I wonder who set your standard?

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<v Speaker 1>See?

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<v Speaker 2>How can you expect God to be your strength if

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<v Speaker 2>he didn't set your standards? How can I expect success

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<v Speaker 2>if I don't have a standard of excellence. If I

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<v Speaker 2>have not established a standard of excellence in my life,

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<v Speaker 2>why would I expect God to bless my blemished offerings.

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<v Speaker 2>You could take a little time off your sermons, you

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<v Speaker 2>know nobody would notice. But why would I ask God

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<v Speaker 2>to bless something that my whole heart wasn't in. It's

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<v Speaker 2>hard to preciate in church because in church people think

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<v Speaker 2>that if it's for God, it doesn't have to be good.

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<v Speaker 2>Church can become a place where we just bring God

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<v Speaker 2>any old thing. We show up on time for something

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<v Speaker 2>we buy a ticket for, but we thirty five minutes

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<v Speaker 2>late to get the church, and it doesn't matter because

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<v Speaker 2>it's like the preliminary stuff or something like that.

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<v Speaker 1>Just bring God any old thing and listen.

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<v Speaker 2>I am not talking about keeping God's standards so that

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<v Speaker 2>you'll earn his love. This is not about keeping rules

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<v Speaker 2>so that God will love you. It's because living right,

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<v Speaker 2>because He does not living up to a standard, but

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<v Speaker 2>living out of a standard. Christ in you the Hope

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<v Speaker 2>of Glory, or as Romans says, that the righteous requirements

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<v Speaker 2>of the law might be fully met in us who.

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<v Speaker 1>Walk not after the flesh but the spirit.

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<v Speaker 2>For years I read it that the righteous requirements of

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<v Speaker 2>the law might be met by us. Now I realize

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<v Speaker 2>it's not something God wants from me, as something that

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<v Speaker 2>he wants for me. He has given me a standard.

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<v Speaker 2>He has called me his child, and to live beneath

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<v Speaker 2>that is to be like Eve and to speak to

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<v Speaker 2>something that you should be stepping on. But a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of times we have an expectation with no standard. A

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<v Speaker 2>standard of excellence means doing the best with what you have.

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<v Speaker 2>And until I've done the best with what I have,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't feel like I should ask God to do

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<v Speaker 2>what he can do if I haven't done what I

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<v Speaker 2>can do, and you run into all kinds of problems

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<v Speaker 2>with this, you know, even from early in the church.

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<v Speaker 1>Early in the church, I.

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<v Speaker 2>Wanted to have a standard, you know, and we didn't

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<v Speaker 2>have money, but I wanted a standard. And we didn't

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<v Speaker 2>have equipment, but I wanted a standard. So I was

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<v Speaker 2>the worship leader when we started, the standard was lower.

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<v Speaker 1>Than it is now. I got in at a good time, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>I was the only one available, and.

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<v Speaker 2>So so I had to organize the band, and I

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<v Speaker 2>bought in this guitar player for one of our first rehearsals.

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<v Speaker 1>And he came in and he didn't practice. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>I got busy this week. I didn't practice this week.

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<v Speaker 1>But I'm good. So I let him practice with us.

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<v Speaker 2>Then after practice, I pulled him aside because I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>want embarrass him. I said, hey, man, we won't be

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<v Speaker 2>needing you Sunday because you didn't practice.

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<v Speaker 3>He said, really, He said, You're going to kick me

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<v Speaker 3>out the church because I didn't practice.

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<v Speaker 1>I said, no, you can come to church, you just

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<v Speaker 1>can't come with a guitar on and standing on the stage.

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<v Speaker 1>You come to church. All you want, I said, your.

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<v Speaker 2>Seat, the chant playing, And I gave him a fifty

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<v Speaker 2>dollars gas card. I said, here you go, man, and

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<v Speaker 2>but you're not playing. He said, your standards are too high.

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<v Speaker 1>Nobody.

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<v Speaker 2>He said, nobody's going to want to be a part

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<v Speaker 2>of this ministry because the standards are too high.

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<v Speaker 1>And he was right, nobody this whole thing just I

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<v Speaker 1>heard a story. Listen.

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<v Speaker 2>I heard a story last night from an e group

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<v Speaker 2>in our church. The couple that came a couple of

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<v Speaker 2>years ago. They were sharing their story how they got here.

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<v Speaker 2>They said, we hated it when we first came, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was waiting for the twist, you know, because you're

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<v Speaker 2>here now and you came years ago, they said. We

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<v Speaker 2>came in and somebody at the door said we couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>bring our Starbucks in church. And we had just spent

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<v Speaker 2>five dollars each on our Starbucks. And I sat through

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<v Speaker 2>the first part of the sermon all mad about my Starbucks.

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<v Speaker 2>But then in the middle of the sermon, I started crying.

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<v Speaker 2>And then when we left the church, we were getting

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<v Speaker 2>in our car and.

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<v Speaker 1>Somebody chased us down.

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<v Speaker 2>The same person that told us we couldn't have our

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<v Speaker 2>Starbucks in church said, while you were in service, we

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<v Speaker 2>went and got you a Starbucks gift car and chase

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<v Speaker 2>them down with the Starbucks S gift card. And it

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't even my sermon that William to Christ. It was Starbucks,

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<v Speaker 2>But it was a standard. See because I feel like,

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<v Speaker 2>why should I ask people to tithe to this ministry

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<v Speaker 2>and then have lazy staff members who don't even want

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<v Speaker 2>to practice. Why should I expect you to invite your

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<v Speaker 2>friends to church and not have a standard of excellence

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<v Speaker 2>on this stage? Why should I expect God to bless

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<v Speaker 2>something that I am not invested in? Why should we

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<v Speaker 2>expect God to bless our lives with success when we

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<v Speaker 2>have not established a standard of excellence. This is my

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<v Speaker 2>year to bring my best to God, to bring him

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<v Speaker 2>a worthy offering. I will not offer the Lord that

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<v Speaker 2>which cost me nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>How can I.

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<v Speaker 2>Expect God to bless me with success when I have

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<v Speaker 2>no standard of excellent us? How can I expect God

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<v Speaker 2>to bless me with abundance when I have no standard

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<v Speaker 2>of stewardship. The standard comes before the strength. He will

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<v Speaker 2>be a spirit of justice to the one who sits

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<v Speaker 2>in judgment, and a source of strength to him who

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<v Speaker 2>turns back the battle at the gate. The standard, then

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<v Speaker 2>the strength, the standard, then the strength. So if I

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<v Speaker 2>want God to be my provider, I have to make

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<v Speaker 2>a plan. Why would God give me provision if I

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<v Speaker 2>don't have a plan for it. Why would God bless

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<v Speaker 2>me with more when I'm not even generous with what

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<v Speaker 2>I have? Why would he pour out of his resources

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<v Speaker 2>into closed hands. I need a standard. That's why I

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<v Speaker 2>give the first ten percent to God. That's my standard.

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<v Speaker 2>He's first. This is off limits. It's not for negotiation.

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<v Speaker 2>This is my standard. God comes first. Your children shouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>even have to ask you are we going to church

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<v Speaker 2>this week unless you got the Flooh, of course we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to church. It's our standard. I don't care who's playing.

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<v Speaker 2>It's our standard. I don't care who's preaching. It's our standard.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't care how bad the parking lot is.

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<v Speaker 1>It's our standard that God is working. I'll sit in traffic.

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<v Speaker 1>He's God. I got standers. I got standards. See, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's where my strength comes from. My standards.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't have to waste time making decisions about standards

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<v Speaker 2>that I should have said a long time ago.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't have to negotiate between the gates. I have standards.

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<v Speaker 2>How can I expect God to give me stability if

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<v Speaker 2>I don't have a standard of integrity. A lot of

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<v Speaker 2>times we ask God to help us feel better. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>we're not going to feel better until we do better.

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<v Speaker 2>And when you're managing secrets that you won't bring before

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<v Speaker 2>God and confessed to him so that he can begin

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<v Speaker 2>the process of healing, you will always feel off inside.

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<v Speaker 2>God can't be the source of your strength if he's

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<v Speaker 2>not the source of your standards. How can I expect

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<v Speaker 2>God to give me influence if I will not embrace

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<v Speaker 2>the standard of sacrifice that influence requires. I want the influence,

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<v Speaker 2>not the sacrifice. I want the resurrection, but not the crucifixion.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll sell your standards.

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<v Speaker 2>How can I expect to live in freedom if I

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<v Speaker 2>do not embrace God's standard of forgiveness. If I hold

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<v Speaker 2>on to every offense and let it all in the gate,

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<v Speaker 2>don't turn back to battle. If I'm looking for reasons

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<v Speaker 2>to be offended, looking for reasons to be angry, I

0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.680
<v Speaker 2>should not be surprised when I find myself in a

0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:06.440
<v Speaker 2>low emotional state. How can I be free from what

0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:12.000
<v Speaker 2>I let walk right through my front door? How can

0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.400
<v Speaker 2>I expect to walk in freedom if I have not

0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:21.960
<v Speaker 2>chosen to walk in forgiveness. It is the standard of

0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:24.720
<v Speaker 2>forgiveness that enables me to live in freedom.

0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:25.920
<v Speaker 1>I don't forgive you for you.

0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:35.160
<v Speaker 2>I forgive you because I want to be free. How

0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:40.120
<v Speaker 2>can I expect God's peace in my life if.

0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:41.280
<v Speaker 1>I don't control my meditation?

0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:46.240
<v Speaker 2>How can I receive strength that God is trying to

0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.920
<v Speaker 2>give me if I just let any thought in? How

0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:53.040
<v Speaker 2>can I expect to live in a state of joyful

0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:56.960
<v Speaker 2>celebration of my progress if I allow myself to constantly complain.

0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:03.040
<v Speaker 2>And sometimes I'm complaining or criticizing. I can be real

0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.360
<v Speaker 2>critical because I got that excellence thing. And the flip

0:15:06.400 --> 0:15:10.600
<v Speaker 2>side of excellence is judgmental when I try to put

0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:15.720
<v Speaker 2>my standard on you, which is always wrong, which is

0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:19.360
<v Speaker 2>always wrong. And so now I've opened my mouth and

0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:21.840
<v Speaker 2>I thought I was complaining or I thought I was criticizing,

0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:24.840
<v Speaker 2>and I told myself, I'm just letting it out. No,

0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.760
<v Speaker 2>I'm letting it in. I left my gate wide open

0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:33.640
<v Speaker 2>to the enemy because I have no standard. But when

0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.680
<v Speaker 2>I set a standard for my speech and my thoughts,

0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.320
<v Speaker 2>I turned back the battle at the gate.

0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:41.080
<v Speaker 1>And now I'm.

0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 2>Not in the stranglehold of a system of thought that

0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:47.040
<v Speaker 2>I allowed myself to flirt with. And now I'm living

0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.080
<v Speaker 2>in a state of joy, and I'm living at a

0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:52.520
<v Speaker 2>level above the serpent, and he's under my feet. And

0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.320
<v Speaker 2>I am not negotiating with what God called me to

0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:59.240
<v Speaker 2>trample on. I said, I'm not going to conversate with

0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:02.920
<v Speaker 2>what God has given me the ability to crush. I'm

0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:10.720
<v Speaker 2>taking my stand and I'm setting my standard. How can

0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:15.000
<v Speaker 2>I expect God's strength if I do not embrace God's standard?

0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:22.200
<v Speaker 2>How can we expect God to give our nation unity

0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:35.240
<v Speaker 2>if we do not embrace his standard of equality? He

0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:38.840
<v Speaker 2>will be a spirit of justice to the one who

0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:43.960
<v Speaker 2>sits in judgment. And when we allow inequality and prejudice

0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:49.160
<v Speaker 2>and stereotypes and oppression to go unchecked and then ask

0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:53.280
<v Speaker 2>God to make us one, we are violating the very

0:16:53.320 --> 0:17:04.719
<v Speaker 2>principle that will create unity. And then we come up

0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:09.320
<v Speaker 2>on a weekend and we celebrate Doctor King rightfully, but

0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:14.160
<v Speaker 2>we celebrate him at the wrong level because we celebrate

0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:23.320
<v Speaker 2>his speeches. The Doctor King's life was not about speeches.

0:17:23.760 --> 0:17:25.040
<v Speaker 1>It was about standards.

0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:34.639
<v Speaker 2>And I'm so afraid that we want God.

0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:37.800
<v Speaker 1>We want God to be our mascot.

0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:41.639
<v Speaker 2>We want God to be like one of those little

0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:45.960
<v Speaker 2>you know, those little stuffed animals, the ones that talk

0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:46.960
<v Speaker 2>when you pull the string.

0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:48.480
<v Speaker 1>And we got our little.

0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.000
<v Speaker 2>Jesus doll that we pull out, and we pull the string,

0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:53.240
<v Speaker 2>and Jesus has about three little things that he says,

0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:57.560
<v Speaker 2>you know, love your neighbor, and love your enemies. And

0:17:57.600 --> 0:17:59.800
<v Speaker 2>we pull the string. We pull the string, and he

0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:02.720
<v Speaker 2>just as these little sayings. And we don't want his standards.

0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:10.280
<v Speaker 2>We just want his sayings. And we'll listen to speeches. Well,

0:18:10.520 --> 0:18:14.240
<v Speaker 2>we'll listen to I have a dream. But a dream

0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:17.920
<v Speaker 2>without action, and a dream without process, and a dream

0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:21.720
<v Speaker 2>without justice is a delusion. So we got to raise

0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:25.160
<v Speaker 2>the standard and declare that some things are not all right.

0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:31.160
<v Speaker 2>There has to be a standard. We are the people

0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:43.359
<v Speaker 2>of God. Where is our standard? We can't wait for

0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:44.440
<v Speaker 2>anybody else.

0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:45.320
<v Speaker 1>To set our standard.

0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:48.639
<v Speaker 2>We are the Church, we are the light of the world.

0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.600
<v Speaker 1>We are the ones in the King. It's us.

0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:01.760
<v Speaker 2>Not be the source of our strength. If He is

0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:05.520
<v Speaker 2>not the source of our standards. We cannot poison the

0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:14.120
<v Speaker 2>well and then complain about the water. Do you hear

0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:17.320
<v Speaker 2>what I'm trying to say. We've got to stop it

0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:22.360
<v Speaker 2>at the source to draw a bloodline in the name

0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:27.760
<v Speaker 2>of Jesus and say this stuffs here. These are my standards.

0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:31.439
<v Speaker 2>I will not apologize. I will not always live up

0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:35.280
<v Speaker 2>to them, but I am pressing toward the mark for

0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:36.680
<v Speaker 2>the pride.

0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:41.960
<v Speaker 1>Of the high calling. I got a hot calling, and

0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:44.680
<v Speaker 1>I will not live with low standards.

0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:53.479
<v Speaker 2>God is looking for somebody to turn back the battle

0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.960
<v Speaker 2>at the gate at the gate at the very beginning

0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:00.000
<v Speaker 2>of the year. You know, most people want to get

0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.840
<v Speaker 2>get out of the gate strong. We want to get

0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:09.800
<v Speaker 2>in the gate strong, take ownership and responsibility for our attitudes.

0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:14.240
<v Speaker 1>And He will be.

0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:17.840
<v Speaker 2>Spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment,

0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:21.639
<v Speaker 2>source of strength to the one who turns back the

0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:25.520
<v Speaker 2>battle at the gate. If you want to be one

0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:30.440
<v Speaker 2>of those that he speaks about who will turn back

0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.640
<v Speaker 2>the battle at the gate, I want you to stand

0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:38.280
<v Speaker 2>to your feet right now on every campus, because I

0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:42.119
<v Speaker 2>believe God has given us an opportunity. The gates of

0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:49.240
<v Speaker 2>change start with our standards. I kind of wish we

0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:53.119
<v Speaker 2>could sit down after this, kind of wish we could

0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:56.840
<v Speaker 2>take a moment and look at areas of your life

0:20:57.200 --> 0:21:01.720
<v Speaker 2>where you're feeling weak and you need stre Because in

0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:03.199
<v Speaker 2>the area where you need strength.

0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:05.199
<v Speaker 1>That's where you need standards.

0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:08.720
<v Speaker 2>I'm not talking about twenty rules for you to keep

0:21:08.760 --> 0:21:11.879
<v Speaker 2>that you tried to keep last year. I'm not talking

0:21:11.880 --> 0:21:15.399
<v Speaker 2>about that kind of religious spirit that builds a ladder

0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:16.960
<v Speaker 2>for you to climb to God. I'm talking about a

0:21:17.000 --> 0:21:21.320
<v Speaker 2>ladder that came down to you. And the first step

0:21:22.840 --> 0:21:27.160
<v Speaker 2>of these changes is standards. Standards.

0:21:27.200 --> 0:21:30.520
<v Speaker 1>What are your standards? Who set them?

0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:32.480
<v Speaker 2>Who set the standard for you of what it means

0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:35.760
<v Speaker 2>to be a man? Who set the standard for you

0:21:35.800 --> 0:21:38.600
<v Speaker 2>of what it means to be a Christian? Just to

0:21:38.600 --> 0:21:41.560
<v Speaker 2>pray a prayer one time, show up to church when

0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:45.720
<v Speaker 2>it's convenient, Try not to cuss too much. The devil

0:21:45.840 --> 0:21:48.639
<v Speaker 2>is a liar. There's a higher standard. This thing is

0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:50.440
<v Speaker 2>meant to consume all of my life. That changes the

0:21:50.440 --> 0:21:52.600
<v Speaker 2>way I see, the way I speak, the way I think,

0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:55.960
<v Speaker 2>the way I treat my brother, the way I treat

0:21:56.000 --> 0:22:05.120
<v Speaker 2>my sister. I got a new standard here, and God

0:22:05.200 --> 0:22:07.080
<v Speaker 2>is looking for people at the beginning of this year

0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:11.720
<v Speaker 2>who will raise the standard. The beautiful thing about it

0:22:11.760 --> 0:22:15.480
<v Speaker 2>is that He is not going to cause you to

0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:16.720
<v Speaker 2>have to reach the standard.

0:22:17.520 --> 0:22:21.960
<v Speaker 3>He's only calling you to raise it, and he will

0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:23.000
<v Speaker 3>give you the grace.

0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:28.800
<v Speaker 1>The draw a line and say stops here.

0:22:30.240 --> 0:22:31.960
<v Speaker 2>Are there some things in your life today that you

0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:36.720
<v Speaker 2>need to say stops here. I'm not going to talk

0:22:36.760 --> 0:22:39.639
<v Speaker 2>that way, think that way, live that way. I'm not

0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:42.760
<v Speaker 2>going to just allow unrestricted access to everything that wants

0:22:42.760 --> 0:22:45.600
<v Speaker 2>to come into my space or my spirit to dominate my.

0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:47.240
<v Speaker 1>Life and sabotage.

0:22:48.800 --> 0:22:56.520
<v Speaker 2>My story. This year, I'm raising the standard, and when

0:22:56.520 --> 0:22:59.440
<v Speaker 2>the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of

0:22:59.480 --> 0:23:02.120
<v Speaker 2>the Lord will as a standard against him.

0:23:02.640 --> 0:23:07.040
<v Speaker 3>He will be a spirit of justice, a wreath for

0:23:07.080 --> 0:23:07.600
<v Speaker 3>the remnant

0:23:09.320 --> 0:23:09.439
<v Speaker 2>Him.