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

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Speaker 1: to the podcast and thanks for.

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Speaker 2: Supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an.

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Speaker 1: Awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, and favor filled.

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Speaker 2: God bless you today and enjoy the message. God bless you.

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Speaker 1: It's great to be with you today, and I hope

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Speaker 1: you'll stay connected with us during the week through our

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Speaker 1: daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can

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Speaker 1: come visit us in person. We'd love to have you

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Speaker 1: be a part of one of our services. I'd like

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Speaker 1: to start with something funny, and I heard about these

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Speaker 1: two professional baseball players. They were discussing whether or not

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Speaker 1: they thought there would be baseball up in heaven. They

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Speaker 1: made an agreement that whoever died first would come back

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Speaker 1: and tell if there was indeed baseball in heaven. A

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Speaker 1: few months later, when of the players die, just like

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Speaker 1: he promised, he came back said to the other player,

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Speaker 1: I've got good news, I've got bad news.

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Speaker 2: The good news is there is baseball up in heaven.

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Speaker 1: The bad news is your scheduled to pitch next Thursday.

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

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Speaker 1: I am what it says.

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Speaker 2: I am.

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

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Speaker 1: what it says I can do. Today I will be

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Speaker 1: taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind

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Speaker 1: is alert, my heart is receptive.

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Speaker 2: I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God

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Speaker 2: bless you.

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Speaker 1: I want to talk to you today about taking your

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Speaker 1: image off the throne. It's easy to go through life

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Speaker 1: making decisions based on what people will think.

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Speaker 2: How will this make me look?

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Speaker 1: Will this be impressive? Will this gain me more followers?

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Speaker 2: Will they approve me?

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Speaker 1: When we live image driven, we can't be real, we

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Speaker 1: can't be authentic. We have to hide this weakness or

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Speaker 1: they may think less of us.

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Speaker 2: We have to play up to this person to stay

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Speaker 2: in their favor. We have to drive this, wear this

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Speaker 2: be seen with these people.

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Speaker 1: We spend so much energy protecting this image we've created.

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Speaker 1: And there's nothing wrong with looking good, being successful, carrying

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Speaker 1: yourself with confidence. That's all healthy. But where it crosses

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Speaker 1: the line is when you become.

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Speaker 2: Driven by your image.

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Speaker 1: You run everything through the filter of how it's going

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Speaker 1: to make you look. Jesus said to the Pharisees, you

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Speaker 1: do everything for show. You wear these long robes to

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Speaker 1: look better than others. You give in front of people,

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Speaker 1: to be impressive. You sit in the best seats so

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Speaker 1: you'll be well thought of.

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Speaker 2: And none of those.

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Speaker 1: Things in themselves are bad. To wear nice clothes, to

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Speaker 1: be a giver, to have a good position. The issue

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Speaker 1: was their motives. They were doing it all to be seen,

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Speaker 1: to impress people, to build their ego.

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Speaker 2: The problem with living image driven.

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Speaker 1: Is it will wear you out the pressure of trying

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Speaker 1: to keep up with people, impress your friends, look better

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Speaker 1: than your neighbor, hide how you feel, act like everything's

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Speaker 1: okay when it's not.

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Speaker 2: That's not sustainable.

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Speaker 1: The reason some people are so stressed run down is

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Speaker 1: they have their image on the throne. They're doing everything

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Speaker 1: to protect how they're seen.

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Speaker 2: But you need to.

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Speaker 1: Take your image off the throne and put God back

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Speaker 1: on the throne. You don't have to perform, you don't

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Speaker 1: have to pretend.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to keep up with your friends.

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Speaker 1: If they only accept you if you perform to their standards,

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Speaker 1: they're not true friends. Such a freedom when you can

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Speaker 1: be real, be vulnerable, not worry about what other people think.

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Speaker 1: That's a treadmill that never stops to sure way to

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Speaker 1: drain your energy, stopple your creativity.

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Speaker 2: Steal your joy.

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Speaker 1: Pulsed in Romans, we should be conformed to the image

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Speaker 1: of Christ. But I've found if you're obsessed with your image,

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Speaker 1: you can't be conformed to his image. You're always thinking

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Speaker 1: about what people think. It is going to be impressive?

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Speaker 1: Will they approve me that? And you're not going to

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Speaker 1: become who you were created to be. A friend of

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Speaker 1: mine works in the entertainment industry. He's very popular, has

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Speaker 1: a dynamic personality. He's seen as strong, talented, successful.

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Speaker 2: In the movies. He plays action heroes.

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Speaker 1: He's the good guy saving the day, hosting television shows.

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Speaker 1: He's so friendly, so likable, big smile. But he told

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Speaker 1: how he became.

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Speaker 2: Obsessed with his image, what people thought about him, how

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Speaker 2: he looked.

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Speaker 1: He always projected this image of success, strength, being so happy.

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Speaker 2: The problem was it was all a facade. He was pretending.

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Speaker 1: In real life, he was falling apart, his wife was

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Speaker 1: leaving him.

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Speaker 2: He struggled with an addiction.

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Speaker 1: He didn't like who he was, but every day he

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Speaker 1: would put on that mask.

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Speaker 2: Got to make sure I look good today.

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Speaker 1: People would see him on the streets, Hey man, I

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Speaker 1: love you, You're so great in that movie.

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Speaker 2: He'd give them my a high five, thank you so much.

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Speaker 1: The whole time he was thinking, I'm not great, I'm depressed,

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Speaker 1: I'm hurting, I'm lonely.

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Speaker 2: He was so obsessed with his image.

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Speaker 1: He couldn't be real. He wouldn't let anyone see who

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Speaker 1: he really was. One day he did what I'm asking

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Speaker 1: us to do.

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Speaker 2: He took off the mask.

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Speaker 1: He quit pretending, He got honest with himself, got the

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Speaker 1: help he needed. He went to a recovery program and

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Speaker 1: broke the addiction. He got help in his marriage, his wife,

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Speaker 1: who had left him, she came back home. Today, they're

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Speaker 1: happily married with their children. He's healed, he's whole. None

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Speaker 1: of this would have happened if he'd kept hiding behind

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Speaker 1: the image he was projecting. Now, I'm not saying you

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Speaker 1: have to tell people all your issues, announce all your secrets.

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Speaker 1: What I'm saying is you don't have to hide. You

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Speaker 1: don't have to pretend worried about what people will think.

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Speaker 1: The ones that look like they have it all together,

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Speaker 1: can I tell you they have issues too. Everyone is

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Speaker 1: dealing with something. There's no shame in saying I need help.

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Speaker 1: I'm not what I look like. I'm struggling, I'm.

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Speaker 2: Hurting, I'm broken.

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Speaker 1: It takes humility to take your image off the throne,

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Speaker 1: to not worry about what people think, to not live

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Speaker 1: trying to impress, trying to gain their approval.

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Speaker 2: So much better to be real, to be vulnerable.

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Speaker 1: In the story of the Prodigal Son, the young man

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Speaker 1: asked his father for his inheritance early. He left home

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Speaker 1: and wasted it all partying, living wild.

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Speaker 2: Making poor decisions.

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Speaker 1: When the money ran out, the only job he could

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Speaker 1: find was working in a hog pen feeding hogs. He

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Speaker 1: got so desperate he had to eat the hogfood to survive.

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Speaker 1: The scripture says when he came to himself, he said,

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Speaker 1: I will arise and go back to my father's house.

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Speaker 1: If he was living image driven, he would have never

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Speaker 1: gone home.

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Speaker 2: He would have thought, I'm not gonna let anyone.

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Speaker 1: See me in this condition, down, dirty, working in a

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Speaker 1: hog pen.

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Speaker 2: I've got an image to protect.

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Speaker 1: I want them to think I'm happy, successful, on top

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Speaker 1: of the world. But as long as you're pretending, as

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Speaker 1: long as you're wearing a mask, you won't get the

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Speaker 1: help that you need. Like this young man, you have

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Speaker 1: to come to yourself, not who you pretend to be,

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Speaker 1: not the image you've created, not who other people think

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Speaker 1: you are. Second Corinthian says, with unveiled faces, we reveal

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Speaker 1: the glory of God. As long as your face is veiled,

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Speaker 1: as long as you're wearing a mask, you want see

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Speaker 1: God's glory. You want see the freedom, the wholeness, the abundance.

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Speaker 1: Why don't you take off the mask? Well, Joel, what

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Speaker 1: will people think if I'm not perfect, if I still

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Speaker 1: struggle in this area, if I need help?

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Speaker 2: You know what they'll think. They'll think you're real.

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Speaker 1: They'll think you're brave, they'll think you're honest and sure,

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Speaker 1: some will judge, some may look down on you. But

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Speaker 1: what they think about you doesn't stop your destiny. Quit

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Speaker 1: worrying about what they think.

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Speaker 2: It's always going to be someone.

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Speaker 1: That doesn't understand you, that won't be for you, that

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Speaker 1: tries to make you feel small. But there will be

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Speaker 1: other people God has ordained for you that will be

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Speaker 1: there to help you, to bring you out of the struggle,

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Speaker 1: to lift you when you're down, to speak victory when

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Speaker 1: you feel defeat. When the young man returned home, the

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Speaker 1: father who represents God was there with open arms. He

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Speaker 1: hugged him, kissed him, put a new robe on him,

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Speaker 1: new shoes, gave him the family ring that represents authority.

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Speaker 1: The other brother was kind of jealous of all the attention.

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Speaker 1: He didn't like this brother being celebrated. When you take

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Speaker 1: off your mask, when you get real, you're vulnerable. Some

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Speaker 1: people may not accept you. They may find fault. They

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Speaker 1: like seeing you down, say they look better. But your

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Speaker 1: heavenly father, the one who matters, He accepts you.

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Speaker 2: He'll restore you.

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Speaker 1: He'll put a new robe on you. He'll help you

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Speaker 1: break the addiction.

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Speaker 2: He'll deliver you from what's holding your back.

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Speaker 1: He'll give your friends that will celebrate you, friends that

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Speaker 1: will be for you. Yeah, you may have a few

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Speaker 1: walk away, a few that judge you, but you don't

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Speaker 1: need them in your life. They were just out for

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Speaker 1: what you could do for them. True friends, you don't

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Speaker 1: have to wear a mask. You don't have to pretend.

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Speaker 1: You don't have to hope that you can measure up.

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Speaker 1: They accept you for who you are, not for how

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Speaker 1: you look, how you perform, who you know. I like

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Speaker 1: this phrase. I heard what you think about me is

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Speaker 1: none of my business.

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Speaker 2: People can think anything they want.

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Speaker 1: It's a free world, but your part is to make

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Speaker 1: it none of your business. You don't have time to

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Speaker 1: worry about everyone's.

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Speaker 2: Opinion of you.

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Speaker 1: You have a destiny to fulfill, you have an assignment

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Speaker 1: to accomplish. It's not going to happen if your image driven,

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Speaker 1: If you're making decisions based on other people's opinions, how

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Speaker 1: will this make me look? Truth is, no matter how

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Speaker 1: hard we try, someone is going to judge, someone is

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Speaker 1: going to talk about you.

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Speaker 2: Someone's not going to like you.

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Speaker 1: You can spend all your time trying to win them over,

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Speaker 1: performing perfectly, doing whatever they please, but it will never

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Speaker 1: be enough. Don't waste another day trying to get their approval.

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Speaker 1: You don't need them to validate you. Almighty God has

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Speaker 1: already approved you. Pastor friend of mine has a teenage

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Speaker 1: daughter and she got pregnant when she was fifteen, and.

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Speaker 2: He was so upset.

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Speaker 1: He felt like he had failed as a parent. He's

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Speaker 1: a good man, he has a great ministry. He came

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Speaker 1: to me with tears in his eyes tell me about it,

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Speaker 1: and he was so concerned about how I would respond.

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Speaker 1: I think less of him, but I've learned to not

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Speaker 1: judge people. Everyone is on a journey. The mercy you

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Speaker 1: show others is the mercy that will be shown back

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Speaker 1: to you when you're attempted to look down on someone.

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Speaker 1: I can't believe they did that. I can't believe he

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Speaker 1: still struggles in that area. Just remember, if it was

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Speaker 1: not for the grace of God, that could be you.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't just your own strength, just your own choices.

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Speaker 1: It was the mercy of God keeping it from you.

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Speaker 1: He was very appreciative of the grace that I showed him,

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Speaker 1: but he was still concerned about what people were going

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Speaker 1: to think, and how it was going to look, and

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Speaker 1: who was going to start talking. I told him what

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Speaker 1: I'm telling you. You can't control all of that. If

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Speaker 1: you live trying to protect your image, keep everyone happy,

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Speaker 1: hoping they'll understand, then you're going to be frustrated. Life

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Speaker 1: happens to us all. You don't have to explain yourself

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Speaker 1: to everyone. You don't have to convince people to try

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Speaker 1: to be for you. The ones that are judgmental won't

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Speaker 1: show you any mercy. You can be sure they have

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Speaker 1: issues too, They have things they're dealing with that they're

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Speaker 1: not telling you about. There's no shame in being open

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Speaker 1: and honest. The enemy would love for us all to

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Speaker 1: hide behind masks, go around pretending, acting like we're perfect,

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Speaker 1: making sure nobody sees our flaws, projecting.

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Speaker 2: This image that we can't live up to.

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Speaker 1: Paul said in Second Corinthians, we refuse to wear masks

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Speaker 1: and play games. We keep everything out in the open,

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Speaker 1: the whole truth on display.

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Speaker 2: Do you need to take off a mask today? Do

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Speaker 2: you need to quit.

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Speaker 1: Pretending, hiding what you need to deal with like the Pharisees,

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Speaker 1: doing things for show, trying to create this image of

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Speaker 1: who you are instead of.

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Speaker 2: Just being who you are. How many people are living

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Speaker 2: for this image?

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Speaker 1: This is who I want you to see me as

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Speaker 1: someone greater, smarter, prettier, more popular.

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Speaker 2: When the truth is who God made you to be

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Speaker 2: is the best you. You don't need the image. Just

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Speaker 2: be you. You're made in the image of God. You

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Speaker 2: already have the best image.

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Speaker 1: You don't need to pretend. You don't need to do

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Speaker 1: things for show. Live to please people. Having their approval

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Speaker 1: is overrated. It doesn't move you towards your destiny. Be

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Speaker 1: confident in who God made you to be. This is

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Speaker 1: where Saul missed it. He was the first king of Israel.

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Speaker 1: He was tall, handsome, he looked like a king. God

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Speaker 1: chose him from obscurity, didn't come from a prominent family,

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Speaker 1: wasn't raised in wealth and influence. Suddenly he was thrust

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Speaker 1: into a position that he never dreamed possible. And he

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Speaker 1: started out good, doing what God asked him to do.

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Speaker 1: But over time he made the mistake that's easy to make.

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Speaker 1: He started letting what people thought, how he.

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Speaker 2: Would be accepted, influence his decisions.

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Speaker 1: For Samuel sixteen, God gave him specific instructions to wipe

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Speaker 1: out all of the Amalekites.

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Speaker 2: Not to spare anyone or anything, the leaders, the.

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Speaker 1: Animals, the flocks, the supplies, but to destroy them all.

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Speaker 2: He went and attack. He obeyed that part.

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Speaker 1: But instead of destroying everything, he spared the king. He

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Speaker 1: kept the best cattle, the best sheep, all the supplies.

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Speaker 2: The next day, the prophet Samuel showed up.

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Speaker 1: Saul greeted him, said, so excitedly, I did what the

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Speaker 1: Lord commanded.

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Speaker 2: We won the victory.

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Speaker 1: Samuel said, if you did what he commanded, why do

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Speaker 1: I hear those sheep? Why do I see those cattle?

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Speaker 1: Saul said, Oh, come on, Samuel, I just kept a

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Speaker 1: few so our people could enjoy them. I didn't destroy

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Speaker 1: all the supplies. We can use them in the future.

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Speaker 2: Besides, some of these the sheep, we're.

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Speaker 1: Going to take and sacrifice them to God started making

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Speaker 1: all these excuses, all these reasons why he didn't do it.

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Speaker 1: Samuel said, Saul, obedience is much better than sacrifice Verse

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Speaker 1: twenty four. Saul finally admitted why he didn't fully obey.

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Speaker 1: He said, I did not follow God's commands, for I

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Speaker 1: was afraid of the people, and instead I did what

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Speaker 1: they demanded. How many of us are like Saul. We

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Speaker 1: know God has told us to do something. We feel

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Speaker 1: that impression down in here, but we have to please

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Speaker 1: the people. Someone may not understand, they may think less

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Speaker 1: of us, they may leave us out of their group.

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Speaker 2: Saul's attitude was I have to perform for my popularity,

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Speaker 2: to keep my followers.

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Speaker 1: My friends have to do what they want, impress, pretend, hide,

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Speaker 1: I have to keep this image up. The problem with

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Speaker 1: living image driven is you can't please God and please

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Speaker 1: people all of the time. Sometimes God will ask you

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Speaker 1: to do something that's not popular that people don't understand.

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Speaker 1: That your friends don't accept that cause coworkers to look

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Speaker 1: down on you. You mean you won't go party after work?

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Speaker 1: You think you're too good for us.

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Speaker 2: Don't you.

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Speaker 1: If your image driven, you'll say no, I'll go. I

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Speaker 1: don't want you to think less of me. But if

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Speaker 1: you're driven by your purpose, you'll say no, thanks, You'll

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Speaker 1: have to go without me.

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Speaker 2: I have a destiny to fulfill.

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Speaker 1: You'll be more interested in pleasing God than in pleasing people.

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Speaker 1: Because Saul was a people pleaser, because he wouldn't fully obey,

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Speaker 1: he lost the kingdom. What could have Saul become if

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Speaker 1: he had not lived image driven? Worried about what people think,

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Speaker 1: trying to impress, to perform, having to pretend to win

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Speaker 1: people over. None of that moves you forward. Be driven

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Speaker 1: by your purpose. Be more concerned about how God sees

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Speaker 1: you than how people see you.

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Speaker 2: He's the one that matters.

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Speaker 1: When my father went to be with the Lord and

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Speaker 1: I stepped up to pastor the church, there were a

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Speaker 1: lot of people telling me which direction to go and

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Speaker 1: who I should become. They were good people, they loved me.

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Speaker 1: But one wanted me to go this way, and another

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Speaker 1: that way, and another take the church this way.

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Speaker 2: There were so many voices that I was confused. I thought,

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Speaker 2: I don't even know who I am.

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Speaker 1: When you're always trying to please people, you can lose

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Speaker 1: who you are. My personality type is I want people

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Speaker 1: to accept me.

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Speaker 2: I want them to like me. I had to do

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Speaker 2: what I'm asking us to do.

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Speaker 1: I got quiet before God when I searched my heart,

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Speaker 1: I knew what he was leading me to do. The

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Speaker 1: problem was it was not what some of them wanted

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Speaker 1: me to do. I had to decide, am I going

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Speaker 1: to be who they want me to be? Or am

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Speaker 1: I going to be who God wants me to be.

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Speaker 1: I had to disappoint a few people in order to

344
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Speaker 1: not disappoint God.

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Speaker 2: Some of them look down on me. Few criticized. Couple

346
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Speaker 2: left the.

347
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Speaker 1: Church, said I would never make it, But I think

348
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Speaker 1: it's turned out okay.

349
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Speaker 2: It's better to please God than to please people.

350
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Speaker 1: Don't let them squeeze you into their mind. Take your

351
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Speaker 1: image off the throne. What other people want you to be.

352
00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:35,080
Speaker 1: Having to perform to keep their friendship, pretend to stay popular,

353
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Speaker 1: and pressed to be like that's too much pressure to

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Speaker 1: live under.

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Speaker 2: It's hard to be something you're not. It's hard to

356
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Speaker 2: keep everyone happening.

357
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Speaker 1: Wear different masks, pretending depending on who you're with. You

358
00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:54,919
Speaker 1: know what's easy, being you, being real, being vulnerable. What

359
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Speaker 1: makes it complicated is when we put our image on

360
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Speaker 1: the throne instead of having God on the throne. When

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Speaker 1: we're obsessed with our image, so much time and energy

362
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,200
Speaker 1: is spent trying to please others, trying to look good,

363
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,640
Speaker 1: we end up like the pharisees, doing things for show

364
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Speaker 1: and me impress them.

365
00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 2: This will make me more popular.

366
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Speaker 1: When the truth is doing what God's asking you to do,

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Speaker 1: being who He made you to be. That's where the

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Speaker 1: blessing is, That's where the anointing is, That's where the

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Speaker 1: power is.

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Speaker 2: When you take off the.

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Speaker 1: Mask and live as the authentic you, he'll shine down

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Speaker 1: his favor, take your further than you've ever dreamed. Saul

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Speaker 1: was rejected as the king. Samuel chose a young man

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Speaker 1: named David to be the next king. One difference between

375
00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:51,520
Speaker 1: Saul and David is David wasn't image driven. He didn't

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Speaker 1: spend his time worried about what other people thought, trying

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Speaker 1: to please everyone.

378
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,280
Speaker 2: His focus was on fulfilling his purpose.

379
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Speaker 1: One time, the Ark of the Covenant was a large

380
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,960
Speaker 1: box that represented where God lived it had been taken

381
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Speaker 1: from the Israelites. They'd been trying to get it back

382
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Speaker 1: for months. Finally David was able to recover it. He

383
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Speaker 1: brought it back to Jerusalem. There was a big celebration.

384
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Speaker 1: The scripture says David danced before the Lord with all

385
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Speaker 1: of his might. It was great, shouting trumpets, blowing music playing.

386
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Speaker 1: Right in the middle of it all, there's David putting

387
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Speaker 1: Michael Jackson to Shane, dancing, celebrating, worshiping, praising. Now David

388
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Speaker 1: was this respected, influential leader. He could have thought, I

389
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Speaker 1: need to be more reserved, proper and sophisticated. I can't

390
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Speaker 1: let these people see me show an emotion praising with

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Speaker 1: all my might. They may think I go to Lakewood,

392
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Speaker 1: that I'm one of those happy, joyful, victorious people. But

393
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Speaker 1: David didn't have his image on the throne. He didn't

394
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Speaker 1: run his worship through a filter of what people would think.

395
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,280
Speaker 1: When he saw the goodness of God, even though he

396
00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:06,640
Speaker 1: was the.

397
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Speaker 2: King, he didn't hold back. What he didn't know was

398
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Speaker 2: his wife. This was King Saul's daughter.

399
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Speaker 1: She was watching him dancing, praising, showing all this emotion,

400
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,760
Speaker 1: and she was offended. She looked at him and scorned disgusted.

401
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,600
Speaker 1: When David got home, she let him have it. She said,

402
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,880
Speaker 1: what were you doing out there, dancing like a fool

403
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:31,320
Speaker 1: showing your legs.

404
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,280
Speaker 2: Don't you know you're the king. You have an image

405
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:34,960
Speaker 2: to withhold.

406
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,640
Speaker 1: You're supposed to be prim proper, reserve. That was the

407
00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,920
Speaker 1: mold she was trying to put David in. David said,

408
00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,400
Speaker 1: in effect, I love you, but I wasn't dancing under you.

409
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,640
Speaker 2: I was dancing unto my God.

410
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,000
Speaker 1: I was thanking him for the great mercy, the great

411
00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,320
Speaker 1: favor that he's shown me. He went on to say,

412
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Speaker 1: I'm willing to look like a fool to express the

413
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:03,120
Speaker 1: goodness of God by life. David was saying, you may

414
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,160
Speaker 1: look down on me, but that's okay.

415
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,119
Speaker 2: My image is not on the throne. God is on

416
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Speaker 2: the throne.

417
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Speaker 1: I'm not going to be who people want me to be.

418
00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,680
Speaker 1: I'm going to be who God wants me to be.

419
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,720
Speaker 1: Notice the difference between King Saul and King David. Saul

420
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,679
Speaker 1: was a people pleaser, David was a God pleaser. Saul

421
00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,479
Speaker 1: had his image on the throne. David had God on

422
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,520
Speaker 1: the throne. Saul was driven by his image. David was

423
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,040
Speaker 1: driven by his purpose. Don't be a Saul and miss

424
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:33,800
Speaker 1: your destiny.

425
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,639
Speaker 2: Be a David and like with David.

426
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,840
Speaker 1: Sure, there will be people that try to put you

427
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,200
Speaker 1: in their box, convince you to be who they want.

428
00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:42,520
Speaker 2: You to be.

429
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,439
Speaker 1: If you're not strong, if you're focused on having people

430
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,439
Speaker 1: approve you, you live to impress them, You'll end up

431
00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:54,920
Speaker 1: letting their image of you become a reality. Sometimes it's

432
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,800
Speaker 1: not our own images, it's other people's images.

433
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,920
Speaker 2: Your friend wants you to be this, your cousin wants

434
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,159
Speaker 2: you to be that. Your neighbor wants you to be

435
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:03,680
Speaker 2: this other.

436
00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,040
Speaker 1: Be respectful, listen to advice, but don't let anyone talk

437
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,399
Speaker 1: you out of what God put in your heart.

438
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,840
Speaker 2: You have a responsibility to become who He created you

439
00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:16,280
Speaker 2: to be.

440
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,399
Speaker 1: When you come to the end of life, he's not

441
00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,080
Speaker 1: going to say why weren't you more like your cousin,

442
00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,960
Speaker 1: Why weren't you more like your coworker, Why weren't.

443
00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,800
Speaker 2: You more like your friend. He's going to say, why.

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00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,880
Speaker 1: Weren't you who I created you to be? Why did

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00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,120
Speaker 1: you let people squeeze you into their mold? Why did

446
00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,320
Speaker 1: you live pretending, wearing masks, hiding when you needed help,

447
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,840
Speaker 1: acting like everything was okay, take the image down and

448
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:43,720
Speaker 1: step up.

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00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:45,080
Speaker 2: To who you were created to be.

450
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,800
Speaker 1: A few years ago, a minister I know called me,

451
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,920
Speaker 1: and he's much older than I am. He's very well

452
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:57,280
Speaker 1: respected and very influential, and he's very strong and very opinionated.

453
00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:59,919
Speaker 2: He started telling me how to use.

454
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,280
Speaker 1: My influence, what I needed to do, and where I

455
00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,320
Speaker 1: needed to change, and how if I didn't do it

456
00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,760
Speaker 1: this way, it wasn't going to be right. I'm very nice,

457
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,119
Speaker 1: I'm very kind, but when it comes to my destiny,

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00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,120
Speaker 1: what I believe God has called me to do, I'm

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00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,960
Speaker 1: very strong. As hard as he came at me, as forceful,

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00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,080
Speaker 1: as certain as the authority, I went back at him with.

461
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,040
Speaker 2: That same authority. I was respectful, but I.

462
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,760
Speaker 1: Told him, when I come to the end of my life,

463
00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,480
Speaker 1: I'm not going to answer to you, and what you're

464
00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 1: telling me does not bear witness with my spirit.

465
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,600
Speaker 2: I know what God has called me to do.

466
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,440
Speaker 1: I'm gonna run my race with purpose, with integrity, with compassion.

467
00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 1: If my image was on the throne, I wouldn't be worried.

468
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:49,919
Speaker 2: What's he going to think about me? What if he

469
00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:50,919
Speaker 2: doesn't approve me?

470
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 1: Some of these situations are tested are you going to

471
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,880
Speaker 1: live to please others or are you going to live

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00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:02,800
Speaker 1: to please God? To never take advised to be disrespectful,

473
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,800
Speaker 1: But you have to be strong when it comes to

474
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,880
Speaker 1: other people putting their demands on you, trying to squeeze

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00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,439
Speaker 1: you into their mold. You can hear from God about

476
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,200
Speaker 1: your life more than any other person. God is not

477
00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,639
Speaker 1: going to tell someone else everything about your destiny.

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00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,879
Speaker 2: Others may confirm it, they may encourage you, but the

479
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:26,600
Speaker 2: Holy Spirit lives in you.

480
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,479
Speaker 1: He's your guide, your counselor your helper.

481
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 2: Trust what you're hearing on the inside.

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00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,800
Speaker 1: In the Scripture three Hebrew teenagers wouldn't bow down to

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00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,399
Speaker 1: the king's golden idoland.

484
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 2: He's going to have them thrown into a furnace.

485
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,680
Speaker 1: The idol is described as a golden image.

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00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,000
Speaker 2: It was actually an image of King Nebuka Nezzar. It

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00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,680
Speaker 2: was a physical thing. But I believe there's a spiritual principle.

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00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,520
Speaker 1: The teenagers wouldn't bow down to an image. How many

489
00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,639
Speaker 1: of us today are bowing down to an image? The

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00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,720
Speaker 1: image we've created, what we project, what we want people

491
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,200
Speaker 1: to see, or maybe it's the image others have created

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00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,280
Speaker 1: squeezed into their mold. It's time to stop bowing down

493
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,800
Speaker 1: to that image. Like Paul said, we're not playing games,

494
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:15,919
Speaker 1: we're not pretending.

495
00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 2: We're taking off the mask. That's too much pressure.

496
00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,639
Speaker 1: The reason some people are run down, worn out, not

497
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:24,800
Speaker 1: enjoying life.

498
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 2: Is they have this image. To keep up.

499
00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:29,720
Speaker 1: You have to be five different people, one for your neighbor,

500
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,600
Speaker 1: one for your spouse, one for your friends, trying to

501
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,760
Speaker 1: please everyone, keep them happy. Do yourself a favor. Take

502
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,120
Speaker 1: your image off the throne and put God.

503
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 2: Back on the throne. Quit bowing down to that image.

504
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,840
Speaker 2: If you'll do this, I believe and declare, weights are

505
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,320
Speaker 2: going to lift off of you.

506
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:52,160
Speaker 1: You're going to live freer, happier, more fulfilled, and you're

507
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,160
Speaker 1: going to become all you were created to be. In Jesus' name,

508
00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,679
Speaker 1: if you receive it, can you say amen, I'd like

509
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,400
Speaker 1: to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the.

510
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,640
Speaker 2: Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus,

511
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,359
Speaker 2: I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I

512
00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:17,240
Speaker 2: make you my Lord and savior. Amen.

513
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,359
Speaker 1: Well, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you

514
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,640
Speaker 1: got born again. We'd love to send you some free literature.

515
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:24,840
Speaker 1: Your new walk with the Lord. You can text the

516
00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,320
Speaker 1: number on the screen or go to the website.

517
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:28,800
Speaker 2: I hope you'll get into a.

518
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,639
Speaker 1: Good Bible based church and keep God first place.

519
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 3: It's a new year, an opportunity for a fresh start.

520
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,480
Speaker 3: It's a new year, time to forget the struggles of

521
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,679
Speaker 3: the past and make room for new blessings. It's a

522
00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,560
Speaker 3: new year, the perfect time to build expectation and faith

523
00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,320
Speaker 3: for an amazing new season.

524
00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 1: The beginning of the year is a great time to

525
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,680
Speaker 1: start afresh and anew, to let go of negative things

526
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,840
Speaker 1: of the past and to get ready for the new

527
00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,760
Speaker 1: things God has in store. Every January we create a

528
00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,719
Speaker 1: new devotional calendar. When you start off each day in faith,

529
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,200
Speaker 1: grateful for what God has done, making positive declarations over

530
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,280
Speaker 1: your future, you're setting the tone for a blessed day

531
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,439
Speaker 1: and a victorious year. This devotional calendar will help you

532
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,280
Speaker 1: get your mind going in the right direction so you

533
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,280
Speaker 1: can live in faith expecting the goodness of God.

534
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,440
Speaker 3: As our way of saying thank you for your gift

535
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,000
Speaker 3: of any amount this first month of the year, we

536
00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,160
Speaker 3: would like to send you a copy of our brand

537
00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:34,400
Speaker 3: new twenty twenty five three hundred and sixty five day

538
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 3: devotional calendar. Using this devotional calendar is as easy as one,

539
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,040
Speaker 3: two three. One wake up with an expectancy in your heart.

540
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:48,200
Speaker 3: Two reflect on the daily scripture, verse and devotional from Joel.

541
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,400
Speaker 3: Three capture the Lord's promises to you on journaling lines

542
00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:53,720
Speaker 3: for writing and reflection.

543
00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,560
Speaker 2: This is going to be one of your best years.

544
00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,800
Speaker 1: Our twenty twenty five devotional calendar is going to help

545
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,360
Speaker 1: you stay in faith and see the goodness.

546
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 2: Of God in ways you've never seen.

547
00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:07,560
Speaker 1: Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day,

548
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,360
Speaker 1: and thank you so much for your prayer and support.

549
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:14,440
Speaker 1: Your generosity is impacting lives around the world. And a

550
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,680
Speaker 1: special thank you to our Championship Hope partners.

551
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:18,520
Speaker 2: For your monthly gifts.

552
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,720
Speaker 1: If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one.

553
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,080
Speaker 1: Remember you can watch the services online live every Sunday morning,

554
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,479
Speaker 1: download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube now the new

555
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,320
Speaker 1: Joel Osteine Network twenty four hours a day, and of

556
00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,880
Speaker 1: course listen live on SERIOUSXM as well. But until we

557
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 1: meet again, met the Lord bless you and keep you,

558
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: may show you His favor and watch over you.

559
00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,040
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of the twenty twenty

560
00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:50,640
Speaker 3: five devotional Calendar. Today, visit joelostein dot com or call

561
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:54,520
Speaker 3: us Told free