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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria.

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

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

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

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

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Speaker 2: God bless you always a joy to come into your homes.

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Speaker 2: We love you, and we know God rewards the people

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Speaker 2: that seek after Him. I believe that's you, or you

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Speaker 2: wouldn't have tuned in today, or you wouldn't have come

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Speaker 2: out or just bless you. And if you're ever in

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Speaker 2: our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a

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Speaker 2: part of one of our services. We would love to

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Speaker 2: have you. But thanks for tuning in today. I like

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Speaker 2: to get started each week with something kind of funny,

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Speaker 2: and I heard about this old country farmer. He was

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Speaker 2: taking his nephew camping for the first time. His nephew

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Speaker 2: had five degrees and was one of the smartest men alive.

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Speaker 2: They set their tent up and quickly fell asleep. In

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Speaker 2: the middle of the night. The farmer said to the nephew,

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Speaker 2: look up, what do you see? The nephew said, I

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Speaker 2: see millions of stars. He said I know that, But

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Speaker 2: what does that tell you?

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Speaker 1: He said.

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Speaker 2: Astronomically, that tells me there are billions of galaxies. Meteorologically

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Speaker 2: that tells me is going to be a beautiful day.

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Speaker 2: Theologically that tells me God is a great creator.

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Speaker 1: What does it tell you?

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Speaker 2: The old farmer shook his head, said, it tells me

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Speaker 2: somebody stole our tent. All right, hold up your bible.

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

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Speaker 2: I am what it says.

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Speaker 1: I am.

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

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

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

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

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

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Speaker 2: to talk to you today about choosing faith instead of fear. Now,

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Speaker 2: all through the day, we have the choice to either

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Speaker 2: believe that God is in control, believe that He's taken

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Speaker 2: care of us, believe that good things are in store,

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Speaker 2: or we can go around worried, expecting the worst.

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Speaker 1: Wondering if we're gonna make it.

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Speaker 2: I hear people say I'm afraid I'm gonna lose my job.

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Speaker 2: I'm afraid this marriage is not gonna last, or I'm

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Speaker 2: afraid my child is gonna get mixed up with the

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Speaker 2: wrong crowd. They don't realize it, but they're choosing fear

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Speaker 2: instead of faith. Fear and faith have something in common.

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Speaker 2: They both ask us to believe something is going to

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Speaker 2: happen that we cannot see.

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Speaker 1: Fear says, believe the negative.

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Speaker 2: That pain in your side, that's the same thing your

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Speaker 2: grandmother died from, probably be the end of you.

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Speaker 1: Faith says that sickness.

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Speaker 2: Is not permanent, It's only temporary. Fear says business is slow,

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Speaker 2: you're gonna go under. Faith says God is supplying all

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Speaker 2: of your needs. Fear says you've been through too much.

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Speaker 2: You're never gonna be happy. Faith says your best days

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Speaker 2: are still out.

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Speaker 1: In front of you. Here's the key.

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Speaker 2: What we meditate on is what's gonna take root. If

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Speaker 2: we go around all day thinking about that fear, and

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Speaker 2: we let it play again and again, it can become

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Speaker 2: a reality. That's what Job said. The thing I feared

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Speaker 2: came upon me. I had a man tell me not

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Speaker 2: long ago how everything was going great in his life.

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Speaker 2: He had recently gotten engaged. His business was blessed, but

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Speaker 2: instead of enjoying it, instead of thanking God for it,

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Speaker 2: he said, Joel, I'm afraid it's not going to last.

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Speaker 1: I'm afraid it's.

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Speaker 2: Too good to be true. I told him what I'm

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Speaker 2: telling you. When you act on fear like that, you

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Speaker 2: are drawing in the negative. You are actually helping that

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Speaker 2: fear come to pass. When that thought comes saying you're

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Speaker 2: doing good, but get ready, it's going to come to

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Speaker 2: an end.

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Speaker 1: Don't let it take root.

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Speaker 2: Just switch over into faith and say, Father, you said

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Speaker 2: your favor will last for a lifetime. You said goodness

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Speaker 2: and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

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Speaker 2: That's choosing faith instead of fear. I remember one time

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Speaker 2: I was facing a situation that had the potential to

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Speaker 2: turn out really bad, and it had gone on for

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Speaker 2: months and months and involved other people. Every morning when

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Speaker 2: I woke up, the first thought that came to my

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Speaker 2: mind was this is not going to work out.

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Speaker 1: It's going to.

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Speaker 2: Cause you a lot of heart ache. You might as

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Speaker 2: well make plans for defeat.

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Speaker 1: That's the way fear is. It'll try to dominate your

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Speaker 1: thought life.

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Speaker 2: If you allow it, fear will keep you awake at

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Speaker 2: night fear will steal your joy, steal your enthusiasm. I

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Speaker 2: was so tempted to be worried and go around with

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Speaker 2: that dark cloud following me around. But one day I

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Speaker 2: heard God say something to me, not out loud, it

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Speaker 2: was just an impression.

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Speaker 1: Down in here.

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Speaker 2: He said, Joel, if you worry about this and you

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Speaker 2: keep mulling over all the reasons why it's not going

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Speaker 2: to work out, then because of your worry, you're going

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Speaker 2: to allow that to come to pass. But if you

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Speaker 2: will trust me and use that same energy to believe

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Speaker 2: instead of worry, then I will turn around and cause

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Speaker 2: it to work out to your advantage.

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Speaker 1: When I heard that, I got a new perspective.

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Speaker 2: I realized that worry fear wrong, thinking that's not just

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Speaker 2: a bad habit that is allowing the negative to come

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Speaker 2: to pass. I made a decision from that moment on,

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Speaker 2: I wasn't going to worry about it anymore. When I

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Speaker 2: was tempted to get discouraged, I just used that as

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Speaker 2: a reminder to thank God that he was in control

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Speaker 2: and to thank him that he was.

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Speaker 1: Fighting my battles for me.

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Speaker 2: Several months later, that situation not only resolved in my favor,

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Speaker 2: but it turned out better than I could even imagine.

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Speaker 2: It was like God was putting an exclamation point on it, saying, see, Joel,

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Speaker 2: if you'll just believe, if you'll just trust me, I'll

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Speaker 2: not only bring you out, but I'll bring you out

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Speaker 2: better off than you were before. And today we have

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Speaker 2: so many opportunities to worry and live in fear. People

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Speaker 2: are worried about the economy, worried about their health, worried

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Speaker 2: about their children. God is saying to you what he

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Speaker 2: said to me. Don't use your energy to worry, use

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Speaker 2: your energy to believe. It takes the same amount of

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Speaker 2: energy to believe as it does to worry. It's just

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Speaker 2: as easy to say God is supplying all of my

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Speaker 2: needs as it is to say I'm never gonna make

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Speaker 2: It takes the same amount of effort to say I'm

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Speaker 2: going to live a long, healthy life as it does

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Speaker 2: to say I don't think I'll ever get well. I

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Speaker 2: hear people say, well, Jel, I'm afraid I'm gonna get

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Speaker 2: laid off, and I understand what they're saying.

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Speaker 1: They're concerned. It may be valid, but.

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Speaker 2: You can't go around meditating on that expecting the worst,

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Speaker 2: expecting to have a bad year. When you do that,

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Speaker 2: you're using your faith in reverse instead of constantly worrying.

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Speaker 2: Just say, God, my life is in your hands. I

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Speaker 2: know you're guiding and directing my steps. And I'm not

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Speaker 2: expecting defeat. I'm not expecting failure. I'm expecting to have

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Speaker 2: a blessed year. I'm expecting to go over and not

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Speaker 2: under Well, you say, Joel, what if I do that

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Speaker 2: and it doesn't happen.

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Speaker 1: What if you do it and it does happen.

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Speaker 2: Even if you were to get laid off, You don't

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Speaker 2: have to get discouraged.

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Speaker 1: Hell, I knew it wouldn't work for me.

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Speaker 2: No, you can stay in faith knowing that when one

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Speaker 2: door closes, God's going to open up another door, and

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Speaker 2: if you'll keep the right attitude, he'll give you a

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Speaker 2: better job with better benefits, making better money.

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Speaker 1: Let me ask you today, are you using your.

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Speaker 2: Energy to believe? Or are you using your energy to worry?

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Speaker 2: Are you expecting God's favor or are you expecting to

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Speaker 2: just barely get by? Jesus said there in Matthew nine

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Speaker 2: twenty nine. Have what your faith expects. When our son

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Speaker 2: Jonathan was just a little baby, I was holding him

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Speaker 2: in a restaurant. As we were eating dinner, this couple

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Speaker 2: came up that we didn't know, just being friendly and

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Speaker 2: started talking to us, and they were complimenting us on

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Speaker 2: how good Jonathan was and how quiet he was being.

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Speaker 2: But just before they left the restaurant, they said, you

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Speaker 2: just wait till he gets to be about two years old.

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Speaker 2: It's like he'll turn into a different person. He's good now,

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Speaker 2: but those terrible twos are coming. I wanted to say

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Speaker 2: thank you so much for your encouragement. Boy, they really

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Speaker 2: lifted my spirits. But when we left there, I told

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Speaker 2: Victoria I am not receiving that. It is not going

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Speaker 2: to be the terrible twos for us. It's going to

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Speaker 2: be the terrific tooths. And you know, we didn't have

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Speaker 2: a problem with Jonathan when he was two or three

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Speaker 2: or four. He got to be about ten years old,

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Speaker 2: people started saying, just wait till he gets to be

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Speaker 2: a teenager. You talking about giving you problems, giving you

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Speaker 2: a headaches. Well, Jonathan's been a teenager for almost a year.

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Speaker 2: Do you know he still hadn't started cursing, He still

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Speaker 2: hadn't gotten rebellious. He's just as kind as respectful as

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Speaker 2: he's always been next thing. People will say, well, just

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Speaker 2: wait till he turns eighteen, gets out on his own,

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Speaker 2: wait till he hits forty Joe, when he gets to

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Speaker 2: be seventy five. I've made up my I am not

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Speaker 2: gonna let people talk me into settling for mediocrity.

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Speaker 1: I'm not activating my fears. I'm activating my faith.

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Speaker 2: We're not expecting our children to cause us problems. We're

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Speaker 2: expecting them to excel. We're expecting them to do great

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Speaker 2: things in life. Your children are going to rise to

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Speaker 2: the level of your expectations. If you expect them to

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Speaker 2: give you trouble and cause your headaches and knot them

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Speaker 2: out too much because you're putting your faith in your fears,

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Speaker 2: you're allowing that to come to pass. Really, it's like

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Speaker 2: you're believing that in Too many people today are going

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Speaker 2: around expecting the worst. It's like this lady I heard

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Speaker 2: about practically every night for years she thought she heard

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Speaker 2: a burglar downstairs. She would make her husband get up

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Speaker 2: at least once a week, year after year, and go

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Speaker 2: downstairs check it out, make sure everything was all right.

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Speaker 2: Sure enough, one day she thought she heard something. She

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Speaker 2: told her husband get up, Get up, somebody is downstairs.

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Speaker 2: He got up, went down so routinely, like you'd done

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Speaker 2: a thousand times before. This time his eyes got so big.

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Speaker 2: He was staring down the barrel of a gun. The

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Speaker 2: burglar said, don't make a sound. Just give me your valuables.

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Speaker 2: He went and got the valuables, handed them to the burglar.

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Speaker 2: Burglar turned around, was about to run off.

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Speaker 1: He said, hey, wait a minute. You can't leave yet.

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Speaker 2: You got to come upstairs and meet my wife. He said,

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Speaker 2: she's been expecting you for thirty years. We got to

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Speaker 2: change what we're expecting, quit expecting the worst, and start

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Speaker 2: expecting God's favor. I know people that are being talked

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Speaker 2: in to heaven a bad year. They've listened to the

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Speaker 2: news report so long. They're expecting their finances to go down.

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Speaker 2: They're expecting to barely get by. Now, our attitude should be,

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Speaker 2: I'm expecting to have my best year so far. I'm

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Speaker 2: expecting God to prosper me in the desert. I'm expecting

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Speaker 2: every negative situation to turn around. And if we're going

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Speaker 2: to stay in faith, we've got to be careful who

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Speaker 2: our friends are. Be careful who you associate with. Do

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Speaker 2: you know fear is contagious, worry is contagious, negativity is contagious.

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Speaker 1: If you're around people that.

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Speaker 2: Are always complaining and discouraged, that spirit can get off

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Speaker 2: on you. I read an article that talked about how

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Speaker 2: we can catch other people's emotions just like we can

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Speaker 2: catch a cold. They did a study where they gave

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Speaker 2: a group of people a mild electrical shock, and they

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Speaker 2: measured their brain waves from the time they heard they

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Speaker 2: were going to get the shock till the time that

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Speaker 2: was over. What's interesting is they had another group in

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Speaker 2: the room that were just there to watch. They measured

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Speaker 2: their brain waves as well, and even though they were

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Speaker 2: not getting the shock, they experienced the same fears.

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Speaker 1: As the people that were getting the shock.

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Speaker 2: The researcher's conclusion was just seeing other people's is enough

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Speaker 2: to make us afraid. If your friends are constantly complaining,

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Speaker 2: talking about how bad it is and how they're not

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Speaker 2: gonna make it, and they've got that report of doom

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Speaker 2: and gloom, let me give you some good advice. Find

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Speaker 2: some new friends that worry. That fear, that discouragement is contagious.

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Speaker 2: If you stay around them long enough, there's a good

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Speaker 2: chance you're gonna catch what they have.

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Speaker 1: I know you love your friends. You don't have to

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Speaker 1: be rude.

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Speaker 2: Don't go announce to them Tomorrow morning Joel told me

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Speaker 2: you're contagious.

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Speaker 1: Man, I'm staying away from you.

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Speaker 2: They'll be more tactful than that, and do me a favor.

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Speaker 2: Don't use my name either. You can be kind, you

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Speaker 2: can be respectful, but just gradually begin to pull back

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Speaker 2: and don't spend it as much time with them. You

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Speaker 2: shouldn't go to lunch every day with somebody that's always

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Speaker 2: crying the blues and talking about how bad the economy is.

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Speaker 2: You can't do that and not expect it to affect you.

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Speaker 2: And I know some of you may have to be

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Speaker 2: around people like that. Maybe a coworker's like that, and

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Speaker 2: you don't have a choice. Perhaps you married somebody like that.

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Speaker 2: If that's the case, God will give you the grace

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Speaker 2: to overcome. But what you need to do is when

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Speaker 2: you're not around them, you need to take heavy doses

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Speaker 2: of faith, heavy doses of hope. Filled your mind with victory.

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Speaker 2: I heard about this man. His friends decided to play

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Speaker 2: a trick on him. He went to work one morning

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Speaker 2: feeling great, just as happy as can be. When he

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Speaker 2: walked in, the receptionist said, are you feeling okay today?

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Speaker 1: He said, yeah, I feel great. Why she said, I

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Speaker 1: don't know. You just look a little different. You look

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Speaker 1: a little bit pale.

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Speaker 2: He didn't think about anything about it and went to

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Speaker 2: his office. Ten minutes later, a coworker came in and said,

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Speaker 2: are you real tired?

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Speaker 1: You don't look up to par He said, no, I

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Speaker 1: feel fine.

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Speaker 2: A few minutes he started thinking, maybe I am a

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Speaker 2: little tired. Another man came by. They talked for a moment,

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Speaker 2: then he said, do you have a fever? You really

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Speaker 2: look warm. The guy began to loosen his ties, said

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Speaker 2: you know what, I am feeling kind of hot. Another

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Speaker 2: man came by and said, you look terrible today.

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Speaker 1: What's wrong with you?

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Speaker 2: By ten o'clock in the morning, the man had gone

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Speaker 2: home sick.

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Speaker 1: That is the power of suggestion.

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Speaker 2: If we don't guard our mind and be careful about

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Speaker 2: what we allow in, we.

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Speaker 1: Can be talked into a whole lot of things.

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Speaker 2: If you get up in the morning, first thing, turn

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Speaker 2: the news on, hear how bad it is driving to work.

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Speaker 2: You put on more doom and gloom. At lunch, you

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Speaker 2: go to people that talk about how bad it is.

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Speaker 2: You can be talked in to live in a defeated life.

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Speaker 2: You can be talked into dragging through the day. The

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00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,200
Speaker 2: funny thing is, just like with this man, there's nothing

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Speaker 2: really wrong with you. Just because they said it doesn't

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Speaker 2: mean that it's true. Just because a so called expert

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Speaker 2: predicts it doesn't mean we have to swallow it and

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Speaker 2: live our life by. Have you ever thought about the

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00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,960
Speaker 2: experts could be wrong? Well, the next three years are

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Speaker 2: going to be dreadful and disastrous.

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Speaker 1: Make plans to get by now. We can either start.

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Speaker 2: Loosening our tie and say you know what, I am

299
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Speaker 2: feeling a little bad, or we can say you know

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Speaker 2: what I feel just great.

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Speaker 1: I know God is still on the throne. He is Jehovah, Jirah,

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Speaker 1: the Lord, my provider. I am stronger than ever.

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Speaker 2: I'm asking you today to not go homesick, don't give

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Speaker 2: up on your dreams, and make plans to survive just

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Speaker 2: because somebody talked you out of it.

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Speaker 1: That's one report. But I've got another report. It says

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Speaker 1: you are blessed.

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Speaker 2: You are prosperous, You are talented, you are creative, you

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Speaker 2: are well able to.

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Speaker 1: Do what God has called you to do. And I

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Speaker 1: know I like to watch the news.

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Speaker 2: I like to know what's going on, but I'm careful

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Speaker 2: to recognize when I've got the information I've needed and

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Speaker 2: when it's just redundant doom and gloom that I don't

315
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Speaker 2: need to be hearing again and again. With today's technology,

316
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Speaker 2: twenty four hour cable, internet radio, some days the same

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Speaker 2: bleak picture is told one hundred different ways every hour.

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Speaker 2: It looks like a new headline, but really it's just

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Speaker 2: the same old news being repackaged. And if we're not careful,

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Speaker 2: we'll get worn down and we'll start to accept it.

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Speaker 2: We'll begin to think that it's okay to fail. It's

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Speaker 2: happening to everybody. Just a matter of time before I

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Speaker 2: lose my house. I wonder when I'm gonna get laid off,

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Speaker 2: Wonder when my health is gonna go down. No, turn

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Speaker 2: that off and keep your mind filled with thoughts of victory.

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Speaker 1: Now I've learned, just.

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Speaker 2: As you can be talked into having a bad year,

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Speaker 2: you can be talked into having a great year. Yes,

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Speaker 2: fear is contagious, but the good news is faith is contagious,

330
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Speaker 2: victory is contagious.

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Speaker 1: Joy is contagious.

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Speaker 2: That's why it's so important to come out to a

333
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Speaker 2: place like Lakewood. You need to get around other people

334
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Speaker 2: of faith on a regular basis. You know what's happening today.

335
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Speaker 2: You're not catching a cold, You're catching healing. You're not

336
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,840
Speaker 2: catching defeat. You're catching victory. You're not catching doom and gloom.

337
00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,800
Speaker 2: You're catching hope. You're catching a bigger vision, You're catching

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Speaker 2: God's favor.

339
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Speaker 1: I've got to warn you. We are contagious. Whether you

340
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Speaker 1: realize it or not.

341
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Speaker 2: You are getting stronger, You're getting more joy, you're getting.

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Speaker 1: More peace, your faith is increasing.

343
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Speaker 2: When you get around other people that are blessed and

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Speaker 2: happy and prosperous and full of faith, they are making

345
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Speaker 2: you better. And I know sometimes you may not feel

346
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Speaker 2: like coming to church. You had a long week, you're tired, discouraged,

347
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,399
Speaker 2: or maybe you don't feel like turning the television on

348
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Speaker 2: early in the morning.

349
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Speaker 1: But that's when you need to do it more than ever.

350
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Speaker 2: You need somebody speaking faith into you. You need to

351
00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,359
Speaker 2: be around other believers that will lift your spirits. We

352
00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,959
Speaker 2: are drawing strength from each other. You may not know

353
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Speaker 2: that person sitting on your left or your right, but

354
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,760
Speaker 2: their faith, their joy, their peace, their victory.

355
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Speaker 1: They're making you better.

356
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Speaker 2: You're going to go out of here today, you know,

357
00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,400
Speaker 2: stronger than you were before, in part because of them.

358
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Speaker 1: They are highly contagious.

359
00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,639
Speaker 2: But when we give into these thoughts of fear, it

360
00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:09,760
Speaker 2: distorts our perspective. Fear is like a fog. It obscures

361
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Speaker 2: our vision. It makes things look worse than they really are.

362
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Speaker 2: And I read where a dense fog that covers seven

363
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,600
Speaker 2: city blocks and is one hundred feet thick can be

364
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,880
Speaker 2: contained in less than one glass of water. In other words,

365
00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,199
Speaker 2: it looks big, it looks intimidating, but the fact is

366
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Speaker 2: there's nothing really to it. It's just a bunch of

367
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,400
Speaker 2: vapors that can fit in a small glass. And when

368
00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,520
Speaker 2: that fear comes against your mind saying you're not gonna

369
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Speaker 2: make it, that sickness is going to be the end

370
00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:43,000
Speaker 2: of you, your marriage, your family, you're not gonna stay together.

371
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Speaker 2: Just look at that fear and say, you look big,

372
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,600
Speaker 2: you sound impressive, but I know better, there's nothing really

373
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Speaker 2: to you.

374
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Speaker 1: You're just like a fog.

375
00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,560
Speaker 2: We were flying out of Calgary, Canada earlier this week,

376
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,479
Speaker 2: and our plane was delayed an hour or so because

377
00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,879
Speaker 2: of the fog, and when we were finally able to

378
00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,760
Speaker 2: take off, I was amazed. We weren't in the air

379
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,280
Speaker 2: fifteen seconds before we broke through that fog, and you

380
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,000
Speaker 2: could look down and see it was just a small

381
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,159
Speaker 2: pocket of fog, probably didn't cover more than a quarter

382
00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,399
Speaker 2: of a mild area. What's funny is when we were

383
00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,399
Speaker 2: at the airport, we thought the whole city was fogged in.

384
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,320
Speaker 2: We thought everything must be shut down, But in reality,

385
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,720
Speaker 2: it was just a tiny pocket of fog. And that's

386
00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,879
Speaker 2: the way fear is. It looks much bigger than it is.

387
00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:35,440
Speaker 2: It looks much more intimidating. It'll tell you you're never.

388
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:36,000
Speaker 1: Gonna get well.

389
00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,879
Speaker 2: That child is never gonna change, Your finances are going

390
00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,800
Speaker 2: to keep getting worse and worse. You need to look

391
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:47,040
Speaker 2: at that fear and say, you sound impressive, you look tough,

392
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,959
Speaker 2: but I know the truth. There's nothing really to you.

393
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,720
Speaker 2: You may talk a good talk, but I know your

394
00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,560
Speaker 2: bite is not near as big as your bark. You

395
00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,000
Speaker 2: may look permanent, but I know you're only temporary. And

396
00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,080
Speaker 2: things in my life maybe a little dark and cloudy

397
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,160
Speaker 2: right now, looks like it's never gonna change. But I've

398
00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,080
Speaker 2: got inside information. I know the sun is still shining,

399
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,400
Speaker 2: and it's just a matter of time before this fog dissipates,

400
00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,280
Speaker 2: and it's going to be just as clear and beautiful

401
00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:19,320
Speaker 2: as it's always been. Don't give into that fear. It's

402
00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,600
Speaker 2: just a fog. It's not near as bad as it's

403
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,880
Speaker 2: telling you. But when we make the mistake of dwelling

404
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,440
Speaker 2: on it, those fears turn into imaginations. Our mind will

405
00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,200
Speaker 2: start playing out every worst case scenario, just like you're

406
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:39,359
Speaker 2: watching a movie. Negative thoughts turn into negative imaginations if.

407
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:39,920
Speaker 1: You allow it.

408
00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,800
Speaker 2: A small fear can multiply and get blown a way

409
00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,879
Speaker 2: out of proportion. For instance, you have that pain in

410
00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,240
Speaker 2: your side, it's nothing, you just had too much for dinner.

411
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,879
Speaker 1: But that thought will come that's cancer. Your mother had it,

412
00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,040
Speaker 1: your grandmother had it. Now it's your time.

413
00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 2: If you swallow that lie, go around worried and discouraged.

414
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,440
Speaker 2: Before long, you'll start to see yourself in the hospital.

415
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,720
Speaker 2: You'll see yourself not able to take care of your children.

416
00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,960
Speaker 2: You'll see yourself at your own funeral. No, you've got

417
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,920
Speaker 2: to cast down those wrong imaginations.

418
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,240
Speaker 1: Don't let negative pictures play on the movie screen of

419
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,080
Speaker 1: your mind. You are the owner. You've got the remote control.

420
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:24,320
Speaker 1: Change the channel.

421
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,760
Speaker 2: If you're gonna let your imagination run wild, let it

422
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 2: run wild in the right direction. Put on the movie

423
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,040
Speaker 2: of you accomplish in your dreams. Show the scene of

424
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:39,240
Speaker 2: you overcoming that obstacle. See yourself healthy, prosperous, rising higher.

425
00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,200
Speaker 1: You've got to do it by faith in the natural.

426
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,000
Speaker 2: It may look like your family is never gonna stay together,

427
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,360
Speaker 2: but your attitude should be I'm changing the channel.

428
00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,040
Speaker 1: I'm not watching that movie.

429
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:55,119
Speaker 2: I see my family restored, I see my children excelling.

430
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,800
Speaker 2: I see us fulfilling our destiny. You've got to choose

431
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,119
Speaker 2: the right channel. Some of you today you would go

432
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,159
Speaker 2: to a new level if you'd just be more disciplined

433
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,720
Speaker 2: in your thought life and not allow those negative images

434
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,000
Speaker 2: to constantly play. I heard about this twenty three year

435
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,440
Speaker 2: old woman. She went to the grocery store and got

436
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,080
Speaker 2: some groceries, and she got back in her car and

437
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,679
Speaker 2: sat down, and she heard a loud noise and felt

438
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:21,359
Speaker 2: something hit.

439
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,919
Speaker 1: The back of her head. She thought she had been shot.

440
00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,120
Speaker 2: She reached up and felt what she thought were her

441
00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:28,200
Speaker 2: brains coming out.

442
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:30,480
Speaker 1: She initially passed out.

443
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,440
Speaker 2: She woke up a few minutes later and sat there

444
00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,880
Speaker 2: motionless for over an hour, holding the back of her head.

445
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,440
Speaker 1: A gentleman walked by and noticed that something was wrong.

446
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,560
Speaker 2: He called the police. The police showed up and asked

447
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,160
Speaker 2: her to open the car door. She said she couldn't,

448
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,600
Speaker 2: she had been shot and she was holding her brains in.

449
00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,679
Speaker 2: The police broke open the window and they discovered a

450
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,639
Speaker 2: can of Pillsbury biscuits had exploded.

451
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,640
Speaker 1: That dough had hit the back of her head. That's

452
00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,120
Speaker 1: what she thought was her brains.

453
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 2: Don't let your imagination run wild in the wrong direction.

454
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,200
Speaker 1: That is a true story. And I've got to tell

455
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:14,680
Speaker 1: you she was blonde.

456
00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,960
Speaker 2: But some of us today, you are not even listening

457
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,720
Speaker 2: to me now. Some of us today kind of feel

458
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,920
Speaker 2: like we've been shot. The economy's bad, we've got a

459
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,800
Speaker 2: health issue, got this big problem. God is saying you're fine.

460
00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,080
Speaker 2: It's not what you think. It's just a loud noise.

461
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,359
Speaker 2: But this too shall pass. Put on the right channel.

462
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,040
Speaker 2: Don't allow those negative images to play in your mind.

463
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,679
Speaker 2: I remember about a year after I first started ministering,

464
00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,680
Speaker 2: the church was really growing, and we decided to take

465
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 2: a step of faith and start a second Sunday morning service,

466
00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,879
Speaker 2: And so I announced that on the first Sunday of

467
00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,040
Speaker 2: the year two thousand, we were going to start this

468
00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,199
Speaker 2: new morning service. And that was in October, and so

469
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,680
Speaker 2: I had several months to think about it. And during

470
00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,560
Speaker 2: that time I had all these negative thoughts come telling.

471
00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,879
Speaker 1: Me that it was a big mistake, nobody was gonna come,

472
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 1: and I was gonna get there and look like a fool.

473
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,440
Speaker 1: All these fears were coming against my mind.

474
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:16,919
Speaker 3: Now.

475
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,440
Speaker 2: I did my best to stay in faith. But one

476
00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,679
Speaker 2: night I had a dream. A better description would be

477
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,800
Speaker 2: a nightmare. And in this dream, it was that first

478
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,120
Speaker 2: Sunday of the new service. When I walked out to minister,

479
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,560
Speaker 2: there was not one person.

480
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,320
Speaker 1: In the auditorium, not Victoria, not.

481
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:38,359
Speaker 2: My mother, not one choir member, not one usher, nobody.

482
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,760
Speaker 1: I woke up in a cold sweat.

483
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,560
Speaker 2: The enemy was working overtime on my mind. He said, Joel,

484
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,680
Speaker 2: there's still time to cancel it. You can still call

485
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 2: it off and maybe halfway save face. It was very

486
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 2: difficult to get that image of an empty auditorium out

487
00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,320
Speaker 2: of my mind. I didn't tell anybody about the dream,

488
00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,600
Speaker 2: but I was a little bit worried about it. The

489
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,879
Speaker 2: week of that first service, I saw my mother I

490
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,879
Speaker 2: was talking to her and just kind of asked her nonchalotly,

491
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 2: trying to get.

492
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:07,680
Speaker 1: Some information out of her.

493
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,960
Speaker 2: I said, mother, are you coming to the new service

494
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:16,200
Speaker 2: this weekend? She said, Joel, does it start this week?

495
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,240
Speaker 2: I thought, dear God, that dream might have been a prophecy.

496
00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:23,719
Speaker 2: I said, yes, it starts this week, mother, and you

497
00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,400
Speaker 2: need to bring your friends, enemies, cousins, relatives, and ancestors.

498
00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:30,960
Speaker 2: I had to do what I'm asking you to do.

499
00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,040
Speaker 2: When those negative images came up, I kept changing the channel.

500
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,639
Speaker 2: I made up my mind. I wasn't going to watch

501
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,920
Speaker 2: the empty auditorium channel. I wasn't going to watch.

502
00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,439
Speaker 1: The defeat channel. I wasn't choosing the fear channel. I

503
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:45,679
Speaker 1: put on a different movie.

504
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,680
Speaker 2: Through my eyes of faith, I saw that place full.

505
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,159
Speaker 2: I kept telling myself, this fear is just a fog.

506
00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,479
Speaker 2: It's trying to intimidate me. But I know there's nothing

507
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,200
Speaker 2: really to it. I pulled up the first Sunday of

508
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:00,720
Speaker 2: the year two thousand. I got there like an hour early.

509
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,080
Speaker 2: I'll never forget. When I pulled in, one parking lot

510
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,440
Speaker 2: was already totally full. There were over six thousand people

511
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:09,920
Speaker 2: at that new service. They've been coming ever since then?

512
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:15,160
Speaker 2: What am I saying? You've got to pass down those

513
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:20,119
Speaker 2: wrong imaginations. Do not let those negative pictures play on

514
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,320
Speaker 2: the movie screen of your mind. You've got the remote control,

515
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,120
Speaker 2: change the channel. Don't be talked into having a down year.

516
00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:29,600
Speaker 2: I'm trying to talk you into having a great year.

517
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 1: There is no.

518
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,080
Speaker 2: Obstacle too big for you, no enemy too powerful. Our

519
00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,040
Speaker 2: God is all powerful, and you may not see how

520
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:37,760
Speaker 2: it can happen.

521
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,280
Speaker 1: But don't use your energy to worry. Use your energy

522
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 1: to believe.

523
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,639
Speaker 2: God has brought you through in the past and He

524
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,480
Speaker 2: is going to bring you through in the future. Surround

525
00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,760
Speaker 2: yourself with people of faith, people that speak victory into you.

526
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 2: If you'll be disciplined in your thought life and learn

527
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,840
Speaker 2: to choose faith instead of fear, let me just declare it.

528
00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,679
Speaker 2: You're going to overcome every obstacle. You're gonna defeat every enemy,

529
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,879
Speaker 2: and you're gonna see every dream, every promise God put.

530
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,280
Speaker 1: In your heart, it will come to pass. Amen. Do

531
00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,919
Speaker 1: you receive that today? I know you do.

532
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,520
Speaker 2: We never like to close our broadcast without giving you

533
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:16,000
Speaker 2: an opportunity to make.

534
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,679
Speaker 1: Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me?

535
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:24,520
Speaker 1: Just say Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come

536
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,200
Speaker 1: into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior.

537
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:31,879
Speaker 2: Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you

538
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:32,680
Speaker 2: got born again.

539
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,159
Speaker 1: Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place.

540
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,800
Speaker 1: He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of.

541
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,000
Speaker 2: It's easy to feel stuck in life, wondering why things

542
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,440
Speaker 2: aren't changing and worrying if it'll ever happen. But there's

543
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,679
Speaker 2: a better way to wait. I'd love to send you

544
00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,119
Speaker 2: my new resource called Pray It Forward. This book is

545
00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,280
Speaker 2: a collection of prayers and promises from the Scripture to

546
00:27:56,359 --> 00:28:00,400
Speaker 2: help you pray boldly to strengthen your faith wh waiting.

547
00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 2: It's important to keep your mind filled with hope and

548
00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 2: expectancy when you pray in faith, believe in what God promised.

549
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,080
Speaker 2: That's what moves the hands of God, and that's when

550
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,200
Speaker 2: you'll see doors open, healing begins to come, breakthroughs.

551
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,240
Speaker 1: In your family. Don't let doubt hold you back.

552
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,479
Speaker 3: Pray it Forward as our way of saying thank you

553
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,360
Speaker 3: for your gift of any amount. We'd love to send

554
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,399
Speaker 3: you a copy of Pray It Forward Guided Prayers for

555
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:30,040
Speaker 3: faith and breakthrough inspired by real life answered prayers. Pray

556
00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:33,240
Speaker 3: it forward will help you speak God's promises over your

557
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,800
Speaker 3: life and over the people you love, trusting that when

558
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,560
Speaker 3: you ask in faith, God is already at work preparing

559
00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 3: victory ahead of you. You can take these prayers and

560
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,320
Speaker 3: scriptures and pray them forward. They'll build a momentum of

561
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,360
Speaker 3: faith that carries you past obstacles and into the promises

562
00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,960
Speaker 3: God has spoken over your life. As you meditate on

563
00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,960
Speaker 3: these truths, you won't be tossed back and forth by finances,

564
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,840
Speaker 3: health challenging or relationship struggles. Instead, you'll be able to

565
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,040
Speaker 3: boldly pray with faith that is immovable and strong, and

566
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:12,520
Speaker 3: you'll be filled with peace, assurance, and joy. Don't let

567
00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,760
Speaker 3: circumstances control your future. Pray the truth of God's word

568
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,280
Speaker 3: forward and faith, and watch the mountains in your life

569
00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:21,560
Speaker 3: begin to move.

570
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:25,000
Speaker 2: When you pray the promises what God has spoken over

571
00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 2: your life. Those are powerful prayers, and that's when God

572
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,360
Speaker 2: shows up and does what only he can do.

573
00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:32,120
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for being.

574
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,880
Speaker 2: With us between I pray for you and your family

575
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 2: every day, and we appreciate your prayer and support. Your

576
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,960
Speaker 2: generosity helps us take this message of hope to people

577
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,520
Speaker 2: around the world, and a special thank you to our

578
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,120
Speaker 2: champion of Hope partners for all you do to make

579
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,080
Speaker 2: the ministry possible. If you're not a partner, I hope

580
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,320
Speaker 2: you'll consider becoming one. But until we meet again met

581
00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,000
Speaker 2: the Lord bless you and keep you.

582
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 3: Be sure to request your copy of Pray It Forward

583
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:03,000
Speaker 3: Guided Prayers for faith and Breakthrough, available this month by

584
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,960
Speaker 3: simply visiting us at Joelostein dot com or call eight

585
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,760
Speaker 3: eight eight five six seven Joel. You can also receive

586
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:14,480
Speaker 3: the Pray It Forward Companion prayer journal design to help

587
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,600
Speaker 3: you engage in scripture, personalize faith filled prayers, and put

588
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,520
Speaker 3: God's promises into action. With an additional gift, you can

589
00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:26,440
Speaker 3: receive the Pray It Forward Prayer's Essential Collection that centers

590
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,000
Speaker 3: around a prayer bowl with scripture cards design to help

591
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,240
Speaker 3: you physically release what's been weighing on your heart. This

592
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,400
Speaker 3: collection creates a powerful prayer rhythm for your life, helping

593
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 3: you focus your thoughts, speak God's word boldly, and stay

594
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:45,280
Speaker 3: anchored in hope when circumstances try to shake you. You

595
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:49,240
Speaker 3: can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight eight

596
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:53,440
Speaker 3: five six seven Joel or logging on to joelostein dot

597
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,280
Speaker 3: Com Today, Call or click any time, twenty four hours

598
00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:02,040
Speaker 3: a day,