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Speaker 6: When you look back over your life, you can see

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Speaker 6: these times God gave you grass in the desert. At

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Speaker 6: the time, you may not have realized it. You were

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Speaker 6: so caught up in what was going on and making

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Speaker 6: it through you didn't recognize it was the grace of

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Speaker 6: God giving you the strength, the favor, helping you do

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Speaker 6: what you couldn't do. It's good to take time and

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Speaker 6: reflect on the goodness of God.

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Speaker 5: Hi, this is Joel and Victoria.

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Speaker 6: Thanks for listening to our podcast, and thanks for affording

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Speaker 6: the ministry.

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Speaker 7: If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a

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Speaker 7: blessing and share it with a friend.

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Speaker 5: We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in

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Speaker 5: your life.

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Speaker 6: God bless you. It's great to have you with us today.

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Speaker 6: I know God has amazing things in your future. Now.

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Speaker 6: I hope you'll stay connected with us through the week.

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Speaker 6: We have a daily podcast that you can download or

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Speaker 6: go to our YouTube channel, follow us on social media.

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Speaker 4: We want to keep it encouraged and inspired. But thanks

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Speaker 4: for tuning in today.

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Speaker 6: I like to start with something funny, and I heard

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Speaker 6: about this young man one day he was talking to God.

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Speaker 6: He said, God, what's a million years like to you?

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Speaker 6: God said, a million years to me is like one

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Speaker 6: second to you. He said, well, God, what's a million

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Speaker 6: dollars like to you? God said, a million dollars to

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Speaker 6: me is like one penny to you. He thought about

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Speaker 6: it a moment and said, God, will you give me

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Speaker 6: a penny? God said sure, just a second. Come on

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Speaker 6: and say it like you mean it. This is my Bible.

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Speaker 6: I am what it says, I am, I have what

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Speaker 6: it says I have, I can do what it says

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Speaker 6: I can do today. I will be taught the word

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Speaker 6: of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my

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Speaker 6: heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name,

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Speaker 6: God bless you. I want to talk to you today

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Speaker 6: about grass in the desert. March chapter six, Jesus was

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Speaker 6: with his disciples and so many people were crowding around.

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Speaker 6: He told them to get in the boat so they

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Speaker 6: could have some time alone. Verse thirty two says they

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Speaker 6: departed to a desert place. People saw where they were heading.

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Speaker 6: When they arrived, there were thousands of people waiting for them.

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Speaker 4: Jesus began to teach them. Late in the day. The

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Speaker 4: disciples said, Jesus, it's almost night. We're out here in

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Speaker 4: the desert. There's nothing to eat.

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Speaker 6: Send the people home. Jesus said, you feed them. They

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Speaker 6: said with what we're in the desert. We don't have

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Speaker 6: food for all these people. Jesus asked them for what

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Speaker 6: they had. They gave him two fish and five bloves

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Speaker 6: of bread. Verse thirty nine says Jesus told the crowd

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Speaker 6: to sit down in groups on the green grass.

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Speaker 5: Three times.

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Speaker 6: In this passage, it says they were in a desert place.

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Speaker 6: Now he's telling them to sit on green grass. The

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Speaker 6: people were tired, hot, hungry. Jesus hadn't multiplied the food yet,

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Speaker 6: they hadn't received the miracle. But while they were waiting,

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Speaker 6: God gave them grass in the desert. He made the

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Speaker 6: hard places easier. He didn't stop them from going into

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Speaker 6: the desert. He didn't keep them from the heat, but

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Speaker 6: he did lighten the load. We all go through desert

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Speaker 6: places in life. Problems that should overwhelm us, giants that

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Speaker 6: should defeat us, bad breaks that should make us bitter.

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Speaker 6: But somehow, in the midst of these challenges, there's a

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Speaker 6: force sustaining us. We feel strength that we didn't have,

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Speaker 6: courage to keep moving, grace to endure. We look back

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Speaker 6: and think, how did I make it through the loss

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Speaker 6: of my loved one? How did I overcome that sickness?

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Speaker 6: How did I raise that child? That was so difficult?

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Speaker 6: It was God giving you grass in the desert, God

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Speaker 6: making the hard places easier. Without his grace, we would

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Speaker 6: have gone under. Without his favor, that sickness would have

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Speaker 6: defeated you. Without him breathing in your direction, you wouldn't

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Speaker 6: have made it through that breakup. He didn't stop the trouble,

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Speaker 6: but he did keep the trouble from stopping you. You

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Speaker 6: could have fallen apart, you could have had a nervous breakdown,

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Speaker 6: gotten bitter.

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Speaker 4: But God gave you green grass in the desert.

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Speaker 6: He sustained you when you could have been overwhelmed. He

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Speaker 6: stepped in and lightened the load. That's why that person

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Speaker 6: showed up at just the right time to help you.

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Speaker 6: It wasn't unlucky break. It was grass in the desert.

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Speaker 6: That's why you had the strength to take that treatment

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Speaker 6: when you should have been disc courage worn out.

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Speaker 4: It was grass in the desert.

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Speaker 6: That's why this pandemic hasn't defeated you. You could be

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Speaker 6: stressed out, not able to make it, but there's grass

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Speaker 6: in the desert. God hasn't changed it all yet. You

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Speaker 6: haven't seen the promise come to pass. You're still believing

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Speaker 6: for the healing, the promotion.

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Speaker 4: The spouse.

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Speaker 6: The good news is while you're waiting, God is making

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Speaker 6: your hard places easier. You may not be able to

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Speaker 6: tell it, but if it wasn't for the goodness of God,

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Speaker 6: that sickness.

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Speaker 4: Would have taken you out.

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Speaker 6: Without his favor, that trouble would have overwhelmed you. Without

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Speaker 6: his mercy, that addiction would have defeated you. No matter

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Speaker 6: what you go through, an illness, a divorce, a betrayal,

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Speaker 6: because you're a child of the Most High God, there's

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Speaker 6: going to be green grass in the desert. It's not

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Speaker 6: going to overwhelm you. It's not going to be too much.

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Speaker 6: God is going to do things that don't make sense.

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Speaker 6: He's going to give you strength that you can't explain,

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Speaker 6: courage that you didn't know, you had, favored that you

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Speaker 6: didn't see coming.

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Speaker 4: You may be in a desert place now.

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Speaker 6: The right attitude is Lord, I want to thank you

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Speaker 6: for the green grass. Thank you for sustaining me, thank

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Speaker 6: you for what didn't take me out. Thank you that

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Speaker 6: I'm still standing. How could Joseph keep a good attitude

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Speaker 6: after all the negative things that happened to him. He

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Speaker 6: was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit. They

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Speaker 6: were going to leave him there to die, but they

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Speaker 6: ended up selling him as a slave. He could have

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Speaker 6: been bitter, angry, trying to get revenge, but God gave

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Speaker 6: him grass in the desert. He made the hard places

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Speaker 6: easier and despite all the injustice, despite his world being

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Speaker 6: turned upside down. Joseph kept being his best, doing the

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Speaker 6: right thing.

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Speaker 5: When he faced temptation.

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Speaker 6: The owner's wife tried to seduce him. Joseph could have thought,

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Speaker 6: I have nothing to lose, these people have done me wrong,

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Speaker 6: let his guard down and compromised. But there was grass

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Speaker 6: in the desert. Joseph stayed faithful, loyal, committed. You don't

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Speaker 6: know how God is working in your life right now.

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Speaker 6: Where did you get the strength to withstand the temptation?

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Speaker 6: How are you able to keep a good attitude when

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Speaker 6: negative things have happened? How can you still be strong

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Speaker 6: and do the right thing with these challenges you're up against.

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Speaker 6: It's not just your will, your determination. It's God giving

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Speaker 6: you grass in the desert. He's not letting that trouble

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Speaker 6: overwhelm you. He's not letting that bad break defeat you.

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Speaker 6: The scripture says, you'll never face anything that you can't handle.

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Speaker 6: If it was too much, if it was going to

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Speaker 6: stop your destiny, God wouldn't have allowed it. Like Joseph,

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Speaker 6: you may be in a desert place. Life has thrown

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Speaker 6: you a curve. You're dealing with things that you never

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Speaker 6: saw coming, people that did you wrong, a sickness.

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Speaker 4: That's not improving.

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Speaker 6: Your business went down. You don't see how you can

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Speaker 6: go on. God is about to make your hard places easier.

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Speaker 5: You're going to feel a strength that you've never felt.

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Speaker 6: The right people, divine connections are headed your way. God

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Speaker 6: is going to get you to where you're supposed to be.

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Speaker 6: The desert is not your destiny. That bear in place

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Speaker 6: the disappointment, the loss is not how your story ends.

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Speaker 6: The desert is temporary. The trouble is temporary. The depression,

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Speaker 6: it's only temporary. Joseph ended up the prime minister of Egypt.

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Speaker 6: He came out of the desert into his promised land.

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Speaker 6: We don't like the desert, but the desert was necessary.

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Speaker 6: Without the opposition, without the betrayals, the disappointments, Joseph would

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Speaker 6: have never made it to his destiny. God won't stop

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Speaker 6: the desert. He never promised we wouldn't have difficulties. But

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Speaker 6: he did promise. He'll give your grass in the desert.

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Speaker 6: He'll make your hard places easier. Now quit telling yourself

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Speaker 6: that you.

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Speaker 4: Can't handle it.

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Speaker 6: It's too much. I'll never beat this cancer. I'll never

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Speaker 6: raise these children. This pandemic is going to ruin my business.

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Speaker 6: You're defeating yourself. Victory starts in our thinking. The scripture

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Speaker 6: says to take hold of his strength, try a different approach.

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Speaker 4: Lord.

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Speaker 6: Thank you for the grass and the desert. Thank you

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Speaker 6: that I can do all things through Christ. Thank you

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Speaker 6: that I'm strong in the Lord. Thank you that you're

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Speaker 6: making my crooked places straight. Thank you that you being

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Speaker 6: for me is.

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Speaker 4: More than the world being against me.

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Speaker 6: My father struggled with high blood pressure most of his life,

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Speaker 6: and often the medicine he would take would make him dizzy,

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Speaker 6: and from the TV area on Sunday mornings, I would

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Speaker 6: come down to put his microphone on from the TV

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Speaker 6: area before the service. Many times he hadn't slept much

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Speaker 6: the night before and he didn't seem up to par,

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Speaker 6: and I would ask him if he wanted to minister,

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Speaker 6: or did he want us to get someone else. He

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Speaker 6: would never think twice. He'd say yes, I'm ready.

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Speaker 4: He would go out as strong as anointed, as.

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Speaker 5: Effective as ever.

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Speaker 6: When he stepped into the pulpit, it was like he

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Speaker 6: was a different person. You couldn't tell anything was wrong.

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Speaker 6: I was so amazed, I thought, how could he do that?

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Speaker 6: I realize now that was God giving him grass in

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Speaker 6: the desert. David said, God makes me to lie down

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Speaker 6: in green pastures. You can be in a desert and

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Speaker 6: God will create a green pasture in a pandemic. You

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Speaker 6: could be worried, upset, But look at you, strong, confident.

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Speaker 6: You know God is still on the throne. You know

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Speaker 6: he holds victory in store for the upright. You know

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Speaker 6: what's meant for harm. He's turning to your advantage. It's

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Speaker 6: bearing all around you. But you're in a green pasture.

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Speaker 6: You have grass in the desert. While others are complaining

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Speaker 6: talking about how it's not going to work out, you

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Speaker 6: have a song of praise. You're expecting God's faith, You're

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Speaker 6: declaring his promises. When I looked at my father, I

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Speaker 6: didn't see green pastures. All I saw was a desert,

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Speaker 6: barren land, him not feeling well. I didn't see how

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Speaker 6: he could prepare a message, how he could get up

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Speaker 6: and be effective. But God doesn't wait till you get

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Speaker 6: out of the desert. He'll cause you to flourish.

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Speaker 4: In the desert.

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Speaker 6: He'll make you prosperous in a barren land. What I

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Speaker 6: couldn't see was in that desert he had green grass.

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Speaker 6: He had strength to do what he shouldn't be able

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Speaker 6: to do. As seventy seven, my father had to go

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Speaker 6: on dialysis. His kidneys had quit working. Often I would

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Speaker 6: take him to the clinic. He would sit there for

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Speaker 6: four hours, three times a week. He was used to

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Speaker 6: being able to travel and go places. Now he was

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Speaker 6: tied down.

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Speaker 4: This should have defeated him, should have taken the joy

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Speaker 4: and victory out of his life.

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Speaker 6: But God takes things that should be disheartening, defeating, unbearable,

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Speaker 6: and he gives you the grace to keep going strong.

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Speaker 4: Even though he was.

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Speaker 6: On dialysis, he never missed ministering on a Sunday morning.

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Speaker 6: I never heard him complain. He didn't talk about how

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Speaker 6: bad it was. He was constantly thanking God for his goodness.

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Speaker 6: That didn't make sense. He was in the desert, on dialysis,

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Speaker 6: not able to travel. But God knows how to make

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Speaker 6: your hard places easier. He may not keep you out

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Speaker 6: of the desert, but he will give you grass in

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Speaker 6: the desert. He'll give you the grace to go through

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Speaker 6: whatever comes your way. You may be up against things

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Speaker 6: that seem like they're too much to handle, too difficult,

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Speaker 6: too unfair.

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Speaker 4: You don't have the strength the energy the faith. Don't worry.

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Speaker 4: There's grass in that desert.

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Speaker 6: God has a green pasture for wherever he takes you.

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Speaker 6: Going through a divorce, yes, that's hard, but there's grass

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Speaker 6: in that desert. You're going to feel strength that you've

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Speaker 6: never felt. Taking that treatment, it should wipe you out.

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Speaker 6: But even in the barren place, you're going to discover

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Speaker 6: a green pasture. God has already prepared it for you.

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Speaker 6: Or raising that special needs child, it would be too

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Speaker 6: much for others, but not you. There's grass in that desert.

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Speaker 6: I have a friend that was married to a professional

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Speaker 6: football player, big strong man that served in the military.

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Speaker 6: Later in life, he developed diabetes and ended.

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Speaker 4: Up losing both of his legs.

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Speaker 5: This lady took care of him like a keen.

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Speaker 6: She would get up at four in the morning before

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Speaker 6: she went to work and get him dressed and bathed.

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Speaker 4: She's a large woman.

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Speaker 6: She would pick him up out of the bed and

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Speaker 6: physically carry him around the house month after month, year

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Speaker 6: after year.

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Speaker 5: Eventually he went to be with the Lord.

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Speaker 6: How could she have that kind of strength, that kind

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Speaker 6: of stamina, that kind of commitment. That was God giving

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Speaker 6: her grass in the desert. You may be doing a

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Speaker 6: hard thing. You have to know God sees you. You're not

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Speaker 6: in this by yourself. He's about to lighten the load.

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Speaker 6: He's going to make that hard place easier. He has

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Speaker 6: grace for every season. I believe right now strength is

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Speaker 6: coming into you, fresh vision, fresh anointing. You may be tired,

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Speaker 6: but you're about to get a second wind. You're going

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Speaker 6: to feel God breathing in your direction, bringing dreams back

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Speaker 6: to life, making things happen that you couldn't make happen.

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Speaker 6: You're going to say, like her, how did I make

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Speaker 6: it through that difficult time?

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Speaker 4: It was God giving you grass in the desert.

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Speaker 6: You stepped into a green pasture that He already prepared.

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Speaker 4: When I look back over my.

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Speaker 6: Life, I can see these times where God made my

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Speaker 6: hard places easier. When my father passed, I was in

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Speaker 6: a desert place. I'd worked with him for years here

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Speaker 6: at Lakewood and traveled the world together. Nineteen ninety nine,

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Speaker 6: when he had a heart attack and went to be

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Speaker 6: with the Lord, that was the most difficult thing I'd

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Speaker 6: ever faced. My world was turned upside down, but it

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Speaker 6: wasn't what I thought. I thought I would be devastated, overwhelmed,

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Speaker 6: not able.

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Speaker 4: To go on, but I felt a peace that I

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Speaker 4: had never felt.

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Speaker 6: I missed my father, but deep down I knew he'd

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Speaker 6: fulfilled his purpose. There was this grace to not only

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Speaker 6: make it through his loss, but to step up and

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Speaker 6: pasture the church. I suddenly had this desire I never

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Speaker 6: wanted to before. My father tried for seventeen years to

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Speaker 6: get me up to minister, but.

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Speaker 4: I wouldn't do it.

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Speaker 6: But now I not only knew I was supposed to,

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Speaker 6: but I wanted to. What was that God giving me

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Speaker 6: grass in the desert making my hard places easier. I

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Speaker 6: didn't know how to minister. I'd never written a message before.

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Speaker 6: I should have been overwhelmed, stressed out, but every week,

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Speaker 6: by the grace of God, I came up with something

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Speaker 6: to say. Our daughter Alexandra was three months old at

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Speaker 6: the time, and Jonathan was four years old. How could

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Speaker 6: I step up and not only start ministering each week,

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Speaker 6: but lead the church, have time for my family, raise

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Speaker 6: my children, keep Victoria in line, I mean, love Victoria.

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Speaker 4: How could that happen?

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Speaker 6: God makes your hard places easier. He has a green

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Speaker 6: pasture for you. When you lose a loved one, You're

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Speaker 6: not going to fall apart. You're not going to give

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Speaker 6: up on life. New dreams are going to spring up,

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Speaker 6: new desires are going to come. He has a green

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Speaker 6: pasture for when that child is in trouble, for when

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Speaker 6: your business slows, for when the medical report is not good.

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Speaker 6: When you look back over your life, you can see

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Speaker 6: these times. God gave you grass in the desert. At

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Speaker 6: the time, you may not have realized it. You were

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Speaker 6: so caught up in what was going on and making

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Speaker 6: it through, you didn't recognize it was the grace of

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Speaker 6: God giving you the.

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Speaker 4: Strength, the favor, helping you do what you couldn't do.

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Speaker 6: It's good to take time and reflect on the goodness

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Speaker 6: of God.

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Speaker 4: Lord.

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Speaker 6: Thank you for the green pastures. Thank you for bringing

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Speaker 6: me through what should have stopped me. Thank you for

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Speaker 6: peace when I lost the loved one. Thank you for

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Speaker 6: strength to make it through that sickness. Thank you for

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Speaker 6: sustaining me when I should have gone under. Thank you

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Speaker 6: for defeating enemies that were much bigger. Thank you for

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Speaker 6: giving me the stamina to outlast the opposition. Well, Joel,

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Speaker 6: this sounds good, but I don't see this grass in

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Speaker 6: the desert. I don't have these big moments where I've

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Speaker 6: stepped up and done something great.

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Speaker 5: Think about what could have happened.

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Speaker 6: That sickness could have taken you out, but God gave

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Speaker 6: you the strength to overcome. That breakup should have soured

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Speaker 6: your life, left you bitter, But while you were hurting,

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Speaker 6: there was a green pasture. You had the strength to

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Speaker 6: move forward. Now you have someone great in your life.

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Speaker 6: That wasn't a lucky break. That was grass in the desert,

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Speaker 6: maybe years taking care of your elderly parents at the

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Speaker 6: same time, raising your children, pursuing your dreams.

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Speaker 4: How could you do all that?

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Speaker 6: How could you have the energy, the desire, the consistency.

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Speaker 4: It wasn't just your good heart.

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Speaker 6: It was God making your difficult places easier. God gives

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Speaker 6: you grace for every season in life.

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Speaker 5: I talked to a lady several years back.

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Speaker 6: She's in her sixties, and she just found out that

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Speaker 6: she was going to raise three of her grandchildren. She

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Speaker 6: wasn't expecting it. The mother had some issues she was

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Speaker 6: dealing with. These children were all under the age of seven.

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Speaker 6: She didn't know how she was going to have the energy,

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Speaker 6: how she could help them with schoolwork and be there

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Speaker 6: for all their events.

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Speaker 5: She was so worried.

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Speaker 6: I told her what I'm telling you. You may be

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Speaker 6: in a desert place, something that you weren't expecting, but

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Speaker 6: it's not a surprise to God. He has a green

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Speaker 6: pasture that he's already ordained for you.

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Speaker 5: It's going to be e than you think.

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Speaker 4: Now. The key is, don't talk yourself out of it.

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Speaker 6: This is too much for me. I can't believe this happened.

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Speaker 6: Don't complain about the desert. You can flourish in the desert.

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Speaker 6: You can prosper in a pandemic. You can succeed in

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Speaker 6: a down year. The most High God is on your side.

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Speaker 6: He makes rivers in the desert. He turns dry land

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Speaker 6: into green pastures. Jeremiah said, when your hope is in

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Speaker 6: the Lord, you will be like a tree, not bothered

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Speaker 6: by the heat or worried by long months of drought.

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Speaker 6: Your leaves will stay green and you will go on

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Speaker 6: producing luscious fruit. Because your hope is in the Lord,

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Speaker 6: You're not going to be bothered by the drought. While

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Speaker 6: others are drying up, You're going to flourish. When they're

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Speaker 6: shrinking back. You're going to move forward. When they're going under,

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Speaker 6: you're going to go over. Why your hope is in

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Speaker 6: the Lord. That desert can't stop you. Sickness, the trouble,

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Speaker 6: the anxiety, it cannot stop you. You may be in

404
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Speaker 6: a barren place, but God knows how to create grass

405
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Speaker 6: in that desert. He's going to open doors you couldn't open.

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Speaker 6: He's going to cause the right people to find you.

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Speaker 6: He said, your leaves are going to stay green. You're

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Speaker 6: going to keep producing fruit, not up one year down

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Speaker 6: to You're going to be consistent.

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Speaker 4: You're going to see the faithfulness of God.

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Speaker 6: See, he's not limited by the economy, by your job,

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Speaker 6: by the stark market.

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Speaker 4: He owns it all.

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Speaker 6: Keep your hope in him. You're not just going to

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Speaker 6: make it just get by. You're going to keep producing

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Speaker 6: luscious fruit, not shriveled up, mediocre. You're going to see abundance, overflow,

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Speaker 6: press down, shaking together, running over. Not after the drought,

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Speaker 6: but in the drought, in the pandemic. You're going to

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Speaker 6: see God show out in your life. That's what it

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Speaker 6: means to have grasp in the desert. You can't explain it,

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Speaker 6: it doesn't make sense. It's just the goodness of God.

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Speaker 6: I saw this lady recently. She told how Raising these

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Speaker 6: children has been one of the most rewarding, fulfilling things

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Speaker 6: she's ever done. She said, specifically, it's been so much

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Speaker 6: easier than I thought.

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Speaker 4: I never dreamed I'd have this.

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Speaker 6: Much energy, this much strength, to be able to get

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Speaker 6: so much done. Sometimes we think, when we get out

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Speaker 6: of the desert, out of the barren place, then we'll excel,

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Speaker 6: then we'll pursue our dreams. But God is going to

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Speaker 6: cause you to flourish in the desert. He's going to

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Speaker 6: make those hard places easier than you think.

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Speaker 4: You may have difficult things coming against.

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Speaker 6: You now, in your health, your finances, your family. It

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Speaker 6: seems like it's more than you can handle. Like this woman,

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Speaker 6: it's going to be easier than it looks. Things you

437
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Speaker 6: thought you would struggle with are not going to be

438
00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,960
Speaker 6: a struggle. There's going to be an anointing of ease,

439
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,800
Speaker 6: ease and ease to raise those children, and ease to

440
00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,600
Speaker 6: overcome the illness, and ease to build the business, and

441
00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:09,440
Speaker 6: ease to move forward.

442
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,120
Speaker 4: After the loss.

443
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,359
Speaker 6: Right now, God is creating grass in your desert place.

444
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,320
Speaker 6: The forces that have stopped you in the past will

445
00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:22,960
Speaker 6: stop you no more. God is releasing you into favor healing, freedom.

446
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:23,520
Speaker 5: And abundance.

447
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:28,639
Speaker 6: You are strong, you are anointed, equipped and empowered. You

448
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,600
Speaker 6: will flourish in the famine. You will prosper in the pandemic.

449
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 6: You will blossom in the desert places. This is what

450
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,480
Speaker 6: happened to a young lady in the scripture named Ruth.

451
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,560
Speaker 6: She was going along fine, life was good. Then her

452
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:48,879
Speaker 6: husband unexpectedly died. You can imagine how devastated she was.

453
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,480
Speaker 6: Her mother in law, Naomi, was moving back to her

454
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,720
Speaker 6: hometown of Bethlehem, and Ruth decided to go with her

455
00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,359
Speaker 6: so she could help take care of her. She would

456
00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,399
Speaker 6: go out into the fields every morning to pick up

457
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:05,119
Speaker 6: leftover wheat that the workers missed. That's how she and

458
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,800
Speaker 6: Naomi survived. Ruth was in a desert place, a young widow,

459
00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,480
Speaker 6: dream shattered now living in lack and poverty. Didn't look

460
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,920
Speaker 6: like she had much of a future. She could have

461
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,400
Speaker 6: been discouraged. Bitter God, Why.

462
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:19,919
Speaker 5: Did this happen?

463
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,359
Speaker 6: But God won't let you get in a desert where

464
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,919
Speaker 6: he can't create green grass. One day, the owner of

465
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,680
Speaker 6: the field noticed Ruth. He told his workers to leave

466
00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,920
Speaker 6: handfuls of wheat on purpose for Ruth. Now she had

467
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,639
Speaker 6: more than she needed. She gathered it in in a

468
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,120
Speaker 6: fraction of the time. With that one good break, her

469
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,399
Speaker 6: life became so much easier. When you're in a desert place,

470
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,200
Speaker 6: you don't know who God is speaking to about being

471
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,640
Speaker 6: good to you. God didn't speak to Ruth. He didn't

472
00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,439
Speaker 6: say I'm going to tell that owner to help you.

473
00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:59,160
Speaker 6: God is working behind the scenes in your life, speaking

474
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,400
Speaker 6: to the people you you need to flourish in the desert,

475
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,320
Speaker 6: lining up the breaks you need to make your life easier.

476
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,760
Speaker 6: He knows how to make a green pasture in the

477
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 6: middle of a setback, in the middle of a loss.

478
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,000
Speaker 6: I'm sure Ruth was so happy, so grateful God had

479
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,600
Speaker 6: been good to her. But God didn't stop there. He

480
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,000
Speaker 6: created the grass, but he didn't leave.

481
00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:23,760
Speaker 4: Her in the desert.

482
00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,960
Speaker 6: The owner of the field, Boaz, fell in love with Ruth.

483
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:29,760
Speaker 4: They ended up getting married.

484
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,479
Speaker 6: Now instead of working in the field, Ruth owned the field.

485
00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,439
Speaker 6: In those desert places, you don't know what God is

486
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,879
Speaker 6: up to. Thoughts will tell you you've seen your best days,

487
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,640
Speaker 6: You've been through too much, You'll never get well, never

488
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:48,520
Speaker 6: meet the right person, never beat the addiction. Don't believe

489
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,520
Speaker 6: those lies. God has already lined up your boasses the

490
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,640
Speaker 6: right people. He's already arranged the good breaks, the promotion,

491
00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,600
Speaker 6: the healing, the favor. He's not going to just make

492
00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,720
Speaker 6: the hard places easier, but he's going to cause you

493
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,639
Speaker 6: to flourish in the desert, to prosper despite what.

494
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:08,320
Speaker 4: You've been through.

495
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,440
Speaker 6: The reason you have strength to withstand, the power to outlast,

496
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,959
Speaker 6: the determination to try again, is because God has something

497
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,800
Speaker 6: awesome in your future. If you were done, he wouldn't

498
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,200
Speaker 6: have created the grass in the desert. If he wasn't

499
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,840
Speaker 6: about to multiply what you have, do something that you've

500
00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,320
Speaker 6: never seen, he wouldn't have made the green pastures for

501
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,560
Speaker 6: you to lie down in the fact that you're hearing

502
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 6: this tells me that your future is much brighter than

503
00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:43,400
Speaker 6: your past. Now quit telling yourself this loss is too

504
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,240
Speaker 6: much for me. I'll never get past this breakup, this sickness,

505
00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,119
Speaker 6: this trouble at work. It's all a part of your destiny.

506
00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,920
Speaker 6: Without the desert places, you can't make it to your

507
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:55,800
Speaker 6: promised land.

508
00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,439
Speaker 5: The question is are you going to take hold of

509
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 5: his strength.

510
00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,520
Speaker 6: Are you going to do like Joseph, like Ruth and

511
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,359
Speaker 6: keep moving forward, being your best, knowing that God is

512
00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:11,360
Speaker 6: in control, or are you going to settle for mediocrity?

513
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:13,639
Speaker 4: Overwhelmed, discouraged?

514
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,320
Speaker 6: What you're up against may be difficult, but this is

515
00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,480
Speaker 6: a new day. God is about to lighten the load.

516
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,679
Speaker 6: Things are about to change in your favor. You're going

517
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 6: to feel a strength that you've never felt, a grace

518
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,760
Speaker 6: to do what you couldn't do, and anointing of ease.

519
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,080
Speaker 6: I believe and declare you are coming in to your

520
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:37,240
Speaker 6: green pastures. You're going to flourish in the famine, prosper

521
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:43,160
Speaker 6: in the pandemic. Favor is coming, healing is coming, breakthroughs, freedom, promotion,

522
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:44,720
Speaker 6: the fullness of.

523
00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:46,920
Speaker 4: Your destiny in Jesus' name.

524
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,080
Speaker 6: Well, I'd like to give you an opportunity to make

525
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:51,840
Speaker 6: Jesus the lord of your life.

526
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:53,320
Speaker 4: Would you pray with me?

527
00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,880
Speaker 6: Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come

528
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 6: into my heart. I make you my Lord and save you.

529
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,960
Speaker 6: If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got

530
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:06,719
Speaker 6: born again.

531
00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 4: We'd love to send you some free information.

532
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,840
Speaker 6: Just text the number on the screen or go to

533
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:15,360
Speaker 6: the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible

534
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,159
Speaker 6: based church. Keep God first place.

535
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,959
Speaker 5: Thanks so much for listening to today's message.

536
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,880
Speaker 6: I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest

537
00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,360
Speaker 6: podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week.

538
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Speaker 7: Help us to continue to share the message of hope

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Speaker 7: with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com

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Speaker 7: or click the link in the description to partner with

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Speaker 7: us today.

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Speaker 5: We hope you'll share this message with a friend and

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Speaker 5: be sure to follow.

544
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Speaker 4: Us on social media.

545
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Speaker 5: We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead.

546
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Speaker 5: We'll see you next time.

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