by the friends of the
Amazing Facts Ministry.
00:00:03.70\00:00:06.57
Doug Batchelor: Reckless
financial irresponsibility is
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a sin.
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We will all give an account
to God for every idle word
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we speak.
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Have you ever considered we may
be giving an account to God for
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the idol money we spend?
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Doug: I'm gonna be talking
about the subject of money.
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That usually gets
people's attention.
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But we're gonna talk a little
bit about money we don't have,
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talking about debt and how
to find deliverance from debt.
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You might be surprised that the
Bible has an awful lot to say
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about the subject of money.
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There are over 500 verses in
the Bible that address finances
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and property.
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Of the 38 parables that Jesus
tells, 16 of them have to do
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with money and
faithful management of property.
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Now, it's appropriate that
we should be talkin' about that
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both as Christians,
believers, and even citizens.
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I don't know if you're aware,
but as a nation, America is
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in debt.
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And if you're from another
nation, don't look down upon us,
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you're probably in
debt, too, in your nation.
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China's got the second greatest
national debt, then Japan, then
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Germany, and it
just goes down the line.
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And the debt that these
countries around the world are
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carrying is staggering.
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In the United States for
example, back in 2008, when
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President George W. Bush, and
some of you have heard that his
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father passed away just in the
last 24 hours at 94 years old.
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But George W. Bush, when he went
out of office, the national debt
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of America was
ten trillion dollars.
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Now, what you couldn't do with
ten trillion dollars, right?
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But now, just since 2008, in ten
years, the national debt is over
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21 trillion dollars.
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Which means that our national
debt is more than our gross
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domestic product, more than
we earn in a year as a country.
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And so, and it's continuing, its
projected to continue going up.
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And it's not a question of
if, it's a question of when.
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It's like you've got two
trains on the same track heading
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towards each other,
there's going to eventually be
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a collision.
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It cannot go on
like this indefinitely.
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Eventually, there's
some kind of implosion.
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Doesn't know when that is.
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Every time the government starts
talking about having a balanced
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budget, everybody comes unglued,
because I have no problem with
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having a balanced budget, as
long as you don't take anything
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away from me.
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Don't take away my benefits,
take away your benefits
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that's okay.
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So, it's become so difficult for
the governments of the world to
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agree to balance the budget.
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But the reason that the
governments are so deeply in
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debt is because
they've learned it from us.
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America's in debt.
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There is a debt
explosion in the United States.
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Give you a few
little facts here.
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According to the Federal
Reserve's latest numbers,
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November 18, 2017, the average
American household carries
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$137,000.63 in
debt, yet the U.S.
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Census Bureau shows that
the medium, or average household
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income, is just $59,000, which
means that many of us are living
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way beyond our means.
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So, I'd like to talk to you
about some biblical principles.
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You want me to keep
going, is this important?
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The Bible has a
lot to say about that.
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So, I'd like to share with you
just a few biblical principles
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about debt.
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The sermon of course is how
do you find freedom from the
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bondage of debt?
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Debt is bondage.
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There's a story you find in
2 Kings chapter 4. This woman
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comes to Elisha the Prophet,
she's got a terrible problem.
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Her husband was one of
the sons of the prophets.
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He evidently took out a loan on
some property and maybe to buy
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some seed to farm some land.
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He was renting, he died before
he could pay it back, and in
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Bible times, if you couldn't
pay back your debts, they could
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start to repossess your
property, and they can still do
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that today, and ultimately, they
could take your family members,
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or you, and enslave you.
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So, this poor woman, deeply in
debt, comes to Elisha and says,
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"Your servant,
my husband, is dead.
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And you know that your
servant feared the Lord, and the
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creditor is coming to take
my two sons as his slaves."
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Because of the debt,
her children were going to
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be enslaved.
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And debt is a type of bondage.
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You read Proverbs 22:7, "The
rich rules over the poor, and
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the borrower is a servant,
a slave, to the lender."
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You know, debt often
begins--now, I should probably
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say, I don't want to make
everyone feel terrible, and some
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of you who are doing fine
financially right now, there's
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things in the message that are
relevant for everybody, whether
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or not you are in debt.
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Some people are in debt
through no fault of their own.
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Look at the story of Job.
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And he was a perfect and an
upright man, and he was just
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slammed through circumstances.
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You know, the devil did it,
where he lost everything, and
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but God did a miracle.
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And you know how
the Book of Job ends.
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You might think you're so far in
debt that you'll never get out.
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Job lost everything,
and by the end of Job, he is
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double blessed.
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So, don't forget the
God factor if you think
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your circumstances are hopeless.
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And I was trying to
tell this lady that.
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She thought how can I?
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I said, you can do it,
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I said, if you'll
start following the steps.
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There's steps you can take,
and they're steps of obedience.
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The first step is to repent
of your sin, turn, and then you
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give God permission
to work miracles for you.
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But no one wants to be
under a burden of debt.
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It often starts by people
desiring things they should
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not desire.
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We try to live today with
money we hope to earn tomorrow.
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There never has been a time in
the history of the world where
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you have had so many things
a person can buy so easily.
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It's incredible now.
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I'm lookin' at my computer
screen and I just make a couple
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of clicks, the next thing,
within five minutes, my doorbell
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rings and there it is.
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That's an exaggeration,
but it's incredible to me.
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You know, I will literally, I'll
order something on Amazon Prime,
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and all of a sudden, the
doorbell rings, and next day I
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go, "Who could that be?"
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It's there already.
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And how they got those racquet
balls from China to my door in
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one day, I don't
know, it's a miracle.
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But it kind of encourages
us, oh, that was so easy.
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But you know, I forgot the
little part where PayPal charges
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my credit card.
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The Bible's pretty clear
that we should avoid debt.
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Romans 13:8, "Owe no one
anything except to love one
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another, for he who loves
another has fulfilled the law."
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Money's very expensive.
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If you tried to live in advance
of money you do not now possess,
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you're going to struggle.
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Benjamin Franklin said, "If you
want to know the value of money,
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go try and borrow some."
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And sometimes, if you borrow
money from a friend, you need to
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ask what's more important,
the money or the friendship?
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'Cause a lot of family
relationships and friendships
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have been permanently damaged
because people started to borrow
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from each other, and
it can cause problems.
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Proverbs 6 verse 1, "My son,
if you have put up security for
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your neighbor, and you've given
a pledge for a stranger, you are
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snared by the words of your
mouth," caught in the words of
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your mouth.
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"Then do this, my son, save
yourself, for you have come into
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the hands of your neighbor.
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Go, hasten, plead urgently with
your neighbor, give your eyes no
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sleep and your
eyelids no slumber.
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Save yourself like a gazelle
from the hand of the hunter,
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like a bird from
the hand of the fowler."
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The hunter's tryin' to kill the
gazelle, the fowler's tryin' to
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kill the bird.
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It says run for
your life, save yourself.
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Get out of debt.
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This should be the attitude that
Christians have when we start
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going into debt and taking
loans, because otherwise it
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could be slavery.
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You know how we get enslaved?
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Jesus said he's gone to
prepare a mansion for us.
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We can't wait for that
mansion there, so we want our
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mansion here.
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You know, the living standard
of the poor in America is much
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higher than most
places in the world.
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I see people all the time
that are getting government
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assistance, and they've got
an $800 smartphone, and they're
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driving a car.
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We just figured,
well, these are necessities.
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The fact is that we are spoiled.
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Is it okay for me to say that?
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We are spoiled, and we are
trying to live way outside of
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our means.
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A lot of people, young people,
they get out of college, they
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want to have the same kind
of house and car their parents
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have, but they didn't remember
that mom and dad worked 40 years
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before they could afford
a house and a car like that.
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And we want
instant gratification.
00:09:55.86\00:09:58.23
We want to click and get
it, we want fast food, we want
00:09:58.26\00:10:01.86
drive-thru wealth, and
that's what's happening.
00:10:01.90\00:10:06.43
It's because we want everything
right now, people are getting
00:10:06.47\00:10:09.30
themselves in bondage with debt,
because we're living outside of
00:10:09.34\00:10:13.11
our means.
00:10:13.14\00:10:14.44
In order to have prosperity
in the future, you need to
00:10:14.48\00:10:17.48
experience self-denial.
00:10:17.51\00:10:20.88
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Doug: Now, I am not speaking to
you as one who is saying I'm up
00:10:55.15\00:10:58.69
here, and you know, I've
always known these things.
00:10:58.72\00:11:02.72
I've had to borrow money.
00:11:02.76\00:11:04.33
Not all borrowing is bad.
00:11:04.36\00:11:06.56
There's times you
may need to borrow.
00:11:06.59\00:11:09.23
There's percentages, you gotta
know what your income is, it's
00:11:09.26\00:11:11.47
got to be manageable, but you
may need to borrow for a home.
00:11:11.50\00:11:15.74
I first went into the wood
business, and I remember I went
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.21
to Wells Fargo Bank.
00:11:18.24\00:11:19.57
I was just tryin' to
borrow $350 for a chainsaw.
00:11:19.61\00:11:23.41
Saw died, I had no money, I
needed the saw to get more money
00:11:23.45\00:11:27.38
to get the wood.
00:11:27.42\00:11:28.75
I had sales, I went to the bank,
and I found out the hard way.
00:11:28.78\00:11:32.55
It's hard to borrow
money if you don't have credit.
00:11:32.59\00:11:35.59
I said, "Well,
how do I get credit?"
00:11:35.62\00:11:36.93
They said, "Well,
you've got to borrow money."
00:11:36.96\00:11:40.06
I said, Help me
understand this."
00:11:40.10\00:11:42.33
I said, "I would love to help
you give me credit right now."
00:11:42.36\00:11:46.23
I said, "Here's
your opportunity.
00:11:46.27\00:11:47.67
Lend me some money."
00:11:47.70\00:11:49.04
They would not lend me money.
00:11:49.07\00:11:51.37
Finally, the pastor lent me have
the money to get the chainsaw,
00:11:51.41\00:11:53.98
and I paid him back.
00:11:54.01\00:11:56.38
But it's no fun, I hate owing.
00:11:56.41\00:11:58.18
I hate owing money.
00:11:58.21\00:12:00.72
To me, you know it just,
I can't get it off my mind.
00:12:00.75\00:12:07.06
And so, I like to pay
everything right away.
00:12:07.09\00:12:08.52
We've had to borrow on our
house, we had a mortgage, praise
00:12:08.56\00:12:10.96
God, paid off.
00:12:10.99\00:12:12.59
Karen and I just moved into
a house over here, people at
00:12:12.63\00:12:14.63
Amazing Facts know I had
to borrow from my retirement.
00:12:14.66\00:12:17.93
It's paid off now.
00:12:17.97\00:12:19.97
Had to borrow a manageable
amount, so I know how it feels.
00:12:20.00\00:12:22.47
I hate to admit
this to my church family.
00:12:22.50\00:12:25.54
I have had to get government
assistance, many years ago, 40
00:12:25.57\00:12:29.48
years ago, for
medical help, for food stamps.
00:12:29.51\00:12:33.52
It's humiliating, I didn't
want to ever do that again.
00:12:33.55\00:12:37.29
This is when I
was a baby Christian.
00:12:37.32\00:12:38.55
I started following the Bible
principles, and praise God, we
00:12:38.59\00:12:41.82
don't have debt now, and we're
trying to live within our means.
00:12:41.86\00:12:46.19
The idea for a Christian is you
want to work hard, save as much
00:12:46.23\00:12:50.73
as you can, so you can
give as much as you can.
00:12:50.77\00:12:55.14
And there's a lot of people
who could be reached with the
00:12:55.17\00:12:59.21
message of the gospel,
but they're not sending enough
00:12:59.24\00:13:02.68
missionaries and pastors.
00:13:02.71\00:13:04.05
How will they hear
unless they're sent?
00:13:04.08\00:13:05.38
That's what the Bible
says, because the funds of God's
00:13:05.41\00:13:08.58
people are often bound up by
the devil in debt, buying things
00:13:08.62\00:13:12.72
they didn't need.
00:13:12.75\00:13:14.69
And so, the devil has actually
hijacked a lot of souls who
00:13:14.72\00:13:19.06
would otherwise you're the
gospel, because the people of
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.63
God are trying to--it's
covetousness is what it is.
00:13:21.66\00:13:26.84
Reckless financial
irresponsibility is a sin.
00:13:26.87\00:13:32.51
We will all give an account
to God for every idle word
00:13:32.54\00:13:35.51
we speak.
00:13:35.54\00:13:37.61
Have you ever considered we may
be giving an account to God for
00:13:37.65\00:13:40.48
the idol money we spend?
00:13:40.52\00:13:43.62
God will bring every work
into judgment with every secret
00:13:43.65\00:13:47.09
thing, whether
it be good or evil.
00:13:47.12\00:13:48.79
A Christian, I don't want to
sound legalistic, because God is
00:13:48.82\00:13:51.03
merciful, but a Christian
needs to think, "I want to
00:13:51.06\00:13:53.96
be faithful."
00:13:54.00\00:13:55.33
Jesus said, these are his words,
Luke 16:10, "He that is faithful
00:13:55.36\00:13:59.17
in that which is the
least is faithful also in much.
00:13:59.20\00:14:02.64
And he that is unjust in that
which is least is unjust also
00:14:02.67\00:14:06.71
in much.
00:14:06.74\00:14:08.04
Therefore, if you have not
been faithful in the unrighteous
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.68
mammon, who will
commit to you the true riches?
00:14:10.71\00:14:13.68
And if you're not faithful
in that which is another's, who
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.12
will give you that
which is your own?"
00:14:16.15\00:14:18.32
Christ here is talking about
faithfulness in stewardship.
00:14:18.35\00:14:21.16
"He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also
00:14:21.19\00:14:24.09
in much."
00:14:24.13\00:14:25.43
Some people have
spending problems.
00:14:25.46\00:14:26.80
I know folks who are
always looking at the
00:14:26.83\00:14:29.73
shopping channels.
00:14:29.76\00:14:31.07
I can't understand it now.
00:14:31.10\00:14:32.70
I surf by, and I see they got
these channels, 24 hours a day
00:14:32.73\00:14:36.67
they're saying, "Buy this, buy
this, it's all wonderful," and
00:14:36.71\00:14:39.84
there are people
that watch those channels.
00:14:39.87\00:14:41.98
There must be, 'cause they're on
all the time, and they're always
00:14:42.01\00:14:44.81
going, "Yeah."
00:14:44.85\00:14:46.15
They make you think that you
can't live without whatever this
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.95
gizmo is that they've got, and
people buy this stuff, they put
00:14:47.98\00:14:51.42
it in the garage,
and they never open it.
00:14:51.45\00:14:54.36
I know people that have their
garages full of stuff that they
00:14:54.39\00:14:56.89
have bought online, or they
bought on sale, they didn't need
00:14:56.93\00:14:59.36
it, but it was on sale,
and it looked good, and it's
00:14:59.39\00:15:03.20
impulsive buying.
00:15:03.23\00:15:05.17
And they've wasted thousands,
some cases hundreds of thousands
00:15:05.20\00:15:08.84
of dollars for stuff
they didn't even need.
00:15:08.87\00:15:12.31
Got real quiet suddenly.
00:15:12.34\00:15:17.05
Now, if we do buy somethin', if
you buy it on time, if you have
00:15:17.08\00:15:20.12
a debt, Christians
should pay their debts.
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.92
You may not like the credit card
company, but very rarely does a
00:15:23.95\00:15:27.29
credit card company
torture you into buying things.
00:15:27.32\00:15:31.76
You usually have to make a
choice somewhere along the way
00:15:31.79\00:15:33.90
to do it.
00:15:33.93\00:15:35.46
And you can read the fine print
and find out what the interest
00:15:35.50\00:15:39.03
rate is.
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.37
And if you have incurred a
debt--I was driving down the
00:15:40.40\00:15:43.17
road with Karen, we heard a
commercial on the radio, it kept
00:15:43.20\00:15:45.61
repeating, "Don't let those mean
credit card companies fool you
00:15:45.64\00:15:50.15
into thinking you've
got to pay them back.
00:15:50.18\00:15:54.45
You don't have to pay 'em."
00:15:54.48\00:15:55.82
Well you know, there are things
you can do if you're deeply in
00:15:55.85\00:15:57.92
debt to a credit card company.
00:15:57.95\00:15:59.32
You can find some legitimate
counseling to help negotiate the
00:15:59.35\00:16:03.93
interest, but the idea that
someone else should pay for the
00:16:03.96\00:16:08.16
gizmo in your garage it
is not a Christian principle.
00:16:08.20\00:16:13.10
If you buy something,
you should pay for it.
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.60
"Oh, but Pastor
Doug, my debt is so big.
00:16:15.64\00:16:18.91
I owe like that
lady I mentioned, half a
00:16:18.94\00:16:21.38
million dollars.
00:16:21.41\00:16:22.74
I'll be dead
before I can pay it."
00:16:22.78\00:16:24.08
Well you know what?
00:16:24.11\00:16:25.45
Even if you were to say I am, by
God's Grace going to pay $10 a
00:16:25.48\00:16:28.35
week, I'm going to make
some changes in my life, and I'm
00:16:28.38\00:16:30.85
going to pay $10 a
week, you'd be surprised.
00:16:30.89\00:16:32.55
God will bless you.
00:16:32.59\00:16:34.02
Start doing something.
00:16:34.06\00:16:36.73
But to throw your hands in
the air and say, "I know it's my
00:16:36.76\00:16:38.79
debt, but I can't pay it all,
so I'm not gonna pay any of it."
00:16:38.83\00:16:42.13
A Christian ought to make
an effort to pay their debts.
00:16:42.16\00:16:45.83
Isn't that right?
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.10
That doesn't mean that you
starve your children in order to
00:16:48.14\00:16:50.84
pay it back, you know, you have
to have your priorities, but
00:16:50.87\00:16:53.38
don't neglect you debts.
00:16:53.41\00:16:54.71
And the Bible says, Psalm
37, I think we have that on
00:16:54.74\00:16:58.58
the screen.
00:16:58.61\00:16:59.91
"The wicked borrows
and does not repay."
00:16:59.95\00:17:03.99
Ecclesiastes 5:5, "Better not
to vow than to vow and not pay."
00:17:04.02\00:17:11.59
And you've got that verse in
Psalm, think it's 15, where it
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.36
says if you swear to your
own hurt, a Christian swears to
00:17:14.40\00:17:17.20
their own hurt, and changeth
not, you've made a decision, it
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.90
was a bad business decision, but
you've made a promise, you don't
00:17:20.94\00:17:24.57
change your word.
00:17:24.61\00:17:27.04
Jephthah made a
really foolish vow.
00:17:27.08\00:17:29.14
He said whatever comes
through my gates, if you give me
00:17:29.18\00:17:31.28
victory, I will offer to you,
Lord, whatever comes through
00:17:31.31\00:17:33.58
my gates.
00:17:33.62\00:17:34.92
His daughter came through
the gates, and he shrugged, and
00:17:34.95\00:17:37.69
said, "O Lord, you know, I
just kidding," or did he keep
00:17:37.72\00:17:40.82
his word?
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.22
His daughter was
dedicated to the temple.
00:17:42.26\00:17:44.16
She served in the temple
the remainder of her life.
00:17:44.19\00:17:45.99
She never married.
00:17:46.03\00:17:47.96
And he made a vow,
and he did not change.
00:17:47.96\00:17:51.23
Christians need to
keep their promises.
00:17:51.27\00:17:53.67
Now, this is the Doug-a-fied
version of seven sure steps for
00:17:53.70\00:17:58.67
deliverance from debt.
00:17:58.71\00:18:01.51
Open a savings account.
00:18:01.54\00:18:02.84
You might be thinking,
"Pastor Doug, I have no money."
00:18:02.88\00:18:05.61
You know, you can open
an account now with $10.
00:18:05.65\00:18:09.12
Start by opening
a savings account.
00:18:09.15\00:18:11.69
Open it in another bank
than where you keep your other
00:18:11.72\00:18:14.96
accounts, so you're not tempted.
00:18:14.99\00:18:16.69
That bank is only
for putting money in.
00:18:16.73\00:18:20.03
As soon as you begin to start
putting money away, something
00:18:20.06\00:18:24.00
happens to your psyche.
00:18:24.03\00:18:25.47
And you start realizing I am now
building instead of constantly
00:18:25.50\00:18:29.77
diminishing, and you can
read the information in there.
00:18:29.80\00:18:34.81
Create a budget.
00:18:34.84\00:18:36.61
Now, if you get point one and
two mixed up, that's okay, but
00:18:36.64\00:18:40.78
most people are in debt because
of a very simple principle.
00:18:40.82\00:18:43.35
There outgo is
more than their income.
00:18:43.39\00:18:47.02
Some people have no idea what
their income is, and they have
00:18:47.06\00:18:49.42
no idea what their outgo is.
00:18:49.46\00:18:50.79
And if you ask 'em to make
a list of how much you spend a
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.83
week, they just kinda
give you rough, round figures.
00:18:53.86\00:18:56.56
Is that including your
lunches every day for $15?
00:18:56.60\00:19:00.74
Is that including, you know,
these little stopping at the
00:19:00.77\00:19:03.71
store and buying whatever the
trinkets are, or people going
00:19:03.74\00:19:07.11
through the drive through
and getting $5 coffees and all
00:19:07.14\00:19:11.08
this stuff.
00:19:11.11\00:19:12.41
And they say, "Oh, yeah,
I didn't realize how that
00:19:12.45\00:19:13.78
added up."
00:19:13.82\00:19:15.62
So, start getting a budget.
00:19:15.65\00:19:17.05
Sit down, look at your receipts,
you can figure out where it's
00:19:17.09\00:19:19.52
going, and be honest about that.
00:19:19.55\00:19:23.02
Create a budget.
00:19:23.06\00:19:24.79
Get a strategy to
live within that budget.
00:19:24.83\00:19:26.76
If you have debt, allocate how
much you can pay on those debts.
00:19:26.80\00:19:30.80
Rethink your grocery basket.
00:19:30.83\00:19:34.74
Some people walk down the aisle
with their basket, and they just
00:19:34.77\00:19:38.41
grab things and throw 'em in.
00:19:38.44\00:19:39.91
I've seen kids goin' along down
the aisle with their parents,
00:19:39.94\00:19:43.48
they're just grabbing the Fruit
Loops off the shelf, throwing
00:19:43.51\00:19:46.68
them in the cart, or whatever
it is, and the parents go, they
00:19:46.72\00:19:48.68
just shrug.
00:19:48.72\00:19:50.92
Some of that stuff's expensive.
00:19:50.95\00:19:53.69
There's things you can
do that are healthier and
00:19:53.72\00:19:56.86
more economical.
00:19:56.89\00:19:58.23
You can buy things that you can,
like, cook and they'll last a
00:19:58.26\00:20:00.53
few days.
00:20:00.56\00:20:01.86
You know how cheap rice is?
00:20:01.90\00:20:03.53
Do you know how many
ways you can prepare rice?
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.60
I remember once,
all I had was rice.
00:20:06.63\00:20:09.70
I was so poor, the
only thing I had was rice.
00:20:09.74\00:20:12.54
I did have raisins.
00:20:12.57\00:20:13.88
So, I had rice with
raisins for breakfast.
00:20:13.91\00:20:15.84
Put a little sugar in it.
00:20:15.88\00:20:17.68
Had, like, fried rice for
lunch, steamed rice for dinner.
00:20:17.71\00:20:22.58
I mean, that's an exaggeration,
but that would be the
00:20:22.62\00:20:25.72
bare basics.
00:20:25.75\00:20:28.56
So, some people might think
about how you're shopping with
00:20:28.59\00:20:31.99
your cart.
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.66
Be faithful in your tithes and
offerings, "Oh Pastor, that's
00:20:33.70\00:20:37.30
going to blow my budget."
00:20:37.33\00:20:38.73
No, you haven't read the Bible.
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.97
The Bible says that if you want
your money to go farther, be
00:20:42.00\00:20:44.61
faithful to
give God what is his.
00:20:44.64\00:20:47.51
If you want God to bless the
remaining 90%, be faithful with
00:20:47.54\00:20:52.25
at least that 10%.
00:20:52.28\00:20:53.58
But if you're faithful in tithes
and offerings, God says I will
00:20:53.62\00:20:57.25
open for you the
windows of heaven.
00:20:57.29\00:20:59.95
And God will start doing things
for you that don't make sense
00:21:00.06\00:21:02.86
mathematically in blessing you.
00:21:02.89\00:21:06.80
And that's why we read that the
opening verse in our Scripture.
00:21:06.83\00:21:11.33
Purge the house.
00:21:11.37\00:21:12.67
There's a lot of mysterious
items we got in our houses and
00:21:12.70\00:21:14.87
our attics, some things aren't
even opened, things that others
00:21:14.90\00:21:17.14
might want we're not using.
00:21:17.17\00:21:18.77
You can actually
sell now with eBay.
00:21:18.81\00:21:20.81
They didn't have
that 50 years ago.
00:21:20.84\00:21:22.94
It's getting easy, snap
a picture, put it online.
00:21:22.98\00:21:25.41
There's junk you got you don't
think anyone would want, you'd
00:21:25.45\00:21:28.32
be surprised.
00:21:28.35\00:21:30.12
Some of you have treasures in
your house you may not even know
00:21:30.15\00:21:32.59
about, things you had
no idea what it's worth.
00:21:32.62\00:21:35.06
Cut what you can live without.
00:21:35.09\00:21:36.79
So, you might have memberships
you're not using, and magazines
00:21:36.83\00:21:39.93
you're not reading,
and you'd be surprised.
00:21:39.96\00:21:42.33
You can start
winnowing things down.
00:21:42.36\00:21:46.30
And then, learn new ways to
earn, which is a transition into
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.50
my other point here.
00:21:49.54\00:21:51.97
There's things you
can do to earn more money.
00:21:52.01\00:21:54.08
Work, yeah, you know, there's a
commandment I read somewhere, it
00:21:54.11\00:22:03.25
says six days you should labor.
00:22:03.28\00:22:07.02
Not only does it say you should
rest the seventh and bless your
00:22:07.06\00:22:09.29
heart for doing that,
but you should all work.
00:22:09.32\00:22:11.13
Now, if you're retired, or
if you're physically unable, but
00:22:11.16\00:22:13.73
there's a lot of people who
there's stuff you can do even
00:22:13.76\00:22:15.56
from home with a
computer now, and earn income.
00:22:15.60\00:22:18.53
I know a lot of people that make
incredible money at home typing,
00:22:18.57\00:22:22.00
doing something on the
internet or with a computer.
00:22:22.04\00:22:25.57
Proverbs 13:4, "The soul
of a lazy man desires and has
00:22:25.61\00:22:29.61
nothing, but the soul of
the diligent will be made rich."
00:22:29.64\00:22:34.45
Proverbs 13:11, "Wealth gained
by dishonesty will diminish,"
00:22:34.48\00:22:39.09
it's like gambling.
00:22:39.12\00:22:40.42
"But he who gathers
by labor will increase."
00:22:40.46\00:22:43.96
The good,
old-fashioned, hard work.
00:22:43.99\00:22:45.59
And watch out for get-rich-quick
schemes, they often turn
00:22:45.63\00:22:50.37
into disasters.
00:22:50.40\00:22:51.70
You know,
multilevel marketing schemes.
00:22:51.73\00:22:53.47
There are probably a couple of
legitimate ones out there, but
00:22:53.50\00:22:56.44
most of them I
think you should avoid.
00:22:56.47\00:23:01.71
Proverbs 28:20, "A faithful man
will abound with blessings, but
00:23:01.74\00:23:05.45
he who hastens to be
rich will not go unpunished."
00:23:05.48\00:23:08.55
God designed us with a purpose.
00:23:08.58\00:23:10.02
You know, I heard a pastor say
one time, if you make yourself
00:23:10.05\00:23:14.42
useful and keep busy,
God is more inclined to keep
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.09
you around.
00:23:17.13\00:23:19.36
He created man, put
'em in a garden to work.
00:23:19.39\00:23:22.33
And then, even after sin, God
said, well, you've sinned, so
00:23:22.36\00:23:24.60
I'm going to let you off.
00:23:24.63\00:23:25.97
He gave 'em more work to
keep them out of trouble, right?
00:23:26.00\00:23:29.70
And so, it's so important
that we find a way to be busy.
00:23:29.74\00:23:33.71
And everybody's got gifts.
00:23:33.74\00:23:35.18
Everybody can do
something, so work.
00:23:35.21\00:23:38.71
Six days you'll labor.
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.05
Ephesians 4:28, "Let him
who stole steal no longer, but
00:23:40.08\00:23:43.82
rather let him labor, working
with his hands what is good,
00:23:43.85\00:23:48.32
that he might have something
to give him who is in need."
00:23:48.36\00:23:52.09
You might say, "Pastor, I still
don't see how I can make all
00:23:52.13\00:23:56.33
ends meet after I
do all these things.
00:23:56.36\00:23:58.37
It's still seems like the
outgo is going to be above
00:23:58.40\00:24:00.64
the income."
00:24:00.67\00:24:02.00
You start obeying, draw near
to God, he'll draw near to you.
00:24:02.04\00:24:04.34
You be faithful in the little
things, and God will then begin
00:24:04.37\00:24:07.21
to bless.
00:24:07.24\00:24:08.58
You will give God
permission to work miracles.
00:24:08.61\00:24:12.65
What happened to that woman?
00:24:12.68\00:24:13.98
She came to Elijah
with an insurmountable debt.
00:24:14.02\00:24:17.79
My sons are gonna
be taken as slaves.
00:24:17.82\00:24:21.42
And you know what Elisha said?
00:24:21.46\00:24:22.89
What do you have?
00:24:22.92\00:24:25.09
well, they've taken everything.
00:24:25.13\00:24:26.46
All we have left is a
little jar of oil on the mantle.
00:24:26.49\00:24:29.30
He said, okay, you consecrate
what you've got left to God, and
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.73
watch what happens.
00:24:31.77\00:24:33.13
She filled her house with
borrowed vessels, filled them
00:24:33.17\00:24:38.27
with the oil, God worked a
miracle, she sold the oil, it
00:24:38.31\00:24:42.48
paid the debt, and left a
surplus where she and her sons
00:24:42.51\00:24:46.21
could live off the surplus.
00:24:46.25\00:24:47.98
God worked a miracle for
her when she brought her burden
00:24:48.02\00:24:50.82
to Elisha.
00:24:50.85\00:24:52.19
When we bring our financial
burdens to Jesus, and we say,
00:24:52.22\00:24:54.66
Lord, I am determined to obey.
00:24:54.69\00:24:56.02
You I don't have much, but I'm
going to consecrate myself and
00:24:56.06\00:24:59.29
all I have to you.
00:24:59.33\00:25:00.70
When we do that, we then
give god permission to activate
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.83
heavenly agencies in providence
that can help turn things around
00:25:03.87\00:25:07.57
for us that we
can't think of right now.
00:25:07.60\00:25:10.41
So, God invented math, and you
may not be able to calculate how
00:25:10.44\00:25:15.14
God's gonna get you out of debt,
but if you begin to be faithful,
00:25:15.18\00:25:18.91
and not trying to live outside
your means, and not spending
00:25:18.95\00:25:21.82
recklessly, certainly not
gambling, working hard, saving,
00:25:21.85\00:25:28.46
being faithful in your giving,
you will give God permission to
00:25:28.49\00:25:33.09
activate miracles in your
behalf and take care of you.
00:25:33.13\00:25:35.63
He's got a thousand ways to
answer our prayers when we can't
00:25:35.66\00:25:39.30
see any.
00:25:39.33\00:25:44.51
announcer: Don't forget to
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00:25:44.54\00:25:46.84
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It's now easier than ever
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important, to
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female: I was addicted to
all different types of things.
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male: I was drinking so much on
the road, that when I got home,
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I would be just
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male: I had a problem with
authority, started smoking at
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the age of 14, and
drinking by the age of 15.
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male: I had money, I had women,
I had a car every two years.
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male: Life wasn't
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I mean, I was having a great
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I knew something was
dying, something was wrong.
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male: I got down on my
knees, and I prayed to God.
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I said, "God, if you're there,
wherever you lead me in life,
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whatever you want
me to do, I am yours."
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male: I started studying the
Bible and found Amazing Facts
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online, and was watching
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My life has changed so much
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path for me.
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male: I wanna thank you.
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female: Thank you.
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female: Thank you.
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male: From the
bottom of my heart.
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announcer: You can become a
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And thank you for your continued
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Jesus Christ to the world.
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We hope you'll join us next week
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of God to explore
more amazing facts.
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announcer: This presentation was
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00:28:24.13\00:28:26.27
of the Amazing Facts Ministry.
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