BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON #544 GIVE
THEM A FIGHTING CHANCE
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[bREATH OF THEME MUSIC]
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PB: Mark chapter
10, verse number 13.
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The Word of God
says in Mark chapter 10,
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verse 13--if you have
it, let me hear you say amen.
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Aud.:  Amen.  PB:  The
Word says, "And they brought
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young children to him,
that he should touch them:
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and his disciples
rebuked those that brought them.
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But when Jesus saw it,
he was much displeased,
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and said unto them,
Suffer the little children
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to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such
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is the kingdom of
God. Verily I say unto you,
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Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God
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as a little child, he
shall not enter therein.
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And he took them up
in his"--what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Arms.  PB:  Took
them up in His what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Arms.   PB:  And
He "put his hands upon them,
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and"--He did what,
everybody? Aud.:  Blessed them.
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PB:  Do me a favor. Turn to your
neighbor and say, Neighbor--
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Aud.:  Neighbor.  PB: 
Give them a fighting chance.
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Aud.:  Give them a fighting
chance.  PB:  Father, bless us
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now as we go in Your
Word. Move in this place.
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It's not about me
but it's about You.
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So speak to us today.
And I pray that when the
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appeal time comes, by
the power of Your Spirit,
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after You would have
spoken to us, we would be
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moved by Your Spirit to
make a decision for You.
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Forgive us for our sins,
we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.
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You may be seated. 
Give them a fighting chance.
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Everybody say, Give
them-- Aud.:  Give them.
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PB:  A fighting chance.
 Aud.: A fighting chance.
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PB:  All right, now,
when we come to a new year,
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everybody talks
about new beginnings.
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But some people don't celebrate
the arrival of a new year,
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they just celebrate the
survival of the old year.
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Somebody in this place
is not so much as happy
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that it's 2017, but
you're just happy 2016 is over.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? So we come to
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a new year. Somebody is
trying to lose weight in 2017.
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Somebody is trying to let
go of stress and mess in 2017.
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So because you're
letting go of stress and mess,
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you're letting go of stressy
and messy people in 2017.
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But I believe I've got
somebody in this place that's
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trying to graduate
in 2017. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  So, you're not fooling
around. You're like, look,
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this past week was my
last registration at Oakwood.
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Come hell or high water,
in May I'm walking across
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somebody's stage. Come
on, say amen.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  But then, somebody's
trying to find a man in 2017.
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Somebody's trying
to find a lady in 2017.
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Somebody's trying to
get over there so they
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can move on to
their next in 2017.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  Speaking of that,
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I read this week
where--I won't call names,
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so let's do it this
way--Person A gave some advice
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to Person B. Person B was
trying to get over their ex,
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because Person B saw
their ex with somebody else,
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so Person B was crying.
"There was somebody else.
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What am I going to do?"
But Person A said to him, "Hey,
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hey, hey. Never get jealous
when you see your ex with
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somebody else, because
our parents taught us to give
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our used toys to the
less fortunate." Amen!
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Goodbye--Sister Johnson,
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you like that one,
don't you? You're like that.
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Aha! Goodbye 2016, hello
2017. They are used toys.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? Let the less
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fortunate have them. It's
a new year, but the church
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is not immune to new
ideas, plans, goals. When the
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church comes to a new
year, we talk about these
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new ideas, goals and plans
through mission and vision.
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So everybody say
"mission." Aud.:  Mission.
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PB:  Come on, say it like
you mean it. Say "mission."
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Aud.:  Mission. 
PB:  Now say "vision."
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Aud.:  Vision.  PB: 
But don't confuse the two.
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Mission and vision
are not the same. Mission
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is not the same thing
as vision, and vision is
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not the same thing as
mission. Mission Is the general
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purpose or calling shared by
all congregations of believers.
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Our Adventist mission
is rooted in the gospel
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Commission of Jesus. Go ye
therefore, teach all nations,
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baptizing them in the name of
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
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That's mission. 
But vision is different.
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Vision is the
distinct manner or method God
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has given to us for the
carrying out of that mission.
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Now, let me be clear.
Some of you may challenge me
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on this subject, but
it's the truth anyhow.
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God gives vision to the
leaders. I knew I wasn't
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going to get any Amens
on that. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  God gives
vision to the leaders.
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God doesn't give
vision to a committee.
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God gives it to a
leader. That's biblical.
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If you don't believe
me, if God had given vision
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to the committee of
Israel, the children of
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Israel would still be
tending fleshpots in Egypt.
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God gave the vision to
Moses. It's the leader's
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responsibility to impart
the vision to the people.
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But oftentimes the
problem with a dying church is,
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it has no vision. Because
the Bible says where there
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is no vision, the
people do what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Perish.   PB:  Remember,
it was the blind activist,
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Helen Keller, who was asked,
"What could be worse than being
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born blind?" She said,
"Having sight with no vision."
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But when God gives
you a vision for ministry,
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you know it's of God
when the vision outlives you.
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If the vision does not
outlive you, then the vision
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wasn't of God. God-given
vision is bigger than you.
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God-given vision is
bigger than me. God-given vision
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doesn't die with you or
me. God-given vision doesn't
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rest in your pocketbook
or wallet. I've never had a
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vision for ministry that
I could afford. If I could
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afford it, then I would
say I did it. So God makes
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sure I can't afford it,
and you can't afford it.
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So when God does it,
we will all say it was God
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who did it. If it's
God's will, it's God's bill.
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If it's God's
choice, it's God's invoice.
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This past Saturday night
at this church we had our
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church business
meeting, and we talked about our
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church mission. But I
also shared the vision that
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the Lord has given me
for this church this year.
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Yes, we need to preach
the gospel--that's mission.
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Yes, we need to teach
the gospel--that's mission.
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Yes, we need to spread
the gospel--that's mission.
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But our vision for ministry,
our methods for ministry,
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our manner for ministry
this year must center around
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children, youth, and
young adults in this church.
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Amen, somebody.  Aud.:  Amen.
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PB:  If not, we're going to die.
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Now I know you
don't want to hear it,
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but it's the truth
anyhow. If not, we die.
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And because this is a
hospital and not a hospice,
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because there's a
difference. Does somebody know
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what I'm talking
about? A hospice tries to make
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you comfortable before
you die, while a hospital
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tries to make you
well so you won't die.
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We've got to make
ministry to children, youth,
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young adults a
priority because we're not here
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to make this
church comfortable to die.
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Now, don't misunderstand
me. I'm not here to
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disparage anybody or
here to displace anybody,
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seniors included. We,
as young people, stand on
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the shoulders of those
who have gone before us.
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But this message today, as
we begin the new academic year,
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is a challenge to us to
intentionally reach our young
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people. [Aud. reaction] 
PB:  Amen light. You see,
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Satan is trying to
take our young people out.
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Satan is trying to
destroy our young people.
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Satan is trying to
kill them. What do I mean?
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For one, young people
today are exposed earlier
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than ever to illegal
drugs. Based on a survey by
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the CDC, 45 percent
of high school students
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nationwide drank
alcohol and 19.7 percent smoked
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pot during a one-month
period. According to the
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same survey, 30 percent
of all young people between
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the age of 12 and 17
years old said it would be
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fairly easy or very
easy to get marijuana. Weed.
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Gonzo. I'm doing the
best I can. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  One in five said it
would be easy to get cocaine.
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One in 10 said it
would be easy to get heroin.
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Let me be clear, it's not
just happening in the world.
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It's happening in the
church. It's happening here in
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Huntsville. It's happening
at Oakwood. I'm doing the
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best I can, Sister. 
This is a great school.
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I am proud to be an
alumnus of this school,
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but you also need to
know that whatever you're
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looking for at
Oakwood, you will find it.
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If you want Jesus at
Oakwood, you'll find it.
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And if you want weed at
Oakwood--  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  --you'll find
it, too. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  I don't want a
witness in this place! Ha ha ha.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Don't act like you don't know
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what I'm talking about.
Do I need to walk down the
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halls of the dorms? Or
better yet, do I need to walk
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down Oakwood Road.
Getting quiet in here.
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Pass the Unity Pond.
It's getting quiet in here.
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Pass Dr. Warren's
house. Do I need to walk down
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towards Jordan Lane? But
not only that, 10 million 12-
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to 20-year-olds drink and 65
percent of those binge drink.
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Nearly 70 million Americans
age 12 and over use tobacco,
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and 59 percent of new
smokers were under the age of 18
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when they first started smoking.
Three out of 10 American
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girls will get pregnant
before age 20, and 90 percent of
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all teenage births
occur outside of marriage.
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But then there is violence.
My daddy's hometown, Chicago.
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I'm going there to tour, a
revival. We're going to plant
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a church there, Breath of
Life, this summer. But we're
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going to Chicago, and I was
doing a study on Chicago and
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there were 762 murders reported
in Chicago in 2016 alone.
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And notice, reported murders.
One child, age 16 and younger,
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is murdered in Chicago on
average every week. So, what
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does that mean? Children in
Chicago have learned to hit the
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floor at the sound of gunfire
before they're even old enough
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to set foot in a classroom
to learn to read or write.
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But it doesn't just affect
us. It means nothing to us until
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it's our children. Our
grandchildren. So let me talk
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about our children and
our grandchildren. Let's go to
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the Adventists, because
for some of you living in the
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twilight zone of a fuzzy
existence, what's happening
00:12:38.39\00:12:41.52
in the world is also happening
right here in the church.
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Let's talk about our belief
system. In a study conducted
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by the Barna Group for
the Adventist church in 2013,
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27 percent of all Adventist
youth between the ages of
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18 and 29--that's the young
people in the balcony--feel
00:12:54.97\00:12:57.71
it's okay to use illegal
drugs. Thirty-nine percent
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believe it's okay to
engage in premarital sex.
00:13:01.58\00:13:04.71
Sixty-two percent feel it's okay
to drink alcoholic beverages,
00:13:04.75\00:13:08.62
and 79 percent don't even
feel modesty is important.
00:13:08.65\00:13:13.59
Wear what you want to
wear. And we're sitting up here
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arguing about whether we
should go to the movies or not.
00:13:17.53\00:13:20.03
[Aud. reaction]   PB:
Millennials, persons who reached
00:13:20.06\00:13:25.37
adulthood in the 21st century,
make up 26 percent of the
00:13:25.40\00:13:29.20
United States population,
but only 14 percent of the
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.94
Adventist population of
the United States. The average
00:13:31.97\00:13:35.04
age of the United States
resident is 35, while the
00:13:35.08\00:13:38.05
average age of an Adventist
is 61. In the last eight years,
00:13:38.08\00:13:44.22
33 percent of our Seventh-day
Adventist members in the
00:13:44.25\00:13:46.69
North American Division
have left the church. And of
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those who left, 63
percent were young adults.
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We're sitting up--not
just Oakwood, I'm talking about
00:13:53.53\00:13:58.67
everywhere--worried about
who can be president of this
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and president of that.
Worried about women's ordination
00:14:01.14\00:14:04.37
and women in ministry, arguing
about drums, arguing about
00:14:04.41\00:14:08.84
music and what time the
young people get to church.
00:14:08.88\00:14:11.41
I'm just thankful that they're
in church, singing praises
00:14:11.45\00:14:16.82
to God in church. Do I
have a witness in this place?
00:14:16.85\00:14:21.09
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  I
said it on Saturday night.
00:14:21.12\00:14:23.09
Some people want to
say, "Well, Pastor, it's the
00:14:23.12\00:14:25.09
shaking time. This is
what's going to happen right
00:14:25.13\00:14:27.76
before the Lord comes, so oh
well if the young people leave.
00:14:27.76\00:14:30.53
Let's just give up." No! We
cannot just give up. We've got
00:14:30.57\00:14:37.54
to fight for our children.
Fight for our young people.
00:14:37.57\00:14:41.71
Fight for our young
adults. [Aud. reaction]
00:14:41.74\00:14:43.78
PB:  Give them a fighting
chance. These young people
00:14:43.81\00:14:48.45
are our future. They are our
children, they are  our kids,
00:14:48.48\00:14:52.92
our grandkids. Yes, their
music is sometimes too loud.
00:14:52.95\00:14:57.56
Yes, their hair is sometimes
red, yellow, black and white.
00:14:57.59\00:15:05.33
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  Yes, their
dresses sometimes are too short.
00:15:05.37\00:15:18.35
Yes, the young men sometimes
have hats on in church,
00:15:18.38\00:15:23.08
when they need to take
them off. But I'm telling you,
00:15:23.12\00:15:27.06
my vision for this
year--I'm not giving up on them.
00:15:27.09\00:15:30.49
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
I'm going to fight for them.
00:15:30.53\00:15:38.03
If the Lord delays His
coming, one of them will
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lead this church one day.
If the Lord delays His coming,
00:15:42.10\00:15:45.74
one of these young people today
will be the speaker-director
00:15:45.77\00:15:48.91
of Breath of Life. The
devil cannot, will not,
00:15:48.94\00:15:53.48
shall not have our
young people. [Aud. reaction]
00:15:53.52\00:15:58.29
PB:  Our young people
are a heritage from the Lord.
00:15:58.32\00:16:05.26
So that's why Jesus
said in the text, "Suffer the
00:16:05.29\00:16:07.50
little children to come
unto me and forbid them not,
00:16:07.56\00:16:10.13
for of such is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.47
But I like the way
The Message Bible puts it.
00:16:11.50\00:16:13.10
It puts it this way:
"Don't push these children away.
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.90
Don't ever get between
them and Me." This is Jesus.
00:16:15.94\00:16:19.21
"These children are
at the very center of the
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.21
life of the kingdom,
and unless you accept God's
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.75
kingdom in the simplicity of
a child, you will never get in."
00:16:23.78\00:16:27.65
But look at the
text. Look at verse 13.
00:16:27.68\00:16:30.99
Look at Mark 10:13.
Come on, look at it,
00:16:31.02\00:16:32.79
I want you to
read the Bible today.
00:16:32.82\00:16:34.22
Look at Mark 10,
verse number 13. Mark 10:13,
00:16:34.26\00:16:37.19
if you have it let
me hear you say amen.
00:16:37.23\00:16:39.03
Aud.:  Amen.   PB: 
The Word says in verse 13,
00:16:39.06\00:16:40.90
"And they brought"--they
did what, everybody?
00:16:40.93\00:16:42.83
Aud.:  Brought.  PB:  "They
brought young children"--to
00:16:42.86\00:16:44.77
whom? Aud.:  Him.  PB:  Come
on, talk to me. And they what,
00:16:44.80\00:16:46.23
everybody? Brought
young children to what?
00:16:46.27\00:16:49.27
Aud.:  Him.  PB:  Now
stop. Let's go through the text.
00:16:49.30\00:16:53.07
Notice the text says, "They
brought young children to him."
00:16:53.11\00:16:58.21
They, that's the pronoun
used here. Notice, the text does
00:16:58.25\00:17:01.98
not specifically state
that the children were brought
00:17:02.02\00:17:04.69
by their parents. Okay,
that may have been the case with
00:17:04.72\00:17:09.82
some of the children, but
it does not specifically say
00:17:09.86\00:17:13.56
it was the parents who brought
the children. The text says,
00:17:13.60\00:17:18.07
"And they brought young
children to him," which means,
00:17:18.10\00:17:22.74
some parents may not have
brought them. Which I then
00:17:22.77\00:17:27.91
translate, eisegesis, not every
parent is interested in the
00:17:27.94\00:17:32.65
spiritual well-being of their
child.  The story is told of a
00:17:32.68\00:17:37.99
four-year-old little boy who,
after the dedication of his baby
00:17:38.02\00:17:40.52
brother in church, cried all the
way back home in the backseat of
00:17:40.56\00:17:43.83
the car. The boy's parents
asked him, "Son, what's wrong?
00:17:43.86\00:17:46.56
Son, what's wrong? Son, what's
wrong? Why are you crying?"
00:17:46.59\00:17:49.56
Getting no reply
initially, they kept asking him,
00:17:49.60\00:17:52.87
but he finally
replied, "Mommy and Daddy,
00:17:52.90\00:17:55.70
the preacher said he
wanted us to be brought
00:17:55.74\00:17:59.24
up in a Christina home, but I
wanted to stay with you guys."
00:17:59.27\00:18:02.91
[Aud. reaction]   PB:  Are
you interested in the spiritual
00:18:02.94\00:18:08.78
welfare of your child? But
truth be told, God is calling us
00:18:08.82\00:18:14.32
to be sensitive to the spiritual
welfare of all children,
00:18:14.36\00:18:18.66
not just our own. Some folk
don't understand the importance
00:18:18.69\00:18:21.00
of teaching young people about
Jesus now. They want to wait
00:18:21.03\00:18:23.83
until their children are old
enough to decide for themselves
00:18:23.87\00:18:29.04
about spiritual things.
He's too young, he's too young,
00:18:29.07\00:18:32.47
she's too young. Let
them decide when they get old.
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.94
But it's funny, because
they don't let them wait until
00:18:34.98\00:18:37.25
they're old enough to
decide for themselves if they
00:18:37.28\00:18:39.78
should go to school, go to
the doctor, or clean their room.
00:18:39.81\00:18:45.35
I have a pastor friend who says,
if they're old enough to be
00:18:45.39\00:18:48.92
lost, then they're
old enough to be saved.
00:18:48.96\00:18:51.16
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  A preacher
wanted to show off his garden,
00:18:51.19\00:18:54.46
trying to make a
point to one of his members,
00:18:54.50\00:18:56.43
a man in his church who
wouldn't let his children
00:18:56.46\00:18:58.80
go to church. The man
wanted his children to wait
00:18:58.83\00:19:00.77
until they were old
enough to decide to go to church
00:19:00.80\00:19:02.07
for themselves. So as
the man and the preacher are
00:19:02.10\00:19:03.94
walking through the
preacher's garden, the garden is
00:19:03.97\00:19:05.64
full of weeds. And the weeds
are choking out the preacher's
00:19:05.67\00:19:08.94
squash, okra and beans. The
man then says to the preacher,
00:19:08.98\00:19:11.45
"Preacher, this is a
pitiful excuse for a garden."
00:19:11.48\00:19:15.15
The preacher responded,
"Well, I just wanted to wait
00:19:15.18\00:19:17.09
until the vegetables
had the chance to decide for
00:19:17.12\00:19:19.09
themselves what they
wanted to do."   [Aud. reaction]
00:19:19.12\00:19:23.32
PB:  Look at verse 13
again. "And they brought young
00:19:23.36\00:19:28.03
children to him." Second point,
"that he should touch them."
00:19:28.06\00:19:33.00
That He should do what,
everybody?  Aud.:  Touch them.
00:19:33.03\00:19:34.70
PB:  Come on, that he
should do what, everybody?
00:19:34.74\00:19:35.94
Aud.:  Touch them.  PB: 
Now quickly, the people wanted
00:19:35.97\00:19:38.51
Jesus to touch the children.
It was a common thing in
00:19:38.54\00:19:43.31
the Bible times for people
to bring children to a prophet
00:19:43.35\00:19:45.98
or priest for them to bless
their children. It was like
00:19:46.01\00:19:47.85
when we have a child
dedication service for us today.
00:19:47.88\00:19:50.75
So in the text, the
people wanted Jesus to pray and
00:19:50.79\00:19:53.89
touch their children, to
tell them how much He loved
00:19:53.92\00:19:56.66
them and give a special
blessing to them. But there were
00:19:56.69\00:19:58.89
hindrances to the children
being touched. Look at the
00:19:58.93\00:20:03.06
next part of the text. 
"And his disciples rebuked those
00:20:03.10\00:20:09.50
that brought them." The
disciples rebuked those that
00:20:09.54\00:20:18.08
brought them. The disciples,
Christ's followers. The
disciples, Christ's ambassadors.
00:20:18.11\00:20:27.02
The disciples, Christ's elders.
The disciples, Christ's deacons.
00:20:27.06\00:20:34.83
The disciples, church
folk. The disciples thought that
00:20:34.83\00:20:41.20
Jesus was too important to
give attention to the children.
00:20:41.24\00:20:45.77
They thought that the children
were a bother, a nuisance.
00:20:45.81\00:20:48.51
They thought they were trouble.
Can't you see that Jesus
00:20:48.54\00:20:51.71
is busy with more important
things than the children?
00:20:51.75\00:20:54.18
Jesus has work to do, leave Him
alone. He's busy teaching us.
00:20:54.22\00:20:58.82
He does not care about them.
The disciples were trying to
00:20:58.85\00:21:04.96
keep the children and
young people away from Jesus.
00:21:04.99\00:21:07.73
The principle application
for us is, sometimes without
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.47
realizing it, we keep
the children away from Jesus.
00:21:10.50\00:21:13.77
You see, they can't
drive to Sabbath School.
00:21:13.80\00:21:17.24
It's getting quiet in here.
They can't drive to church.
00:21:17.27\00:21:21.64
They can't drive to choir
rehearsal. They can't drive to
00:21:21.68\00:21:23.38
AY. I'm too tired. Nothing's
going on over there, anyway.
00:21:23.41\00:21:26.15
You don't have to go.
And we don't even realize it,
00:21:26.18\00:21:28.45
but we're keeping them
away from Jesus, because if
00:21:28.48\00:21:30.92
they can't get to
God's house, how are they
00:21:30.95\00:21:32.65
going to know about
Jesus? [Aud. reaction]
00:21:32.69\00:21:35.22
PB:  Oh, but it's not just
the children, it's the youth.
00:21:35.26\00:21:38.46
It's the young adults. We
don't even realize that we're
00:21:38.49\00:21:43.40
keeping them from Jesus. You
can only sing one type of music.
00:21:43.43\00:21:49.20
You can't clap in here. You
can't play the drums in here.
00:21:49.24\00:21:54.11
We don't do it that way.
You can't serve in the pulpit.
00:21:54.14\00:21:56.81
You can't get a Sabbath
School lesson. You don't give
00:21:56.85\00:21:59.55
money to the church. You
don't contribute to the church.
00:21:59.58\00:22:04.12
It's quiet in here today. You're
a liability, not an asset.
00:22:04.15\00:22:09.46
You're an expense, not a
source of revenue, so be seen
00:22:09.49\00:22:13.80
and not heard. And then,
without even realizing it,
00:22:13.83\00:22:17.83
we're keeping our very
young people away from Jesus,
00:22:17.87\00:22:20.57
because then they don't want
to come to the house of God.
00:22:20.60\00:22:23.81
But you know what? Our world
is full of enough hindrances
00:22:23.84\00:22:26.71
for our children. We've got
enough hindrances in our world
00:22:26.74\00:22:29.98
that we don't need to keep them
from Jesus. We've got drugs,
00:22:30.01\00:22:32.21
alcohol, sexual perversion,
violence, bad influences,
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.82
peer pressure, to keep them
out. Let's not help the world.
00:22:34.85\00:22:38.82
Give our young people a fighting
chance. The disciples didn't
00:22:38.85\00:22:43.32
want the children to come
to Jesus. The disciples thought
00:22:43.36\00:22:46.06
they were more important to
Jesus. They thought Jesus was
00:22:46.09\00:22:48.86
more interested in them.
After all, they were the ones
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.30
who did the most
important things. They tithed.
00:22:51.33\00:22:55.67
They gave offering.
They taught Sabbath School.
00:22:55.70\00:22:59.81
They sang in the
choir. They knew the Bible.
00:22:59.84\00:23:03.04
They thought they were
more important to Jesus than the
00:23:03.08\00:23:06.11
children. Oh, but Jesus. Jesus
uses this as a great time to
00:23:06.15\00:23:13.89
teach a lesson. The lesson is a
lesson of grace. Jesus' love for
00:23:13.92\00:23:19.46
you, my friends, is not based on
performance. Jesus' love for you
is not based on activity.
00:23:19.49\00:23:25.07
Jesus' love for you is not based
on what you do, it's based on
00:23:25.10\00:23:29.44
what He's already done. Jesus'
love for you is based on grace.
00:23:29.47\00:23:34.24
For by grace are ye
saved, through faith and not of
00:23:34.28\00:23:38.01
yourselves. It is a gift from
God. The disciples were trying
00:23:38.05\00:23:41.62
to outdo each other to earn
favor with Jesus, to see who
00:23:41.65\00:23:44.65
could get promoted first in the
kingdom. They were trying to
earn favor with God,
00:23:44.69\00:23:49.82
so they asked, What had these
children done to deserve the
00:23:49.86\00:23:54.36
love of Jesus? Had they
sacrificed and put money in the
Restoration 40 project?
00:23:54.40\00:24:00.07
Had they taught a Sabbath School
class? Had they participated
00:24:00.10\00:24:05.34
in the Heaven's Storehouse
and Cabinet Corner ministry?
00:24:05.37\00:24:09.44
But Jesus in the text shows
them a loving picture of grace.
00:24:09.48\00:24:13.45
Jesus shows them love for a
little child who hadn't done
00:24:13.48\00:24:17.12
anything to earn it. Jesus shows
what His grace is all about.
00:24:17.15\00:24:21.02
The disciples have rebuked those
children that had come to Jesus,
00:24:21.06\00:24:24.69
but Jesus then rebuked them.
They thought they were going to
00:24:24.73\00:24:30.20
get those children told. But
then Jesus got them told. Jesus
00:24:30.23\00:24:36.37
said, the way you treat a child
is the same way you're treating
00:24:36.40\00:24:39.94
Me. Children are what the
kingdom is all about, and when
00:24:39.97\00:24:44.15
we invest in our young people,
we're investing in the kingdom.
00:24:44.18\00:24:47.45
But not only that, what we
invest in our young people we're
00:24:47.48\00:24:51.79
investing in the kingdom. 
I don't know if you know it,
00:24:51.82\00:24:53.32
but 83 percent of those
who come to know the Lord do so
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.46
before the age of 18. IN fact,
two out of every three solid
00:24:55.49\00:24:59.36
Christians make the decision
for Christ between the ages of
00:24:59.39\00:25:02.10
13 to 19, which means if
the Lord delays His coming,
00:25:02.13\00:25:05.40
if we don't do anything about
this, where will His church
00:25:05.43\00:25:07.64
be 20 years from now? We
invest in houses, and they will
00:25:07.67\00:25:13.48
get eaten by termites. They will
burn, blow away in a tornado
00:25:13.51\00:25:18.71
or hurricane. We invest in
cars that will rust, break down
00:25:18.75\00:25:23.69
and get crushed for scrap metal
one day. We invest in clothes
00:25:23.72\00:25:29.19
that go out of style,
get too big, get too little.
00:25:29.22\00:25:34.36
I won't be able to take
my house with me to heaven,
00:25:34.36\00:25:38.87
because I've already got a
mansion waiting in heaven for
00:25:38.90\00:25:43.64
me. I won't be able to take
that Mercedes with me to heaven,
00:25:43.67\00:25:47.04
but I'm going to take up
wings and fly from my mansion
00:25:47.08\00:25:50.85
to your mansion. I don't
need any clothes in heaven,
00:25:50.88\00:25:54.78
I've already got a robe of
righteousness that's waiting for
00:25:54.82\00:25:59.65
me. The things I spend my money
and time on here on earth won't
00:25:59.69\00:26:03.83
mean a thing in heaven. But
what we invest in our children
00:26:03.86\00:26:09.03
and young people
will count for eternity.
00:26:09.06\00:26:12.07
Let me tell you
something. This church--
00:26:12.10\00:26:17.01
do not out-Adventist me--this
church was started by young
00:26:17.04\00:26:24.18
people. And the servant of the
Lord says it will be finished by
00:26:24.21\00:26:31.65
young people. You don't believe
me? Ellen White says that “with
00:26:31.69\00:26:33.92
such an army of workers as
our youth,” she says, “rightly
00:26:33.96\00:26:37.76
trained, might furnish, how
soon the message of a crucified,
00:26:37.79\00:26:40.43
risen, and soon-coming Savior
might be carried to the world.”
00:26:40.46\00:26:43.67
Serving the Lord is not
just for the older folks.
00:26:43.70\00:26:48.47
Serving the Lord is
not just for young folks.
00:26:48.50\00:26:53.74
Serving the Lord is
for everybody. So Jesus,
00:26:53.78\00:26:57.98
He says it, when He
closes out in verse number 15.
00:26:58.01\00:27:01.48
He puts the people
beneath the children.
00:27:01.52\00:27:03.89
"Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as
00:27:03.92\00:27:06.05
a little child," He says,
they "shall not enter therein."
00:27:06.09\00:27:10.29
Ministering, then, to
youth cannot be taken lightly.
00:27:10.33\00:27:12.63
We are losing our youth to
many false religions of drugs,
00:27:12.66\00:27:16.40
alcohol, sexuality,
homosexuality, and the
lifestyles of this world.
00:27:16.43\00:27:26.14
The message of our old forms
of teaching is no longer having
00:27:26.17\00:27:30.31
an effect on our young
people. I say it all the time:
00:27:30.35\00:27:34.68
you can't do 8-track
ministry in a DVD society.
00:27:34.72\00:27:37.35
We're up here preaching
and talking, and they sit
00:27:37.39\00:27:40.16
in the pews on their
phones, Twitter, Instagram,
00:27:40.19\00:27:43.22
Snap Chat, because
they're finding this message
00:27:43.26\00:27:45.66
boring and of no interest.
 Now don't misunderstand me,
00:27:45.69\00:27:47.96
there's nothing wrong with our
message. That's not the problem.
00:27:48.00\00:27:49.83
The message is the same, but
the methods must be different.
00:27:49.86\00:27:52.53
The same way you found Jesus
may not be the same way somebody
00:27:52.57\00:27:56.00
else finds Jesus. The way
your mother came in may not be
00:27:56.04\00:27:59.27
the way you came in, and
the way you came in may not be
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.61
the way your child comes
in. But are we so caught up in
00:28:02.64\00:28:05.61
our past that we can't be
ready to take God's message
00:28:05.65\00:28:07.88
in the future? Are we so
enslaved in the way it used
00:28:07.92\00:28:10.52
to be that we can't be liberated
by the way it ought to be?
00:28:10.55\00:28:13.79
Folk are tired of
revelation without relevance.
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.26
>:  Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:15.29\00:28:17.26
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:17.29\00:28:19.46
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:19.49\00:28:21.73
as Dr. Byrd will
deliver another dynamic message
00:28:21.76\00:28:24.23
from the Lord, just for you.
00:28:24.27\00:28:26.84
Until next time,
may God bless you.
00:28:26.87\00:28:28.90
END
00:28:28.94\00:28:43.95