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Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021255A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:13 >>HI FRIENDS, THIS IS PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 00:16 WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR AN AMAZING FACT? 00:17 MORE AND MORE OF THE WORLD IS TURNING, NOW, TO NATURAL FORMS 00:21 OF ENERGY TO TRY AND FIND THEIR POWER AND THEY'RE RESORTING TO 00:24 THINGS LIKE THE WIND FARM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN JAMAICA AT 00:27 WIGTON. YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, 00:29 MY WIFE AND I GOING TO VISIT THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII AND WE WERE 00:32 AMAZED AT ALL THE POTENTIAL THERE FOR NATURAL POWER, 00:35 BUT THEY WEREN'T USING IT. THERE AT THE SOUTH PART OF 00:38 THE ISLAND THERE WAS VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. 00:41 YOU CAN MAKE GEOTHERMAL POWER THERE. IF YOU WENT TO WIAMEA, 00:45 THE WIND WAS CONSTANTLY BLOWING, BUT THEY HAD NO WINDMILLS THERE. 00:49 IF YOU WENT OVER TO KONA, SUN ALWAYS SHINES - SOLAR ELECTRIC - 00:53 BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE VERY MUCH SOLAR ELECTRIC THERE. 00:56 AND IF YOU WENT TO HILO, IT WAS ALWAYS RAINING - HYDROELECTRIC. 00:59 AND IN SPITE OF ALL THAT POTENTIAL FOR POWER THERE ON THE 01:02 BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, THEY WERE POWERING THE ISLAND BACK THEN 01:05 WITH DIRTY DIESEL GENERATORS. 01:08 IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT HOW WE SOMETIMES WASTE THE POWER OF 01:11 GOD'S SPIRIT THAT HE'S MAKING AVAILABLE TO US. 01:13 AND EACH OF US CAN HAVE THAT SPIRIT IF WE SIMPLY ASK. 01:16 YOU CAN READ IN ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 10 - WHAT DO WE DO? 01:20 'ASK OF THE LORD RAIN IN THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN AND HE 01:23 WILL SEND FLASHING CLOUDS.' JESUS ALSO SAID, IN THE BOOK OF 01:26 LUKE, 'IF YOU THEN BEING EVIL KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO 01:30 YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN GIVE 01:33 THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK?' 01:36 WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS 01:39 POURED OUT, IT SAYS THERE WAS A SOUND OF A MIGHTY RUSHING WIND. 01:43 AND THAT POWER THAT LAUNCHED THE CHURCH BACK THEN CAN STILL POWER 01:46 YOUR LIFE TODAY, FRIENDS. SO WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM? (MUSIC) 02:04 >>DEEP WITHIN THE PAGES OF THE BIBLE - STORIES OF GREAT HEROES 02:09 - HEROES OF GREAT DEEDS - GREAT LOVE AND GREAT SACRIFICE, BUT 02:18 BEHIND THEM IS ANOTHER HERO. HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT AMID THE 02:23 SHADOWS, HE WAS THERE FROM THE BEGINNING AND HE'LL BE 02:30 THERE UNTIL THE END. DISCOVER THE GOLDEN THREAD OF 02:34 A SAVIOR WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BIBLE TAPESTRY. 02:41 SHADOWS OF LIGHT: SEEING JESUS IN ALL THE BIBLE , A NEW BOOK BY 02:47 DOUG BATCHELOR. GET YOUR COPY TODAY BY 02:50 CALLING 800-538-7275 OR VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 02:56 ONCE AGAIN, TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF SHADOWS OF LIGHT , CALL 02:59 800-538-7275. (MUSIC) 03:08 >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A GOD-INSPIRED 03:13 CONCEPT. >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND 03:16 THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. 03:19 >>EACH RADIO BROADCAST WOULD BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM 03:23 SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT 03:27 TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. 03:31 THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON 03:34 BEGAN EXPANDING TO INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. 03:38 IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS 03:42 GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, OFFERING SOUL-WINNING 03:45 EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. 03:49 IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE 03:53 MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO 03:57 PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON 04:01 MULTIPLE NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. 04:04 FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE 04:08 BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A 04:12 TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE GLOBE, AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND 04:16 WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 04:19 EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S CHURCH 04:23 SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. AMAZING FACTS: GOD'S MESSAGE, 04:30 OUR MISSION. (MUSIC) 04:52 >>WE WERE GOING TO CHURCH EVERY OTHER WEEK. 04:54 ABOUT 19 YEARS OLD THINGS REALLY START TO MAKE SENSE FOR ME. 04:58 I STARTED TO GO TO CHURCH FOR MYSELF. 04:59 AND THE PASTOR WANTED TO STUDY WITH ME. 05:03 WE CAME TO THE STUDY ABOUT BAPTISM. 05:06 I KIND OF JUST SHRUGGED, PUT MY HEAD DOWN, AND I SAID, 'I'M NOT 05:09 READY.' HE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE AND SAID, 'JASON, YOU'LL NEVER 05:14 MAKE YOURSELF READY. YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING YOU HAVE 05:18 TO DO.' I PUT A LOT OF THINGS BEHIND ME - THE DRINKING AND 05:21 SMOKING - ALL THAT STUFF STOPPED. 05:23 ALL THROUGHOUT THE TIME WHEN I'D BEEN LEARNING ABOUT GOD, IT WAS 05:26 JUST ME AND GOD. IT COMES AROUND UP TO ABOUT 05:30 AUGUST AND I MEET THIS GIRL. ABOUT TWO YEARS INTO THE 05:34 RELATIONSHIP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MARRIAGE AND EVERYTHING. 05:37 WE DIDN'T PRAY - WE DIDN'T STUDY TOGETHER. 05:40 WE WERE ARGUING A LOT, BUT WE WERE ENGAGED. 05:46 I STARTED DRINKING AGAIN AND IT WAS A SLOW, DOWNWARD SPIRAL AND 05:50 DIFFERENT THINGS AND MY DEVOTIONAL LIFE STARTED REALLY 05:52 WEASELING AWAY. WHEN WE BROKE UP IN 2008, IT WAS 05:56 HEAVY FOR ME BECAUSE, AGAIN, BEING WITH SOMEBODY FOR THAT 05:59 LONG, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A DIVORCE. I STARTED TO FALL BACK 06:05 AWAY EVEN MORE. I REMEMBER LOOKING IN THE 06:07 MIRROR, JUST LOOKING AT MYSELF AND SAYING, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 06:11 HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO GOD WHO'S BROUGHT YOU SO FAR?' 06:17 AND, YOU KNOW, GOD REALLY HEARD MY CRY. 06:22 THERE WAS A TESTIMONY TELLING AT MY CHURCH AND THERE WAS A CALL 06:26 AND KIDS STARTED GETTING UP - A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS 06:28 STARTED GETTING UP FOR CALLS OF BAPTISM. 06:31 I'M BACK DOING THE P.A. SYSTEM AT THIS TIME AND I FEEL 06:33 JUST LIKE THIS URGE - JUST MY HEART JUST STARTED RIPPING OUT 06:36 OF MY CHEST AND I JUST HAD THIS FEELING JUST TO GO UP. 06:40 I GET UP TO THE FRONT AND I MEET THE PASTOR IN OPEN ARMS. 06:46 I REALIZED THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST LIVING 06:49 LIFE FOR MYSELF AND, YOU KNOW, FALLING AWAY, IT'S NOT A 06:55 NECESSITY, BUT GOD CAN WORK THROUGH ANYTHING IN THE BAD TO 06:59 MAKE IT THE GOOD. THAT'S A PROMISE HE MAKES. 07:04 MY NAME IS JASON. I'VE RECLAIMED MY FAITH. 07:11 >>AMEN. WELL, WELCOME ONCE AGAIN, 07:15 FRIENDS, TO RECLAIM YOUR FAITH . THERE ARE TWO GREAT STATEMENTS 07:20 OF JESUS THAT HE MAKES IN THE BIBLE THAT REALLY HELP US TO 07:23 CALIBRATE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS. 07:26 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 11, JESUS SAYS, 'COME UNTO ME.' 07:32 AND THEN IN MATTHEW 28 HE SAYS, 'GO AND TELL THE WORLD.' 07:37 THE TWO GREAT PRIORITIES OF LIFE ARE COMING TO JESUS AND 07:42 THEN GOING FOR JESUS. IT'S REALLY COMING TO HIM - THIS 07:46 LOVE RELATIONSHIP AND THEN GOING FOR HIM - THIS 07:49 LOVE RELATIONSHIP. AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY 07:54 TO SEEKING FIRST GOD'S KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 07:56 BUT THE DEVIL HAS A THOUSAND DISTRACTIONS TO KEEP US FROM 08:01 MAKING IT TO GOD'S KINGDOM - TO KEEP US FROM MAKING IT TO THAT 08:05 HOME HE'S PREPARED FOR EVERYBODY HERE. 08:08 THE LORD HAS PREPARED A PLACE FOR YOU AND THE DEVIL WANTS TO 08:11 GET YOU SIDELINED - DISTRACTED - WHERE YOU LOSE YOUR BEARINGS AND 08:15 YOU START BECOMING PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CARES OF LIFE. 08:19 YOU KNOW, I'M FASCINATED WITH ANIMAL MIGRATION AND HOW SOME OF 08:24 THESE CREATURES ARE MANAGED TO COVER THOUSANDS OF MILES, LIKE 08:28 THESE ARCTIC TERNS GO 12,000 MILES TWICE A YEAR. 08:32 I THINK THEY'RE ONE OF THE FARTHEST. 08:33 MONARCH BUTTERFLIES - 2000 MILES - A BUTTERFLY! 08:37 FROM CANADA TO MEXICO. AND THEN HOMING PIGEONS ARE 08:41 AMAZING - HOW THEY CAN TRANSPORT THEM TO SOME REMOTE PART OF THE 08:46 PLANET, LET THEM GO, AND THEY MIGHT CIRCLE ONCE AND THEN THEY 08:49 MAKE A BEELINE TO THEIR HOMES. I THINK ONE OF THE RECORDS WAS 08:54 A PIGEON THAT WAS RELEASED IN ARRECIFE, FRANCE AND IT MANAGED 09:00 TO GO 7,200 MILES IN 24 DAYS TO ITS HOME IN SAIGON, VIETNAM. 09:09 MADE A STRAIGHT LINE. BUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOME OF 09:12 THESE ANIMALS THAT YOU THINK WOULD HAVE A WIRED ABILITY TO 09:15 FIND THEIR WAY HOME, THEY GET LOST. 09:18 I THINK ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE EXAMPLES OF THIS HAPPENED IN 09:21 1997 WHEN THEY HAD SOME PIGEON - HOMING PIGEON RACE, WHERE ALL 09:28 THESE PEOPLE IN ENGLAND, THEY TOOK THEIR BIRDS TO FRANCE, 09:30 SOUTH FRANCE, THEY RELEASED 60,000 HOMING PIGEONS. 09:35 SOMEWHERE OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL 20,000 OF THEM GOT 09:40 CONFUSED OR DISTRACTED OR LOST - THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED - 09:44 IT'S NEVER HAPPENED LIKE THIS BEFORE - AND THEY NEVER MADE IT 09:47 BACK TO THEIR HOMES IN ENGLAND - THEY'RE LOST. 09:50 AND, BY THE WAY, THAT REPRESENTED ABOUT $600,000.00 09:53 WORTH OF PIGEONS THAT GOT SIDETRACKED ALONG THE WAY. 10:00 SOMETIMES GOD'S SHEEP GET SIDETRACKED. 10:04 JESUS TELLS A PARABLE ABOUT THAT. BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, I 10:07 LOVE THE PARABLES THAT YOU FIND CHRIST SHARING - AND WE'RE GOING 10:09 TO TALK - TOMORROW EVENING ABOUT THE ONE ABOUT THE SON, BUT 10:13 YOU'VE GOT A SHEEP, YOU'VE GOT A COIN, YOU'VE GOT A SON AND THEY 10:20 ALL START OUT IN THE RIGHT PLACE, BUT THEN SOMETHING 10:24 HAPPENS AND THEY END UP GETTING LOST. 10:28 BUT THERE IS GREAT REJOICING WHEN THEY'RE FOUND. 10:32 AND ALL OF THEM, WHETHER IT'S THE LOST COIN OR THE LOST SON, 10:36 OR THE LOST SHEEP, ALL OF THEM ARE SOUGHT. 10:40 WELL, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS, IF YOU'VE WANDERED FROM JESUS, 10:43 THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS SEEKING FOR YOU. 10:46 GOD WANTS US TO FIND OUR WAY BACK HOME. 10:48 LET ME READ THIS PARABLE TO YOU. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT 10:50 TONIGHT DEALING WITH DEADLY DISTRACTIONS - LUKE 15, AND 10:55 I'LL START WITH VERSE 4. LUKE 15, VERSE 4. 10:58 JESUS ASKS, "WHAT MAN OF YOU HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP, IF HE 11:04 LOSES ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT LEAVE THE 99 IN THE WILDERNESS 11:09 AND GO AFTER THAT ONE WHICH IS LOST, UNTIL HE FINDS IT? 11:13 AND WHEN HE HAS FOUND IT HE LAYS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS REJOICING, 11:18 AND WHEN HE COMES HOME HE CALLS HIS FRIENDS TOGETHER AND HIS 11:21 NEIGHBORS AND HE SAYS TO THEM, 'REJOICE WITH ME, FOR I HAVE 11:25 FOUND MY SHEEP THAT WAS LOST.' I SAY TO YOU THAT LIKEWISE, 11:29 THERE WILL BE MORE JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN 11:33 OVER 99 JUST PERSONS WHO NEED NO REPENTANCE." 11:38 JESUS TELLS US A SIMILAR PARABLE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 18, 11:42 IF YOU WANT TO TURN THERE QUICKLY, WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT 11:44 THAT LOST SHEEP. "FOR THE SON OF MAN" - AND THIS 11:48 IS VERSE 11 , MATTHEW 18 - "FOR THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO 11:52 SEEK THAT WHICH WAS LOST. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 11:56 A MAN HAS A HUNDRED SHEEP AND ONE OF THEM GOES ASTRAY; DOES HE 11:58 NOT LEAVE THE NINETY AND NINE AND GO INTO THE MOUNTAINS TO 12:01 SEEK THAT ONE THAT IS STRAYING. AND SHOULD HE FIND IT, ASSUREDLY 12:05 I SAY TO YOU, HE REJOICES MORE OVER THAT SHEEP THAN OVER THE 12:09 NINETY AND NINE THAT DID NOT GO ASTRAY. 12:11 EVEN SO, IT IS NOT THE WILL" - THIS IS WHAT MATTHEW SAYS THAT 12:14 IS UNIQUE FROM LUKE - "EVEN SO, IT IS NOT THE WILL OF YOUR 12:18 FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN THAT ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES SHOULD 12:22 PERISH. GOD DOES NOT WANT TO LOSE ONE. GOD IS NOT WILLING 12:28 THAT ANY SHOULD BE LOST. AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE SOME 12:32 OF YOU WHO THINK THAT YOU'VE WANDERED TOO FAR. 12:34 NOW, IN THE THREE PARABLES THAT YOU FIND THERE IN LUKE - YOU'VE 12:38 GOT THE LOST COIN - IT SORT OF DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT'S LOST - 12:42 AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE LIKE THAT, THAT THEY THINK THEY'RE 12:45 OKAY AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THEY NEED TO BE SOUGHT. 12:48 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE LOST SHEEP THAT IT REALIZES THAT IT'S 12:51 BEEN MISPLACED, BUT IT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET HOME. 12:54 IT NEEDS SOMEONE TO GO AFTER IT, IT NEEDS SOME DIRECTION. 12:58 HOW DOES A SHEEP GET LOST? DOES THAT SHEEP CONSPIRE? 13:06 IT LOOKS AROUND ONE DAY, IT PACKS IT BAGS, IT WAITS UNTIL 13:08 THE SHEPHERD IS NOT WATCHING AND SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO MAKE A RUN 13:10 FOR IT. SEE IF I CAN ESCAPE.' 13:16 SHEEP, TYPICALLY, AREN'T THINKING THAT WAY. 13:19 WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY'RE OUT NIBBLING AND, YOU KNOW, SHEEP 13:24 KIND OF KEEP THEIR HEADS DOWN AND THEY JUST SORT OF GO FROM 13:26 ONE TUFT OF GRASS TO ANOTHER TUFT OF GRASS AND WHILE THEY'RE 13:29 EATING THIS GRASS, THEY'RE EYEING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO 13:31 NEXT. THEY SAY, 'THAT ONE LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.' AND THEY GO OVER 13:33 TO THIS PIECE OF GRASS, 'MMM, THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. HEY, THAT 13:35 OVER THE FENCE LOOKS BETTER' - BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE GRASS IS 13:38 ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, RIGHT? 13:41 AND HE STICKS HIS HEAD AND ONE FOOT THROUGH THE FENCE AND 13:44 NIBBLES ON THAT AND THEN NIBBLES AND NIBBLES AND NIBBLES AND JUST 13:46 LIKE A DOT-TO-DOT DRAWING IT NIBBLES ITS WAY INTO BEING LOST. 13:52 YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WANDERING FROM JESUS AND IT 13:56 STARTS BY MAKING SMALL COMPROMISES. 14:00 'WELL, YEAH, I KNOW I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DRINKING ANYMORE, 14:02 I GAVE THAT UP BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SPECIAL OCCASION. 14:06 AND MY FRIENDS, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO PASS AROUND ONE LITTLE 14:09 GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO TOAST THIS ONE 14:11 PERSON AND THEN IT'S OVER WITH - I MEAN, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?' 14:16 AND THEN THEY TRY TO FIND THAT VERSE THERE IN JOHN CHAPTER 2 14:18 AND SAY, 'AFTER ALL, JESUS TURNED THE WATER INTO WINE. 14:22 AND IT'S NOT WHAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH THAT DEFILES YOU 14:23 BUT IT'S WHAT COMES OUT.' 14:26 AND THEY FIND SOMETHING - AND THEY DRINK A LITTLE BIT. 14:28 WELL THAT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER WITH 14:30 THEIR FRIENDS WHO MAY NOT BE CHURCHGOING FRIENDS AT THE 14:32 FOOTBALL GAME AND THEY START PASSING AROUND THE BEER. 14:35 AND THEN IT BECOMES TWO, AND THEN IT BECOMES ONCE EVERY 14:39 WEEKEND AND THEN IT BECOMES ONCE EVERY DAY. 14:42 AND THEY NIBBLE THEIR WAY INTO BEING LOST. 14:46 AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS DRUGS - AS WE'VE HEARD IN SOME TESTIMONIES. 14:50 SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET DISTRACTED WITH EDUCATION. 14:56 THEY SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, THE LORD UNDERSTANDS - 14:58 I'VE GOT TO GET MY CAREER SET. 15:01 AND I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE ON THIS SECULAR CAMPUS AND THERE'LL 15:04 BE SOME THINGS HAPPENING BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GOING TO 15:05 REALLY PUT MY EDUCATION FIRST DURING THESE YEARS.' 15:07 - AND SOME PEOPLE MAKE THOSE LITTLE NIBBLES WHILE THEY'RE AT 15:10 SCHOOL AND THEY NIBBLE THEIR WAY RIGHT OUT OF THE FOLD AND ONE 15:14 DAY THEY WAKE UP AND THEY SAY, 'I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE OTHER 15:17 SHEEP ARE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE 15:18 THE SHEPHERD IS. HOW DID I GET HERE? 15:23 THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRACTIONS THAT THE DEVIL'S GOT OUT THERE. 15:26 HE'S GOT A THOUSAND THINGS TO TAKE AWAY OUR ATTENTION, 15:29 ESPECIALLY IN THIS MEDIA-CRAZED WORLD THAT WE'RE LIVING IN. 15:33 YOU CAN'T LOOK ANYWHERE - JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THERE ARE 15:35 MESSAGES THAT ARE BLARING AND FLASHING - YOU'RE BEING 15:38 ASSAULTED CONTINUALLY WITH A BLIZZARD OF INFORMATION AND THE 15:42 DEVIL HAS SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO OCCUPY YOUR MIND THAT IT'S 15:46 EASY FOR US TO FORGET WHAT THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING IS - 15:51 SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 15:55 AND NOW WE'VE GOT ALL OF IT AT OUR FINGERTIPS WITH OUR PHONES 15:58 NOW. YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, WHEN 16:01 ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL WAS TOLD THAT THE TELEPHONE - WHEN HE 16:05 FIRST INVENTED THE TELEPHONE - HE TOOK IT TO THE TELEGRAPH 16:07 COMPANY - YOU'D THINK AT&T WOULD SAY, 'YEAH, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.' 16:11 HE TOOK IT TO THE TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND THEY SAID IT WAS A 16:13 NOVELTY WITH NO REAL PRACTICAL USE. 16:21 YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL - PARDON ME, I JUST - 16:33 YOU CAN VISIT WITH EACH OTHER FOR A MOMENT, I'LL BE RIGHT WITH 16:36 YOU HERE. HELLO. >>(MUFFLED VOICE) 16:42 >>OH, PASTOR ROSS WAS CHECKING TO MAKE SURE I TURNED MY PHONE 16:45 OFF. I'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO THAT FOR YEARS. 16:53 DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES MY SERMON HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED BY A 16:54 CELL PHONE? THIS IS MY CHANCE TO GET EVEN. 17:02 NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OFF. YOU KNOW IT IS TRUE. 17:07 ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE 17:10 DISTRACTIONS THAT ARE GOING ON WITHIN THE CAR. 17:15 I MEAN IT'S - ALCOHOL, OF COURSE, IS A BIG CAUSE, BUT THE 17:18 NATIONAL HEALTH TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ASSOCIATION DID A STUDY 17:24 AND SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL ACTIONS THAT CAUSED DISTRACTED 17:27 DRIVING AND LEAD TO CRASHES ARE: CELL PHONE USE, REACHING FOR A 17:34 MOVING OBJECT INSIDE THE VEHICLE, - YOU EVER HAVE THAT 17:37 BOTTLE OF WATER ROLLING AROUND BY YOUR FEET AND IT GETS LODGED 17:39 UNDERNEATH THE - YOU KNOW YOU SLOW DOWN IT ROLLS OFF THE SEAT 17:42 UNDERNEATH YOUR BRAKE PEDAL OR SOMETHING. 17:45 DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THAT. 17:50 - LOOKING FOR AN OBJECT OR EVENT OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE THAT HAS 17:53 NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU, - I ACTUALLY SAW 17:57 AN ACCIDENT LAST WEEK - I CAME UP TO THE INTERSECTION RIGHT 18:02 NEAR BONNIE'S HOUSE AND I STOPPED - AN AMBULANCE STARTED 18:05 COMING THROUGH - I WAS ALREADY STOPPED AND AS IT CAME AND IT 18:08 MADE ITS WAY AROUND THE CORNER, SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE 18:10 TURNING, THEY STOPPED BECAUSE IT'S AN AMBULANCE - THE PEOPLE 18:12 BEHIND THEM WERE, I THINK, PAINTING THEIR TOENAILS, OR 18:15 SOMETHING, IN THE CAR AND THEY JUST WATCHED THEM PLOW INTO THE 18:19 BACK. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A FENDER 18:20 BENDER - I DON'T THINK ANYONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, 18:22 BUT THEY WERE DISTRACTED. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED WHAT 18:26 PEOPLE DO WHILE THEY'RE DRIVING. TEXTING! 18:30 I CAN'T TEXT WHEN IT'S GOT 100% OF MY ATTENTION. 18:35 MY BIG OLD STUBBY FINGERS - I ALWAYS DIAL LIKE THREE OR FOUR 18:37 LETTERS AROUND THE ONE I'M TRYING TO HIT. 18:40 TRYING TO DO IT WHILE I'M DRIVING IS REALLY RECKLESS. 18:45 READING? I KNOW PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING 18:47 DOWN THE ROAD AND THEY ARE READING. 18:51 APPLYING MAKE-UP - I'VE SEEN IT - HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BEFORE? 18:58 I'VE SEEN IT - DON'T POINT AT ANYBODY. 19:03 WE MIGHT HAVE A CAMERA ON YOU AT THAT MOMENT. 19:07 BUT I HAVE, I'VE PULLED UP AT AN INTERSECTION ON MY WAY TO WORK 19:10 AND I'LL SEE THE PEOPLE POWDERING THEMSELVES OR MEN HAVE 19:13 GOT THEIR ELECTRIC RAZORS OUT AND THEY'RE SHAVING AS THEY GO 19:16 DOWN THE ROAD AND SOME KIDS ARE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES WHILE 19:20 THEY'RE DRIVING - ON THEIR PHONES. 19:23 I KNOW SOME THAT PUT DVD PLAYERS ON THEIR DASH AND THEY DRIVE 19:26 DOWN THE ROAD AND THEY'RE WATCHING A MOVIE. 19:31 AND THESE - THESE DISTRACTIONS, OBVIOUSLY, CAN BE DEADLY. 19:36 WELL, YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL HAS A THOUSAND DEADLY DISTRACTIONS FOR 19:39 US THAT CAN GET US TO JUST KIND OF NIBBLE OUR WAY RIGHT OUT OF 19:44 THE FOLD. JESUS WARNS US ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW IN BOTH LUKE 17 19:49 AND LUKE 21 HE TALKS ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD. 19:52 LISTEN TO LUKE 17, VERSE 30 - "EVEN THUS SHALL IT BE IN THE 19:56 DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED. 19:59 IN THAT DAY, HE THAT IS ON HIS HOUSETOP AND HAS STUFF IN THE 20:02 HOUSE, LET HIM NOT COME DOWN AND TAKE IT AWAY. 20:06 AND HE THAT IS IN THE FIELD, DON'T LET HIM RETURN BACK." 20:08 AND THEN JESUS, ONE OF THE SHORTEST VERSES IN THE BIBLE - 20:11 YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS? 'REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE.' 20:16 THERE WAS A TIME WHEN GOD SAID YOU NEED TO TURN AND RUN FOR 20:20 YOUR LIFE AND DO NOT BECOME DISTRACTED AND DO NOT SAY, 'OH, 20:24 BUT I FORGOT THIS AND I FORGOT THAT, AND I'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE 20:27 AND PACK.' HE SAID, 'YOU JUST RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.' 20:31 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE BOOK 'PILGRIM'S PROGRESS'? 20:35 THE BOOK BEGINS WITH THIS PILGRIM WHO GETS A MESSAGE FROM 20:38 EVANGELIST AND HE SAYS, 'ARISE AND FLEE FROM THE CITY OF 20:42 DESTRUCTION. FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME.' 20:45 AND HE TRIES TO DILLY DALLY AND SPEND TIME TRYING TO DO 20:47 OTHER THINGS AND BRING PEOPLE WITH HIM, AND HE SAYS, 'LOOK, 20:49 YOU'VE GOT TO FLEE.' THAT'S WHAT LOT DID. THE ANGELS FINALLY HAD 20:52 TO TAKE HIM AND DRAG HIM OUT OF THE CITY. 20:55 AND LIKE LOT'S WIFE, WE'RE ALWAYS TEMPTED TO BE LOOKING 20:57 EVERYWHERE BUT STRAIGHT AHEAD - GOING BACK FOR SOMETHING ELSE. 21:02 I HEARD ABOUT A MAN DURING THE TSUNAMI IN JAPAN LAST YEAR - 21:07 THERE IN ONE OF THE TOWNS - I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE 21:10 TOWN, BUT YOU PROBABLY SAW THE STORY AND HE AND HIS WIFE HEARD 21:13 THE ALARMS THAT TOLD HIM TO RUN FOR COVER AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE 21:17 LEAVING THE HOUSE AND THEY WOULD HAVE MADE IT - AND THEY THOUGHT, 21:20 YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY HAVE TIME TO GET SOME OF OUR VALUABLES - 21:22 AND THEY TURNED BACK INTO THE HOUSE AND THEY WERE OVERTAKEN. 21:27 AND HE AND HIS WIFE HELD ONTO EACH OTHER FOR A WHILE - THE 21:30 HOUSE DISINTEGRATED - THEY WERE SEPARATED. 21:32 NINE DAYS AFTER THE TSUNAMI HE WAS FOUND OUT IN THE OCEAN BY 21:35 THE JAPANESE COAST GUARD ON HIS ROOF. 21:39 WHAT WAS LEFT OF HIS ROOF? DO SOME OF YOU 21:41 REMEMBER THAT STORY? AND HE WILL FOREVER REGRET THAT 21:45 THEY WENT BACK - GOT DISTRACTED. WHAT DESERVES MORE OF YOUR 21:50 ATTENTION THAN JESUS AND ETERNAL LIFE? 21:54 WHAT IN THIS WORLD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT? 21:57 LUKE 21 - JESUS TELLS US THERE AGAIN - SPEAKING OF THE LAST 22:00 DAYS - "BUT TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF LEST YOUR HEARTS BE 22:05 WEIGHED DOWN WITH CAROUSING AND DRUNKENNESS AND THE CARES OF 22:10 THIS LIFE." NOW, WE KNOW ABOUT CAROUSING 22:13 AND DRUNKENNESS - THAT'S BAD BEHAVIOR - BUT THE CARES OF THIS 22:16 LIFE - ANYONE HAVE CARES OF THIS LIFE? 22:19 THAT SORT OF ENCOMPASSES EVERYBODY. 22:21 WE CAN BECOME SO DISTRACTED WITH EVEN GOOD THINGS THAT WE FORGET 22:25 THE MOST IMPORTANT CRUCIAL THING - "LEST THAT DAY COME UPON YOU 22:29 UNEXPECTEDLY FOR IT WILL COME AS A SNARE ON ALL THOSE WHO DWELL 22:33 ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH." NOW, I READ HERE A MOMENT AGO 22:36 IN THE BIBLE 'THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT EVEN 22:38 ONE SHOULD PERISH.' WILL THE MAJORITY 22:41 BE SAVED OR LOST? YOU KNOW, IT JUST BREAKS MY 22:44 HEART TO SAY IT, BUT JESUS SAID, 'STRAIGHT IS THE GATE AND NARROW 22:48 IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.' 22:52 BROAD IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION BUT GOD IS NOT 22:55 WILLING THAT EVEN ONE SHOULD BE LOST. 22:57 SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE 23:00 CHOOSE TO DO OTHER THINGS. HOW SAD. 23:04 THE LORD IS DESPERATE FOR EVERYBODY TO BE SAVED. 23:06 HE PAID A GREAT PRICE FOR YOU TO BE SAVED SPECIFICALLY - 23:10 NOT JUST THE WHOLE WORLD. 23:11 HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT JUST FOR YOU. 23:14 TO WASTE THAT INVESTMENT OF GOD'S OWN LIFE IS SUCH A TRAGEDY 23:20 - ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER NOBODY NEEDS TO BE LOST AND IT 23:24 IS TRUE YOU ARE HAPPIER IN CHRIST EVEN IN THIS LIFE, NOT TO 23:29 MENTION ETERNITY. IT'S SO MUCH BETTER FOR THE 23:32 CHRISTIAN EVEN IN THIS LIFE. I'M A LOT HAPPIER NOW AS A 23:36 CHRISTIAN THAN I WAS WHEN I WAS OUT THERE IN THE WORLD. 23:39 YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS, BUT YOU DON'T GO TO SLEEP HUNG OVER AND 23:42 WAKE UP GUILTY - NO, WAKE UP HUNG OVER, GO TO SLEEP GUILTY. 23:47 I'VE PROBABLY DONE BOTH. MARK 4 - YOU KNOW, THE PARABLE 23:52 OF THE DIFFERENT SOILS JESUS SHARES. 23:56 AND THE GOSPEL SEED IS SPREAD ON ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUND - 23:59 THERE'S ONLY ONE KIND OF GROUND THAT REALLY BRINGS FORTH FRUIT 24:03 BUT, IN PARTICULAR, HE TALKS ABOUT - IN VERSE 19 - "AND THESE 24:08 ARE THOSE WHO ARE SOWN AMONG THE THORNS SUCH AS THEY HEAR THE 24:11 WORD AND THEY SPRING UP, BUT THE CARES OF THIS WORLD AND THE 24:16 DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES AND THE LUST OF OTHER THINGS" - IT CAN 24:22 EVEN BE MATERIALISM THAT CAN BECOME A DISTRACTION - JUST 24:25 OWNING A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. 24:27 WE CAN BECOME SO BURDENED WITH POSSESSIONS THAT YOU CAN BECOME 24:30 A SLAVE TO CREDIT CARD DEBT AND THE DEVIL IS CAPTURING A LOT OF 24:34 PEOPLE WITH THOSE KIND OF DISTRACTIONS. 24:37 THE LUST OF OTHER THINGS ENTERS IN AND IT CHOKES THE WORD AND IT 24:40 BECOMES UNFRUITFUL. NOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'PASTOR DOUG, 24:43 THAT'S ME. I GUESS I'M JUST BAD SOIL. I'M THE THORNY GROUND - 24:48 WHAT AM I TO DO?' WELL, IT TELLS US IN THE 24:51 WORD THAT SOIL CAN BE CHANGED. YOU READ IN JEREMIAH 4:3, "THUS 24:55 SAYS THE LORD, BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND." 24:58 PRAY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BRING HIS ROTOTILLER ACROSS YOUR 25:01 LIFE AND FERTILIZE YOUR HEART AND YOU CAN HAVE GOOD SOIL. 25:07 WE NEED TO PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE US THAT NEW BEGINNING. 25:11 NOW, HERE'S SOMETHING I THINK NEEDED TO BE SAID. 25:13 ONE REASON THAT SOME PEOPLE STOP GOING TO CHURCH - THEY'RE 25:16 DISTRACTED BY BLESSINGS. THINGS ARE TOO GOOD. 25:25 WE ALWAYS THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL SENDS THE HARD TIMES - 25:28 SOMETIMES THE DEVIL SENDS THE GOOD TIMES. 25:31 I THINK IT WAS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WHO SAID, 'MORE PEOPLE ARE 25:34 DESTROYED BY ABUNDANCE THAN WANT.' LET ME READ YOU A VERSE - 25:40 DEUTERONOMY 6, VERSE 10 - HERE'S THE CONTEXT. 25:43 DEUTERONOMY IS MOSES' LAST SERMON BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF 25:46 ISRAEL CROSS OVER INTO THE PROMISED LAND AND HE IS GOING TO 25:50 GIVE THEM VICTORY OVER THEIR ENEMIES, BUT THE PROMISED LAND 25:52 IS POSSESSED BY SEVEN OTHER NATIONS, AND HE SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, 25:56 YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THESE NATIONS WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY 25:58 GOT THINGS BUILT AND ESTABLISHED AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A WARNING 26:02 - DEUTERONOMY 6, VERSE 10 - "SO IT SHALL BE WHEN THE LORD YOUR 26:06 GOD BRINGS YOU INTO A LAND THAT HE SWORE TO YOUR FATHERS, TO 26:08 ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, TO GIVE YOU LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL 26:12 CITIES THAT YOU DIDN'T BUILD; HOUSES FULL OF ALL GOOD THINGS 26:17 THAT YOU DID NOT FILL, HEWN OUT WELLS THAT YOU DID NOT DIG, 26:22 VINEYARDS AND OLIVE TREES THAT YOU DID NOT PLANT." 26:25 BRINGS THEM INTO A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY - 26:27 "AND WHEN YOU HAVE EATEN AND YOU ARE FULL THEN BEWARE, LEST YOU 26:34 FORGET THE LORD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT FROM 26:37 THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE." TRANSLATION - IF GOD BLESSES 26:41 YOU - YOU GET THE GOOD EDUCATION, YOU GET THE GOOD JOB, 26:43 YOU GET THE NICE CAR, YOU GET THE NICE HOUSE, YOU'RE HEALTHY 26:46 AND WEALTHY AND WISE AND YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS, YOU TAKE VACATIONS, 26:52 AND YOU CAN AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THAT YOU'RE ON THE ROAD TO 26:54 HEAVEN BECAUSE YOU'RE BLESSED. AND YOU CAN BE SELF-DECEIVED - 26:58 YOU CAN BE LOST AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE 27:00 CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE. 27:03 IT SAYS, 'BEWARE THAT YOU FORGET THE LORD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF 27:06 EGYPT.' THAT MEANS WHO SAVED YOU FROM YOUR SLAVERY TO SIN. 27:11 SO, WE NEED TO ASK GOD TO ALSO HELP US KNOW WHAT OUR STATE IS 27:16 BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOVERNED BY GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES. 27:20 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS A PERSON CAN DO TO KEEP FROM 27:22 NIBBLING THEIR WAYS OUT OF THE CHURCH? GET INVOLVED. 27:28 ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS IS FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND JUST SIT. 27:32 IF THEY GO WEEK AFTER WEEK AND JUST SIT AND SORT OF TAKE IT IN 27:34 - WE ARE, LET'S FACE IT, LIVING IN A GENERATION THAT IS BEING 27:37 PROGRAMMED LIKE WE'RE SPECTATORS ALL THE TIME. 27:41 THE APOSTLES WERE NOT SPECTATORS OF CHRISTIANITY. 27:44 THE EARLY DISCIPLES ALL FELT OWNERSHIP OF GETTING THIS 27:48 MESSAGE OUT. THEY ALL HAD A PASSION 27:50 THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED. THEY NEEDED TO DO 27:52 SOMETHING GREAT. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ONE TIME, WAS 27:55 RIDING HOME AFTER A SERMON IN HIS CARRIAGE AND HE WAS WITH 27:58 HIS SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARY SAID, 'MR. PRESIDENT, HOW DID 28:03 YOU ENJOY THE MESSAGE TODAY?' AND LINCOLN, IN HIS VERY 28:07 STRAIGHT WAY SAID, 'I DIDN'T CARE FOR IT.' 28:10 AND THE SECRETARY SAID, 'WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ELOQUENT.' 28:13 HE SAID, 'WELL, HE WAS ELOQUENT BUT HE DIDN'T ASK ME TO 28:15 DO ANYTHING GREAT.' PEOPLE WANT TO BE CHALLENGED 28:20 WITH A PURPOSE THAT IS BIGGER THAN THEIR OWN LIVES. 28:23 SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH NOT ONLY LIVING FOR, BUT SOMETHING WORTH 28:26 DYING FOR. I REMEMBER READING AN AD THAT 28:31 WAS IN A LONDON PAPER - I DIDN'T READ IT, IT WAS YEARS 28:34 AGO, I READ ABOUT IT. THIS IS WHAT IT SAID, "MEN 28:38 WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY, SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG 28:43 MONTHS OF DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. 28:49 HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS." 28:53 THE AD WAS SIGNED BY THE ARCTIC EXPLORER SIR ERNEST 28:55 SHACKLETON. RIGHT AFTER THE AD RAN, 28:58 THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INSTANTLY RESPONDED - PEOPLE THAT 29:02 WANTED TO DO SOMETHING GREAT. THEY WANTED TO HAVE A PURPOSE. 29:05 JESUS HAS CALLED YOU WITH THE GREATEST MESSAGE AND THE 29:09 GREATEST MISSION IN THE WORLD - TO SAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PERISHING 29:15 AND HELP THEM LIVE. WHAT'S GREATER THAN THAT? 29:17 AND TO GO AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO - THE WHOLE WORLD - AND TO LIVE A 29:21 LIFE THAT IS A CONTRADICTION OF THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE DEVIL - 29:24 TO LIVE A NEW LIFE AS A NEW CREATURE - TO BE HOLY. 29:28 WELL THAT'S A CHALLENGE - THAT'S AN ADVENTURE. 29:30 TALK ABOUT AN ADVENTURE, LIVE LIKE CHRIST. 29:34 WE'VE GOT TO GET INVOLVED. 29:36 PEOPLE SELDOM LOSE THEIR RELIGION BY BLOW OUT, THEY 29:40 USUALLY LOSE IT BY A SLOW LEAK - LITTLE BY LITTLE. 29:45 AND THEN, SOMETIMES IT'S BEING FAITHFUL RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE AT 29:49 AT THE MOMENT - STAYING INVOLVED. I THINK IT WAS C.S. 29:53 LEWIS WHO SAID, "A GLIMPSE OF THE NEXT THREE FEET OF ROAD IS 29:56 MORE IMPORTANT AND USEFUL THAN A VIEW OF THE HORIZON. 29:59 ARE YOU BEING FAITHFUL WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW? 30:02 DO SOMETHING. DON'T JUST WAIT FOR SOMETHING 30:04 LATER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW? 30:07 YOU ASK WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD? WELL, HERE'S THE ANSWER TRUE. 30:12 THE NEAREST THING THAT SHOULD BE DONE THAT HE CAN DO THROUGH 30:15 YOU. ALL OF US HAVE BEEN CALLED BY THE LORD. 30:19 SOME GET DISTRACTED BY MONEY - THE MAKING OF MONEY. 30:25 NOW, MONEY IS NOT EVIL, IT'S THE LOVE OF MONEY THAT IS THE ROOT 30:28 OF ALL EVIL, BUT JESUS WAS PRETTY CLEAR. 30:31 HE SAID 'A MAN'S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN THE ABUNDANCE OF 30:34 THINGS HE POSSESSES AND IT IS HARDER FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER 30:36 THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAN FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A 30:39 NEEDLE.' THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS IN THE 30:41 BIBLE, BUT WHAT WORRIES ME IS EVERYBODY I MEET WANTS 30:44 TO BE THE EXCEPTION. YEAH, THERE ARE SOME HOLY, GODLY 30:49 RICH PEOPLE BUT THEY WERE THE EXCEPTIONS. 30:52 ABUNDANCE, AS I SAID, IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. 30:55 YOU KNOW, FOR OTHER PEOPLE IT'S NOT JUST EDUCATION OR THEIR 30:58 CAREER OR THEIR WORK, SOMETIMES IT'S ENTERTAINMENT BECOMES A 31:01 DISTRACTION - OR SPORTS. PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE 31:06 A RELIGION OUT OF SPORTS. I'VE TRAVELED TO SOME PART OF 31:08 THE WORLD THAT THEY OUGHT TO REALLY HAVE ALTARS TO SOCCER 31:11 - OR WHAT THEY CALL FOOTBALL. IT'S LIKE A RELIGION AND IF 31:15 THEIR TEAM WINS THEY STORM THE FIELD AND RIOT. 31:18 IF THEIR TEAM LOSES THEY STORM THE FIELD AND RIOT. 31:22 AND IT'S JUST - HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 31:25 NOW, WE'RE A LITTLE MORE SELF-POSSESSED MAYBE HERE IN 31:27 NORTH AMERICA, BUT IT'S A RELIGION NONETHELESS, FOR 31:29 OTHERS. SOME, EVERY SUNDAY, WORSHIP AT 31:32 THE ALTAR OF THEIR FAVORITE SPORTING EVENT - AND NOW THEY'VE 31:36 GOT, YOU KNOW, TEN SPORTS CHANNELS ON CABLE, ALL 31:38 LINED UP NEXT TO EACH OTHER. IN HIGH DEFINITION THEY 31:41 CAN WORSHIP THEIR GODS. SOMEBODY ONCE MADE A COMPARISON 31:48 BETWEEN WORSHIPING SPORTS AND WORSHIPING GOD. 31:52 AND IT'S TALKING ABOUT 'WHY I GAVE UP SPORTS' - HERE ARE THE 31:58 REASONS THAT THEY GAVE UP SPORTS AND - SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF 32:02 WE APPLIED THIS TO CHURCH. "EVERY TIME I WENT 32:06 THEY ASKED FOR MONEY. SO I GAVE UP SPORTS. 32:10 THE PEOPLE I SAT NEXT TO DIDN'T SEEM FRIENDLY. 32:15 THE SEATS WERE TOO HARD AND NOT AT ALL COMFORTABLE.' 32:18 SOME PEOPLE STOP GOING TO CHURCH FOR THOSE REASONS. 32:21 'I WENT TO MANY GAMES, BUT THE COACH NEVER CAME TO VISIT ME. 32:25 THE REFEREES MADE DECISIONS I JUST COULDN'T AGREE WITH. 32:30 THE GAME WENT INTO OVERTIME AND I WAS LATE GETTING HOME.' 32:34 EVER COMPLAINED BECAUSE CHURCH WENT INTO OVERTIME? 32:38 'THE BAND PLAYED NEW SONGS THAT WEREN'T MY STYLE. 32:43 IT SEEMS THAT GAMES WERE ALWAYS SCHEDULED WHEN I HAD OTHER 32:45 THINGS TO DO. I REALIZED I WAS SITTING NEXT TO 32:50 SOME HYPOCRITES DURING THE GAME, THEY CAME TO TALK TO THEIR 32:52 FRIENDS AND WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION. 32:56 I WAS TAKEN TO TOO MANY GAMES BY MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS GROWING 32:59 UP.' THESE ARE THE SAME THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT CHURCH - YOU 33:03 REALIZE THAT? 'I HATE TO WAIT IN THE TRAFFIC 33:07 JAM IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER THE GAME.' 33:10 IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO GET YOU TO CHURCH, FRIENDS, 33:12 ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN? 33:15 AND YET THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT 33:17 CHURCH, BUT YOU NEVER HEAR PEOPLE SAY THIS ABOUT WHY THEY 33:20 GAVE UP SPORTS. THEY ENDURE ALL KINDS OF BAD 33:23 BEHAVIOR AND MISCONDUCT BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT. 33:29 WHEN WE LOVE THE LORD, WHEN WE LOVE HIS WORD, WHEN WE LOVE 33:32 JESUS, WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP US AWAY? 33:36 YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE THROUGH HISTORY THAT HAVE DIED 33:38 ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH AND THEY KNEW THAT THEIR LIVES MIGHT BE 33:41 THREATENED IF THEY WENT. BUT IT WAS SO IMPORTANT 33:44 TO THEM THAT THEY WENT. AND SOME HAVE BECOME DISTRACTED. 33:49 I SAW ANOTHER ONE - I MAY AS WELL READ THESE TOGETHER. 33:51 'EXCUSES THAT PEOPLE GIVE FOR WHY THEY DON'T GO TO CHURCH.' 33:55 WHAT IF THEY APPLIED THOSE EXCUSES TO FOOD? 34:00 HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT? I NEVER EAT ANYMORE BECAUSE I 34:05 WAS FORCED TO EAT AS A CHILD. PEOPLE THAT EAT ALL THE TIME ARE 34:11 HYPOCRITES, THEY'RE NOT REALLY HUNGRY. 34:15 THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD I COULDN'T DECIDE 34:17 WHAT TO EAT, SO I QUIT. I USED TO EAT BUT I GOT BORED 34:21 EATING THE SAME THING, SO I JUST STOPPED EATING. 34:25 I ONLY EAT ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS LIKE CHRISTMAS AND EASTER AND 34:28 WEDDINGS. NONE OF MY FRIENDS 34:31 WILL EAT WITH ME. SOME PEOPLE DON'T GO TO CHURCH 34:34 BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ONE TO GO WITH THEM. 34:36 I'LL START EATING WHEN I GET OLDER - I'LL FAST WHILE I'M 34:40 YOUNG. I DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO EAT. SOME DON'T. 34:46 I DON'T BELIEVE THAT EATING REALLY DOES ANYBODY ANY GOOD - 34:49 IT'S JUST A CRUTCH FOR WEAK PEOPLE. THE RESTAURANTS AND 34:53 GROCERY STORES ARE ONLY AFTER YOUR MONEY. 34:59 NOW, THE REASON I SHARE THAT WITH YOU IS, HOW IMPORTANT IS 35:03 CHURCH IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR OUR HEALTH? 35:06 JESUS SAID, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD 35:11 THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' THE LORD SAYS, 'I HAVE 35:14 ESTEEMED THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD.' 35:19 WELL, I STARTED OUT TALKING ABOUT A WANDERING SHEEP AND I'VE 35:22 WANDERED A LITTLE BIT JUST DEALING WITH SOME OF THE 35:24 DISTRACTIONS THAT GET THESE SHEEP OFF TRACK - TALKING ABOUT 35:28 SOME OF THE BACK SLIDING THAT TAKES PLACE. 35:31 WELL, LET'S GO BACK TO OUR SHEEP AGAIN. 35:34 WHY WOULD A SHEPHERD GO LOOK FOR ONE SHEEP? 35:38 NOW, YOU KNOW THAT THE BIBLE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH SHEEP? 35:42 YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 'ABEL WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP.' 35:46 IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK. YOU GO TO THE LAST CHAPTER OF 35:48 THE BIBLE AND YOU ARE INVITED TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB. 35:53 THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT JESUS AS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN FROM THE 35:56 FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. AND ALL THE WAY FROM GENESIS TO 36:00 REVELATION IT'S TALKING ABOUT SHEPHERDS SO IT'S PROBABLY GOOD 36:03 FOR US TO CONSIDER THIS FOR JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE JESUS COMPARES 36:06 US SOMETIMES TO WANDERING SHEEP AND HE IS THE GREAT SHEPHERD. 36:13 WHY WOULD A SHEPHERD NOTICE THAT ONE SHEEP IS MISSING IF HE HAD A 36:17 HUNDRED. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD A HUNDRED 36:20 SHEEP UP ON A GREEN HILL, CAN YOU JUST LOOK UP THERE AND LOOK 36:23 DOWN AND SAY, 'OH, I SPOT ONE'S MISSING'? 36:26 THEY ALL KIND OF LOOK A DINGY WHITE COLOR AND THEY KIND OF 36:32 MELD TOGETHER AND IF ONE SHEEP'S IN FRONT OF ANOTHER IT WOULD BE 36:34 PRETTY HARD TO NOTICE THAT ONE IS MISSING UNLESS YOU COUNTED. 36:40 YOU KNOW HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE END UP MISSING FROM OUR CHURCHES? 36:43 BECAUSE WE DON'T EVER COUNT. WE SAY, 'WELL THAT'S PROUD TO 36:46 COUNT.' OH, A GOOD SHEPHERD COUNTS HIS 36:48 SHEEP - HOW ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW ONE IS MISSING. 36:51 THAT'S WHEN YOU RUN THEM THROUGH THAT SHEEP GATE. 36:53 YOU SAY, 'ONE, TWO, THREE.' BRINGING THEM BACK INTO THE 36:55 FOLD AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE SHEPHERD COUNTS THEM AND SAYS, 36:57 'WAIT A SECOND, LET'S COUNT AGAIN, ONE IS MISSING. 37:00 AND SO THE SHEPHERD SAYS, 'WELL, 99 OUT OF 100, THAT'S NOT BAD 37:06 AND I CAN REPORT TO THE CEOS THAT WE'VE GOT 99% ACCURACY. 37:12 ANY OF YOU EVER GO TO WALMART WITH FIVE KIDS AND COME OUT WITH 37:15 FOUR AND SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, FOUR OUT OF FIVE ISN'T BAD.' 37:22 WOULD WE THINK THAT WAY? DO YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN MORE 37:26 THAN THE LORD LOVES HIS SHEEP? NOW, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU 37:32 A QUESTION - BE HONEST. THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PARENTS 37:36 - HAVE YOU EVER AT LEAST TEMPORARILY MISPLACED A 37:39 CHILD IN SOME PUBLIC SPOT? NOTICE MY HAND IS GOING UP. 37:46 MATTER OF FACT, IT'S PROBABLY TRUE THAT AT SOME POINT - AND IT 37:49 MIGHT JUST BE THE NATURE OF THEIR GENES THEY INHERITED - I 37:51 MISPLACED ALL OF THEM SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. 37:57 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT FRANTIC FEELING WHEN YOU TURNED 38:01 AROUND AND YOU LOOKED UP ONE OR TWO AISLES IN THIS STORE AND YOU 38:06 DIDN'T SPOT THEM RIGHT AWAY? AND YOU LOOK A LITTLE HARDER 38:11 AND YOU SAY, 'YOU KNOW, I' - ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE 38:13 LITTLE - YOU KNOW? AND THEY'RE JUST SO ACTIVE AND 38:16 THEY RUN AND THEY SOMEHOW MANAGE TO SLIP AWAY AND YOU START GOING 38:19 UP AND DOWN THE AISLES AND YOUR PACE GETS A LITTLE FASTER AND 38:21 YOUR HEART STARTS BEATING A LITTLE FASTER AND THEN IT COMES 38:25 INTO YOUR MIND ALL THE WEIRD PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE AND 38:29 YOU CAN START GETTING INTO A VIRTUAL PANIC. 38:33 I WAS IN A MALL ONE DAY AND I SAW THIS LADY TRYING TO MANAGE A 38:36 VERY ACTIVE LITTLE GIRL - SHE MUST HAVE BEEN TWO OR THREE 38:38 YEARS OLD - AND SHE KEPT RUNNING OFF, SHE'D COME AND GET HER, 38:42 SHE'D RUN OFF, SHE'D COME AND GET HER - KEPT A PRETTY GOOD EYE 38:44 ON HER AND THEN SHE GOT INVOLVED IN A CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND. 38:46 I WAS SITTING THERE EATING AT ONE OF THESE MALL COURTS JUST 38:48 WATCHING. AND THE LITTLE GIRL TOOK OFF AND 38:53 BY THE TIME THE MOTHER TURNED TO LOOK SHE - AND IT WAS A VERY 38:55 BUSY MALL DURING A HOLIDAY - PEOPLE'S FEET AND 38:59 LEGS EVERYWHERE. THAT LITTLE GIRL JUST - I MEAN 39:01 - SHE DIDN'T EVEN LOOK BACK. SHE WAS JUST SO EXCITED AT ALL 39:04 THE PRETTY THINGS TO LOOK AT SHE JUST TOOK OFF LIKE A SHOT AND 39:08 DISAPPEARED IN A SEA OF HUMANITY AND I SAW THAT MOTHER - 39:13 SHE JUST - SHE RAN AROUND. SHE CAME AROUND THE CORNER AND 39:15 SHE THOUGHT THAT HER LITTLE GIRL HAD COME BACK AND SHE DIDN'T AND 39:17 HER WHOLE EXPRESSION TURNED TO DESPERATION VERY QUICKLY. 39:22 WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE AND ANYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN. 39:24 DOES THE LORD LOVE HIS CHILDREN LESS THAN WE LOVE OURS? 39:29 HOW ANXIOUS IS HE THAT HIS SHEEP COME HOME? 39:33 HOW ANXIOUS IS HE THAT YOU COME HOME? 39:36 HOW MUCH DID HE PAY TO REDEEM AND TO RECLAIM US? 39:41 WELL, SO, ONE SHEEP IS IMPORTANT. 39:45 YOU NOTICE HE'S GOT 99 BUT ONE IS MISSING. 39:48 NOTICE THE VALUE OF EVEN ONE. IT TELLS US THAT, YOU KNOW, I 39:57 JUST REMEMBERED A STORY IN THE BIBLE. 40:00 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN KING DAVID GOT INTO HIS 40:02 FORBIDDEN ESCAPADE WITH BATHSHEBA? 40:05 I KNOW YOU WEREN'T THERE, BUT YOU REMEMBER THE STORY IN THE 40:07 BIBLE. YOU REMEMBER READING THIS. 40:12 AND GOD DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO HIM RIGHT AWAY. 40:14 DAVID REALLY WANDERED BIG TIME - AND DAVID USED TO BE A SHEPHERD. 40:18 SO MANY OF THE BIBLE HEROES WERE - MOSES WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP. 40:21 JOSEPH WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP. AND DAVID KEPT HIS 40:24 FATHER'S FLOCKS. KILLED HIS BEST FRIEND TO TAKE 40:28 HIS ONE WIFE AND DAVID HAD A HAREM. 40:32 GOD LET SEVERAL MONTHS GO BY - LONG ENOUGH FOR THE BABY TO BE 40:35 BORN AND PROBABLY UNDER A YEAR OF AGE. 40:38 FINALLY, THE PROPHET NATHAN COMES IN AND HE SAYS TO DAVID, 40:40 'YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SITTING AS JUDGE TODAY I'VE GOT A CASE I'D 40:43 LIKE TO BRING BEFORE YOU. THERE'S A MAN IN THE KINGDOM AND 40:47 HE HAD MANY FLOCKS AND HERDS - HE WAS VERY WEALTHY - AND HE HAD 40:51 A POOR NEIGHBOR THAT SHARED A FENCE WITH HIM - VERY POOR 40:54 FAMILY, LIVED IN A SHACK AND THEY HAD ONE EWE LAMB AND IT WAS 40:58 LIKE A CHILD - THEY BOUGHT IT WHEN IT WAS LITTLE AND THEY 41:01 RAISED IT UP AND THEY NURSED IT BY HAND AND IT EVEN SLEPT 41:04 IN THE HOUSE WITH THEM. IT WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO THEM. 41:08 AND A VISITOR CAME TO SEE THE WEALTHY RANCHER NEXT DOOR AND, 41:12 YOU KNOW, AS THE CUSTOM SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAD AN 41:13 IMPORTANT VISITOR, YOU WOULD KILL THE FATTED CALF OR 41:16 THE FATTED MUTTON AND HAVE A FEAST. 41:19 AND INSTEAD OF TAKING ONE OF HIS OWN SHEEP, HE TOOK THE ONE LAMB 41:22 OF HIS NEIGHBOR - THAT PRECIOUS LAMB - AND HE SLAUGHTERED HIS 41:27 POOR NEIGHBOR'S ONE FAMILY PET WHEN HE HAD FLOCKS AND HERDS.' 41:32 AND WHEN DAVID HEARD THAT HE WAS SO OUTRAGED THAT PROBABLY 41:36 THE VEINS STOOD OUT IN HIS NECK AND IN FURY HE SAID TO NATHAN 41:39 THE PROPHET 'THE MAN THAT DID THIS WILL DIE!' 41:42 DAVID WAS THINKING BACK TO HOW MUCH HE SACRIFICED TO SAVE HIS 41:45 FATHER'S SHEEP AND NATHAN SAID, 'YOU'RE THE MAN.' 41:52 HAVE WE SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN THE VALUE OF ONE? 41:56 JESUS WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR ONE. YOU KNOW, I MARVEL AT 42:01 THE STORY WHEN DAVID WENT BEFORE KING SAUL AND HE WANTED TO FIGHT 42:05 WITH GOLIATH AND KING SAUL SAID, 'YOU'RE JUST A YOUTH AND HE'S 42:09 BEEN A SOLDIER EVER SINCE HIS YOUTH. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT 42:12 YOU CAN TAKE ON THIS GIANT?' AND HE SAID, 'WELL, WHEN I 42:16 TOOK CARE OF MY FATHER'S FLOCKS, ONE DAY A BEAR CAME AND TOOK ONE 42:21 LAMB AND I WENT AFTER THAT BEAR AND I FOUGHT THE BEAR' - 42:26 NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? IT DOESN'T SAY HE KILLED IT WITH 42:28 A SLING - SOME STORYBOOKS SHOW IT THAT WAY AND WE ILLUSTRATE IT 42:30 THAT WAY - THAT'S NOT WHAT IT SAYS. 42:31 IT SAYS, 'I TOOK HIM BY THE BEARD' - I DON'T KNOW WHERE A 42:34 BEAR'S BEARD IS BUT HE GOT AHOLD OF IT AND IT SAYS, 'I SMOTE HIM' 42:42 - AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TO PUT YOU IN THE PAPERS - IT SAYS, 42:46 'AND THEN A LION CAME AND I WENT AFTER THE LION. 42:50 AND I NOT ONLY RESCUED' - I MEAN, I MIGHT TRY AND SCARE IT 42:52 OFF WITH SOME PEPPER SPRAY BUT HE KILLED THE LION TO RESCUE ONE 42:58 LAMB. AND I ALWAYS MARVEL WHEN I HEAR THAT STORY. 43:01 MAYBE SOME OF YOU HEARD ME SHARE THIS BEFORE, BUT IT WAS 43:04 VERY VIVID FOR ME BECAUSE OUR FAMILY USED TO HAVE GOATS AND WE 43:10 ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE OF GOATS AND HAD A LITTLE BABY AND 43:16 FINALLY WE GOT DOWN WHERE WE HAD ONE GOAT AND I WOKE UP ABOUT 43:21 FIVE IN THE MORNING AND OUR WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK BECAUSE THE 43:23 GOATS ACTUALLY SLEPT UNDER THE HOUSE - I LIVED IN A RANCH BACK 43:26 IN THE HILLS - THE WHOLE HOUSE JUST WENT 'BANG!' 43:29 AND THE WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK - FIVE IN THE MORNING - IT'S STILL 43:31 DARK OUT. I WOKE UP AND THEN I HEARD 43:32 LIBBY, OUR GOAT, SCREAMING. IT WASN'T COMPLAINING FOR FOOD, 43:37 IT WAS A DESPERATE 'AAAH! AAAH!' AND IT KEPT GOING ON AND I 43:42 WOKE UP AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DISCOMBOBULATED WHEN YOU FIRST 43:45 WAKE UP AND YOU'RE GOING, 'WHAT IS GOING ON?' 43:47 AND THEN I REALIZED A LION OR A BEAR OR SOMETHING - WE HAVE 43:49 MOUNTAIN LIONS UP THERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - WAS 43:53 DRAGGING LIBBY OFF. NOW ALL I HAD FOR 43:57 DEFENSE WAS A .22 RIFLE THAT WAS OUT BEHIND THE 44:01 SEAT IN MY BROKEN DOWN NISSAN PICKUP. 44:04 AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU FRIENDS, I WAS SO SHAKEN BY WHAT 44:07 WAS HAPPENING I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'AM I GOING OUT THERE IN 44:10 THE DARK?' I HAD - I DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRIC 44:12 LIGHTS UP THERE, I WAS WAY UP IN THE HILLS - 'AM I GOING OUT 44:14 THERE IN THE DARK TO TRY AND FIND MY .22 TO SHOOT A BEAR WITH 44:18 A .22?' AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I DIDN'T GO OUTSIDE. 44:25 I'M ALWAYS ASHAMED TO TELL THAT STORY, BUT YOU HAD TO BE THERE. 44:28 DON'T - YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE. 44:35 IT'S PROBABLY TOO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT I MAY AS WELL 44:36 TELL YOU THAT AT THAT SAME TIME WE USED AN OUTHOUSE AND KNOWING 44:44 THAT BEAR WAS OUT THERE AT NIGHT REALLY CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR OUR 44:46 FAMILY. AND THEN I TURNED AND I READ IN 44:51 THE BIBLE HOW DAVID NOT ONLY RESCUED THE LAMB, BUT KILLED 44:56 THE BEAR AND THE LION. AND I ALWAYS FELT A LITTLE 45:00 BETTER WHEN I REALIZED, OF COURSE, THAT WAS FOR A SHEEP AND 45:02 MINE WAS A GOAT AND, YOU KNOW, GOATS ARE ALL LOST ANYWAY. 45:07 YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SEPARATING THE SHEEP AND 45:09 THE GOATS? GOATS AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT ANYWAY SO WHY DIE? 45:15 BUT THE LORD WOULD DO ALL THAT FOR ONE LAMB. 45:20 HOW MUCH WOULD HE PAY FOR YOU? DOES THE SHEPHERD CARE? 45:24 AND YOU KNOW IT'S A BEAUTIFUL STORY THEN. 45:27 THE BIBLE TELLS US HE PROBABLY GOES OUT AT NIGHT AND HE'S 45:31 ROAMING - BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY - YOU PASTURE THE SHEEP 45:34 DURING THE DAY, THEY'RE NOT NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - AT THE END 45:37 OF THE DAY YOU BRING THEM BACK. THE SUN'S GOING DOWN YOU BRING 45:38 THEM TO THE FOLD, YOU COUNT, YOU'VE GOT 99 - COUNT AGAIN, 45:41 99 - FLUFFY'S MISSING. AND THE SHEPHERD LEAVES THEM 45:48 IN THE FOLD, PROBABLY WITH AN ATTENDANT - IT TOOK MORE THAN 45:50 ONE MAN TO TAKE CARE OF A HUNDRED SHEEP IN BIBLE TIMES. 45:53 MAYBE THEY HAD SOME SHEEP DOGS TO HELP WATCH THEM. 45:56 HE SAYS, 'I BETTER GO FIND FLUFFY.' 45:58 AND HE TAKES OFF IN THIS RUGGED, ROCKY TERRAIN THAT THEY 46:02 HAD THERE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, WHERE THEY HAD RAVINES AND THEY 46:04 HAD WILD JACKALS AND WOLVES - AND YOU READ ABOUT WOLVES IN THE 46:07 BIBLE - THEY HAD BEARS AND THEY HAD LIONS BACK THEN - AND HE 46:11 GOES TO DANGER - ALL THAT IN THE DARK, FOR ONE - AND HE SEARCHES 46:19 AND HE SEARCHES AND IT'S COLD AND IT'S INCONVENIENT AND HE'S 46:24 STUMBLING AROUND BUT FINALLY HE FINDS IT AND HE REJOICES. 46:29 AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? 46:30 HE SCOLDS THE SHEEP AND SAYS, 'YOU DUMB SHEEP!' 46:33 IS THAT WHAT HE DOES? OR IS HE HAPPY? 46:36 SOME PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO COME BACK BECAUSE THEY THINK, 'YOU 46:39 KNOW, EVERYONE'S GOING TO REMIND ME OF WHAT I DID WRONG.' 46:42 AND, BY THE WAY, IF YOU SEE SOMEONE SHOW UP IN THE CHURCH 46:44 AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN A WHILE, PLEASE DON'T SAY TO THEM, 46:46 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU KNOW WHAT I HEARD ABOUT YOU? 46:51 IS IT TRUE THAT YOU'VE BEEN AT THE BAR?' BE LOVING AND 46:56 COMPASSIONATE AND REJOICE WHEN THEY COME BACK. WHEN THAT 46:59 MISSING SON IS FOUND, WHEN THAT MISSING SHEEP IS FOUND, WHEN 47:02 THAT MISSING COIN IS FOUND, THERE IS REJOICING. AMEN? 47:10 HE COMES BACK AND IS REJOICING SO MUCH HE CALLS ALL HIS 47:13 NEIGHBORS TOGETHER - YOU KNOW, IF I FOUND A MISSING GOAT, I 47:15 WOULDN'T BRING ALL MY NEIGHBORS TOGETHER AND HAVE A FEAST, BUT 47:18 THAT WAS HOW THEY FELT BACK THEN ABOUT ONE SHEEP. 47:21 AND HOW DOES HEAVEN FEEL ABOUT ONE OF GOD'S WANDERING CHILDREN 47:25 THAT COMES BACK TO THE FOLD OF THE CHURCH? 47:29 IN 2005 THERE WERE SOME BOY SCOUTS CAMPING IN THE WILDERNESS 47:34 OF UTAH - SOME PRETTY RUGGED COUNTRY OUT THERE - AND ONE BOY, 47:38 BRENNAN HAWKINS GOT SEPARATED FROM HIS BUDDY - HE HAD A BUDDY 47:42 AND HE WAS GETTING OUT OF HIS CLIMBING GEAR AND AS HE WAS 47:44 GOING BACK TO THE CAMP HE TOOK A WRONG TURN. 47:48 YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET DISORIENTED IN THE WOODS - AND 47:50 BACKTRACKED THE WRONG WAY AND JUST WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE 47:54 UNTIL HE WAS PLAIN LOST. 47:58 CALLED - TRIED TO FIND HIS WAY BACK TO CAMP - HE COULDN'T. 48:01 EVENTUALLY THEY NOTICED THAT HE WAS MISSING AND THEY STARTED 48:04 LOOKING FOR HIM AND WHEN THEY REALIZED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND 48:06 HIM, THEY CONTACTED THE AUTHORITIES AND THEY CONTACTED 48:08 THE PARENTS AND A DESPERATE SEARCH ENSUED FOR BRENNAN, WHO 48:13 WAS 11 YEARS OLD. THE TEMPERATURES GOT COLD, 48:16 MOUNTAIN LIONS IN THE AREA, COLD CREEKS, DANGEROUS WATERFALLS, A 48:20 LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOST AND DIED IN THIS WILDERNESS. 48:24 AND THEY'VE GOT 1400 PEOPLE SEARCHING THE HILLSIDE FOR THAT 48:28 BOY. THE SUN WENT DOWN - ALL NIGHT LONG NO - THEY COULDN'T 48:33 FIND HIM. CALLED. NEXT DAY ANOTHER WHOLE DAY OF SEARCHING - 48:37 COULDN'T FIND HIM. THE PARENTS WERE ABSOLUTELY DESPERATE 48:41 WONDERING HOW IT WAS GOING TO END. 48:44 THREE DAYS GO BY AND THEY COULDN'T FIND HIM - SEARCHING, 48:49 CALLING, 1400 PEOPLE COMBING THE HILLS AND NOW THEY'RE STARTING 48:52 TO LOSE HOPE BECAUSE - BASED ON PAST RECORDS OF WHAT HAD 48:55 HAPPENED TO OTHERS THAT GOT LOST. AFTER FOUR DAYS ONE OF THE 49:01 SEARCHERS GOING DOWN A TRAIL WITH AN ATV SPOTTED A VERY 49:05 HAGGARD-LOOKING 11-YEAR-OLD WHO CAME OUT FROM BEHIND SOME BUSHES 49:09 AND IT WAS BRENNAN AND HE MANAGED TO SURVIVE. 49:13 HE HAD CURLED UP AT NIGHT UNDER HIS SWEATSHIRT, LEANED AGAINST A 49:15 TREE, CRIED HIMSELF TO SLEEP LOOKING AT THE MOON, DRANK OUT 49:19 OF THE CREEKS AND ATE SOME LEAVES - AND OTHER THAN BEING A 49:24 LITTLE DEHYDRATED AND COLD, HE WAS FINE. 49:28 WHEN HE CAME RIDING INTO CAMP WITH THIS MISSING BOY, HOW DO 49:31 YOU THINK THE SEARCH PARTY BEHAVED? 49:34 HOW DO YOU THINK HIS PARENTS REJOICED? 49:36 HOW DO YOU THINK THE LORD FEELS WHEN HIS WANDERING SHEEP COME 49:39 BACK? 49:41 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 49:44 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH- 49:47 FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 49:51 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO 49:58 PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 50:02 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 50:06 MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 50:12 >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 50:15 PEOPLE? OR A CAR LIKE THIS ONE COULD 50:17 REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. 50:21 IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH 50:24 HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING 50:27 YOUR VEHICLE TO AMAZING FACTS TODAY. 50:30 IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE - EVEN 50:35 ATVS AND JET SKIS - INTO A SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE FOR CHRIST 50:40 AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 50:42 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 50:45 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 50:47 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 50:50 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 50:54 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST. 50:57 USE IT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 51:01 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 51:05 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 51:11 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 51:22 >>I GREW UP HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, I GUESS DEALING WITH ALL 51:26 THE TEMPTATIONS YOU WOULD HAVE IN A BIG CITY. 51:30 EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT YOU COULD RUN INTO 51:33 - DRUGS, CRIME - WAS ALWAYS HERE. 51:37 WHEN I WAS AT A YOUNG AGE I ACTUALLY GOT INTO TROUBLE WITH 51:40 THE LAW AND MY ONLY OUT WAS TO JOIN THE MILITARY AT THE TIME, 51:45 IN ORDER TO NOT DO TIME. 51:47 SO I LEFT NEW YORK AND TRAVELED THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT WHILE I 51:51 WAS IN THE MILITARY. EVENTUALLY I CAME BACK. 51:56 HAVING GROWN UP AS A HIP-HOP KID I EVENTUALLY FOUND MYSELF 51:59 WORKING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, ACTUALLY. 52:02 I WORKED AT A COUPLE OF MAJOR RADIO STATIONS - HIP-HOP, REGGAE 52:05 - I WAS AT ALL THE BIG REGGAE SHOWS WORKING THEM. 52:08 NO MATTER WHAT I DID TO TRY AND SATISFY MYSELF, NOTHING REALLY 52:11 WORKED. 52:13 I REMEMBER I USED TO PLAY AT THIS ONE CLUB IN MANHATTAN. 52:17 WE USED TO PLAY THERE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT. 52:19 SO I CAME HOME ONE SATURDAY MORNING AFTER LEAVING THE CLUB 52:23 AND I TURNED ON THE VIDEO CHANNEL LIKE I USUALLY DO. 52:27 SO THERE WAS THIS GUY ON THE VIDEO CHANNEL TALKING AND HE WAS 52:29 DEFINITELY OUT OF PLACE, BUT THE THINGS THAT HE WERE - THAT HE 52:33 WAS SAYING - JUST TOTALLY AMAZED ME. 52:35 I NEVER HEARD ANYONE SPEAK ABOUT THE BIBLE LIKE THIS BEFORE. 52:40 SO I STARTED COMING HOME EARLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS JUST TO 52:42 CATCH THIS SHOW. 52:44 I FOUND THE THINGS THAT HE WAS SAYING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, TO 52:47 THE POINT WHERE IT LITERALLY MADE ME STOP AND START TO THINK 52:52 ABOUT HOW I WAS LIVING MY LIFE. 52:55 SO I FOUND THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT I HAD BEEN DOING TO 52:57 TRY AND FIND HAPPINESS WERE ACTUALLY NOT MAKING ME HAPPY AT 53:01 ALL, BUT WERE REALLY JUST LEAVING ME EMPTY INSIDE. 53:05 WHEN I STARTED READING THE BIBLE AND IT STARTED TO MAKE SENSE, I 53:09 STARTED TO MAKE CHANGES. 53:10 I EVEN TRIED TO KEEP THE SABBATH, WHICH I FAILED AT 53:14 MISERABLY. 53:16 SO I WAS ACTUALLY INVITED BY AMAZING FACTS TO GO TO SEE A 53:19 LIVE SERIES AT ONE OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES, BUT AFTER GOING THE 53:24 FIRST NIGHT I ENDED UP GOING ANOTHER NIGHT AND ANOTHER NIGHT. 53:27 I STAYED FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES. THAT WAS THE DAY I MADE A 53:30 DECISION THAT CHANGED THE REST OF MY LIFE FOREVER. 53:33 I GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST AND EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT AFTER 53:36 THAT. I MADE A DECISION TO GIVE UP THE 53:38 MUSIC BUSINESS AND STOP HANGING OUT AT ALL OF THE CLUBS. 53:41 I MADE A DECISION THAT WAS ETERNAL FOR ME AND FOR MY 53:44 FAMILY. I STARTED GOING TO CHURCH. 53:49 I GOT A POSITION IN CHURCH WHERE I WAS ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF THE 53:52 PERSONAL MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT AND THE SAME AMAZING FACTS 53:56 STUDIES THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, I ACTUALLY GOT TO SHARE THEM WITH 54:00 PEOPLE AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 54:05 (MUSIC) 54:13 >>ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT LIES AHEAD IN HUMAN HISTORY OR WHAT 54:17 RECENT WORLD EVENTS ARE HARBINGERS OF THE END? 54:20 ARE YOU READY FOR THE COMING CRISIS? 54:23 LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY OFFERS CLEAR ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST 54:25 PRESSING QUESTIONS. PRESENTED BY PASTOR DOUG 54:28 BATCHELOR, LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY IS A CONTEMPORARY VIDEO BIBLE 54:32 STUDY ADVENTURE DESIGNED FOR TODAY'S AUDIENCES, PRESENTING 54:35 THE LANDMARK THEMES OF THE BIBLE IN A BRIGHT AND COMPELLING WAY, 54:39 HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE BETTER AND GIVINNG YOU KNOWLEDGE 54:42 TO FACE THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE. 54:44 LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY CONTAINS OVER 30 HOURS OF EXCITING VIDEO 54:47 PRESENTATIONS ON 6 DVDS, PLUS BONUS QUESTION AND ANSWER 54:51 SESSIONS, GIVING YOU KEEN INSIGHT INTO WHAT LIES NEXT IN 54:54 HUMAN HISTORY. IF YOU'D LIKE PRACTICAL TOOLS TO 54:57 HELP YOU THRIVE AND SURVIVE IN THE HERE AND NOW, GET 55:00 LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY . START YOUR EPIC BIBLE STUDY 55:03 ADVENTURE WITH LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY TODAY BY CALLING 55:06 800-538-7275 OR BY VISITING AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 55:13 (MUSIC) 55:23 >>TODAY'S SMART PHONES ARE A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION 55:26 THAT FITS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 55:28 IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS! 55:30 WITH IT YOU CAN BUY YOUR GROCERIES, TAKE CARE OF YOUR 55:34 EXERCISE REGIME, WATCH A VIDEO, LISTEN TO MUSIC, YOU CAN SURF 55:38 THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD-WIDE WEB, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A 55:42 GOOD THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE 55:44 COMPUTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND POWER IN A LITTLE SMART 55:47 PHONE TODAY THAN WAS USED BY NASA TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON. 55:52 AND I ALMOST FORGOT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THESE TO MAKE A PHONE 55:54 CALL, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE? TODAY COMMUNICATION IS 55:58 NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. IT'S ALL ABOUT SHORT MESSAGE 56:01 SERVICING OR SMS TEXTING. THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE ABOUT 56:06 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT ARE COMMUNICATING 56:10 WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMANS IN SHORT BYTES CALLED TEXTING. 56:14 THAT'S MORE DATA THAT IS BEING USED THAN THOSE WHO ARE SURFING 56:17 THE WEB OR EVEN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. 56:19 AND, FRIENDS, NOWHERE IS THIS MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THE 56:22 PHILIPPINES. EVEN THOUGH THE PHILIPPINES HAS 56:24 ABOUT 100 MILLION PEOPLE, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST 56:28 NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES OF ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. 56:31 THEY'RE THE TWELFTH-LARGEST COUNTRY, BUT THEY SEND 400 56:34 MILLION TEXT MESSAGES EVERY DAY. WOW, THAT'S A LOT 56:39 OF FINGER FATIGUE. EVEN THOUGH THE GREATEST NUMBER 56:42 OF TEXTERS IS HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE RECORD FOR THE 56:45 FASTEST TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS FROM BRAZIL. 56:47 A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF MARCEL FERNANDES FILHO - HE WAS 56:50 ABLE TO TEXT 25 VERY COMPLICATED WORDS IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 56:54 SECONDS. WOW, IT TAKES ME LONGER THAN 56:57 THAT TO JUST SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO MY WIFE AND PRESS SEND. 57:01 ALL THUMBS. ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT 57:04 TEXTING IS YOU CAN TEXT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE. 57:06 IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL 57:08 MESSAGE, YOU TEXT. YOU'RE IN A CROWDED SUBWAY 57:11 OR AN AIRPORT, YOU CAN TEXT. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY NOISE 57:14 OR NOSEY PEOPLE, YOU CAN TEXT - JUST DON'T TEXT 57:18 WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. THAT'S WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL, 57:20 FRIENDS, YOU CAN ALWAYS TEXT GOD A MESSAGE OF PRAYER 57:23 FROM YOUR HEART. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 57:25 'WHAT SCHOOL DO I GO TO?' 'WHAT JOB DO I TAKE?' 57:28 'WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO DATE THAT MAY BE A FUTURE LIFE PARTNER?' 57:31 YOUR PRAYERS DON'T HAVE TO BE LONG. 57:33 THE SHORTEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE IS THREE WORDS - WHEN PETER 57:35 PRAYED, 'LORD SAVE ME.' AND JESUS ANSWERED HIS PRAYER. 57:39 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST YOU CAN TEXT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO 57:42 GOD, HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND HEAR YOUR PRAYER 57:45 BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY 'AMEN' AND PRESS THE SEND 57:48 BUTTON. IN FACT, FRIENDS, YOU'LL BRING 57:50 JOY TO GOD WHEN YOU SEND HIM REGULAR MESSAGES FROM 57:53 YOUR HEART TO HIS. SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK 57:55 TO HIM RIGHT NOW? (MUSIC) 58:04 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT 58:07 AFBOOKSTORE.COM . OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2018-02-13