>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Well, it's about that time, the
time when people are thinking
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about New Year's resolutions.
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Now, if you don't make
New Year's resolutions,
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that's okay.
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There's still plenty for
you to be thinking about,
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as we are going
to find out together.
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If you do, then you're
among the 60% of people who do.
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And how do they do?
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Well, it is said that 48%
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of New Year's resolutions
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are kept for six months,
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which I find quite surprising.
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Evidently, 25% of New
Year's resolutions make it
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as long as...one week.
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By the time January
the 7th rolls around,
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no more. It's over.
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If I were to ask
you what the most common
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New Year's resolutions
are, well, I'm pretty sure
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you'd be able to guess.
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Most common New
Year's Resolutions
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have people
resolving to get in shape,
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eat healthier, lose weight,
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get more exercise,
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enjoy life to the fullest--
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whatever that means--
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spend less, save more,
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spend more time
with family and friends,
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get organized, learn something
new or try something new,
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travel more, drink less,
stop smoking, get more sleep,
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floss regularly, read
more, make new friends,
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be happier, have less stress,
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and go to church.
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That's 20 or so common
New Year's resolutions.
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And together we'll look
at some important resolutions
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and how you can
actually achieve them.
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And I'm going to share
with you the one resolution
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you should never make, the
promise you can never keep.
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And it's going to surprise
you because it's the one thing
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that you might not expect me
to say here on It Is Written.
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But there's one resolution
you should never, ever make,
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and if you
don't know what it is,
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you absolutely have to know.
I'm dead serious about that.
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It's said that the
first New Year's resolutions
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were made 4,000 years
ago by the Babylonians.
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They made promises to
their gods to pay their debts
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and return items
that they'd borrowed--
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which sounds like a good idea.
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Evidently the Babylonians
believed that if they kept
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their word, the
gods would favor them.
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But if they didn't, the
coming year would not be good.
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And no one wanted that.
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The Romans evidently did
much the same sort of thing.
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Julius Caesar established
the first day of January
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as the first day of the year.
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January was named after Janus,
the god of new beginnings,
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who was typically
depicted as having two faces--
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the one looking to the past and
the other looking to the future.
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The Romans offered
sacrifices to Janus,
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hopeful of experiencing good
fortune in the year to come.
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So starting the New Year with
a bang isn't a new thing at all.
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And really, an opportunity
to turn the page and start over
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is a good thing.
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Many of us need that.
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Let's look at some areas
where we might actually want
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to reboot our lives.
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Let's look at some of those
common New Year's resolutions.
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What about this one?:
To look after your health.
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Many people in the Western
world are profoundly unhealthy.
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Now, I'm not referring to a
condition you were born with
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or some terrible thing that
came at you from out of nowhere.
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More than 42% of
Americans are obese.
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Mississippi wins that
contest, with Alabama, Arkansas,
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Kentucky, Tennessee,
West Virginia, Oklahoma,
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South Carolina,
Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana,
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and Michigan all
straining the scales.
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All of those states
have obesity rates above 35%.
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In 2012, no state had an
obesity rate higher than 35%.
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In 2000, there wasn't a
single state in the union
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that had an
obesity rate above 25%.
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Obesity costs the country
about $180 billion a year.
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So could we think about
looking after our health?
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Absolutely.
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Eat better.
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Drink more water.
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Drink less alcohol--better
yet, drink no alcohol.
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Exercise.
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And if you don't
know where to start,
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start right where you
are and do what you can.
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And build up to where
you can exercise more.
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It's profoundly good for you.
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Taking a walk around
the block just isn't hard,
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for the vast majority of people.
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But instead, we're spending all
kinds of time and tons of money
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looking for cures for sicknesses
which, in a lot of cases,
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could be treated with
a pair of walking shoes.
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What about this
New Year's resolution?
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As well as
looking after your health,
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what about looking
after your finances?
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Instead of spending $4 on a
coffee five or six times a week,
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drink water.
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Keep that money in your pocket.
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Twenty or more
dollars a week on coffee,
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you're easily
spending $1,000 a year!
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You know, the average monthly
car payment for a new car
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is around $560 a month.
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Buy a reliable used car; you
just saved thousands of dollars.
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Now, you might not need to
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if your finances
aren't under any pressure.
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Okay.
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But many publications
have reported that nearly 80%
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of Americans are
living paycheck to paycheck.
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A Nielsen study said that 1 in 4
families earning $150,000 a year
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are living paycheck to paycheck.
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And you can do something about
that by curbing your spending.
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If Emily and Noah
didn't earn scholarships,
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you tell them they're gonna
have to go to a state college
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rather than to a private
one that you can't afford.
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If you can't afford
a vacation to Europe,
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go to a state
park. They're fantastic!
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And if you're all concerned
that you can't afford to buy
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a pile of toys for
your kids at Christmas,
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or you're going to have to
go into debt in order to do so,
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then make the very responsible
decision to not spend money
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you don't have for
things you don't need.
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"But what will we
tell the children?"
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Well, we'll tell the children
that we don't have the money
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for all that, so we're going
to give you what we can afford,
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and we're going
to have a happy time,
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and we're still all
going to be grateful,
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because that's not what
Christmas is all about anyway.
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Easy.
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Financial
challenges are very real.
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And they're not any fun.
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But a marvelous thing happens
when you live within your means
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and you don't spend
money that you don't have.
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So you resolve to look after
your health and your finances.
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You might resolve to
look after each other,
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to see more of your family,
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to spend more time
around the dining room table,
00:07:08.86\00:07:11.26
less time on computer games,
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more time with
Grandma and Grandpa,
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more time with friends.
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Those are good things to do.
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You might choose to waste
less time, to read more books,
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to spend less
time on social media,
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to make more time for
God, to go to church more,
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to go to church, to
pray, to read the Bible.
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You know, there are
1,189 chapters in the Bible,
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365 days in a year.
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If we do the math, we
discover that 1,189 chapters
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divided by 365 days equals
about 3 1/4 chapters a day.
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You can do that.
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You could easily read
through the Bible in a year.
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If you never
have, you really should.
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But think about this with me.
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These are your typical
New Year's resolutions.
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And what do we know already?
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A quarter of people only
make it as far as a week,
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and about a half of those
who make New Year's resolutions
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make it six months.
00:08:07.85\00:08:09.55
Although, honestly, I
kind of doubt that number.
00:08:09.58\00:08:12.92
You start the year
meaning to improve your health.
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That's a laudable goal.
00:08:16.32\00:08:18.13
You're going to be more
careful with your money,
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do the family
thing, all of that.
00:08:20.10\00:08:22.13
And we know people
try and fail all the time,
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which brings me to
what I said we'd look at:
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the promise you
should never make, ever.
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And it has
everything to do with God.
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I'll tell you what
it is in just a moment.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤
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How can your choices be
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for your life?
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Let your choices and God's
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¤[upbeat music]¤
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>>Announcer: Planning
for your financial future
00:09:21.56\00:09:23.12
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
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For this reason, It Is
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Call 800-992-2219.
00:09:43.88\00:09:47.72
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:09:49.68\00:09:52.32
New Year's resolutions.
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Now, I'm about to tell
you about the one resolution
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you should never make
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because it's the one
promise you can never keep.
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And it's serious.
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It has major repercussions
for your experience
00:10:03.47\00:10:06.00
as a believer in God.
00:10:06.03\00:10:07.70
There's one promise
that no person of faith
00:10:07.74\00:10:11.41
should ever make.
00:10:11.44\00:10:13.61
Now, let's think about
common promises we make.
00:10:13.64\00:10:17.15
You go to a wedding, and
the happy couple make vows
00:10:17.18\00:10:19.58
to each other, and traditionally
the vows go something like this:
00:10:19.61\00:10:23.42
"I, A, take you, B, to be my
lawfully wedded husband or wife,
00:10:23.45\00:10:27.59
"to have and to hold
from this day forward,
00:10:27.62\00:10:29.69
"for better, for
worse, for richer, for poorer,
00:10:29.72\00:10:32.26
"in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish,
00:10:32.29\00:10:35.20
for as long as
we both shall live."
00:10:35.23\00:10:37.40
Now, the vast majority of
people who get married mean it.
00:10:37.43\00:10:41.57
Like, they really mean it.
00:10:41.60\00:10:43.51
They are happy.
They're invested.
00:10:43.54\00:10:45.87
They've got family and
friends there with them,
00:10:45.91\00:10:48.01
some of whom have
traveled from other time zones,
00:10:48.04\00:10:50.51
other countries, even
sometimes other continents
00:10:50.55\00:10:54.05
to be there for the happy day.
00:10:54.08\00:10:55.72
The couple--and the
families-- have spent real money
00:10:55.75\00:10:58.72
on the occasion.
00:10:58.75\00:10:59.85
They've gone through the
trouble of organizing a wedding.
00:10:59.89\00:11:04.13
And yet the divorce rate in
virtually every Western country
00:11:04.16\00:11:08.06
is frightening.
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.73
Now, the truth is it's
challenging to really interpret
00:11:09.76\00:11:12.50
those statistics correctly.
00:11:12.53\00:11:14.10
But, you'll find that
most statistics say 40-50%
00:11:14.14\00:11:18.47
of all marriages in the
United States end in divorce,
00:11:18.51\00:11:22.24
42% in the United Kingdom,
slightly over 50% in France,
00:11:22.28\00:11:28.12
almost 40% in Canada.
00:11:28.15\00:11:31.42
So in spite of best intentions
and financial commitments,
00:11:31.45\00:11:35.22
promises made in front
of parents and grandparents,
00:11:35.26\00:11:38.19
the "resolution" to get
married often falls flat.
00:11:38.23\00:11:42.40
I'm not blaming anyone.
00:11:42.43\00:11:44.13
But what we see is that even
the most exciting, meaningful,
00:11:44.17\00:11:47.64
important promises
often don't get kept.
00:11:47.67\00:11:52.17
Which leads me to this...
00:11:52.21\00:11:53.78
There's a promise, a
resolution you should never make
00:11:54.78\00:11:58.91
because it's the one
that you can never, ever keep.
00:11:58.95\00:12:01.62
And we find a spectacular
demonstration of this
00:12:01.65\00:12:03.82
in the Bible.
00:12:03.85\00:12:05.15
Spectacular.
00:12:05.19\00:12:06.52
In Exodus 14, the
children of Israel leave Egypt
00:12:06.55\00:12:09.89
under truly
miraculous circumstances.
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.19
Miracle after miracle,
plagues were poured out.
00:12:13.23\00:12:16.63
They were given great
wealth by the Egyptians.
00:12:16.67\00:12:18.83
Darkness walled off Israel
from their Egyptian pursuers.
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.74
Then the Red Sea opened up.
00:12:22.77\00:12:24.27
God's people walked
across the sea to freedom.
00:12:24.31\00:12:27.28
The Egyptians pursued, but
their chariots got bogged down
00:12:27.31\00:12:30.38
on the seafloor.
00:12:30.41\00:12:31.61
And then, the sea
folded back together,
00:12:31.65\00:12:34.42
and the Egyptians perished.
00:12:34.45\00:12:36.05
Two chapters later, God
feeds the people with manna,
00:12:36.08\00:12:38.65
which miraculously
appeared on the ground.
00:12:38.69\00:12:41.46
Chapter 17, water
came out of a rock.
00:12:41.49\00:12:44.33
Who ever heard of such a thing?
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.13
Chapter 18, Jethro advises Moses
so that Israel can function
00:12:46.16\00:12:50.20
more smoothly, and then
in chapter 19, we see this,
00:12:50.23\00:12:53.57
starting in verse 3:
00:12:53.60\00:12:55.50
"And Moses went up to God,
00:12:55.54\00:12:57.54
"and the Lord called to
him from the mountain, saying,
00:12:57.57\00:13:00.54
"'Thus you shall say
to the house of Jacob,
00:13:00.58\00:13:02.81
"'and tell the
children of Israel:
00:13:02.84\00:13:04.98
"'"You have seen what
I did to the Egyptians,
00:13:05.01\00:13:07.22
"'"and how I bore you on eagles'
wings and brought you to myself.
00:13:07.25\00:13:11.05
"'"Now therefore, if you
will indeed obey my voice
00:13:11.09\00:13:13.89
"'"and keep my covenant, then
you shall be a special treasure
00:13:13.92\00:13:17.63
"'"to me above all people;
for all the earth is mine.
00:13:17.66\00:13:20.96
And you shall be to me a kingdom
of priests and a holy nation."'"
00:13:20.96\00:13:24.43
And you'll notice
these words are repeated
00:13:24.47\00:13:25.90
in the book of 1 Peter,
where Peter applies these words
00:13:25.93\00:13:29.60
to the Christian church.
00:13:29.64\00:13:31.17
God continues:
00:13:31.21\00:13:32.54
"'These are the words which
you shall speak to the children
00:13:32.57\00:13:34.91
"of Israel.' So Moses
came and called for the elders
00:13:34.94\00:13:38.21
"of the people, and laid
before them all these words
00:13:38.25\00:13:41.15
which the Lord commanded him."
00:13:41.18\00:13:42.68
And here's where
it gets...tricky.
00:13:43.62\00:13:47.52
It's Exodus 19 and verse 8:
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.56
"Then all the people
answered together and said,
00:13:50.59\00:13:53.13
"'All that the Lord
has spoken we will do.'
00:13:53.16\00:13:56.30
So Moses brought back the words
of the people to the Lord."
00:13:56.33\00:14:00.40
Now, you might
listen to that and say,
00:14:00.44\00:14:02.17
"Well, that's a great idea.
They're wanting to obey God."
00:14:02.20\00:14:06.07
And for sure,
it is a great idea.
00:14:06.11\00:14:09.34
We'll give them an A for intent.
00:14:09.38\00:14:11.71
But we'll give them
an F for methodology.
00:14:11.75\00:14:14.88
This is a disastrous mistake;
00:14:14.92\00:14:17.62
it's one that
too many people make.
00:14:17.65\00:14:19.75
And you might have
even made it yourself.
00:14:19.79\00:14:21.76
"You just say the
word, Lord, and I'll do it."
00:14:21.79\00:14:25.43
No! You've just set
yourself up for failure.
00:14:25.46\00:14:29.90
I know a lot of people
approach their faith that way,
00:14:29.93\00:14:32.47
but it's not good.
00:14:32.50\00:14:34.00
It's not healthy.
It can't be successful.
00:14:34.04\00:14:36.40
If you do this, you
are doomed to defeat.
00:14:36.44\00:14:40.94
The solemnity of the whole
situation was strongly impressed
00:14:42.84\00:14:46.35
upon Israel.
00:14:46.38\00:14:47.55
They were told to
wash their clothes,
00:14:47.58\00:14:49.08
to consecrate themselves to God.
00:14:49.12\00:14:51.62
God was communicating to
them the need to be pure,
00:14:51.65\00:14:54.59
to put sin away.
00:14:54.62\00:14:56.26
They weren't to touch
the mountain, Mt. Sinai.
00:14:56.29\00:14:58.56
God came down.
The mountain quaked.
00:14:58.59\00:15:01.60
There were
thunderings and lightnings.
00:15:01.63\00:15:03.57
A thick cloud descended.
00:15:03.60\00:15:05.43
There was a sound
like that of a trumpet,
00:15:05.47\00:15:07.17
and it was so loud
the people trembled.
00:15:07.20\00:15:09.97
Moses spoke, and God
answered him by voice.
00:15:10.01\00:15:14.91
Then in Exodus 20, God
gave them the Ten Commandments.
00:15:14.94\00:15:18.08
Just think of how impressive
that scene had to have been.
00:15:18.11\00:15:22.48
Hebrews 12:21 says,
00:15:22.52\00:15:24.32
"And so terrible was
the sight, that Moses said,
00:15:24.35\00:15:27.86
'I exceedingly fear and quake.'"
00:15:27.89\00:15:30.66
The people said, "You
speak with us, and we will hear;
00:15:30.69\00:15:33.56
but let not God speak
with us, lest we die."
00:15:33.60\00:15:37.10
The Bible says, "The
people stood afar off,
00:15:37.13\00:15:40.24
but Moses drew near the
thick darkness where God was."
00:15:40.27\00:15:44.57
God gave judgments to the
people, comprehensive judgments
00:15:44.61\00:15:47.98
that would guide their lives and
keep them in the path of God.
00:15:48.01\00:15:51.78
Moses went up into the mountain
into the presence of God.
00:15:51.81\00:15:55.15
But Moses was in that
mountain with God for a while,
00:15:55.18\00:15:58.42
and it was during that
time that...things went bad.
00:15:58.45\00:16:03.09
Remember what they'd said?
00:16:03.12\00:16:04.63
"All that the Lord
has spoken we will do."
00:16:04.66\00:16:07.66
They were sincere.
00:16:07.73\00:16:09.36
They had resolved, they'd
made a resolution to serve God.
00:16:09.40\00:16:14.70
And now we read
this, Exodus 32, verse 1:
00:16:14.74\00:16:19.34
"Now when the people saw
that Moses delayed coming down
00:16:19.37\00:16:22.71
"from the mountain, the people
gathered together to Aaron,
00:16:22.74\00:16:26.05
"and said to him, 'Come, make
us gods that shall go before us;
00:16:26.08\00:16:30.75
"'for as for this Moses,
the man who brought us up
00:16:30.79\00:16:33.79
"'out of the land of Egypt,
00:16:33.82\00:16:35.22
"we do not know
what has become of him.'
00:16:35.26\00:16:37.56
"And Aaron said to them,
'Break off the golden earrings
00:16:37.59\00:16:40.73
"'which are in the ears
of your wives, your sons,
00:16:40.76\00:16:43.06
"and your daughters,
and bring them to me.'
00:16:43.10\00:16:45.87
"So all the people
broke off the golden earrings
00:16:45.90\00:16:48.04
"which were in their
ears, and brought them to Aaron.
00:16:48.07\00:16:50.91
"And he received the
gold from their hand,
00:16:50.94\00:16:53.24
"and he fashioned it
with an engraving tool,
00:16:53.27\00:16:55.21
"and made a molded calf.
00:16:55.24\00:16:57.28
"Then they said,
'This is your god, O Israel,
00:16:57.31\00:17:00.72
that brought you [up]
out of the land of Egypt!'"
00:17:00.75\00:17:03.08
The same people who said that
they would do whatever God asked
00:17:03.82\00:17:08.42
had just made a golden calf.
00:17:08.46\00:17:11.96
And they worshiped it--naked.
00:17:11.99\00:17:15.33
So what happened to "everything
the Lord says we will do"?
00:17:15.36\00:17:20.30
I'll be right back.
00:17:20.34\00:17:21.90
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:17:21.94\00:17:28.44
>>John: I would love for
you to get today's free offer.
00:17:31.35\00:17:34.22
Call now 800-253-3000
00:17:34.25\00:17:37.65
and get "Choice" from our
CREATION Life study series.
00:17:37.69\00:17:41.82
How can your choices be
connected to the will of God
00:17:41.86\00:17:44.83
for your life?
00:17:44.86\00:17:45.99
Let your choices and God's
choices be on the same page.
00:17:46.03\00:17:49.70
800-253-3000.
00:17:49.73\00:17:51.70
Online: iiwoffer.com.
00:17:51.73\00:17:54.97
800-253-3000,
00:17:55.00\00:17:57.44
today's free offer, "Choice."
00:17:57.47\00:18:00.31
¤[soft instrumental music]¤
00:18:01.51\00:18:02.64
>>John: While you're
familiar with the It Is Written
00:18:02.68\00:18:04.08
television program, I
want to invite you on a journey
00:18:04.11\00:18:07.88
to understand more about
what It Is Written is doing
00:18:07.92\00:18:10.72
to take the gospel of
Jesus Christ to the world.
00:18:10.75\00:18:13.59
We're going to visit
India, Mongolia, Guatemala,
00:18:13.62\00:18:17.26
Moldova, Zimbabwe,
the Philippines, and more,
00:18:17.29\00:18:20.66
work made possible by
It Is Written missions.
00:18:20.70\00:18:25.20
It Is Written
mission teams regularly visit
00:18:25.23\00:18:28.30
parts of the world where
the need for Jesus is great.
00:18:28.34\00:18:32.14
It might sometimes
seem like a hopeless task,
00:18:32.17\00:18:35.14
a mission impossible.
00:18:35.18\00:18:37.11
Except that it
isn't. It cannot be.
00:18:37.15\00:18:39.81
This is mission
possible because Jesus said,
00:18:39.85\00:18:43.72
"This gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached
00:18:43.75\00:18:45.89
in all the world."
00:18:45.92\00:18:47.56
If you can't go there yourself,
00:18:47.59\00:18:49.56
you can be there
with It Is Written:
00:18:49.59\00:18:53.80
"Mission Possible."
00:18:53.83\00:18:55.40
Watch now on itiswritten.tv.
00:18:55.43\00:18:59.27
>>John Bradshaw: One day the
children of Israel assured God
00:19:02.87\00:19:05.41
that they would
do whatever He said.
00:19:05.44\00:19:07.91
A few short weeks later,
they've built a golden calf.
00:19:07.94\00:19:12.35
"So when Aaron saw it,
he built an altar before it.
00:19:12.38\00:19:16.02
"And Aaron made a proclamation
and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast
00:19:16.05\00:19:19.49
"to the Lord.' Then they
rose early on the next day,
00:19:19.52\00:19:22.66
"offered burnt offerings,
and brought peace offerings;
00:19:22.69\00:19:26.06
and the people sat down to eat
and drink, and rose up to play."
00:19:26.09\00:19:30.47
This was idolatry, the kind of
thing they'd witnessed in Egypt.
00:19:30.50\00:19:35.17
Their good
intentions just all fell apart.
00:19:35.20\00:19:38.91
They had heard God say,
00:19:38.94\00:19:40.81
"You shall have no
other gods before me,"
00:19:40.84\00:19:43.35
and yet here they are.
00:19:43.38\00:19:44.65
God said to Moses,
"Let me alone, that my wrath
00:19:44.68\00:19:48.18
may burn hot against
them and I may consume them."
00:19:48.22\00:19:51.05
In fact, God referred
to them as "your people"
00:19:51.09\00:19:54.26
when He spoke to Moses.
00:19:54.29\00:19:55.76
So Moses
interceded for the people,
00:19:55.79\00:19:58.23
and God was merciful.
00:19:58.26\00:20:00.70
Now, you might look at that
and ask yourself how a group
00:20:00.73\00:20:03.73
of believers could see and hear
and experience all that they did
00:20:03.77\00:20:09.20
and then revert backwards
so quickly, so, so radically,
00:20:09.24\00:20:13.24
so destructively,
back to their old ways.
00:20:13.27\00:20:17.05
The key is found in how
they approached God's call
00:20:17.08\00:20:19.48
on their lives.
00:20:19.51\00:20:20.75
And my guess is
you can relate to this.
00:20:20.78\00:20:23.55
This is the promise
you should never make:
00:20:23.59\00:20:27.72
"All that the Lord
has spoken we will do."
00:20:27.76\00:20:32.76
No. That just doesn't work.
00:20:32.79\00:20:38.53
You've tried to hold your
temper, and you've failed.
00:20:38.57\00:20:40.94
You've tried not to do
this thing or that thing,
00:20:40.97\00:20:43.10
and you've failed.
00:20:43.14\00:20:44.01
You've tried to
be more like Jesus,
00:20:44.04\00:20:45.71
and you've failed.
00:20:45.74\00:20:47.18
And that's because when
you think for even a moment
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.58
that you can do it,
you're bound for disaster.
00:20:50.61\00:20:53.95
It's the same with
New Year's resolutions.
00:20:53.98\00:20:55.98
If you think that you have
the strength to give up smoking
00:20:56.02\00:20:58.89
or lose weight or stick
with a Bible reading plan
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.66
or whatever it might
be, well, there's a chance
00:21:01.69\00:21:05.43
you might be able
to do it on willpower,
00:21:05.46\00:21:07.76
but more than likely,
00:21:07.76\00:21:08.80
in fact, almost
certainly, you won't.
00:21:08.83\00:21:12.83
But let's talk
about what really matters.
00:21:13.77\00:21:16.37
What about how you treat people?
00:21:16.40\00:21:19.01
What about how you react
to the way people treat you?
00:21:19.04\00:21:22.28
What about the words you use?
00:21:22.31\00:21:25.11
What about the
thoughts you think?
00:21:25.15\00:21:28.75
I'll share a verse
of the Bible with you
00:21:28.78\00:21:30.59
that will make some
people quake in their boots.
00:21:30.62\00:21:34.19
Paul wrote these words:
00:21:34.22\00:21:35.82
"Casting down
arguments and every high thing
00:21:35.86\00:21:38.79
"that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,
00:21:38.83\00:21:41.93
"bringing every
thought into captivity
00:21:41.96\00:21:45.53
to the obedience of Christ."
00:21:45.57\00:21:47.87
That's 2
Corinthians 10 in verse 5.
00:21:47.90\00:21:50.57
That seems like a lot.
00:21:50.61\00:21:55.04
And it seems, quite
honestly, impossible.
00:21:55.08\00:21:58.05
But unlike a New
Year's resolution,
00:21:58.08\00:22:01.28
faith in God isn't
about what you can do.
00:22:01.32\00:22:04.95
It's about what God
can do in your life.
00:22:04.99\00:22:07.49
Faith in God is faith in God.
00:22:07.52\00:22:11.39
Too many people make
it faith in themselves,
00:22:11.43\00:22:14.73
and that can only fail.
00:22:14.76\00:22:17.07
It can't possibly succeed.
00:22:17.10\00:22:19.47
Now, look at what Paul
wrote just before that:
00:22:19.50\00:22:22.17
"For though we
walk in the flesh,
00:22:22.20\00:22:24.37
"we do not war
according to the flesh.
00:22:24.41\00:22:27.01
"For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal
00:22:27.04\00:22:30.51
but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds."
00:22:30.55\00:22:34.82
So this is about what
God wants to do in us,
00:22:34.85\00:22:38.39
not what we can do
in our own strength.
00:22:38.42\00:22:42.09
God said back in Leviticus,
00:22:42.12\00:22:44.09
"You shall be
holy; for I am holy."
00:22:44.13\00:22:47.96
And Peter quoted that
verse in 1 Peter 1:16,
00:22:47.96\00:22:51.30
"Because it is written,
'Be holy, for I am holy.'"
00:22:51.33\00:22:55.57
Who can do that?
00:22:55.60\00:22:57.51
So when you say to God, "Okay,
I'll do better; I'll obey;
00:22:57.54\00:23:01.44
I'll get it right; I
won't do that anymore,"
00:23:01.48\00:23:04.61
you know what you're doing:
00:23:04.65\00:23:05.88
You're setting
yourself up to fail,
00:23:05.91\00:23:08.25
because you failed to
realize that faith in God
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.25
is not what you can do for God,
00:23:10.29\00:23:12.65
but it's about
what God can do in you.
00:23:12.69\00:23:15.46
God gives the Holy
Spirit so the presence of Jesus
00:23:15.49\00:23:18.26
can come into your life.
00:23:18.29\00:23:20.46
This is what all those New
Testament promises are about.
00:23:20.50\00:23:23.40
"Being confident
of this very thing,
00:23:23.43\00:23:25.63
"that He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it
00:23:25.67\00:23:28.67
until the day of Jesus Christ."
00:23:28.70\00:23:30.57
That's Philippians 1, verse 6.
00:23:30.61\00:23:32.54
Look at Galatians 2:20.
00:23:32.57\00:23:34.44
"I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live;
00:23:34.48\00:23:37.78
"yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me:
00:23:37.81\00:23:41.95
"and the life which
I now live in the flesh
00:23:41.98\00:23:44.15
"I live by the
faith of the Son of God,
00:23:44.19\00:23:46.35
who loved me, and
gave Himself for me."
00:23:46.39\00:23:49.59
You see that?
00:23:49.62\00:23:50.79
God doesn't ask us
to make Him promises.
00:23:50.83\00:23:54.46
We're simply called
to believe the promises
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.37
that He makes to us.
00:23:57.40\00:23:58.93
We learn from Exodus 19 that
promises to God of that nature
00:23:59.77\00:24:04.41
are simply doomed to fail.
00:24:04.44\00:24:06.57
But when we learn to surrender
to the presence of Jesus
00:24:06.61\00:24:08.98
in our lives, to welcome
the Holy Spirit into our lives,
00:24:09.01\00:24:12.88
then you've got the same power
who called light out of darkness
00:24:12.91\00:24:17.32
working in your life.
00:24:17.35\00:24:19.22
And now your New Year's
resolutions aren't so big
00:24:19.25\00:24:22.46
that they
cannot be accomplished.
00:24:22.49\00:24:24.13
You were going to quit coffee.
00:24:24.16\00:24:25.46
Well, if you've got the
person living His life in you
00:24:25.49\00:24:28.43
who brought water out of a
rock, who opened up the Red Sea,
00:24:28.46\00:24:32.30
who calmed a storm, then you've
got more than enough power
00:24:32.33\00:24:36.37
in your life to give you success
in your daily spiritual battles.
00:24:36.40\00:24:40.98
It's a matter of
connecting with that power.
00:24:41.01\00:24:44.38
Workers dredging a
harbor in September of 2019
00:24:44.41\00:24:48.42
in the northwest of Poland
found a massive unexploded bomb.
00:24:48.45\00:24:53.02
It was a "Tallboy,"
an "earthquake" bomb
00:24:53.05\00:24:56.16
weighing six tons, dropped
by the Royal Air Force in a raid
00:24:56.19\00:25:00.63
that sank a German
cruiser, the Lützow.
00:25:00.66\00:25:03.63
For 75 years all that
power had sat on a harbor floor,
00:25:03.67\00:25:09.40
which of course
was a good thing.
00:25:09.44\00:25:11.17
When it was
detonated in October 2020,
00:25:11.21\00:25:13.88
the explosion was impressive.
00:25:13.91\00:25:17.21
You know, many people have
in their living room or bedroom
00:25:17.25\00:25:21.88
or on their phone
something far more powerful
00:25:21.92\00:25:25.75
than a Tallboy bomb.
00:25:25.79\00:25:28.02
The Bible is the Word of God.
00:25:28.06\00:25:30.76
Hebrews says it "is
quick, and powerful,
00:25:30.79\00:25:33.66
and sharper than
any two-edged sword."
00:25:33.70\00:25:36.56
Unleash the power
of God in your life
00:25:36.60\00:25:39.70
and you'll meet with
success, not failure,
00:25:39.73\00:25:42.30
as you grow in your faith,
00:25:42.34\00:25:44.71
as God's power becomes
the foundation of your life.
00:25:44.74\00:25:48.74
You'll experience a
New Year's revolution
00:25:48.78\00:25:51.28
as God's power takes you
places that you've never been
00:25:51.31\00:25:54.62
and allows you
victories and successes
00:25:54.65\00:25:57.02
that you've
never thought possible.
00:25:57.05\00:25:58.85
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:59.69\00:26:01.66
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:01.69\00:26:05.06
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:05.09\00:26:08.30
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:08.33\00:26:12.50
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:12.53\00:26:14.00
to the address on your screen,
00:26:14.04\00:26:15.44
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:15.47\00:26:19.27
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:19.31\00:26:22.18
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:22.21\00:26:26.41
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:26.45\00:26:29.45
>>John Bradshaw: Let's
pray together, shall we?
00:26:30.72\00:26:31.95
Let's pray that God would give
us the victories that we need,
00:26:31.99\00:26:35.76
that God in this New Year
would lead us to rely on Him
00:26:35.79\00:26:39.69
and trust in His
power in our lives,
00:26:39.73\00:26:41.80
rather than
trusting in our own power,
00:26:41.83\00:26:44.23
which just
doesn't get us far at all.
00:26:44.27\00:26:47.87
Come on, let's pray and believe
that God will work wonderfully
00:26:47.90\00:26:51.27
in our lives. Let's pray.
00:26:51.31\00:26:52.81
Our Father in heaven, we thank
You that in spite of the fact
00:26:52.84\00:26:56.31
that our resolutions
are like "ropes of sand,"
00:26:56.34\00:27:00.48
Your promises
are certain and sure,
00:27:00.52\00:27:04.15
and that Your power
and presence in our lives
00:27:04.19\00:27:07.62
is exactly and all that we need.
00:27:07.66\00:27:11.06
So in this New
Year, turn us to Yourself,
00:27:11.09\00:27:14.30
give us grace to lean
on You, to trust in You,
00:27:14.36\00:27:17.20
to expect You to do in our lives
00:27:17.23\00:27:20.14
what we could
never do ourselves.
00:27:20.17\00:27:22.60
Friend, are you
willing to ask God right now,
00:27:22.64\00:27:24.64
"Take my heart;
make it Your fortress;
00:27:24.67\00:27:28.01
defend me; give
me Your strength"?
00:27:28.04\00:27:30.98
Would you pray that prayer?
00:27:31.01\00:27:32.05
Lord, hear the
prayer of our hearts,
00:27:32.08\00:27:34.68
and we thank You for
doing what for us is impossible.
00:27:34.72\00:27:37.95
And we pray in Jesus' name,
00:27:37.99\00:27:40.22
amen.
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.46
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:41.49\00:27:42.69
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:42.72\00:27:44.29
Until then, remember:
00:27:44.33\00:27:46.49
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:46.53\00:27:50.70
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:50.73\00:27:54.57
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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