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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Some things take time.
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That pie you put in the oven?
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That's going to take
30-40 minutes to bake.
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No matter what you do, you need
to give it half an hour or so
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or it's not going to
be what you want it to be.
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There's a process
you have to follow.
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You make the pie, you put
it in a hot oven, and you wait.
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These things take
time. There's a process.
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You hurt your knee;
you have to have surgery.
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The doctor tells you it's
going to be six months to a year
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before you can
get back to normal.
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You might be jogging in
nine months, say, maybe six.
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But you're not going to
be running six or eight weeks
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after damaging your ACL.
That's just not going to happen.
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You wish it would, but it won't.
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These things take
time. There's a process.
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The married couple
who want to have a baby
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know how long they'll
have to wait after conception.
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Since the dawn of time,
this has taken nine months.
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And wishing that
process could be sped up
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won't change a single thing.
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These things take
time. There's a process.
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Now, Jesus said the same
thing about spiritual growth.
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And understanding that is
critical in a life of faith.
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Look with me at Mark
4, starting in verse 26.
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He said, "The kingdom of God is
as if a man should scatter seed
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"on the ground, and should
sleep by night and rise by day,
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"and the seed
should sprout and grow,
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"he himself does not know how.
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"For the earth yields crops
by itself: first the blade,
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"then the head, [and] after
that the full grain in the head.
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"But when the grain
ripens, immediately he puts in
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the sickle, because
the harvest has come."
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Jesus is talking
about spiritual growth,
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and He describes that process.
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A man sows seed.
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The kingdom of heaven
getting into you and becoming
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more and more a part of
you and transforming you
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is like seed being
planted in the ground.
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Now, every year my
wife and I grow a garden.
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It's not going
to win any prizes.
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Sometimes "garden" might be
too grand a word, to be honest.
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We're going to get some tomatoes
planted, a few other things.
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We'll have sunflowers,
just because we love them.
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And we'll get some seeds in the
ground in little starter pots,
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and then we...wait.
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The seed packet will typically
tell you: 30 days to harvest,
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60 days to
harvest, 90 days to harvest.
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And there are times
along the way that you have
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to remind yourself that,
yes, one day these little things
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will actually end up
on your dinner table.
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But you cannot
speed up the process.
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A tomato's probably going
to take you from 60-100 days.
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Jalapeņos will be about 80 days.
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You're not going to change that.
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Now, radishes you'll get
in 20-25 days, but eggplant,
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more likely 120, maybe longer.
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It'll depend a little
bit on where you live,
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but what we know is
that these things take time.
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There's a process.
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In the Bible, Jesus
spoke a lot about seeds.
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And wanting to find
out more about seeds,
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I came to southern Missouri,
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incidentally
about 10 minutes or so
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from where Laura Ingalls
Wilder and her husband, Almanzo,
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lived for 60 years after
moving here from South Dakota.
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I wondered if I
could get some insights
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into the little
miracles that are seeds.
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All right, Weston, so
tell me something interesting
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about seeds that
most of us don't know.
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>>Weston Adams: A lot of
people don't know that a coconut
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is a seed. >>John: It's a seed?
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>>Weston: It's one big seed.
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Another thing that people
don't know is that some seeds
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actually have, um,
they measure temperature,
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and they won't germinate
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until they've had a
period of cold weather
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because that seed wants to know
that it's going through winter
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before it will sprout.
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>>John: Do you notice
much variation between seeds?
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Perhaps the question's obvious.
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This seed will
function this way;
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that seed will
function that way.
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They're not all
exactly the same.
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>>Weston: No, they're not.
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>>John: My question,
I suppose, really is,
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they've been
programmed differently, right?
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>>Weston: Yes, very different
genes, very different, um,
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product when you
grow-- you know, you get this
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out of one seed; you get
this out of another seed--
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huge variation.
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And even, even within cabbages
or even within this species,
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you'll have large seeds; you'll
have small seeds; you'll have,
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you'll have red cabbages;
you'll have pointed ones;
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you'll have round
ones; you'll have flat ones.
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It's all in the, the genes
that are locked in that seed
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ready to, ready to burst out.
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>>John: So, this cabbage,
it's a magnificent thing.
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What did it start off as?
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>>Weston: This cabbage
started this past late fall
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as one of these.
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This is the seed
that actually grows
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this specific
variety of cabbage.
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>>John: So that
little thing there,
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one of those tiny
seeds-- >>Weston: Yup.
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>>John: ...grows
into that? >>Weston: Yup.
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>>John: All itself
produces more seeds--
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>>Weston: Correct.
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>>John: ...starts like a seed
in the ground, and grows up--
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it's a great
object lesson, isn't it?
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>>Weston: It is. You
know, we were talking about
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how you can't
speed up the process,
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but you can delay the process.
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If you don't give
the right conditions,
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this isn't going
to turn into this,
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or it's going to
take a lot longer.
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>>John: There's a process.
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Jesus said, "For the
earth yields crops by itself:
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"first the blade, then the head,
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"after that the
full grain in the head.
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"But when the grain ripens,
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"immediately he
puts in the sickle,
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because the harvest has come."
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And it's that process that
causes some people to stumble--
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two ways. One, you get
some people who feel like
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all they have to
do is come to Jesus,
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and that's kind of everything.
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But that's not
kind of everything,
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because Jesus wants to
prepare you for the harvest.
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He wants you to grow and become
the most complete reflection
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of Jesus that heaven
can transform you into.
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Now, the other person
who stumbles is the person
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who feels like they're
not good enough for heaven
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and they never will be.
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Now, I'm going to shock you.
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There's some
truth in that statement,
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in fact, a lot of truth.
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We'll look at it
together in just a moment.
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¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
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Did you ever meet
someone who thought
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they could never be
good enough for eternal life?
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You might have been
one of those people.
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You might still be one.
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If that's the case, then
this is a divine appointment.
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Notice what Jesus
said in Mark, chapter 4.
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He compared the
kingdom of heaven,
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the work of God's saving
grace, to a man planting seeds.
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Somehow--the man doesn't
know how--the seed grows.
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Jesus said, "The earth
yields crops by itself:
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first the blade [appears]"--
a little ribbon of green
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that pokes its head
up out of the ground.
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At first you can
hardly see it, then it grows,
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and the head of grain appears.
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Then the fully formed grain
is in the head of the plant,
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and then it goes on to ripen
and is ready for the harvest.
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And Jesus said
this is an illustration
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of how the kingdom of
heaven works in a life.
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So here's what
you've got to know,
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and you can learn
this from horticulture.
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When you plant a seed in
the ground, what happens?
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Well, usually what
happens is completely invisible
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to the eye, but
something is happening,
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something transformational.
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Now, let's apply this to
somebody's life--maybe yours.
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You come to faith in Jesus,
and you're expecting what?
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Well, you have the
absolute assurance of salvation
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through Jesus because
of what He did for you
00:09:03.94\00:09:06.47
when He died on the
cross for your sins.
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You can have
peace in your heart.
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But when you come to
Jesus and you start to grow,
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what was it Jesus
said? "First the blade."
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It's believed that the
largest tree in the entire world
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right now, by volume,
is the General Sherman,
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a giant sequoia growing
in Sequoia National Park
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in California, just 25
miles or so, as the crow flies,
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from Mount Whitney, the tallest
mountain in the lower 48.
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The General
Sherman is 275 feet tall,
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three-quarters of the
length of a football field.
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It's 36 feet across at the base.
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The General Sherman has a volume
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of 52,500 cubic feet.
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By comparison, an 80-feet tall
spruce tree is going to have
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a volume of around 100 feet.
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The General Sherman is gigantic.
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It's also 2,500
years old or maybe older.
00:10:06.60\00:10:12.34
It was growing when
Jesus was on the earth.
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It may have been growing
when Nebuchadnezzar invaded
00:10:15.74\00:10:18.65
Jerusalem and took
Daniel captive in 605 BC.
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It's really big,
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but it's been
growing a long time.
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They say the
tallest tree in the world
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is a tree called Hyperion,
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growing somewhere in
Redwood National Park
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in northeastern California.
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At 380 feet tall, it's
taller than the tallest building
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in Amarillo, Texas,
and that's 31 stories.
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This is a really tall tree.
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And...it's 800 years old.
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See, growth takes time.
00:10:52.98\00:10:56.52
Both of those trees
started really small
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but just kept growing.
00:11:00.79\00:11:03.46
And that's what you're to do.
00:11:03.49\00:11:04.83
I don't know where you are as a
tree or maybe as a wheat plant.
00:11:04.86\00:11:08.10
Maybe you're the blade,
the ear, something else.
00:11:08.13\00:11:11.00
But that's not
what's most important.
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What's most important is
that you keep on growing.
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Now, there are
several things you want to do
00:11:18.91\00:11:20.28
to ensure that
you grow spiritually.
00:11:20.31\00:11:22.88
First, put down
roots into the Word of God.
00:11:22.91\00:11:26.51
God's Word is alive, and
if you get it into your mind,
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if you get it into your heart,
it'll not only change you,
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but it will go on changing you.
00:11:34.69\00:11:37.33
Trying to live a
genuine Christian life
00:11:37.36\00:11:39.43
without reading the Bible
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is like trying to
make water run uphill.
00:11:40.93\00:11:44.30
You just can't do it.
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You've got to get the
Word of God into your mind.
00:11:45.67\00:11:48.50
Read it. Memorize it.
00:11:48.54\00:11:50.51
Read it some
more-- and believe it.
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Put a seed in the
ground, and it'll grow.
00:11:52.97\00:11:55.71
Immerse yourself in the
Word of God, and you'll grow.
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No, you won't
become Enoch overnight,
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but you'll be saved in
Christ, and you'll grow.
00:12:01.25\00:12:04.72
Now, some people are
frustrated by the fact
00:12:04.75\00:12:06.59
that they make the
same spiritual mistakes
00:12:06.62\00:12:08.79
over and over again.
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.56
Yes, that can be frustrating,
00:12:10.59\00:12:12.59
but here's what
you're going to do.
00:12:12.63\00:12:13.93
You're going to
read the promises of God
00:12:13.96\00:12:16.23
and bring them to
Jesus and claim them.
00:12:16.26\00:12:20.40
Peter wrote this,
2 Peter 1, verse 4:
00:12:20.44\00:12:23.61
"By which have been given to us
00:12:23.64\00:12:25.11
"exceeding great
and precious promises,
00:12:25.14\00:12:28.28
"that through these you may be
partakers of the divine nature,
00:12:28.31\00:12:32.65
"having escaped the corruption
00:12:32.68\00:12:34.55
that is in the
world through lust."
00:12:34.58\00:12:36.82
And keep in mind,
this was written by a man
00:12:36.85\00:12:39.75
who had failed
Jesus spectacularly.
00:12:39.79\00:12:43.06
So, you have an anger problem?
00:12:43.09\00:12:45.56
You find a promise or
a principle in the Bible
00:12:45.59\00:12:47.66
that deals with that,
00:12:47.66\00:12:49.30
and you bring it to
God, and you claim it.
00:12:49.33\00:12:52.30
Start with Proverbs 15, verse 1:
00:12:52.33\00:12:54.77
"A soft answer turns away wrath,
00:12:54.80\00:12:57.71
but a harsh
word stirs up anger."
00:12:57.74\00:13:01.21
You tell God you
want that promise,
00:13:01.24\00:13:03.31
that principle
carried out in your life.
00:13:03.35\00:13:06.58
Tell God you're tired
of losing your temper.
00:13:06.61\00:13:09.05
Tell Him you don't want to.
00:13:09.08\00:13:10.29
Tell Him that in your humanity
you are too weak to change,
00:13:10.32\00:13:14.59
and tell Him you
expect to see Proverbs 15:1
00:13:14.62\00:13:19.06
play out in your experience.
00:13:19.09\00:13:20.90
And bring it to
Him again and again.
00:13:20.93\00:13:23.73
You are planting
seeds when you do that,
00:13:23.77\00:13:26.23
and you're
preparing for the harvest.
00:13:26.27\00:13:28.77
Or you could bring to
God Ephesians 4:31 and 32--
00:13:28.80\00:13:32.57
"Let all bitterness, wrath,
anger, clamor, and evil speaking
00:13:32.61\00:13:36.81
"be put away from
you, with all malice.
00:13:36.85\00:13:39.95
"And be kind to one
another, tenderhearted,
00:13:39.98\00:13:42.92
forgiving one another, even
as God in Christ forgave you."
00:13:42.95\00:13:47.96
Tell God you're willing for
that to be done in your life.
00:13:47.99\00:13:51.86
James 1, verse 20:
00:13:51.89\00:13:53.23
"For the wrath of man
00:13:53.26\00:13:54.60
does not produce the
righteousness of God."
00:13:54.63\00:13:57.70
Same again.
00:13:57.73\00:13:58.63
"Lord, I see that; I want that.
00:13:58.67\00:14:01.00
Through Your presence in my
life I believe I have that."
00:14:01.04\00:14:06.41
Now, you're weak?
Philippians 4:13 is for you:
00:14:06.44\00:14:09.88
"I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me."
00:14:09.91\00:14:13.11
You're struggling
to hold it together?
00:14:13.15\00:14:15.52
Isaiah 40, verse 31:
00:14:15.55\00:14:17.82
"But they that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength;
00:14:17.85\00:14:21.62
"they shall mount up
with wings as eagles;
00:14:21.66\00:14:24.73
"they shall run,
and not be weary;
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.50
and they shall
walk, and not faint."
00:14:27.56\00:14:30.53
You are planting seeds
and preparing for the harvest.
00:14:30.57\00:14:34.87
You're bringing God His
Word and telling Him you believe
00:14:34.90\00:14:38.24
there's power in His Word
to do what it says it can do
00:14:38.27\00:14:41.11
and that you're expecting to see
00:14:41.14\00:14:43.04
that power
unleashed in your life.
00:14:43.08\00:14:46.08
And now you're going
to start getting over
00:14:46.11\00:14:47.52
some of those humps in
your Christian experience.
00:14:47.55\00:14:50.92
This idea, "I'm
not good enough,"
00:14:50.95\00:14:54.22
the fact is that's true; no
one is good enough, only Jesus,
00:14:54.26\00:15:00.40
which is why you
claim Him as your Savior
00:15:00.43\00:15:03.50
and believe in His goodness.
00:15:03.53\00:15:05.53
You do that
every day, every day.
00:15:05.57\00:15:09.00
Christ is your righteousness.
00:15:09.04\00:15:11.94
Believe that, and
you'll never be the same again.
00:15:11.97\00:15:16.81
And if the devil
ever tells you again
00:15:16.85\00:15:18.71
that you're not good enough,
00:15:18.75\00:15:20.62
just ignore him and thank
God for the gift of Jesus.
00:15:20.65\00:15:26.09
You don't want
to be good enough.
00:15:26.12\00:15:28.22
You want to be a Christian,
00:15:28.26\00:15:30.36
trusting in Jesus to
live His life in you.
00:15:30.39\00:15:34.60
Look at these two verses.
00:15:34.63\00:15:35.60
They are life changing.
00:15:35.63\00:15:38.00
First, Galatians 2 in verse 20:
00:15:38.03\00:15:40.80
"I have been
crucified with Christ;
00:15:40.84\00:15:42.80
"it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me;
00:15:42.84\00:15:47.14
"and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith
00:15:47.18\00:15:50.31
in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself for me."
00:15:50.35\00:15:54.42
You see that?
00:15:54.45\00:15:55.82
Jesus lives in you, and
you live by faith in Him.
00:15:55.85\00:16:01.39
And Philippians 2:13,
00:16:01.42\00:16:03.12
"It is God who works in you
00:16:03.16\00:16:05.09
both to will and to do
for His good pleasure."
00:16:05.13\00:16:09.06
There it is again:
00:16:09.10\00:16:10.50
Jesus works in you to
do His will in your life.
00:16:10.53\00:16:16.40
So what else can you do
00:16:16.44\00:16:17.34
to ensure your
continued spiritual growth?
00:16:17.37\00:16:20.31
We are going to be practical.
You don't want to miss it.
00:16:20.34\00:16:25.81
I'll be right back.
00:16:25.85\00:16:26.82
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:16:26.85\00:16:33.86
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:16:35.92\00:16:37.86
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:16:37.89\00:16:41.26
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:16:41.30\00:16:44.50
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:16:44.53\00:16:48.77
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:16:48.80\00:16:50.24
to the address on your screen,
00:16:50.27\00:16:51.71
or you can visit
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:51.74\00:16:55.54
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:16:55.58\00:16:58.38
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:16:58.41\00:17:02.55
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:02.58\00:17:05.59
¤[ominous music]¤ [wind blowing]
00:17:06.62\00:17:07.59
>>John: The
ground shook. [rumbling]
00:17:07.62\00:17:10.73
Lightning
flashed. [thunder crashes]
00:17:10.76\00:17:14.46
There was
thunder. [thunder booms]
00:17:14.50\00:17:18.47
God gave His Ten Commandments,
writing them on stone,
00:17:18.50\00:17:22.70
delivering them to Moses
to take down from the mountain
00:17:22.74\00:17:26.01
to the people.
00:17:26.04\00:17:27.24
¤[music continues]¤
00:17:27.28\00:17:28.51
Are those Ten Commandments still
valid and relevant for us today?
00:17:28.54\00:17:34.05
Join me for "Great
Chapters of the Bible,"
00:17:34.08\00:17:36.82
our ongoing series
on "It Is Written,"
00:17:36.85\00:17:39.35
as we look at another
great chapter of the Bible,
00:17:39.39\00:17:42.79
Exodus, chapter 20,
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.53
written long ago, but is
it relevant for us today?
00:17:44.56\00:17:48.00
And if Exodus, chapter 20 is
relevant for you and me today,
00:17:48.03\00:17:51.30
how does God want
it to impact our lives?
00:17:51.33\00:17:54.40
We'll dig deep.
00:17:54.44\00:17:55.64
"Exodus [Chapter] 20," another
great chapter of the Bible,
00:17:55.67\00:18:00.31
don't miss it, brought
to you by It Is Written.
00:18:00.34\00:18:03.65
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:18:03.68\00:18:04.68
>>John: You know
that at It Is Written
00:18:07.08\00:18:08.82
we are serious about the
study of the Word of God.
00:18:08.85\00:18:12.02
And we encourage you to be
serious about God's Word also.
00:18:12.05\00:18:16.32
Well, I want to
share with you another way
00:18:16.36\00:18:18.39
that you can dig
deeper into the Word of God,
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.16
and here it is:
itiswritten.study.
00:18:21.20\00:18:26.00
Go online to itiswritten.study,
and you can access
00:18:26.03\00:18:30.21
the It Is Written
Bible Study Guides,
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.38
25 in-depth Bible studies that
will walk you through the Bible.
00:18:33.41\00:18:38.38
It's going to be good for
you, and it's the sort of thing
00:18:38.41\00:18:41.32
that you will want to
tell somebody else about
00:18:41.35\00:18:44.65
so that they can dig
deeper into the Word of God
00:18:44.69\00:18:47.46
and come to know the
things of the Bible intimately.
00:18:47.49\00:18:51.23
As you get into
the It Is Written
00:18:51.26\00:18:52.66
online Bible study guides,
00:18:52.69\00:18:54.56
you'll understand the
prophecies of the Bible,
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.53
the plan of salvation, and more.
00:18:56.56\00:18:58.77
So don't forget:
itiswritten.study,
00:18:58.80\00:19:02.04
itiswritten.study.
00:19:02.07\00:19:04.07
¤[reflective music]¤
00:19:05.41\00:19:09.41
>>John: If you want to grow
spiritually, you read the Bible.
00:19:12.75\00:19:16.32
You get the Word of
God into your heart.
00:19:16.35\00:19:18.89
As David wrote in Psalm 119,
00:19:18.92\00:19:21.42
"Your Word [have
I] hidden in my heart,
00:19:21.46\00:19:24.23
that I might not
sin against You."
00:19:24.26\00:19:26.33
There is power in God's Word to
keep you from falling into sin.
00:19:26.36\00:19:30.80
But it can't keep you
if it's not within you.
00:19:30.83\00:19:33.94
You want to take time to pray,
spend time in God's presence,
00:19:33.97\00:19:38.31
surrender your life
to Him, connect with Him.
00:19:38.34\00:19:41.38
Do that, and
you're going to grow.
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.61
And remember that
while it's important
00:19:43.65\00:19:45.25
that you ask for things
in prayer, prayer is really
00:19:45.28\00:19:49.15
you and God coming into
harmony, joining as one.
00:19:49.18\00:19:53.39
It's a meeting of minds.
00:19:53.42\00:19:55.96
Let that be your
focus, and you'll grow.
00:19:55.99\00:19:58.63
If you're just
bringing God a shopping list
00:19:58.66\00:20:00.63
every time you pray,
you're missing something.
00:20:00.66\00:20:03.57
Far too many
people aren't praying.
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.83
Maybe it's because we live
in a drive-through, fast-food,
00:20:05.87\00:20:09.34
instant-everything world
00:20:09.37\00:20:10.87
that people figure they can
microwave their prayer life.
00:20:10.91\00:20:14.14
You really
cannot. Prayer takes time.
00:20:14.18\00:20:17.45
If you're going to pray a
one- or two-minute prayer,
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.91
you're going to be a
one- or two-minute Christian.
00:20:19.95\00:20:22.68
You're just stunting
your spiritual growth.
00:20:22.72\00:20:25.69
You've got so much
to talk to God about.
00:20:25.72\00:20:28.32
So, take as much
time as you reasonably can
00:20:28.36\00:20:31.66
and communicate with God.
00:20:31.69\00:20:34.50
Spend time in His presence.
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.90
Then your
spiritual life will take off
00:20:36.93\00:20:40.57
because you've begun
to pray like you should.
00:20:40.60\00:20:43.64
Since the pandemic,
00:20:43.67\00:20:45.21
more and more people are
staying away from church.
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.41
Now, if you
have to, you have to.
00:20:48.44\00:20:50.45
But if you don't have
to, you don't want to.
00:20:50.48\00:20:53.58
Attending church is an important
part of spiritual growth.
00:20:53.62\00:20:57.72
Now, if church for
you is just a show,
00:20:57.75\00:20:59.49
you enjoy a
performance by the musicians,
00:20:59.52\00:21:01.36
then another
performance by the preacher,
00:21:01.39\00:21:03.32
yeah, that's not healthy.
00:21:03.36\00:21:04.93
But if you're going to
worship God, to grow your faith,
00:21:04.96\00:21:08.66
to be part of a body of
believers that has a mission,
00:21:08.70\00:21:11.30
a purpose, if you're a
producer rather than a consumer,
00:21:11.33\00:21:15.34
you're going to
experience growth.
00:21:15.37\00:21:18.27
Sharing your faith is a
vital part of spiritual growth.
00:21:18.31\00:21:21.11
When you get involved in
service and in witnessing,
00:21:21.14\00:21:23.95
when your faith is
stretched a little, and when,
00:21:23.98\00:21:27.28
as a disciple of Jesus, you
look at making other disciples,
00:21:27.32\00:21:30.59
that's another important
aspect of spiritual growth.
00:21:30.62\00:21:34.86
Also, if you grow plants,
00:21:34.89\00:21:37.16
you know you've got to
protect them from pests.
00:21:37.19\00:21:40.73
Sometimes Bambi thinks
your garden is for her.
00:21:40.76\00:21:43.97
Groundhogs and raccoons and
rabbits and chipmunks and bears
00:21:44.00\00:21:47.70
will all come along
looking for what you're growing,
00:21:47.74\00:21:51.27
along with Japanese beetles
and moths and caterpillars
00:21:51.31\00:21:54.88
and hornworms.
00:21:54.91\00:21:56.78
It can be a
battlefield out there.
00:21:56.81\00:21:59.11
Same in your
spiritual life, there are pests.
00:21:59.15\00:22:03.72
Sometimes it's TV or the
internet or certain people
00:22:03.75\00:22:08.02
or any number of things.
00:22:08.06\00:22:10.23
You know the devil wants
to keep you from growing,
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.06
so he sends pests to distract
you and slow down your progress.
00:22:13.09\00:22:19.27
Guard against the pests.
00:22:19.30\00:22:22.54
There's another place
Jesus spoke about seeds.
00:22:22.57\00:22:25.11
It's John, chapter 12.
00:22:25.14\00:22:27.14
I had to ask
somebody about this.
00:22:27.18\00:22:29.71
>>Weston: So, a couple things,
uh, people often deal with
00:22:29.74\00:22:32.01
in their own garden is deer.
00:22:32.05\00:22:33.48
A lot of people
plant a beautiful garden,
00:22:33.52\00:22:35.48
and then one day, oh no!
00:22:35.52\00:22:37.12
You know, the
deer have wiped it out.
00:22:37.15\00:22:39.12
So, there are
things you can do for that.
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.36
Um, obviously staking a dog
[laughing] out by the garden
00:22:41.39\00:22:44.23
is a, is one good option.
00:22:44.26\00:22:46.23
Another option is you can
get lightweight deer netting
00:22:46.26\00:22:49.00
that, um, it's easy to put
up; it's easy to take down.
00:22:49.03\00:22:52.13
But the way it works is it's,
00:22:52.17\00:22:54.80
it's, since it's
almost see-through,
00:22:54.84\00:22:56.30
the deer can't really tell
where it starts and, and ends.
00:22:56.34\00:22:59.07
And so they walk up, and
they brush up against it,
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.28
and they're like, "Whoa,
whoa," and they'll jump back.
00:23:01.31\00:23:02.81
And even though it's
really fine, it actually,
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.98
it's pretty effective.
00:23:05.01\00:23:06.65
Another thing
people deal with is aphids.
00:23:06.68\00:23:09.25
And aphids are
something that can be helped
00:23:09.28\00:23:12.72
with beneficial insects,
00:23:12.75\00:23:14.92
like, in our greenhouses, works
really well in a greenhouse.
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.76
You've got a
closed-in environment.
00:23:17.79\00:23:19.39
We release
thousands of ladybugs.
00:23:19.43\00:23:22.10
And the ladybugs
feed on the aphids.
00:23:22.13\00:23:24.50
That helps to reduce
the aphid population.
00:23:24.53\00:23:27.27
And there are
other beneficials we use,
00:23:27.30\00:23:29.34
such as predatory wasps that,
that parasitize the aphids.
00:23:29.37\00:23:34.68
So all these things
work together to put pressure
00:23:34.71\00:23:39.41
on the diseases, put
pressure on the pests,
00:23:39.45\00:23:41.88
and hopefully
suppress them enough
00:23:41.92\00:23:43.75
that they don't cause an issue.
00:23:43.79\00:23:45.69
>>John: Which is consistent with
Jesus' teaching when He said,
00:23:45.72\00:23:48.89
"Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat
00:23:48.92\00:23:53.36
"falls into the ground
and dies, it remains alone;
00:23:53.40\00:23:57.67
but if it dies, it
produces much grain."
00:23:57.70\00:24:01.94
Now, where's He going with this?
00:24:01.97\00:24:03.91
"He who loves his
life will lose it,
00:24:03.94\00:24:07.24
"and he who hates
his life in this world
00:24:07.28\00:24:10.21
"will keep it for eternal life.
00:24:10.25\00:24:13.15
If anyone serves
me, let him follow me."
00:24:13.18\00:24:17.29
I wonder if we might
not be missing something
00:24:17.32\00:24:19.82
in our Christian experience.
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.89
The call to follow Jesus is
a call to something radical.
00:24:21.92\00:24:27.60
It's not some
kind of modification.
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.90
It's not a cultural shift.
00:24:29.93\00:24:32.47
A life of following Jesus is
described by Jesus as a death,
00:24:32.50\00:24:38.61
followed by living a
productive, growing life.
00:24:38.64\00:24:43.11
Takes nothing to carry a
Bible, call yourself a believer,
00:24:43.14\00:24:46.58
attend a church.
00:24:46.61\00:24:48.52
What Jesus is looking for is
someone who will stand for Him,
00:24:48.55\00:24:53.02
though the heavens fall,
someone who will be true,
00:24:53.05\00:24:57.09
no matter what the
world around them is doing.
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.83
It's easy to be
swept along by society.
00:25:00.86\00:25:04.50
And what we're
seeing in the world today
00:25:04.53\00:25:06.03
is preparing people to be caught
up in the last great deceptions
00:25:06.07\00:25:11.51
before Jesus returns.
00:25:11.54\00:25:13.01
I'm not talking about being
political. That's easy, too.
00:25:13.04\00:25:16.41
Jesus is talking
about being a Christian.
00:25:16.44\00:25:19.81
That's someone who
puts God first in their life
00:25:19.85\00:25:23.35
and in their lifestyle.
00:25:23.39\00:25:25.99
Jesus said, "He who
finds his life will lose it,
00:25:26.02\00:25:30.06
and he who loses his life
for my sake will find it."
00:25:30.09\00:25:34.03
He calls you to "love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:25:34.10\00:25:36.60
with all your soul,
and with all your mind."
00:25:36.63\00:25:39.87
If you'll let
Jesus have your heart,
00:25:39.90\00:25:42.97
if you'll let the old you die
00:25:43.00\00:25:45.74
and allow Jesus to
make you a new creation,
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.78
you'll
experience spiritual growth,
00:25:48.81\00:25:52.11
and you won't stop growing.
00:25:52.15\00:25:54.65
You'll grow all the
way until the harvest--
00:25:54.68\00:25:59.35
seedtime, hiding
God's Word in your heart,
00:25:59.39\00:26:02.96
and harvest, ready
for eternity with Jesus.
00:26:02.99\00:26:07.66
You ask God to do
that work in your life,
00:26:07.66\00:26:10.53
and He will, completely.
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.57
>>Announcer:
Today's free offer is
00:26:14.97\00:26:16.60
"Victorious: Living
a New Life in Jesus."
00:26:16.64\00:26:19.01
You'll learn how to move
beyond the mistakes of yesterday
00:26:19.04\00:26:21.41
to experience victory today.
00:26:21.44\00:26:23.18
To receive "Victorious:
Living a New Life in Jesus,"
00:26:23.21\00:26:25.71
call 800-253-3000 right now.
00:26:25.75\00:26:29.05
That's 800-253-3000
00:26:29.08\00:26:31.49
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:31.52\00:26:34.89
Get this free resource now
00:26:34.92\00:26:36.62
and enter into the life
of victory God wants for you:
00:26:36.66\00:26:39.56
800-253-3000
00:26:39.59\00:26:41.70
or iiwoffer.com.
00:26:41.73\00:26:43.83
>>John: Let me pray for
you now. Let's pray together.
00:26:45.67\00:26:48.40
Our Father in heaven, we
thank You for spiritual growth,
00:26:48.44\00:26:52.94
and we want to grow and keep
on growing until the harvest.
00:26:52.97\00:26:58.81
There's something
in your life, friend,
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that is preventing you
from growing spiritually.
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Why don't we
surrender that to Jesus now?
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Could be a thing, a
habit, an addiction, a person.
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Whatever it is,
Jesus can take it away
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and clear your path to victory.
00:27:14.30\00:27:17.23
Let our heart be Yours only.
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.83
Friend, would you surrender
your heart to Jesus now?
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Would you like to say,
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"Take my heart and
make it Yours completely"?
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We don't have much
time before Jesus returns.
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Father, would You see
our hearts, take them,
00:27:30.95\00:27:34.08
make them Yours, and defend
them, keep them as Your own
00:27:34.12\00:27:39.25
until Jesus returns.
00:27:39.29\00:27:41.56
We thank You, and
we pray in Jesus' name,
00:27:41.59\00:27:45.96
amen.
00:27:45.99\00:27:47.30
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:47.30\00:27:48.33
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.40
Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:52.37\00:27:56.14
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
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¤[music ends]¤¤
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