¤[music ends]¤¤
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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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It's one of the most
significant health challenges
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of the 21st century, and
the more we learn about it,
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the worse it seems to get.
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Now, the thing is there is
something you can do about it,
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something God recommended
thousands of years ago.
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But even though
this divine prescription
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is extremely well known, over
time it has become less popular.
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Stress is a
killer, a modern calamity.
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The world-renowned Mayo Clinic
says that stress can affect
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your mood, your
body, and your behavior.
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It can cause
headaches, muscle tension,
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chest pain, fatigue.
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It can impact your
libido, cause stomach upset,
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sleep problems, and a
weakened immune system.
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It can cause anxiety,
restlessness, memory problems,
00:01:07.96\00:01:11.83
a lack of motivation or
focus, grumpiness, and sadness
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and can prompt overeating or
undereating, angry outbursts,
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drug or alcohol misuse, tobacco
use, antisocial behavior,
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and on and on.
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All that from stress,
and you likely know that.
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Most people deal with stress,
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which can be brought
on by financial or social
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or medical or any
number of situational reasons.
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You're late? Stress.
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You might lose your job? Stress.
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Pregnant? Stress.
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Flying? Stress, maybe.
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Driving? Stress.
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Bills to pay? Stress.
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Can't decide what to order
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and someone is
telling you to hurry up?
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Stress.
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Shooting a crucial free
throw, getting ready for dinner,
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running out of time,
major assignment due,
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asking someone out on a date,
getting asked out on a date,
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gaining weight, needing to lose
weight, needing to gain weight,
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rushing to catch
a train or a plane--
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these things which
cause stress are everywhere.
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A little stress is
fine-- good for you, in fact.
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But too much stress and
you could easily get sick,
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have serious health problems,
and end up in a very bad way.
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And along the way
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your quality of life
can suffer significantly.
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But looking down
through the stream of time,
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God, in His wisdom and
with a heart full of love,
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saw that stress would
one day be a major issue.
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And so He built into the
calendar a remedy for stress.
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Let's go back, way
back. [swoosh of wind]
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The children of Israel had just
come out of Egyptian slavery.
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God was leading them
to the promised land.
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They were on their
way to take up their role
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as God's very own
people in their very own land.
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This would be a fulfillment
of the promise made to Abraham.
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And from this people
would come the Messiah.
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So, God communicated to them
the principles of His kingdom
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and, in doing so, revealed
just what He was really like.
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Remember, they'd been
enslaved for 400 years.
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They hadn't been the
masters of their own destiny.
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So God would give them
guidelines, rules for living.
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He said, "I am
the Lord your God,
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"who brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
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out of the house of bondage."
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In other words, "I have
liberated you, freed you."
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So, now that I've done that,
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"You shall have no
other gods before me."
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That's Exodus
20, verses 2 and 3.
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Which stands to reason--
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God was their
Creator and their Liberator.
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He'd made them
and redeemed them.
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They were
entirely dependent on Him.
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He'd sent the 10 plagues,
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intervened with the pillar
of cloud and the pillar of fire,
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and then had
opened up the Red Sea
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and destroyed
pharaoh and his armies.
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This was pretty obvious.
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There's only one
God, so have no other gods
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because any other
god would be a false god.
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Then a variation
on that first word,
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in short, don't make graven
images--statues and so forth--
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and don't bow
down and worship them.
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Why would you
worship the creation
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when you're able to
worship the Creator?
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Idolatry lowers
one's conception of God.
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It diminishes God.
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And, therefore, it diminishes
you as a child of God.
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Then a third commandment:
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"You shall not take the name
of the Lord your God in vain,
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"for the Lord
will not him guiltless
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who takes His name in vain."
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Clearly connected with the
first two commandments dealing
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with the holiness of God and a
person's relationship with God,
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this has to do with respect
and remembering that God is God,
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not cheapening God in any way.
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And as well as this being
about not using God's name
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as a common curse
word, it also means
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don't take His name in vain
by claiming to be His follower
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while you're not living
like you're His follower.
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That kind of misrepresentation
is taking God's name in vain.
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So, let's look at this in
terms of a remedy for stress,
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the silent killer.
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What would it do for you
to know that you have a God,
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a sovereign God, the
Creator of all things?
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You could cast "all
your care[s] upon Him,"
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knowing that "He cares for you."
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You could come to Him if
you "labor and are heavy laden,"
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know that He
would "give you rest."
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You could "be still,
and know that [He is] God."
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And where it says "be
still" in Psalm 46 in verse 10,
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that means to let
something drop or to relax.
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"Relax, and know that I am God."
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But God added to this.
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This trust we're to have in God
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goes way beyond mental
assent or just recognition.
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The comfort you're to experience
in knowing that God is God
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is to be
accompanied by a certain action.
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And we find that in
the fourth commandment.
00:06:06.43\00:06:09.86
"Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
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"Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
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"but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord your God.
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"In it you shall do no
work: you, nor your son,
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"nor your daughter,
nor your male servant,
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"nor your female
servant, nor your cattle,
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"nor your stranger
who is within your gates.
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"For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth,
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"the sea, and
all that is in them,
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"and rested the seventh day.
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Therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and hallowed it."
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Now, look at what God did.
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Right there in
humanity's moral code,
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God placed a remedy for
stress, a divine prescription.
00:06:47.90\00:06:54.34
He knew that 2,000 years
after Jesus walked the earth,
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the devil would
have everybody so busy
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we wouldn't have time for God.
00:07:01.28\00:07:03.35
So, God gave us time:
00:07:03.39\00:07:06.35
a 24-hour time
period every single week
00:07:06.39\00:07:10.19
where you can release
the pressure valve on life
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and let off some of the steam.
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Years ago it was
common for people to cook
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with a pressure
cooker, a tightly sealed pot
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that uses high pressure
to cook food more quickly.
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The liquid inside
the pot becomes steam,
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increasing the
pressure in the pot,
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[steam hissing] increasing
the temperature in the pot,
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and therefore
cooking food more quickly.
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Now, what I remember about the
pressure cooker my mother had
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was that it was
heavy and hazardous.
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The lid blew off
it at least once.
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Whatever was
inside went everywhere.
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I remember it was red, but I
don't remember more than that.
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It wasn't uncommon for the valve
on a pressure cooker to clog,
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and then a gasket might blow,
and the lid could go flying.
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Life can be like
a pressure cooker.
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There's so much going on, so
many demands, so much pressure.
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And that pressure can build
until someone blows a gasket.
00:08:05.45\00:08:08.98
So, God said, "Take time out.
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"I'm giving you 24
hours every seven days
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to let the pressure off, to let
the stress of life roll away."
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Perfect. God saw
what we would need.
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Thousands of years ago,
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humanity couldn't see
stress-related heart attacks,
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but God could.
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We couldn't see high
blood pressure, but God could.
00:08:29.44\00:08:32.44
We couldn't see
stress driving people
00:08:32.47\00:08:34.61
to drug and alcohol
problems, but God could.
00:08:34.64\00:08:38.25
And so He said,
"Here's a simple remedy
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"to help keep
your head on straight,
00:08:41.95\00:08:44.19
to let your anxiety go, to
let the tension dissipate."
00:08:44.22\00:08:47.86
Now, is this a magic bullet?
00:08:47.89\00:08:50.63
Is it really that easy
00:08:50.66\00:08:52.16
to get the stress
out of life completely?
00:08:52.19\00:08:54.83
We'll look at
that in just a moment.
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¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:08:56.83\00:09:03.84
>>John: Many things in life are
here today and gone tomorrow.
00:09:05.97\00:09:10.18
But some things
are built to last.
00:09:10.21\00:09:13.05
From the dawn of creation,
God gave the human family
00:09:13.08\00:09:15.62
an eternal sign, and we'd
like to tell you more about it
00:09:15.65\00:09:19.15
in our free offer
entitled "God's Eternal Sign."
00:09:19.19\00:09:23.22
To get your copy,
call 800-253-3000,
00:09:23.26\00:09:27.03
visit us online, or write
to the address on your screen.
00:09:27.10\00:09:31.20
You can also text
"freesign" to 71392.
00:09:31.23\00:09:35.24
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
00:09:37.01\00:09:39.64
If de-stressing was as
easy as doing one simple thing,
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well, life would be
a dream, wouldn't it?
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It you're unwell, a doctor
isn't likely to tell you to just
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take this pill and then
everything's going to be okay.
00:09:50.49\00:09:53.29
If you're unhealthy,
simply eating more vegetables
00:09:53.32\00:09:56.46
isn't going to fix everything.
00:09:56.49\00:09:57.89
It's a good start, but
you also want to quit drinking
00:09:57.93\00:10:01.73
and get some exercise
and maybe get more sleep.
00:10:01.76\00:10:05.37
Taking care of the stress in
your life isn't simply a matter
00:10:05.40\00:10:08.80
of doing just one thing,
even if that one simple thing
00:10:08.84\00:10:12.07
was given to you by God Himself.
00:10:12.11\00:10:14.38
You might be placing
yourself under undue stress
00:10:14.41\00:10:16.75
by taking on too much.
00:10:16.78\00:10:18.98
And in order to
deal with your stress,
00:10:19.01\00:10:20.68
you might want to
back off a few things.
00:10:20.72\00:10:23.55
It might be that your
expectations from life
00:10:23.59\00:10:26.69
are too high.
00:10:26.72\00:10:27.96
Maybe your wants and your
needs are out of alignment.
00:10:27.99\00:10:31.26
Maybe you could get by with
less house and fewer vehicles
00:10:31.29\00:10:34.73
and less extravagant vacations.
00:10:34.73\00:10:37.47
For some people, de-stressing
means cutting back, doing less,
00:10:37.50\00:10:42.14
not trying to keep
up with the Joneses,
00:10:42.17\00:10:44.01
worrying less about
what other people think.
00:10:44.04\00:10:46.64
It might be that you
need to learn to worry less.
00:10:46.68\00:10:49.61
Here's the Mayo Clinic again
00:10:49.64\00:10:50.88
talking about how
to deal with stress.
00:10:50.91\00:10:53.55
They say people
should exercise regularly,
00:10:53.58\00:10:56.52
have a sense of humor, spend
time with family and friends,
00:10:56.55\00:10:59.82
set aside time for
hobbies, read a book,
00:10:59.85\00:11:02.32
listen to music,
or go for a walk,
00:11:02.36\00:11:04.43
get enough sleep, eat
a healthy, balanced diet,
00:11:04.46\00:11:08.53
don't use tobacco,
alcohol, or illegal substances.
00:11:08.56\00:11:13.57
And there's something else.
00:11:13.60\00:11:14.90
It's known that anger
can trigger a heart attack
00:11:14.94\00:11:18.51
and that it raises
your blood pressure.
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.08
So, less anger, less stress.
00:11:21.11\00:11:25.55
Stress that's not dealt with
can lead to health problems,
00:11:25.58\00:11:28.55
such as high blood
pressure, heart disease, stroke,
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.45
obesity, and diabetes.
00:11:31.49\00:11:33.82
The American Psychological
Association says that
00:11:33.86\00:11:36.36
"stress affects all
systems of the body."
00:11:36.39\00:11:40.46
The musculoskeletal system--
they say "muscle tension
00:11:40.50\00:11:43.00
is almost a reflex
reaction to stress."
00:11:43.03\00:11:45.97
The respiratory system--
00:11:46.00\00:11:47.47
stress can cause asthma
attacks and shortness of breath.
00:11:47.50\00:11:50.54
The cardiovascular system--
00:11:50.57\00:11:52.27
even short-term
stress, being stuck in traffic
00:11:52.31\00:11:55.78
or meeting deadlines, "causes
an increase in heart rate,"
00:11:55.81\00:11:59.55
while repeated acute stress
can contribute to inflammation
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.62
in the circulatory system.
00:12:02.65\00:12:04.69
The endocrine,
gastrointestinal, nervous,
00:12:04.72\00:12:08.29
and male and female
reproductive systems
00:12:08.32\00:12:11.03
are all negatively
affected by stress.
00:12:11.06\00:12:14.00
It's bad stuff.
00:12:14.03\00:12:15.53
Which is why it isn't a surprise
that thousands of years ago
00:12:15.56\00:12:19.83
God gave the human
family a remedy for stress,
00:12:19.87\00:12:24.17
a remedy for burnout.
00:12:24.21\00:12:26.04
No, no, not a magic bullet.
00:12:26.07\00:12:28.68
You wouldn't do just this
and think all of the stress
00:12:28.71\00:12:32.25
is going to melt
out of your life.
00:12:32.28\00:12:34.18
But with this
being divinely ordained,
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.15
why would you not do this?
00:12:37.19\00:12:38.99
Every week, time away from
the craziness of the world.
00:12:39.02\00:12:42.99
And before anyone says obeying
God sounds like legalism,
00:12:43.02\00:12:47.23
let me speak to that.
00:12:47.30\00:12:49.80
I like what author
Lauren Winner said:
00:12:49.83\00:12:51.90
"Practicing...spiritual
disciplines
00:12:51.93\00:12:53.94
"does not make us Christians.
00:12:53.97\00:12:55.87
"Instead, the practicing
teaches us what it means
00:12:55.90\00:13:00.04
to live as Christians."
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.08
Let's look at the
question of legalism.
00:13:02.11\00:13:04.08
A man and woman are
standing before a minister.
00:13:04.11\00:13:06.25
They're two-thirds of the
way through a wedding service,
00:13:06.28\00:13:08.08
and it's time for the vows.
00:13:08.12\00:13:09.65
"Do you, Maria,
take this man, José,
00:13:09.68\00:13:11.85
"to be your
lawfully wedded husband,
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.52
"to have and to hold
in sickness and in health,
00:13:13.56\00:13:15.46
in prosperity and adversity,
as long as you both shall live?"
00:13:15.49\00:13:18.83
And Maria says,
"What are you, preacher?
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.80
Some kind of
legalist?" That's crazy, right?
00:13:22.83\00:13:26.43
"Tayshaun, clean your room."
00:13:26.47\00:13:28.14
"All these rules, Dad,
00:13:28.17\00:13:29.54
what an unhealthy
way to run a family."
00:13:29.57\00:13:31.31
Yeah, that boy's going to learn
some lessons pretty quickly.
00:13:31.34\00:13:33.94
The sign on the road
says 35. You drive at 65.
00:13:33.98\00:13:38.61
The police
officer who pulls you over
00:13:38.65\00:13:40.22
explains that you
have broken the law.
00:13:40.25\00:13:43.05
Try telling the police officer
00:13:43.08\00:13:44.45
that he or she
is being a legalist.
00:13:44.49\00:13:46.82
That defense won't
help you in a court of law.
00:13:46.86\00:13:50.96
It seems as though we believe
in law everywhere in the world,
00:13:50.99\00:13:54.50
except for in
church. [gavel strikes once]
00:13:54.56\00:13:56.43
When people ignore the law in
society, we call that anarchy.
00:13:56.46\00:14:00.24
When they ignore it in
church, that's called sin.
00:14:00.27\00:14:04.34
John wrote that "sin is
the transgression of the law."
00:14:04.37\00:14:09.18
There's zero
problem with God's law.
00:14:09.21\00:14:11.85
You want people obeying the law.
00:14:11.88\00:14:13.68
If your neighbor is
murdered, if your spouse cheats,
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.18
if your home is broken into,
if your friends lie to you,
00:14:16.22\00:14:19.42
you're going to appreciate
how wonderful it would be
00:14:19.45\00:14:22.59
if people lived in harmony
with the Ten Commandments.
00:14:22.62\00:14:26.36
Yes, Paul did say that
we're not under the law.
00:14:26.39\00:14:29.80
He said that
plainly, and he meant it.
00:14:29.83\00:14:32.87
And he was
correct when he said it.
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.70
In Romans 6, verse
1, he asks a question:
00:14:34.74\00:14:37.81
"Shall we continue in
sin, that grace may abound?"
00:14:37.84\00:14:41.64
He answers that,
"God forbid," and says,
00:14:41.68\00:14:44.98
"How shall we, that are dead to
sin, live any longer therein?"
00:14:45.01\00:14:49.68
He's referencing dying to self
and allowing the Holy Spirit
00:14:49.72\00:14:53.72
to fill you and guide you.
00:14:53.76\00:14:55.49
Then he speaks about baptism,
00:14:55.52\00:14:57.09
dying to the old life
and being raised up to walk
00:14:57.13\00:14:59.86
in what he calls
"newness of life."
00:14:59.89\00:15:02.66
"Knowing this," Paul writes,
00:15:02.70\00:15:04.40
"that our old man
is crucified with Him,
00:15:04.43\00:15:06.80
"that the body of
sin might be destroyed,
00:15:06.84\00:15:09.44
that henceforth we
should not serve sin."
00:15:09.47\00:15:12.11
And then he says, "For he
that is dead is freed from sin."
00:15:12.14\00:15:18.18
He goes on: "Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves
00:15:18.21\00:15:22.48
"to be dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God
00:15:22.52\00:15:26.45
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:15:26.49\00:15:28.19
And then says that we
should not allow sin to reign
00:15:28.22\00:15:32.93
in our mortal bodies,
that we shouldn't obey sin.
00:15:32.96\00:15:36.87
He continues in verse 14:
00:15:36.90\00:15:38.57
"Sin shall not
have dominion over you:
00:15:38.60\00:15:42.60
for [you] are not
under... law, but under grace."
00:15:42.64\00:15:46.91
He says in the next verse,
00:15:46.94\00:15:48.64
"Shall we sin?"
because that's the case?
00:15:48.68\00:15:52.31
And he says, "God
forbid." Absolutely not.
00:15:52.35\00:15:56.22
Paul then states
that you're the servant
00:15:56.25\00:15:57.85
of the one you choose to obey.
00:15:57.89\00:15:59.19
You can yield to
sin, which leads to death.
00:15:59.22\00:16:02.76
Or you can yield to obedience,
which leads to righteousness.
00:16:02.79\00:16:07.73
When he says that a believer
in Jesus is "not under the law,"
00:16:07.76\00:16:12.20
he means not under the
law as a system of salvation,
00:16:12.23\00:16:16.81
as a system of righteousness.
00:16:16.84\00:16:19.31
And because, as
Paul has already said,
00:16:19.34\00:16:21.41
that all have sinned
and that all need grace,
00:16:21.44\00:16:25.58
if you ignore grace and
choose to follow the law
00:16:25.61\00:16:28.88
as a means of
salvation, you'll be lost.
00:16:28.92\00:16:34.26
Under the law
doesn't mean obeying.
00:16:34.29\00:16:36.79
Under the law means
relying on your own works
00:16:36.83\00:16:39.36
and living under the old
covenant, where the approach is,
00:16:39.39\00:16:42.56
"Everything the Lord
has said we will do."
00:16:42.60\00:16:44.33
It's self-righteousness.
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.27
Under grace, that's
leaning on God for everything.
00:16:46.30\00:16:49.84
You can't say, "I'm under grace,
00:16:49.87\00:16:52.51
so therefore I won't obey God."
00:16:52.54\00:16:55.24
You would say, "I'm under grace,
00:16:55.28\00:16:57.51
"so because I am
Spirit-filled, I will obey God,
00:16:57.55\00:17:01.45
"but only by His grace
and only through His strength,
00:17:01.48\00:17:04.52
"and not because I believe
this will merit salvation,
00:17:04.55\00:17:08.36
but because through
Jesus I have salvation."
00:17:08.39\00:17:12.96
That period of rest God
has given the human family
00:17:12.99\00:17:16.63
is an oasis in time.
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.33
It's God limiting
how much the world,
00:17:19.37\00:17:21.47
how much life can encroach.
00:17:21.50\00:17:24.67
It's time out for mental
health and spiritual health.
00:17:24.71\00:17:28.18
It's saying, "No one is
benefited if I burn myself out."
00:17:28.21\00:17:33.45
It's time for what matters most.
00:17:33.48\00:17:37.12
I'll be right back.
00:17:37.15\00:17:38.29
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:38.32\00:17:45.33
>>John: There might be
days when you just can't seem
00:17:48.30\00:17:50.67
to find the energy to
take on life's challenges,
00:17:50.70\00:17:53.50
moments or maybe days or weeks
00:17:53.54\00:17:55.44
where basic tasks
can feel overwhelming,
00:17:55.47\00:17:58.44
times when you feel as though
00:17:58.47\00:17:59.71
your heart and mind
are trapped in a fog.
00:17:59.74\00:18:03.11
Countless people
all around the world
00:18:03.14\00:18:05.05
are dealing with the
weight of depression.
00:18:05.08\00:18:07.98
Most people will
experience depression,
00:18:08.02\00:18:10.25
either firsthand or
in the lives of friends
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.72
or family members.
00:18:12.75\00:18:14.29
There's hardly a person on
earth who hasn't in some way
00:18:14.32\00:18:17.46
been touched by its weight.
00:18:17.49\00:18:19.76
That's why I sat down
with a mental health expert
00:18:19.79\00:18:22.06
to discuss this
vitally important subject.
00:18:22.10\00:18:25.00
Join me and Dr. Neil
Nedley as together we explore
00:18:25.03\00:18:27.77
what actually works in
helping battle depression,
00:18:27.80\00:18:31.14
its root causes,
and its symptoms.
00:18:31.17\00:18:33.71
Don't miss the helpful
and practical information
00:18:33.74\00:18:35.74
in this series,
proven to benefit physical,
00:18:35.78\00:18:38.18
mental, and emotional health.
00:18:38.21\00:18:40.22
"Clearing the Fog,"
00:18:40.25\00:18:41.62
available now on
It Is Written TV.
00:18:41.65\00:18:44.49
>>John: If you're looking for
resources to share with others,
00:18:48.36\00:18:50.96
people growing in their faith
or people looking to know Jesus
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.96
for the first time, if you're
trying to find meaningful gifts
00:18:54.00\00:18:56.83
or you want to enrich
your own spiritual journey,
00:18:56.87\00:18:59.73
visit itiswritten.shop.
00:18:59.77\00:19:02.57
That's itiswritten.shop.
00:19:02.60\00:19:05.47
Or you can call
us at 888-664-5573.
00:19:05.51\00:19:11.45
888-664-5573,
00:19:11.48\00:19:16.28
itiswritten.shop.
00:19:16.32\00:19:17.99
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:19:18.82\00:19:20.66
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:19:20.69\00:19:24.46
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:19:24.49\00:19:27.03
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:19:27.03\00:19:31.40
You can send your
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00:19:31.43\00:19:33.07
to the address on your screen,
00:19:33.10\00:19:34.54
or you can visit us
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00:19:34.57\00:19:38.61
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:19:38.64\00:19:40.81
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:19:40.84\00:19:44.55
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:19:44.58\00:19:48.22
>>John: Many things in life are
here today and gone tomorrow.
00:19:49.65\00:19:53.76
But some things
are built to last.
00:19:53.79\00:19:56.59
From the dawn of creation,
God gave the human family
00:19:56.62\00:19:59.23
an eternal sign, and we'd
like to tell you more about it
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.73
in our free offer
entitled "God's Eternal Sign."
00:20:02.76\00:20:06.74
To get your copy,
call 800-253-3000,
00:20:06.77\00:20:10.57
visit us online, or write
to the address on your screen.
00:20:10.61\00:20:14.78
You can also text
"freesign" to 71392.
00:20:14.81\00:20:18.81
>>John Bradshaw:
The Bible is very clear
00:20:20.45\00:20:21.88
about God's will for your life.
00:20:21.92\00:20:23.59
God wants the very best for you.
00:20:23.62\00:20:26.45
Jesus said He came into the
world that we "might have life"
00:20:26.49\00:20:29.49
and "have it more abundantly."
00:20:29.52\00:20:31.43
But the Mental Health
Foundation in the U.K.
00:20:31.46\00:20:33.60
said that in 2018,
before the pandemic,
00:20:33.63\00:20:38.17
"74% of people
have felt so stressed
00:20:38.20\00:20:41.34
[that] they have been
overwhelmed or unable to cope";
00:20:41.37\00:20:45.04
"46% reported
that they ate too much
00:20:45.07\00:20:47.81
or ate
unhealthily due to stress,"
00:20:47.84\00:20:50.68
while "29% reported
that they started drinking
00:20:50.71\00:20:53.65
or increased their drinking."
00:20:53.68\00:20:55.75
Sixteen percent said
the same about smoking,
00:20:55.78\00:20:57.99
because of stress.
00:20:58.02\00:20:59.62
"Of the people who said they
had felt stress at some point
00:20:59.65\00:21:02.59
in their lives,
16% had self-harmed,
00:21:02.62\00:21:06.23
and 32% [had] said they had had
suicidal thoughts and feelings."
00:21:06.26\00:21:10.97
Of the adults who
reported being stressed,
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.54
36 percent said it was
due to their own health
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.40
or that of a friend or relative.
00:21:16.44\00:21:18.77
Twenty-two percent cited debt.
00:21:18.81\00:21:21.24
Thirty-six percent of women
who felt high levels of stress
00:21:21.28\00:21:24.65
related it to their
appearance or body image,
00:21:24.68\00:21:28.42
while young people frequently
cited pressure to succeed
00:21:28.45\00:21:32.39
as a stressor.
00:21:32.42\00:21:34.16
Now, not all of that is bad.
00:21:34.19\00:21:36.93
Pressure to
succeed is stressful,
00:21:36.96\00:21:39.29
but you ought
to want to succeed.
00:21:39.33\00:21:41.93
A friend's poor
health or your own,
00:21:41.96\00:21:44.73
that probably should
stress you to some degree.
00:21:44.77\00:21:48.04
But you don't want to
be overwhelmed by stress,
00:21:48.07\00:21:50.37
and God certainly
doesn't want that for you.
00:21:50.41\00:21:53.88
Look at some of
what the Bible says.
00:21:53.91\00:21:55.31
This is John 14:27.
00:21:55.34\00:21:57.08
"Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give to you;
00:21:57.11\00:22:01.68
"not as the world
gives do I give to you.
00:22:01.72\00:22:04.49
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
00:22:04.52\00:22:08.26
Earlier in the same chapter:
00:22:08.29\00:22:09.59
"Let not your heart be troubled;
00:22:09.62\00:22:11.56
you believe in God,
believe also in me."
00:22:11.59\00:22:14.46
"Be still, and
know that I am God."
00:22:14.50\00:22:16.53
That's Psalm 46, verse 10.
00:22:16.56\00:22:18.40
Earlier in the same chapter:
"God is our refuge and strength,
00:22:18.43\00:22:22.37
a very present help in trouble."
00:22:22.40\00:22:25.34
Matthew 11:28, "Come
to me, all you who labor
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.51
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest."
00:22:28.54\00:22:31.41
Romans 5, verse 1:
00:22:31.45\00:22:32.88
"Therefore, having
been justified by faith,
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.78
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:22:35.82\00:22:39.29
The point being, a
connection with Jesus,
00:22:39.32\00:22:41.92
experiencing salvation should
bring peace into your life.
00:22:41.96\00:22:46.90
Psalm 119, verse 165:
00:22:46.93\00:22:49.83
"Great peace have
they which love Thy law:
00:22:49.86\00:22:53.00
and nothing shall offend them."
00:22:53.03\00:22:55.47
New Testament Bible writers
often started their letters
00:22:55.50\00:22:59.34
wishing peace to their readers.
00:22:59.37\00:23:01.21
Jude, Revelation, 2
John, 1 Peter, 2 Peter,
00:23:01.24\00:23:05.75
Philemon, Titus, Romans, 1
Corinthians, 2 Corinthians,
00:23:05.78\00:23:10.92
Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians,
00:23:10.95\00:23:13.96
1 and 2 Thessalonians,
and 1 and 2 Timothy
00:23:13.99\00:23:17.83
all begin with the writer
wishing peace to his readers.
00:23:17.86\00:23:22.06
Jesus is the Prince of
Peace in Isaiah 9 in verse 6.
00:23:22.10\00:23:26.33
God is called "the God of
peace" in Romans 16, verse 20.
00:23:26.37\00:23:30.24
So why isn't there peace?
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.31
Too much going on,
the pressures of life,
00:23:32.34\00:23:35.64
demanding schedules...right.
00:23:35.68\00:23:38.61
And while you can't
sweep all that out of the way,
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.65
you can come close to God
00:23:41.68\00:23:44.15
and let the peace of
Christ wash over you.
00:23:44.19\00:23:48.69
And that's where the biblical
concept of Sabbath matters--
00:23:48.72\00:23:53.16
taking time for God,
hitting the pause button
00:23:53.19\00:23:57.17
on your busy
schedule, actually stepping back
00:23:57.20\00:24:00.30
from the demands of life so that
you're not going back to work
00:24:00.34\00:24:03.17
on Monday for a rest
from your hectic lifestyle.
00:24:03.20\00:24:07.38
And this idea isn't
about doing absolutely nothing.
00:24:07.41\00:24:10.58
You can commune with
God and worship on that day.
00:24:10.61\00:24:14.25
You can block out distractions
00:24:14.28\00:24:16.45
and spend time with church
family or your own family.
00:24:16.48\00:24:20.69
Being in nature is to see
the artistry of the Creator
00:24:20.72\00:24:24.59
and appreciate Him
in His created works.
00:24:24.63\00:24:28.20
The challenge is that
too many of us are too busy
00:24:28.23\00:24:31.73
getting stressed to take
time to alleviate stress.
00:24:31.77\00:24:37.07
The truth is the experience
of the Sabbath is precisely
00:24:37.11\00:24:40.44
what Christians
talk about experiencing
00:24:40.48\00:24:43.14
and what they
want to experience:
00:24:43.18\00:24:46.05
more of Jesus, more of
God's presence in your life,
00:24:46.08\00:24:50.19
more assurance,
more communing with God.
00:24:50.22\00:24:54.12
Every believer wants that,
or at least they say they do--
00:24:54.16\00:24:57.39
blocking out the world
for a time and letting in more
00:24:57.43\00:24:59.89
of the light of God's presence
and therefore God's power.
00:24:59.93\00:25:03.47
Many followers of God
are searching for something
00:25:03.50\00:25:06.10
they already have or
something they have access to.
00:25:06.13\00:25:10.74
Reminds me of the homeless
man who died under a bridge
00:25:10.77\00:25:13.54
in Wyoming on a frigid
winter night without realizing
00:25:13.58\00:25:18.21
his extremely
wealthy aunt had died
00:25:18.25\00:25:21.18
and left him
millions of dollars.
00:25:21.22\00:25:24.82
He didn't know what he had.
00:25:24.85\00:25:26.76
And many followers of
Jesus are drowning in stress
00:25:26.79\00:25:29.72
without realizing God has
gifted them rest, a relief,
00:25:29.76\00:25:35.40
something that will
be a source of strength
00:25:35.43\00:25:38.10
physically,
emotionally, and spiritually.
00:25:38.13\00:25:41.90
And you want that, don't you?
00:25:41.94\00:25:43.34
You've heard Jesus invite you:
00:25:43.37\00:25:45.27
"Come to me, and I
will give you rest."
00:25:45.31\00:25:48.44
Let's pray now and thank
God for His gift of rest.
00:25:48.48\00:25:52.45
Our Father in heaven, we
come in the name of Jesus,
00:25:52.48\00:25:54.62
the Creator,
grateful for all of His gifts,
00:25:54.65\00:25:57.95
thanking You for the gift
of time, the gift of rest.
00:25:57.99\00:26:00.89
And as we contemplate that
biblical concept of Sabbath,
00:26:00.92\00:26:04.46
I pray we will find more time in
our lives for Jesus, not less,
00:26:04.49\00:26:08.73
that we'll learn to
block out the world,
00:26:08.76\00:26:10.20
not invite even more of it in,
00:26:10.23\00:26:12.40
and that we'll take time
for the One who matters most,
00:26:12.43\00:26:15.50
that we'll take adequate time,
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.04
that we'll step
back from the world,
00:26:17.07\00:26:19.07
de-stress, and be filled with
Your presence and Your power.
00:26:19.11\00:26:24.41
We thank You for Your
great gifts towards us,
00:26:24.45\00:26:27.65
and we pray in
Jesus' name. Amen.
00:26:27.68\00:26:31.95
Now, be sure you get our free
offer, "God's Eternal Sign,"
00:26:31.99\00:26:35.39
and learn more about the
gift of time, the gift of rest,
00:26:35.42\00:26:38.99
and how God can take you
to new heights as you receive
00:26:39.03\00:26:41.30
more of His blessing
and more of His presence.
00:26:41.33\00:26:43.40
Call 800-253-3000.
00:26:43.43\00:26:46.07
That's 800-253-3000,
00:26:46.10\00:26:49.47
or get it
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:49.50\00:26:53.07
And thank you for your prayers
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00:26:53.11\00:26:55.44
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00:26:55.48\00:26:56.91
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00:26:56.95\00:26:59.71
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00:26:59.75\00:27:03.15
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00:27:03.18\00:27:07.16
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00:27:07.19\00:27:09.86
"Every Word," I hope you will.
00:27:09.89\00:27:12.06
This brief devotional
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00:27:12.09\00:27:14.56
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00:27:14.56\00:27:17.80
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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