Hi, I'm Wintley Phipps,
and welcome to our program,
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Perfecting Me
Becoming More Like Jesus.
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I'm so glad you joined us.
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My guests today on our
program are Pastor Rick Mercer
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of Morganton
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in North Carolina.
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Pastor George
Fleurimond, pastor of
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the West Park
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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and Mrs. Adly Campos,
Speaker and President of
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Family Wellbeing International.
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You'll hear from
them a little later.
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October 14th, 2012,
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the world held its
breath as Felix Baumgartner
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leap from his capsule
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and became a
tiny blurry white dot
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against a vast
backdrop of black nothingness.
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Moments later, he found himself
caught in the dreaded spin
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and millions of
people looked on wondering
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if they were about to
witness a tragic ending
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to Baumgartner's brave attempt.
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To everyone's relief,
he was able to recover
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before safely
landing in New Mexico
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less than four and
a half minutes later.
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Baumgartner's body reached
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Mach 1.24, 833.9 miles per hour,
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which is faster
than the speed of sound.
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Well, that's what happens
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when a person
believes in an idea.
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The power to
believe is a character trait
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that is ethically neutral.
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It can be used for good or evil.
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It is one of the most important
and far reaching faculties
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a person has.
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The power to believe
and the ability to choose
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what we believe
shapes our lives,
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our circumstances,
and our character,
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and behavior.
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And more than any
other single factor,
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the power to
believe shapes our destiny.
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Today on Perfecting Me,
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we're going to be
talking about the power of faith
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and the power to believe,
how it impacts, how it molds,
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how it shapes the
character of a Christian.
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And you want to stay with us
and you will learn so much more
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of how God uses
this gift of faith
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to transform our character.
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The power to believe is a gift.
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It is a character trait
that is ethically neutral,
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that means it can be
used for good or for evil.
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It is one of the most
powerful traits of character.
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It is, has far reaching effects.
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The power to believe
and the ability to choose
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what we believe
shapes our lives,
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circumstances,
behavior, and even our destiny,
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sometimes more than
any other single factor.
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Training yourself to believe
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requires
listening and responding
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to the sense of
destiny and God's voice
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inside our souls.
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It means not
allowing negative thoughts
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and insecurities to smother
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that voice of God in our hearts.
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Both of those requirements
are choices which means
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they are within
our power to do them.
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What is the faith and
belief that propels you
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toward your destiny?
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Your
grandparents might tell you,
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it's faith in
the American dream.
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Your college
professor would tell you,
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most reality stars will tell you
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that it's faith and
believe in yourself.
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A recovering
alcoholic struggling
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to rebuild his
life will tell you,
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it is faith and
belief in a higher power.
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From my own personal experience,
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I will tell you it is
faith and belief in God.
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It's easy to
believe in what you can see,
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and touch, and
hear, but to push yourself
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beyond what is obvious
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and believe in what
you cannot initially grasp
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with your own two hands,
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that's when true
faith and belief is born,
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that's when you reach
beyond your present circumstance
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and you can achieve more
than you know to be possible.
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Without the ability to
believe, we would be nothing
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more than complicated organisms,
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we would never
search for higher life,
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or try to do
anything outside the realm
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of existing circumstance.
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We would fail to
appreciate what is magnificent.
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Our lives would have
no majesty and no meaning
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without believing.
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In the psycho-economy of
man, believing is the currency
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that changes everything,
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no matter how
irrational it may seem.
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Believing has the power
to alter our circumstances
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and rearrange our destinies.
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Faith and belief have
proven throughout history
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to have the power to
motivate the human heart.
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To believe is to outgrow
our fear of not living up
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to our potential.
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For some,
ironically, it is the fear
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and growing out of the fear
of living up to our potential.
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Believing pushes us to
search, and dream, and to do.
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So how does it work?
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Well, you have an
idea that presents itself
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but it must survive the
filters we have in our minds.
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Filters like culture,
rationality, and sensibility,
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filters like prior
knowledge, personal judgment,
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and preferences.
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In addition to
personal experience,
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and what we
already know to be true.
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If the idea that we
want to believe in survives
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the swinging axis of
our thought processes,
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it is offered up for our
consideration to our will,
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which then
decides whether or not
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to embrace the
idea as a new faith
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and a new belief.
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At that point, we make a choice
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and the idea
becomes a new belief.
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Have you ever noticed that
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when someone
embraces a faith or belief,
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it's very difficult to
change it or destroy it.
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They will defend
that faith and belief
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fiercely and loyally.
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Believing is so
powerful, it can bend and alter
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our perceptions of reality.
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So be careful what you
believe because faith and belief
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become powerful
magnets that draw people,
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they draw resources,
even destiny to our lives.
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They change the
course of your life.
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If you believe
you can't, you won't.
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If you believe you
can't succeed, you don't.
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When what you
believe is stronger
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than what seems inevitable,
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then that faith and
belief becomes sacred,
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its powers of
persuasion motivates you
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to consider possibilities
others haven't dreamed of,
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and they enable you
to harness conviction
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and confidence.
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You are inspired by
what you believe is possible.
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You may not be trying
to break world records,
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but you are called to
believe outside of yourself,
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and that faith and
belief will move you to action
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because faith and
belief are powerful.
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According to a
French philosopher,
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"With power and with great power
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comes great responsibility."
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When it comes to using
the power of faith and belief,
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that means your faith
and belief must be guided
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by an internal compass
through the merits of Christ.
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Through His
righteousness, by faith
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your belief is,
allows righteous character,
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the perfection of
Christian character
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to be imputed to you.
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Faith in Christ as
the world's Redeemer
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calls for an acknowledgment
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of the enlightened
intellect control by a heart
00:09:08.44\00:09:12.88
that can discern and appreciate
the heavenly treasure.
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This faith is
inseparable from repentance
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and transformation of character.
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To have faith,
that kind of faith
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means to find and
accept the gospel treasure
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with all the
obligations which it imposes.
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Faith in Christ as
the world's Redeemer
00:09:33.47\00:09:37.21
will allow you to acknowledge
the enlightened intellect
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controlled by a heart
that can discern and appreciate
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all the blessings of
God's heavenly treasure,
00:09:45.38\00:09:49.45
and this faith is
inseparable from repentance
00:09:49.48\00:09:52.85
and transformation of character.
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I want you to see a video
brought to us by our friends
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at CBN News.
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Patty Hunt is learning
her way around this kitchen
00:10:06.23\00:10:08.90
in Alexandria.
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.34
A place that
represents a new start
00:10:10.37\00:10:12.31
for the former inmate.
00:10:12.34\00:10:13.98
Being here has
helped me to realize that
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I can go back out and
make something of my life.
00:10:17.71\00:10:20.72
Helping women
like Patty is the goal
00:10:20.75\00:10:22.75
of Together We
Bake, an organization
00:10:22.78\00:10:25.15
that empowers women
with the tools they need
00:10:25.19\00:10:27.92
for a second chance in life.
00:10:27.96\00:10:30.06
Stephanie Wright, a
former social worker
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started the bakery with a friend
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just over three years ago.
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We knew there
were a lot of women
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in need in our area.
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So started doing
lots of research,
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talking to lots of people about
what our community was missing
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and we realized
that women really needed
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job training and support.
00:10:45.31\00:10:47.08
They just needed to
know that someone cared.
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The program
provides hands-on training
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and personal development
to give women experience
00:10:51.31\00:10:54.42
toward future
employment in the food service
00:10:54.45\00:10:56.79
and hospitality industry.
00:10:56.82\00:10:59.22
They spend a lot of time
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and in the first part of
the program in the kitchen
00:11:00.62\00:11:02.82
so they learn all
about food production
00:11:02.86\00:11:04.19
and food safety.
00:11:04.23\00:11:05.56
They get their
service certificate.
00:11:05.59\00:11:07.16
Apple chips, granola
and chocolate chip cookies
00:11:07.20\00:11:09.90
are just a few of the
sweet treats made here.
00:11:09.93\00:11:12.33
Everything has a process.
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I learned about the measurements
00:11:14.80\00:11:16.14
of the cooking, what
goes into the cookies
00:11:16.17\00:11:18.31
and the packaging.
00:11:18.34\00:11:20.08
I didn't realize
that when you weigh things
00:11:20.11\00:11:22.74
in these proportions
00:11:22.78\00:11:24.11
just to make their
product look perfect.
00:11:24.15\00:11:26.11
While baking is the
key way that the women here
00:11:26.15\00:11:28.42
at Together We
Bake are empowered.
00:11:28.45\00:11:30.45
The ladies also
learn recipes for success
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for outside the kitchen.
00:11:33.62\00:11:35.39
So good.
00:11:39.73\00:11:41.06
Coaching classes help
the women take on challenges
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.47
such as finding
work, building confidence,
00:11:43.50\00:11:46.07
and dealing with family members.
00:11:46.10\00:11:47.87
They learn about communication,
conflict resolution,
00:11:47.90\00:11:50.57
goal setting, all these
things that really are necessary
00:11:50.61\00:11:54.61
to be successful in life.
00:11:54.64\00:11:56.18
And through all that,
00:11:56.21\00:11:57.75
they really
develop the confidence
00:11:57.78\00:11:59.11
they need to
believe in themselves,
00:11:59.15\00:12:01.62
to complete something.
00:12:01.65\00:12:02.98
A lot of the women will say,
"I've never followed through
00:12:03.02\00:12:06.02
and completed anything,
I start a lot of things."
00:12:06.05\00:12:07.96
So when they
graduate, they feel so proud
00:12:07.99\00:12:10.49
and they really
believe, "I can do anything
00:12:10.53\00:12:11.99
I put my mind to."
00:12:12.03\00:12:13.36
Kim Christian
spent the last 20 years
00:12:13.40\00:12:15.60
in and out of prison
for drugs and shoplifting.
00:12:15.63\00:12:18.63
I have to stop
this vicious cycle
00:12:18.67\00:12:20.74
that I've been in,
00:12:20.77\00:12:22.20
and this program is helping
me to get myself together, like,
00:12:22.24\00:12:27.88
you know, to be in
society, to live normal.
00:12:27.91\00:12:31.41
Local markets
including whole foods
00:12:31.45\00:12:33.98
carry the fresh baked goods
00:12:34.02\00:12:35.78
which helps to foster
pride and accomplishment.
00:12:35.82\00:12:38.65
I never thought
in a million years
00:12:38.69\00:12:40.12
that I would be
putting cookies on the shelf
00:12:40.16\00:12:41.86
in the store to be sold.
00:12:41.89\00:12:43.22
It makes me feel so good
00:12:43.26\00:12:46.09
to see all those
shiny bags on the show,
00:12:46.13\00:12:48.86
the granola we package,
the apple chip we package.
00:12:48.90\00:12:51.97
And I've never seen
what we had in the store
00:12:52.00\00:12:54.50
so I went there.
00:12:54.54\00:12:55.87
The red bag stands
out, our label stand out.
00:12:55.90\00:12:59.84
More than 80 women have
graduated from the program
00:12:59.87\00:13:03.04
which boasts of
recidivism rate of just 8%.
00:13:03.08\00:13:06.38
About 60% of the women
are employed which is great.
00:13:06.41\00:13:10.35
One of our recent grads,
from just about a year ago,
00:13:10.39\00:13:12.82
she started her
own baking business.
00:13:12.85\00:13:14.56
In the end, women are empowered
with knowledge and skills
00:13:14.59\00:13:18.63
along with the
hope of a better future.
00:13:18.66\00:13:21.50
It's almost like I'm
giving back something,
00:13:21.53\00:13:24.97
giving back to the community
00:13:25.00\00:13:27.00
from all the
wrong that I have done.
00:13:27.04\00:13:28.80
This is our second,
third, and fourth chance for me
00:13:28.84\00:13:33.01
and I thank God for it.
00:13:33.04\00:13:34.41
Charlene Aaron, CBN
News, Alexandria, Virginia.
00:13:34.44\00:13:38.11
Joining us again are my
guests Pastor Rick Mercer,
00:13:47.02\00:13:49.86
Adly Campos, and
Pastor George Fleurimond.
00:13:49.89\00:13:53.60
Faith is a mystery really.
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.97
It's very hard to describe it.
00:13:57.00\00:13:59.93
I try, and I have a
little description of faith
00:13:59.97\00:14:03.77
that I give.
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.14
I believe that faith is
when you grasp with your heart
00:14:05.17\00:14:09.78
what your
intellect cannot comprehend
00:14:09.81\00:14:14.95
nor defend.
00:14:14.98\00:14:17.02
You know, if somebody asked you
00:14:17.05\00:14:18.75
to defend that God
exists, it's almost impossible.
00:14:18.79\00:14:23.32
It takes faith to
believe, as the Bible says that
00:14:23.36\00:14:27.16
He is and that He is a
reward of those who seek Him.
00:14:27.20\00:14:30.43
But I have found
that in your quest
00:14:30.47\00:14:34.24
to embrace character
and to become like Christ,
00:14:34.27\00:14:38.84
and be Christ like in character,
00:14:38.87\00:14:41.34
faith is essential.
00:14:41.38\00:14:43.58
Sister Adly, do you believe that
00:14:43.61\00:14:46.21
faith is fundamental
to building character?
00:14:46.25\00:14:52.39
Indeed it is.
00:14:52.42\00:14:53.92
We need a faith to
accept Christ as our Savior.
00:14:53.96\00:14:58.33
And we need faith in
Christ to be able to grow in Him
00:14:58.36\00:15:03.16
and reflect His character.
00:15:03.20\00:15:05.50
Become like Him, which is
the work of the whole life.
00:15:05.53\00:15:10.41
But it is by
faith that we can become
00:15:10.44\00:15:14.04
what He wants us to become.
00:15:14.08\00:15:16.78
Pastor Rick, can we really
have the kind of perfection
00:15:16.81\00:15:22.18
of character that
only comes through Christ,
00:15:22.22\00:15:24.99
we know that, but can
we have that without faith?
00:15:25.02\00:15:30.56
No, it is impossible.
00:15:30.59\00:15:33.56
To have the righteousness
of Christ without faith,
00:15:33.60\00:15:37.00
it only comes through faith.
00:15:37.03\00:15:41.17
And there can be no
repentance really without faith.
00:15:41.20\00:15:46.64
Pastor Fleurimond,
00:15:46.68\00:15:48.01
what are your
thoughts about that?
00:15:48.04\00:15:50.21
Well, scripture
says that without faith
00:15:50.25\00:15:53.62
it is impossible to please Him.
00:15:53.65\00:15:56.75
And we look at faith
and dealing with character,
00:15:56.79\00:16:01.06
we go to Hebrews and we see,
00:16:01.09\00:16:03.66
in the Hall of Faith individuals
00:16:03.69\00:16:06.49
who may have had
personality issues
00:16:06.53\00:16:09.66
but had Christ
like character, right?
00:16:09.70\00:16:12.37
Moses and Abraham,
00:16:12.40\00:16:13.84
and these are
people who obeyed God,
00:16:13.87\00:16:15.70
and as a result of
putting on Christ like,
00:16:15.74\00:16:19.01
or God like character,
00:16:19.04\00:16:20.74
they are memorialized
as having strong faith.
00:16:20.78\00:16:23.65
Yes.
00:16:23.68\00:16:25.01
Now, there are two
really types of character
00:16:25.05\00:16:28.95
if I can say, you
know, the Bible talks about,
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.02
we must wash our robes
00:16:31.05\00:16:33.69
and it talks about
the robe of Christ.
00:16:33.72\00:16:37.26
So the point is
that faith is necessary
00:16:37.29\00:16:41.76
to put on the robe of Christ.
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.27
We cannot have His robe
00:16:44.30\00:16:47.14
of His righteous
character without faith.
00:16:47.17\00:16:50.61
And the point we're trying
to get across to people today
00:16:50.64\00:16:54.11
is that without faith,
00:16:54.14\00:16:56.51
you cannot grow
your own character.
00:16:56.54\00:17:01.45
In other words, if
you want to be kind,
00:17:01.48\00:17:05.79
if you want to be
loving, it first requires faith,
00:17:05.82\00:17:10.66
you know, the belief
that doing what God says do
00:17:10.69\00:17:15.20
will please Him.
00:17:15.23\00:17:18.10
And so we cannot have character,
00:17:18.13\00:17:21.27
real good Christian
character without faith.
00:17:21.30\00:17:25.34
Do any of you have
an experience or story
00:17:25.37\00:17:29.21
that shows how faith
00:17:29.24\00:17:33.35
influenced the kind of behavior
00:17:33.38\00:17:37.22
and the
character in your own life?
00:17:37.25\00:17:39.29
Pastor Rick?
00:17:39.32\00:17:42.12
Yes, you know, it's, you
know, faith to me is a gift
00:17:42.16\00:17:46.13
that you receive by
spending time on Jesus.
00:17:46.16\00:17:49.06
And as I spend time with Jesus,
00:17:49.10\00:17:52.80
the things that I
used to like to do,
00:17:52.83\00:17:56.17
I developed a hate for it
00:17:56.20\00:17:57.61
and the things I
used to not want to do,
00:17:57.64\00:17:59.57
I wanted to do so
by beholding Jesus,
00:17:59.61\00:18:02.61
by spending time with
Jesus, I became more like Him.
00:18:02.64\00:18:05.71
Yes.
00:18:05.75\00:18:07.18
You know, the
servant of Lord says that
00:18:07.22\00:18:08.75
there can be no perfection
of character without faith.
00:18:08.78\00:18:15.22
How amazing is
that? There can be...
00:18:15.26\00:18:18.39
And I'm talking about
the character from Christ
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.13
and the character
that we have to develop.
00:18:21.16\00:18:23.06
There can be no perfecting
00:18:23.10\00:18:26.03
or perfection of
character without faith.
00:18:26.07\00:18:28.74
Why do you suppose
that is, Sister Adly?
00:18:28.77\00:18:30.71
Why do you suppose that
we cannot have His perfection
00:18:30.74\00:18:35.91
and He cannot have this
work of perfecting His character
00:18:35.94\00:18:40.85
in us without faith?
00:18:40.88\00:18:45.29
Without faith, we cannot try
00:18:45.32\00:18:50.53
to really
please Him and obey Him
00:18:50.56\00:18:54.20
in the way that He
would want us to obey.
00:18:54.23\00:18:57.53
We accepted Him by faith.
00:18:57.57\00:19:00.04
We don't see Him,
we accept His word
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.41
because we exercise faith,
00:19:03.44\00:19:07.01
and because we
exercise that faith,
00:19:07.04\00:19:09.38
then we are able
to believe in Him
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.31
and believe that
transformation that He can make
00:19:12.35\00:19:15.88
in each one of us as we
seek to spend time with Him
00:19:15.92\00:19:19.69
like Pastor Rick said,
00:19:19.72\00:19:21.09
as we seek to
have communion with Him
00:19:21.12\00:19:23.36
and then we are transformed.
00:19:23.39\00:19:25.29
We are changed like,
into the likeness of Christ
00:19:25.33\00:19:30.70
is the only way,
is the only manner
00:19:30.73\00:19:33.50
that we can
really be transformed,
00:19:33.54\00:19:35.50
having that faith that
the Holy Spirit will join us.
00:19:35.54\00:19:39.27
That work of
transformation will do away
00:19:39.31\00:19:42.04
with all the things
that we have inherited
00:19:42.08\00:19:45.15
from our
relatives, our background,
00:19:45.18\00:19:48.12
our parents, our grandparents,
and at the same time
00:19:48.15\00:19:51.69
the things that we have acquired
00:19:51.72\00:19:54.06
during the times
as we were growing up,
00:19:54.09\00:19:57.16
and the
environment that surrounded us.
00:19:57.19\00:19:59.93
It is the Holy Spirit,
the only one that when we ask
00:19:59.96\00:20:04.40
and we pray demanding that
the Holy Spirit transform us
00:20:04.43\00:20:08.60
that we are changed
into what Christ wants us
00:20:08.64\00:20:11.94
to change us,
transform us into His likeness.
00:20:11.97\00:20:14.94
Absolutely, Pastor Fleurimond?
00:20:14.98\00:20:17.85
I wanted to say in
addition to that thing,
00:20:17.88\00:20:20.05
going back to the basic
biblical definition of faith.
00:20:20.08\00:20:24.99
The first part of it says
00:20:25.02\00:20:26.35
faith is a
substance of things hoped for.
00:20:26.39\00:20:29.19
And I think that
willing to be more like Christ,
00:20:29.22\00:20:33.53
you know, you can't
experience that transformation
00:20:33.56\00:20:36.46
unless you want to
become more like Christ.
00:20:36.50\00:20:38.57
And so that, you know,
00:20:38.60\00:20:39.93
activates the first
half of that, you know,
00:20:39.97\00:20:42.90
the substance
of things hoped for
00:20:42.94\00:20:45.07
and evidence of things not seen.
00:20:45.11\00:20:46.47
Absolutely.
00:20:46.51\00:20:47.84
I'm gonna read you something
00:20:47.88\00:20:49.21
and then I want
you to react to it.
00:20:49.24\00:20:50.78
"By dwelling upon the
love of God and our Savior,
00:20:50.81\00:20:55.98
by contemplating the perfection
of the divine character
00:20:56.02\00:21:01.32
and claiming the righteousness
of Christ as ours by faith,
00:21:01.36\00:21:08.23
we are to be
transformed into the same image"
00:21:08.26\00:21:14.30
into his image.
00:21:14.34\00:21:17.24
What do you think of
00:21:17.27\00:21:18.67
when you hear
those words, Pastor Rick?
00:21:18.71\00:21:22.44
I think of John 12:32.
00:21:22.48\00:21:25.08
In John 12:32, Jesus said,
00:21:25.11\00:21:28.05
"If I be lifted up, I
would draw all men unto Me."
00:21:28.08\00:21:32.59
You know, His love,
the love demonstrated
00:21:32.62\00:21:35.79
from the cross of
Calvary would draw us away
00:21:35.82\00:21:38.86
from the grip that
the world had on us,
00:21:38.89\00:21:41.56
like for instance,
the world had a grip on me
00:21:41.60\00:21:45.43
and as I beheld the love of God,
00:21:45.47\00:21:48.37
that was manifested
on the cross of Calvary
00:21:48.40\00:21:51.27
as I meditated on,
as I thought about it,
00:21:51.31\00:21:54.38
something
happened deep inside of me
00:21:54.41\00:21:56.44
that changed me forever.
00:21:56.48\00:21:59.78
The grip that sin had on my life
00:21:59.81\00:22:02.18
lost its hold as
the love of God drew me.
00:22:02.22\00:22:06.02
The Bible says,
"It's the love of God
00:22:06.05\00:22:08.62
that compels us.
00:22:08.66\00:22:10.99
It's the goodness of God
that leads to repentance."
00:22:11.03\00:22:14.06
It says, "As we
see God's love for us,
00:22:14.10\00:22:17.40
demonstrated on the
cross, it pulls us away
00:22:17.43\00:22:21.60
from the grip that
sin has on our life.
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.07
Yes.
00:22:24.11\00:22:25.44
Can you think, either of
you, think of an experience
00:22:25.47\00:22:28.51
that you had where
you had to exercise faith
00:22:28.54\00:22:32.85
like you've never exercised it
before, and how it changed you?
00:22:32.88\00:22:38.92
You know, faith,
again, is when you, I believe,
00:22:38.95\00:22:42.52
you believe in
what you cannot prove
00:22:42.56\00:22:45.06
is going to happen and
when you see it happen,
00:22:45.09\00:22:48.36
it changes you forever.
00:22:48.40\00:22:49.83
Can you think of
an experience you had
00:22:49.86\00:22:51.90
where you exercised
faith and it changed your life
00:22:51.93\00:22:56.14
and changed you?
00:22:56.17\00:22:57.51
Go ahead Pastor Rick, and then
00:23:01.44\00:23:02.78
we'll go to Pastor
Fleurimond, really quickly.
00:23:02.81\00:23:04.25
Yes, God, I was
40 years old and God,
00:23:04.28\00:23:10.79
I felt the call of God
calling me into the ministry.
00:23:10.82\00:23:14.16
I had never
planned on being a pastor,
00:23:14.19\00:23:15.92
never once thought about it.
00:23:15.96\00:23:18.16
But I knew that
God was calling me
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.56
into the
ministry, and my wife and I
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.20
talked about it
and we made a decision
00:23:24.23\00:23:26.63
that we would give the
rest of our life to God,
00:23:26.67\00:23:28.77
whatever He want us to
do, wherever He want us go,
00:23:28.80\00:23:31.31
we would do.
00:23:31.34\00:23:32.67
And so we were
telling my family about this
00:23:32.71\00:23:36.34
and my mom says, "Well, if
God want you in the ministry,
00:23:36.38\00:23:39.38
He'd provide
somebody to buy your farm."
00:23:39.41\00:23:42.38
My farm was a pretty large farm,
00:23:42.42\00:23:44.45
I want something that
somebody could just write
00:23:44.49\00:23:46.22
a check for in one day, and
so we made a decision that day
00:23:46.25\00:23:51.89
that we would give the
rest of our life to God,
00:23:51.93\00:23:54.36
sell our farm, if God
want us to go into business,
00:23:54.40\00:23:57.10
into the ministry.
00:23:57.13\00:23:58.77
That night, we
got a telephone call,
00:23:58.80\00:24:00.87
somebody wanted to buy our farm,
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.24
we had not every cast it.
00:24:02.27\00:24:04.24
And so, you know, I
had lived my whole life,
00:24:04.27\00:24:08.58
my whole life had
been, my security had been
00:24:08.61\00:24:11.81
my income making ability
00:24:11.85\00:24:13.18
with my CPA practice in my farm.
00:24:13.21\00:24:15.85
But once my farm's sold,
00:24:15.88\00:24:17.95
I had to rely completely
on God for everything.
00:24:17.99\00:24:21.26
He was my security.
00:24:21.29\00:24:22.72
And so everybody
thought that, that we were crazy
00:24:22.76\00:24:25.19
because no one calls somebody
40 years old into the ministry.
00:24:25.23\00:24:29.03
But three months
later, I got a telephone call
00:24:29.06\00:24:32.03
from the Arkansas
Louisiana conference president,
00:24:32.07\00:24:34.24
and he asked me if I would
like to take over two churches.
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.57
Oh, ain't that a blessing.
00:24:36.60\00:24:37.94
And reigning that
year was this song
00:24:37.97\00:24:40.14
"Great is thy faithfulness."
00:24:40.18\00:24:42.64
And God has work one
miracle right after another
00:24:42.68\00:24:45.61
in our life since then.
00:24:45.65\00:24:46.98
And it changed you.
00:24:47.02\00:24:49.78
Yes, 'cause I believe in God.
00:24:49.82\00:24:51.55
I know that He is
the great provider.
00:24:51.59\00:24:54.09
Pastor Fleurimond, 10 seconds,
00:24:54.12\00:24:55.56
you were about to say something.
00:24:55.59\00:24:58.16
Nothing as specific
as that but basically,
00:24:58.19\00:25:00.76
I think that
whenever God answers prayers,
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.03
He does it in so many
different facets in my life.
00:25:04.07\00:25:06.53
Sometimes He delays the
answer so that my character
00:25:06.57\00:25:09.84
can experience,
can go into patience.
00:25:09.87\00:25:12.77
And so I become
more patient as a result
00:25:12.81\00:25:15.71
of God's answers to my prayers
have not come at the times
00:25:15.74\00:25:19.65
that I wanted them to come.
00:25:19.68\00:25:21.02
Absolutely, faith and
when we exercise faith,
00:25:21.05\00:25:25.55
it draws us closer to the Lord.
00:25:25.59\00:25:29.89
It draws us closer to Christ.
00:25:29.92\00:25:32.39
When you exercise faith
and you see prayers answered,
00:25:32.43\00:25:36.46
you see miracles
come to your life.
00:25:36.50\00:25:38.77
All it does is just draw
you in complete confidence
00:25:38.80\00:25:43.41
closer to the Lord
and it changes your life.
00:25:43.44\00:25:45.97
Thank you so much
for being with us.
00:25:46.01\00:25:47.34
Amen.
00:25:47.38\00:25:48.71
It is the
righteousness of Christ,
00:25:53.05\00:25:55.68
His own unblemished
character that through faith
00:25:55.72\00:26:00.99
is imparted to
all who receive Him
00:26:01.02\00:26:03.96
as their personal savior.
00:26:03.99\00:26:06.39
It is the
privilege of every soul
00:26:06.43\00:26:10.20
to reach the highest standard,
00:26:10.23\00:26:12.93
stop at no low
standard in your experience.
00:26:12.97\00:26:16.20
Beware of
admitting any worldly motive,
00:26:16.24\00:26:18.94
whether in the
settlement of the great question
00:26:18.97\00:26:22.71
between God and your soul.
00:26:22.74\00:26:25.95
The Lord requires
all there is of you
00:26:25.98\00:26:31.72
through constant
improvement of every talent
00:26:31.75\00:26:35.29
that you may make a success
00:26:35.32\00:26:37.86
in the formation of
Christian character.
00:26:37.89\00:26:42.56
By faith, let the
Holy Spirit instruct you
00:26:42.60\00:26:47.64
that you may not only receive
but impart heavenly grace.
00:26:47.67\00:26:54.34
And remember, it's not
by looking away from Him
00:26:54.38\00:26:57.81
that we imitate
the life of Jesus,
00:26:57.85\00:27:00.75
but by talking of Him,
00:27:00.78\00:27:02.58
by dwelling
upon His perfections,
00:27:02.62\00:27:07.06
by seeking to refine the taste,
00:27:07.09\00:27:10.49
and elevate the character
00:27:10.53\00:27:13.06
by trying
through faith and love,
00:27:13.09\00:27:16.60
and by earnest
persevering effort to approach,
00:27:16.63\00:27:21.64
and to become closer
like the perfect pattern.
00:27:21.67\00:27:26.04
By having a knowledge of Christ,
00:27:26.07\00:27:28.18
His words, His habits, and
His lessons of instruction,
00:27:28.21\00:27:32.65
we claim the
virtues of His character.
00:27:32.68\00:27:38.45
I'm Wintley Phipps,
thank you for joining us
00:27:38.49\00:27:42.42
for Perfecting Me
Becoming More Like Jesus.
00:27:42.46\00:27:45.49
And remember,
00:27:45.53\00:27:47.20
when you give
your life to Christ,
00:27:47.23\00:27:49.76
you become more like Jesus.
00:27:49.80\00:27:52.03