I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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I'm JD Quinn.
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And we want to
welcome you tonight
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around the table
for 3ABN Family Worship.
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We're so glad
that you're joining us,
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and we always want
to take the opportunity
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when we come
before you to tell you
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thank you so much for
your love and your prayers
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and your financial support
of this wonderful ministry.
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But... Whoohoo!
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It's Sabbath, and
this is Family Worship.
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Amen. Amen.
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We're excited.
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Why don't you
introduce everybody,
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then I'll share
about the topic here.
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Okay, we're going to
start over here to my right.
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And this is Janelle,
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Janelle Owen, her
precious husband Don.
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We work together in pastoral.
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Don is a man of God.
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And then, I got
my buddy here Ryan.
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President accounted for... Amen.
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It's a blessing to always
be a part of Family Worship.
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Always love being with Ryan
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because Ryan is
one of these people
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that knows all the answers.
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Oh, that's not true.
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It's a good feeling
being next to an A student.
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No pressure, yeah.
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No pressure.
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Striving to
know all the answers.
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There you go. And
then we have Jason Bradley.
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We love Jason.
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Jason, he's the
headman of Dare to Dream.
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Got some big boats
that he feels totally.
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Anyway, good to
have you. That's right.
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And we forgot to mention
it, Janelle, you are in our...
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Publishing.
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Print, publishing department,
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and you are the one
who designs the magazine.
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You do a lot.
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So we're so glad you're here.
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Your plate's full.
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You know, the
reason every one of us
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are sitting
around this table tonight
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is because we are all prodigals.
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You've heard the
story of the prodigal son,
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who was in the father's house,
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left and then came to his senses
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and came back to his father.
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Well, you could say
every person sitting here
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is a prodigal.
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Tonight, we will talk about God
as the God of New Beginnings.
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And so there's
gonna be three questions
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that we're gonna look at.
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How can we know that God
is the God of New Beginnings?
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And then how can we
receive a new beginning?
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And finally, and thankfully,
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we will talk
about if we have sinned
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after being born again,
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how can we be sure
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God will give us another chance?
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Amen. I don't know about y'all.
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But I found that the Lord,
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it's more than
just a new beginning.
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As matter of fact, I had
this thought this morning
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when I woke up.
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Every morning
is a new beginning.
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That's right.
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You know, wake up.
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Praise the Lord.
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But first, we're gonna sing.
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What are we gonna do?
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And we've got to
introduce the family member
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that's sitting at the piano.
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And we're going to be
singing Fill my cup Lord.
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I love this music.
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I love the words.
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Yes.
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And so, it will
be followed along
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at the bottom of the screen.
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So, step out of
your comfort zone
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and sing with us.
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And we just want
to welcome Summer Boyd
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who is our pianist today,
precious sister in the Lord.
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Amen.
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Like the woman at the well
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I was seeking
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For things that
could not satisfy
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And then I heard
my Savior speaking
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"Draw from My well
that never will run dry"
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Fill my cup, Lord
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I lift it up,
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Lord Come and quench,
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this thirsting of my soul
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Bread of heaven,
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Feed me till I want no more
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Fill my cup, fill
it up and make me whole
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So my children if the things
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This world gave you
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Leave hungers that won't go away
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My blessed Lord
will come and save you
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If you kneel to
Him and humbly pray
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Fill my cup, Lord
I lift it up, Lord
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Come and quench,
this thirsting of my soul
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Bread of heaven, feed
me till I want no more
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Fill my cup, fill
it up and make me whole
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Amen. Thank you.
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I love that song.
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One of the best.
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You know, I love that story
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because when Jesus
met the woman at the well,
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you know, what He says to her?
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He said, "If only
you knew the gift of God,
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and who it was
that speaks to you."
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Jesus is the gift
of God. That's right.
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I wanted to start off.
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I didn't put this on the...
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Our little lesson study here.
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But this scripture I
woke up in this morning
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and this
scripture was in my mind,
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and I just want to
read it to you all.
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Isaiah 43:19.
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And this is what the Lord
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is speaking in Isaiah 43:19.
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He says, "Behold,
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I will do a new thing!
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Now..."
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Well, let me
start with verse 18.
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That's where I want to start.
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He says, "Do not
remember the former things."
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One version I have says,
"Don't dwell on the past."
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That's right. Amen.
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It says, "Nor
consider the things of old.
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Behold, I will do a new thing,
now it shall spring forth.
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Shall you not know it?
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I will even make a
road in the wilderness
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and rivers in the desert."
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Amen. That's right.
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You know, this is where
we want to start tonight.
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God is the God
of New Beginnings.
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And like I said,
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every day that you wake
up on this side of the grave,
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you have the chance
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for a new
beginning with the Lord.
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Amen.
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And what I'd like to do, JD,
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do you want to
have our opening prayer?
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Most certainly.
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Our dear precious Father,
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we come to You
in the name of Jesus
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and we take this
opportunity, Lord,
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being representatives
of Your kingdom of oneness,
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our dear Father,
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to impress upon our heart
to the aid of the Holy Spirit
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to do those things
that are pleasing to You.
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Father, as we
just exchange thoughts,
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we thank You, Lord, that
You will just bless those
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and we can just work off
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of each one
bringing glory to You.
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We love You. We thank You.
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We thank You for
this Sabbath day.
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In the name of Jesus, amen.
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Amen. Amen, amen.
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Okay.
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So one of my favorite
scriptures in the whole Bible
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is Romans 5:8.
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That says, "God
demonstrates His love for us."
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His own love toward us.
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And that while we
were still sinners,
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He sent His Son to die for us.
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That is the most amazing thought
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that if Christ would come,
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if God would
come and become a man,
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while we were still sinners,
because His love was so great.
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Let me tell you
something, and I say this often,
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but I make no apologies
because the Lord's told me.
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He told me, remember to
say this every time you speak,
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and that is, some people
have been told you're worthless,
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you don't amount to anything.
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And this is the
truth, you're valued,
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you're worth to God,
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you're worth
nothing less than the price
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that He paid for you
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with the precious life
blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
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Amen. Ain't that
amazing patience.
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Praise God.
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All right.
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Why don't you, Janelle...
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Ladies go first.
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Do you want to read Ephesians 2,
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and if you will take
the first four verses,
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then we'll jump on the
other side of the table.
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Jason if you'll take verses...
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You take the first
three, Jason do verse 4-7.
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And then we'll let...
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Ryan.
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Ryan take verses 8-10.
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Can I add some
when we're finished here
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because there's
some more in that chapter
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that I want that
really just stuck out to me
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so after we're done.
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Okay.
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This is Ephesians 2,
we'll begin with verse 1.
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"And you he made alive
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who were dead in
trespasses and sins,
00:10:04.27\00:10:07.40
in which you once walked
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according to the
course of this world,
00:10:09.30\00:10:11.57
according to the prince
of the power of the air,
00:10:11.61\00:10:14.44
the Spirit who now works
and the sons of disobedience,
00:10:14.48\00:10:18.15
among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves
00:10:18.18\00:10:21.75
in the lust of our flesh,
00:10:21.78\00:10:23.75
fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind.
00:10:23.79\00:10:27.46
And we're by
nature children of wrath,
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just as the others."
00:10:29.82\00:10:31.19
Hits the pause button here.
00:10:31.23\00:10:33.33
How many of us were
sons of disobedience?
00:10:33.36\00:10:35.90
All of the lust sinful flesh.
00:10:35.93\00:10:37.70
Amen.
00:10:37.73\00:10:39.17
Just prodigal son.
00:10:39.20\00:10:40.67
Children of wrath. Whoo!
00:10:40.70\00:10:42.17
That's powerful.
Every sinner has.
00:10:42.20\00:10:44.17
Yes, and that's,
you know, something.
00:10:44.21\00:10:47.11
I remember
meeting a lady who said,
00:10:47.14\00:10:51.08
"I've never broken any
of the Ten Commandments.
00:10:51.11\00:10:53.65
I'm in good shape.
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.05
And she didn't have a personal
relationship with the Lord
00:10:55.08\00:10:57.45
because how she said is I
haven't broken the Big Ten.
00:10:57.49\00:11:00.62
I've been to church
since I was a child.
00:11:00.66\00:11:03.96
But if we don't
recognize our own filthy rags,
00:11:03.99\00:11:09.83
we don't recognize
our need for a savior,
00:11:09.86\00:11:12.13
we don't come into
that close relation.
00:11:12.17\00:11:14.14
And the thing I
underlined in the beginning
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.97
in that verse 1 is, we're dead.
00:11:16.00\00:11:19.24
We're dead. We're dead.
00:11:19.27\00:11:20.94
Yeah. We need to be revived.
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.31
Right. Yeah.
00:11:22.34\00:11:23.68
And it's like, you know,
00:11:23.71\00:11:25.21
I know that I didn't recognize
that I was dead spiritually,
00:11:25.25\00:11:29.52
you know, and but it's...
00:11:29.55\00:11:32.45
Praise the Lord
that He brings us
00:11:32.49\00:11:33.89
out of that death
into the real life,
00:11:33.92\00:11:37.13
the new life.
00:11:37.16\00:11:38.66
And that's where
it's at. Absolutely.
00:11:38.69\00:11:40.56
Okay, so he made us alive.
00:11:40.60\00:11:42.56
All right, verses 4-7.
00:11:42.60\00:11:44.73
All right.
00:11:44.77\00:11:46.10
"But God who is rich in
mercy because of His great love
00:11:46.13\00:11:49.00
with which He loved us,
00:11:49.04\00:11:50.71
even when we were
dead in trespasses
00:11:50.74\00:11:52.71
made us alive
together with Christ,
00:11:52.74\00:11:56.44
and raised us up
together and made us sit..."
00:11:56.48\00:11:58.75
Oh, he says by
grace you have been saved.
00:11:58.78\00:12:00.88
"Oh, by grace
you have been saved,
00:12:00.92\00:12:02.45
and raised us up together
and made us sit together
00:12:02.48\00:12:05.12
in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus,
00:12:05.15\00:12:07.86
that in the ages to come,
00:12:07.89\00:12:09.36
he might show
the exceeding riches
00:12:09.39\00:12:11.16
of His grace and His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus."
00:12:11.19\00:12:15.66
Okay, hit the
pause button again.
00:12:15.70\00:12:18.53
I just have to insert here.
00:12:18.57\00:12:20.54
I praise the Lord for that but.
00:12:20.57\00:12:22.90
Yeah. Amen.
00:12:22.94\00:12:24.37
That simple but there.
00:12:24.41\00:12:25.87
But God, because, you know,
you reading verses 1-3 there
00:12:25.91\00:12:30.21
and it's just
like, yeah, that's me.
00:12:30.25\00:12:31.61
Yeah, that's me.
00:12:31.65\00:12:32.98
Oh, I'm so horrible.
00:12:33.01\00:12:34.35
And then it's like, but...
00:12:34.38\00:12:36.35
But God.
00:12:36.38\00:12:39.49
Praise the Lord.
00:12:39.52\00:12:41.06
So this God who
is rich in mercy,
00:12:41.09\00:12:43.69
how many of you...
00:12:43.73\00:12:45.06
I mean, if you want to jump in
00:12:45.09\00:12:46.43
and tell some of
your personal stories,
00:12:46.46\00:12:47.80
feel free to, but He says,
00:12:47.83\00:12:51.07
even when we were
dead in our trespasses,
00:12:51.10\00:12:56.20
He made us alive.
00:12:56.24\00:12:57.57
By grace, you've been saved.
00:12:57.61\00:12:58.94
Who wants to speak to that?
00:12:58.97\00:13:00.78
I just, you know,
for me personally,
00:13:00.81\00:13:02.44
the blessing that I've
been able to do prison ministry,
00:13:02.48\00:13:05.31
but how God can
take such erring broken,
00:13:05.35\00:13:09.18
you know, human beings,
like you mentioned earlier,
00:13:09.22\00:13:10.72
like not feeling worthless,
00:13:10.75\00:13:12.72
and to be able to stand out
in front of a group of people
00:13:12.75\00:13:14.59
and lead out,
00:13:14.62\00:13:15.96
I mean, that's difficult for me
00:13:15.99\00:13:17.33
because I feel really worthless,
00:13:17.36\00:13:18.69
and like back
then I feel like trash,
00:13:18.73\00:13:20.06
but when I see how
God came into my life,
00:13:20.10\00:13:22.66
and He made all this
junk that I was doing,
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.47
He fixed me, He just healed me.
00:13:24.50\00:13:27.67
He, I don't know, He restored me
00:13:27.70\00:13:29.04
and so now I get to go
and share with other people.
00:13:29.07\00:13:30.64
And it's just, I don't
know, it's just I'm so thankful
00:13:30.67\00:13:33.01
for His mercy and His grace.
00:13:33.04\00:13:34.38
It's just incredible.
00:13:34.41\00:13:35.74
And to piggyback
off of that what I like
00:13:35.78\00:13:38.71
and watching Don grow, I mean,
00:13:38.75\00:13:41.52
I have that
privilege to watch him grow.
00:13:41.55\00:13:44.22
But in reality,
we're all growing.
00:13:44.25\00:13:47.82
And I think through
the aid of the Holy Spirit,
00:13:47.86\00:13:51.26
we're tweaking
this, we're tweaking that.
00:13:51.29\00:13:54.86
And so, as time goes by,
00:13:54.90\00:13:57.17
because someday we wake
up and we're somewhat mature,
00:13:57.20\00:14:00.57
because we have been tweaking
00:14:00.60\00:14:02.17
through the aid
of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:02.20\00:14:04.17
And I think that's
what it's saying here,
00:14:04.21\00:14:05.77
you know, that
because of His rich mercy,
00:14:05.81\00:14:08.54
because of His
love that He gave to us,
00:14:08.58\00:14:11.11
He gives us that ability,
that positive ability to tweak.
00:14:11.15\00:14:15.22
But, you know, when
you think about this,
00:14:15.25\00:14:17.99
I just have to say,
00:14:18.02\00:14:20.22
it's so funny
00:14:20.26\00:14:21.99
when I first was
getting to know you all,
00:14:22.02\00:14:25.09
and then I heard
your personal testimony.
00:14:25.13\00:14:27.86
And I'm sitting there
thinking, these two precious,
00:14:27.90\00:14:31.30
little, innocent, sweet,
loving Christians were what!
00:14:31.33\00:14:37.07
What!
00:14:37.11\00:14:38.44
And then I heard your testimony,
00:14:38.47\00:14:40.78
and I'm going, this...
00:14:40.81\00:14:42.84
Yeah, I say what...
00:14:42.88\00:14:44.35
And you know what?
00:14:44.38\00:14:45.71
I haven't told
all of my testimonies.
00:14:45.75\00:14:48.85
Everybody's got a story.
00:14:48.88\00:14:50.52
What!
00:14:50.55\00:14:52.79
But praise God.
00:14:52.82\00:14:55.72
I praise God for
that new beginning.
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.93
And let's talk about this
idea of being saved by grace.
00:14:58.96\00:15:03.13
We'll go ahead and
let you read verses 8-10.
00:15:03.16\00:15:05.93
And let's talk about that.
00:15:05.97\00:15:08.17
Two of the most powerful
verses in Scripture right here.
00:15:08.20\00:15:11.27
And I love how this is
a response to everything.
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.44
You know, Paul's a
progressive speaker.
00:15:13.48\00:15:14.81
So he's writing everything
in a progressive state.
00:15:14.84\00:15:16.91
And so this is response
to everything he said so far.
00:15:16.95\00:15:19.45
He says, "For by grace,
00:15:19.48\00:15:20.82
you have been
saved through faith,
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.62
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God,
00:15:22.65\00:15:25.99
not of works lest
anyone should boast.
00:15:26.02\00:15:29.99
For we are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus
00:15:30.03\00:15:34.00
for good works,
00:15:34.03\00:15:35.70
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:15:35.73\00:15:40.54
And I just have
to add just really,
00:15:40.57\00:15:42.97
quickly here kind of my
own little story into this
00:15:43.00\00:15:44.87
because those words there,
00:15:44.91\00:15:47.74
"For by grace,
00:15:47.78\00:15:49.11
you have been
saved through faith."
00:15:49.14\00:15:52.55
Those words are so powerful.
00:15:52.58\00:15:55.32
And then they're so
powerful in the sense
00:15:55.35\00:15:57.42
that the devil understands
the power of those words
00:15:57.45\00:15:59.85
and he allows
people to be manipulated
00:15:59.89\00:16:03.22
by not fully understanding
the power of those words
00:16:03.26\00:16:06.93
and the truth
behind those words.
00:16:06.96\00:16:08.50
You know, I think all
of us here, of course,
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.63
have our personal testimony.
00:16:11.67\00:16:13.20
You know, you
referenced the prodigal,
00:16:13.23\00:16:16.27
so the prodigal earlier.
00:16:16.30\00:16:18.51
The prodigal son, he
leaves the father's house,
00:16:18.54\00:16:21.41
and he goes and does his wild...
00:16:21.44\00:16:22.91
sows his wild, you
know, seed and oats
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.05
and whatever you wanna
call it, out into the world,
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.72
all the while,
he's also got a son
00:16:27.75\00:16:29.35
that never left his house.
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.02
And we know that
there's two sons,
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.75
you know, in this story,
00:16:32.79\00:16:34.52
one that goes and
does all the bad things,
00:16:34.56\00:16:36.59
the one that
stays with the father,
00:16:36.62\00:16:37.96
but when the one returns,
00:16:37.99\00:16:39.59
the other one becomes
bitter hearted, and...
00:16:39.63\00:16:42.53
But, you know, my experience
was interesting in the sense
00:16:42.56\00:16:44.80
that I was kind
of an amalgamation
00:16:44.83\00:16:46.43
of the two brothers.
00:16:46.47\00:16:47.80
In that I was...
00:16:47.84\00:16:49.17
I never really fully
left the father's house,
00:16:49.20\00:16:50.87
but I was a prodigal
in the father's house.
00:16:50.91\00:16:53.54
And, you know, I never
really left the church,
00:16:53.58\00:16:56.78
I always was somehow
connected a churchgoer.
00:16:56.81\00:17:01.52
But at the same time,
man, I was in the world.
00:17:01.55\00:17:03.89
I was a
professional DJ for 4.5 years,
00:17:03.92\00:17:06.82
playing in clubs,
and joints and places
00:17:06.86\00:17:10.79
and atmospheres,
playing horrible music,
00:17:10.83\00:17:12.86
living horrible lives.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.23
I had an anger problem,
00:17:14.26\00:17:15.86
and I could just build up
all of these horrible things.
00:17:15.90\00:17:19.10
But in that state, you know,
00:17:19.13\00:17:20.87
God had every right in the world
00:17:20.90\00:17:22.34
to say you're not worthy.
00:17:22.37\00:17:24.37
You're the
hypocritical hypocrite,
00:17:24.41\00:17:26.11
you're not worthy.
00:17:26.14\00:17:27.48
But praise the Lord,
00:17:27.51\00:17:28.84
that I'm saved by
grace through faith.
00:17:28.88\00:17:30.95
Because the Lord never...
00:17:30.98\00:17:32.31
As the Bible
says, He never leaves us
00:17:32.35\00:17:33.68
nor forsake us.
00:17:33.72\00:17:35.05
And I love the
story of the prodigal son
00:17:35.08\00:17:36.42
because get this.
00:17:36.45\00:17:37.79
A lot of times
we study that story,
00:17:37.82\00:17:39.15
we read that story
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.52
from a Western
cultural perspective.
00:17:40.56\00:17:42.59
But when you study it
00:17:42.62\00:17:43.96
from an Eastern
cultural perspective,
00:17:43.99\00:17:46.03
there was a guy by the
name of Kenneth Bailey,
00:17:46.06\00:17:48.10
he was a seminary professor.
00:17:48.13\00:17:50.03
He took a
sabbatical that ended up
00:17:50.07\00:17:51.47
being a 40-year sabbatical,
00:17:51.50\00:17:53.17
a four week sabbatical turned
into a 40-year sabbatical.
00:17:53.20\00:17:56.37
He went overseas.
00:17:56.40\00:17:57.74
And you can
actually read this online
00:17:57.77\00:17:59.11
and study this up.
00:17:59.14\00:18:00.48
It's interesting what happened.
00:18:00.51\00:18:01.84
He was reading that
parable of the prodigal son.
00:18:01.88\00:18:05.38
And he went over
to the Middle East
00:18:05.41\00:18:06.75
to do research to see,
is this possible the kids,
00:18:06.78\00:18:10.52
the children ask for
the inheritance beforehand.
00:18:10.55\00:18:13.36
Long story short,
00:18:13.39\00:18:14.72
he come to find out
that in the Middle East
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.66
and 99% of the time,
even still to this day,
00:18:16.69\00:18:19.79
if a young man or woman
asked for the inheritance
00:18:19.83\00:18:22.80
before the father dies,
00:18:22.83\00:18:25.17
that is a penalty of death,
00:18:25.20\00:18:27.17
that brings a penalty of death.
00:18:27.20\00:18:29.14
They will stone you
alive in these cultures.
00:18:29.17\00:18:33.71
And it's amazing how you see
the grace of God in this story,
00:18:33.74\00:18:36.38
because what does the
father do when the son returns?
00:18:36.41\00:18:39.91
He runs.
00:18:39.95\00:18:41.88
Why did he run?
00:18:41.92\00:18:44.52
You see, he found
out this is powerful.
00:18:44.55\00:18:46.99
See, in the Middle
East, the father understood.
00:18:47.02\00:18:50.19
When you study it
from that perspective,
00:18:50.23\00:18:52.13
the father
understood the penalty
00:18:52.16\00:18:53.63
that that young
men was coming home to,
00:18:53.66\00:18:56.77
and instead of
allowing his community
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.77
to stone that
which was shameful,
00:18:58.80\00:19:02.20
he runs at the son
00:19:02.24\00:19:03.57
and he throws
himself on to the son,
00:19:03.61\00:19:05.37
and he hugs him
and he kisses him.
00:19:05.41\00:19:06.91
In another
word, and he puts his,
00:19:06.94\00:19:08.28
you know, his coat around
him, he gives him the ring.
00:19:08.31\00:19:10.11
He did everything
to tell that community,
00:19:10.15\00:19:12.28
this is my son
00:19:12.31\00:19:13.65
and I will not allow him to die.
00:19:13.68\00:19:17.19
Save by grace.
00:19:17.22\00:19:18.55
It's powerful.
00:19:18.59\00:19:19.92
And then that's all of us here.
00:19:19.95\00:19:21.29
That's all of us.
00:19:21.32\00:19:22.66
You know, I think of Revelation.
00:19:22.69\00:19:24.03
We're talking about
God of New Beginnings.
00:19:24.06\00:19:25.39
Revelation 21:5,
00:19:25.43\00:19:26.76
"God is gonna
make all things new."
00:19:26.80\00:19:28.13
He says right there.
00:19:28.16\00:19:29.50
Then he that sat
up on the throne said,
00:19:29.53\00:19:30.87
"Behold, I make all things new."
00:19:30.90\00:19:32.23
Jesus accepts us like we are.
00:19:32.27\00:19:34.44
But He doesn't want to
leave us the way we are.
00:19:34.47\00:19:35.94
He says, "You come to me,
I'm gonna make all things new."
00:19:35.97\00:19:39.34
Praise the Lord for God's grace.
00:19:39.37\00:19:40.74
And you know, it's
just like Paul said
00:19:40.78\00:19:42.11
in 2 Corinthians 5:17,
00:19:42.14\00:19:43.75
"When we are in
Christ, we're a new creation."
00:19:43.78\00:19:47.52
The old is gone
and new has come.
00:19:47.55\00:19:49.28
And that's the
way God looks at us.
00:19:49.32\00:19:51.25
There's a beautiful
scripture in Ezekiel,
00:19:51.29\00:19:52.99
which I really love and I share
with people on prayer line.
00:19:53.02\00:19:55.42
I'll just try to read it here.
00:19:55.46\00:19:56.99
Let's see I got it somewhere.
00:19:57.03\00:19:58.99
He talks about in us.
00:19:59.03\00:20:00.36
It's Ezekiel 16,
it says in verse 6...
00:20:00.40\00:20:04.33
Amplified. Yeah, in Amplified.
00:20:04.37\00:20:05.70
It says, "And
when I passed by you
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.07
and saw you rolling
about in your blood,
00:20:07.10\00:20:09.10
I said to you and
your blood, 'Live!'
00:20:09.14\00:20:10.51
Yes, I said to you still
in your natal blood, 'Live!'
00:20:10.54\00:20:13.68
I cause you Israel
to multiply as a bud
00:20:13.71\00:20:15.44
which grows in the field
00:20:15.48\00:20:16.81
and you
increased and became tall,
00:20:16.85\00:20:18.25
you came to full
maidenhood and beauty.
00:20:18.28\00:20:22.72
Your breasts were
formed and your hair grown,
00:20:22.75\00:20:24.35
yet you were naked and bare.
00:20:24.39\00:20:26.22
Now I passed by you
again and looked upon you,
00:20:26.25\00:20:29.12
behold you were
maturing at that time for love.
00:20:29.16\00:20:33.09
And I spread My skirt over
you and covered your nakedness.
00:20:33.13\00:20:36.03
Yes, I plighted My troth to you
00:20:36.06\00:20:37.53
and entered into
a covenant with you,
00:20:37.57\00:20:38.90
says the Lord
and you became Mine."
00:20:38.93\00:20:40.47
So that speech is talked about
that idea that prodigal son,
00:20:40.50\00:20:44.04
the father, you
know, putting his arms,
00:20:44.07\00:20:45.41
just like covering him.
00:20:45.44\00:20:46.88
Covered him,
covered you in your skirts.
00:20:46.91\00:20:49.01
And, you know,
that's the beautiful thing.
00:20:49.04\00:20:50.75
I love this whole
topic about New Beginnings
00:20:50.78\00:20:54.72
because I'm so thankful
00:20:54.75\00:20:56.08
that I received a new beginning.
00:20:56.12\00:20:57.65
I was once
looking at a potential
00:20:57.69\00:20:59.49
maximum prison
sentence of 15 years in prison.
00:20:59.52\00:21:02.82
Fifteen years,
that's a long time.
00:21:02.86\00:21:05.66
And, you know, it
was for a drug charge.
00:21:05.69\00:21:09.16
Anyway, to make
a long story short,
00:21:09.20\00:21:12.27
I ended up getting
sentenced to two years probation
00:21:12.30\00:21:14.84
and other
stipulations with that drug test
00:21:14.87\00:21:17.91
and all this other stuff.
00:21:17.94\00:21:19.81
But what took place
was I had a plea deal,
00:21:19.84\00:21:22.84
first offenders
deferred adjudication.
00:21:22.88\00:21:25.25
Now when you have
first offenders deferred,
00:21:25.28\00:21:27.28
the rest still
shows up on your record.
00:21:27.32\00:21:30.49
So it's still there,
it's lingering there.
00:21:30.52\00:21:35.56
But later on down the line,
00:21:35.59\00:21:37.43
I was able to get
my record expunged.
00:21:37.46\00:21:40.46
So my record is sealed
00:21:40.50\00:21:41.96
and so there's
nothing that shows up
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.40
when that check is done.
00:21:45.43\00:21:47.04
Shh!
00:21:47.07\00:21:48.40
We won't tell anybody.
00:21:48.44\00:21:49.77
They'll never know.
00:21:49.80\00:21:51.14
There we go.
00:21:51.17\00:21:52.51
But that's what Christ
wants for each and every one.
00:21:52.54\00:21:55.84
He wants to give
us that new beginning
00:21:55.88\00:21:57.48
that second chance at life.
00:21:57.51\00:21:59.61
Blot out our
sins with His blood.
00:21:59.65\00:22:00.98
Blot out our sins with His blood
00:22:01.02\00:22:03.02
where we committed the
crime, He did the time.
00:22:03.05\00:22:06.72
We were walking down death row.
00:22:06.76\00:22:09.79
We're walking down
death row, and He said,
00:22:09.82\00:22:14.10
"You just stay
right there. I got this."
00:22:14.13\00:22:16.06
That's amazing.
00:22:16.10\00:22:17.43
And, you know, what I love about
00:22:17.47\00:22:18.80
how even though
we make those choices
00:22:18.83\00:22:21.54
and suffer the consequences,
and when He finds us,
00:22:21.57\00:22:26.51
we don't have to
live in that shame
00:22:26.54\00:22:28.01
because now He can use us
in ministry to reach people
00:22:28.04\00:22:33.38
that were or are where we were,
00:22:33.42\00:22:36.25
and nothing is wasted with God
00:22:36.28\00:22:38.19
and He redeems the time
through our bad choices.
00:22:38.22\00:22:42.82
He still can use
us, and you know,
00:22:42.86\00:22:45.23
make something out of that.
00:22:45.26\00:22:47.43
That's what gives me the hope.
00:22:47.46\00:22:48.80
Amen.
00:22:48.83\00:22:50.17
Well, it's interesting because,
00:22:50.20\00:22:51.53
you know, life is
constantly moving,
00:22:51.57\00:22:54.50
and life picks up
where you meet somebody.
00:22:54.54\00:22:57.94
So this is what
Shelley was saying,
00:22:57.97\00:22:59.57
you know, you're
both just a neat couple,
00:22:59.61\00:23:03.98
a loving couple,
a helping couple.
00:23:04.01\00:23:06.31
And that's the
people that always knew.
00:23:06.35\00:23:08.85
So it's kind of interesting,
00:23:08.88\00:23:10.55
you know, that there was
another couple out there.
00:23:10.59\00:23:15.82
And so, but I think
that, especially since,
00:23:15.86\00:23:20.20
wow, that's who you were.
00:23:20.23\00:23:22.76
Now, you start
looking at consistency.
00:23:22.80\00:23:25.77
We gauge things by consistency.
00:23:25.80\00:23:28.80
And I mean, you've been
here for five years now?
00:23:28.84\00:23:30.17
Six.
00:23:30.21\00:23:31.54
Six years, and you've
been continually consistent.
00:23:31.57\00:23:35.94
So you can't
picture anything else.
00:23:35.98\00:23:38.21
With you, I
mean, with you, I mean,
00:23:38.25\00:23:40.98
this kind of like
because of your consistent
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.92
and your walk with the Lord,
this is who you have become.
00:23:42.95\00:23:48.52
And then you just add
tweaking on top of it,
00:23:48.56\00:23:51.13
and it's gonna be interesting,
00:23:51.16\00:23:52.99
should the Lord tarry
00:23:53.03\00:23:56.00
how this end of
the story is gonna end.
00:23:56.03\00:23:58.43
There's a scripture in here
00:23:58.47\00:23:59.80
and you kind of touch
on a little bit, Shelley,
00:23:59.83\00:24:02.07
concept that when He
blots out your transgressions
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.44
and when people
actually realize,
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.68
and I had a lady on prayer line,
00:24:06.71\00:24:08.04
she's in her
late 70s, early 80s.
00:24:08.08\00:24:09.88
And I said, "You realize,
00:24:09.91\00:24:11.25
if you confess your
sin and repented of it,
00:24:11.28\00:24:13.28
Jesus takes His blood
00:24:13.31\00:24:14.65
and He smears it
over your record.
00:24:14.68\00:24:16.25
It's wiped out. It's gone."
00:24:16.28\00:24:17.62
She said, "Are you telling
me that's gone, it's on record?"
00:24:17.65\00:24:20.26
As you talked about
expunge, and she's just like,
00:24:20.29\00:24:23.26
"Oh my goodness, I feel so free.
00:24:23.29\00:24:24.99
I haven't seen it before."
00:24:25.03\00:24:26.53
She is in 70s...
00:24:26.56\00:24:27.90
Praise the Lord.
00:24:27.93\00:24:29.26
I think they call
that the good news.
00:24:29.30\00:24:31.13
Yes, very good news.
00:24:31.17\00:24:33.97
Amen.
00:24:34.00\00:24:35.60
When you were talking
about the prodigal son
00:24:35.64\00:24:39.77
and his brother who
stayed, you know, this brother,
00:24:39.81\00:24:46.55
and you were the
prodigal in the church.
00:24:46.58\00:24:48.88
He was really a prodigal
00:24:48.92\00:24:50.39
in the home of the
father, was he not?
00:24:50.42\00:24:52.65
That reminds me
of the lady who said,
00:24:52.69\00:24:55.32
"I've always gone to church.
00:24:55.36\00:24:56.69
I've never broken
any of the Big Ten."
00:24:56.73\00:24:59.86
She actually said,
00:24:59.89\00:25:01.23
"What's the big
deal about Jesus?"
00:25:01.26\00:25:05.30
And so this is,
00:25:05.33\00:25:08.30
I think when people
who are in the church
00:25:08.34\00:25:11.34
and think that church
going is gonna save them,
00:25:11.37\00:25:14.44
nothing saves you
except the blood of Jesus.
00:25:14.48\00:25:16.44
Or taking a step
further, what's powerful is,
00:25:16.48\00:25:19.75
you have those
who are in the church,
00:25:19.78\00:25:21.12
they're in the Father's house.
00:25:21.15\00:25:23.12
All the while they have one
leg in the world and they think
00:25:23.15\00:25:26.12
that the Father's not
going to notice their departure.
00:25:26.15\00:25:29.62
And that was me, that was me.
00:25:29.66\00:25:31.13
I would show up on
Sunday, I was the drummer.
00:25:31.16\00:25:33.26
I was up on stage
playing the drums,
00:25:33.29\00:25:35.30
singing the pray, leading
out in praise and worship.
00:25:35.33\00:25:37.83
You know, I was
helpful in classes,
00:25:37.87\00:25:40.37
you know, teaching and all that.
00:25:40.40\00:25:41.87
And then on weekends, you know,
00:25:41.90\00:25:43.44
I was out playing for the devil,
00:25:43.47\00:25:45.34
living a life.
00:25:45.37\00:25:46.71
That's amazing.
00:25:46.74\00:25:48.08
And justifying.
00:25:48.11\00:25:49.44
Yeah, all the
while thinking I'm saved.
00:25:49.48\00:25:51.91
Okay, so we have established,
00:25:51.95\00:25:54.48
there is no if
ands or buts about it,
00:25:54.52\00:25:56.82
that God is the
God of New Beginnings.
00:25:56.85\00:25:59.22
We've all experienced,
00:25:59.25\00:26:00.76
and we hope at home
00:26:00.79\00:26:03.32
that you have
experienced it as well.
00:26:03.36\00:26:05.39
If you haven't,
we want to talk about
00:26:05.43\00:26:07.76
how can we
receive a new beginning.
00:26:07.80\00:26:11.30
And, first of all,
00:26:11.33\00:26:12.83
we just have to
accept it by faith.
00:26:12.87\00:26:15.50
You pray, acknowledge your need
00:26:15.54\00:26:18.01
for a savior.
00:26:18.04\00:26:19.47
And just as God,
00:26:19.51\00:26:21.58
you can't even turn away
00:26:21.61\00:26:23.35
from your sins
by your own power.
00:26:23.38\00:26:24.95
Acts 5:32 says,
00:26:24.98\00:26:26.68
"God gives us the
gift of repentance."
00:26:26.72\00:26:29.88
So you ask Christ to
come into your heart,
00:26:29.92\00:26:33.12
be filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:26:33.15\00:26:35.42
and to give you
the power to repent.
00:26:35.46\00:26:38.13
And I'll tell a quick story.
00:26:38.16\00:26:40.30
My sister was gang raped
when she was 13 years old,
00:26:40.33\00:26:46.74
messed her little
head up pretty badly.
00:26:46.77\00:26:49.64
But anyway, she
ended up on drugs.
00:26:49.67\00:26:52.27
And I prayed for
that child for 15.
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.34
She says 20 years but
I remember, 15 of them.
00:26:54.38\00:26:59.98
I prayed so hard for her
and she came to live with us
00:27:00.02\00:27:03.42
when we'd first been married.
00:27:03.45\00:27:05.82
And because she was coming out,
00:27:05.85\00:27:09.89
you know, we'd sent
her the plane tickets.
00:27:09.92\00:27:11.99
She was coming out of
this horrible lifestyle,
00:27:12.03\00:27:17.17
and poor JD, he
was a nervous wreck.
00:27:17.20\00:27:20.84
And it was
enough to make anybody
00:27:20.87\00:27:22.20
a nervous wreck,
00:27:22.24\00:27:23.57
but we'd take
her to church with us
00:27:23.61\00:27:25.37
and I would pray with
her at night and talk to her,
00:27:25.41\00:27:31.05
catch her shooting
up in the bathroom.
00:27:31.08\00:27:34.15
I mean, we were arm
wrestling with this syringe,
00:27:34.18\00:27:38.99
and then she left
00:27:39.02\00:27:41.22
and went to live with my mother.
00:27:41.26\00:27:42.82
And she called me two
weeks after she got there.
00:27:42.86\00:27:45.09
You know what she said,
00:27:45.13\00:27:46.66
"I know that, I know that,
00:27:46.70\00:27:48.03
I know I'll
never do drugs again."
00:27:48.06\00:27:49.86
I said, "How you know?"
00:27:49.90\00:27:52.40
I mean, she'd been, you know,
00:27:52.43\00:27:56.44
she'd been through
several rehab programs.
00:27:56.47\00:27:58.51
Nothing ever worked.
00:27:58.54\00:28:00.38
And I said, "How do you know?"
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.08
She said, "I just went out
in the backyard last night,
00:28:02.11\00:28:04.35
looked up at the stars and said,
00:28:04.38\00:28:06.45
'Okay, Lord, if it's
true what my sister says,
00:28:06.48\00:28:08.75
all I have to do is tell you
that I recognize I'm a sinner.
00:28:08.78\00:28:14.79
I need a savior, and Jesus,
You'll come live in my heart,
00:28:14.82\00:28:19.13
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
00:28:19.16\00:28:20.50
fill me with Your Spirit.
00:28:20.53\00:28:21.93
Give me the power to
turn away from this.'"
00:28:21.96\00:28:24.77
Did you know?
00:28:24.80\00:28:27.04
God healed her.
00:28:27.07\00:28:28.40
I mean, she was
doing cocaine and heroin,
00:28:28.44\00:28:30.74
shooting up together.
00:28:30.77\00:28:32.44
I mean, hardball,
speedball or whatever.
00:28:32.47\00:28:36.38
God delivered her and for,
until the day of her death,
00:28:36.41\00:28:40.68
she had not done drugs
again, after all of this.
00:28:40.72\00:28:44.09
So you can
receive a new beginning.
00:28:44.12\00:28:46.89
Now Cheri Peters always
says, "I hate that story."
00:28:46.92\00:28:49.89
And I said, "What do you mean?"
00:28:49.92\00:28:51.26
And she said, "Well,
with me it was day by day,"
00:28:51.29\00:28:53.80
but God knows what we need.
00:28:53.83\00:28:55.70
So let's talk about
00:28:55.73\00:28:57.57
being born again and
giving the new heart.
00:28:57.60\00:29:00.64
Why don't you hit that
one on those two points?
00:29:00.67\00:29:04.61
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
00:29:04.64\00:29:10.15
he is a new creation."
00:29:10.18\00:29:12.25
Praise the Lord.
00:29:12.28\00:29:13.62
"Old things have passed away,
00:29:13.65\00:29:15.68
behold all
things have become new."
00:29:15.72\00:29:18.19
Wow. You know...
00:29:18.22\00:29:19.55
Let me stop and ask you.
00:29:19.59\00:29:21.59
How often do you
feel like everything's new
00:29:21.62\00:29:24.33
and all the old is passed away?
00:29:24.36\00:29:26.46
Oh, my, I feel
like Paul in Romans 7,
00:29:26.49\00:29:28.80
the things I don't want to
do, I always do little things.
00:29:28.83\00:29:31.23
Man, what a wretch I am.
00:29:31.27\00:29:33.77
I know, I mean, you
gotta remember Romans 4:17
00:29:33.80\00:29:36.60
that God is the God
who gives life to the dead
00:29:36.64\00:29:39.27
and calls sins that are not
as though they already were.
00:29:39.31\00:29:41.51
In Romans 8:1. Yeah.
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.14
"Therefore there
is no condemnation
00:29:43.18\00:29:45.58
for those who are in walk."
00:29:45.61\00:29:46.95
Amen.
00:29:46.98\00:29:48.32
Because, you know, this
is what God is telling us
00:29:48.35\00:29:50.85
when you're in Christ,
00:29:50.89\00:29:52.75
when you accept
Christ as your Savior,
00:29:52.79\00:29:55.69
you become a child of God.
00:29:55.72\00:29:58.93
He's adopting you.
00:29:58.96\00:30:00.56
In His eyes, He's seeing you
00:30:00.60\00:30:04.20
with the robe of
righteousness of Christ, right?
00:30:04.23\00:30:07.24
So let's talk
about the new heart.
00:30:07.27\00:30:09.24
Let me bring something
tonight before we move on.
00:30:09.27\00:30:12.14
I learned this along
whenever I had a 51 Ford,
00:30:12.17\00:30:16.14
a flathead 51 Ford, I took
a beautiful car, messed it up.
00:30:16.18\00:30:21.45
It's nice you need to
hear it, that's another day.
00:30:21.48\00:30:23.72
But I learned
something with that old 51 Ford,
00:30:23.75\00:30:26.62
it had a great
big back windshield.
00:30:26.65\00:30:29.42
And then I had the
rearview mirror a pair.
00:30:29.46\00:30:32.23
And I've probably
spent half of my life
00:30:32.26\00:30:34.10
as I'm driving down the road,
00:30:34.13\00:30:36.20
look in that rearview mirror
and see what was behind me.
00:30:36.23\00:30:38.77
Now how come I
did that I don't know,
00:30:38.80\00:30:41.27
but I learned a valuable lesson.
00:30:41.30\00:30:43.64
And I talked to
people quite often
00:30:43.67\00:30:46.24
that they want to do this.
00:30:46.27\00:30:48.94
They want a
change in their life,
00:30:48.98\00:30:51.35
but they've got their
eye on that rearview mirror
00:30:51.38\00:30:53.31
because they haven't
quite made that total change.
00:30:53.35\00:30:56.99
And so my
challenge to you out there
00:30:57.02\00:31:00.19
is if you're concentrating
00:31:00.22\00:31:01.56
on that rearview
mirror too much, take it out.
00:31:01.59\00:31:06.09
You don't need to harbor
on the things of yesteryear.
00:31:06.13\00:31:09.43
Isaiah 43:18 and 19.
00:31:09.46\00:31:12.23
I would like to
kind of, I guess,
00:31:12.27\00:31:15.47
also add to what
you're saying is the fact
00:31:15.50\00:31:17.41
that I think
sometimes, you know,
00:31:17.44\00:31:20.04
like we always
talking about having a balance
00:31:20.08\00:31:21.94
is acknowledging
where we came from
00:31:21.98\00:31:23.85
not forgetting
where we came from,
00:31:23.88\00:31:25.48
and what God
brought us from to use that,
00:31:25.51\00:31:27.98
you know, to see how much
the work that He's done in us.
00:31:28.02\00:31:32.25
And, you know,
00:31:32.29\00:31:33.62
sometimes I think
it's kind of like,
00:31:33.66\00:31:35.36
we can get so far
away from where we were
00:31:35.39\00:31:37.36
that we forget how
to relate to people.
00:31:37.39\00:31:39.76
And I think that's a
danger to that, you know,
00:31:39.79\00:31:42.36
if we forget that, we
don't want to dwell there,
00:31:42.40\00:31:44.83
but we don't want
to forget it either.
00:31:44.87\00:31:46.43
That's kind of like part
of, you know, who we are.
00:31:46.47\00:31:48.74
It's a testimony.
00:31:48.77\00:31:50.11
And that's where
Romans 8:1 comes in.
00:31:50.14\00:31:52.17
It's when, if you're
looking back at the past,
00:31:52.21\00:31:56.95
and dwelling on the past
with shame and condemnation,
00:31:56.98\00:32:01.05
you know, that's not God's will,
00:32:01.08\00:32:02.42
I mean, you're not accepting
and receiving His forgiveness.
00:32:02.45\00:32:06.09
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:06.12\00:32:07.46
And that's where you...
00:32:07.49\00:32:08.82
Like you said, when
you're just focused on that...
00:32:08.86\00:32:10.83
Now what you're talking about,
00:32:10.86\00:32:12.36
everybody needs to look up now
00:32:12.39\00:32:14.80
and then make sure my
pet peeve is a tailgater,
00:32:14.83\00:32:20.40
you know, 'cause I know
how dangerous tailgate is.
00:32:20.44\00:32:23.10
So I will check my
mirror from time to time,
00:32:23.14\00:32:25.74
and I had a guy the other day
00:32:25.77\00:32:27.28
that was like 3
feet away from me.
00:32:27.31\00:32:29.58
So I kind of sped up, I
saw a place and I pulled off,
00:32:29.61\00:32:32.38
and I just let
him go around because,
00:32:32.41\00:32:34.12
I mean, it's amazing
00:32:34.15\00:32:35.78
how to get to, you
know, gain two seconds.
00:32:35.82\00:32:38.65
They're just...
00:32:38.69\00:32:40.02
But we do need to look
back every now and then
00:32:40.06\00:32:43.22
and use that as our testimony.
00:32:43.26\00:32:44.66
Especially in Southern Illinois
'cause we like a lot of places,
00:32:44.69\00:32:47.10
there's deer everywhere
when we're going home.
00:32:47.13\00:32:49.96
Boy, you know, it
scares me because,
00:32:50.00\00:32:51.57
you know, you're just taking,
00:32:51.60\00:32:52.93
going down the
road at normal speed
00:32:52.97\00:32:54.70
and people right behind you
00:32:54.74\00:32:56.24
and you slam your brakes on
00:32:56.27\00:32:58.97
because there's a deer
runs out in front of you.
00:32:59.01\00:33:01.24
And I probably
never in a million years
00:33:01.28\00:33:02.94
thought about that, pay
attention to consequences.
00:33:02.98\00:33:05.48
Amen.
00:33:05.51\00:33:06.85
Both the ends
like comes to my mind,
00:33:06.88\00:33:08.22
we're talking
about this looking behind
00:33:08.25\00:33:09.58
and not looking
beyond, Philippians 3:12 says,
00:33:09.62\00:33:11.85
"Not as though I
had already attained,
00:33:11.89\00:33:14.12
either we're already perfect,
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.49
but I follow after if
that I may apprehend that
00:33:15.52\00:33:17.99
which also I am apprehend
of Christ Jesus brother,
00:33:18.03\00:33:20.86
and I count not
myself to have apprehended.
00:33:20.90\00:33:23.16
But this one thing,
00:33:23.20\00:33:24.53
I do for getting those
things which are behind
00:33:24.57\00:33:26.47
and reaching forth under
those things which are before,
00:33:26.50\00:33:29.57
I press toward
the mark of the prize
00:33:29.60\00:33:31.11
of the high calling
of God and Christ Jesus."
00:33:31.14\00:33:33.34
Amen.
00:33:33.38\00:33:34.71
Pressing forward, I
think that's important,
00:33:34.74\00:33:36.78
you know, because
you can stay stagnant.
00:33:36.81\00:33:39.81
What is your
relationship with Christ
00:33:39.85\00:33:41.18
and if you're just
always focused on the past
00:33:41.22\00:33:43.25
all the time,
you've got to move forward.
00:33:43.28\00:33:46.22
Let's get into...
00:33:46.25\00:33:47.59
I mean, this new beginning,
when you make this prayer,
00:33:47.62\00:33:53.26
God doesn't expect
us, you know, as you read,
00:33:53.29\00:33:56.33
He said that
we're saved by grace
00:33:56.36\00:33:58.53
not by works that
anyone should boast.
00:33:58.57\00:34:00.94
But then He went on to say,
for we are God's workmanship.
00:34:00.97\00:34:05.81
We are His work of art,
00:34:05.84\00:34:08.84
created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
00:34:08.88\00:34:12.05
which God had
prepared beforehand.
00:34:12.08\00:34:14.15
So this new beginning,
00:34:14.18\00:34:16.99
sometimes I think
people think that,
00:34:17.02\00:34:19.19
"Okay, yeah, I do
want to follow Jesus."
00:34:19.22\00:34:22.22
They say that prayer,
and then they struggle.
00:34:22.26\00:34:26.09
But God will
give us a new heart.
00:34:26.13\00:34:28.43
This is God's work, we
just have to cooperate.
00:34:28.46\00:34:31.30
So let's talk about
Ezekiel 36:26 and 27 'cause...
00:34:31.33\00:34:38.27
Why don't you take that, Jason?
00:34:38.31\00:34:40.08
Okay.
00:34:40.11\00:34:42.01
Ezekiel 36:26 and 27.
00:34:42.04\00:34:46.51
Okay.
00:34:46.55\00:34:47.88
"I will give you a new heart
00:34:47.92\00:34:49.25
and put a new spirit within you.
00:34:49.28\00:34:51.02
I will take the heart of stone,
00:34:51.05\00:34:52.55
that old hardened
heart out of your flesh
00:34:52.59\00:34:55.22
and give you a heart of flesh
00:34:55.26\00:34:59.13
sensitive in
responsive to God's touch.
00:34:59.16\00:35:03.70
So we can live in obedience.
00:35:03.73\00:35:05.83
I will put my spirit within you
00:35:05.87\00:35:07.54
and cause you to
walk in my statutes,
00:35:07.57\00:35:10.21
and you will keep my
judgments and do them."
00:35:10.24\00:35:12.91
So this is a new
covenant promise.
00:35:12.94\00:35:14.98
Of course.
00:35:15.01\00:35:16.34
And God is saying, I'm
gonna give you a new heart.
00:35:16.38\00:35:19.58
You know what?
00:35:19.61\00:35:20.95
I even, I found
myself praying for that,
00:35:20.98\00:35:23.89
a few weeks back.
00:35:23.92\00:35:25.49
I just woke up one more...
00:35:25.52\00:35:27.19
No, actually I was
going to bed one night.
00:35:27.22\00:35:29.16
And I'm just,
Lord, I need a new heart.
00:35:29.19\00:35:32.06
I've just had, I've
just been apathetic,
00:35:32.09\00:35:34.16
the last couple of
weeks, just reach down here,
00:35:34.20\00:35:37.57
do a heart transformation on me.
00:35:37.60\00:35:40.30
And, you know, just
because we're on TV...
00:35:40.34\00:35:43.34
I'm gonna share
something with you.
00:35:43.37\00:35:46.04
You can get so busy
00:35:46.07\00:35:48.21
in the Lord's
business that you...
00:35:48.24\00:35:51.35
You know, I talk
with pastors all the time.
00:35:51.38\00:35:54.18
One pastor we interviewed quit
and 12 years later came back.
00:35:54.22\00:35:59.62
But he said, I
still given good sermons,
00:35:59.65\00:36:04.13
according to my
congregation, great sermons,
00:36:04.16\00:36:07.40
but he did not
have the personal time
00:36:07.43\00:36:09.73
with the Lord.
00:36:09.76\00:36:11.10
And so we all have
to keep that finger
00:36:11.13\00:36:13.60
on our spiritual pulse.
00:36:13.64\00:36:15.67
And this is something that
00:36:15.70\00:36:18.41
when you think
about this new heart,
00:36:18.44\00:36:20.88
I love verse 27.
00:36:20.91\00:36:23.48
Read, read that
again, honey, verse 27.
00:36:23.51\00:36:26.41
It says that, "I
will put my spirit
00:36:26.45\00:36:28.15
within you and cause
you to walk in my statute."
00:36:28.18\00:36:30.92
Oh, I'm glad that
you emphasize that.
00:36:30.95\00:36:34.82
See, God will cause us to be
00:36:34.86\00:36:39.63
what He has called us to be.
00:36:39.66\00:36:44.43
It's God working in us to will
and to do His good pleasure.
00:36:44.47\00:36:47.44
Right. I think...
00:36:47.47\00:36:49.10
I think that sometimes
when people say that prayer,
00:36:49.14\00:36:51.57
asking Christ into their life,
00:36:51.61\00:36:53.78
and I think that
sometimes after they pray that,
00:36:53.81\00:36:58.25
they still try and do
things in their own strength.
00:36:58.28\00:37:00.32
And they take matters
00:37:00.35\00:37:01.68
into their own
hands and they try.
00:37:01.72\00:37:03.39
And so when they do
that, they fail, they fall.
00:37:03.42\00:37:07.26
And so that right there
00:37:07.29\00:37:11.86
just tells us,
you know, it is God,
00:37:11.89\00:37:14.60
it is Christ
that will work in us.
00:37:14.63\00:37:17.37
I like that. Pardon.
00:37:17.40\00:37:18.73
I'm sorry.
00:37:18.77\00:37:20.10
It's kind of like
having training wheels.
00:37:20.14\00:37:21.47
Yeah.
00:37:21.50\00:37:22.84
He's causing you.
00:37:22.87\00:37:24.21
That's right.
00:37:24.24\00:37:25.57
Because you get in
the habit of doing that,
00:37:25.61\00:37:27.44
then it becomes who you are.
00:37:27.48\00:37:29.24
That goes back
to that consistency
00:37:29.28\00:37:30.91
that I was
talking about while ago.
00:37:30.95\00:37:32.51
Amen.
00:37:32.55\00:37:33.88
Amen.
00:37:33.92\00:37:36.22
Verse 26 that Jason
read in that version,
00:37:36.25\00:37:40.96
the version of the
Bible at the end of that,
00:37:40.99\00:37:43.53
it says sensitive and
responsive to God's touch.
00:37:43.56\00:37:47.16
And I like that because it's,
00:37:47.20\00:37:49.76
it really does describe
the attitude that our hearts
00:37:49.80\00:37:53.37
should have is sensitive
and responsive to his touch.
00:37:53.40\00:37:58.11
So it's only the new heart
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:37:58.14\00:38:01.58
that can be
sensitive to him, right?
00:38:01.61\00:38:04.51
So if the Holy
Spirit is in us...
00:38:04.55\00:38:10.72
So, you know, what in Jesus...
00:38:10.75\00:38:12.85
When God came down
00:38:12.89\00:38:14.39
and became a man,
I mean, some of us...
00:38:14.42\00:38:18.06
I think some people think
about, oh, the little God's,
00:38:18.09\00:38:22.26
Son of God came
down to become a man.
00:38:22.30\00:38:24.53
No, God came
down to become a man,
00:38:24.57\00:38:27.50
to become the Son of God, right?
00:38:27.54\00:38:29.74
So when He came here,
00:38:29.77\00:38:32.87
what did He take back to heaven
00:38:32.91\00:38:36.24
that He didn't
have when He arrived?
00:38:36.28\00:38:39.71
Humanity.
00:38:39.75\00:38:41.32
Flesh.
00:38:41.35\00:38:42.68
Flesh.
00:38:42.72\00:38:44.09
So if He's in the flesh,
00:38:44.12\00:38:47.09
He can't actually
dwell in our hearts
00:38:47.12\00:38:50.16
except by faith, right?
00:38:50.19\00:38:52.73
It's by the Holy
Spirit because if the Father,
00:38:52.76\00:38:56.00
the Son and the
Spirit are the same,
00:38:56.03\00:38:57.83
it's by the Spirit.
00:38:57.87\00:38:59.20
So let's look...
00:38:59.23\00:39:00.57
Honey, why don't you
read, Ephesians 3:16-20?
00:39:00.60\00:39:05.61
"He would grant you
00:39:05.64\00:39:06.98
according to the
riches of His glory,
00:39:07.01\00:39:09.84
to be strengthened
with my through the Spirit
00:39:09.88\00:39:12.05
in the inner man."
00:39:12.08\00:39:13.42
So how are we
strengthened with might?
00:39:13.45\00:39:15.32
By the Spirit.
00:39:15.35\00:39:16.69
By the Holy Spirit.
00:39:16.72\00:39:18.05
Through His Spirit in us.
00:39:18.09\00:39:19.42
Amen.
00:39:19.45\00:39:20.79
That Christ may dwell in
your heart through faith...
00:39:20.82\00:39:22.16
Whoo!
00:39:22.19\00:39:23.53
There's the thing.
00:39:23.56\00:39:24.89
It's when the Spirit is in you,
that Christ is in you by faith.
00:39:24.93\00:39:30.67
That's right.
00:39:30.70\00:39:32.03
That you being
rooted and grounded in love,
00:39:32.07\00:39:35.44
may be able to comprehend
00:39:35.47\00:39:36.91
with all the
saints what is the width,
00:39:36.94\00:39:39.04
the length, the
depth, and the height.
00:39:39.07\00:39:41.74
To know the love of Christ,
00:39:41.78\00:39:43.24
which passes
knowledge that you may be filled
00:39:43.28\00:39:46.92
with all the fullness of God,
00:39:46.95\00:39:49.32
and now to him who is able to do
00:39:49.35\00:39:51.12
exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think,
00:39:51.15\00:39:54.82
according to the
power that works in us.
00:39:54.86\00:39:58.59
It's a bunch.
00:39:58.63\00:39:59.96
It is.
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.33
That's right.
00:40:01.36\00:40:02.70
You know, I think of, you know,
00:40:02.73\00:40:04.07
someone who may be watching
this program at home right now.
00:40:04.10\00:40:06.53
And they're thinking
to themselves, you know,
00:40:06.57\00:40:07.90
all of this sounds great
and all but I'm too far gone.
00:40:07.94\00:40:12.41
I'm too far gone, I'm too,
00:40:12.44\00:40:14.51
too much drowned in
my current situation
00:40:14.54\00:40:17.18
that there's no
turning back for me and,
00:40:17.21\00:40:19.08
and I just want
to encourage everyone
00:40:19.11\00:40:20.72
who's watching at home,
00:40:20.75\00:40:22.08
and anyone who
may watch this program
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.32
that it's never too late.
00:40:24.35\00:40:25.99
There's just too
many biblical examples
00:40:26.02\00:40:27.56
of people who were
drenched in their sin,
00:40:27.59\00:40:29.99
who were living
a life of sin, who,
00:40:30.03\00:40:31.86
some people might
say they're too far gone.
00:40:31.89\00:40:34.46
And what we see is
00:40:34.50\00:40:35.83
when they have an encounter
with Jesus, things change.
00:40:35.86\00:40:39.03
And I just, I wrote
down just a few examples,
00:40:39.07\00:40:40.87
as I was brainstorming, as
I was studying through this.
00:40:40.90\00:40:43.24
You know, I
think of the demoniac
00:40:43.27\00:40:44.97
that Jesus had
an encounter with.
00:40:45.01\00:40:46.51
I mean, that's about as far gone
00:40:46.54\00:40:48.34
as you could possibly imagine.
00:40:48.38\00:40:49.84
This guy is full
of not just one demon,
00:40:49.88\00:40:52.71
maybe not two or three
but a legion of demons.
00:40:52.75\00:40:56.15
So much that this brother
comes storming down the hill
00:40:56.18\00:40:58.99
as Christ is
getting out of the boat,
00:40:59.02\00:41:01.39
almost in an
attempt to maybe attack
00:41:01.42\00:41:03.29
as he had everyone
else who would pass through.
00:41:03.32\00:41:05.56
But when he had an
encounter with Jesus, that's it.
00:41:05.59\00:41:09.80
And it's amazing because
00:41:09.83\00:41:11.17
when you read
that story, you know,
00:41:11.20\00:41:12.93
he's coming at him in
a demonic way at first.
00:41:12.97\00:41:14.97
And then when he banishes
those demons out of them,
00:41:15.00\00:41:17.87
the response of the
people versus this demoniac,
00:41:17.91\00:41:21.31
the people who didn't
have all these demons,
00:41:21.34\00:41:23.68
they're the ones
saying, Jesus get out of here.
00:41:23.71\00:41:25.71
And that yet this man
is at Jesus' feet saying,
00:41:25.75\00:41:27.58
please take me with You.
00:41:27.62\00:41:29.58
You know, that's
what we would call
00:41:29.62\00:41:31.32
a radical transformation.
00:41:31.35\00:41:33.76
And so and sometimes
00:41:33.79\00:41:35.12
it's a quick
transformation for some,
00:41:35.16\00:41:37.19
sometimes, you know,
it's a fight, it's a struggle,
00:41:37.23\00:41:40.13
but I think if you know,
00:41:40.16\00:41:41.50
I think of
another one like Mary,
00:41:41.53\00:41:42.86
Mary Magdalene who
was caught in adultery.
00:41:42.90\00:41:44.77
I mean, she struggled
with this all of her life,
00:41:44.80\00:41:47.24
and but yet she had
an encounter with Jesus.
00:41:47.27\00:41:50.01
And what did Jesus
tell her? You know what?
00:41:50.04\00:41:51.97
I don't condemn you,
but, hey, go and sin no more.
00:41:52.01\00:41:54.88
And we see a
radical transformation
00:41:54.91\00:41:57.48
in her life from
that point forward.
00:41:57.51\00:41:59.31
I think of the Ethiopian
eunuch in Acts Chapter 8.
00:41:59.35\00:42:02.32
I mean, this guy, you
know, he's an Ethiopian,
00:42:02.35\00:42:04.45
he's from a country
00:42:04.49\00:42:06.25
and an area steeped in paganism.
00:42:06.29\00:42:08.62
And he comes and
he has an encounter
00:42:08.66\00:42:10.33
with Christ in His Word,
encounter with the Holy Spirit.
00:42:10.36\00:42:13.96
And he walks away
changed, forever change.
00:42:14.00\00:42:16.26
And then, of course,
00:42:16.30\00:42:17.63
here's probably the champions
of all major conversions,
00:42:17.67\00:42:20.60
and that's Paul,
in Acts Chapter 9.
00:42:20.64\00:42:22.87
I mean, he thought he was,
00:42:22.90\00:42:25.57
he was living in sin
because he was basically,
00:42:25.61\00:42:29.68
as Paul himself says in
his own writings, he says,
00:42:29.71\00:42:32.38
"I once was a
blasphemer, a persecutor."
00:42:32.41\00:42:35.38
He was persecuting
people in the name of God.
00:42:35.42\00:42:38.29
A religious zealot. Yeah.
00:42:38.32\00:42:39.92
And so we see that
amazing transformation.
00:42:39.95\00:42:42.69
He's blinded in for
three days, he has this,
00:42:42.72\00:42:45.59
this amazing
experience with the Lord
00:42:45.63\00:42:47.60
in a blinded
state where the Lord
00:42:47.63\00:42:49.10
is able to
humble him and sometimes
00:42:49.13\00:42:51.37
we have to go
through that, I think.
00:42:51.40\00:42:53.80
And it may
sometimes for some of us,
00:42:53.84\00:42:55.47
be in a quick, you know,
00:42:55.50\00:42:57.51
almost instantaneous thing like
what you said with your sister,
00:42:57.54\00:43:00.08
you know, I said that prayer
and, you know, and then others,
00:43:00.11\00:43:03.58
you know, it's a
struggle, it's a fight.
00:43:03.61\00:43:06.08
But I think we have too
many biblical promises here,
00:43:06.11\00:43:09.78
where God has promised
us and said, "I'm there."
00:43:09.82\00:43:12.89
But I had to say this.
00:43:12.92\00:43:14.26
My sister never did drugs again.
00:43:14.29\00:43:16.36
But I watch, I mean, we
all, nobody just is like, okay,
00:43:16.39\00:43:21.23
this is it, we're there,
00:43:21.26\00:43:22.73
because my sister had a
very strong personality.
00:43:22.76\00:43:26.74
And I remember
being at her home once
00:43:26.77\00:43:28.97
and she was kind of
00:43:29.00\00:43:30.61
in a spiritual valley, I'll say.
00:43:30.64\00:43:34.41
And so, boy, I mean,
00:43:34.44\00:43:37.15
I felt like when
you're around her,
00:43:37.18\00:43:39.48
if she wasn't with
the Lord, it was like,
00:43:39.51\00:43:42.85
you are hit with a bulldozer,
the word I was thinking,
00:43:42.88\00:43:48.66
I mean, you just, you know,
00:43:48.69\00:43:50.09
so I am praying like everything,
00:43:50.13\00:43:52.13
you know what I said?
00:43:52.16\00:43:53.50
I said, "O Lord,
change her, change her.
00:43:53.53\00:43:55.83
She's just so overbearing.
00:43:55.86\00:43:58.43
She's so...
00:43:58.47\00:43:59.80
And you know what
the Lord said to me?"
00:43:59.83\00:44:01.60
He said, "I gave
her that personality.
00:44:01.64\00:44:03.54
That's what makes
her such a strong witness
00:44:03.57\00:44:07.01
when she is surrendered."
00:44:07.04\00:44:09.64
Yeah, and it is true.
00:44:09.68\00:44:11.85
When she, I mean,
00:44:11.88\00:44:13.25
it didn't take her 48
hours to be surrendered again.
00:44:13.28\00:44:16.58
And she was kind of like you.
00:44:16.62\00:44:19.75
I mean, she could approach
00:44:19.79\00:44:21.62
any stranger
anywhere and would...
00:44:21.66\00:44:25.19
She was constantly
witnessing for the Lord.
00:44:25.23\00:44:27.66
Wow. Amen.
00:44:27.70\00:44:29.20
Demoniac.
00:44:29.23\00:44:30.57
Yeah, yeah.
00:44:30.60\00:44:31.93
I was gonna, I
would like to go back
00:44:31.97\00:44:33.30
to what Ryan was talking about,
00:44:33.34\00:44:34.67
all those examples
that you shared to me,
00:44:34.70\00:44:36.17
like when I was a baby Christian
00:44:36.20\00:44:38.94
those what gave me hope
is reading these stories
00:44:38.97\00:44:41.48
about imperfect
people, that had problems,
00:44:41.51\00:44:44.48
that God still used
despite their issues.
00:44:44.51\00:44:47.45
And to me that's, that's hope,
you know, and because, I mean,
00:44:47.48\00:44:52.99
when I was a kid, I thought
God was a dictator, and...
00:44:53.02\00:44:59.13
And that's amazing because
00:44:59.16\00:45:00.50
when you look at
the Old Testament,
00:45:00.53\00:45:01.90
so many people, you know, again,
00:45:01.93\00:45:04.10
I've made them all the time.
00:45:04.13\00:45:05.47
In fact, I used to think
this because it was kind of
00:45:05.50\00:45:07.27
taught to me that the
God of the Old Testament
00:45:07.30\00:45:09.57
and the New Testament
are two different people,
00:45:09.60\00:45:11.87
that you see a God of grace
and love in the New Testament,
00:45:11.91\00:45:14.71
but you see a God of, you know,
00:45:14.74\00:45:16.28
of harsh vengeance and judgment.
00:45:16.31\00:45:18.98
But I, as I have come to
know God through His Word,
00:45:19.01\00:45:22.48
I'm like you, I see,
00:45:22.52\00:45:24.09
I see a God of
compassion in the Old Testament,
00:45:24.12\00:45:26.45
I see that same love
00:45:26.49\00:45:28.06
being put on
display all the way through.
00:45:28.09\00:45:30.33
Yeah.
00:45:30.36\00:45:31.69
Man, he is the, sick.
00:45:31.73\00:45:33.06
That is a mystery
of life right there,
00:45:33.09\00:45:35.06
trying to explain all of that.
00:45:35.10\00:45:36.63
I think that when
you touch on that,
00:45:36.67\00:45:38.00
you know, the Lord impressed me.
00:45:38.03\00:45:39.60
I studied some
scripture, John 1:18.
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.80
It says, "No man has
seen God at any one time."
00:45:41.84\00:45:43.77
Yeah.
00:45:43.81\00:45:45.14
Adam was a man.
00:45:45.17\00:45:46.51
So who did he see
when he opened his eyes?
00:45:46.54\00:45:48.08
He saw Jesus.
00:45:48.11\00:45:49.44
So if you see Jesus
in the very beginning
00:45:49.48\00:45:50.81
of the Old Testament,
00:45:50.85\00:45:52.18
you'll see Him
all the way through,
00:45:52.21\00:45:53.55
you're going to
realize who God is,
00:45:53.58\00:45:55.15
and I think that's powerful.
00:45:55.18\00:45:56.82
But I do want to make
this comment right here,
00:45:56.85\00:45:58.72
talking about
the people that are,
00:45:58.75\00:46:02.42
that think that
they're not worthy.
00:46:02.46\00:46:05.16
That is probably the number
one life saving right there.
00:46:05.19\00:46:09.66
You know, just got,
00:46:09.70\00:46:11.33
you are worthy as
Shelley mentioned earlier,
00:46:11.37\00:46:13.47
worth nothing
less than the price
00:46:13.50\00:46:15.27
that He paid for you.
00:46:15.30\00:46:16.64
Amen. Yeah. Amen.
00:46:16.67\00:46:18.01
He puts a great value on us.
00:46:18.04\00:46:19.41
Okay, so, we're,
I kind of want to,
00:46:19.44\00:46:24.55
let's get to our third question.
00:46:24.58\00:46:26.11
We're going to
skip much of this.
00:46:26.15\00:46:28.35
But the bottom line is that,
00:46:28.38\00:46:30.59
you know,
Philippians 2:12-13 says,
00:46:30.62\00:46:33.56
"Work out your own salvation,"
00:46:33.59\00:46:35.22
Paul says, "in
fear and trembling."
00:46:35.26\00:46:36.89
I used to stop there and
my knees knocked, they did.
00:46:36.93\00:46:41.70
I was trying to be a
good girl for the Lord
00:46:41.73\00:46:44.27
trying to do
everything and I grew up
00:46:44.30\00:46:46.84
when you said like a tyrant.
00:46:46.87\00:46:48.80
I remember walking away
from the Lord once just saying,
00:46:48.84\00:46:52.41
I can't please you.
00:46:52.44\00:46:54.01
You know, you're too demanding.
00:46:54.04\00:46:56.54
No use even trying
because I was and I thought
00:46:56.58\00:47:00.02
that I was consigned
to eternal punishing,
00:47:00.05\00:47:05.75
I thought I was just
gonna, and I thought,
00:47:05.79\00:47:08.46
I may as well enjoy myself now.
00:47:08.49\00:47:10.39
Yeah, and torture
yourself, you would torture.
00:47:10.43\00:47:12.26
So yeah, but when
God got a hold of me,
00:47:12.29\00:47:18.87
you know Philippians
2:13 is one of my favorites,
00:47:18.90\00:47:22.34
that and this is
what he's saying, he says,
00:47:22.37\00:47:25.24
"Work out what God's put in you,
00:47:25.27\00:47:27.48
but not in your own power,"
00:47:27.51\00:47:29.44
because He continues to say,
00:47:29.48\00:47:31.15
"It is God who works in
you both to will and to do."
00:47:31.18\00:47:37.99
So first, He lines
our will up with His,
00:47:38.02\00:47:42.02
but then He
doesn't force us to act.
00:47:42.06\00:47:45.36
It's when we take a
step of faith, and we say,
00:47:45.39\00:47:47.96
"Yes, Lord, I want Your way."
00:47:48.00\00:47:50.00
We take one step of faith
00:47:50.03\00:47:51.83
and the power of
the Holy Spirit shows up
00:47:51.87\00:47:54.80
and He works in us to do.
00:47:54.84\00:47:57.54
That's right. Yeah.
00:47:57.57\00:47:58.91
So, Jason, if we sin
after being born again,
00:47:58.94\00:48:05.05
how can we be sure that
God gives us another chance?
00:48:05.08\00:48:07.98
Well, let's look
at 1 John 1:9 and see,
00:48:08.02\00:48:11.29
see what we can find out.
00:48:11.32\00:48:13.32
"If we confess our sins,
00:48:13.36\00:48:14.69
He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:48:14.72\00:48:17.29
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:48:17.33\00:48:21.26
All unrighteousness.
00:48:21.30\00:48:25.67
You know, when you think
00:48:25.70\00:48:27.04
about the price
that Christ paid,
00:48:27.07\00:48:29.70
why would He pay that
if He wouldn't forgive us
00:48:29.74\00:48:32.77
if we confessed
our sins and had been,
00:48:32.81\00:48:35.54
were genuine in our repentance?
00:48:35.58\00:48:38.85
You know, why
would He not forgive us?
00:48:38.88\00:48:41.28
And then when you
look at the word, if you,
00:48:41.32\00:48:44.55
if you don't believe that God
will forgive you of your sins
00:48:44.59\00:48:50.73
when you confess,
00:48:50.76\00:48:52.09
and then essentially
you're calling Him a liar.
00:48:52.13\00:48:54.33
'Cause the God that I
serve, He doesn't lie.
00:48:54.36\00:48:56.67
He's the same, He was
the same way back when,
00:48:56.70\00:49:01.00
He's the same a
couple years after that,
00:49:01.04\00:49:03.74
He's the same today
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.11
and He will be
the same tomorrow.
00:49:05.14\00:49:06.47
And He's
unchanging, He loves us so much.
00:49:06.51\00:49:09.14
You know with the
whole second chance thing,
00:49:09.18\00:49:11.85
He's standing there.
00:49:11.88\00:49:13.38
If you feel like
you've gone too far,
00:49:13.42\00:49:14.85
He's standing
there with open arms,
00:49:14.88\00:49:17.02
waiting, just come home,
just come home, just come home.
00:49:17.05\00:49:21.56
God wants a
relationship with everybody.
00:49:21.59\00:49:25.96
He wants to save as many
people as He possibly can.
00:49:25.99\00:49:28.33
That's right. Absolutely.
00:49:28.36\00:49:29.70
I mean, that's incredible.
00:49:29.73\00:49:31.07
That's the God of love. Amen.
00:49:31.10\00:49:32.43
Thinking of 1 John 2:1
goes right along with it.
00:49:32.47\00:49:35.40
It says, "My little children,
00:49:35.44\00:49:36.77
these things write I
unto you that you sin not.
00:49:36.81\00:49:39.91
And if any man sin,
00:49:39.94\00:49:41.28
we have an
advocate with the Father,
00:49:41.31\00:49:42.64
Jesus Christ the righteous."
00:49:42.68\00:49:44.05
Amen.
00:49:44.08\00:49:45.41
He stands on our
behalf. Praise the Lord.
00:49:45.45\00:49:46.78
He's good.
00:49:46.82\00:49:48.15
You know, go ahead.
00:49:48.18\00:49:49.52
No, go ahead.
00:49:49.55\00:49:50.89
Okay, I was thinking on
that same note, Proverbs 24:16.
00:49:50.92\00:49:53.96
Oh, yes.
00:49:53.99\00:49:55.32
Which says, "For a righteous men
00:49:55.36\00:49:56.69
may fall seven
times and rise again,
00:49:56.73\00:50:00.73
but the wicked
shall fall by calamity."
00:50:00.76\00:50:02.43
I love that scripture
because, you know, you can't.
00:50:02.46\00:50:05.10
It's interesting.
00:50:05.13\00:50:06.47
You can only fall
if you're standing.
00:50:06.50\00:50:09.04
If you're laying on
the ground, you know,
00:50:09.07\00:50:10.41
and a lot of
people do this, they,
00:50:10.44\00:50:12.61
in their walk with the Lord,
00:50:12.64\00:50:14.21
they struggle with
the battle of self,
00:50:14.24\00:50:16.01
welcome to the
club that's what I tell,
00:50:16.04\00:50:18.78
welcome to you all.
00:50:18.81\00:50:20.15
So we often find
ourselves and again,
00:50:20.18\00:50:21.95
this is no excuse for sin.
00:50:21.98\00:50:23.32
And we're certainly
not communicating that
00:50:23.35\00:50:24.89
because God
hates sin, He loves us.
00:50:24.92\00:50:28.32
But He hates the
sin and He wants to,
00:50:28.36\00:50:30.29
He wants to
purge us of that sin.
00:50:30.33\00:50:32.76
But He
understands that, you know,
00:50:32.79\00:50:34.56
He has patience with us, yes,
we're in a sanctifying process.
00:50:34.60\00:50:38.33
And so when we come to
Him, and we become born again,
00:50:38.37\00:50:40.90
because we're fully
converted to Him, there's times,
00:50:40.94\00:50:43.34
as a righteous man,
you're going to fall.
00:50:43.37\00:50:46.07
But when you
fall, here's the key,
00:50:46.11\00:50:47.44
don't stay down.
00:50:47.48\00:50:49.18
Because a lot of
people they get into that
00:50:49.21\00:50:50.55
perpetual state of,
00:50:50.58\00:50:51.91
"Oh, I fall, I've
fallen so many times.
00:50:51.95\00:50:53.95
Well, I'm just going to,
00:50:53.98\00:50:55.32
obviously I'm
losing this battle."
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.35
Then they see God
in a different light.
00:50:57.39\00:50:58.85
They see God as the devil
wants you to see Him, which is,
00:50:58.89\00:51:02.39
surely God is
disappointed in me so much
00:51:02.42\00:51:04.56
that He's just given up on me.
00:51:04.59\00:51:06.03
And so people stay
in that laying position.
00:51:06.06\00:51:08.53
And can you fall
in a laying position?
00:51:08.56\00:51:11.23
No, because
you've already fallen?
00:51:11.27\00:51:12.90
But if righteous
men may fall, notice,
00:51:12.93\00:51:15.00
seven times he rises
again, when you fall, quick,
00:51:15.04\00:51:18.51
be quick to repent,
00:51:18.54\00:51:19.94
flee to Him and
He will forgive you
00:51:19.97\00:51:22.41
if you are genuine
and you are sincere.
00:51:22.44\00:51:24.58
And I just want
to also add here,
00:51:24.61\00:51:26.78
because a lot of times,
00:51:26.82\00:51:28.58
and I think you guys
are all understanding
00:51:28.62\00:51:29.98
where I'm going with this.
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.35
And that is when you
ask this question sometimes,
00:51:31.39\00:51:32.95
if we sin after
being born again,
00:51:32.99\00:51:34.52
can we be sure that God gives us
00:51:34.56\00:51:35.99
another chance?
00:51:36.02\00:51:37.36
That absolutely,
00:51:37.39\00:51:38.73
that is true that He
does give us another chance,
00:51:38.76\00:51:40.80
but sometimes we may
hear a gospel that is false
00:51:40.83\00:51:45.77
that tells us
that you know what?
00:51:45.80\00:51:47.27
I was once saved way back here.
00:51:47.30\00:51:49.57
I got saved back in
19 whatever, and my sins,
00:51:49.60\00:51:53.27
and I actually
heard this the other day
00:51:53.31\00:51:54.64
because I saw
someone posted on Facebook,
00:51:54.68\00:51:56.01
my sins, past, present
and future are wiped away.
00:51:56.04\00:52:00.25
In other words, I
can sin, sin, sin.
00:52:00.28\00:52:01.82
In fact, this person
actually posted online.
00:52:01.85\00:52:04.02
I'm going to continue to
sin, sin, sin until Jesus comes,
00:52:04.05\00:52:06.96
because I can't help it.
00:52:06.99\00:52:08.32
Well, that's presumptuous
for one thing and number two,
00:52:08.36\00:52:12.09
what victory has God given you?
00:52:12.13\00:52:13.93
Right, right,
What victory, you know,
00:52:13.96\00:52:15.33
Jesus died for much
more than forgiveness.
00:52:15.36\00:52:18.00
And He will forgive us.
00:52:18.03\00:52:19.57
He does want to cleanse us.
00:52:19.60\00:52:21.07
But again with that He wants
to give us complete victory.
00:52:21.10\00:52:24.11
And the Bible says that He came
00:52:24.14\00:52:26.27
to destroy the
works of the devil.
00:52:26.31\00:52:29.41
Amen. Amen.
00:52:29.44\00:52:30.85
I think and we don't
have time to get into this,
00:52:30.88\00:52:33.38
but I'm just gonna say it.
00:52:33.42\00:52:34.78
I think that the
covenant narrative
00:52:34.82\00:52:38.85
has been so filled with
error, that people you know,
00:52:38.89\00:52:43.49
like in the old
covenant that people will say,
00:52:43.53\00:52:45.96
"Oh, it's a covenant of works."
00:52:45.99\00:52:47.33
No, no, no, no, it's
never been a covenant of words,
00:52:47.36\00:52:51.03
and it's a progressive covenant
that this everlasting gospel,
00:52:51.07\00:52:56.71
the Lamb who was slain
00:52:56.74\00:52:58.14
from the
foundation of the earth.
00:52:58.17\00:53:00.51
It's a progressive,
00:53:00.54\00:53:01.88
it just kind of
builds one on the other.
00:53:01.91\00:53:04.91
So, when Jesus said,
00:53:04.95\00:53:08.85
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:53:08.88\00:53:11.15
See, the whole idea of covenant
00:53:11.19\00:53:14.06
is that God
makes all the promises.
00:53:14.09\00:53:17.36
Then He says,
00:53:17.39\00:53:18.89
"You want to come
into covenant with Me.
00:53:18.93\00:53:20.53
I expect covenant loyalty.
00:53:20.56\00:53:23.13
I want you to love Me.
00:53:23.16\00:53:25.43
And you know, you
can't even love Me
00:53:25.47\00:53:26.84
with all your heart,
soul, mind and strength
00:53:26.87\00:53:29.70
unless I pour My
Holy Spirit into you,"
00:53:29.74\00:53:32.11
Romans 5:5.
00:53:32.14\00:53:33.51
You know, He shed a blood,
00:53:33.54\00:53:35.44
He fills us our
heart with the Holy Spirit.
00:53:35.48\00:53:38.21
So there's people who,
oh, I'm safe, but, you know,
00:53:38.25\00:53:41.65
I grew up not ever
hearing about grace.
00:53:41.68\00:53:44.45
I grew up in a
New Testament Church.
00:53:44.49\00:53:47.59
You think you'd
hear about grace?
00:53:47.62\00:53:49.02
No, I mean, it
was pretty legalistic.
00:53:49.06\00:53:55.86
And I never heard about grace,
00:53:55.90\00:53:58.60
had a love
affair with the Father.
00:53:58.63\00:54:00.44
I mean with Jesus,
scared to death of the Father,
00:54:00.47\00:54:04.64
because all I thought He
was going to do is watch me
00:54:04.67\00:54:07.11
and zap me and
throw me into hell.
00:54:07.14\00:54:11.21
And when I studied
my way out of that,
00:54:11.25\00:54:16.55
I got into this environment
00:54:16.58\00:54:18.45
where all of a
sudden it was grace,
00:54:18.49\00:54:19.85
grace and no obedience.
00:54:19.89\00:54:21.82
And I knew this
weren't right, as I'm reading.
00:54:21.86\00:54:24.56
And then it was when I just,
00:54:24.59\00:54:26.03
you know really
studied to the Lord,
00:54:26.06\00:54:27.83
understood grace that...
00:54:27.86\00:54:29.20
Good.
00:54:29.23\00:54:30.57
When you're finished,
00:54:30.60\00:54:31.93
I was going to share something
that kind of goes along
00:54:31.97\00:54:33.70
with everything
we're talking about.
00:54:33.74\00:54:35.60
There was a verse.
00:54:35.64\00:54:36.97
We read from Ephesians
earlier in Chapter 2 verse 21,
00:54:37.01\00:54:40.98
it reminded me of something
that we had read in devotional.
00:54:41.01\00:54:45.31
Anyway, it's Ephesians 2:21.
00:54:45.35\00:54:48.08
It says, "In
whom all the building
00:54:48.12\00:54:50.02
fitly framed together groweth
00:54:50.05\00:54:51.55
unto a holy temple in the Lord."
00:54:51.59\00:54:54.49
In whom, this is verse 22,
00:54:54.52\00:54:56.19
"In whom you also
are built it together
00:54:56.22\00:54:57.79
for the habitation of
God through the Spirit."
00:54:57.83\00:54:59.89
And it's that process
that He's building us.
00:54:59.93\00:55:02.43
And I have to share this too,
00:55:02.46\00:55:03.80
because this is
from the Faith I Live By,
00:55:03.83\00:55:05.63
this devotional
we've been going through.
00:55:05.67\00:55:08.60
It says, "Those
who refuse to be heed
00:55:08.64\00:55:10.21
by the prophets and
failed to purify their souls
00:55:10.24\00:55:12.47
and obeying the whole truth
and who are willing to believe
00:55:12.51\00:55:15.08
that their
condition is far better
00:55:15.11\00:55:16.91
than it really is,
00:55:16.95\00:55:18.28
will come up to the time
of the falling of the plagues,
00:55:18.31\00:55:21.12
and see that they,
00:55:21.15\00:55:22.48
they needed to be hued
and squared for the building."
00:55:22.52\00:55:25.15
And it's that, the
idea that God is, is on,
00:55:25.19\00:55:29.52
he's got us on that
journey of building us
00:55:29.56\00:55:32.23
so that we can be
indwelling for him.
00:55:32.26\00:55:34.76
And I just think that,
you know, it's kind of,
00:55:34.80\00:55:36.93
it's what he's
doing in each of our lives
00:55:36.97\00:55:38.87
as we let him hue us.
00:55:38.90\00:55:40.60
And it's a process.
00:55:40.64\00:55:41.97
It takes time.
00:55:42.00\00:55:43.34
How is it work?
00:55:43.37\00:55:44.71
Why don't you read Micah 7:7-9
00:55:44.74\00:55:46.47
because that goes with
the verse from Proverbs
00:55:46.51\00:55:48.58
that you've read that,
JD, why don't you read that?
00:55:48.61\00:55:51.88
Yes.
00:55:51.91\00:55:53.25
"Therefore I
will look to the Lord,
00:55:53.28\00:55:54.75
I will wait for the
God of my salvation.
00:55:54.78\00:55:57.39
And my God will hear me,
00:55:57.42\00:55:59.35
do not rejoice over me my enemy.
00:55:59.39\00:56:01.79
When I fall, I will arise
and when I sit in darkness,
00:56:01.82\00:56:04.69
the Lord will be a light to me.
00:56:04.73\00:56:06.80
I will bear the
indignation of the Lord
00:56:06.83\00:56:08.90
because I have
sinned against Him.
00:56:08.93\00:56:11.00
And until He pleads my case
and executes justice for me,
00:56:11.03\00:56:14.24
He will bring me
forth to the light
00:56:14.27\00:56:16.74
will see His righteousness."
00:56:16.77\00:56:18.27
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:56:18.31\00:56:20.11
Do not rejoice over me,
00:56:20.14\00:56:21.51
my enemy
because my God's mercies
00:56:21.54\00:56:24.25
are new every morning.
00:56:24.28\00:56:27.55
Great is His faithfulness.
00:56:27.58\00:56:29.45
He's running for us,
00:56:29.48\00:56:30.82
He's running to
us to embrace us.
00:56:30.85\00:56:33.19
And we just, oh
boy, we're right down,
00:56:33.22\00:56:36.12
just have to say this.
00:56:36.16\00:56:37.66
What a system.
00:56:37.69\00:56:39.03
Our judge Jesus
Christ is also our advocate,
00:56:39.06\00:56:42.96
our defense attorney.
00:56:43.00\00:56:44.73
You talk about an
amazing plan of salvation.
00:56:44.77\00:56:51.47
God wants you to know
00:56:51.51\00:56:52.87
that His mercies
are new every morning
00:56:52.91\00:56:55.48
that He will do a work in you.
00:56:55.51\00:57:00.35
Don't dwell on the
past, He will do a new thing,
00:57:00.38\00:57:04.45
it will suddenly spring forward,
00:57:04.49\00:57:07.62
and He's gonna make
rivers in the desert.
00:57:07.66\00:57:11.26
Thank you all so
much for being here.
00:57:11.29\00:57:14.06
We can all celebrate
and give God the praise
00:57:14.10\00:57:17.60
for the new beginnings.
00:57:17.63\00:57:19.60
And we want to
encourage you at home please,
00:57:19.63\00:57:23.67
day by day pray to be
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:57:23.71\00:57:27.14
Don't try to,
00:57:27.18\00:57:28.74
if you're trying to
do this on your own,
00:57:28.78\00:57:30.48
you're to be pitied,
but with the power of God,
00:57:30.51\00:57:34.05
you'll have the new
beginning every day.
00:57:34.08\00:57:36.02
God bless you.
00:57:36.05\00:57:37.39