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<v Speaker 1>Hi, I'm Rick Warren, and Merry Christmas. Christmas is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be here very soon, and Jesus said in Luke

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<v Speaker 1>fourteen twenty three, go out into the highways in the

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<v Speaker 1>countryside and urge everybody you find to come in so

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<v Speaker 1>that my house will be full. Who are you thinking

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<v Speaker 1>of to bring to your church? Whoever it is. I

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<v Speaker 1>want to challenge you to be a light at Christmas

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<v Speaker 1>and invite them to services at your church.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. This is

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<v Speaker 2>the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren. Hey, we're so

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<v Speaker 2>glad you've joined us Today. We're continuing a powerful series

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<v Speaker 2>called radicalis Developing Spiritual Roots. And in this series, Rick

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<v Speaker 2>will show you how to grow deep in your faith,

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<v Speaker 2>stay grounded in God's word, and become everything He created

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<v Speaker 2>you to be. Well, let's get right to Rick for

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<v Speaker 2>the final part of a message called Radical Hope.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, what is God doing in your life while you're

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<v Speaker 1>going through what you're going through right now? While you're

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<v Speaker 1>going through what you're going through, God is doing three

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<v Speaker 1>things behind the scenes. You might write these down. Number one,

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<v Speaker 1>God uses trials. Number one to test my faith. God

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<v Speaker 1>uses trials problems to test my faith. These trials, it says,

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<v Speaker 1>are only to test your faith, to show that it

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<v Speaker 1>is strong and pure. And of course testing not only

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<v Speaker 1>test it, it strengthens us. The way you build muscle

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<v Speaker 1>is you test your muscle, and when you lift weights

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<v Speaker 1>or you exercise, you're testing the limits of your muscle,

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<v Speaker 1>but you're also strengthening in at the same time. So

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<v Speaker 1>God is testing your faith. The second way God uses

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<v Speaker 1>trials is to purify my motives. To purify my motives,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's the next part of the verse. It says,

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<v Speaker 1>your faith is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold,

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<v Speaker 1>and your faith is far more precious to God than

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<v Speaker 1>mere gold. Now what' you're talking about here? He's talking

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<v Speaker 1>about refining. You all know that the way metals are

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<v Speaker 1>refined is they put them in a big container and

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<v Speaker 1>they heat up the heat to hundreds of degrees and

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<v Speaker 1>the metal melts and then it burns off all the impurities.

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<v Speaker 1>That's how you refine metal is you heat it to

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<v Speaker 1>an extreme temperature and the dross has burned off the

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<v Speaker 1>you know, and all of a sudden, what's left is

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four gold. All the impurities get burned out. God

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<v Speaker 1>is much more interested in your character than your comfort.

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<v Speaker 1>He's much more interested in preparing your heart for heaven

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<v Speaker 1>than providing temporary comfort right now. So you need to

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<v Speaker 1>understand that when the heat is on in your life,

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<v Speaker 1>God is burning off the impurities. Are you feeling the

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<v Speaker 1>heat these days? Are you feeling the pressure? Is the

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<v Speaker 1>heat on in your life? God is burning off the impurities.

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<v Speaker 1>He is purifying your motives so that you will be

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<v Speaker 1>of pure gold and ready for heaven. Now, what happens

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<v Speaker 1>when we get in a tough time. We start praying

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<v Speaker 1>for God to change the circumstance, and God says, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I can do that, but I'm much more interested in

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<v Speaker 1>changing you. Because I said, God's goal here on earth

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<v Speaker 1>for you is not to make you comfortable. God's goal

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<v Speaker 1>here on earth is to change your character to get

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<v Speaker 1>you ready for heaven. So why would he just make

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<v Speaker 1>your life easy? That doesn't teach you any character these problems.

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<v Speaker 1>He says, test your faith and purify your motives. And

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<v Speaker 1>when the heat is on, you need to stop saying God,

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<v Speaker 1>change the circumstance. He can do that, but first he's

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<v Speaker 1>going to change you, and the sooner you learn that

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<v Speaker 1>the better God is trying to change and develop your character.

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<v Speaker 1>Why for the third reason, trials are used to test

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<v Speaker 1>by faith, to purify my motives, and number three, to

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<v Speaker 1>prepare me for rewards. Did you know that the problems

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<v Speaker 1>here on earth God uses to actually prepare you for

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<v Speaker 1>eternal rewards in heaven. And here's what he says. You're

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<v Speaker 1>being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. So if

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<v Speaker 1>your faith remains strong after being tried by these fiery trials,

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<v Speaker 1>when the heat's on in your life, it will bring

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<v Speaker 1>you much praise and glory and honor. Usually when we

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<v Speaker 1>read the phrase praise, glory and honor, we're thinking about Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>but in this verse it's talking about you. Says God

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<v Speaker 1>wants to give you praise and give you glory and

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<v Speaker 1>give you honor. On the day when Jesus Christ is

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<v Speaker 1>revealed to the whole world, God is saying, I am

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<v Speaker 1>allowing this problem for your benefit, for your long term

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<v Speaker 1>reward of praise and glory and honor. See, the problem

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<v Speaker 1>with heaven is that heaven is perfect, so we have

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<v Speaker 1>nothing to compare it to on earth. There is nothing

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<v Speaker 1>perfect on earth. No relationship is perfect, no event is perfect.

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<v Speaker 1>No sunset is perfect. Nothing is perfect on earth, so

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<v Speaker 1>we can't even imagine what a perfect place is like.

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<v Speaker 1>All we can do is take the greatest experiences, the

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<v Speaker 1>most pleasurable, enjoyable, wonderful, exciting, beautiful, creative experiences of life,

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<v Speaker 1>and multiply that exponentially by a billion times. And then

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<v Speaker 1>we still can't even compare. There's nothing to compare heaven to.

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<v Speaker 1>But let me just tell you this, It's gonna be incredible.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not sitting on white clouds in a white robe

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<v Speaker 1>playing the harp, that's hell. I've told you that it's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be unbelievable. The Bible says no eye has seen,

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<v Speaker 1>no ear has heard, neither hath entered into the heart

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<v Speaker 1>of man. The wonderful things that God has prepared for

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<v Speaker 1>those who love him you can't imagine. But you are

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<v Speaker 1>gonna share in God's glory in heaven. And he says,

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<v Speaker 1>how you handle the problems here on life as how

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<v Speaker 1>God is preparing you. This is why Paul says this

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<v Speaker 1>on the screen. Our suffering is light and temporary, but

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<v Speaker 1>it is producing for us an eternal glory that is

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<v Speaker 1>greater than anything we can imagine. He's saying, comparing the

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<v Speaker 1>problems I'm going through right now is minuscule compared to

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<v Speaker 1>the rewards I'm gonna receive for handling them correctly in heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, Here on earth, this is small potatoes. That

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<v Speaker 1>gives me hope. I have hope because God chose me

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<v Speaker 1>before I chose him. And I have hope that no

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<v Speaker 1>matter how many mistakes I make, It's still going to

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<v Speaker 1>show mercy to me. And I have hope that no

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<v Speaker 1>matter what I may lose in life, I can't lose

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<v Speaker 1>my salvation. And I have hope that God is going

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<v Speaker 1>to protect me with his mighty power and make sure

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<v Speaker 1>I get to heaven. And I have hope that God

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<v Speaker 1>is preparing me right now for eternity, and even using

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<v Speaker 1>the stuff in my life that I don't like, He's

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<v Speaker 1>using it all for good. I know that some of

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<v Speaker 1>you are just hanging on by a thread. I've talked

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<v Speaker 1>to some of you, and you're worried about the future,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're hurting over some relationships, and you may be

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<v Speaker 1>even grieving over the loss of a loved one. Even

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<v Speaker 1>in our grief, we can grieve with hope. Why we're

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<v Speaker 1>not like unbelievers. We have a hope of eternal life.

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<v Speaker 1>When we grieve at a funeral, we're not grieving for

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<v Speaker 1>the person who's died and gone to heaven. We're grieving

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<v Speaker 1>for ourselves because we're going to miss them. We grieve

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<v Speaker 1>with hope after losing a love. When Stephen Curtis Chapman

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<v Speaker 1>wrote the words to this song called with Hope, never

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<v Speaker 1>have I known anything so hard to understand. Never have

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<v Speaker 1>I questioned more the wisdom of God's plan. But through

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<v Speaker 1>the cloud of tears, I see the Father smile and

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<v Speaker 1>say well done. And I imagine you where you wanted

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<v Speaker 1>most to be, seeing all your dreams come true. Because

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<v Speaker 1>now you're home and free. We can cry with hope.

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<v Speaker 1>We can say goodbye with hope because we know our

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<v Speaker 1>goodbye is not the end. We grieve with hope because

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<v Speaker 1>we believe, with hope there's a place where we see

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<v Speaker 1>your face again. We have this hope as an anchor

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<v Speaker 1>because we believe everything God's promised is true. So we

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<v Speaker 1>can cry with hope. We can say goodbye with hope

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<v Speaker 1>because we know that our goodbye is not the end.

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<v Speaker 1>We grieve with hope because we believe, with hope there

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<v Speaker 1>is a place by God's grace, there is a place

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<v Speaker 1>where we'll see your face again. I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>realize that God is working in your life even when

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<v Speaker 1>you don't feel it, and He's doing these five things

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<v Speaker 1>even when you don't feel it. And that's why Peter

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<v Speaker 1>says in verse six, be glad, rejoice, have hope. It

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<v Speaker 1>is not hopeless. It may be tough going for a while,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's going to be worth it, and the future

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<v Speaker 1>is secure and assured and guaranteed. Now these five things

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<v Speaker 1>that I just shared with you from first Peter one,

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<v Speaker 1>Theologians have a theological term for each of them. The

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<v Speaker 1>fact that God chose to love me in advance, that's

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<v Speaker 1>called predestination. The fact that God always treats me with

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<v Speaker 1>mercy that's called regeneration. That we're born again through his mercy.

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<v Speaker 1>The fact that God has secured my future in heaven

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<v Speaker 1>and has an inheritance for me, that's called glorification. The

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<v Speaker 1>fact that God's power will protect me and I can't

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<v Speaker 1>lose my salvation is called preservation. And the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>God is preparing me for eternity is called sanctification. As

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<v Speaker 1>your pastor, let me challenge you two ways. First, that

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<v Speaker 1>you're gonna get serious about developing spiritual roots. You're not

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<v Speaker 1>going to be a casual Christian. You're gonna be a

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<v Speaker 1>committed one. You're gonna develop spiritual roots and learn the

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<v Speaker 1>spiritual truths that give us hope, give us stability, give

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<v Speaker 1>us confidence, don't blow us around when things get tough.

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<v Speaker 1>But we stand firm because we are deeply rooted with

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<v Speaker 1>radical roots in the hope and love of God. And

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<v Speaker 1>how do you do that? How can you build spiritual

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<v Speaker 1>roots by taking advantage of all the different ways to

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<v Speaker 1>help you grow. We have daily devotional emails, we have

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<v Speaker 1>a small group curriculum, We have all these different things

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<v Speaker 1>that you can take advantage of to build spiritual roots.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to challenge you to make a commitment to say,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be faithful at worship. If the doors

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<v Speaker 1>are open on weekends, I'm going to be there if

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<v Speaker 1>at all possible, so I can build spiritual roots. Make

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<v Speaker 1>a commitment to worship. I'm going to be there as

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<v Speaker 1>much as possible, And make a commitment to your small group.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be there as much as possible and

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<v Speaker 1>be a part of that. The second thing I want

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<v Speaker 1>to challenge you to do is challenge you to say

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<v Speaker 1>and pray, God, help me to reach one more. For Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>the greatest thing you could do for somebody is help

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<v Speaker 1>them settle their eternal destiny to get that reservation in heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you?

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<v Speaker 1>I guarantee you this if you will start praying God,

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<v Speaker 1>I want in my life to help at least one

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<v Speaker 1>person get into heaven. I don't want to be in

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<v Speaker 1>heaven and having brought nobody along with me. God, I

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<v Speaker 1>want you to help me bring at least one person

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<v Speaker 1>to you. You know what, if you pray that, I

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<v Speaker 1>guarantee you God will answer that prayer. I guarantee you,

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<v Speaker 1>and it'll make it so easy and so natural, and

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<v Speaker 1>you won't be scared, and it'll be unbelievable, like falling

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<v Speaker 1>off a log. If you will say I'm usable. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a principle in the universe that whatever you need more of,

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<v Speaker 1>you give it away and you get more back. For instance,

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<v Speaker 1>if you need more energy, how do you get more

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<v Speaker 1>energy sitting on a couch, eat and potato chips. No,

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<v Speaker 1>you have to give energy away in exercise, and it

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<v Speaker 1>is by giving it away you get more back. It's

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<v Speaker 1>like when you give blood, God replenishes it in you.

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<v Speaker 1>Whatever you need more time, you give some of your

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<v Speaker 1>time away in service. God will multiply and you're life.

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<v Speaker 1>You need more money, you give it away, and God says, given,

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<v Speaker 1>it shall be given to you. If you're just couraged

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<v Speaker 1>at the end of this year. If you're a little down,

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<v Speaker 1>you're a little apathetic, you're a little exhausted, you're a

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<v Speaker 1>little tired, you're a little under the weather spiritually. If

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<v Speaker 1>you need hope, let me tell you how to get

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<v Speaker 1>more hope. The fastest way to get hope is to

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<v Speaker 1>give it to somebody else. The Bible says this same

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<v Speaker 1>book First Peter, Chapter three. Always be prepared to give

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<v Speaker 1>an answer to everyone who asks you to give the

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<v Speaker 1>reason for the hope you have. I just gave you

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<v Speaker 1>five reasons to give the reason for the hope you have.

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<v Speaker 1>But do it with gentleness and respect. Did you know

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<v Speaker 1>that in the Bible it never tells us to share

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<v Speaker 1>our faith. Not once, it tells us to share our hope.

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<v Speaker 1>Why because people are hungry for hope. And if you

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<v Speaker 1>need more hope in your life, and you're feeling a

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<v Speaker 1>little down and discouraged. You need to start witnessing. You

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<v Speaker 1>need to start inviting somebody to church. And if you

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<v Speaker 1>share the hope, you will see the hope in your

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<v Speaker 1>life explode to a new level. If you've never opened

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<v Speaker 1>your life to Christ, you need that hope in your heart.

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<v Speaker 1>Do it now. That's bow our heads. Father. Only you

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<v Speaker 1>are the source of real hope. All other false hope

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<v Speaker 1>inevitably disappoints us. Forgive us for all the times we've

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<v Speaker 1>put our hope in money, or luck, or the economy,

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<v Speaker 1>or our secret or special plans or some business scheme.

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<v Speaker 1>Forgive us for the times we've looked to other people

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<v Speaker 1>to meet needs that only you can meet. Help us

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<v Speaker 1>to always put our hope and trust in you. We

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<v Speaker 1>need spiritual roots, Lord, radical roots that go deep into

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<v Speaker 1>your love and truth and provide genuine hope, not false hope.

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<v Speaker 1>Now you pray say this in your heart, Jesus, Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for choosing me and loving me before I chose you.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for always treating me with mercy even when

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<v Speaker 1>I blow it. Thank you Jesus for securing my reservation

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<v Speaker 1>in heaven. Thank you for promising your power and protection

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<v Speaker 1>while I'm still here on earth. And thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>using everything in my life to prepare me for eternity.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to place my hope in you, not in

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<v Speaker 1>other things, and I want to trust you completely in

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<v Speaker 1>your name, I pray Amen.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, if you've just prayed along with Rick to accept

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 2>Just email Rick at pastorick dot com. We'll send you

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<v Speaker 2>free tools to help start your relationship with Jesus. And

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<v Speaker 2>now let's hear how lives are changing through Daily Hope.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's Rick with a letter from one of our listeners.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to take a minute and tell you how

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<v Speaker 1>important your support is to Daily Hope. Your generosity. When

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<v Speaker 1>you give to Daily Hope, you're helping us take the

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<v Speaker 1>message of Jesus Christ literally all around the world. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure you're familiar with the refugee crisis around the world.

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<v Speaker 1>Literally millions of people have been displaced from their homes,

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<v Speaker 1>particularly in the Middle East and in North Africa because

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<v Speaker 1>of civil wars and violence. One of those places is

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<v Speaker 1>South Sudan, where over two hundred thousand people are living

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<v Speaker 1>in refugee camps. Now, when people are under tension and

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<v Speaker 1>in transition, they are more open to the Gospel than

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<v Speaker 1>in any other time. These people who are living in

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<v Speaker 1>refugee camps right now need the hope of Jesus Christ

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<v Speaker 1>and the Gospel. Now when you help Daily Hope Radio

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<v Speaker 1>and Daily Hope brought We're not only broadcasting across America,

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<v Speaker 1>but in places like South Sudan where the station airs

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<v Speaker 1>our program three times a day. And we are told

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<v Speaker 1>that many many people are coming to Christ in this

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<v Speaker 1>war zone as they listen to these Daily Hope broadcasts.

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<v Speaker 1>So thanks, thanks to you. Now let me just read

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<v Speaker 1>you one testimony that we've received. Here's a note from

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<v Speaker 1>a woman who's living in a refugee camp there in

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<v Speaker 1>South Sudan. She said, my name is Joyce and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>from the Central Equatorial State in South Sudan. I lost

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<v Speaker 1>all five of my children and my beloved husband. This

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<v Speaker 1>is in the civil war that was going on there,

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<v Speaker 1>as well as our family possessions. During the recent fighting

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<v Speaker 1>in the capital of Juba. She said, I had planned

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<v Speaker 1>to commit suicide. There's somebody who needs hope. When I

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<v Speaker 1>listened to Rick Warren's broadcast, the one called when you

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<v Speaker 1>Feel Like Giving Up, I got inspired and I dropped

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<v Speaker 1>the idea of taking my life that very night, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'll continue to pray God to bless this great preacher

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<v Speaker 1>and thank you for giving me hope. Joyce. We're happy

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<v Speaker 1>to do that, and I want to say it's because

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<v Speaker 1>of the listeners who are giving faithfully every month to

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<v Speaker 1>Daily Hope. You realize that when you give to Daily Hope,

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<v Speaker 1>you're helping reach people like Joyce. She was going to

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<v Speaker 1>commit suicide in a refugee camp. Now. Isn't God amazing

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<v Speaker 1>how when you just give what you can give, God

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<v Speaker 1>takes it and he multiplies it and we reach out

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<v Speaker 1>to people that none of us could reach on our own.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's what I want you to do. I want you

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<v Speaker 1>to pray for Joyce and today I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>pray for all of the people who are in refugee

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<v Speaker 1>camps and pray that we'll be able to continue to

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<v Speaker 1>broadcast on these stations, taking the good news of Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>Christ and hope to people who need it the most desperately.

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<v Speaker 1>It's your sacrificial giving, your prayer, support that makes this possible.

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<v Speaker 1>So thank you for whatever you can do, and God

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<v Speaker 1>bless you.

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<v Speaker 2>My friends, If you'd like to help support Pastor Rick's

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<v Speaker 2>Daily Hope. Generous friends of this ministry have provided a

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred thousand dollars matching grant, and that means that

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<v Speaker 2>every dollar you give to help share the transforming love

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<v Speaker 2>of Jesus through Daily Hope will be doubled up to

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred thousand dollars. Just go to Pastorick dot com

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<v Speaker 2>or text the word hope to seven oh three to

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<v Speaker 2>oh nine. Again, that's Pastorick dot com. Or text the

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<v Speaker 2>word hope to seven oh three oh nine and thank

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<v Speaker 2>you so much for your support. Be sure to join

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<v Speaker 2>us next time as we look into God's word for

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<v Speaker 2>our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's

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<v Speaker 2>Daily Hope and your generous financial support