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<v Speaker 1>Hello, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren.

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<v Speaker 2>We are so glad you're here with us.

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<v Speaker 1>Today we're going to continue our series called the Keys

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<v Speaker 1>to a Blessed Life.

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<v Speaker 2>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>In these messages, Rick walks through Jesus's Sermon on the

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<v Speaker 1>Mount and shows us how to live a truly hopeful

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<v Speaker 1>and purpose filled life. And now here's part one of

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<v Speaker 1>the Strength of Gentleness.

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<v Speaker 2>Today we're in part three of the series on jesus

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<v Speaker 2>eight Keys to living a blessed life. They're often called

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<v Speaker 2>the Beatitudes. That the first eight verses of the most

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<v Speaker 2>important sermon ever preached on planet Earth, the Sermon on

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<v Speaker 2>the Mount in Matthew chapter five, Verse five, Jesus says,

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<v Speaker 2>this the third key to God's blessing on your life.

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<v Speaker 2>God blesses those who are gentle. Look at that, God

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<v Speaker 2>blesses those who are And then here's the promise. The

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<v Speaker 2>whole earth will belong to them. Are you kidding me?

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<v Speaker 2>That's about the most extravagant statement ever made. The whole

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<v Speaker 2>earth will belong to anybody who's gentle. Do I really

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<v Speaker 2>believe that? Well, I wouldn't accept Jesus said it, and

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus doesn't lie. Jesus said, I am the truth. Not

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<v Speaker 2>I have the truth. I teach the truth to point

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<v Speaker 2>the truth. I am the truth. So if Jesus says,

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<v Speaker 2>God blesses those who are gentle, the whole earth will

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<v Speaker 2>belong to them. Guess what I believe that he's saying.

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<v Speaker 2>Somehow locked up in this third key of blessing is

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<v Speaker 2>the key that when you learn what it really means

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<v Speaker 2>to be gentle, the world's yours. I mean, it's your apple,

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<v Speaker 2>it's it's You're in charge, just not driving you it. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>in our hard driving, ego driven, market driven culture, you

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<v Speaker 2>don't hear a whole lot about gentleness. And the reason

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<v Speaker 2>why is we don't understand what it really means to

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<v Speaker 2>be gentle. We think gentleness means weakness, and God says

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<v Speaker 2>absolutely not. The gentle are the strongest people on the planet,

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<v Speaker 2>and the earth will be theirs. It's the weak people

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<v Speaker 2>who are arrogant, It's the weak people who are prideful.

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<v Speaker 2>It's the weak people who are pushy and rude and

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<v Speaker 2>mean and gossip. Those are weak people, he said. The

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<v Speaker 2>truly strong people in life are the gentle, and the

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<v Speaker 2>world will be theirs. Let me give you a true

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<v Speaker 2>definition of gentleness. Gentleness is strength under control. Gentleness, the

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<v Speaker 2>Bible teaches real gentleness is not weakness, but rather its

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<v Speaker 2>strength under control. A gentle person does not over react.

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<v Speaker 2>A gentle person is not driven by their own emotions.

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<v Speaker 2>A gentle person is not someone who just is so

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<v Speaker 2>moody and anything can let them fly off the handle.

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<v Speaker 2>A gentleness person is strength under control. The Greek word

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<v Speaker 2>in the Bible for gentleness is the word pratase pratase

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<v Speaker 2>in the old translations of the Bible. In English, it

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<v Speaker 2>is translated as the word meek meek. Now nobody uses

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<v Speaker 2>that word anymore because meek has become a synonym for weak,

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<v Speaker 2>and gentleness or pratase is anything but weak. In fact,

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<v Speaker 2>the word pratase or gentleness in the Bible was actually

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<v Speaker 2>used to refer to a wild stallion that had been tamed.

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<v Speaker 2>If you go out into the fields or in the

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<v Speaker 2>hills and you find a wild stallion who's strong and unbridled,

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<v Speaker 2>and they have enormous strength, and they could kick you

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<v Speaker 2>and kill you pretty quickly. But if you bring that

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<v Speaker 2>stallion back and you tame it, then the strength is

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<v Speaker 2>brought under control. The strength is bottled up for the

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<v Speaker 2>master's use, and now it's useful. A tamed horse is

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<v Speaker 2>no less strong than a wild horse. It has just

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<v Speaker 2>as much strength, it can go just as fast. But

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<v Speaker 2>a tamed horse, a proud taste horse, a meek horse,

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<v Speaker 2>a gentle horse, is one that it is strength under control.

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<v Speaker 2>It is bottled up for the master's use. And when

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<v Speaker 2>you learn true gentleness as a man of God, when

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<v Speaker 2>you learn true gentleness as a woman of God, it

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't mean you're weak. It doesn't mean you're a doormat,

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<v Speaker 2>it doesn't mean any of those things that you might

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<v Speaker 2>think meekness or gentleness means. It means you're not overreacting,

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<v Speaker 2>you're in control of your emotions, and you have strength

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<v Speaker 2>under control. Now today I want us to look at

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<v Speaker 2>the strength of gentleness, this third key to being blessed

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<v Speaker 2>by God in your life. And specifically, I want to

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<v Speaker 2>give you eight benefits what the Bible says eight benefits

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<v Speaker 2>of learning gentleness, so that this week you'll actually begin

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<v Speaker 2>to work on this quality in your life. Because once

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<v Speaker 2>you understand what this quality will do in your life,

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<v Speaker 2>you're going to go I want to be a gentle

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<v Speaker 2>man or I want to be a gentle woman because

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<v Speaker 2>it brings so many blessings in your life. I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 2>give you eight, so we're gonna have to write quick

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<v Speaker 2>take notes, real quick. Number one. Let's get right into it.

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<v Speaker 2>How learning to be gentle will bless your life? Number one.

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<v Speaker 2>The Bible teaches gentleness diffuses conflict. Gentleness diffuses conflict, It

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<v Speaker 2>de escalates anger. It curbs anger. It diffuses the time

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<v Speaker 2>bomb in any relationship that's about to explode. Gentleness is

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<v Speaker 2>an antidote to anger, the Bible says in Proverbs fifteen,

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<v Speaker 2>verse one, a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a

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<v Speaker 2>harsh word stirs up anger. I don't know if you've

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<v Speaker 2>noticed this or not, but it is tendency of human beings.

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<v Speaker 2>You and I tend to mimic the emotions of people

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<v Speaker 2>across from us. And the reason we do this is

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<v Speaker 2>because there's created in your brains. What or now we

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<v Speaker 2>now know about this, We didn't even know about this

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<v Speaker 2>years ago. We're in your brain are things called mirror

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<v Speaker 2>neurons in your brain, and mirror neurons allows you to

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<v Speaker 2>sympathize and also allow you to mirror back what other

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<v Speaker 2>people feel. So for instance, if somebody gets angry at you,

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<v Speaker 2>you get angry back. If somebody gets upset, you get

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<v Speaker 2>upset back. If somebody is really depressed, you hang around

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<v Speaker 2>the long enough you get depressed. On the other hand,

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<v Speaker 2>if somebody's energetic, you get energetic. That's part of the system. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>the Bible says, a gentle answer turns away wrath, but

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<v Speaker 2>a harsh word stirs up anger. Let me give you

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<v Speaker 2>a little tip that will save you a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>problems and a lot of heartache and a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>conflicts in your life. When other people raise their voice,

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<v Speaker 2>you lower yours. That simple tip will save you from

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<v Speaker 2>an enormous amount of conflict in your marriage and your parenting,

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<v Speaker 2>and your friendships and at work. When other people raise

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<v Speaker 2>your voice, you need to learn to automatically lower yours.

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<v Speaker 2>That's called strength under control. See what happens is usually

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<v Speaker 2>when somebody raises their voice against you, you raise your

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<v Speaker 2>voice back, and then they raise their voice higher, and

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<v Speaker 2>you raise your voice higher, and pretty soon it's way escalated,

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<v Speaker 2>way up here. That means you're out of control of

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<v Speaker 2>your emotions. Strength under control gentleness means that when they

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<v Speaker 2>raise their emotions, you lower yours. And you're not gonna

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<v Speaker 2>mimic and mock them. Here's a good verse you're gonna

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<v Speaker 2>need someday. Maybe some of you need it this week.

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<v Speaker 2>Ecclesiastes ten to four. If your boss is angry with you,

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<v Speaker 2>don't quit. If your boss is angry with you, don't quit.

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<v Speaker 2>A gentle a quiet, gentle spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

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<v Speaker 2>You see, when your boss rips one on you and

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<v Speaker 2>just let it, let's it rip and just kind of

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<v Speaker 2>vomits on you bad and really gets mad at you,

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<v Speaker 2>you need to first realize it may not be anything

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<v Speaker 2>have anything to do with you. They may have just

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<v Speaker 2>got a bad phone call. They may be receiving pressure

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<v Speaker 2>from their boss. They may have a bad situation at home.

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<v Speaker 2>They may eate a bad pizza. It could be any

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<v Speaker 2>number of things. And now they're turning to the person's

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<v Speaker 2>closest to them, which is somebody who works for them,

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<v Speaker 2>and they just kind of vent on you. And a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of times that has nothing to do with you.

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<v Speaker 2>And he says, when your boss gets angry at you, A,

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<v Speaker 2>don't get angry back, but B don't walk away either.

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<v Speaker 2>Just hang in there, because it says a gentle, quiet

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<v Speaker 2>spirit can overcome even great mistakes. Number two, Gentleness not

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<v Speaker 2>only diffuses anger. Gentleness, this is a big one, disarms critics.

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<v Speaker 2>It disarms critics. Now, the more successful you are in life,

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<v Speaker 2>the more critics you're going to have. If you don't

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<v Speaker 2>do anything with your life, nobody's going to criticize you.

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<v Speaker 2>The only way to not be criticized do nothing, say nothing,

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<v Speaker 2>be nothing. But if you actually stand for something instead

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<v Speaker 2>of falling for anything, you're going to be criticized. And

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<v Speaker 2>the more successful you are, the more criticized you are,

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<v Speaker 2>and the more well known you are, the more criticized

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<v Speaker 2>you're going to be. Now, how do you handle the

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<v Speaker 2>critics in your life? People who gossip against you at school,

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<v Speaker 2>at work, in your neighborhood, the people who malign you,

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<v Speaker 2>who say bad things against against you. Here's the point.

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<v Speaker 2>When you respond in gentleness, it disarms your critics. Why

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<v Speaker 2>it actually disappoints them. Because when somebody criticizes you on

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<v Speaker 2>social media, they're trolling friends, they're trolling. They want to

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<v Speaker 2>hook you, and they want you and they they're expecting

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<v Speaker 2>you to get mad back. They're expecting you and they

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<v Speaker 2>want you to be defensive and they want you to

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<v Speaker 2>get angry. Now, let me explain the psychology behind this.

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<v Speaker 2>There is actually an anger addiction that is as real

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<v Speaker 2>as any other addiction. Some people are addicted to the

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<v Speaker 2>feeling of anger. It's the only way they feel alive.

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<v Speaker 2>And they live in such a depressed state. They're living

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<v Speaker 2>in so much depression in their life. The only way

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<v Speaker 2>they can actually feel good, or feel alive, or feel

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<v Speaker 2>energetic is to get mad at somebody. Those people are

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<v Speaker 2>always looking for a fight. Do you know who I'm

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<v Speaker 2>talking about? Don't look at them, but you know who

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<v Speaker 2>they are. Maybe you had a parent like that, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe you married somebody like that. Maybe I had a

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<v Speaker 2>boyfriend like that, And it's just like, why are you

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<v Speaker 2>looking for a fight? Because some people actually don't feel

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<v Speaker 2>very good until they get angry. And when they get angry,

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<v Speaker 2>then what happens is it energizes them and they feel

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<v Speaker 2>a whole lot better. Does that make sense? So you

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<v Speaker 2>cannot let that let them pull you in, because somebody's

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<v Speaker 2>gonna say something to you on you know, Instagram or

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<v Speaker 2>Facebook or something, Twitter or something, and if you respond,

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<v Speaker 2>they go hook them. Now I'm just gonna reel them

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<v Speaker 2>in and they feel so good because they love getting

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<v Speaker 2>in a fight. Normal people don't love getting in a fight,

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<v Speaker 2>but some people do. Now they're trying to hook you.

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<v Speaker 2>What do you do in those situations? One Corinthians four thirteen.

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<v Speaker 2>Paul says, here's what he does. We respond gently when

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<v Speaker 2>evil things are said about us. In other words, we

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<v Speaker 2>don't retaliate, We don't get back. You see, if somebody

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<v Speaker 2>hurts you, that puts them below you. If you get even,

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<v Speaker 2>it puts you even. But if you respond gently, it

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<v Speaker 2>actually puts you morally superior to them. And Paul says,

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<v Speaker 2>we respond gently even when evil things are said about us.

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<v Speaker 2>Titus two eight says this, your conversation should be so sensible.

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<v Speaker 2>In other words, it's gentle, it's kind, it's sensitive, and

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<v Speaker 2>sensible that anyone who wants to argue, in other words,

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<v Speaker 2>with you will be ashamed because there won't be anything

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<v Speaker 2>to criticize in anything you say. Did you know that,

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<v Speaker 2>as your pastor, I am forbidden by God to get

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<v Speaker 2>into arguments. There are multiple passages in the scripture that

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<v Speaker 2>says a pastor must never argue. Now, I know a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of pastors who do, and they just violate that scripture.

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<v Speaker 2>But the Bible says a pastor should never get caught

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<v Speaker 2>brought into a heated argument or debate, and says it says,

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<v Speaker 2>I am commanded by God to be gentle in every situation.

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<v Speaker 2>So this is equality I've had to learn in ministry.

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<v Speaker 2>Let me show you verse. It's up there on the screen,

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<v Speaker 2>two Timothy two twenty five. This is one of many,

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<v Speaker 2>it says, and the Lord's servant. It's talking about pastors.

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<v Speaker 2>It gives the qualifications for being a pastor, and it

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<v Speaker 2>says one of them is the Lord's servant must never quarrel.

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<v Speaker 2>Look at that. I am not allowed to quarrel, according

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<v Speaker 2>to the Bible. Instead, he must be kind and gentle

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<v Speaker 2>with everyone he agrees with. No, he must be kind

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<v Speaker 2>and gentle with everyone one in his political party. Now

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<v Speaker 2>then say that he must be kind and gentle with

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<v Speaker 2>everyone who is a Christian. And then say that it

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<v Speaker 2>says with everyone. Does that include other religions? Yes, includes atheists, Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>people with the lifestyle I disagree with. Yes, I am

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<v Speaker 2>to be kind and gentle with everybody. I am forbidden

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<v Speaker 2>to quarrel with anybody. It says they must be able

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<v Speaker 2>to teach effectively. A pastor and they must be patient

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<v Speaker 2>with difficult people. That means you. Then it says it

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<v Speaker 2>is those who oppose him he must gently instruct gently.

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<v Speaker 2>There's that word gentle. He must gently instruct in the

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<v Speaker 2>hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to

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<v Speaker 2>know the truth. I don't know if you've noticed this

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<v Speaker 2>or not, but I get criticized every once in a while,

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<v Speaker 2>in fact all the time, and most it's just total nonsense.

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<v Speaker 2>It makes no sense at all. And when I read it,

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<v Speaker 2>I go, why would they criticize me for that? That's

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<v Speaker 2>not true. I know the stuff they should criticize me.

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<v Speaker 2>They should ask me, and then they could criticize the

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<v Speaker 2>real things that I'm worthy of criticism about. But I

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<v Speaker 2>am not allowed to retaliate in any way. It's why

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<v Speaker 2>I never ever ever fight back with critics. Never. I

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<v Speaker 2>just don't do it. Why the Bible says gentleness disarms critics.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I constantly ask God for a tough skin

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<v Speaker 2>and a tender heart. And that's what you need to do.

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<v Speaker 2>You need to say, God, give me a tough skin.

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<v Speaker 2>So when people say stuff about me, he just rolls

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<v Speaker 2>off my back. I don't let it bother me. But

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<v Speaker 2>I have a tender heart. You don't want a tough heart.

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<v Speaker 2>You want a tender heart and a tough skin. What's

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<v Speaker 2>really funny is because God says blesses, God blesses those

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<v Speaker 2>who are gentle, the whole earth belongs to them. Some

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<v Speaker 2>of my biggest critics have actually become some of my

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<v Speaker 2>best friends. Because I would not retaliate. I only responded

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<v Speaker 2>in generalists. He is a well known pastor who's been

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<v Speaker 2>on the radio for years and years and years. Henny's

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<v Speaker 2>just criticized me for thirty five years. I don't think

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<v Speaker 2>he's ever read anything that I've written, or even a

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<v Speaker 2>visit at saddle Back Church, so he's just heard it

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<v Speaker 2>all secondhand. Henny's criticized, and in thirty four years, I

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<v Speaker 2>have refused to ever say one single thing negative about

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<v Speaker 2>that guy. I just won't do it. In fact, the

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<v Speaker 2>other day he went on a recent rampage and was

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<v Speaker 2>talking about stuff that just wasn't right. And somebody on

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<v Speaker 2>Twitter said, Pastor Rick, have you seen what pastor so

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<v Speaker 2>and so has said about you? Are you going to

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<v Speaker 2>respond to it? And I wrote back on Twitter these

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<v Speaker 2>words what And I mentioned that guy's name. What? That

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<v Speaker 2>guy thinks about me in no way controls my response

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<v Speaker 2>to him, and I have nothing but total respect for

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<v Speaker 2>his ministry. That's called gentleness. That's called strength under control.

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<v Speaker 2>Gentleness diffuses conflict that gentleness disarms critics. Here's a real

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<v Speaker 2>important one. Gentleness is persuasive. The Bible says gentleness is persuasive. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>this is extremely important if you happen to make a

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<v Speaker 2>career in sales, if you're a salesman, a saleswoman, you

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<v Speaker 2>have to sell a product or a service, you definitely

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<v Speaker 2>need to learn gentleness. Why because the hard sell no

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<v Speaker 2>longer works. It used to be the way you got

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<v Speaker 2>people's attention in the world was to be the loudest advertisement.

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<v Speaker 2>And all you had to do was be loud and

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<v Speaker 2>fast and hard and strong, and people go, okay, I'll

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<v Speaker 2>buy I'll buy a vacuum cleaner. You know, okay, I'll

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<v Speaker 2>buy your computer, I'll buy your car. None of that

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<v Speaker 2>works anymore, I mean you know it. There were these

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<v Speaker 2>guys used to be on TV to sell cars, and

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<v Speaker 2>they talk real loud and real fast. In fact, when

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<v Speaker 2>somebody comes on really hard and really forceful, what's your

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<v Speaker 2>automatic reaction? Back off? No way, am I buying anything

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<v Speaker 2>from that person. Today, the hard sell no longer works.

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<v Speaker 2>In fact, advertising doesn't work anymore. What works is gentleness,

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<v Speaker 2>And so you get you know what, most of the

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<v Speaker 2>stuff you buy today, you don't buy it because somebody's

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<v Speaker 2>giving you a hard sales pash. You buy it because

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<v Speaker 2>somebody recommended it. And we go, oh, what are my friends?

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<v Speaker 2>What car are they buying, what movies are they seeing?

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<v Speaker 2>What restaurants are they going to? And it is recommendations. Why,

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<v Speaker 2>because that's a gentle approach, it's far more persuasive. Let

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<v Speaker 2>me show you some Verses. Privers twenty five, Verse fifteen

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<v Speaker 2>says gentle speech can break down rigid defenses. So you

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<v Speaker 2>want to convince your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your husband, your wife,

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<v Speaker 2>your parents to do something, not the hard cell. That's

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<v Speaker 2>not gonna work. Gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses. The

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<v Speaker 2>New Century version says a gentle word can get through

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<v Speaker 2>to the hard headed. And so if you're a parent,

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<v Speaker 2>screaming at your child never works, never works. You never

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<v Speaker 2>discipline in anger, and you never discipline in frustration. You

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<v Speaker 2>always discipline in love, and you do it gently because

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<v Speaker 2>screaming never works. All it does is create fear and

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<v Speaker 2>resentment in the person you're screaming at, and they get

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<v Speaker 2>defensive and they put it up. You know, if I

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<v Speaker 2>want to persuade you to live more for Jesus Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>I must do it in a gentle way. So I

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<v Speaker 2>could stand up here every Sunday evening and say, let

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<v Speaker 2>me tell you all the things you're doing wrong. And

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<v Speaker 2>what would you do? You just build emotional bears, I

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<v Speaker 2>forget rip and you probably stop coming you go. You

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't say, hey, let's go to s battle back Sunday

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<v Speaker 2>night and have Rick tell us what bad people we are.

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<v Speaker 2>That doesn't work. It doesn't work in the pulpit, it

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't work in the house, it doesn't work in as

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<v Speaker 2>a teacher. Nagging never works. But gentleness is persuasive. A

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<v Speaker 2>gentle word can get through to the hard headed. You

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<v Speaker 2>say it gently. Look at this verse. Contemporary English version says,

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<v Speaker 2>patience and gentle talk can convince a ruler and overcome

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<v Speaker 2>any problem. That's what the Bible says. See that word ruler.

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<v Speaker 2>Let me give you a little tip on Bible study.

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<v Speaker 2>Anytime you see the word ruler in the Bible, you

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<v Speaker 2>translate it boss, manager, supervisor. Because we don't have rulers.

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<v Speaker 2>Today we're in a democracy. We don't have kings. We

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<v Speaker 2>don't have queens. We do have lords and ladies and

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<v Speaker 2>counts and vassals. We don't have kings and rulers. Nobody

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<v Speaker 2>rules over you. Everybody has a boss, and we all

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<v Speaker 2>have to work under supervision at different times in our life.

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<v Speaker 2>So anytime you see the word ruler or king in

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<v Speaker 2>the Bible, just translated CEO, boss manager, the supervisor over me.

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<v Speaker 2>Patience and gentle talk can convince your supervisor and overcome

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<v Speaker 2>any problem. Why, because gentleness is persuasive. Look at the

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<v Speaker 2>next verse. The Bible says in Proverbs sixteen twenty one,

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<v Speaker 2>a wise mature person is known for understanding. The more

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<v Speaker 2>pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is. Now, circle

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<v Speaker 2>the word pleasant, and circle the word persuasive, and draw

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<v Speaker 2>a line between them. Because if you want to be persuasive,

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<v Speaker 2>if you want to persuade people of your idea, your product,

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<v Speaker 2>your service, your faith, or anything else, you must be

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<v Speaker 2>pleasant pleasant. The more pleasant in his words, the more

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<v Speaker 2>persuasive is now. This is the mark of maturity. Wise

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<v Speaker 2>mature people are pleasant fools, and idiots are rude fools.

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<v Speaker 2>And idiots are rude. They're crass, they're crude, They're not pleasant,

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<v Speaker 2>they're unpleasant, and they speak in rude, crude ways. The

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<v Speaker 2>more mature, the more wise you are, the more pleasant,

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<v Speaker 2>the more positive your speech is going to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, thanks so much for being with us today and

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<v Speaker 1>listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. I hope that you

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<v Speaker 1>were just as blessed as I was from today's broadcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, here's Pastor Rick with a special message.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, when I started Saddleback Church over forty years ago,

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<v Speaker 3>just a handful of people in our living room, I

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<v Speaker 3>also began writing a simple devotional just for the people

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<v Speaker 3>in our church to help them start each day with

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<v Speaker 3>hope and with truth and with peace that come from

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus Christ. Well, you know, that little devotional grew and

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<v Speaker 3>grew and grew, and today Daily Hope is one of

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<v Speaker 3>the largest email devotions in the whole world. And each

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<v Speaker 3>day people all around the globe are reconnecting with God's

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<v Speaker 3>promises and finding fresh strength in His word to face

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<v Speaker 3>whatever comes their way. And here's the best part. It's

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<v Speaker 3>absolutely free. Okay, we don't have any charge for this.

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<v Speaker 3>Every day you'll get a quick devotional read and a

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<v Speaker 3>podcast that you can listen to on the go. Now,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, in a world that's more distracted and uncertain

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<v Speaker 3>than ever, I want to help you start your day

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<v Speaker 3>centered on what never changes, and what never changes is

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<v Speaker 3>a God's love, his unconditional love for you, and his

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<v Speaker 3>promises to you. You know, if you just spend just

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<v Speaker 3>a few minutes a day in the morning with the Lord,

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<v Speaker 3>it can bring so much more clarity, more per us,

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<v Speaker 3>more peace to everything that happens in your day. Particularly,

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<v Speaker 3>a psychologists has said that what you do with the

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<v Speaker 3>first five minutes of your day pretty much sets the tone. So, friend,

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<v Speaker 3>you were never meant to go through life alone. I

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<v Speaker 3>want to personally invite you to just sign up for

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<v Speaker 3>the Daily Hope devotional. Do it today. I think it's

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<v Speaker 3>going to bring fresh encouragement to your walk in God.

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<v Speaker 1>If you'd like to sign up for the daily devotional,

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<v Speaker 1>it's easy. Just go to Pastorick dot com. That's pastorreg

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. Be sure to join us next time as

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<v Speaker 1>we look into God's Word for our daily hope. This

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<v Speaker 1>program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your

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<v Speaker 1>generous financial support
