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<v Speaker 1>This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm so glad that you found us today, and whether

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<v Speaker 2>you're at home or in your car, we're so glad

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<v Speaker 2>that you're here, and we pray that God will give

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<v Speaker 2>you hope in times of difficulty. Rick is taking us

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<v Speaker 2>through the Book of Daniel and that so we'll be

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<v Speaker 2>equipped to handle whatever curveball life throws at us, even

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<v Speaker 2>the most difficult trials. And now here's Rick with part

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<v Speaker 2>two of a message called will You Stand Strong for God? Publicly?

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<v Speaker 1>It's one thing to stand strong for God at church?

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<v Speaker 1>Will you stand strong for God at the website? Will

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<v Speaker 1>you stand strong for God at the job site? Will

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<v Speaker 1>you stand strong for God at the school, in the community,

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<v Speaker 1>on the golf course? Will you stand strong for God?

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<v Speaker 1>In public? Anybody can be a secret disciple, the secret

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<v Speaker 1>agent Christian? Or do you guys remember that old Lady

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<v Speaker 1>Claire all commercial, only her hairdresser knows for sure. Remember

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<v Speaker 1>that I think there are lady Claire all Christians. Only

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<v Speaker 1>God knows for sure, because nothing in their life gives

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<v Speaker 1>you any indication that they would stand strong for God publicly.

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<v Speaker 1>So Daniel's got a decision. Okay, you know I could

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<v Speaker 1>whimp out, I could, I could give in, I could

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<v Speaker 1>cave in wish do you think he shows? Well, let's

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<v Speaker 1>look at what he did verse ten up here on

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<v Speaker 1>the screen. Now, when Daniel learned that the new law

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<v Speaker 1>had been signed, what did he do? He went home,

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<v Speaker 1>knelt down to pray as usual in his upstairs room

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<v Speaker 1>with its windows wide open toward Jerusalem. In other words,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not gonna hide this. This is public praying. He

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<v Speaker 1>goes where he's done every day four years. He goes

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<v Speaker 1>home to his house, kneels down to pray, goes in

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<v Speaker 1>his upstairs room when does wide open toward Jerusalem where

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<v Speaker 1>he had come from. And he prayed three times a day,

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<v Speaker 1>just as he had always done his entire life, thanking

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<v Speaker 1>and praising God. So this is exactly what the enemies

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<v Speaker 1>wanting to do. So Daniel's enemies go together to Daniel's

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<v Speaker 1>house to catch him praying and asking God for help.

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<v Speaker 1>So the say traps have caught him in a trap.

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<v Speaker 1>Now my question here is this, why is this guy

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<v Speaker 1>unafraid to do this? He knows the law can't be changed.

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<v Speaker 1>He knows that it says if you pray in public

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<v Speaker 1>against any to any God besides the Emperor, You're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be thrown in a pit with a bunch of hungry lions.

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<v Speaker 1>Why is he not afraid? Why is he unafraid to

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<v Speaker 1>stand out? Why is he unafraid to speak up for

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<v Speaker 1>God at work? Because I know a lot of Christians

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<v Speaker 1>who are afraid to stand out work, and I know

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of Christians who are afraid to stand up

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<v Speaker 1>at work. And I know a lot of Christians who

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<v Speaker 1>are afraid to speak up about their faith at work.

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<v Speaker 1>They're not Daniels. They're not Daniels. Why is Daniel able

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<v Speaker 1>to do this? Well, I've looked at the text and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just going to summarize it for you. Write these

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<v Speaker 1>three days. Here are the three reasons. And if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to have more courage in your life, if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to be a more courageous man of God, you

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<v Speaker 1>want to be a more courageous woman of God where

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<v Speaker 1>you work, you're going to need to do these same

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<v Speaker 1>things that Daniel did. Number One, he remembered that God

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<v Speaker 1>was faithful in the past. He remembered that God had

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<v Speaker 1>been faithful to him in the past in the tests

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<v Speaker 1>of life. Now, remember, he's already been through seven eight

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<v Speaker 1>major tests already, and in every one of those tests,

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<v Speaker 1>he won't back down. He stands for the truth. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>every single one of the tests we've looked at before

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<v Speaker 1>really could come down to this question, will you stand

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<v Speaker 1>strong publicly for God? And every time Daniel goes yep, yep, yep, yep,

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<v Speaker 1>and yep, and he's done. He has a habit. So

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<v Speaker 1>he remembers God took care of me. When they said

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<v Speaker 1>you have to eat our kind of food. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>do that, and God said, God took care of us.

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<v Speaker 1>When they said you got a bow down to the

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<v Speaker 1>statue of Nebukanezrat, I didn't do that. And God took

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<v Speaker 1>care of me when I had to deliver bad news

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<v Speaker 1>and say you're going to lose your kingdom, and I

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<v Speaker 1>could have lost my head for delivering bad news. And

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<v Speaker 1>all of these different tests, every single one of them,

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<v Speaker 1>he remembers that God had been faithful in the past.

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<v Speaker 1>When you start to get scared, like what will people

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<v Speaker 1>do to me at work if I stand up for

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<v Speaker 1>my faith or my values, or my morals or my ethics,

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<v Speaker 1>if I do what's right, I speak the truth, And

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<v Speaker 1>you start to get afraid, Remember how God has taken

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<v Speaker 1>care of you in the past. Second thing, second reason

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<v Speaker 1>he was unafraid. This is a second secret of courage.

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<v Speaker 1>He had a conversation with God three times a day.

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<v Speaker 1>He had a conversation with God three times a day.

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<v Speaker 1>That verse said he knelt down to pray as usual.

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<v Speaker 1>He prayed three times a day, just as he had

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<v Speaker 1>always done his entire life. Question, do you think if

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<v Speaker 1>you prayed three times, that you had a conversation with

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<v Speaker 1>God three times a day every day of your life

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<v Speaker 1>for eighty two years, you might be stronger in your faith?

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<v Speaker 1>Any possibility that that might have an impact on your confidence,

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<v Speaker 1>that you might be less and secure, that you might

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<v Speaker 1>be more immune to the disapproval of other people, that

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<v Speaker 1>you don't fear rejection. If you don't get anything else,

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<v Speaker 1>get what I'm about say, because this is the message

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<v Speaker 1>in a sentence. The secret of standing strong is kneeling often.

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<v Speaker 1>The secret of standing strong is kneeling often. The more

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<v Speaker 1>you kneel in prayer, the more stronger you're going to

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<v Speaker 1>stand when the heat's on in your life. The secret

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<v Speaker 1>of standing strong is kneeling often. He had a conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with God three times a day every day for eighty

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<v Speaker 1>two years. He knows God, he's not worried about what

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<v Speaker 1>other people think or might even try to do, and

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<v Speaker 1>God has been faithful to him in the past. Then

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<v Speaker 1>there's a third thing that kept him to be from

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<v Speaker 1>being shaken by this. He wasn't shaken by it at all.

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<v Speaker 1>He just goes home and does what he's done for

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<v Speaker 1>the last eighty two years. He doesn't even, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>WinCE about this new law. And the third reason he

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<v Speaker 1>was unshaken is he knew the rewards were greater than

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<v Speaker 1>any risk. Is it risky to break a law? Yes, well,

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<v Speaker 1>there might be punishment, yes. Could he even lose his life? Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>But as Peter and the Apostles said to the Sanhedrin,

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<v Speaker 1>we must obey God rather than men. Now, friends, this

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<v Speaker 1>is an important text because as America continues to change,

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<v Speaker 1>there's gonna be some laws that you just can't abide by,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're gonna have to decide, Okay, I'm not gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be like Peter and Apostles. We must obey God rather

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<v Speaker 1>than men. What is Daniel doing here. He's doing passive

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<v Speaker 1>civil disobedience, that's what he's doing. He said, I can't

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<v Speaker 1>obey that law. My number one allegiances to God. I

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<v Speaker 1>can't put anything before God. Thou shalt have no other

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<v Speaker 1>gods before me. This is passive civil disobedience. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna throw open my windows,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm gonna pray in public. Who opened the windows?

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<v Speaker 1>Daniel did. He's not hiding, He's not going Ooh, I

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<v Speaker 1>might get in trouble. Ooh, I might get put in jail.

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<v Speaker 1>Ooh I might something might bad might have I could

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<v Speaker 1>lose my job, somebody might look at me crossways. He

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<v Speaker 1>knew that the rewards of doing the right thing were

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<v Speaker 1>greater than the risks, and that doing the wrong thing

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<v Speaker 1>would be devastating. He was not shaken. Now, I want

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<v Speaker 1>us to look at the benefits of standing for God.

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<v Speaker 1>Let me just say this, any time if you struggle

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<v Speaker 1>with fear, listen to what I'm about sight. Anytime you

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<v Speaker 1>want to defeat a controlling fear in your life, any

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<v Speaker 1>kind of fear. Anytime you want to defeat a controlling fear,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're like, maybe the fear of disapproval, or the

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<v Speaker 1>fear of witnessing or whatever. What you need to do

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<v Speaker 1>is minimize the negative possibilities and maximize the benefits of

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<v Speaker 1>doing the right thing. You need to get your eyes

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<v Speaker 1>off of Well, this could happen, This could happen, This

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<v Speaker 1>could happen. I could lose my job, I could lose

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<v Speaker 1>my salary, could lose my reputation, I could lose Stop minimize,

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<v Speaker 1>minimize the negative possibilities. This is an act of faith,

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<v Speaker 1>and maximize all the benefits. I got a letter a

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<v Speaker 1>few weeks ago from a person who said, you know, Rick,

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<v Speaker 1>I feel guilty and yet worried about the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>I know I'm supposed to be a witness at work,

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<v Speaker 1>but I have never ever told anybody at work that

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a believer, that I'm a Christian, that I love Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>never told anybody, and I've never invited anybody at work

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<v Speaker 1>to church. Never. And this person said, I have mixed

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<v Speaker 1>emotions in this. I feel, you know, fearful that what

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<v Speaker 1>would happen if I did that. I might lose my job,

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<v Speaker 1>I might get demoted, not get promoted, and on and

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<v Speaker 1>on and on. But I also then come home and

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<v Speaker 1>feel bad about me because they said in the letter

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<v Speaker 1>it said, shall I dare say it? I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>a coward, and said there I said it, I feel

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<v Speaker 1>like a coward and said, can you help me on this? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>that's what this text is all about. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>stand strong publicly for God? And one of the ways

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<v Speaker 1>you do it is you start focusing on what are

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<v Speaker 1>the benefits? Okay, So if I don't want to be

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<v Speaker 1>shaken when people start coming against me for my faith,

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<v Speaker 1>as happened with Daniel, it's going to happen to you.

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<v Speaker 1>I doubt you're gonna be thrown into the lions then,

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<v Speaker 1>but you can be ostracized, and you can be gossiped about,

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<v Speaker 1>and there are a lot of things going to happen

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<v Speaker 1>to you. And we know people who are losing their

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<v Speaker 1>businesses because a standing firm on a Christian value that

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<v Speaker 1>they hold to. How in the world do I stay strong?

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<v Speaker 1>How do I not be shaken when society is changing

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<v Speaker 1>around me? You remember the benefits of doing the right thing?

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<v Speaker 1>You remember the benefits of standing for God. I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to go through these real quick, so right quickly. Number One,

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<v Speaker 1>standing for God is a victory over fear. Every time

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<v Speaker 1>you stand for God at work, in the community, with

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<v Speaker 1>your neighbor, with a friend, you have a victory over fear.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't have time to get into this in detail,

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<v Speaker 1>But let me give you three or four things right quick.

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<v Speaker 1>About fear number one, I wrote them down there. Fear

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<v Speaker 1>is just a feeling and it cannot last. Write that down.

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<v Speaker 1>Fear is just a feeling, and it cannot last. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>whenever you have a feeling, particularly negative ones, you think

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<v Speaker 1>you're going to feel that way for the rest of

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<v Speaker 1>your life. When you're depressed, you feel, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>be depressed the rest of my life. No you're not.

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<v Speaker 1>When you're afraid, I'm going to be afraid the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of my life. No, you're not. When you're grieving, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to be in grief the rest of my life. No,

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<v Speaker 1>you won't. Emotions, by their very nature cannot and do

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<v Speaker 1>not last, whether they're good ones. Happiness is happiness last.

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<v Speaker 1>No does fear last. No, you have to invite it

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<v Speaker 1>back in the front door over and over and over

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<v Speaker 1>to keep it going. No, emotion lasts. Every single emotion,

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<v Speaker 1>the good ones and the bad ones, are temporary. So

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<v Speaker 1>when you're going through that situation, you do not trust

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<v Speaker 1>in your emotion because that's not going to be the

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<v Speaker 1>way you feel tomorrow or in two days. Fear is

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<v Speaker 1>just a feeling. It cannot last. Second thing you need

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<v Speaker 1>to know is this fear is uncomfortable, but it won't

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<v Speaker 1>kill me. When you are afraid, when you are panic,

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like you're going to die. Your heart is

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<v Speaker 1>palpitating and your sweating, and your heads get dizzy, and

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<v Speaker 1>you think I Am going to die. You have been

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<v Speaker 1>in those fearful situations, but you didn't. Fear is f

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<v Speaker 1>e a r false evidence appearing real. That's fear, false

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<v Speaker 1>evidence appearing real. It's not real. The fear is not

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<v Speaker 1>not real. Only Jesus is real. Doesn't matter how you feel.

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<v Speaker 1>Only Jesus is real. So fear is just feeling. It

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<v Speaker 1>can't last. Fear is uncomfortable. Yeah, it's uncomfortable, but it

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<v Speaker 1>won't kill you. And here's a third one. Fear grows

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<v Speaker 1>when I give into it, but it lessens when I

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<v Speaker 1>move against it. This is an important stuff that I'm

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<v Speaker 1>teaching you guys this weekend. Fear grows when I give

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<v Speaker 1>into it. Every time you give into fear and you

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<v Speaker 1>don't do the thing you fear, the fear gets bigger

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<v Speaker 1>and bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, and it

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<v Speaker 1>dominates and keeps pushing you further and back into a closet,

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<v Speaker 1>into a corner, into a trap. Now you can't argue

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<v Speaker 1>your way out of fear. There's only one way to

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<v Speaker 1>eliminate fear, and you're not You move against it. Fear

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<v Speaker 1>does not respond to reason because it's unreasonable. Fear responds

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<v Speaker 1>to action. You got to step into the Jordan River

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<v Speaker 1>and then it parts. Don't stand there, I'm waiting for

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<v Speaker 1>it to part. Then I'll step into the Jordan River.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm waiting. I'm waiting to wait in God. And you're

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<v Speaker 1>all afraid. You do the thing you fear the most.

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<v Speaker 1>I've told you this before every single major decision at

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<v Speaker 1>Saddleback Church in thirty six years. I was scared to

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<v Speaker 1>death to do. But I just did it anyway. Why

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<v Speaker 1>Because I happened to believe we should base our lives

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<v Speaker 1>on our commitments, not on our fears. And I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>gonna let fear dominate me. That's called courage, friends. Courage

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<v Speaker 1>is not the absence of fear. If you're not afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to do something, you don't need any courage. You're only

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<v Speaker 1>courageous when you do the thing you're scared to death

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<v Speaker 1>to do. While you're doing it. That's courage Are you

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<v Speaker 1>a courageous woman? When was the last time you moved

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<v Speaker 1>against the fear? You did the thing you feared the most?

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<v Speaker 1>Are you a courageous man? When was the last time

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<v Speaker 1>you did the thing you feared the most. I know

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<v Speaker 1>I need to reconcile with that person. I know I

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<v Speaker 1>need to go ask forgiveness. I know I need to

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<v Speaker 1>offer forgiveness. I know I need to tell that person

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<v Speaker 1>about Christ. Fear grows when I give into it, it lessens,

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<v Speaker 1>it dilutes it. You know, It's like when you open

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<v Speaker 1>the door and you realize the Boogeyman is a teddy bear.

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<v Speaker 1>Fear is always worse than the real thing because the

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<v Speaker 1>first place, the real thing doesn't last that long. Fear

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<v Speaker 1>you can just keep it going, keep it going, keep

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<v Speaker 1>it going by inviting it back into your life. So

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<v Speaker 1>every time you take a stand for God, you have

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<v Speaker 1>a victory over fear. That makes you more confident, That

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<v Speaker 1>makes you more courageous, that makes you more a person

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<v Speaker 1>of character like Daniel was. What I encourage you to

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<v Speaker 1>do is pray. Like the first Christians prayed. They were

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<v Speaker 1>in a lot worse situation. We were in those days

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<v Speaker 1>in Romans against Roman empires, against a lot. To be

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<v Speaker 1>a Christian, you announce your christians likelihood. You're going to

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<v Speaker 1>be fed alliance in the coliseum, or you're going to

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<v Speaker 1>be strung up and hung on across on the Appian Way,

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<v Speaker 1>which they killed millions, not millions, thousands and thousands of Christians.

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<v Speaker 1>So you're taking your life in your hand. And here's

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<v Speaker 1>what the first Christians pray it acts for twenty nine. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you know the threats people make, so help us as

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<v Speaker 1>your servants to speak your word without fear. You might

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<v Speaker 1>want to remember that verse. You might want to write

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<v Speaker 1>it on a card and put it on your desk

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<v Speaker 1>at work. Lord, you know the threats people make at work.

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<v Speaker 1>You know the threats they make. So help us as

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<v Speaker 1>your servants, to speak your word without fear. Standing for

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<v Speaker 1>God is always a victory over fear. Number two. Standing

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<v Speaker 1>for God builds my faith and character. Faith and character

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<v Speaker 1>are like a muscle, and the only way you develop

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<v Speaker 1>a muscle is put it under stress. That's what weight

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<v Speaker 1>training is all about. That your muscle does not grow

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<v Speaker 1>by eating bond bonds while you're watching. You know who

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<v Speaker 1>paid less for the dress or whatever, oh you, that's

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<v Speaker 1>one of my favorite shows. I'm sorry. The only way

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<v Speaker 1>you're gonna build muscle is put pressure on those muscles.

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<v Speaker 1>Stretch them, stress them, put a little tension on them.

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<v Speaker 1>That's how you get stronger. And every time you stand

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<v Speaker 1>for God at work, it builds your character. You become

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<v Speaker 1>more of a godly man, you become more of a

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<v Speaker 1>godly woman, and it builds your faith. Two Timothy one,

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<v Speaker 1>verse eight. You must never be ashamed to tell others

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<v Speaker 1>about our Lord? Are you ashamed to tell others about

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<v Speaker 1>our Lord? With the strength that God gives you, that's

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<v Speaker 1>called character. Be ready to suffer if necessary, to share

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<v Speaker 1>the good news. Standing for God is a victory of

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<v Speaker 1>and standing for God builds my faith and character. Every

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<v Speaker 1>time you do the tough thing, you grow in character,

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<v Speaker 1>You grow in confidence, you grow in strength, you grow

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<v Speaker 1>in wisdom, you grow more like Christ. You build your faith.

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<v Speaker 2>What a great message from Pastor Rick today. There's something

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<v Speaker 2>I always take away from his message. Here's Rick to

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<v Speaker 2>tell you how you can help support this ministry.

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus told his disciples that they should live their lives

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<v Speaker 1>according to five specific purposes. He said, You've got to

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<v Speaker 1>love God with all your heart. That's worship, and love

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<v Speaker 1>your neighbors yourself. That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment.

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<v Speaker 1>And then Jesus said, go make disciples. That's evangelism, Baptize

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<v Speaker 1>them into the Family of God. That's fellowship, a sign

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<v Speaker 1>of fellowship. And then he said, teach them obey everything

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<v Speaker 1>I've taught you. That's discipleship. And we call that the

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<v Speaker 1>Great Commission. We believe it daily Hope that a great

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<v Speaker 1>commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will

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<v Speaker 1>produce a great Christian, a great church, a great company,

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<v Speaker 1>a great community. You know, I started Daily Hope so

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<v Speaker 1>I could spread the good news about Jesus, not just

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<v Speaker 1>across America, but all around the world. And we want

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<v Speaker 1>people to know that God's word is filled with hope

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<v Speaker 1>and truth, and the power that we need to follow

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<v Speaker 1>him every day is available to every single one. You

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<v Speaker 1>know as well as I do, that the Word of

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<v Speaker 1>God changes lives. It's a live it's active, and it

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<v Speaker 1>breathes new life and new love into all of our lives.

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<v Speaker 1>So wherever you listen to this, whether you listen on

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<v Speaker 1>the website, whether you listen on a radio station, or

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<v Speaker 1>whether you listen to a podcast. You're a part of

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<v Speaker 1>the Daily Hope family, and I need your help. We

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<v Speaker 1>could not do this without your support. Now, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't take any funds from this broadcast. We don't

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<v Speaker 1>have any giant million dollar donor who's giving big gifts

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<v Speaker 1>to this. It comes from daily donations from listeners like you.

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<v Speaker 1>We're one hundred percent listener funded. Would you continue to

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<v Speaker 1>pray for this broadcast and would you continue to support us?

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<v Speaker 1>And let write to me, let me hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>I absolutely love reading the stories that are sent to me.

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<v Speaker 1>So write me, pray for me and support this ministry,

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<v Speaker 1>and God will bless it, and God will bless you,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll get to heaven, and we'll thank God for

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<v Speaker 1>all the people going to be in heaven because you cared.

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<v Speaker 2>We sure hope you've been encouraged by Pastor Rick's Daily

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<v Speaker 2>Hope and if you have, would you consider supporting us.

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<v Speaker 2>We appreciate so much your prayers, and if you'd like

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<v Speaker 2>to give a financial gift, just go to Pastorick dot com. Again,

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<v Speaker 2>that's Pastorick dot com. Be sure to join us next

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<v Speaker 2>time as we look into God's word for our Daily Hope.

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<v Speaker 2>This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and

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<v Speaker 2>your generous financial support.