WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:05.000 You know, none of us can earn our way into 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:08.439 heaven because the eternal life is of free gift when 3 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:12.599 you accept Jesus as the Lord of your life. Hey, everybody, 4 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:16.440 this is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. And today Rick Warren 5 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:21.039 continues a series called Good News about Grace. You can't 6 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:25.800 truly understand the Christian life until you understand grace. It's 7 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:29.280 at the heart of your faith and your relationship with God. 8 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:32.880 And in this series you're going to discover how not 9 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:37.039 to only understand grace, but how to experience it and 10 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:40.600 the joy that it brings. Okay, and now here's part 11 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.359 two of a message called Restoring Grace. 12 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:48.200 God does not reject believers when we sin, first because 13 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:54.439 his love is unconditional. Second, because my salvation isn't based 14 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:59.600 on my performance. God doesn't reject believers when they send 15 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:04.760 because my salvation isn't based on my performance. Romans nine 16 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:07.760 sixteen says it doesn't depend on man's desire effort, but 17 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:12.079 on God's mercy. Now, we covered this in detail in 18 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:16.079 the very first message in this series on saving Grace, 19 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:21.359 and I'll say it again. The only way you ever 20 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:23.719 have ever any hope of getting into heaven is by 21 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:26.799 the grace of God. You can't earn your way into heaven, 22 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:28.920 buy your way to heaven, work your way into heaven, 23 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:33.799 bluff your way into heaven. You know whatever, If you 24 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:37.560 don't get saved by grace, you're not getting saved. If 25 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:40.159 you don't get into heaven on the grace of Jesus Christ, 26 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:43.079 you're not gonna get there. Because it's perfect and you're not. 27 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:46.799 It's the only way. Read with me Titus three. Five. 28 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.920 He saved us not because of the good things we did, 29 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.599 but because of his mercy. And so God doesn't reject 30 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:58.879 me as a believer when I sin, because his love 31 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:02.239 is unconditional, and my salvation isn't based on my performance. 32 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:10.360 Number three, because Jesus has already taken my punishment. God 33 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:13.199 doesn't reject me when I sin because Jesus has already 34 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:17.520 taken my punishment. If I've accepted that as a believer. 35 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.560 You know, in America, we have a law called the 36 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:23.919 law of double jeopardy. I think it was invented by 37 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:30.360 Alex Trebek, and the law of double jeopardy says that 38 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:33.120 you cannot be tried for the same crime twice. You 39 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.800 cannot be convicted for the same crime. Christ, you cannot 40 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:40.800 be punished for the same crime twice. That's true in 41 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:45.400 God's book too, that people are not punished for the 42 00:02:45.479 --> 00:02:49.199 same crime and the same sin twice. Now, two thousand 43 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:52.960 years ago, Jesus stretched his arms out on the cross 44 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:58.719 and took the punishment for my sin and for yours. 45 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.879 He took it all. He paid the price for you, 46 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:05.960 He took your wrap, he served your term, he took 47 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:09.039 the death penalty for you. The wages of sin is death, 48 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.280 and he died for you. Now what sins that he 49 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:15.520 died for? All of them? The ones in your future 50 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:17.560 that you don't even know about yet, He died for 51 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:21.759 those two. And they've already been punished. The sins that 52 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:23.479 you created in the past, the ones you're going to 53 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:26.360 do in the future, somebody's already taken the punishment for him, 54 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:31.080 Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did. That's why he cried out 55 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:35.280 on the cross. It is finished. And in Greek it 56 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:38.199 was to tell us die. He's saying, paid in full. 57 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:42.599 It's paid in full. Now, can you imagine God coming 58 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:44.960 to you the next time you sin? And they said, oh, 59 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.680 by the way, what Jesus did for you, It wasn't 60 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:53.840 good enough, I'm going to punish you too. That makes sense, 61 00:03:53.919 --> 00:04:00.240 does it. That's double jeopardy. If God punished you would 62 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:03.400 mean saying that what Jesus did for you wasn't good enough, 63 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.240 but it was. Let me, I don't know how to 64 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.840 say it any clearer than this. If you were a 65 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:13.960 Christian and you have received the grace of God, God 66 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:18.839 does not punish you when you sin, because that punishment 67 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:23.920 was already taken by Jesus on the cross. Now I 68 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:26.199 know what some people are thinking. They said, wait a minute, 69 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:29.199 let me get this right. Jesus has already been punished 70 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:31.839 for all the things I'm going to do too. Yes, 71 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:35.160 And some people say, well, that means somebody could go 72 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.839 out and say that I can do whatever I want. 73 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:42.120 This is great. All my sins have already been punished 74 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:43.800 and paid for. I can go out and I can 75 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:45.560 go to bed with anybody I want to go to 76 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.759 bed with. I can cheat on my income tax I 77 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:51.879 can lie, I can steal. You know, I can do 78 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.519 whatever I want to do because it's already been punished 79 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:56.839 on Jesus and I'm not gonna pay the punishment for it. 80 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:01.879 Let me just say this, if you feel that way. 81 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:05.920 If you think that thought, you are not a genuine 82 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:10.279 believer in Jesus Christ. You're not a real Christian, because 83 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.519 no real genuine believer would ever pervert the grace of God, 84 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:17.800 would flaunt it, would abuse it in such a way. 85 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.399 Grace makes me want to do what's right, not what's wrong. 86 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:25.519 Grace is not a license to just say, well, I 87 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:27.439 know I'm all forgiven, so I'll go ahead and just 88 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:29.439 keep on doing what i want to because I'm forgiven. 89 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:32.319 Therefore I'll keep having this affair. I know I'm forgiven. 90 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:34.519 Therefore I'm just gonna goe and leave my family. I 91 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.399 know I'm forgiven I therefore I'll just do whatever I 92 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:41.839 want to do. That is an abuse of grace, and 93 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:45.920 no genuine believer would flaunt the grace of God like that. 94 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:51.000 In the face of God, grace makes me want to 95 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:54.839 do what's right. And when I really understand grace, it 96 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:57.920 goes God. I am so grateful you're telling me that 97 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:00.240 everything I'm ever gonna do wrong is already been taken 98 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:05.040 care of. Yes, Oh God, I am so grateful for that. 99 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:07.680 I am so grateful. I want to serve you the 100 00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:09.839 rest of my life. I want to love you. I 101 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:11.639 want to do whatever you made me to do in 102 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:18.000 this world. Besides, while God does not condemn you and 103 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:22.759 God does not punish you, you will be disciplined. So 104 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:28.040 what's that. Well, Discipline is very different than punishment. Punishment 105 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:33.399 is retribution for the past. Discipline is correction for the future. 106 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:38.560 Punishment is done in anger. Discipline is done in love. 107 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:42.240 Punishment is to say, this is what you get for 108 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:45.920 what you did. Discipline says, I want to train you 109 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.040 to get you on the right path for the future. 110 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.680 The Bible says that if you continually sin and sin 111 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:54.680 and sin and you're not disciplined, it just means you're 112 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:57.879 not in God's family. So I don't go next door 113 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.240 and discipline the kid's next door. They're not in my family, 114 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:04.360 But I discipline my own kids because they're in my family. 115 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.879 One of the ways you know you're Christians. You can't 116 00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:10.639 sin and get away with it. God brings discipline in 117 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:13.879 your life to correct you. But notice what the Bible 118 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:18.399 says First John two too read it with me. When 119 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:22.560 Jesus served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved 120 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:26.279 the sin problem for God, not only ours, but the 121 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:32.160 whole world's He solved it right there. So God doesn't 122 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.839 reject me when I sin, because Jesus has already taken 123 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:40.360 the punishment. Number four, God doesn't reject me when I 124 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:45.199 sin as a Christian because Jesus understands my human weaknesses. 125 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:51.439 He's sympathetic. He's understanding. He knows my frailties, my faults, 126 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.680 he knows what makes me tick, he knows how I'm wired. 127 00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:57.839 And one of the most beautiful truths you're going to 128 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:01.199 need to learn in the Christian life is this, God 129 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:06.399 is patient with you. God is patient with you, and 130 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:10.079 he just doesn't get impatient. In fact, look at what 131 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.199 the Bible says in Hebrews four fifteen. He meaning God, 132 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:17.519 Jesus understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the 133 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:21.600 same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. When 134 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:25.560 Jesus Christ was here on the earth, he experienced every 135 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.759 temptation known to man common de man. He said, I 136 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:30.560 understand what you are. I know what it's like to 137 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:32.320 be a human being. He came and lived in human 138 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:37.519 flesh for thirty three years, and so he's sympathetic. He 139 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:40.320 understands your weaknesses. He knows what you're going through. He 140 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:45.000 knows what it's like to be tempted, and he's sympathetic. 141 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:49.720 And then number five, God doesn't reject me when I 142 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:55.799 sin because God doesn't hold on to grudges. God doesn't 143 00:08:55.799 --> 00:09:00.679 hold on to grudges. Psalm one three says this in 144 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:05.639 the New Living Translation. God will not constantly accuse us, 145 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:10.559 nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for 146 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:14.399 all our sins. I'm glad for that. Nor does he 147 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:17.159 deal with us as we deserve. I'm glad for that too. 148 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.519 He is like a father to his children, tender and 149 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:26.600 compassionate to those who fear him, to those who fear him. 150 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:28.960 What does that mean? Those who respect him, those who 151 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.080 trusted him, those who committed to him, those who are 152 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:34.799 in his family. Again, this is the benefit of being 153 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:40.200 a believer. God doesn't hold a grudge at me. If 154 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:43.519 you're a believer, God is not angry with you. Let 155 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:45.399 me say that again. If you're a believer, God is 156 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.679 not angry with you. Why all of the punishment was 157 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:54.360 taken on the cross. You may be thinking, Rick, you 158 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:56.000 don't know how far I've fallen. You don't know what 159 00:09:56.039 --> 00:10:00.360 I've done. No, I don't, but God does. And you 160 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:03.360 may think that I've just trayed too far away. Well, 161 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:06.879 if you've strayed far away from God, either by one 162 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:09.320 giant step like having an affair, or just a bunch 163 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:11.679 of little small steps where you kind of slacked off 164 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:15.960 in your Christian commitment, this is what God says to you, 165 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:19.960 Jeremiah three twenty two. Would you read it aloud with me? 166 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:24.879 God says, come back to me, you unfaithful children, and 167 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:31.480 I will beat you up. Oh that's not what it says. 168 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:35.879 It doesn't say that. Does it Come back to me, 169 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:40.960 you unfaithful children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful. 170 00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:45.279 I want you to hear a beautiful example of that. Today. 171 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.320 Our testimony is by Randy, so give them a warm welcome. 172 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:00.360 I committed my life to Christ eight years ago in 173 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.559 May of nineteen ninety in Idaho Falls, Idaho. 174 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:04.919 A friend of mine from work. 175 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.799 Named Jeff was the guy responsible for introducing me to Christ. 176 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:10.799 I always tried to change the subject, but he never 177 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:14.039 gave up. One day he invited me to a Christian 178 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:15.879 concert and it was there that I gave my heart 179 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:19.600 to Jesus. After I was saved, I got involved in 180 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:22.360 a local church. It was a small church with only 181 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:26.000 about twenty members, but I jumped head first into the Bible. 182 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:29.320 I studied on my own and also in group Bible studies. 183 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:32.879 For the next six months, I continued to grow in christ. 184 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.399 I served in our small church by setting up and 185 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:38.000 taking it down on weekends and doing the many things 186 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:41.519 that a church needs done week to week. But being 187 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.279 a young Christian, I had a lot to learn. I 188 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.320 thought that now that I was a Christian, I'd never 189 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:48.600 have any problems anymore and things would go just as 190 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:51.960 I planned. In fact, I expected God to do things 191 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.840 my way. At the time, I was a student in 192 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.799 the Navy learning to operate nuclear power plants for submarines. 193 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.080 I'd been selected to stay after my class's graduation to 194 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:04.320 become an instructor. I was sure that this was God's 195 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:08.320 plan for me. But then I failed my final evaluation 196 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.840 and was rejected for instructor duty. This was a major 197 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.639 blow to me. I felt that God had let me 198 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:17.519 down and I had my first doubts, but my church 199 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:20.360 family supported me and I felt I could handle this disappointment. 200 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:23.759 Instead of becoming a teacher, I was assigned to a 201 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.360 nuclear powered fast attack submarine in Banger, Washington. 202 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:27.559 It was an. 203 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.039 Overhaul at the time, so my life of relatively easy 204 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:34.200 hours as a student changed radically. We have typically worked 205 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:36.440 twelve to sixteen hours a day for weeks at a time. 206 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:39.600 It was really hard work, and the more tired I got, 207 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:44.240 the more frustrated I became. I grew increasingly bitter and resentful. 208 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:45.080 As time passed. 209 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:46.279 I started to. 210 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:47.559 Think that God had given up on me. 211 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:49.080 This was a big mistake. 212 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:52.919 As a result, I began to spend less and less 213 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.399 time with God, and instead I started trying to solve 214 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:59.480 all my problems myself. Of course, this did not work 215 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:03.360 in my fresh increased. As the stress built up, I 216 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:04.960 started to do what I saw everyone else in the 217 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.639 subdoing to relax when they got off work. 218 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:07.320 Drink. 219 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:11.759 We drank like fish. I can still remember racing from Denny's, 220 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:13.960 racing from work to Denny's across town to get there 221 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:16.679 before last call. I would order three or four drinks 222 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.399 at once. But turning away from Jesus was not a quick, 223 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:23.000 one time event. It was a slow, day by day 224 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.600 erosion in my faith. I had let my guard down. 225 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:28.600 The more I turned away from God, the more I 226 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:32.559 continued to get deeper into sin. Sadly, I went from 227 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:34.519 a man who was saving himself for his wife, as 228 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:36.519 God had tended a man to do, to a man 229 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.039 who lost his virginity to a prostitute. I was in 230 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:43.000 sad shape for being a Christian by the time our 231 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.080 boat left overhaul. God was the last thing on my mind. 232 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.840 After our sub was overhauled, we went to sea. At sea, 233 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.480 I found even more opportunities to stray farther from God. 234 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.519 The stress of living and working in a confined space, 235 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.039 the pure pressure and the race to have as much 236 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:02.919 fun as possible when pushed me farther and farther from Jesus. 237 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:06.200 I fell so far away that I even started challenging 238 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:09.840 and attacking other Christians for their faith. I would ridicule 239 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:12.639 them and attack their knowledge of the Bible. I would 240 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:16.200 even go to lay pastor services and openly attack their beliefs. 241 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:19.039 Looking back, I can see now how all my actions 242 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.720 are motivated by guilt, shame, and bitterness. Since I was 243 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:25.440 running from God, like Jonah, I didn't want anyone reminding 244 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.279 me of what I turned my back on. Of course, 245 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.799 nothing I did could bring me any happiness. The further 246 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:34.720 I got from God. The more bitter I became, my 247 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:38.679 family relationships also suffered. Anyone in my family that didn't 248 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:41.759 agree with me, well, I would just stop calling them. 249 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:45.159 In my back slidden condition, I wasn't close to them 250 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:48.320 or anyone else for that matter. Whenever I dated women, 251 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:51.120 I treated them badly. I would only call them when 252 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:53.480 I wanted something for myself, and when I was done 253 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:55.759 with them, I would dump them or reject them until 254 00:14:55.799 --> 00:15:00.559 they would leave me. But even during the lowest these times, 255 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.799 God never gave up on me. Even without me realizing it, 256 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:05.840 he was working in my life to bring it back 257 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:08.519 to him. The tool God chose to use in my 258 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:10.919 life was the woman that I became interested in. Her 259 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.360 name was Anita, and I met her during a group 260 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:16.519 dinner with a large group of guys in their wives. 261 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:19.799 We hit it off and started seeing each other. After 262 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.440 a few weeks, I slipped into my familiar pattern of 263 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:23.799 trying to come up with a way to get her 264 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:27.039 to reject me so I could move on. Let me 265 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:29.120 tell you about one of the all time stupid stunts 266 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.279 that I pulled. I went on vacation for two weeks, 267 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.840 telling Anita specifically when to pick me up at the airport, 268 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.399 but instead I stayed an extra two weeks and didn't 269 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:40.799 bother to call her. When I did return, I fully 270 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.919 expected her to dump me. To my complete surprise, Anita 271 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.879 held me accountable for my actions, and she even made me. 272 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.360 Talk it out. 273 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.600 I couldn't believe it. I was so amazed that someone 274 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:54.120 would actually care enough for me to do that. I 275 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:59.559 decided that night i'd better marry her. So I took 276 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.519 her to some cliffs in San Diego and asked her 277 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:03.480 to marry me. I had to ask her twice, but 278 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:07.320 she finally said yes, and we were married. Shortly after that, 279 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.120 I got out of the nave and we moved to Tustan. 280 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.440 Anita's friends at work told her about a church called Saddleback. 281 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:15.600 Of course, I wasn't interested at all, but my wife 282 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:17.320 kept trying to get me to go, and I finally 283 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.960 went just to make her happy. The last place I 284 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:22.600 wanted to be was back in God's House, but we went, 285 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:24.000 and I liked it enough to come back. 286 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:25.919 I told myself it was just for her. 287 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:29.240 As I began to hear God's word and be around 288 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:34.519 genuine Christians, God was able to slowly soften my heart. Finally, 289 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:37.039 one night, after one of Pastor Rick's sermons, I found 290 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:38.879 myself sitting on the floor in my living room and 291 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:42.279 God opened my eyes. I realized that although I had 292 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:44.840 moved away from God, he had never moved away from me. 293 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:47.759 I saw that even though I had turned my back 294 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:49.799 on him, he was still there waiting for me to 295 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:53.200 return to him. More than that, he had put the 296 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:55.960 people in circumstances in my life to show me that 297 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.039 He still loved me as much as he ever had, 298 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:02.000 even though I'd been a jerk. When I finally saw 299 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:04.000 the great blessings in my life for what they were, 300 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.480 I broke down and I prayed right then and there 301 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:10.000 and rededicated my life to Jesus. It was so incredible 302 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.880 to feel his love in my heart again. I wondered 303 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.839 why it had taken me so long to return to him. 304 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:19.240 There's a verse in the Bible Romans two four that 305 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:22.400 says the goodness of God leads to repentance. That is 306 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:27.200 certainly true in my life. It wasn't a crisis or tragedy, 307 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:29.640 or bankruptcy or a divorce that God had used to 308 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:33.000 get my attention. It was the simple realization that God 309 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:35.000 had blessed my life so much, even when I was 310 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.240 turning my back on Him, and even though I didn't 311 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:37.720 deserve it. 312 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:38.759 That's grace. 313 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:42.240 And it was seeing God's undeserved goodness in my life 314 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.720 that brought me back to Him. Since I've come back 315 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.160 to fellowship with Christ, I've realized even more how much 316 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:51.240 God has blessed me. First, I have a greater appreciation 317 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:54.160 for my wife that I didn't have before. I'm so 318 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:56.759 grateful that she never gave up praying for me. If 319 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:58.720 you have a spouse that has wanted away from God, 320 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.759 don't give up on them. Next, I'm grateful for the 321 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.519 wonderful church family that Anita and I have here at Saddleback. 322 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:07.839 The church is a gift of grace that God has 323 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:10.599 given to help us grow on Him together. We were 324 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:12.920 happy to take class one O one, we were baptized 325 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.759 together and became Christians. Then we took classes two O 326 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:18.960 one and three oh one. Now I'm grateful that God 327 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.599 has given me a new ministry and a place to 328 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:23.559 serve Him. When I think of all that God has 329 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.279 done for me, I want to give back to Him. 330 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:28.920 I'm now serving in adventure Land and enjoy teaching Third 331 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.200 graders on Saturday evenings. God is also blessing me with 332 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:34.119 being a part of a great men's group and couple 333 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:38.200 small group. Don't get me wrong, Because I turned away 334 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:40.480 from God's plan for my life and I sinned. There 335 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:44.160 were scars and hurtful consequences for my actions. But God 336 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:45.799 was not waiting for me to come back just so 337 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:47.599 he could condemn me and tell me all the things 338 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:50.359 I had done wrong. Instead, what I found when I 339 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:53.599 returned to Him was open arms, a loving smile, and 340 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:55.480 the power to help me face my mistakes and the 341 00:18:55.480 --> 00:19:00.000 strength to overcome them. In closing, I'd like to say 342 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.559 say that if you're a Christian who is not as 343 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:03.640 close to Christ as you used to be, I urge 344 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:06.400 you to come back to Him today. No matter how 345 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:08.920 far are you fallen or run away from Christ, you 346 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:12.079 are only one step away from returning to Him. All 347 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.000 you have to do is turn around and return to 348 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:16.920 His love. His grace is really amazing. Thank you. 349 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:32.160 Now you may be thinking, you know, Rick, I've gone 350 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:36.240 so far down the slope. There's no way back. It's 351 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:39.480 just gonna take too much effort, too much energy. It's 352 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:43.279 too long. I've gone too far away. Well, you're wrong, 353 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:47.519 You're very wrong. I really liked what Randy said. He said, 354 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:50.240 you know, no, no matter how far you've run away, 355 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:55.880 it's only one step back. Did you get that. It's 356 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:00.759 not this long drawn out, complex process that's gonna take 357 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:03.400 years for you to get back in fellowship with God. 358 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.920 It's just one step. 359 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:15.960 What a special message from Pastor Rick, And now let's 360 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.759 hear how lives are changing through Daily Hope. 361 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:21.319 Here's Rick with a letter from one of our listeners. 362 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.359 Hi, everybody, today, I'm going to share with you a 363 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:28.599 special testimony from Delia. Delia says that Daily Hope has 364 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:34.279 helped her with deep anxiety, but then she also shared 365 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:37.599 about what happened as she began to share Daily Hope 366 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:40.519 with her parents, and she writes this, Pastor Rick, A 367 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:43.279 couple of years ago, I found myself pretty lost. My 368 00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:47.240 company had a merger and all the senior management were 369 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:51.200 changed overnight, and I was among them. At the same time, 370 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:55.240 my long term relationship ended. Then a couple months later, 371 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:58.680 my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was in 372 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:02.559 shock and I fell into a deep depression from all 373 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.400 these changes. In fact, every day I experienced a panic attack. 374 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:10.640 But then I found your teaching on Daily Hope, and 375 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.000 it just seemed that you understood every emotion that I 376 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:16.480 was going through, emotions that I didn't even know how 377 00:21:16.519 --> 00:21:20.119 to verbalize to other people. But it was Daily Hope 378 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:22.839 that helped me get out of bed every morning and 379 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.160 gave me the strength to get through each day. Through 380 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.079 your teaching on Daily Hope, Pastor Ect, I was able 381 00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:33.680 to experience God's love and power like never before. 382 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:34.680 You know. 383 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:37.680 I even translated the Daily Hope devotional for my parents 384 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:43.119 who don't speak English, and they accepted Jesus too. That's amazing, Delia. 385 00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:45.640 I am so grateful for you and the team at 386 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:50.160 Daily Hope because it has become the morning routine that 387 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:54.680 I can't live without now. Delia, you have been through 388 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:58.480 more pain than I can possibly imagine, some very very 389 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:01.559 challenging times that I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry. 390 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:06.880 Sometimes we experience multiple traumas at the same time, and 391 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:11.759 when that happens, that's when we really need the Hope 392 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:16.240 of Jesus Christ. And I'm so glad you experienced that 393 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.799 that you found God's love and found God's power, And 394 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:21.680 what a blessing that you translated the Daily hope devotionals 395 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:25.519 for your parents and then they accepted Christ. That's amazing. 396 00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:29.400 I am celebrating with you that they are now in 397 00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:32.559 the family of God. It's stories like yours that just 398 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:36.480 encourage me and keep me going. So thanks so much 399 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:38.720 for taking the time to write and share your story. 400 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:42.079 And by the way, anybody else listening, if you have 401 00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:45.359