WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:06.960 Hello, and thanks for joining us here on Pastor Rick's 2 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:12.039 Daily Hope, the audio broadcast ministry of Pastor Rick Warren. Today, 3 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.280 Rick continues teaching a series called Connecting with God the 4 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.760 Lord's Prayer. In these lessons, Rick shows you what it 5 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.600 means to truly be spiritually connected to God and to 6 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:27.480 each other through the power of God's love and God's Word. 7 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.000 In a moment, we're going to tell you how to 8 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:34.399 get the Daily Hope Advent Calendar. This special resource will 9 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:38.679 help you experience all that Christmas promises. Go to Pastorick 10 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:41.759 dot com to find out more, or text the word 11 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:45.560 Daily to eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four. 12 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:50.079 That's Pastorick dot com. Or the word Daily to eight 13 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:54.520 hundred six hundred five thousand and four. Here's Pastor Rick 14 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:57.560 with the final part of a message called the Prayer 15 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:59.600 of Cleansing our review. 16 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.560 Every year, I repent of every sin. Here's a third step. 17 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:09.280 I resolve to make restitution. If possible. You make restitution now. 18 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:13.480 Sometimes it's not possible. They may have died, they may 19 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:15.920 have moved away and you can't find him. They may 20 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:18.200 have remarried and it would be not a good thing 21 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:22.840 for you to reopen an old wound. And so in 22 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:27.640 some situations you can't make restitution, but anything you can 23 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:30.760 do to make it right, you do so. Number four, 24 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:36.040 The fourth thing I do is now I receive God's forgiveness. 25 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:38.359 The Bible says this. And by the way, you don't 26 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:41.680 have to be hesitant or shy about coming to God 27 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:44.519 for forgiveness. He says, Let us come boldly to the 28 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:47.480 throne of our gracious God, and there we will find 29 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:51.719 he said, not scolding, not punishment, not rejection. 30 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:53.760 He says. When we come to God with. 31 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.799 Our sin, we receive his mercy and we find his grace. 32 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:03.840 What's the difference between mercy and grace. Mercy is forgiveness 33 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.400 for all the things you've done in the past. Grace 34 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:08.560 is the power to change in the future. 35 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:09.919 And you need both. 36 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:13.080 And God says, you come to me with honestly, with 37 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.000 all your sin. And you say, God, this stinks, this 38 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:19.120 looks bad. I'm embarrassed about It's the good, the bad, 39 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:21.360 and the ugly in my life. God says, you will 40 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:24.560 have mercy for your past and grace to change in 41 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:27.800 your future. Now, let me tell you how not to 42 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.479 get God's forgiveness. You don't beg. You don't bargain or 43 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.479 bribe like I try to do. God, I'll never do 44 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:37.120 it again, or I'll all live this kind of life, 45 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:39.879 or I'll tie twenty percent. Or you don't bargain, You 46 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:41.360 don't bribe, you don't beg. 47 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:47.520 You just believe. What do you believe? You believe God's 48 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.360 promise on the screen. Here's the promise. 49 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.879 If we freely admit that we have sinned, that's if 50 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:58.240 we confess our sins. We find God utterly reliable. He's 51 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:01.240 not going to backtrack on this. He forgives our sin 52 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:04.680 and makes us thoroughly clean. Wouldn't you like to be 53 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:07.479 totally clean on the inside? 54 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:08.400 How do you do it? 55 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.039 You just confess. Confession is saying you're right God, it 56 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.680 was wrong. You're right, I was wrong. That's confession to 57 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:19.879 speak the same with God. The Bible says this up 58 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:24.120 here on the screen. Since we are justified, that means acquitted, 59 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:29.360 declared righteous through faith. Let us grasp the fact that 60 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:33.560 we now have peace and reconciliation with God. Now before 61 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:35.520 I get the end through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now 62 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.400 it says, since we are justified, we've talked about this 63 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.080 word before. 64 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.000 What does it mean to be justified? 65 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:45.560 It means when God makes you just as if I'd 66 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.599 never sinned. That's what it means to be justified. God says, 67 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:54.120 I'm gonna make you just as if I'd never sinned. 68 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:57.560 I'm going to wipe the slate clean. I'm going to 69 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:01.719 erase everything you've ever done wrong. I'm going to justify you, 70 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.960 make you just as if I'd never sinned. And he 71 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.439 says that comes not by you earning it, But just 72 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.759 do faith in me, faith in my son Jesus Christ. 73 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.720 You say, Rick, you don't know what I've done, God 74 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:21.839 could never forgive me. Well, you're wrong, I don't know 75 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.160 what you've done, but it doesn't matter. In fact, the 76 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.160 Bible says this on the screen. No matter how deep 77 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:31.519 the stain of your sin, I could take it out, 78 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:37.639 and I can make you clean as freshly fallen snow. 79 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.279 Wouldn't you like to have a heart like that, that 80 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:46.680 is clean as freshly fallen snow. When you have that, 81 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.399 it doesn't mean you're perfect. It means you're forgiven. 82 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:55.040 This is pastor Rick's daily hope. We're so glad you're 83 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:57.639 with us today. Rick will be back in a moment. 84 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:02.040 But first, recently, past mister Rick had our graphic designers 85 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:06.040 create a beautiful frameable version of the Lord's Prayer that 86 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:10.199 you can download for free right now by visiting Pastorick 87 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:14.000 dot com. That's Pastorick dot com fall. 88 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:16.959 Us here now, and that means Christmas is right around 89 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.120 the corner. That's why we want to let you know 90 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:22.240 that Pastor Rick and his wife Kay created an advoic 91 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:25.439 calendar with specially commissioned custom artwork. 92 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.800 It's beautiful. 93 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:30.360 This two part resource includes a calendar with a special 94 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:33.639 door for every day of December that opens to reveal 95 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:37.160 a hidden image and an encouraging Bible verse. Use it 96 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.360 with a companion daily devotional booklet to help you and 97 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:44.040 your family draw closer to Jesus and prepare your heart 98 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.839 for the real celebration. The Daily Hope Admit Calendar will 99 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:52.040 help you spend the holidays worshiping instead of worrying, slowing 100 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:56.519 down and reconnecting with God and expressing gratitude for the 101 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.519 true meaning of the season. You want to get the 102 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:03.160 Daily Hope admin Calendar and devotional booklet in your hands 103 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:06.920 now to start using it on December first. This resource 104 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:09.399 is a perfect way to share the gift of Jesus 105 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:12.839 at Christmas with your friends and family, and we'll send 106 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:14.879 it to you to say thanks when you give a 107 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:17.800 gift to Daily Hope to help take good news to 108 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:22.839 people everywhere. Quantities are limited, so get yours now. Just 109 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:26.439 call eight hundred six hundred five zero zero four, or 110 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:29.560 go to Pastororrick dot com. That's eight hundred and six 111 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.800 hundred at five zero zero four, or go to pastor 112 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.240 Rick dot com. Thanks so very much. 113 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:38.800 Hi everybody, it's Pastor Rick Warren with some really big news. 114 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:43.839 My Daily Hope devotionals are now available in Portuguese. If 115 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:48.920 you know somebody who would enjoy reading these devotionals in Portuguese, 116 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.120 please email me and I'll send you the link to 117 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:54.800 sign up. My email is Rick at Pastorick dot com. 118 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.839 That's Rick at pastororik dot com. 119 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:01.920 Now let's get back to more great teach with Castor Brickborne. 120 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:08.360 Now you come to step five, and step five is 121 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:11.879 the most difficult one. This is the real test of maturity. 122 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:16.439 I reveal my faults to a friend. You don't have 123 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.240 to reveal them to fifteen people, not the five people, 124 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:21.680 not the three, not even the two, but you need 125 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:26.319 one person that you come clean with. You said, Oh, 126 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:28.879 come on, Rick, can I just be forgiven by confessing 127 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.439 to God? Of course you can. Of course you can't. 128 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:34.160 But here's the question, and I want you to get it. 129 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.560 You need to ask yourself, do I want to be 130 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:39.319 emotionally healed? 131 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:41.839 Or do I just want to be forgiven? 132 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:45.040 If all you want to do is be forgiven and 133 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:47.160 you want to carry the weight and the pain and 134 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:50.360 the resentment, are all of the pressure of it the 135 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:52.199 rest of your life and have it come back and 136 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.199 keep messing with your mind, Oh you needed is just 137 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:57.519 confess it to God. God will forgive you. You don't have 138 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.839 to tell anybody else. Just tell God and you'll forgive you. 139 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.519 Keep on carrying it. God wired it that we only 140 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:08.120 get well in community. Notice what the Bible says, confess 141 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:14.000 your sins to each other and pray for each other. 142 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:17.000 We're to confess and we're to pray for each other 143 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:22.360 so that you maybe circle this healed. Revealing your feeling 144 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.800 is the beginning of healing. So let me ask you again, 145 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.480 do you want to be forgiven or do you want 146 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.319 to be emotionally healed? If you just want to be forgiven. 147 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.240 You just confess it to God. But if you want 148 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.159 to get over this and get on with your life, 149 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.519 you're gonna need to be healed and you need to 150 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.120 tell somebody else. Say Rick, why why do we do this? 151 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:44.519 Why does God want me to drag somebody else into this? 152 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:47.919 I'll tell you why, because God knows that the root 153 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:53.960 of your problem, listen is relational. Your relationship to God 154 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:57.320 and you're messed up. Relationships to other people are the 155 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:01.559 root of all your problems. And when we don't have 156 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:04.279 one person in our lives that we are completely honest with, 157 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:08.000 we wear masks and we pretend that we all have it, 158 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:10.440 have it all together when everybody knows we don't, and 159 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:14.919 we act like it's all right when it's not, and 160 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:16.679 we deny our true feelings. 161 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.840 What does that do? It isolates you from other. 162 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:24.399 People when you're not authentic, when you're faking it, and 163 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.600 it prevents intimacy, and it keeps you from the deepest 164 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:33.159 level of love. You cannot love fully with guilt in 165 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.519 your heart. And so what happens is we go around 166 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:40.679 living with shame and living with insecurity. And they, if 167 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:45.480 they really knew, they'd reject me. If they really knew, 168 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.480 they wouldn't love me. If they really knew me and 169 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:54.440 what I've done, they wouldn't accept me. And it keeps 170 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:57.799 you caught. Would you write this down? I'm only as 171 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:01.919 sick as my secrets. And the fact is the more 172 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:05.639 you hide, the sicker you get. On the other hand, 173 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:08.480 revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. And it 174 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.120 is amazing that when you find one person that you 175 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:14.320 can trust and you say, I just need to get 176 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:16.879 this off my chest. I don't need you to do anything, 177 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.440 just listen to me, and you unveil it. You know 178 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:23.600 what happens. You find that they got big problems too, 179 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.360 and often they actually have the same problem you do. 180 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:31.399 And there's something about telling another person that uncorks the 181 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:35.320 pressure valve. When you let the boogeyman out of the closet, 182 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:38.120 all of a sudden, the boogeyman isn't so big anymore. 183 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:43.679 And I say, do I broadcast this everybody? Of course not, 184 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.559 of course not. Let me give you some guidelines. Who 185 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:50.799 do you share this with? One person who is a 186 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:55.679 mature believer. Then somebody who's a mature believer that you 187 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:59.440 feel safe with. They're confidential, they can keep a confidence. 188 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.799 They are mature enough to respond to you with God's 189 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:05.960 love and forgiveness. They're not going to They're mature enough 190 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:10.360 to not be shocked by anything. They're not gonna judge you. 191 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:13.080 They're going to say to you, you are forgiven in 192 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:16.720 Jesus' name. And there are plenty of people like that, 193 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:20.440 maybe a trusted friend, maybe a small group, member of 194 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.440 your small group, maybe a Christian counselor maybe somebody and 195 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:27.759 celebrate recovery. It's absolutely important to be somebody the same sex. 196 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.440 Men should confess to men and women should confess to women, 197 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:33.720 because if a man confessed to a woman, it blow 198 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:44.639 her away. Need I say more? And vice versa. So 199 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.919 men confess to men and women ask to women, you say, 200 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:49.799 well what do I say? 201 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.679 Will you just say? You know what? You know? 202 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.039 I need somebody to come clean with and I don't 203 00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:58.000 need you to fix me. 204 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:00.519 I don't need you to give me an advice. I 205 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:01.840 just need you to listen to me. 206 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.559 While I do a little spring cleaning. I've already confessed 207 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:08.840 this stuff to God and I just need to confess 208 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.600 it to one other person. And what you do is 209 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.120 you share here's what I've done here's how I feel 210 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:18.600 about it, and here's where I want to change. 211 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:20.919 That's it. Now. 212 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:23.879 You know, if you actually shared this with a mature Christian, 213 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:27.120 they would be honored to hear your confession. 214 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.399 A truly mature. 215 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:31.159 Believer is not going to be blown away by that. 216 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.399 They're going to understand the importance of it. They've done 217 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:36.879 it themselves likely and they would be They're not gonna 218 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:37.360 be blown away. 219 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.639 They're going to be honored by it. 220 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.639 And if somebody comes to you this week and says, 221 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.960 I just need you to hear my confession, because the 222 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.879 Bible says confess to one another. 223 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:48.840 Then you just listen to them and you love them, 224 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:49.200 and you. 225 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:53.840 Say, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Now, 226 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.240 let me tell you something. The secret in your life 227 00:12:57.240 --> 00:13:01.279 that you most want to conceal is the secret you 228 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:06.919 most badly need to reveal in order to be healed. 229 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:12.440 If you want healing, there's got to be some revealing. 230 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:17.679 And you got to stop concealing the very thing that 231 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:21.159 you don't want anybody to know about. That's the very 232 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:24.279 area God wants to give you the most grace and 233 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.519 the most mercy and the most healing. And you will 234 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:34.200 receive the most joy when you're forgiven. He So I 235 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:36.200 have this compulsion, so what? 236 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:43.840 So what? Well? I have this addiction, so what? I 237 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:46.279 have this same sex attraction? So what? 238 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:54.080 We're in a broken world. Nothing works right, you can 239 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.039 experience God's grace. When do I do this as soon 240 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.480 as possible? You don't procrastinate? 241 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.799 Why because I know what's on the other side of it. 242 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:02.600 Look at this verse. 243 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:08.440 What happiness those whose guilt has been forgiven? What happiness? 244 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.480 It's like a mountain guilt off your shoulder. The relief, 245 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.519 What a relief to those who have confessed their sins 246 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:20.039 and Goddess cleared their record. How do you spell relief? 247 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:29.240 C n fess confess. That's how you find relief. Now 248 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:33.080 there's one other step. I review every area of my life. 249 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.679 I repent of the sins I own up to him. 250 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:40.279 I resolve to make restitution. I receive God's forgiveness. He's 251 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:42.919 waiting to it. I reveal my faults to a friend 252 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:45.879 so I can be emotionally healed. And then step six is, oh, 253 00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:51.120 by the way, repeat these steps regularly. That's step number six. 254 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:58.440 Repeat the other five regularly. Now you guys, I'm a grandfather. 255 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:05.360 So let me give you some advice. Never procrastinate changing. 256 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:05.840 A diaper. 257 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:12.720 Because it's all gonna come out in the end. Okay, 258 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:18.639 the longer you procrastinate, the messier it's gonna get. Never 259 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:22.559 put off cleaning up a mess. Let me give you 260 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:26.879 another piece of advice, personal advice. Take a bath every 261 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:31.639 now and then people will like it. You'll smell better 262 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.200 if you clean up. If you spend some time cleaning 263 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:36.480 up periodically. 264 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:37.039 Good thing. 265 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:40.159 Let me give you another piece of advice. Take the 266 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:44.360 garbage out of your kitchen every day. 267 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:45.960 What if you only. 268 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:47.960 Took the garbage out of your kitchen once a year, 269 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:53.320 your house would stink some of you, your life stinks 270 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:59.559 because you haven't taken the garbage out. Maybe ever, what 271 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:02.799 I I've shared with you, I have done it hundreds 272 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:10.399 and hundreds of times. Personal spiritual, moral inventory. And one 273 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:14.320 of the reasons why God blesses my life is because 274 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.519 I try to keep short accounts with God. I'm a 275 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:26.159 very flawed individual. I sin, I make mistakes, I blow it, 276 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.759 I'm selfish. 277 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:31.200 But you know what, I try to keep short accounts 278 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:31.679 of God. 279 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:34.399 And I say God, okay, I don't want to carry 280 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:39.519 in tomorrow the garbage from today, and it's like spiritual breathing. 281 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:42.679 You exhale all the carbon monoxide and you inhale all 282 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:48.559 the oxygen. Friends, God wants to bless your life. I 283 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:52.879 know this from personal experience. God wants to use your life. 284 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.519 He wants to bless you, and he wants to make 285 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:59.279 you a blessing to other people. And they say, could 286 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.960 God use me? Oh yeah. God uses every kind of vessel. 287 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:07.160 He can use small vessels, he can use plane vessels, 288 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.440 he can use ordinary vessels, he can use shy vessels. 289 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.240 He even uses broken vessels. But the only thing God 290 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:21.400 will not use is a dirty vessel. And this is 291 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:26.799 a test. Are you willing to do what God tells 292 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:29.160 you to do? Are you willing to do it today? 293 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:32.319 Are you willing to be honest to God and honest 294 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:33.000 with yourself? 295 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:33.960 Now? 296 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:36.359 I want you to notice one thing. I want you 297 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:41.119 to circle all the lettuce. Let us on this nose 298 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:46.559 here first point. Let us test circle that to Let us. 299 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.799 Then then look at the next one. 300 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:53.000 Let us turn circle the lettuce number point number two, okay, 301 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:57.480 then number four point four. Let us come boldly to 302 00:17:57.559 --> 00:18:01.559 find grace where we will find it okay. And then 303 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:05.319 the verse underneath that, let us grasp the fact that 304 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.960 we now have peace and reconciliation. And then in this 305 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.920 last verse from two point six, you circle the Let us, 306 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:15.319 as I read it, let us draw near to God 307 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:19.079 with a sincere heart and full assurance, having our faith, 308 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.599 our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. 309 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:26.720 You don't have that one anymore. Let us hold unsquervingly 310 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:31.319 to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 311 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:35.200 And let us consider how we may spur one another 312 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:39.720 onto love and good deeds. And let us not give 313 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:42.960 up meeting together. He's talking about small groups, as some 314 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:49.240 are doing, but let us encourage one another. This is 315 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:55.000 a walk through the let us patch. Here's the point, 316 00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:02.079 these six steps. We are to take them together. You're 317 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:05.079 not on your own. You're not a lone ranger. You're 318 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:08.200 not out there by yourself. We're all in the same boat. 319 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:10.920 We've all blown it, and we all need forgiveness. We 320 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:13.519 all need cleansing, and God wants to bless us all. 321 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:16.839 We are a church family. We are better together. You 322 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:21.359 need a church home, you need to be connected. If 323 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:23.160 you're not in a small group. You need to join 324 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:25.519 a small group, get connected a small group. If you 325 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:28.599 are not connected spiritually to God and to other people, 326 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:30.720 you're not going to have the strength to do this. 327 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:40.079 We are to do it together. Let us pray say 328 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:44.079 this in your heart, Dear Jesus. I'm tired of carrying 329 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:48.119 this secret guilt and the regrets and the shame around 330 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:53.480 all the time, and I need to unload it. And 331 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:57.599 I need to receive your gift of mercy for my 332 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:00.240 past and grace. 333 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:01.319 For my future. 334 00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:08.680 So God, right now, I am promising you that I 335 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:14.880 will do a personal moral inventory. I'm going to do 336 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.960 what Pastor Rick just taught me to do, and I 337 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:24.400 commit in advance to confessing anything you help me. Remember, 338 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:29.000 I want to be clean. I want to be pure 339 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:33.759 on the inside so you can bless me and so 340 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:37.480 you can use me to bless other people. I want 341 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:42.720 a fresh start and I want a clear conscience. So 342 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:47.319 Jesus Christ, come in and clean out every room. 343 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:50.559 In my life. I pray this in your name. 344 00:20:52.079 --> 00:21:03.839 Amen, Hi, this is Pastor Rick. 345 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:07.880 If you just pray to accept Jesus Christ into your heart, congratulations, 346 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.759 you're now my brother or sister and the Lord and 347 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:12.880 you need to tell somebody, and why don't you tell me? 348 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:16.839 Write to me Rick at Pastorick dot com. Just email 349 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:20.519 me Rick at Pastorick dot com and tell me your story. 350 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.000 I would love to read it. And by the way, 351 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:25.559 I'll send you some free material to help you start 352 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:28.400 in your new journey with the Lord God bless you. 353 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:34.799 This is Pastor Rick's daily Hope. We're so glad you're 354 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.920 with us today. Recently, Pastor Rick had our graphic designers 355 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:42.920 create a beautiful frameable version of the Lord's Prayer that 356 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:47.119 you can download for free right now by visiting Pastorick 357 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:51.279 dot com. That's Pastorick dot com. Rick will be back 358 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:54.880 in a moment. But first fall is here and that 359 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:58.599 means Christmas is right around the corner. That's why we 360 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:01.400 want to let you know that Rick and his wife 361 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:06.799 Kay created an advent calendar with specially commissioned custom artwork. 362 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:10.480 It's beautiful. Here's Pastor Rick to tell you more. 363 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:12.880 You know, friends, one of the most common questions that 364 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.759 you hear this time of the year is are you 365 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.839 ready for Christmas? It's a question that shows how much 366 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:23.480 preparation we think is necessary just to celebrate this holiday 367 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:26.920 and this Holy Day. We think getting ready for Christmas 368 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.200 means putting up decorations and buying and wrapping gifts and 369 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:33.440 sending cards and planning meals and helping with school plays 370 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:36.640 and church musicals and office parties, and the list goes 371 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:38.880 on and on, making sure that we help all the 372 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:42.400 people who are in need. But does doing all that 373 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:46.039 really get us ready for Christmas? We'll making it through 374 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:48.960 a checklist, prepare me for celebrating the Birth of Jesus. 375 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.799 We both know the answer is no, and we both 376 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:54.359 know that it's too easy to get so caught up 377 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.119 in doing too many things, many of them good things, 378 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:00.440 but so many things that we forget the real reason 379 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.559 for the season. So you know what, Here at Daily Hope, 380 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.160 we've put together a brand new resource that I want 381 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:09.119 you to have. I hope it will help you really 382 00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:13.400 get ready for celebrating the Birth of Jesus. It's an 383 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:17.640 advent calendar, a calendar of preparation. And each day on 384 00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:20.720 this calendar, you'll open one Bible verse and then you 385 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.559 just turn to the corresponding page and a companion book 386 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.119 that we've put together, and you read through the very 387 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:30.480 short spiritual growth devotional. Not only takes a couple minutes 388 00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:33.559 to read the Bible verse and the devotional, but it's 389 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.599 going to prepare your heart for the coming of Christ 390 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:42.400 at Christmas. My hope is at this resource, this advent calendar. 391 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:46.079 Preparing your heart for Christmas will help you spend the 392 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:50.400 holiday expressing your gratitude to God, worshiping instead of worrying, 393 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:54.519 and taking things off your schedule so you can appreciate 394 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:57.039 the true meaning of Christmas. I don't want you to 395 00:23:57.079 --> 00:24:00.000 miss the miracle of Jesus this Christmas. 396 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:03.440 You'll want to get the Daily Hope Advent Calendar and 397 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:07.079 devotional booklet in your hands now to start using it 398 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:10.640 on December first. This resource is a perfect way to 399 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:14.119 share the gift of Jesus at Christmas with your friends 400 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:16.680 and family, and we'll send it to you to say 401 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:19.359