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<v Speaker 1>You know, none of us can earn our way into

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<v Speaker 1>heaven because eternal life is a free gift when you

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<v Speaker 1>accept Jesus as the Lord of your life. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, and today Rick Warren

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<v Speaker 1>continues a series called Good News about Grace. You can't

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<v Speaker 1>truly understand the Christian life until you understand grace. It's

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<v Speaker 1>at the heart of your faith and your relationship with God.

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<v Speaker 1>And in this series you're gonna discover how not to

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<v Speaker 1>only understand grace, but how to experience it and the

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<v Speaker 1>joy that it brings. All Right, here's part one of

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<v Speaker 1>a message called Liberating Grace.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to begin with a little self evaluation quiz

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<v Speaker 2>this morning. Just don't raise your hand, but just consider

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<v Speaker 2>the answers. How you'd answer these questions. Do you ever

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<v Speaker 2>feel guilty when you relax? I said, don't answer knowing,

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<v Speaker 2>and you've got a lot to do. You often feel

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<v Speaker 2>dissatisfied or discontent with yourself or your situation. You have

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<v Speaker 2>a tendency to see something wrong with things rather than

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<v Speaker 2>what's right with it. Do you ever find yourself using

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<v Speaker 2>these phrases regularly? I have to, I must, I ought to,

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<v Speaker 2>I should be able to. Do you ever feel frustrated

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<v Speaker 2>or maybe even angry at God, feeling that his expectations

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<v Speaker 2>on you are unreasonable? Number six, does your relationship to

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<v Speaker 2>God seem like a burden rather than a blessing? Now,

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<v Speaker 2>if you can answer yes to any of these questions,

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<v Speaker 2>you're probably afflicted with perfectionism. Perfectionism is trying to prove

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<v Speaker 2>my worth by being perfect. It is a counterfeit of

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual maturity. It's not the real thing. Trying to prove

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<v Speaker 2>my worth by being perfect. And after years and years

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<v Speaker 2>in ministry, it's my impression, my opinion, the perfectionism is

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<v Speaker 2>the number one hang up of dedicated believers, dedicated Christians.

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<v Speaker 2>You see, it happens like this when you first become

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<v Speaker 2>a Christian and you understand what grace is all about.

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<v Speaker 2>This is some deal. Wait a minute, let me get

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<v Speaker 2>this right. I take all my sin, give it to God,

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<v Speaker 2>and He gives me heaven forgiveness and power for today.

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<v Speaker 2>I like that deal, and it's free. I don't earn

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<v Speaker 2>my way into heaven. I don't work my way to heaven.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't pay my way into heaven. I don't barter

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<v Speaker 2>my way into heaven. Is just a free gift. And

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<v Speaker 2>when you understand grace, you go, this is one great deal,

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<v Speaker 2>and you start enjoying it. But inevitably what happens is,

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<v Speaker 2>as time goes by, you start thinking this has got

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<v Speaker 2>to be too good to be true. Really, I ought

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<v Speaker 2>to help God out a little bit. Surely he expects

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<v Speaker 2>something of me. Surely I need to do something to

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<v Speaker 2>gain his smile, to gain his approval in my life,

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<v Speaker 2>and you fall into one of two traps. Now there

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<v Speaker 2>are two great enemies of grace. We've been in this

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<v Speaker 2>series of grace for a number of weeks. Now there

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<v Speaker 2>are two great enemies. One of them is legalism, trying

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<v Speaker 2>to earn God's approval through rules, and the other's perfectionism,

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<v Speaker 2>trying to prove my worth by being perfect. There's an

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<v Speaker 2>entire book of the Bible written to combat these two

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<v Speaker 2>enemies of grace. It's the Book of Galatians. And in

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<v Speaker 2>the Book of Galatians, God says, when you try to

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<v Speaker 2>earn God's smile on your life, you try to earn

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<v Speaker 2>God's pat on the back God's approval. He says, that's

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<v Speaker 2>dumb on your outline. The very first verse is Galatians

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<v Speaker 2>Chapter three, Verse three. Let's read it aloud together. You

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<v Speaker 2>began your life in Christ by the spirit. Now are

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<v Speaker 2>you trying to make it complete by your own power?

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<v Speaker 2>That is foolish, Because it's foolish. Now today, I want

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<v Speaker 2>us to look at liberating grace, how to break out

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<v Speaker 2>of the performance trap, how to break out of the

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<v Speaker 2>prison of perfectionism. If you understand this, how to relax

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<v Speaker 2>in God's grace, you will find a new level of

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<v Speaker 2>joy in your life. You'll find a new level of

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<v Speaker 2>liberation of freedom that you probably never experienced before, except

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<v Speaker 2>maybe when you first became a believer. So I want

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<v Speaker 2>us to look at how do you relax in God's grace?

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<v Speaker 2>But before we do, let me just mention two or

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<v Speaker 2>three things the perfectionism does to us because it is

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<v Speaker 2>very destructive. It's very detrimental to your own life. Number one,

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<v Speaker 2>you might write this down. What it does is it

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<v Speaker 2>defeats my initiative. Have you ever had a project that

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<v Speaker 2>you ever can't seem to get started on even though

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<v Speaker 2>you know you want to start on it. It's a

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<v Speaker 2>good thing, it's the right thing to do, and you think,

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<v Speaker 2>one of these days I'm going to get around to it.

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<v Speaker 2>But you never get it started. One possible reason is perfectionism,

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<v Speaker 2>because what you in your mind you're doing, you're waiting

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<v Speaker 2>for the perfect circumstance. You're waiting for the perfect timing,

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<v Speaker 2>You're waiting for the perfect environment. You're waiting till the

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<v Speaker 2>kids get out of school, You're waiting till a certain

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<v Speaker 2>amount of money comes in. Are something, but you're waiting.

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<v Speaker 2>And as a result, perfectionism causes procrastination because you set

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<v Speaker 2>your standard so high, and procrastination causes paralysis, and you

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<v Speaker 2>can't get anything done. The Bible says this Ecclesiastes eleven

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<v Speaker 2>to four. If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never

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<v Speaker 2>get anything done. How many of you agree with that verse?

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<v Speaker 2>Anybody want to give a testimony on that verse? That's

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<v Speaker 2>morning number two? And this is far more serious. Is

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<v Speaker 2>it damages my relationships? It doesn't just defeat my initiative,

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<v Speaker 2>It damages my relationships. Do you enjoy being around somebody

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<v Speaker 2>who is always correcting what you do? Don't look at them.

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<v Speaker 2>I just saw some darts, some arrows going. I elbos

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<v Speaker 2>It's well, we know what we're talking about. On the

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<v Speaker 2>way home today, nobody likes to be nagged all the time,

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<v Speaker 2>corrected all the time, perfected all the time, straightened all

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<v Speaker 2>the time, et cetera, et cetera. It's frustrating, it's irritating.

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<v Speaker 2>The Bible says love forgets mistakes, but nagging about them

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<v Speaker 2>parts the best of friends. It damages relationships. Perfectionism, this

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<v Speaker 2>desired to always correct, damages relationships now and by the way,

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<v Speaker 2>all of us are perfectionists to one degree or another.

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<v Speaker 2>So don't take yourself off the other thing. Well, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>glad my husband's here today or my wife. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>we're all in this bag. Okay. What it does is

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<v Speaker 2>it causes us to look at the wrong thing. And really,

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<v Speaker 2>what happens is it's rooted in insecurity. Have you noticed

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<v Speaker 2>that when you don't feel good about yourself, you don'tant

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<v Speaker 2>anybody else to feel good about themselves. If I don't

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<v Speaker 2>like me, I certainly don't want you liking you. I

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<v Speaker 2>want us to all be miserable together. And perfectionists who

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<v Speaker 2>are harsh and demanding on other people really are harsh

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<v Speaker 2>and demanding on themselves. They're holding themselves to a high standard.

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<v Speaker 2>Because they are doing that to themselves, they feel, well,

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<v Speaker 2>then let's just hold everybody else to that standard. They

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<v Speaker 2>take great pains in their own work, but they also

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<v Speaker 2>are pain to everybody else, and it damages relationships. Number three,

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<v Speaker 2>perfectionism destroys my happiness. It destroys my happiness. Now here's

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<v Speaker 2>the verse many of you probably never read before. It's

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<v Speaker 2>in Ecclesiastes chapter seven, Verse twenty. Excuse me, Ecclesiastes seven sixteen.

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<v Speaker 2>Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise?

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<v Speaker 2>Why should you ruin yourself? Now that verse doesn't even

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<v Speaker 2>sound like I should be in the Bible, does it.

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<v Speaker 2>He said, Hey, you can take this thing to an extreme.

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<v Speaker 2>He's not talking about genuine righteousness, he's not talking about

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<v Speaker 2>real wisdom. Solomon's talking about perfectionism because you can take

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<v Speaker 2>any virtue and make advice out of it by taking

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<v Speaker 2>it to an extreme at ignoring the balancing parts to it.

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<v Speaker 2>And he says, why ruin yourself? I love God's word

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<v Speaker 2>translation of this verse. It says, why make yourself miserable?

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<v Speaker 2>You see in your mind, you have this picture of

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<v Speaker 2>your ideal self. Ideal self is. If you want to

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<v Speaker 2>know what your ideal self is, it's what you put

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<v Speaker 2>on the job application. You know, that's your ideal self.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not the real you. It's it's your ideal self. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>it's what you show on the first date. That's the

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<v Speaker 2>ideal you. Now, would you agree that there is always

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<v Speaker 2>a gap between the ideal and the real, between what

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<v Speaker 2>you want to be, what you'd like to be, what

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<v Speaker 2>you think you ought to be, and what you really are. Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>there is a major gap between the ideal and the real,

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<v Speaker 2>and so the ideal is always nagging the real in

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<v Speaker 2>your mind. And there's this ongoing conversation in your mind

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<v Speaker 2>all the time, saying, shape up, surely you can do

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<v Speaker 2>better than that. Come on, get with it. Why did

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<v Speaker 2>you do that again? Aren't you ever gonna change? And

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<v Speaker 2>it's this little scolding going on in your mind when

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<v Speaker 2>you're in the perfection as a mode, and you're always

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<v Speaker 2>saying to yourself, I'm too skinny, i'm too fat, i'm

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<v Speaker 2>too tall, i'm too short, i'm too uncoordinated, I'm awkward,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm always laid, I'm never going to change, I'm not

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<v Speaker 2>good at this, I'm dumb, and on and on, And

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<v Speaker 2>you got this tape that's playing over and over between

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<v Speaker 2>the ideal and the real thinking that you're going to

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<v Speaker 2>nag yourself into perfection. Now, does nagging work, No, it

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't work. It doesn't work at all. Nagging only makes

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<v Speaker 2>you defensive, makes the person you're nagging defensive. Now, your

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<v Speaker 2>worst nag lives under your skin. If your typical, you

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<v Speaker 2>are your own worst critic. And since we tend to

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<v Speaker 2>resent and even dislike people who nag us, if you're

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<v Speaker 2>always nagging yourself, what's that saying about you? You don't

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<v Speaker 2>like you, That's what I'm saying. You don't like you,

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<v Speaker 2>and you think that you're not good enough. And you

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<v Speaker 2>think by nagging yourself into what's wrong with you, that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to motivate you to do the right thing. Well

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<v Speaker 2>it's not. That's called perfectionism. And perfectionism causes you to

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<v Speaker 2>constantly criticize yourself, put yourself down, demean yourself, degrade yourself,

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<v Speaker 2>and have this conversation. Now, here's the problem. You learned

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<v Speaker 2>perfectionism growing up. The fact it may have been modeled

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<v Speaker 2>for you. Now, the good point is, since you learned it,

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<v Speaker 2>you can unlearn it. Right, you can unlearn it. But

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<v Speaker 2>what happens is many of you were perfectionists before you

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<v Speaker 2>became believers, and then you became a Christian. You stepped

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<v Speaker 2>across the line and you gave your life to Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>But what you did is you took that little irritating

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<v Speaker 2>voice there was always telling you what was wrong with you,

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<v Speaker 2>and you took it off a conscience, or you took

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<v Speaker 2>it off your parents, or you took it off whatever

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<v Speaker 2>culture or whatever, and you just made it God's voice.

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<v Speaker 2>And now you've got God all the time saying to you,

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<v Speaker 2>come on, can't you do any better? Why don't you

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<v Speaker 2>Why aren't you doing that? Why aren't you doing this?

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<v Speaker 2>Always telling you what's wrong? And you've mistaken it for

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<v Speaker 2>the voice of God. It's constant, big critic in the sky. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>what is the antidote to that kind of perfectionism, because

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<v Speaker 2>we all have it to one degree another. Well, it's

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<v Speaker 2>not found in any therapy, and it's not found in

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<v Speaker 2>any pill. There's only one antidote to perfectionism, folks. It's

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<v Speaker 2>not in some tape series, it's not in some psychological

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<v Speaker 2>pull yourself up by your bootstraps and say you know

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<v Speaker 2>this is great. There's only one antidote to perfectionism. Experience

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<v Speaker 2>the grace of God, learn to relax, in the grace

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<v Speaker 2>of God. Californians, particularly Southern Californians, are supposedly to be

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<v Speaker 2>a chilled out, laid back, casual Southern California lifestyle. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>those of us who live here know that that is

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<v Speaker 2>a big sham. That people who live in Orange County

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<v Speaker 2>are some of the most stressed out people in the world.

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<v Speaker 2>They are not chilled out and laid back. They are uptight,

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<v Speaker 2>stressed out, and pushing themselves constantly, always thinking I need

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<v Speaker 2>more time in my day. And if you had another

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<v Speaker 2>hour in your day, what'd you do. You'd use it

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<v Speaker 2>to work. You wouldn't use it to relax, You'd use

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<v Speaker 2>it to work. Okay, So how do you learn to

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<v Speaker 2>relax in the grace of God? I made a little

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<v Speaker 2>acrostic for you. Are elax? Our stands for realize nobody's perfect.

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<v Speaker 2>Now that's a no brainer, obviously, But you got to

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<v Speaker 2>start somewhere so you realize that nobody's perfect. Look at

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<v Speaker 2>this verse Psalm one, nineteen ninety six. Let's read it

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<v Speaker 2>aloud together. Nothing is perfect except our pastor. Oh I

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<v Speaker 2>didn't say that, does it? Oh? Shoot, nothing is perfect

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<v Speaker 2>except what God's word. That's why, By the way, you

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<v Speaker 2>need to build your life on this because nothing else

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<v Speaker 2>is perfect. What society tells you isn't perfect, what popular

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<v Speaker 2>opinion tells you isn't perfect. What you learn growing up

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<v Speaker 2>isn't perfect. But God's word is perfect. So you get

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<v Speaker 2>in this book, you build your life on this foundation

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<v Speaker 2>because this is perfect. Then you have a perfect foundation.

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<v Speaker 2>Now this would be a good verse for you to

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<v Speaker 2>put on your refrigerator. And if you are married to perfectionists,

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<v Speaker 2>I give you permission to do it. Nothing is perfect

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<v Speaker 2>except God's word. So if you spend all your time

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<v Speaker 2>trying to attain perfection or make any project perfect, you're

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<v Speaker 2>wasting your time. You've heard me say this before. Ninety

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<v Speaker 2>two percent is still an a. You don't have the

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<v Speaker 2>time and you don't have the money to be perfect

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<v Speaker 2>at everything, and you can't anyway, looka the next verse.

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<v Speaker 2>There is no one on earth who does what is

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<v Speaker 2>right all the time and never makes a mistake. Do

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<v Speaker 2>you remember a number of years ago there was a

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<v Speaker 2>book that came out called I'm Okay, You're Okay. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>the point is, folks, that's just a bunch of boloney.

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<v Speaker 2>It is not true. I am not okay, and you're

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<v Speaker 2>not You're really not okay. Okay, I mean I can

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<v Speaker 2>say that ally, I'm okay, you're okay, and inside I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going am I kidding? There are some areas of my

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<v Speaker 2>life that are definitely not okay. There are some areas

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<v Speaker 2>of your life are definitely not okay. And so all

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<v Speaker 2>of the little affirmations in the world are not gonna

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<v Speaker 2>make you okay because you were imperfect. You are not perfect.

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<v Speaker 2>I am not perfect. So here the point is, really

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<v Speaker 2>the truth is I'm not okay and you are not okay,

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<v Speaker 2>but because of God's grace, that's okay. That's okay. Now.

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<v Speaker 2>Really the truth is I'm imperfect and I got a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of things in my life that are not okay.

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<v Speaker 2>And you are imperfect. Then you have a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>things in your life that are not okay. But when

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<v Speaker 2>you accept God's grace, he says that's okay. You don't

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<v Speaker 2>have to be perfect. So why don't you turn to

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<v Speaker 2>the person next to you right now and say, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>imperfect and you're imperfect, but that's okay. Take it to

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<v Speaker 2>a total stranger right now, just go right ahead. I'm imperfect,

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<v Speaker 2>You're imperfect, but that's okay. Now, all right, that's enough.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't have to really go into it. Some of

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<v Speaker 2>you are going you're really, really really not okay. On

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<v Speaker 2>the other hand, I just saw an engagement proposal in

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<v Speaker 2>the bleachers, So I'm not okay. You're not okay, But

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<v Speaker 2>that's okay because because of God's grace. Now what does

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<v Speaker 2>that mean? Does that mean God isn't interested in my growth?

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, he wants me to grow. Does that mean

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<v Speaker 2>I don't have to repent. No, of course you have

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<v Speaker 2>to repent. Does that mean God doesn't want me to

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<v Speaker 2>change and work on areas? No, he wants you to change. Grace.

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<v Speaker 2>When God says you're okay because of My grace, that

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<v Speaker 2>does not mean you could keep on just being a

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<v Speaker 2>jerk the rest of your life. No, it just means

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<v Speaker 2>that God isn't waiting for you to change for him

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<v Speaker 2>to love you. God is not waiting for you to

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<v Speaker 2>change for him to say you're okay. If you accept

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<v Speaker 2>his grace, you realize that nobody's perfect. The E in

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<v Speaker 2>relax stands for enjoy. I need to enjoy God's unconditional love.

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<v Speaker 2>Look at this verse first John three to one. Read

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<v Speaker 2>it with me. See how very much our heavenly Father

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<v Speaker 2>loves us for he allows us to be called his children.

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<v Speaker 2>Think of it, and we really are circle the word children,

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<v Speaker 2>because when you become a believer, when you become a

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<v Speaker 2>follower of Christ, you're not just a servant of God anymore.

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<v Speaker 2>You are a child of God. See a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>people think, well, I give my life to Christ and

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of my life I'm going to serve him. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>sure you are, you're going to serve the Lord. But

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<v Speaker 2>you're more than a servant, oh much much more than

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<v Speaker 2>a servant. You're now a child of the King. You've

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<v Speaker 2>joined the royal family, You're one of God's family, and

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<v Speaker 2>you're a child of God. Here's the difference. A servant

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<v Speaker 2>is accepted and appreciated on the basis of what he does.

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<v Speaker 2>A child is accepted and appreciated on the basis of

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<v Speaker 2>who he is. A servant starts the day anxious and worried,

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<v Speaker 2>wondering if his work will please his master, but a

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<v Speaker 2>child rests in the secure love of his family. A

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<v Speaker 2>servant is accepted because of his workmanship, but a child

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<v Speaker 2>is accepted because of his relationship. A servant is accepted

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<v Speaker 2>because of his productivity and performance. But a child is

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<v Speaker 2>accepted because of his position in the family. At the

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<v Speaker 2>end of a day, a servant has peace of mind

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<v Speaker 2>only if he's proven his worth by his work, But

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<v Speaker 2>the next morning the anxiety begins again. A child can

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<v Speaker 2>be secure all day knowing that tomorrow won't change his status.

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<v Speaker 2>When a servant fails, his whole position is at stake.

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<v Speaker 2>In fact, he might lose his job. But when a

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<v Speaker 2>child fails, he's grieved because he's hurt his parents, and

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<v Speaker 2>he'll be corrected and disciplined, But he's not afraid of

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<v Speaker 2>being thrown out of the family, and his confidence in

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<v Speaker 2>belonging and in being loved is based not on his performance,

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<v Speaker 2>but on the stability of his position as a child

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<v Speaker 2>of God. God says, I want you to enjoy the

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<v Speaker 2>unconditional love of God wants you become a part of

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<v Speaker 2>his family. Now, those of you who are parents, are

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<v Speaker 2>your kids perfect not? Do you still love them? Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>you love them in spite of their imperfection. And when

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<v Speaker 2>a two year old brings you a picture, or a

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<v Speaker 2>three year old and it's all messy, you'd say, this

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<v Speaker 2>is a picture of a cow, and you say, honey,

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<v Speaker 2>that's perfect. What you're saying, is that's perfect for that

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<v Speaker 2>stage of your maturity. You're not saying it's Picasso. You're

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<v Speaker 2>saying it's perfect for where you're at. Now, let me

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<v Speaker 2>ask those of your parents. Do you love your children

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<v Speaker 2>at every stage of their growth? Or are you waiting

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<v Speaker 2>until they're mature first? And once they reach maturity then

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<v Speaker 2>you go, now, I love you. Some of you think

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<v Speaker 2>God's waiting on you to grow up before he's ever

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<v Speaker 2>gonna smile on you, before he's ever gonna give you

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<v Speaker 2>the thumbs up sign and say you're okay. I like you. No,

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<v Speaker 2>God loves you at every stage of your growth because

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<v Speaker 2>his unconditional love is unconditional. Now, I want you to

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<v Speaker 2>write this down. If you don't get anything else, write

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<v Speaker 2>this down. I don't have to be perfect for God

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<v Speaker 2>to love me. I don't have to be perfect for

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<v Speaker 2>God to love me.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, thanks so much for joining us here on Pastor

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<v Speaker 1>Rick's Daily Hope. I've got some exciting news to share

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<v Speaker 1>with you today. Some generous friends of Daily Hope have

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<v Speaker 1>offered a ten thousand dollars matching grant, and that means

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<v Speaker 1>whatever amount you give to help share the hope of

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus worldwide is gonna be matched up to ten thousand dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's Pastor Rick to tell you more.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi, everybody, thanks so much for listening today. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>my hope is that God uses this broadcast to help

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<v Speaker 2>deepen your relationship with Jesus. Now, these daily Hope messages

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<v Speaker 2>are distributed on radio stations and digital platforms all across

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<v Speaker 2>the globe, and listeners are writing and letting us know

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<v Speaker 2>that their lives are being changed. They're telling us that

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<v Speaker 2>they're walking with Jesus and that guilt and fear has

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<v Speaker 2>been chased from their lives by God's love. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>relationships are being restored and marriages are being healed, and

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<v Speaker 2>many people are saying that they've found their life purpose.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to say thank you to you, because we're

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<v Speaker 2>only able to carry the hope of Jesus to these

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<v Speaker 2>people all around the world because of gifts from generous

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<v Speaker 2>listeners like you. I just wanted to say I am

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<v Speaker 2>so grateful for your prayers and your financial support. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>I understand in times like these, many of you are

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<v Speaker 2>unable to give financial support. Hear it from me, That's okay,

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<v Speaker 2>because I never want anybody to give unless God leads

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<v Speaker 2>them to give. That's between you and God, not between

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<v Speaker 2>you and me, but between you and God. And your

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<v Speaker 2>prayers are a continual and incredible contribution to this Daily

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<v Speaker 2>Hope ministry. Now, if you do want to give a

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<v Speaker 2>financial gift, I've got some really great news to share

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<v Speaker 2>with you. There's a generous friend of Daily Hope Broadcast

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<v Speaker 2>who is offering to match the amount of your gift.

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<v Speaker 2>In other words, if you give twenty dollars, then that

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<v Speaker 2>persons combined it with a grant to make your gift

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<v Speaker 2>forty dollars. Now, if you've never given a gift to

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<v Speaker 2>Daily Hope, I want you to pray about partnering with

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<v Speaker 2>us so that together we can continue to share the

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<v Speaker 2>hope of Jesus throughout the whole world. I love you

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<v Speaker 2>so much.

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<v Speaker 1>Just go to pastorrig dot com to have your gift

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00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:46.119
<v Speaker 1>matched up to ten thousand dollars. Please don't wait, because

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<v Speaker 1>this special matching grant offer ends in just a few days.

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<v Speaker 1>Once again, it's pastorrig dot com. Or you can text

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<v Speaker 1>the word hope to seven oh three to oh nine.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the word hope to seven oh three to oh nine,

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<v Speaker 1>and again, all of us here at Daily Hope. Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you so much for your support. Your gift helps us

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<v Speaker 1>share the hope of Christ with people everywhere. Be sure

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<v Speaker 1>to join us next time as we look into God's

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<v Speaker 1>Word for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by

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<v Speaker 1>Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.
