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<v Speaker 3>Hello, everybody.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>really glad you're here.

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<v Speaker 3>Today.

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<v Speaker 1>We're continuing our series from Psalm twenty three called living

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<v Speaker 1>in the Goodness of God. It's all about how God's

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<v Speaker 1>goodness meets you right where you are and brings hope

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<v Speaker 1>even in difficult seasons. Up next, here's part one of

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<v Speaker 1>a message called the God of My Valleys.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, there's an old Arab proverb that says, all

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<v Speaker 2>sunshine and no rain makes a desert. Life is a

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<v Speaker 2>mixture of good times and bad times, ups and downs,

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<v Speaker 2>highs and lows, mountains and valleys.

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<v Speaker 3>And today I.

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<v Speaker 2>Want us to look at the theme of the God

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<v Speaker 2>of my Valleys, the God of my valleys. Even in

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<v Speaker 2>our darkest days, God says, I'm there, and.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm there with you.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, we've been memorizing Psalm twenty three and we're down

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<v Speaker 2>to verse four now, so let's read it together and

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<v Speaker 2>with great enthusiasm. You've probably got a lot of it memorized.

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<v Speaker 2>Now if you say it the year of Thou because

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<v Speaker 2>you rememberize in King James, that's perfectly fine. All right,

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<v Speaker 2>let's stay together. The Lord is my shepherd I have

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<v Speaker 2>everything that I need. He makes me lie down in

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<v Speaker 2>green pastures. He leaves me beside still waters. He restores

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<v Speaker 2>my soul. He leaves me in the right path for

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<v Speaker 2>his Name's sake.

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<v Speaker 3>And even when I walk through the.

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<v Speaker 2>Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil,

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<v Speaker 2>for you are with me. Very good class. You all

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<v Speaker 2>get an a and you all get a cookie. Now

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<v Speaker 2>this phrase, even though I walk through the Valley of

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<v Speaker 2>the Shadow of Death. There's actually a canyon in Israel

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<v Speaker 2>called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>David had been through it many, many times. Some of

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<v Speaker 2>these canyons were very narrow at the bottom and could

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<v Speaker 2>be eight hundred feet tall, and so when you're looking

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<v Speaker 2>up on either side, the only time you'd get the

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<v Speaker 2>sun is actually at noonday. And so in the middle

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<v Speaker 2>of the day you could be in the bottom of

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<v Speaker 2>this canyon and not see the sun because the walls

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<v Speaker 2>were so tall. And then this the canyon was so

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<v Speaker 2>narrow the sun only shines when it's right overhead, and

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<v Speaker 2>it would be in shadows most of the day. Yeay,

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<v Speaker 2>even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow

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<v Speaker 2>of Death, I will fear no evil for you are

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<v Speaker 2>with me now. That word valley got me to thinking

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<v Speaker 2>this week about the god of my valleys. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>about two nine hundred years ago, there was a king

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<v Speaker 2>in Israel. His name was Ahab, and the Syrian army

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<v Speaker 2>decided they were going to depose Ahab.

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<v Speaker 3>And so the King of.

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<v Speaker 2>Syria lined up thirty two nations to come against Israel,

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<v Speaker 2>and they came against Israel, and God miraculously gave Israel

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<v Speaker 2>a victory and soundly defeated the King of Syria and

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<v Speaker 2>his thirty two allies. The Kings of Allies. Well, the

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<v Speaker 2>following year, the Syria decided they were going to try

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<v Speaker 2>it again, and they were going to come back and

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<v Speaker 2>try to take over Israel. But in reviewing the previous

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<v Speaker 2>battle from a year earlier, all of the Syrian generals

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<v Speaker 2>came up with a different plan. And up here on

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<v Speaker 2>the screen, here's what it says. First Kings tells us

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<v Speaker 2>Chapter twenty. The Syrian military advisors went to their king

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<v Speaker 2>and they explained, Israel's gods are the gods of the hills,

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<v Speaker 2>and the last time we fought them a year ago,

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<v Speaker 2>when they lost, we fought them in the hills. And

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<v Speaker 2>that's why they defeated us. This was their rationale. But

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<v Speaker 2>if we fight them in the valleys where they are weak,

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<v Speaker 2>we will defeat them there. And so they changed plans

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<v Speaker 2>and a few other strategic things that instead of fighting

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<v Speaker 2>the Israelites up in the hills country, we're going to

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<v Speaker 2>fight them on flat ground where we can easily outnumber them.

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<v Speaker 2>Their gods protect them in the hills, but we'll beat

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<v Speaker 2>them in the valleys. So just their battle plan, and

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<v Speaker 2>they bring a huge army.

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<v Speaker 3>Back to Israel.

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<v Speaker 2>In fact, the Bible says this, The Syrian forces covered

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<v Speaker 2>the whole countryside, but the Israelites looked like two little

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<v Speaker 2>flocks of goats.

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<v Speaker 3>This is a very imbalanced.

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<v Speaker 2>There may be one hundred thousand troops coming against Israel.

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<v Speaker 2>Israel has it the most seven thousand. So it's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be a slaughter. It's going to be a slaughter.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's not the end of the story. Then defeat

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<v Speaker 2>looks inevitable. But God has something to say about this.

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<v Speaker 2>In Onest Kings, chapter twenty, verse twenty eight says this

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<v Speaker 2>because the Syrians. God says this because the Syrians think

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<v Speaker 2>that I'm only the God of the hills and not

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<v Speaker 2>the God of the valleys. I'm going to give you

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<v Speaker 2>victory over this huge army, so everyone will know that

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<v Speaker 2>I am the Lord. Now I summarize everything we're gonna

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<v Speaker 2>look at today in this sentence. God is God not

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<v Speaker 2>just of your mountaintop experiences. He's the God of the

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<v Speaker 2>valleys too. God says, I am the God of the valleys.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not just the God of the good times in

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<v Speaker 2>your life. I'm not just the God of the happy

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<v Speaker 2>times in your life. I'm not just a god when

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<v Speaker 2>everything's going smooth.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm the God of the valleys too.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, the valley in scripture literally means a valley, but

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<v Speaker 2>is also a metaphor for difficult times. The Bible talks

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<v Speaker 2>about the valley of troubles, that's acre. The Bible talks

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<v Speaker 2>about the valley of weeping. There's all kinds of metaphors.

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<v Speaker 2>Valleys are a symbol of difficult times in your life

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<v Speaker 2>in the Bible. And God says, I'm not just a

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<v Speaker 2>God of the mountaintops the peak experiences in your life.

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<v Speaker 2>I am the God of the valleys. In the times

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<v Speaker 2>of darkness, the times of despair, the times of defeat,

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<v Speaker 2>the times of discouragement. Because the truth is most of

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<v Speaker 2>your life, my life are not lived.

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<v Speaker 3>On the mountaintops.

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<v Speaker 2>When you're in a mountaintop experience, the view is great, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>they give you a great view, But mountain peaks are

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<v Speaker 2>far and few. Most of the time, you live your

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<v Speaker 2>life in the valleys, you know. And I got thinking

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<v Speaker 2>about this today. I've spent most of my life geographically

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<v Speaker 2>living in valleys.

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<v Speaker 3>I was born in.

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<v Speaker 2>The Silicon Valley. I was born in Santa s And

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<v Speaker 2>I grew up in the Silicon Valley. And then my

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<v Speaker 2>dad moved our family to the Willamette Valley up in

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<v Speaker 2>Oregon and we lived there. And then we moved from

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<v Speaker 2>the Milamet Valley back to Mill Valley, where we lived

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<v Speaker 2>in Mill Valley in northern California. And from there we

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<v Speaker 2>moved to a little tiny village in the red what's

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<v Speaker 2>called Redwood Valley, five hundred people in this little town,

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<v Speaker 2>and I lived grew up in Redwood Valley.

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<v Speaker 3>And then for the.

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<v Speaker 2>Last thirty seven years, I've been in the Saddleback Valley.

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<v Speaker 3>So I've been in the valley my entire life.

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<v Speaker 2>When I think about it, very few times have I

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<v Speaker 2>actually been on the mountaintops. Now, what I want us

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<v Speaker 2>to do this weekend at three things. Look at what

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<v Speaker 2>the Bible says about what we know about valleys. Even

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<v Speaker 2>though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death,

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<v Speaker 2>I will fear no evil, for you're with me. What

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<v Speaker 2>do we know about valleys? And then I want us

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<v Speaker 2>to look at what kind of valleys to expect. And

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<v Speaker 2>then finally I want us to look at what do

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<v Speaker 2>you need to remember? I don't know what kind of

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<v Speaker 2>value you're going through right now. Maybe a financial valley,

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<v Speaker 2>you're going in a real tough spot. Maybe you're in

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<v Speaker 2>a relational valley. Maybe you're going through a physical illness

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<v Speaker 2>and a valley of disease or sickness. Whatever kind of

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<v Speaker 2>value going through, you're gonna need this message. If ever

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<v Speaker 2>you needed to take notes, it's this weekend. Okay, let's

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<v Speaker 2>look at this first. Let's talk about what do we

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<v Speaker 2>know about valleys? And the Bible tells us a lot,

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<v Speaker 2>and of course experience tells us a lot. You might

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<v Speaker 2>run right these two or three things down. First, we

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<v Speaker 2>know that valleys are a part of life. Okay, they're

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<v Speaker 2>a part of life. In other words, they're inevitable, they're

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<v Speaker 2>part of normal life. You can't avoid them. They're going

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<v Speaker 2>to happen. You can count on them. You either just

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<v Speaker 2>came out of a valley, or you're in the middle

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<v Speaker 2>one right now, or you're headed into another one, because

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<v Speaker 2>that's what life is all about. So don't be shot.

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<v Speaker 2>Don't be surprised. You're going to go through valleys in

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<v Speaker 2>your lifetime. You're not always on the mountaintop. The only

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<v Speaker 2>question is not if you're going to go through a valley,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just when when. And you're going to experience disappointment

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<v Speaker 2>in life. You're gonna experience defeat. You're going to experience

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<v Speaker 2>distractions and disturbances and despair and depression.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a normal part of life.

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<v Speaker 2>Valleys are part of life, and God's plan for your

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<v Speaker 2>life actually contains both hills and valleys. They're part of

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<v Speaker 2>the plan. Look at these scriptures Deuteronomy eleven eleven. The

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<v Speaker 2>promised land, God says to those who are going about

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<v Speaker 2>to get it. The promised land you're about to enter

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<v Speaker 2>is a land of hills and valleys. Now what does

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<v Speaker 2>this mean. Well, metaphorically, what it means is that even

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<v Speaker 2>when you're in the center of God's will, valleys are

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<v Speaker 2>part of the plan. You can be in the Promised Land,

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<v Speaker 2>and it's not all mountaintop when you go through the

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<v Speaker 2>valleys of life. That's part of God's plan for your life.

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<v Speaker 2>The Promised Land includes hills and valleys. One Peter four

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<v Speaker 2>to twelve says this, don't be surprised when you are

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<v Speaker 2>tested by troubles or painful suffering, as if something unusual

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<v Speaker 2>has happened to you. Don't be surprised. They are a

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<v Speaker 2>part of life. They are inevitable, all right, he says,

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to happen. So you don't say why me,

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<v Speaker 2>You say why not me? I'm alive. You have problems

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<v Speaker 2>in your life, not because you're bad human. You have

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<v Speaker 2>problems in your life because you're a human. Even the

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<v Speaker 2>Promised Land has hills and valleys. Don't be surprised by

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<v Speaker 2>troubles as if something unusual is happening to you. Second

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<v Speaker 2>thing we know is that valleys happen to everybody. Valleys

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<v Speaker 2>happen to everybody. There's no way you can avoid them.

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<v Speaker 2>They're part of life. They're inevitable. But not only they' inevitable,

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<v Speaker 2>they're impartial. Good things happen to bad people, and bad

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<v Speaker 2>things happen to good people. Valleys are impartial. Psalm thirty four,

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<v Speaker 2>verse nineteen says this, the good man does not escape

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<v Speaker 2>all troubles. He has them too, but the Lord helps

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<v Speaker 2>him in each and every one. A lot of people.

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<v Speaker 2>I got problems in my life. God's punishing me. Not

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<v Speaker 2>God's not punishing me. This is part of being part

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<v Speaker 2>of the human race. You're in a world that is

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<v Speaker 2>broken and has fallen, So we have problems. Nobody's immune,

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<v Speaker 2>nobody's insulated from pain, nobody is isolated from sorrow. We

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<v Speaker 2>all go through life with problems. Nobody sails through life

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<v Speaker 2>problem free. This is not news to you. Bad things

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<v Speaker 2>do happen in life, and being a Christian, being a

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<v Speaker 2>followed Jesus does not exempt you. Valleys are part of life,

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<v Speaker 2>and valleys happen to everyone. In fact, Jesus said in

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<v Speaker 2>Matthew five point forty five, the rain falls on the

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<v Speaker 2>just and the unjust. Everybody goes through the exact same

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<v Speaker 2>things in life. Not only are our valleys inevitable and impartial.

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<v Speaker 2>Number three valleys are unpredictable, and that's part of what

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<v Speaker 2>makes them a problem is you can't predict them. You

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<v Speaker 2>can't plan, you can't time them. Problems typically catch you

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<v Speaker 2>off guard. They come unexpectedly. In fact, your values and

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<v Speaker 2>your problems come usually at the worst time, when you

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<v Speaker 2>don't have time, when you're unprepared, when you're inconvenient. Wouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>it be easier if you could schedule all your values

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<v Speaker 2>in life. I'm caught up on my sleep, on my

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<v Speaker 2>health is good, nobody's bugging me. Okay, now I'll take

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<v Speaker 2>a problem. Lord, it doesn't happen like that. They're un inevitable,

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<v Speaker 2>they're impartial, and they are unpredictable. Have you ever noticed

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<v Speaker 2>how quickly a good day can become a bad day

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<v Speaker 2>one phone call, one phone call. Disasters come quickly, tragedy

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<v Speaker 2>comes quickly, accidents come quickly. None of us know what's

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<v Speaker 2>going to happen this evening, much less tomorrow, or the

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<v Speaker 2>next day or the next day after that. In an instant,

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<v Speaker 2>everything can change. You can have somebody makes a decision.

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<v Speaker 2>You had nothing to do, and then all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 2>your life's thrown upside down. Somebody up in corporate made

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<v Speaker 2>a decision. Proverbs twenty seven, verse one says this, don't

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<v Speaker 2>ever brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the

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<v Speaker 2>day will bring.

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<v Speaker 3>Forth.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So problems are inevitable, valleys are impartial, and values

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<v Speaker 2>are unpredictable. Now I want to go a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>deeper before we look at the solution and prepare you.

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<v Speaker 2>Even though they're unpredictable, there are some values I can

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<v Speaker 2>guarantee you you're going to go through in life, and they're.

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<v Speaker 3>All in scripture.

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<v Speaker 2>The Bible is filled with significant valleys, and I just

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<v Speaker 2>picked three or four of them just to show you

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<v Speaker 2>that if you study scripture, you're going to be aware

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<v Speaker 2>and then you'll be prepared for the inevitable values that

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<v Speaker 2>come into your life. Do you know what's going to

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<v Speaker 2>happen to you next year?

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<v Speaker 3>No?

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<v Speaker 2>But can you guess what will probably happen to you

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<v Speaker 2>during your lifetime? Yes, because they're predictable in the sense

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<v Speaker 2>that we know what to expect. So let me just

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<v Speaker 2>give you a couple of them. Let me give you

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<v Speaker 2>four different significant valleys in scripture. Number one is the

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<v Speaker 2>Valley of Sidam, the Valley of Sidham. Now, the Valley

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<v Speaker 2>of Sidam is actually in Genesis chapter fourteen, and this

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<v Speaker 2>is if you like war stories, this is a tremendous

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<v Speaker 2>chapter Genesis fourteen. How many of you either saw the movie,

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<v Speaker 2>you read the book Lord of the Rinx. Okay, you

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<v Speaker 2>know that the big climactic battle is called the Battle

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<v Speaker 2>of the Five Armies. Right, it's a big, app big

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<v Speaker 2>epic battle, the Battle of the Five Armies. The battle

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<v Speaker 2>in Genesis fourteen is far bigger than that because it's

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<v Speaker 2>the battle of nine armies, nine armies coming against each other.

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<v Speaker 3>And here here's the story.

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<v Speaker 2>There are four enemy nations outside of Palestine. They're going

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<v Speaker 2>to try to overtake. This is even before Israel has

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<v Speaker 2>become a nation. Four enemies outside is going to try

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<v Speaker 2>to take over five tribes inside. So it's five armies

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<v Speaker 2>fighting for their life and their freedom against four armies

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<v Speaker 2>coming from the outside who happened to be bigger. And

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<v Speaker 2>the story goes like this, look up here on the screen.

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<v Speaker 3>Then the four.

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<v Speaker 2>Kings of Shinar. By the way, Shinar is now called Babylon.

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't called this back in those days. But the

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<v Speaker 2>king of Babylon, the King of Lsr Elamb and Golam Goem,

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<v Speaker 2>these four kings went to war against the five Kings

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<v Speaker 2>of Sodom. You've heard of that one Gomorah, You heard

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<v Speaker 2>of that one and three other cities. Now, the five

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<v Speaker 2>Kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddam. This is

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<v Speaker 2>the first valley that I want you to understand. You're

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<v Speaker 2>going to go through the valleys of Siddam, the Valley

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<v Speaker 2>of Sidham, which is now the Dead Sea. So it

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<v Speaker 2>got wiped out. Remember fire and Birmstone came wiped out,

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<v Speaker 2>Sodom and Gamor it's now called the Dead Sea. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>the five Kings joined forces there in the Valley of Siddam,

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<v Speaker 2>which is now the Dead Sea. For twelve years they'd

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<v Speaker 2>been oppressed by other kingdoms. So in the thirteenth year

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<v Speaker 2>they rebelled. And then it says but in the fourteenth year,

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<v Speaker 2>their presses recruited his allies to team up and reconquer

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<v Speaker 2>the land. So they, after being pressed for twelve years,

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<v Speaker 2>said we're not paying any more taxes. Forget you guys.

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<v Speaker 2>And so now the guys, yeah, you are going to

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<v Speaker 2>pay taxes. And these four armies come against five armies.

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<v Speaker 2>So the nine armies fought in the valley of Sinnam.

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<v Speaker 2>Now what happens here next is why it's important to you.

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<v Speaker 2>In verse ten, it says this, Now, this valley was

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<v Speaker 2>full of sticky tarpits, And when the kings of Sodom

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<v Speaker 2>and Gomorrah tried to run away from the battle, they

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<v Speaker 2>slipped and they fell, and they got.

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<v Speaker 3>Stuck in the pits.

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<v Speaker 2>So the two kings of these cities are stuck in

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<v Speaker 2>these tar pits. So the invaders plundered the cities of

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<v Speaker 2>Sodom and gomor Uh, and they took everything they had,

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<v Speaker 2>and they also captured Abraham's nephew Lot, who was living

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<v Speaker 2>in Sodom. Now I'm not gonna go into this part

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<v Speaker 2>of the story, but Abraham later goes back. He goes

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<v Speaker 2>to war against these guys, freeze his nephew, and gets

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<v Speaker 2>the cities all their their loot back. But the point

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<v Speaker 2>I want you to understand here is that it says

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<v Speaker 2>they slipped and fell in the tar pits. In the

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<v Speaker 2>tar pits, what are they what are they talking about there? Well,

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<v Speaker 2>that's kind of bitumen in the area, and they got stuck. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>how do you end up in this kind of valley?

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<v Speaker 2>But this kind of value value of cinema, Well, you

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<v Speaker 2>do what these kings did. They ran away from something,

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<v Speaker 2>and while they were running away, they slipped, and when

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<v Speaker 2>they slipped, they fell, and when they fell, they got stuck.

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<v Speaker 2>Has that process ever happened to you in life? Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>when you run away from something, maybe a responsibility, and

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<v Speaker 2>then you slip and then you fall and then you

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<v Speaker 2>get stuck. And this valley is a slimy, dark tar

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<v Speaker 2>pit area where you stumble falls. I want you to

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<v Speaker 2>write this down, Sidem is the valley of failure. You're

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<v Speaker 2>going to go through this in your life. You're going

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<v Speaker 2>to have failures in your life. You're going to have

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<v Speaker 2>failures where you where you run from responsibility, where you

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<v Speaker 2>try to get away from it. I don't know what

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<v Speaker 2>it is. You slip, you fall, and you get stuck.

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<v Speaker 2>You slip, you fall and you get stuck. Question, what's

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<v Speaker 2>your sidam today? What are you running from? And you

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<v Speaker 2>know you need to face it, that conflict, that confrontation

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<v Speaker 2>you're running from, And what's your dark slimy tar pit.

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<v Speaker 2>Some people, it might be a bar. For some people,

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<v Speaker 2>it might be a nightclub. For some people, it might

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<v Speaker 2>be a hotel room when they're traveling. You know, Sodom

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<v Speaker 2>and Gomar weren't exactly family friendly cities. They were known

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<v Speaker 2>as sin cities. But I will tell you this, it

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't matter where you've gotten stuck, or how you've gotten stuck,

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<v Speaker 2>or what pit you're in, Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>Can get you out.

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<v Speaker 1>What a special message from Pastor Rick. And now let's

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<v Speaker 1>hear how lives are changing through Daily Hope. Here's Rick

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<v Speaker 1>with a letter from one of our listeners.

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<v Speaker 3>Today.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to introduce you to Agatha, who's translating Daily

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<v Speaker 2>Hope into German for her husband. She writes, Pastor Rick,

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<v Speaker 2>your preaching is bringing many souls to God. My husband,

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<v Speaker 2>who is an unbeliever, is drawing closer and closer to

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<v Speaker 2>God every day. I translate what I hear on Daily

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<v Speaker 2>Hope into German because he can't speak and understand English.

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<v Speaker 2>Pastor Rick, your teaching has changed his life and I

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<v Speaker 2>can see his progress and eagerness to follow Jesus. Agatha, Well, Agatha,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you so much for sharing your story with me.

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<v Speaker 2>This is a wonderful story to hear that you're translating

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<v Speaker 2>what you hear on Daily Hope for your husband and

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<v Speaker 2>that he's growing closer to Jesus. I'm so happy for that.

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<v Speaker 2>We're always looking for translators to help us in new

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<v Speaker 2>languages as we take the message of God to more

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<v Speaker 2>people around the world. So you will keep praying for

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<v Speaker 2>your husband and you keep praying for us, that God

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<v Speaker 2>allows us to take the good news of God's hope

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<v Speaker 2>all around the world.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, if you'd like to let Rick know how this

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<v Speaker 1>broadcast has blessed you, he would love it.

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<v Speaker 3>Please feel free.

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<v Speaker 1>To send him an email at Rick at pastorick dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>That's Rick at pastorick dot com. Be sure to join

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<v Speaker 1>us next time as we look into God's word for

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<v Speaker 1>our daily hope. This program is answered by Pastor Rick's

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<v Speaker 1>daily hope and your generous financial support.

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<v Speaker 3>M