WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.560 --> 00:00:05.960 This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, the audio broadcast ministry 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.839 of Pastor Rick Warren. Today we continue with a series 3 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.160 called forty Days in the Word. In these messages Pastor 4 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:19.000 Rickshaw's practical Bible study tools that will reignite your passion 5 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.199 for God's Word and revolutionize your life as you grow 6 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:27.600 closer to Jesus. In just a few moments, we're going 7 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.239 to tell you how you can go even deeper in 8 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.560 this series with Pastor Rick's video based Bible study called 9 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:38.439 forty Days in the Word. This study will ignite your 10 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:43.280 passion for God's Word and revolutionize your relationship with Jesus. 11 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:46.439 You can take a sneak peek at this valuable tool 12 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:50.200 by going to Pastorick dot com while you listen to 13 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:54.960 today's message. That's pastorick dot com. Or you can text 14 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:59.119 the word Daily to eight hundred six hundred five thousand 15 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:03.079 and four. That's the word Daily to eight hundred six 16 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:07.760 hundred five thousand and four. Right now, here's Pastor Rick 17 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:10.840 Warren with part two of a message called how the 18 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:12.400 Bible Changes Us. 19 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:15.920 Some of you know this story that at the end 20 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:18.400 of the first year of Saddleback Church when Kay and 21 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:20.480 I started the church in nineteen eighty. At the end 22 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.079 of the first year, I was standing up speaking and 23 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:27.319 I fainted. I just passed out, and I went into 24 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.480 a period of depression. It was literally my burnout. I 25 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:33.519 had my midlife crisis at age twenty five. You know, 26 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.680 I wanted to get it over early, so when I 27 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:39.359 hit my forties, I just went right through it. But 28 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:44.680 I was working so hard and working eighteen hours a 29 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:46.599 day and loving every minute of it and not taking 30 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:50.719 time off, and I just burnt out physically, emotionally, spiritually, 31 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:54.519 And during nineteen eighty one, for that entire month, I 32 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:58.239 was depressed for the entire year. It's like I was 33 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:01.840 walking around with a cloud over my head and I 34 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:03.879 really didn't know how to get out of it. And 35 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:06.159 I was doing everything I could, but I was just 36 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:08.680 going to keep moving forward. You know, as I've said, 37 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:10.439 many times, what do you do when you're going through hell? 38 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.759 You keep going. You don't want to stay there, You 39 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:17.560 certainly don't want to make camp. You don't park in hell. 40 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.800 When you're going through hell, you just keep going. And 41 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:24.000 so my prayer was not, Oh, God, do something really 42 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.879 great in my life. My prayer was, God, get me 43 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:31.280 through the weekend, and I just kept doing that. But 44 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:35.080 during that time I was learning things that was preparing 45 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:38.400 me in that year of darkness, was preparing me to 46 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:42.240 handle enormous levels of stress that would break most people, 47 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.039 and to be able to manage all kinds of balls. 48 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.479 At the same time. I learned some skills and some 49 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:50.960 character development. There I would have never learned if I 50 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.879 hadn't gone through a year of depression. Because during that 51 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:59.120 your depression, I was forced to read this book. And 52 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:01.120 I was reading it and reading it and reading it 53 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.560 and reading it and reading it because I needed my 54 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:08.240 faith activated. And as I would read it and read 55 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.840 it and read it, I found myself gaining more and 56 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:14.240 more courage, gaining more and more strength, gaining more and 57 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:18.520 more confidence. So I thought, I can do this. My 58 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:21.199 confidence isn't in me, My confidence is in Christ. But 59 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.560 I can do this because God has promised this, this, this, 60 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.520 and this, and I'll never forget. One of the verses 61 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:31.520 that really activated my faith is in the Book of Exodus, 62 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.159 chapter twenty three, verses twenty nine and thirty. God is 63 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:40.319 talking to a guy named Joshua, who was Moses's successor 64 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.319 when Moses died Joshua was given the task of leading 65 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:48.400 the entire nation of Israel into battle to fight for 66 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:50.599 the Promised land. They were going to go across the 67 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:54.120 Jordan River into Jordan into Israel, and they were going 68 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:55.759 to have to take on some tribes that were already 69 00:03:55.800 --> 00:04:00.680 living there. And Joshua thought, I can't do this me 70 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.319 I have no ability to do. This is too big 71 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:05.560 a task. The great dream is too big, the goal 72 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:07.680 is too big, the vision is too big. I can't 73 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:10.479 do this. I'm inadequate God and he was giving God 74 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:15.439 all these excuses, and in Exendus twenty three verses twenty 75 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:19.959 nine thirty, God says to Joshua, Joshua, you know these 76 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.519 enemies that they're bigger than you, But I'm not going 77 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:26.000 to give you the whole land in the first year. 78 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.319 You're going to take it over a little bit at 79 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.800 a time, little by little. I call it pacing growth, 80 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.360 so that as you take it over, one battle at 81 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:40.600 a time, you're growing stronger. And then when you're strong 82 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:45.079 enough to handle it all, you'll get it all. You'll 83 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.720 get all the blessings I intended for you, but you're 84 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:50.360 not going to get them all at once. And it's 85 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.319 going to happen over your lifetime. And then when I 86 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:55.759 read that, it was like a promise coming directly to me. 87 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:57.959 I thought, Okay, I don't have to accomplish this all 88 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.399 in the first year. I'm going to spend the rest 89 00:05:01.399 --> 00:05:04.160 of my life serving Jesus Christ, and I'll do it 90 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.079 on his timetable, at his pace, and he can do 91 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:10.800 whatever he wants to do with my life. That gave 92 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:16.839 me confidence to take on enormous goals. What happened The 93 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:22.879 Word activated my faith. Number four. The fourth thing that 94 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:26.480 the Bible can do in your life is it stimulates 95 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:36.240 my growth. It stimulates my spiritual growth. It recreates my life, 96 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.600 It lets me start over, gives me a fresh start, 97 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:42.759 born again. It eradicates my guilt, wife's the slight claim. 98 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.879 It activates my faith, and then as I start growing, 99 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:51.600 it stimulates my growth. I love this verse in Acts 100 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:53.759 chapter twenty, where Paul says to the people in the 101 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:59.600 city of Ephesus, I commit you to God and to 102 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:03.120 the world word of his grace. He says, I've got 103 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.000 to leave. He was getting ready to leave, He's never 104 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:07.519 going to see these people again. And as he's leaving, 105 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:10.160 the Ephesians he says to him, I'm going to commit 106 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:13.040 you to God and to the word of his grace, 107 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:18.240 which can build you up. Circle that that's stimulating my growth. 108 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:22.160 The word can build you up and give you an 109 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:27.279 inheritance among all those who are sanctified. What does that mean, 110 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:29.680 give you inheritance among all those are sanctified. Well, you 111 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:33.879 know what an inheritance is. An inheritance is what you 112 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:38.879 get for being part of a family that's rightfully yours. Now, 113 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:46.639 let's just say your father was Warren Buffett. Okay, and 114 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:49.800 let's say Warren Buffett was your father, and he writes 115 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:54.600 a will. What if you went through your and he dies, 116 00:06:55.879 --> 00:06:59.120 and what if you never ever took the time to 117 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:05.279 read the will. That would be called dumb because you 118 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:09.560 would not be getting in on all that was rightfully yours. 119 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.839 You would not be benefiting from that which belonged to 120 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.120 you as a child of Warren Buffett. You would not 121 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.959 be able to enjoy the blessings of the Buffet family 122 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:26.519 because you don't even know about it. When you become 123 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:29.040 a follower of Jesus, when you put your life in 124 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:32.160 Christ's and when you trust him for salvation, you're not 125 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:35.439 just a believer, you're a belonger. You become a part 126 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:41.160 of God's family, and now you get family privileges, their 127 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:45.839 family responsibilities, and their family privileges, and you, the Bible says, 128 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:50.279 have an inheritance, a spiritual inheritance that you're going to 129 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:53.319 gain from God, not just here on earth, but eternally 130 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.680 in heaven. And by the way, God's richer than Warren 131 00:07:55.720 --> 00:08:00.000 Buffett in every area. Now, what if you go through 132 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:05.240 your entire life not knowing the power, the opportunities, the blessings, 133 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:08.120 the benefits that are available to you as a child 134 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:10.240 of God, and you never even took the time to 135 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:15.360 know what they were. That would be dumb. Because God says, 136 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:19.439 I want to stimulate your growth and give you the 137 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:24.399 inheritance that you have as My child, that which rightly 138 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.360 belongs to you. Let me show you another verse tewod 139 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.879 Timothy three, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen. We looked at this 140 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:37.039 verse last week. All scripture is God breathed theoonustos God 141 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:40.840 breathed and is useful. Now, notice it says four things 142 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:48.480 useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Now 143 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:51.639 here's the purpose of the Bible. So that the man 144 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:54.799 or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every 145 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:57.440 good work. The purpose of the Bible is to help 146 00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.919 you to live out the purpose God has for you life. 147 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:02.519 The purpose of the Bible is to help you live 148 00:09:02.519 --> 00:09:05.039 out the purpose God has for your life. That you 149 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.759 will be thoroughly equipped, that you'll have all you need. 150 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:11.960 You'll be fully prepared. You're ready to face life, and 151 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:16.639 you're not insufficient for life. You've got everything you need 152 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:20.679 to take on life. And he says, the way God 153 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:23.480 gets you ready for life, the way God gets you 154 00:09:23.559 --> 00:09:27.000 ready for his purpose is through the Bible. And the 155 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:31.759 Bible does four things. He said, It's for teaching and rebuking, 156 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:34.799 and correcting and training. Now, let me explain that in 157 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:39.360 a little different way. Teaching is God shows me the 158 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.519 path to walk on. That's teaching. Rebuking is when God 159 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:45.639 shows me how I got off the path and I'm 160 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:49.399 now in the ditch. That's called rebuking. Correcting is how 161 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.879 I get back on the path the right path for 162 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.960 life for my life. And training is how I stay 163 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.080 on the path and don't fall off in the ditch. Again. 164 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.399 That's what those fourth as. Let me say it again. 165 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.960 The Word of God is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, 166 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:09.279 and training and righteous. Teaching is it shows me the 167 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.240 path to walk on. Here's the way to make it 168 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.759 in life. Rebuking shows me where I fell off the 169 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:19.080 path and fell in the ditch. Correcting shows me how 170 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:23.039 to get back on the right path. Correcting and training 171 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:25.480 and righteous shows me how to stay on the path. 172 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.639 That's the way the Word of God helps me grow. 173 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.600 You're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope Rip will be 174 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.480 back in just a moment with the rest of today's lesson. 175 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:43.000 You can sign up for Pastor Rick's free email devotional 176 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:47.360 at pastorick dot com. That's pastorick dot com. 177 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:51.240 Pastor Rick says, the Bible isn't meant to just inform us, 178 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:55.519 It's meant to transform us. That's why it's so important 179 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:59.000 to study God's Word. Maybe you've never studied the Bible 180 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:01.840 and you don't even know where to start, or maybe 181 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:04.960 read the Bible every day, but you're not getting all 182 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.159 God has for you out of the time you spend 183 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:10.799 with him. That's why Pastor Rick created a very special 184 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:14.440 Bible study called forty Days in the Word. This life 185 00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:18.039 changing resource will ignite your passion for God's Word and 186 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:22.120 revolutionize your relationship with Jesus. The Forty Days in the 187 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:25.879 Word Study Kid includes six video sessions on DVD and 188 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:29.000 a two hundred and six page, two color workbook. In 189 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:32.279 the workbook, you'll find six easy to learn methods for 190 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.240 reading and meditating on Scripture. These are the very methods 191 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:39.600 Pastor Rick uses in his own personal daily quiet time. 192 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:43.799 You'll also find interactive journaling pages and Bible verse cards 193 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.759 with a twenty Bible versus every believer should memorize. There's 194 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.759 even a special section called how can we know the 195 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.120 Bible Came from God? And a guide for choosing which 196 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:57.360 translation of the Bible is right for you. We'll send 197 00:11:57.399 --> 00:11:59.320 you a copy of The Forty Days in the Word 198 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:02.159 Study Kid to say thanks for your gift to help 199 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:07.120 more people learn, love and live God's Word through Daily Hope. 200 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:09.559 By the way, right now, when you give a gift 201 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:12.200 to Daily Hope to help take the hope of Jesus 202 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.320 to a hurting world, generous friends of Daily Hope are 203 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:18.559 going to match your gift up to fifty thousand dollars. 204 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.960 But you only have till midnight on June thirtieth, to 205 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:25.039 make your gift go twice as far. Go to Pastororrick 206 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.000 dot com or call eight hundred and six hundred at 207 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.080 five zero zero four, and as a special thank you, 208 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:33.679 we'll send you the forty days in the word Bible. 209 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:37.639 Steady care Again, that's Pastororrick dot com or call eight 210 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.440 hundred and six hundred five zero zero four. 211 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:49.879 Now back to more from God's Word with Pastor Rick Warren. 212 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:53.279 Now, the fifth way that God uses his word to 213 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:57.200 change me. In all of these ways, he recreates my life, 214 00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:01.480 eradicates my guilt, activates my faith, and stimulates my growth. 215 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:04.759 The fifth way is he uses the Bible to illuminate 216 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:11.120 my mind. God wants to illuminate my mind. Pastor Tom 217 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:15.519 is going to come and talk about illuminating our minds 218 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:18.720 with the word of God. So how does it work? 219 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.799 How does God turn the light on? Look at this 220 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.600 next version in your outline. Pal one nineteen one point 221 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:27.759 thirty says, understanding your word brings light to the minds 222 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:30.480 of ordinary people. So God wants to use his word 223 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:33.120 to bring light to every one of our minds. Every 224 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:36.120 It's not enlightenment, isn't just for one age of people 225 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:37.519 or one class of people. 226 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.840 God wants to bring light to every single person. 227 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:42.200 He wants to light up our minds with the truth 228 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.840 of who he is, with the truth of the next step, 229 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:47.080 next direction to take in our lives, with the truth 230 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.039 of how to handle the feelings I'm having, with the 231 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:52.120 truth of how to handle the relationship difficulties or the 232 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:53.720 relationship successes. 233 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:56.080 That I'm having. He wants to bring light to our lives. 234 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:57.159 How does he do that? 235 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.919 How does he turn the light on in our lives? 236 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:01.679 So some of you you may have opened up the 237 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:03.519 Bible and thought I didn't get any light out of that. 238 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.600 It didn't happen. Sometimes it happens immediately, but more often 239 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:10.559 the light dawns on you had come slowly. And the 240 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:12.440 way that it does that. Look at this next verse 241 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:14.879 up on the screen. Some one nineteen ninety nine says, 242 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:17.600 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I 243 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:22.799 meditate on your statutes. Focus on that word meditate. Well, 244 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:24.600 first on one nineteen. You notice a lot of the 245 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:27.159 verses are from Some one nineteen. It's not only the 246 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.759 longest chapter in the Bible, it's also a chapter that's 247 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:30.840 all about the Bible. 248 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:32.879 So that's why we look at it a lot. 249 00:14:32.759 --> 00:14:35.519 And that reminds us that meditation is the key to 250 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:37.759 turn the light on many times when you. 251 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:39.679 Soak your mind in the Word. We learned about this 252 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:41.159 this last week. Rick talked about it. 253 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:44.840 All these meditation methods that we're going through. Meditation isn't 254 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.240 losing your mind to the universe. It's focusing your mind 255 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:49.480 on the Word of God. All of these are so 256 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:51.639 that God can turn the light on in our lives. 257 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.600 It's what he wants to do in my life. It's 258 00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:55.279 what he wants to do in our lives. And when 259 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:57.480 you soak your mind in the Word, he turns the 260 00:14:57.559 --> 00:14:59.039 light on. It helps you to see things with a 261 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.960 different perspective, in a different way. And once that happens, 262 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:05.240 then He gives you the opportunity to do something else. 263 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:08.519 Some one nineteen one oh five says this, Your Word 264 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.840 is a lamp to my feet and a light to 265 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:15.000 my path. He turns the light on so that we 266 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.080 can have direction in our lives, a lamp for our feet, 267 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.559 a light for a path. When this was first written, 268 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.600 the lamp was like a candle in a lamp that 269 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.360 they'd carry. Now we would like have a flashlight or 270 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:28.960 some of you have, like the flashlight on your phone so. 271 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:29.679 You could read it today. 272 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:31.759 Your word is an app for my feet, which is 273 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:35.360 really what this is about. Now, what's he talking about here? 274 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.080 And how does this work? This is one of the 275 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:39.480 most important lessons of God's Word that I've had to 276 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.639 learn in my life. How does my faith in God's 277 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:44.120 Word work in practical. 278 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:44.480 Everyday ways. 279 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.840 It's like a flashlight that I'm holding or an app 280 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.200 flashlight app that I'm holding. 281 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.720 It gives just enough light for the next few steps. 282 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.440 If I'm holding a flashlight, here's the hard lesson I've 283 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:57.080 had to learn. If I'm holding a flashlight and I 284 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:59.399 want more light down the path, how do I get 285 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.000 more light down the path? I got to take the 286 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:04.320 next step. The only way to get more light is 287 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:06.240 for me to take the next step. There have been 288 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:08.399 so many times in my life when I've been stuck 289 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:10.120 waiting for more light from God. 290 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:11.919 What I want is, God, could you just light. 291 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:15.159 Up the whole path, like my whole life, like the 292 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.279 next twenty miles would be nice so I could see 293 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.639 where everything's going. But God says, no, I'm just giving 294 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:21.960 you enough for the next step. You take that step 295 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:23.480 and then you're gonna get light for the next step. 296 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.679 You take that step, you'll get light for the next step. 297 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:27.720 And there have been times when I've just said, you 298 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:29.799 know what, I'm waiting out God. Unless you give me 299 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.159 the twenty miles, I'm not moving. Well, guess what. God's 300 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.720 got a lot more time than I do, a lot 301 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:35.519 more time than you do. You can wait there a 302 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:39.039 long time. God's given you just enough light for the 303 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.240 next step. So what's the next step in your life? 304 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:44.519 Now? To turn the light on in your life. 305 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:46.200 One of the great things you can do is pray 306 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:50.440 prayers related to God's Word, related to the Bible. In fact, 307 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.799 one of them is our memory verse for this next week. 308 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:55.759 So I'm one nineteen verse eighteen our memory verses Open 309 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.279 my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. 310 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:01.879 We've seen a lot. There's a lot of words in 311 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:03.519 the Bible. For the Bible. 312 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.640 We just looked at law, statutes, word promise, they're synonymous. 313 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.079 They all mean the same thing. This is talking about 314 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:12.200 the whole of God's word. Open my eyes that I 315 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.480 may see wonderful things in your law. Let's do this 316 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:16.799 together for a lot of people. The way that it 317 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:19.079 helps them to memorize a verse is to go through 318 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:20.119 it phrase by phrase. 319 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.359 So you say the. 320 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.920 Verse reference before and after, go through it phrase by phrase. 321 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:24.880 It helps you remember it. 322 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:28.759 So let's do that together Psalm one, nineteen eighteen. And 323 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:33.599 then let's say together, open my eyes that I may 324 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:41.440 see wonderful things in your law Some one, nineteen eighteen. 325 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:43.680 Now let's take it away and see how you do. 326 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:48.519 Let's just see, okay, Psalm one, nineteen eighteen. Open my 327 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.920 eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. 328 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:54.480 You got it. Give yourselves a hand. 329 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:04.759 The sixth way that God changes my life with his word, 330 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:09.640 this is a big one. It elevates my mood. It 331 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.480 elevates my mood. And some of you really need a 332 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:16.079 mood elevator right now because you're down in the dumps 333 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:19.880 and you're feeling a little grumpy, and you're feeling like 334 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.599 nobody cares, and you're having a pity party of one 335 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:29.720 and inviting yourself whenever you get discouraged. You don't need 336 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:34.279 a coffee break, you need a word break. God gave 337 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:39.920 us the Bible to encourage us. It is a mood elevator. 338 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:41.400 You say, how do you know that look at this 339 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:47.119 next verse Romans fifteen, verse four. Everything that was written 340 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:50.200 in the past he's talking about the Bible was written 341 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:55.559 to teach us so that through endurance and the encouragement 342 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:07.799 of the scriptures, we might have have hope. 343 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.160 This is Pastor Rick's daily hope. If you've missed any 344 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:14.720 part of this message, or if you'd like to find 345 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.440 out more about Pastor Rick Warren in this ministry, just 346 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:23.039 visit Pastorick dot com where you can listen online anytime. 347 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:27.160 That's Pastor Rick with two rs inthemiddle dot com, and 348 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.640 be sure to sign up for ricks free daily email devotional. 349 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:33.359 While you're there. Rick will be back to close out 350 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:37.480 our time today. But first, Pastor Rick says, the Bible 351 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.880 isn't meant to just inform us, It's meant to transform us. 352 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.519 That's why it's so important to study God's Word. Maybe 353 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:48.440 you've never studied the Bible and you don't even know 354 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.839 where to start, or maybe you've read the Bible every day, 355 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:54.599 but you're just not getting all God has for you 356 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:57.279 out of the time you spend with him. That's why 357 00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:01.680 Pastor Rick created a very special by study called forty 358 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:05.640 Days in the Word. This life changing resource will ignite 359 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:11.079 your passion for God's word and revolutionize your relationship with Jesus. 360 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:12.920 Here's rick to tell you more. 361 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:16.839 To fulfill the purpose that God created you for and 362 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:18.960 to become the person that God wants you to be, 363 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.559 you must fill your life with His word. Two Timothy 364 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:27.039 three p. Seventeen says through the Word, we are put 365 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:31.200 together and shaped for the tasks that God has for us. 366 00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:34.279 You see, God's word is unlike any other word. It's alive. 367 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:37.839 In John six sixty three, Jesus says, the words that 368 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:42.039 I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life. 369 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:45.839 When God's word comes into your life, you come alive. 370 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:50.319 When God speaks, things change everything around you. All of 371 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:55.359 creation exists because God spoken into existence. The Bible tells 372 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:01.920 us that God's word generates life, creates faith, It produces change, 373 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:05.640 It frightens the devil, It causes miracles. The Bible tells 374 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:08.400 us that God's word heals our hurts and builds our 375 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.079 character and transforms our circumstances. The Bible tells us that 376 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:17.440 God's word imparts joy, It overcomes adversity, It defeats temptation, 377 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.519 It infuses hope, it releases power. It cleanses our minds. 378 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:27.160 The Bible says God's Word brings things into being and 379 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:33.359 guarantees our future forever Now. To help you study the 380 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:37.000 Word of God and to deepen your understanding of this 381 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:41.559 life changing word, I've created a resource. It's called forty 382 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.319 Days in the Word, and it's a study kit that 383 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:47.160 you can do by yourself or even better, do it 384 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.200 with a couple friends in a small group. It includes 385 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:54.279 a DVD study of six sessions, and a workbook and 386 00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:57.960 other instructions on how to memorize scripture, how to meditate 387 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:00.519 on God's Word, and how to get god God's Word 388 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:03.440 into your heart and life at a level you have 389 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:06.680 never had it before. This month, when you give a 390 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:09.920 gift to help support the ministry of Daily Hope, I 391 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:12.440 want to send you the forty Days in the Word 392 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:15.759 study kit. It'll help you study the Bible, but as 393 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:18.039 I said, it can also be used as a small 394 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:22.759 group study where you'll learn methods of personal Bible study. 395 00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:26.240 This is all for your gift to Daily Hope. I've 396 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:30.279 told you before we are one hundred percent listeners supported ministry, 397 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:34.920 and your financial gift goes directly toward telling people around 398 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:37.680 the world about the hope of the good News. I 399 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.839 do this for free. I don't get any renunration for 400 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:43.160 doing this. I do this because I care about God's 401 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:46.240