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<v Speaker 1>Hello everybody, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Hey

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<v Speaker 1>did you know that one decision can shape the entire

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<v Speaker 1>direction of your life? Yeah? It can. And today Pastor

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<v Speaker 1>Rick Warren is going to continue with the story of Mary,

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<v Speaker 1>this young woman who humbly and courageously said yes to

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<v Speaker 1>God's call becoming the mother of Jesus. So let's dive

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<v Speaker 1>right in for the rest of this message. Here's Rick

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<v Speaker 1>with will I accept God's destiny for me?

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<v Speaker 2>Whatever worries you, God's concerned about, whatever makes you afraid.

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<v Speaker 2>God's concerned about whatever gets you uptight. God is concerned about.

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<v Speaker 2>There is nothing in your life that you're concerned about

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<v Speaker 2>that God isn't concerned about because you are always on

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<v Speaker 2>his mind. That's the second reason why you ought to

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<v Speaker 2>go with his plan, not your plan for your life. First,

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<v Speaker 2>he made you for his plan, and second, He's always

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<v Speaker 2>thinking about you. Whatever concerns me concerns God. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>if you ever watch the Fox News channel, there's that

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<v Speaker 2>show on there, the O'Reilly Report or the O'Reilly Factor,

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<v Speaker 2>And at the end, Bill O'Reilly has a sign off

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<v Speaker 2>and he says the spin stops here, and then he

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<v Speaker 2>has a final tagline, you remember what it is, he says,

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<v Speaker 2>because we're looking out for you. I don't believe Bill

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<v Speaker 2>O'Reilly's looking out for me. I don't believe that for

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<v Speaker 2>a minute. He doesn't even know who I am. He's

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<v Speaker 2>not looking out for me. Bill O'Reilly's looking out for himself.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't believe that we're always looking out for you.

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<v Speaker 2>He's not always looking out for me. But God is.

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<v Speaker 2>God is always looking out for you. Mary accepted God's

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<v Speaker 2>destiny because she knew God was always looking out for

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<v Speaker 2>It was gonna be tough. It wasn't gonna be easy.

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<v Speaker 2>God's destiny for your life will have problems. God's destiny

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<v Speaker 2>for your life will have criticism. God's definite destiny for

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<v Speaker 2>your life will have things that are really tough to do.

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<v Speaker 2>But He's looking out for you, and you're always on

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<v Speaker 2>his mind. Mary says this in Luke one eight, for

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<v Speaker 2>he has been mindful of the humble state of his

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<v Speaker 2>servant circle that word mindful. This is the second reason

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<v Speaker 2>she says, I can trust God because he's mindful of

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<v Speaker 2>the humble state of his servant. That's me, Mary says.

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<v Speaker 2>He says, what is mindful mean? It means he's alert,

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<v Speaker 2>he's attentive, he's aware, he's focused. He's paying attention when

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<v Speaker 2>nobody else is paying attention to you. God's paying attention

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<v Speaker 2>to you. He notices everything. In fact, Jesus said this

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<v Speaker 2>about your life. Look here on the screen, Matthew ten.

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<v Speaker 2>Not even a little sparrow can fall to the ground

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<v Speaker 2>without your Father noticing it. The very hairs on your

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<v Speaker 2>head are numbered. You don't even know how many hairs

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<v Speaker 2>in the head your head you've got. But God says,

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<v Speaker 2>I know. That's how much detail I pay attention to

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<v Speaker 2>in your life. I know how many hairs are on

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<v Speaker 2>your head. God knows how many hairs are in your ear,

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<v Speaker 2>and knows he knows it all. There's nothing God doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>know about your life. And Mary says, I can trust

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<v Speaker 2>God with my destiny. I'm willing to go with his

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<v Speaker 2>plan because first he made me for it, and second,

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<v Speaker 2>he's paying attention to everything in my life. Number three,

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<v Speaker 2>Mary says in her song The Magnificat that accepting God's

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<v Speaker 2>destiny for my life is best because it is the

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<v Speaker 2>key to blessing. God didn't want to bless your plan.

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<v Speaker 2>If you ignore God's plan for your life. And you

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<v Speaker 2>go out with your plan, well, good luck, because you're

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<v Speaker 2>on your own. God owes you nothing. If you just

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<v Speaker 2>say forget God, I'm gonna go with my plan for

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<v Speaker 2>my life. God owes you nothing. God only blesses when

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<v Speaker 2>we may do what we were created to do. Following

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<v Speaker 2>God's destiny is the way I get God's blessing on

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<v Speaker 2>my life. And Mary knew this. She knew that faith

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<v Speaker 2>and obedience to God were the key to his blessings.

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<v Speaker 2>She knew that that's what God would do in her life.

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<v Speaker 2>Look at this verse Luke one forty eight. She says

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<v Speaker 2>this from now on. From now on, she says, every

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<v Speaker 2>generation will call me blessed, for He the Mighty One,

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<v Speaker 2>is holy, and He's done great things for me. He

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<v Speaker 2>chose me, and God will show his mercy. Notice, she says,

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<v Speaker 2>not only will God bless me, said, God will show

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<v Speaker 2>his mercy to every generation who will worship and serve him.

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<v Speaker 2>She says, God doesn't just bless me, She'll bless He'll

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<v Speaker 2>bless anybody who worships and serve Him, who follows God's

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<v Speaker 2>plan for their lives. And what's Mary saying here? She's

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<v Speaker 2>gone If I accept God's destiny for my life. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to be the most blessed woman on the planet.

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<v Speaker 2>What God is going to do through me and through

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<v Speaker 2>my teenage body will never be forgotten. Now you think, well,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe that's true of Mary, but that's certainly not true

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<v Speaker 2>of me. You're dead wrong. You're dead wrong. Everything you do,

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<v Speaker 2>you do will be remembered for eternity. It's not going

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<v Speaker 2>to be remembered on earth, but everything you do will

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<v Speaker 2>be remembered for eternity. It's not just Mary's destiny. She's

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<v Speaker 2>at every whatever I do, it's gonna be remembered forever

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<v Speaker 2>and ever and ever. And everything you do is gonna

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<v Speaker 2>be remembered by God forever and ever and ever. That's

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<v Speaker 2>why you better make your life count. You better not

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<v Speaker 2>waste it. You better go with God's destiny for your life.

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<v Speaker 2>Now here's the question. Could Mary have said no to

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<v Speaker 2>God's destiny for her? Yes. God doesn't ever force his

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<v Speaker 2>plan on us. He gives us a choice because he

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<v Speaker 2>wants us to follow him because we love him, not

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<v Speaker 2>because we're forced to love him. If God had wanted to,

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<v Speaker 2>he could have given you no free will and you

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<v Speaker 2>hadn't to do what he wanted you to do. He

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<v Speaker 2>could have made you a puppet, a marionette on strings,

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<v Speaker 2>and you would have no choice. But God says, it's

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<v Speaker 2>only love if you choose to love. So you can

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<v Speaker 2>choose not to love God. You can choose to not

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<v Speaker 2>follow his destiny for your life. And the fact is

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<v Speaker 2>most of the people in the world miss their destiny.

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<v Speaker 2>Billions of people miss the destiny God created them for

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<v Speaker 2>because they choose to go after their own plan instead

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<v Speaker 2>of God's plan for their life. Could Mary missed it? Yes?

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<v Speaker 2>Could yes? Deuteronomy thirty, verse nineteen. On the screen, God says,

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<v Speaker 2>this this day, I have set before you life or death.

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<v Speaker 2>Blessings are curses. Now choose life. He said, it's your choice.

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<v Speaker 2>It's your decision. I'm not going to force it on you.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna let you choose. Choose life so that you

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<v Speaker 2>and your children may live. Your choice does not only

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<v Speaker 2>affect your life, they affect the next generation. They affect

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<v Speaker 2>the next generation. Number four, Mary says, accepting God's destiny

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<v Speaker 2>for my life is best. It's better than any plan

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<v Speaker 2>I can come up with because Godd honors humility, and

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<v Speaker 2>it takes humility to say God I'm gonna go with

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<v Speaker 2>your plan, not my plan. It takes humility to say God,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna go your way, not my way. That takes humility, pride,

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<v Speaker 2>arrogance says forget you, God, I'm gonna do what I

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<v Speaker 2>want to do. I got my plans, my dreams, my ambitions, God,

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<v Speaker 2>God says. The Bible says, God resists the proud, but

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<v Speaker 2>gives grace to the humble. The Bible says, before honor

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<v Speaker 2>is humility. The Bible says, humble yourself before the Lord,

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<v Speaker 2>and he will lift you up. I want God to

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<v Speaker 2>honor you in the next ten years. I want him

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<v Speaker 2>to honor your business. I want him to honor your family.

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<v Speaker 2>I want him to honor your life. The Bible says,

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<v Speaker 2>before honor is humility. I want God to lift you up.

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<v Speaker 2>I wanted him to lift up your finances. I want

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<v Speaker 2>him to lift up your health. The Bible says, humble

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<v Speaker 2>yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

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<v Speaker 2>It starts with humility, and Mary talks about this in

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<v Speaker 2>the next couple verses, verses fifty to fifty three. Now

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<v Speaker 2>he has displayed his power God with many mighty deeds,

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<v Speaker 2>but he has scattered the people who are proud and

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<v Speaker 2>think they're the great ones, you know. In other words,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't need God. He has brought down mighty rulers

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<v Speaker 2>from their thrones, but he's raised up the humble. He

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<v Speaker 2>has filled the hungry with good things, but he sent

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<v Speaker 2>the rich away with nothing. Those people think, well, I

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<v Speaker 2>don't need anything. I don't need God. Notice this is

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<v Speaker 2>the great reversal. This is an amazing piece of poetry.

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<v Speaker 2>I wish you could hear it in the original language,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I was. I'm watching this special on Taylor Swift.

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<v Speaker 2>She's a pretty amazing songwriter. She wrote her first song

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<v Speaker 2>at age ten, and by age fourteen, Taylor Swift was

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<v Speaker 2>hired by Sony to write songs. How'd you like to

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<v Speaker 2>be a fourteen year old being paid by Sony Corporation

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<v Speaker 2>to write songs? That's talent. But I want to tell

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<v Speaker 2>you the greatest teenage songwriter who ever lived was Mary

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<v Speaker 2>Mary's thirteen or fourteen. She's writing this poetry and it's

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<v Speaker 2>quite a song. In these ten verses, she mentions seventeen

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<v Speaker 2>different attributes of God, and she strings together ten different

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<v Speaker 2>verses from the Old Testament from memory. Could you do

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<v Speaker 2>that at thirteen, you couldn't do it now. You couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>do it now. And this is why God chooses Mary.

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<v Speaker 2>Mary knew the word. She wasn't educated. You're far better

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<v Speaker 2>educated than Mary ever was, but she knew the word.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you want God's blessing, you need to know

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<v Speaker 2>God's word. You need to study it and memorize it,

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<v Speaker 2>to meditate on it and get to know it. If

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<v Speaker 2>you want God's blessing, you need to know the word. Finally,

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<v Speaker 2>number six, number five, accepting God's destiny for my life

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<v Speaker 2>is best because God keeps his promises. This is the

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<v Speaker 2>fifth thing Mary sings about God keeps his promises. It's

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<v Speaker 2>a big theme of Mary's song that God is faithful.

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<v Speaker 2>God can be counted on. God is good and he

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<v Speaker 2>if he makes you a promise, you can count on it.

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<v Speaker 2>It's gonna happen. It may take a while, but it's

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<v Speaker 2>going to happen. And Luke one fifty four and fifty five.

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<v Speaker 2>And he God has kept the promise he has made

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<v Speaker 2>to our ancestors. What does that promise? That God would

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<v Speaker 2>send a savior, a messiah. And he has come to

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<v Speaker 2>the help of his servant Israel, and he has remembered.

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<v Speaker 2>God doesn't forget a promise he makes. I forget promises

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<v Speaker 2>I make. God remembers he has remembered to show mercy

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<v Speaker 2>to Abraham and all his descendants forever. And what in

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<v Speaker 2>what was she talking about? Two thousand years before Mary?

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<v Speaker 2>Abraham lift? Now that's it was two thousand years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>Mary lived, so four thousand years ago from today. Abraham

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<v Speaker 2>lived four thousand years ago. God makes a promise to Abraham,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to bless your family because through your line

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<v Speaker 2>one day, I'm going to send the savior of the world.

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<v Speaker 2>Through your family line. I'm going to send the promised

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<v Speaker 2>Messiah who will save everybody from their sins. That was

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<v Speaker 2>a promise made by God four thousand years ago to Abraham.

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<v Speaker 2>And Mary knew the story had been promised thousands of

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<v Speaker 2>years ago. And she's saying, he keeps his promise. He

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<v Speaker 2>keeps his promise. In fact, Mary's story began hundreds and

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<v Speaker 2>hundreds of years before Mary was even born. Look at

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<v Speaker 2>this verse in Isaiah chapter seven. This is thousands of

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<v Speaker 2>years ago for us. God tells Isaiah a prophecy. Therefore,

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<v Speaker 2>the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a

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<v Speaker 2>virgin shall conceive he predicted this is thousands of years ago,

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<v Speaker 2>and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.

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<v Speaker 2>The destiny of Mary's life began thousands of years before

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<v Speaker 2>Mary was even born, and the same is true of you.

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<v Speaker 2>God planned your destiny before he created the world. The

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<v Speaker 2>Bible says that very clearly your destiny was planned, not

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<v Speaker 2>the moment you took your first breath. He was planned

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<v Speaker 2>thousands of years before you were even before. But the

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<v Speaker 2>Bible says, before he, before he formed the earth, God

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<v Speaker 2>had us in his mind. And he still gives you

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<v Speaker 2>the choice to accept it or to miss what he

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<v Speaker 2>planned before you were even born. Mary's destiny was planned,

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<v Speaker 2>she accepted it. And the truth is the Savior did

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<v Speaker 2>come to earth, and God did keep his promise, and

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus did come at Christmas, and then he died on

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<v Speaker 2>the cross for us. Now, it's interesting that in the scriptures,

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<v Speaker 2>not one time in the Bible are we told to

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<v Speaker 2>celebrate Jesus' birth. Now once never in the Bible are

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<v Speaker 2>we told to celebrate Jesus' birth, But we are told

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<v Speaker 2>over and over and over to celebrate his death and

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<v Speaker 2>his resurrection. Because if Jesus hadn't died on the cross

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<v Speaker 2>and been resurrected again, Christmas wouldn't even matter. Would you

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<v Speaker 2>bow your heads with me as we pray together? And

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<v Speaker 2>I want to pray a prayer surrender, and I'm going

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<v Speaker 2>to invite you to pray this. Will you accept God's

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<v Speaker 2>destiny for your life, just as Mary did, the one

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<v Speaker 2>that was planned for your life before you even work?

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<v Speaker 2>Or are you going to continue to go with your plan?

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<v Speaker 2>Would you pray this? Father? Today? I surrender humbly to

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<v Speaker 2>your plan for my life. I surrender humbly to your

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<v Speaker 2>plan for my life. I realize that you made me

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<v Speaker 2>for your purpose. I realize that no one cares more

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<v Speaker 2>about my life than you do. I know that going

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<v Speaker 2>with your plan and for my life is the key

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<v Speaker 2>to blessing. So I humble myself before you, knowing that

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<v Speaker 2>you honor humility. Thank you that you keep your promises.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to fulfill my destiny. Today I make a

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<v Speaker 2>faith commitment to you, just like Mary did. When I

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<v Speaker 2>don't understand it, and I don't understand all that's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be involved in it, but I'm saying yes to you,

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus in advance, Jesus Christ, I trust you with my life,

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<v Speaker 2>and I ask you to save me and change me

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<v Speaker 2>and help me to follow your plan from this day forward.

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<v Speaker 2>In your name, I pray Amen.

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<v Speaker 1>If you just prayed to receive Jesus congratulations, We would

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<v Speaker 1>love to send you some free materials to help you

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<v Speaker 1>along on your spiritual journey. Just email Rick at pastorick

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. That's Rick at pastorick dot com. Hey, have

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<v Speaker 1>you ever wished that you could hear from God? I

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<v Speaker 1>mean really hear his voice when you're facing a big decision,

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<v Speaker 1>struggling with pain, or just feeling lost. Well, here's the

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<v Speaker 1>amazing truth. The creator of the universe wants to be

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<v Speaker 1>your friend. And that's not just in theory, but in

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<v Speaker 1>a real daily relationship. And how does that friendship grow

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<v Speaker 1>through conversation? The good news is God is already speaking.

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<v Speaker 1>The question is are you tuned in? In this powerful

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<v Speaker 1>new Bible study from Pastor Ricks Hearing the Voice of

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<v Speaker 1>God's series, you'll discover how to recognize when God's speaking,

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<v Speaker 1>how to hear him with greater clarity, and how to

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<v Speaker 1>turn your prayers from a monologue into a life changing dialogue.

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<v Speaker 1>This four week study is full of practical teaching, guided prayers,

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<v Speaker 1>provoking questions, and simple tools to help you connect with

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<v Speaker 1>God in a deeper, more personal way. Plus it's perfect

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<v Speaker 1>for individual or small group study, so don't miss out

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<v Speaker 1>on what God wants to say to you. Request your

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<v Speaker 1>copy of Hearing the Voice of God Today. It's our

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<v Speaker 1>gift to you when you support Daily Hope and help

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<v Speaker 1>share the Gospel with people all around the world. Just

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<v Speaker 1>go to Pastorick dot com to get your copy of

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<v Speaker 1>this great resource. That's pastorick dot com. Or you can

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<v Speaker 1>just text the word hope to seven oh three to

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<v Speaker 1>ozho nine and again that's the word hope to seven

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<v Speaker 1>oh three to oh nine. Please join us next time

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<v Speaker 1>as we look into God's Word for our daily hope.

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<v Speaker 1>This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and

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<v Speaker 1>your generous financial support.