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

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren, and we are

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<v Speaker 1>so glad that you've joined us today because we're beginning

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<v Speaker 1>a series called Talking about Stuff That Matters. In this series,

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<v Speaker 1>Rick looks into the scriptures and unpacks what it means

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<v Speaker 1>to live in community, have real conversations about what matters most,

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<v Speaker 1>and face discouragement with courage and faith. It's honest and hopeful.

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<v Speaker 1>So stay tuned. You won't want to miss a second.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Well, I'm ready to get started.

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<v Speaker 2>So here is.

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<v Speaker 1>Part one of a message called Don't let Anyone Steal

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<v Speaker 1>Your Identity.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the great tasks of life is figuring out

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<v Speaker 2>who you are. What's your identity, discovering who God made

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<v Speaker 2>you to be. That's one of the fundamental tasks of life.

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<v Speaker 2>Why on earth and what on earth am I here for?

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<v Speaker 2>How you see yourself affects everything else in your life.

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<v Speaker 2>How you see yourself your identity, affects your relationships, It

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<v Speaker 2>affects your happiness, It affects your stress level, It determines

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<v Speaker 2>your success level in life. It just affects everything. Your

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<v Speaker 2>connection to God is profoundly influenced by how you see

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<v Speaker 2>you what is your identity? And now this search for

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<v Speaker 2>your identity starts early on in life. It starts way

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<v Speaker 2>back in school and you're trying to figure out who

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<v Speaker 2>am I and what am I? And what am I

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<v Speaker 2>supposed to be? And how am I supposed to act?

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<v Speaker 2>And it starts in school, but it can continue on

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of your life. So this week we're going

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<v Speaker 2>to start a new series, but I want to begin

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<v Speaker 2>with don't let anyone steal your identity. And the reason

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<v Speaker 2>why is because identity gets to and all the time,

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<v Speaker 2>Satan is constantly working in a spiritual battle to keep

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<v Speaker 2>you from knowing your true identity. He's working overtime, and

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<v Speaker 2>he uses all kinds of tools to keep you from

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<v Speaker 2>knowing who you are. He uses first the opinions of

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<v Speaker 2>other people, what your parents say about you, what your

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<v Speaker 2>peers say about you, what your partner says about you,

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<v Speaker 2>what professionals say about you. And he's always trying to

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<v Speaker 2>use other people's opinions to shape and conform you to

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<v Speaker 2>what other people think you ought to be, rather than

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<v Speaker 2>what God says you ought to be. He uses hurt

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<v Speaker 2>and pain, hurt and pain never leave you where they

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<v Speaker 2>find you. You start in one area, but you end

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<v Speaker 2>up over here, and it can profoundly affect your identity.

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<v Speaker 2>He uses the media, and today he uses social media

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<v Speaker 2>because you get on social media and you see everybody

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<v Speaker 2>living there so called perfect life. Anything, how come I

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<v Speaker 2>don't look like him or her? Why don't I have that?

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<v Speaker 2>And why don't I do that? In this competitive always

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<v Speaker 2>comparing yourself feels like you're being left out. Satan's using

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<v Speaker 2>that to keep you messed up in your identity. He

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<v Speaker 2>suggests thoughts in your mind. It's called temptations, and he says,

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<v Speaker 2>stuff do you? But the number one way Satan keeps

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<v Speaker 2>you from discovered your true identity in Christ is the

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<v Speaker 2>lies you tell yourself. You lie to yourself all the time,

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<v Speaker 2>and you tell yourself stuff's good and stuff's bad. And

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<v Speaker 2>oftentimes you're not really a good judge of you because

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<v Speaker 2>you can't see yourself from an objective position. You're intensely

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<v Speaker 2>involved in you, obviously, and so you tell yourself stuff

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<v Speaker 2>all the time. If you go around telling yourself, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm uncoordinated, I'm dumb, or I'm ugly, all right, whatever

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<v Speaker 2>you tell yourself. You're talking to yourself. You're talking to

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<v Speaker 2>yourself right now. You have a constant stream going on

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<v Speaker 2>in your mind. You're going is what Rick saying interesting

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<v Speaker 2>to me? Because if it is, I'm going to listen.

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<v Speaker 2>If it's not, I'm going to tune out and think

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<v Speaker 2>about something. How hungry I am or whatever? You know

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<v Speaker 2>who I am? Kind of hungry right now? So how

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<v Speaker 2>do I know who I am? How do I know

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<v Speaker 2>who God made me to be? Well, there's a great

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<v Speaker 2>philosopher named Pascal. Let's see if I can find that

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<v Speaker 2>quote here somewhere he said something really great. I know

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<v Speaker 2>he did. Well, maybe i'll tell you later. Here's what

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<v Speaker 2>he said. The only way you're ever going to know

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<v Speaker 2>yourself is by knowing God through Jesus Christ. He said,

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<v Speaker 2>we only know God through Jesus Christ. We only know

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<v Speaker 2>ourselves through Jesus Christ. We only know the meaning of

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<v Speaker 2>our life through Jesus Christ. We only know the meaning

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<v Speaker 2>of our death through Jesus Christ. It is in Christ

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<v Speaker 2>we know ourselves. Now, that's not particularly a new idea.

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<v Speaker 2>It's been in the Bible for thousands of years. Look

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<v Speaker 2>up here on the screen. The Bible says this in

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<v Speaker 2>the Colossians, Chapter one, verse sixteen. Everything, absolutely everything got

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<v Speaker 2>started in Christ and finds its purpose in Him. The

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<v Speaker 2>only way you're ever going to know who you are

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<v Speaker 2>and what your purpose is in life is in Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>because He created you. You didn't create you, so you

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<v Speaker 2>can't tell you what your purpose is now. That little

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<v Speaker 2>phrase there in Christ is one of the most important

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<v Speaker 2>phrases in the Bible. In the New Testament, it is

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<v Speaker 2>used eighty nine times in Christ, in Christ, in Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>in Christ, and the phrase in Him is used seventy

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<v Speaker 2>nine times. You know, we call ourselves Christians. Today the

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<v Speaker 2>word Christians only use like twice in the entire Bible.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not used very much at all. Instead of believers

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<v Speaker 2>being called believers or disciples or followers or Jesus or Christians,

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<v Speaker 2>in the Bible, the most common term for being a

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<v Speaker 2>follower of Christ is I'm in Christ in Christ. What

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<v Speaker 2>does that mean? Well, of those eighty nine times it

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<v Speaker 2>says that you are in Christ, thirty five times, it

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<v Speaker 2>tells you what your identity is because you're in Christ. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>we don't have time to go through thirty five different

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<v Speaker 2>identity factors of your life. But today, Kay and I

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<v Speaker 2>are going to take you through four. You're getting k today.

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<v Speaker 2>You get a double header. Okay, you get a double header.

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<v Speaker 2>What can I say? And so we're going to take

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<v Speaker 2>you through just four of the thirty five marks of

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<v Speaker 2>your identity. You picked a good week to come to church, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>so write these down. They're very important. This phrase in

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<v Speaker 2>Christ used eighty nine times, and as I said, in

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<v Speaker 2>Him used seventy nine times. Now let me show you

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<v Speaker 2>another verse in Ephesians chapter one, it says this, It

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<v Speaker 2>is in Christ there's that phrase. And whenever we see

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<v Speaker 2>this phrase today, I want you to circle it on

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<v Speaker 2>your outline. It is in Christ that we find out

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<v Speaker 2>who we are. That's identity and what we're living for,

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<v Speaker 2>that's purpose. If you want to know your identity in life,

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<v Speaker 2>and you want to know your purpose in life, the

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<v Speaker 2>only way you ever gonna know it is by talking

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<v Speaker 2>to the creator who made you. God is in Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>and Christ is in God. God made you. You can't

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<v Speaker 2>tell yourself who your purpose is because you didn't make you.

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<v Speaker 2>So if you look for your identity and other people,

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<v Speaker 2>you're not going to find it. It is in Christ

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<v Speaker 2>we find out who we are, and it is in

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<v Speaker 2>Christ we find out what in the world we were

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<v Speaker 2>made for, what's our purpose in life? So we're gonna

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<v Speaker 2>look at four those. So let's just deal with four.

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<v Speaker 2>Who are you in Christ? You need to learn these

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<v Speaker 2>in your own life, and then you need, as I said,

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<v Speaker 2>pass them on to the next generation. Number one, here's

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<v Speaker 2>the first characteristic. Now I want you to think of

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<v Speaker 2>these four things as like a table with four legs.

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<v Speaker 2>That your identity is built on four different pillars. And

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<v Speaker 2>if you get these in your life, you're going to

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<v Speaker 2>have a stable life. Okay. Pillar number one in Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>the Bible says this, I am chosen, loved, and accepted.

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<v Speaker 2>In Christ. I am chosen by God, loved by God,

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<v Speaker 2>and accepted by God. Now, those are three things we

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<v Speaker 2>all want in life. We all want to be chosen,

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<v Speaker 2>we all want to be loved, and we all want

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<v Speaker 2>to be accepted. Well, you already are by God himself. Now, first,

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<v Speaker 2>these are the three foundations of the first pillar of

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<v Speaker 2>true self worth to feel good about yourself, a true

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<v Speaker 2>self identity. First, you're chosen. Here's what the Bible says

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<v Speaker 2>Iphesian chapter one, verse four and five. In Christ, there's

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<v Speaker 2>that verse or that phrase, God chose us before the

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<v Speaker 2>world was made, so that we would be as holy people.

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<v Speaker 2>Because of his love of God had already decided to

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<v Speaker 2>make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was

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<v Speaker 2>what he wanted and that's what pleased him. The Bible

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<v Speaker 2>says God created the entire universe because he wanted a family.

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<v Speaker 2>God wanted children to love. The whole reason the universe

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<v Speaker 2>exists is God wanted children to love. Now, let me

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<v Speaker 2>ask this question. According to this verse, when did God

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<v Speaker 2>choose you? Look at it real close. When did God

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<v Speaker 2>choose you? Where? And when? Yeah, yeah, before the world

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<v Speaker 2>was made. You might underline that if you grasp this,

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<v Speaker 2>you'll never again have a problem with low self esteem.

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<v Speaker 2>The Bible says that before God chose to create the sun,

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<v Speaker 2>he had already chosen you. He knew he was going

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<v Speaker 2>to make you millions of years before he made you.

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<v Speaker 2>Before God chose to create the universe, he had already

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<v Speaker 2>chosen you. In fact, that that's why he decided to

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<v Speaker 2>make the universe. He wanted a place where you could live.

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<v Speaker 2>Before God created the world, before God chose any tree,

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<v Speaker 2>he chose you. Before God chose the oceans, He chose you.

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<v Speaker 2>Before God chose every rock that exists. He shows you.

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<v Speaker 2>Last week, we were up in Canada and I actually

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<v Speaker 2>got to walk out on a glacier. It was really cool.

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<v Speaker 2>Before God created that glacier, he chose me, He chose you.

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<v Speaker 2>That ought to make you feel a little bit better

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<v Speaker 2>about yourself, that you were chosen before anything else was created.

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<v Speaker 2>God says, I want this person to exist, so I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to create the environment that that person will exist.

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<v Speaker 2>That requires enormous amount of planning. You're not only chosen

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<v Speaker 2>first before the moon and the stars. God shows you.

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<v Speaker 2>That shows you how important you are. God shows you

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<v Speaker 2>You're not only chosen first, You're chosen by God. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>this is the antidote to every child's worst fear, and

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<v Speaker 2>the worst fear of every child is to be chosen

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<v Speaker 2>last on a team. You know, when they say, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>we're going out to the recess and we're gonna play

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<v Speaker 2>soccer or play softball, and you guys are the two captains,

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<v Speaker 2>you go, oh, please don't let me be chosen last.

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<v Speaker 2>The shame, the dishonor. And as the crowd gets small

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<v Speaker 2>and well, they still haven't chosen me. They still haven't

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<v Speaker 2>chosen me, and nobody wants to be the last. You're

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<v Speaker 2>not the last chosen, You're the first. That's how much

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<v Speaker 2>God says you matter to him. You were chosen before

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<v Speaker 2>God chose any bird, before he chose any animal, before

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<v Speaker 2>he chose to make anything. He said, I'm gonna make

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<v Speaker 2>all these other things because I'm gonna make you. That

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<v Speaker 2>is a foundation of your identity. Now, not only that,

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<v Speaker 2>there's more because you're not only chosen, you're loved. That's

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<v Speaker 2>why he says. God did it because of his love.

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<v Speaker 2>You are loved. Look at this verse on the screen

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<v Speaker 2>Ephesians one, verse four. You have been chosen. That's first.

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<v Speaker 2>Peter two nine. You've been chosen by God long before

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<v Speaker 2>he laid down the earth's foundations. See who says it again,

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<v Speaker 2>Before the earth was even created, God had us in mind,

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<v Speaker 2>and he settled on us as the focus of his love.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you realize that God has focused on you? You're

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<v Speaker 2>not focused on God. You're rarely focused on God. God

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<v Speaker 2>has focused on you all the time. Can God focus

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<v Speaker 2>on everybody the same time? Yeah? Why he's God. There

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<v Speaker 2>is never a moment of your life when God is

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<v Speaker 2>not focused on you. You're not focused on him, but

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<v Speaker 2>He's focused on you. He sees every high low, every

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<v Speaker 2>good bad, every hill, every valley, every tear, every joy.

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<v Speaker 2>There's never a moment in your life when God has

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<v Speaker 2>not focused on you, wife, because He made you to

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<v Speaker 2>love you. You're loved. Will God's ever stop focusing on me?

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<v Speaker 2>Will he ever stop loving me? No? Look at this

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<v Speaker 2>next verse Romans, Chapter eight, Verse thirty eight and thirty nine.

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<v Speaker 2>I am certain confidence. I'm certain that nothing can separate

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<v Speaker 2>us from God's love. Not life nor death, nor angels

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<v Speaker 2>nor demons, demons can't separate you from God's love. Not

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<v Speaker 2>the present nor the future, not the powers above or below.

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing in all creation shall ever separate us from God's

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<v Speaker 2>love for us. In Christ circle that in Christ, Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>Our Lord. Why can't I be separated from God's love? Well?

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<v Speaker 2>For two reasons. It's unconditional and it's eternal. It's unconditional.

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<v Speaker 2>In other words, God doesn't say I love you if

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<v Speaker 2>that's conditional. God doesn't say I love you because that's conditional.

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<v Speaker 2>God says I love you period. I love you in

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<v Speaker 2>spite of the fact that you don't always love me,

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<v Speaker 2>because God is love. God's love for you is based

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<v Speaker 2>on who he is not what you do. It's not

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<v Speaker 2>based on your performance. It's based on his character. You

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<v Speaker 2>can't make God stop loving you. You can try, but

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<v Speaker 2>you will fail because God is well. It's unconditional. But

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<v Speaker 2>not only that is consistent. You never have to wonder

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<v Speaker 2>about God's love. You and I don't wake up in the

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<v Speaker 2>morning and go, I wonder if God's going to love

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<v Speaker 2>me today after what I did last night. God says,

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<v Speaker 2>my love for you is not fickle, it's not unpredictable.

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<v Speaker 2>He doesn't hug you one day and slug you the

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<v Speaker 2>next day. We never need to ask will God love me?

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<v Speaker 2>He will. In fact, we always get into trouble when

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<v Speaker 2>we doubt God's love. Anytime you doubt God's loved and anything,

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<v Speaker 2>I know more than God. I'm gonna do what I

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<v Speaker 2>want to do right and what I want to do.

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<v Speaker 2>How's that working out for you? Your life just sailing

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<v Speaker 2>along with no problems, no depression, no discouragement. We always

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<v Speaker 2>get into problems when we doubt God's love and when

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<v Speaker 2>we doubt God's wisdom. But there's more in this first pillar.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not just chosen by God. You're not just chosen

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<v Speaker 2>by God. You're not just loved by God. There's more.

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<v Speaker 2>You're accepted. Most people don't realize this. You're accepted by God.

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<v Speaker 2>We spend our entire lives trying to be accepted. You

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<v Speaker 2>wear the clothes you wear because you want to be accepted.

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<v Speaker 2>You drive the car you drive because you want to

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<v Speaker 2>be accepted. You choose your friends, the food you eat,

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<v Speaker 2>the things you say on the internet. Everything you do

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<v Speaker 2>is out of this massive need to say accept me,

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<v Speaker 2>accept me, accept I want to be accepted. Well, friend,

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<v Speaker 2>you're already accepted by God, who created you. First Corinthians

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<v Speaker 2>chapter one says this verse thirty, God alone made it

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<v Speaker 2>possible for you to be in Christ. There's that phrase again,

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<v Speaker 2>in Christ. And he says, you didn't do this to yourself.

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<v Speaker 2>I did it for you. God alone made it possible

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<v Speaker 2>for you to be in Christ. Jesus, he is the

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<v Speaker 2>one who made us acceptable to God. Now how does

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus make us acceptable to God? And what does that mean? Well,

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<v Speaker 2>here's the problem. God's perfect and you're not and I'm not.

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<v Speaker 2>How does a perfect God let an imperfect person into

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<v Speaker 2>a perfect place called heaven. Well, something's got to happen.

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<v Speaker 2>So God says, I'll take care of the problem myself.

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<v Speaker 2>He comes to earth as a man in the form

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<v Speaker 2>of Jesus Christ. God comes to earth, dies for your sin.

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<v Speaker 2>This is called grace. This is called redemption. This is

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<v Speaker 2>called being rescued by God. There a whole bunch of

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<v Speaker 2>theological terms that's called justification. Just as if I'd never

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<v Speaker 2>send justified, just as if I'd never send. God says,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to make you clean and perfect in my eyes,

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<v Speaker 2>no matter what you've already done. God says, I came

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<v Speaker 2>and I sent my son to die for you so

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<v Speaker 2>that you are acceptable to me. So if God accepts you,

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<v Speaker 2>why do you need the approval of other people? One

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<v Speaker 2>of the most liberating things in life will be when

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<v Speaker 2>you finally learn someday, I don't need other people's approval

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<v Speaker 2>to be happy. You don't. You only need the approval

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<v Speaker 2>of one person, God. And if God likes you and

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<v Speaker 2>you like you, if you don't like me, if I

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<v Speaker 2>like me and God likes me, what's your problem. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't need your approval. I don't know if you know

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<v Speaker 2>this or not. Some people don't like me and they

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<v Speaker 2>criticize me, and they say, oh, you know, I spend

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<v Speaker 2>one none, no seconds of my life thinking about those people.

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<v Speaker 2>What I don't need their approval will be happy. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>happy while they're students. You I don't like Rick Warren, Fine,

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<v Speaker 2>God does. I'm chosen. I'm loved and I'm accepted. You're chosen,

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<v Speaker 2>You're loved and you're accepted.

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<v Speaker 1>What a great message from Pastor Rick today. There's something

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<v Speaker 1>I always take away from his message. Here's Rick to

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<v Speaker 1>tell you how you can help support this ministry.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus told his disciples that they should live their lives

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<v Speaker 2>according to five specific purposes. He said, you've got to

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<v Speaker 2>love God with all your heart. That's worship, and love

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<v Speaker 2>your neighbors yourself. That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment.

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<v Speaker 2>And then Jesus said, go make disciples. That's evangelism, Baptize

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<v Speaker 2>them into the Family of God. That's fellowship, a fellowship.

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<v Speaker 2>And then he said, teach them obey everything I've taught you.

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<v Speaker 2>That's discipleship. And we call that the Great Commission. We

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<v Speaker 2>believe it daily hope that a great commitment to the

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<v Speaker 2>Great Commandment and the Great Commission will produce a great Christian,

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<v Speaker 2>a great church, a great company, a great community. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I started daily Hope so I could spread the good

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<v Speaker 2>news about Jesus, not just across America, but all around

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<v Speaker 2>the world. And we want people to know that God's

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<v Speaker 2>word is filled with hope and truth and the power

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<v Speaker 2>that we need to follow him every day is available

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<v Speaker 2>to every single one. You know as well as I do,

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<v Speaker 2>that the Word of God changes lives. It's a live

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<v Speaker 2>it's active, and it breathes new life and new love

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<v Speaker 2>into all of our lives. So wherever you listen to this,

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<v Speaker 2>whether you listen on the website, whether you listen on

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<v Speaker 2>a radio station, or whether you listen to a podcast,

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<v Speaker 2>You're a part of the Daily Hope family and I

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<v Speaker 2>need your help. We couldn't can not do this without

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<v Speaker 2>your support. We're one hundred percent listener funded. Would you

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<v Speaker 2>continue to pray for this broadcast and would you continue

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<v Speaker 2>to support us and let write to me, let me

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<v Speaker 2>hear from you. I absolutely love reading the stories that

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<v Speaker 2>are sent to me. So write me, pray for me,

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<v Speaker 2>and support this ministry, and God will bless it, and

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<v Speaker 2>God will bless you, and we'll get to heaven and

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<v Speaker 2>we'll thank God for all the people going to be

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<v Speaker 2>in heaven because you cared.

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<v Speaker 3>Hey, if you'd like to support Pastor ricks Daily Hope,

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<v Speaker 3>just go to Pastor Rick dot com. That's Pastor Rick

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<v Speaker 3>dot com, or you can text the word hope to

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<v Speaker 3>seven oh three oh nine. That's the word hope to

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<v Speaker 3>seven oh three oh nine, And really, from the bottom

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<v Speaker 3>of our hearts, we thank you so much for your support.

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<v Speaker 3>Your gift to Daily Hope helps us share the hope

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<v Speaker 3>of Christ with people everywhere. Hey be sure to join

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<v Speaker 3>us next time when we look into God's word for

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<v Speaker 3>our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's

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<v Speaker 3>Daily Hope and your generous financial support.

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<v Speaker 2>H