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<v Speaker 2>Right now.

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<v Speaker 1>For many different reasons, people have told me they feel damaged, debilitated, deceived, defeated, defensive, dejected.

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<v Speaker 1>They feel delayed and demean demoralized, integrated, denied, depleted, depreciated.

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<v Speaker 1>They feel depressed, deserted, desperate, despondent, destroyed. They feel disgusted, disillusioned, discouraged,

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<v Speaker 1>and disappointed. We all have losses in life. We all

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<v Speaker 1>have favors in life. We all have disappointments in life.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you recover from the disappointments of life? That's

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<v Speaker 1>what I want us to look at today. I want

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<v Speaker 1>us to look at what do you do when your

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<v Speaker 1>plan doesn't match God's plan? Have you noticed that God

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<v Speaker 1>often has different ideas than you do about your life.

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<v Speaker 1>Whether you're trying to recover from a disappointment or an experience,

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<v Speaker 1>or the disappointment of employment, or an embarrassment or the

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<v Speaker 1>disappointment of an expectation.

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<v Speaker 2>What do you do?

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<v Speaker 1>What should you do when you're disappointed by anything? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>what I want to do this weekend is recommend eight

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<v Speaker 1>principles from God's word. Seven Actually that will help you

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<v Speaker 1>through difficult times. All right, here's what you ought to

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<v Speaker 1>do anytime you're disappointed in anything, anytime you have a failure,

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<v Speaker 1>anytime you have a loss. Number one, always choose faith

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<v Speaker 1>over fear. Always choose faith over fear. When things don't

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<v Speaker 1>work out the way you wanted, when your plan is

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<v Speaker 1>not God's plan, when you don't understand what's going on,

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<v Speaker 1>Always choose faith over fear. You don't panic, you pray,

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<v Speaker 1>you don't worry, you worship, You turn your thoughts to

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<v Speaker 1>the greatness of God. You know, fear never ever helps,

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<v Speaker 1>and worry has never solved any problem anytime. Worry never

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<v Speaker 1>solves anything. Now, there are two reasons you shouldn't be fearful.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a biblical one and there's actually a historical one. First,

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<v Speaker 1>God's commandment to not be afraid is the most repeated

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<v Speaker 1>command in the Bible. Did you know that God's command

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<v Speaker 1>to not be afraid, to not be fearful, to not

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<v Speaker 1>be anxious, to not worry is the most repeated command

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<v Speaker 1>in the Bible. There are three hundred and sixty five

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<v Speaker 1>fear nots in the Bible. That's one for every day

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<v Speaker 1>of the year. God really doesn't want us to be

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<v Speaker 1>anxious or fearful. Two Timothy one to seven, God did

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<v Speaker 1>not give us a spirit of fear, a spirit that

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<v Speaker 1>makes us afraid. But he gave us a spirit of

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<v Speaker 1>power and love and self control. So just that reason enough, God,

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<v Speaker 1>God says, don't panic in the days ahead while there's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of unsettled factors going on. He says, I

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<v Speaker 1>have given you a spirit of power and love and

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<v Speaker 1>self control, not a spirit of fear. So in a

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<v Speaker 1>time of disappointment or a time of chaos, always choose

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<v Speaker 1>faith over fear.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay. Number two.

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<v Speaker 1>Second thing to do when you're disappointed and when life

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<v Speaker 1>seems out of control is this, always trust that God

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<v Speaker 1>is in control. Always trust that God is in control.

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<v Speaker 1>It may look like chaos from a human viewpoint, but

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<v Speaker 1>God is a bigger perspective.

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<v Speaker 2>History is his story.

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<v Speaker 1>And instead of being afraid of what people might do

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<v Speaker 1>in the days that are weeks ahead, the Bible says

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<v Speaker 1>we should have a holy fear of God. Now, when

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<v Speaker 1>talks about fear in the Bible, it's not talking about panic,

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<v Speaker 1>it's talking about reverence. It's the Old English word for fear,

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<v Speaker 1>which means reverence for God. And Job twenty five verse too,

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<v Speaker 1>it says this God is the one to fear because

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<v Speaker 1>God is in control, and he rules the heaven. God

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<v Speaker 1>is in control. Now, you either believe that or you don't.

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<v Speaker 1>This idea that God is in control of everything and

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<v Speaker 1>you're trusting him because He's in control of everything even

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<v Speaker 1>when it looks out of control from your viewpoint. The

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<v Speaker 1>sovereignty of God is meant to comfort us. It's not

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<v Speaker 1>to be used as a club. You say, well, if

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<v Speaker 1>God is in control, does that mean we don't have

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<v Speaker 1>any choice? The answer is, of course, you have a choice.

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<v Speaker 1>God lets us make choices because we're made in his

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<v Speaker 1>image and He gave us the capacity to make moral choices.

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<v Speaker 1>But our choices are not unlimited. You don't have unlimited choice.

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<v Speaker 1>You can't say, for instance, be an opera singer if

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<v Speaker 1>God didn't give you that talent. You can only be

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<v Speaker 1>what God made you to be. We have a free will,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's a limited will, and ultimately God is in

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<v Speaker 1>charge of history. Let me show you a Bible verse

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<v Speaker 1>that may shock you. Psalm seventy five, verse six and

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<v Speaker 1>seven says this for promotion and power come from nowhere

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<v Speaker 1>on earth, but only come from God. He promotes one

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<v Speaker 1>and deposes another another. God says, I accept responsibility for this.

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<v Speaker 1>The New Living translation is God decides who will rise

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<v Speaker 1>and who will fall amplified translations. He puts one down

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<v Speaker 1>and he lifts another up. God is saying, I'm in

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<v Speaker 1>charge here. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't know what I'm doing. You can't see what I see.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't know what I know. Your values aren't my values.

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<v Speaker 1>So when you're disappointed, you first always choose faith over fear,

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<v Speaker 1>and second you always trust that God is in control.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let's go on number three. The third thing

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<v Speaker 1>to do when you're disappointed is be patient. It's not

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the story. Be patient because it's not

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the story.

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<v Speaker 2>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>Part of our problem is that we look at things

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<v Speaker 1>in a short term perspective. We don't see things from

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<v Speaker 1>any eternal's perspective. We're so shortsighted and we're so impatient,

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<v Speaker 1>and we think that the most important thing that's ever

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<v Speaker 1>happened in the entire history of the world is happening

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<v Speaker 1>right now.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not.

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<v Speaker 1>God has been directing history for thousands of years. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>thousands of years before you and I were ever even born.

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<v Speaker 2>He was directing history. You know.

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<v Speaker 1>In the Book of Habacco that's a little book by

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<v Speaker 1>a guy who was a prophet in Israel in near

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<v Speaker 1>the old end of the Old Testament.

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<v Speaker 2>In the Book of.

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<v Speaker 1>Abaccu, that prophet was watching the decline and the destruction

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<v Speaker 1>of his nation. Literally everything was falling apart, and Abacca

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<v Speaker 1>cries out in a long complaint to God. And in

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<v Speaker 1>Habacca chapter one, verse two, he says, this, how long?

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<v Speaker 2>Lord? It's how long question? How long?

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<v Speaker 1>How long do I have to keep begging you to

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<v Speaker 1>help our nation? How long before you listen?

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<v Speaker 2>Do you see what's going on out there? God?

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<v Speaker 1>How long before you rescue us from all this violence?

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of people have asked that question about our country,

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<v Speaker 1>and other countries too, those who are refugees in places

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<v Speaker 1>like the Middle East. We're asking how long before you

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<v Speaker 1>rescue us from all this violence?

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<v Speaker 2>Well?

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<v Speaker 1>God actually answers Habaccic in chapter two, and he says this, Habacca,

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<v Speaker 1>I know what I'm doing, and I know just the

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<v Speaker 1>right timetable for it. And Habacca, you need to trust me.

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<v Speaker 1>You need to be patient. This is not the end

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<v Speaker 1>of the story. Here's what he said. Tobacco two, verse three.

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<v Speaker 1>God says, the things that I plan won't happen right away, slowly, steadily,

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<v Speaker 1>surely the time approach, which is when the vision will

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<v Speaker 1>be fulfilled.

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<v Speaker 2>He says.

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<v Speaker 1>If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things

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<v Speaker 1>will surely come to pass. Just be patient. They will

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<v Speaker 1>not be overdue a single day. They will not be overduced,

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<v Speaker 1>he says, Kubacca, trust me when you're saying how long

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<v Speaker 1>is this gonna go on?

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<v Speaker 2>When are we gonna see the change?

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<v Speaker 1>He says, My plans a good plan, and it'll happen,

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<v Speaker 1>but it won't be overdue. But it takes some time.

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<v Speaker 1>Just be patient. It's not the end of the story. James,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter five, verse seven. He says, Wait patiently, my friends.

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<v Speaker 1>You have a hard time being impatient. Wait patiently, my friends,

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<v Speaker 1>till the Lord comes. And then he gives us some models.

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<v Speaker 1>And think about farmers. Think of how patient of farmers.

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<v Speaker 1>Farmers are as they wait for their land to produce.

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<v Speaker 1>They wait patiently for different seasons and rain. Now, if

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<v Speaker 1>you take notes, I would circle the phrase seasons. Different seasons.

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<v Speaker 1>You see, God says that there are seasons in life,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know what, you know what I've learned. You

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<v Speaker 1>can't skip seasons. You can't go from summer to summer,

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<v Speaker 1>to summer to summer without going through winter. So there

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<v Speaker 1>are seasons in life, there are seasons in nations. You

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<v Speaker 1>need to trust God's timing. You know, the last time

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<v Speaker 1>I looked, the promise of Romans eight twenty eight has

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<v Speaker 1>has never changed. It's still in force. Romans eight twenty

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<v Speaker 1>eight is still going to work. Romans eight twenty eight.

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<v Speaker 1>And we know that in all things, not some. We

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<v Speaker 1>know that in all things God works for the good

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<v Speaker 1>of those who love Him, who've been called according to

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<v Speaker 1>His purpose.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, not everything is good in life.

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<v Speaker 1>Rape isn't good, Racism isn't good, abused isn't good, cancer

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<v Speaker 1>isn't good. Not everything in life is good, But God says,

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<v Speaker 1>I can use it all for good, even the bad.

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<v Speaker 1>I can bring good out of bad. Only God can

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<v Speaker 1>do that. Anybody can bring good out of good, but

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<v Speaker 1>God can bring good out of the bad.

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<v Speaker 2>In my life.

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<v Speaker 1>The problem is, friends, we can't see what God sees.

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<v Speaker 1>Tewod Corinthians, chapter four, verse eighteen says this, So we

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<v Speaker 1>talk up to Christians. We set our eyes not on

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<v Speaker 1>what we see, but on what we cannot see, because

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<v Speaker 1>what we see will last only a short time, but

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<v Speaker 1>what we can't see will last forever. And he's saying

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<v Speaker 1>here that as followers of Jesus's disciples, we're called to

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<v Speaker 1>focus more on what's going to last forever and not

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<v Speaker 1>focused on all the short term stuff. Here's the fourth key.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't jump to conclusions when you are going through a

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<v Speaker 1>time that God's plan is not your plan and you're disappointed,

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<v Speaker 1>or you're discouraged, or you're down in the mouth, or

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<v Speaker 1>you're depressed because things aren't going the way you wanted

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<v Speaker 1>them to go. When you start to feel discouraged and disappointed,

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<v Speaker 1>don't jump to conclusions. So let me give you some

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<v Speaker 1>biblical wisdom on what God says. Proverbs twenty five, verse

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<v Speaker 1>eight says this a TeV. Don't be too quick to

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<v Speaker 1>go to court. Don't be too quick to go to

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<v Speaker 1>court about something you have seen, because if another witness

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<v Speaker 1>later proves you're wrong.

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<v Speaker 2>What are you going to do? Then well, you got mud.

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<v Speaker 1>On your face, big disgrace, and you know the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the song. Ecclesiastes twelve twelve says this, be warned.

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<v Speaker 1>He's talking to his son. Solomon's telling his son, be warned,

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<v Speaker 1>my son that there's no end of opinions ready to

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<v Speaker 1>be expressed. Amen, been on social media, Well, you might

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<v Speaker 1>want to get off it for a while, okay, because

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<v Speaker 1>it's just going to make you upset. Be warned that

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<v Speaker 1>there's no end of opinions ready to be expressed and

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<v Speaker 1>studying them. Ecclesiastics twelve to twelve says studying them can

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<v Speaker 1>go on forever and become very exhausting. Don't jump to conclusions.

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<v Speaker 1>Proverbs fourteen fifteen says this. Only fools believe everything they're told.

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<v Speaker 1>Message says it this way. The gullible will believe anything,

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<v Speaker 1>but the prudence sift and weigh every word. The Bible

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<v Speaker 1>says in Proverbs twenty three to twenty three. Get the

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<v Speaker 1>facts at any price Proverbs twenty three to twenty three,

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<v Speaker 1>So just don't accept what you hear. Don't fact checking

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<v Speaker 1>is dead in today's society. Don't just be gullible. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>jump to conclusions. Get good sense, the Bible says, hold

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<v Speaker 1>on tightly to all the good says you can get.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let me give you a couple more. When

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<v Speaker 1>you're going through a tough time, when you feel discouraged you,

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<v Speaker 1>when you feel disappointed things didn't go the way you

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to do. For lessons to learn Number five, look

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<v Speaker 1>for lessons learns. Never never waste a disappointing situation when

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<v Speaker 1>your plan wasn't God's plan. Well, things didn't go the

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<v Speaker 1>way you want him to go. Learn from it. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>God wants us to learn from everything. God wants us

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<v Speaker 1>to learn from our fears, our failures, our frustrations. God

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<v Speaker 1>even wants us to learn from our sins. Stuff not

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<v Speaker 1>to do anymore, Well, don't do that anymore. Deuteronomy eleven

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<v Speaker 1>two says, remember today what you've learned about the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>through your experiences with him. You're going through experiences right now.

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<v Speaker 1>What are you learning about the Lord?

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<v Speaker 2>Let me read you of.

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<v Speaker 1>Isaiah forty two, verses twenty four and twenty five. The

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<v Speaker 1>world for Isaiah at that time was falling apart. The

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<v Speaker 1>nation of Israel was it was literally it was being

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<v Speaker 1>looted and robbed, and wars and terrorism and famine and

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<v Speaker 1>all all kinds of one and economic problem after another.

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<v Speaker 1>And in Isaiah forty two, twenty four and twenty five,

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<v Speaker 1>Isaiah says this, who gave up our nation.

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<v Speaker 2>To the looters? Good question?

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<v Speaker 1>Who gave up our nation to the looterers, those people

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<v Speaker 1>out there in the street breaking windows.

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<v Speaker 2>He said it was the Lord himself.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, it was the Lord himself against whom we send.

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<v Speaker 1>We would not live as he wanted us to live,

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<v Speaker 1>and we would not obey his teachings as he gave us.

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<v Speaker 1>So he made us feel the force of his anger

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<v Speaker 1>and suffered the violence, and his anger burned throughout Israel.

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<v Speaker 1>But we never knew what was happening, and we learned

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<v Speaker 1>nothing from it at all. I don't want that to

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<v Speaker 1>be true of our nation or any other nation today.

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<v Speaker 1>We learned nothing from it all. All right, let's get

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<v Speaker 1>practical about your life. Number six. When you're going through

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<v Speaker 1>a disappointing time and when you have people going through

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<v Speaker 1>a chaos around you, be empathetic with everybody. That's the

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<v Speaker 1>sixth step. When you're going through a tough time that

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<v Speaker 1>you're disappointed, you're discourage, you're defeated, you're depressed, be empathetic

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<v Speaker 1>with everybody because everybody's having a tough time. You know

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<v Speaker 1>what empathy means. Empathy means you use your ears more

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<v Speaker 1>than your mouth. You just listen to people. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>offer a defense, you don't minimize their hurt. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>say yes, but you just listen to their pain. That's empathy.

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<v Speaker 1>Romans fifteen, verse two says this, we must bear the

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<v Speaker 1>burden listen to this. We must bear the burden of

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<v Speaker 1>being considerate of the doubts and fears of others. See,

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<v Speaker 1>we always think our fears are very realistic and everybody

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<v Speaker 1>else is irrational. We must bear the burden of being

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<v Speaker 1>considered of the doubts and fears of others, of those

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<v Speaker 1>who feel these things are wrong.

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<v Speaker 2>So God says, let us please.

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<v Speaker 1>The other fellow, not ourselves, and do what's good for

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<v Speaker 1>his good, and thus build him up in the Lord. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>so be empathetic. Finally, the seventh step, and this one

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<v Speaker 1>may be the most difficult of all for some of you,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's what God tells us to do when we're

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<v Speaker 1>disappointed or discouraged or depressed. Number seven, look for things

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<v Speaker 1>to be grateful for. Look for things to be grateful.

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<v Speaker 1>Say what First? Thessalonians five eighteen says this, do you

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<v Speaker 1>want to know God's will? I want to do God's will?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay.

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<v Speaker 1>First, Tessalonians five eighteen tells us God's will give thanks

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<v Speaker 1>in all circumstances for this is God's will for you

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<v Speaker 1>in Christ Jesus. That's God's will. You want to know

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<v Speaker 1>God's will for your life. Give thanks in all circumstances. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the key to this verse is understanding the word in

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<v Speaker 1>It doesn't say give thanks for all circumstances.

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<v Speaker 2>That would be dumb.

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<v Speaker 1>It says give thanks in all circumstances. There's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of things. You don't have to be thankful. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>have to be thankful for chaos. You don't have to

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<v Speaker 1>be thankful for bias. You don't have to be thankful

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<v Speaker 1>that maybe you were abused growing up. You don't have

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<v Speaker 1>to be thankful for all the bad or sin. No, no, no, no.

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<v Speaker 1>Doesn't say give thanks for It says give thanks in

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<v Speaker 1>all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in

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<v Speaker 1>Christ Jesus. But how about personally, be grateful for the

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<v Speaker 1>grace of God in your life. All the grace of

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<v Speaker 1>God has shown you. Be grateful for the good plan

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<v Speaker 1>that God has for your life. Be grateful for the

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<v Speaker 1>changes God is making in your life. Be grateful that

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ died for you. Be grateful that He is

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<v Speaker 1>a home for you in heaven. Now we've been talking

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<v Speaker 1>about the here and now, but I want to end

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<v Speaker 1>with this last verse Philippians three twenty, which says this, Remember,

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<v Speaker 1>our real citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await

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<v Speaker 1>a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our real

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<v Speaker 1>citizenship in heaven. You know, I think every Christian should

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<v Speaker 1>carry a green card because ultimately, your primary loyalty and

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<v Speaker 1>primary citizenship is not in whatever country you live or

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<v Speaker 1>you're a citizen.

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<v Speaker 2>It's in heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>And he says, we eagerly wait a savior that's keeping

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<v Speaker 1>our eyes on the things that are going to last,

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<v Speaker 1>not the things that aren't gonna last. Let me pray

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<v Speaker 1>for you. Would you bow your heads? Why don't you

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<v Speaker 1>pray with me? Just say this in your heart, Say

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<v Speaker 1>Dear God, today I'm choosing faith over fear in all

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<v Speaker 1>the things that I'm facing right now, I'm choosing faith

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<v Speaker 1>in You over fear, and say, God, I'm choosing to

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<v Speaker 1>trust that You're in control of the stuff that seems

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<v Speaker 1>out of control in my life. It looks like chaos

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<v Speaker 1>to me, but you can see the beginning from the end.

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<v Speaker 1>Say Dear God, help me to be patient, realizing that

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<v Speaker 1>this is not the end of the story. It's just

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<v Speaker 1>a chapter in the book of my life. That you

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<v Speaker 1>have a good plan for my life. Thank you for that.

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<v Speaker 1>Help me to not jump to conclusions. Help me not

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<v Speaker 1>to cry out the sky is falling like chicken little

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<v Speaker 1>when you're in control. Help me to remember that other

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<v Speaker 1>people around me are hurting.

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<v Speaker 2>Just say that.

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<v Speaker 1>Help me to remember that other people around me are hurting.

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<v Speaker 1>Help me to be empathetic. To use my ears more

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<v Speaker 1>than I use my mouth. To use my time to

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<v Speaker 1>be a winsome witness for you Lord. Help me to

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<v Speaker 1>always remember that my citizenship is ultimately in Heaven and

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<v Speaker 1>that can never be taken away from me. You've never

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<v Speaker 1>opened your life to Jesus Christ. Say Jesus Christ, make

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<v Speaker 1>yourself real SA to me. Come into my life. I

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<v Speaker 1>want a friendship with you. I want to know you.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to learn to trust you. And today I'm

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<v Speaker 1>opening myself to you, Jesus Christ, and I want you

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<v Speaker 1>to do whatever you need to do in my life.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to follow you and trust you. Please save

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<v Speaker 1>me in your name, I pray Amen mm hm