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Michael Youssef | Michael Youssef - Spiritual Reset | December 28, 2024
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- ♪♪♪
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- Dr. michael youssef: december gift challenge
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- Is so important for us
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- As a ministry.
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- We really wait for it, rely on it,
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- In order to make our plans for next year.
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- This is my labor of love, and that is why
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- I'm emboldened to say, join with me.
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- You and i are gonna see people in heaven
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- Who literally are gonna walk up to us
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- And say thank you for your sacrifice.
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- Because of that, i am here in heaven.
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- So i'm so grateful for every one of you who are going to pray
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- And say, lord, what would you have me do
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- In order to partner together for the gospel?
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- Male announcer: for the month of december,
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- Generous partners have committed $1 million
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- To "leading the way" and are challenging you
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- To help match their gifts, turning $1 million
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- Into $2 million for god's kingdom work.
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- This is your last chance to double your impact,
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- Sharing the hope of christ with more people in need.
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- The greatest gift you can give is the gift of the gospel.
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- Contact us and double your impact today.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Dr. youssef: the roman god janus, from which we get the
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- Word january, first month of the year,
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- And janus was considered to be the ancient roman god
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- Of new beginnings.
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- Janus is depicted, as you can see on the screen, two faces.
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- One face looks back at the year that passed, and that side of
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- That face bears traces of sorrow, dismay, and perplexity.
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- The other face looks forward to the new year,
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- And that forward-looking face is personified
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- With hope and confidence.
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- This is, of course, superstition and worship of false gods.
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- It's a fact that many people make new year's resolution.
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- I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand.
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- If you are making one, have made one,
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- But the truth is a lot of people do.
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- And the best statistics that i have read is that 90% of people
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- Who make resolutions are forgotten in two weeks' time.
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- I'm not against new year's resolutions,
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- And i really am not, especially if those are made
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- At the guidance and the leadership
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- Of the holy spirit of god, if they're made in confidence
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- In the lord's power and the lord's strength to do
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- Some great and new things for god,
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- I am not against that at all.
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- God has set times and seasons.
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- He set festivals and all for the purpose of renewal,
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- Because god is the god-- a renewing god.
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- And the new testament, however, tells us
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- That we are to renew our minds on a daily basis, not--
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- Even moment-by-moment basis.
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- It is a continuous renewal.
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- It is not occasions, and it's not certain times or the--
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- Thank god for those new beginnings.
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- And you say how do you do this?
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- By allowing the holy spirit of god to help us
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- To let go of the past,
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- Whether it be that past sin and the past guilt,
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- By genuine confession of that sin,
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- By genuine repentance of that sin,
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- By allowing the holy spirit of god,
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- Which is the wind of god.
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- You know the word ruach in hebrew actually means spirit,
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- Wind, and breath, same word.
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- And i do pray daily.
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- I say, lord, let the wind of the holy spirit today
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- Pull the sails of my life.
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- Guide me this day.
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- Let that wind of the holy spirit be the power that pulls me
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- Through this day or this week or this month or this year.
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- Here's the problem that most of you will understand,
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- Because it happens even among god's people,
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- Is that they keep on looking back at the past,
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- Not so that they may learn to let go of the past,
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- But in order to dwell in the past.
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- And literally by doing so, they create fear and anxiety
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- Of the present and the future.
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- Others still, they look back, and they get caught in
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- What i call in the paralysis of analysis,
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- And they never move forward.
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- So what is the answer?
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- Well, the word of god gives us the answer.
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- Thank god the word of god gives us the answer.
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- It's not--i don't have the answer.
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- I have it in the word of god.
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- If you turn with me to philippians 3,
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- And i want to look at verses 13 and 14.
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- But i'm going to translate it like a home-spun translation.
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- I always tell you it's a youssef translation,
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- So i promise you it is accurate.
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- Here's what the apostle paul is saying,
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- And i'm going to put it in context in a minute.
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- "brethren, i count not myself to have made it."
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- I haven't made it yet.
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- I haven't reached it yet.
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- "but one thing that i do," is obviously the one thing
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- That occupies his mind, the one thing
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- That is constantly impacting every aspect of his life.
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- "the one thing i do is i forget those things that are in my past
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- And i strain forward," i mean strenuously, hard,
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- I strain forward to the future.
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- I press hard toward the goal or the finishing line,
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- The prize of the high calling in christ jesus.
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- Listen carefully.
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- Here's what he's saying.
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- Rather than dwelling in the past,
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- Whether it is failure or success, makes no difference.
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- By all means, learn from the past and don't live in it.
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- By all means, let the past propel you forward,
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- Not pull you back.
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- By all means, glean lessons from the past, but don't bask in it.
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- In fact, the apostle paul's lesson to all of us,
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- And your pastor is included,
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- Forgetting or letting go of the past and striving forward
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- With every energy, with every ounce of energy
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- That i have toward the future, should not be one
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- Of many things that we do, but should be the one thing
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- That impacts everything that we do.
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- An all-time preacher used to say
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- The apostle paul said, "one thing i do."
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- The average christian today says there are 20 things i dabble in.
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- Why is that the one thing for the apostle paul
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- That he focuses on?
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- That he allows it to be the driving force
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- For all his decisions, for all his lifestyle?
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- Why is that the one thing that he pushes for?
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- Now, think with me, okay?
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- I'm gonna explain to you why.
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- The apostle paul single-handedly accomplished more for the work
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- Of god, for the gospel of jesus christ, than anybody else,
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- Including the twelve disciples
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- Who walked and lived with jesus for three years, right?
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- He did.
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- Keep thinking with me, okay?
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- I'm getting somewhere.
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- If paul was like many of us who tends to live in the past,
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- If he allowed his past sins to haunt him,
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- If he allowed his past blaspheming
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- Of the name of jesus to weigh him down,
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- If he constantly lived with the past guilt
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- Of persecuting christians to be heavy on his heart,
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- If he continuously allowed that vision
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- In his mind, which was very visual to him,
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- Of standing there holding the clothes of stephen,
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- The very first christian martyr,
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- And he was there literally participating,
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- He was there watching his last stone
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- That came and hit him and then ended his life,
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- Just think about this.
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- If he allowed that vision to continue in his life,
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- He would be living in nightmares day in and day out.
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- He would have been totally paralyzed from doing anything
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- That's worthwhile.
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- He would have been prevented from doing what he did in the
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- Power of god, and that has impacted the whole world
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- With the gospel of jesus christ, not only in his day,
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- But even to this day.
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- But he also knew that the forgetfulness of the past,
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- Or letting go of the past, or moving forward from the past,
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- He knew that this only can take place
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- Because of god's forgiveness.
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- Beloved, please listen to me, listen to me.
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- When sin or sins are confessed, when sin or sins are repented
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- Of, when sins are covered by the blood of jesus christ,
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- It must be forgotten.
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- You say how can i erase it from my memory?
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- I'm going to show you.
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- Every time you are reminded of your past sins
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- Of which you've confessed and repented of,
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- You immediately remind yourself that you are forgiven.
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- And so it is not enough to just let go of the past,
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- Because that could be a very dangerous place.
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- But your mind, your heart, your memory,
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- Your spirit must be refilled in those empty places
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- That have been forgotten and forgiven.
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- How?
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- By continuously filling your mouth with praise
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- And the promises of god.
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- By continuously feeding your mind on the promises of god
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- Of forgiveness and renewal.
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- By continuously allowing your thoughts to dwell
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- On the love of god.
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- By continuously allowing your thoughts to dwell on the grace
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- Of god and the mercy of god.
- 00:10:27.475 --> 00:10:30.612
- Now, i believe the apostle paul has a very clear objective here.
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- Listen carefully, please.
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- How to face an uncertain future.
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- I believe that was all.
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- That's the intention of that verse here.
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- And i think most people in their honest moment, when they really
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- Kind of come clean with god, most people are apprehensive
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- About the future.
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- In fact, that is why they look back, and they stay back,
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- Because they are apprehensive about the future.
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- The truth is this, listen carefully, most people are
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- Anxious about something in the future, whether it be about
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- Their children and children's future, whether it be about the
- 00:11:07.082 --> 00:11:10.151
- Economy of how it's going to fare next year, or the jobs,
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- Whether they still have a job or health,
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- Or the financial security,
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- And the list goes on and on and on.
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- And i want you to hear me right, because uncertainty about the
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- Future plagues a lot of people.
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- It really does.
- 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:29.003
- But listen to me, for the child of god who has placed
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- His or her complete trust in jesus christ,
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- Need not be afraid of the future.
- 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:38.613
- And one of the reasons and one of the keys
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- To do that is to let go of the past.
- 00:11:40.482 --> 00:11:44.319
- There is nothing that will happen to you
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- Which is not already foreseen by your heavenly father.
- 00:11:47.956 --> 00:11:53.194
- God sees the future as a present reality.
- 00:11:53.194 --> 00:11:57.799
- And god said, "i knew you before you were formed in the womb."
- 00:11:57.799 --> 00:12:03.371
- He knows you when you are a little baby.
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- He knows you when he knows what happens before it happens.
- 00:12:05.774 --> 00:12:10.145
- So question, how do you face uncertain future?
- 00:12:10.145 --> 00:12:15.884
- By trusting that the same god, the same heavenly father who
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- Protected you in the past with all of its grief and pain
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- And joy, the one who took care of you of the past,
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- He is going to take care of the present
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- And the future, amen?
- 00:12:30.165 --> 00:12:34.369
- And that is why paul said i press forward, i strain,
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- I'm running with every ounce of my energies.
- 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:41.643
- And when you keep your eye on this finishing line,
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- When you keep your eye on the prize,
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- You're not going to waste your time as you're running
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- On the trash that you see along the road.
- 00:12:51.953 --> 00:12:55.490
- But think, paul said all of the great honors
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- That he accomplished and achieved, he calls them trash,
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- Actually worse than that, but.
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- He's not going to focus on the trash, no matter how valuable in
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- The eyes of the world it may be.
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- You are not going to stop to entertain the spectators.
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- No.
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- When you are pressing strenuously toward the goal,
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- You're not going to waste your time on trivial.
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- You're not going to waste your time on things that are passing.
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- You're not going to waste your time
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- On losses of things.
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- They're things.
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- You're not going to waste your time on your critics.
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- They will always be there.
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- You're not going to waste your time on your detractors.
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- They will always be there.
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- Or those who hate you for whatever their reason may be.
- 00:13:42.971 --> 00:13:46.674
- Paul said, no, i refuse to do this, but the one thing i do,
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- I keep pressing to the finishing line.
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- Someone said if you aim at nothing,
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- You will most surely hit it.
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- I couldn't agree more.
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- Beloved, your finish line, my finish line,
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- Is that audience of one i'm telling you about
- 00:14:09.597 --> 00:14:12.734
- On that final day.
- 00:14:12.734 --> 00:14:14.836
- Therefore, don't look at the past,
- 00:14:14.836 --> 00:14:19.474
- It's already been forgiven.
- 00:14:19.474 --> 00:14:21.342
- It's under the blood of jesus.
- 00:14:21.342 --> 00:14:23.444
- It's like corrie ten boom used to say, jesus has thrown
- 00:14:23.444 --> 00:14:27.782
- Your sins into the deepest sea,
- 00:14:27.782 --> 00:14:30.051
- And you better not go fishing for them.
- 00:14:30.051 --> 00:14:33.087
- Don't look to the sideline.
- 00:14:33.087 --> 00:14:35.323
- Put blinders on.
- 00:14:35.323 --> 00:14:38.993
- Refuse to look back, because if you do,
- 00:14:38.993 --> 00:14:42.430
- You're going to stumble.
- 00:14:42.430 --> 00:14:44.332
- Most certainly you're going to stumble,
- 00:14:44.332 --> 00:14:45.733
- And you're going to fall.
- 00:14:45.733 --> 00:14:47.468
- In luke chapter 9 verse 61,
- 00:14:47.468 --> 00:14:49.203
- The lord jesus tells something that
- 00:14:49.203 --> 00:14:52.573
- Is really very similar to what paul is saying here,
- 00:14:52.573 --> 00:14:54.943
- And you say, well, where did paul get his idea?
- 00:14:54.943 --> 00:14:57.478
- He got it from jesus.
- 00:14:57.478 --> 00:14:58.813
- Remember, he spent years trying to learn what did jesus say.
- 00:14:58.813 --> 00:15:01.316
- He probably debriefed the writers of the gospels
- 00:15:01.316 --> 00:15:03.818
- Before they wrote the stuff down.
- 00:15:03.818 --> 00:15:05.720
- He was anxious to know everything that jesus said
- 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:07.922
- Or did, and he was listening to james,
- 00:15:07.922 --> 00:15:10.325
- He was listening to the other apostles' disciples.
- 00:15:10.325 --> 00:15:14.128
- Paul learned this stuff from jesus.
- 00:15:14.128 --> 00:15:19.033
- And so luke said that jesus told three men to follow him.
- 00:15:19.033 --> 00:15:23.972
- I'm not going to focus on all of them, just one.
- 00:15:23.972 --> 00:15:27.075
- Follow me.
- 00:15:27.075 --> 00:15:28.843
- But this man said, "oh, yeah, i will follow you,
- 00:15:28.843 --> 00:15:31.245
- But let me go first home and say goodbye to my family."
- 00:15:31.245 --> 00:15:35.750
- Reasonable request, don't you think?
- 00:15:35.750 --> 00:15:38.586
- You agree?
- 00:15:38.586 --> 00:15:39.988
- Yeah, it's a reasonable request.
- 00:15:39.988 --> 00:15:42.223
- But jesus who knew all things, jesus who knew all hearts,
- 00:15:42.223 --> 00:15:46.894
- Jesus who knew all motives said to him, no.
- 00:15:46.894 --> 00:15:50.932
- "no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back
- 00:15:50.932 --> 00:15:55.737
- Is fit for the kingdom of god," is fit for the service of god.
- 00:15:55.737 --> 00:16:00.908
- Oh, isn't that a bit harsh?
- 00:16:00.908 --> 00:16:03.344
- Yeah, our political-correct society is, jesus is very harsh.
- 00:16:03.344 --> 00:16:07.448
- Really?
- 00:16:07.448 --> 00:16:09.684
- No.
- 00:16:09.684 --> 00:16:11.085
- See, the plow is pulled by a strong and wild ox.
- 00:16:11.085 --> 00:16:17.025
- If you are not holding that thing with every ounce
- 00:16:17.025 --> 00:16:19.827
- Of your attention and energy, you know, you're going
- 00:16:19.827 --> 00:16:22.130
- To really be dead meat.
- 00:16:22.130 --> 00:16:25.633
- You take your eye off that ox, and it could literally
- 00:16:25.633 --> 00:16:28.202
- Crush you.
- 00:16:28.202 --> 00:16:31.439
- Controlling and managing of that ox that is pulling the plow
- 00:16:31.439 --> 00:16:36.010
- Should be a total forward-looking
- 00:16:36.010 --> 00:16:39.714
- And complete concentration.
- 00:16:39.714 --> 00:16:42.150
- Please, whatever you do, don't look back.
- 00:16:42.150 --> 00:16:45.620
- Don't waste your time on the past.
- 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:48.156
- Whatever is in regard to failed past failures or past successes
- 00:16:48.156 --> 00:16:53.194
- Or past wrong judgments or past wrong decisions that you have
- 00:16:53.194 --> 00:16:57.999
- Made or past wrong choices or past wrong action,
- 00:16:57.999 --> 00:17:04.705
- Strain forward.
- 00:17:04.705 --> 00:17:07.008
- Strive forward.
- 00:17:07.008 --> 00:17:08.776
- And the bible gives us many examples of those
- 00:17:08.776 --> 00:17:11.779
- Who have looked back and stayed back.
- 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:16.217
- Demas was a companion of the apostle paul,
- 00:17:16.217 --> 00:17:20.188
- But he went back.
- 00:17:20.188 --> 00:17:21.789
- And paul said he loved the present age.
- 00:17:21.789 --> 00:17:25.960
- John mark, though, later on accomplished great things,
- 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.163
- But in the early days of his ministry,
- 00:17:29.163 --> 00:17:31.165
- He went with paul and barnabas
- 00:17:31.165 --> 00:17:32.767
- On the first missionary journey, but he got cold feet,
- 00:17:32.767 --> 00:17:35.603
- He got home sick, and he said, "i want to go home."
- 00:17:35.603 --> 00:17:38.906
- And paul said, "you go home.
- 00:17:38.906 --> 00:17:40.308
- You ain't going to be with me again."
- 00:17:40.308 --> 00:17:42.143
- Beloved, on this end of the year, i wonder how many of us
- 00:17:42.143 --> 00:17:45.646
- Today--and it's between you and god--are you caught
- 00:17:45.646 --> 00:17:50.451
- In what i call the retrospective glance.
- 00:17:50.451 --> 00:17:53.788
- Only you know.
- 00:17:53.788 --> 00:17:55.289
- Now, again, when i reflected on this profound piece of trivia,
- 00:17:55.289 --> 00:17:58.893
- I really decided that there is a spiritual lesson here.
- 00:17:58.893 --> 00:18:02.463
- There are some who cannot focus on the future.
- 00:18:02.463 --> 00:18:06.000
- There really are.
- 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.502
- There are some who are not able to strain forward
- 00:18:07.502 --> 00:18:10.838
- Toward the goal.
- 00:18:10.838 --> 00:18:13.374
- Why?
- 00:18:13.374 --> 00:18:14.809
- Because they are committed to looking backwards.
- 00:18:14.809 --> 00:18:17.545
- They really are.
- 00:18:17.545 --> 00:18:18.880
- The two are connected.
- 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:20.414
- Examine what i'm saying and reflect on it today.
- 00:18:20.414 --> 00:18:24.752
- When the great apostle paul said forgetting what lays behind,
- 00:18:24.752 --> 00:18:29.357
- It means forgetting everything, everything in the past
- 00:18:29.357 --> 00:18:33.694
- That is evil, everything that is questionable,
- 00:18:33.694 --> 00:18:36.697
- Everything that is improper,
- 00:18:36.697 --> 00:18:38.933
- Everything that is sinful, everything that is hurtful,
- 00:18:38.933 --> 00:18:42.370
- Everything that is ever done in this whole of life
- 00:18:42.370 --> 00:18:46.474
- That is displeasing to the lord, everything.
- 00:18:46.474 --> 00:18:50.044
- But not only that, he also talks about every achievements.
- 00:18:50.044 --> 00:18:57.785
- Because there's some people who said,
- 00:18:57.785 --> 00:18:59.320
- "oh, look what i did back then," and they stay there.
- 00:18:59.320 --> 00:19:05.259
- They stay there and don't strain forward.
- 00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:09.430
- Sometimes, my beloved friends, past successes can hamper us
- 00:19:09.430 --> 00:19:15.603
- Just as much as past failures.
- 00:19:15.603 --> 00:19:20.508
- Please, i want you to hear me right on this one.
- 00:19:20.508 --> 00:19:22.944
- Wherever your past, you must deliberately and definitively
- 00:19:22.944 --> 00:19:28.182
- Bring it and throw it in the deepest sea,
- 00:19:28.182 --> 00:19:30.952
- For that's exactly what god did with them.
- 00:19:30.952 --> 00:19:34.222
- But there's more.
- 00:19:34.222 --> 00:19:36.090
- There's more.
- 00:19:36.090 --> 00:19:37.558
- In fact, there's a whole lot more i want to say
- 00:19:37.558 --> 00:19:39.026
- On the subject, but i've got a limited time.
- 00:19:39.026 --> 00:19:42.663
- You need to be willing to burn past bridges,
- 00:19:42.663 --> 00:19:47.735
- These bridges that are constantly beckoning you
- 00:19:47.735 --> 00:19:50.838
- To come back to the old territories
- 00:19:50.838 --> 00:19:53.641
- That you have walked away from long time ago,
- 00:19:53.641 --> 00:19:56.410
- Or maybe just a short time ago.
- 00:19:56.410 --> 00:19:59.046
- Burn the bridges.
- 00:19:59.046 --> 00:20:00.615
- Say it with me.
- 00:20:00.615 --> 00:20:02.149
- Congregation: burn the bridges.
- 00:20:02.149 --> 00:20:04.352
- Dr. youssef: do you want to do great things for the lord
- 00:20:04.352 --> 00:20:06.087
- In the coming year?
- 00:20:06.087 --> 00:20:07.688
- Congregation: yes.
- 00:20:07.688 --> 00:20:09.190
- Dr. youssef: do you want to be used of god mightily,
- 00:20:09.190 --> 00:20:11.392
- In a mighty way somehow in the coming year?
- 00:20:11.392 --> 00:20:13.794
- Congregation: yes.
- 00:20:13.794 --> 00:20:15.129
- Dr. youssef: do you want to live in victory?
- 00:20:15.129 --> 00:20:17.164
- Congregation: yes.
- 00:20:17.164 --> 00:20:18.599
- Dr. youssef: do you want to be set free from whatever
- 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:20.534
- The past may be?
- 00:20:20.534 --> 00:20:22.503
- Congregation: yes.
- 00:20:22.503 --> 00:20:24.038
- Dr. youssef: begin by burning your past bridges.
- 00:20:24.038 --> 00:20:29.744
- All the bridges that keep taking you back to the old territories
- 00:20:29.744 --> 00:20:34.915
- That are unpleasing to the lord.
- 00:20:34.915 --> 00:20:37.985
- Burn them today, literally.
- 00:20:37.985 --> 00:20:43.024
- If it is gold that is keeping you from straining forward
- 00:20:43.024 --> 00:20:47.862
- Toward god's goal for your life, cut the golden chain.
- 00:20:47.862 --> 00:20:53.901
- If it's a sense of reputation that is holding you back,
- 00:20:53.901 --> 00:20:57.738
- Become a nobody for christ's sake.
- 00:20:57.738 --> 00:21:01.742
- If it is pride of your own wisdom, you must be willing
- 00:21:01.742 --> 00:21:07.915
- To become a fool for jesus.
- 00:21:07.915 --> 00:21:11.852
- If it is a devotion to pleasure, then you must be willing
- 00:21:11.852 --> 00:21:16.490
- To sacrifice it and keep on sacrificing it to christ.
- 00:21:16.490 --> 00:21:22.463
- If it is an unwholesome relationship that does not
- 00:21:22.463 --> 00:21:25.933
- Belong in your life, then you must firmly,
- 00:21:25.933 --> 00:21:29.737
- Decisively walk away from that relationship.
- 00:21:29.737 --> 00:21:33.641
- Whatever bridges that are holding you back and constantly
- 00:21:33.641 --> 00:21:37.178
- Beckoning you to come back, burn them today.
- 00:21:37.178 --> 00:21:40.815
- Amen?
- 00:21:40.815 --> 00:21:42.283
- [applauding]
- 00:21:42.283 --> 00:21:45.052
- ♪♪♪
- 00:21:45.386 --> 00:21:51.192
- Male: the wonderful thing that i always got
- 00:21:54.562 --> 00:21:56.063
- From dr. youssef's books and teaching
- 00:21:56.063 --> 00:21:58.099
- Was that i wouldn't walk away thinking about him,
- 00:21:58.099 --> 00:21:59.467
- But thinking about god.
- 00:21:59.467 --> 00:22:02.937
- Female: i know that something started here tonight
- 00:22:02.937 --> 00:22:05.439
- And that lives were changed.
- 00:22:05.439 --> 00:22:06.907
- Male: god led us here.
- 00:22:06.907 --> 00:22:08.442
- God wants us to be born again christians.
- 00:22:08.442 --> 00:22:10.378
- It's like jesus is god.
- 00:22:10.378 --> 00:22:12.313
- Like, jesus is the truth.
- 00:22:12.313 --> 00:22:14.115
- I'm just really, like, happy in myself,
- 00:22:14.115 --> 00:22:16.217
- And since i found god, it's--
- 00:22:16.217 --> 00:22:18.886
- Female: me too, i feel just-
- 00:22:18.886 --> 00:22:20.388
- Male: amazing.
- 00:22:20.388 --> 00:22:21.822
- Male: "leading the way," thank you for sending navigators,
- 00:22:21.822 --> 00:22:24.725
- And thank you for loving our people.
- 00:22:24.725 --> 00:22:27.128
- [speaking foreign language]
- 00:22:27.128 --> 00:22:29.196
- Female: dr. michael youssef, god has used you to breathe
- 00:22:33.367 --> 00:22:35.970
- So much freshness into my life when all hope was really lost.
- 00:22:35.970 --> 00:22:41.575
- Thank you.
- 00:22:41.575 --> 00:22:43.411
- Male: dr. michael youssef's sermons were very helpful.
- 00:22:43.477 --> 00:22:46.881
- My viewpoint of god is different.
- 00:22:46.881 --> 00:22:48.716
- He's not in a box anymore.
- 00:22:48.716 --> 00:22:50.484
- I have this relationship with him, and it's just awesome.
- 00:22:50.484 --> 00:22:52.853
- It's vibrant.
- 00:22:52.853 --> 00:22:54.288
- It's a totally different life.
- 00:22:54.288 --> 00:22:55.890
- It's totally a rebirth.
- 00:22:55.890 --> 00:22:57.625
- And i'm so grateful for god for blessing me in that way.
- 00:22:57.625 --> 00:23:00.294
- Female: now that i've been given that gift from god,
- 00:23:00.294 --> 00:23:02.930
- I want to share it with the world.
- 00:23:02.930 --> 00:23:04.999
- It's vitally important to give to the ministry.
- 00:23:04.999 --> 00:23:09.170
- Announcer: your partnership enables leading the way to
- 00:23:09.236 --> 00:23:11.439
- Minister to people's deepest needs across the world.
- 00:23:11.439 --> 00:23:15.576
- For the month of december, generous partners have committed
- 00:23:15.576 --> 00:23:18.446
- $1 million to leading the way and are challenging you
- 00:23:18.446 --> 00:23:22.183
- To help match their gifts,
- 00:23:22.183 --> 00:23:24.018
- Turning $1 million into $2 million
- 00:23:24.018 --> 00:23:26.854
- For god's kingdom work.
- 00:23:26.854 --> 00:23:28.956
- Through a timely year-end gift challenge, this is your last
- 00:23:28.956 --> 00:23:32.193
- Chance to double your impact,
- 00:23:32.193 --> 00:23:34.228
- Sharing the hope of christ
- 00:23:34.228 --> 00:23:35.930
- With more people in need.
- 00:23:35.930 --> 00:23:37.932
- The greatest gift you can give is the gift of the gospel.
- 00:23:37.932 --> 00:23:41.802
- Contact us and double your impact today.
- 00:23:41.802 --> 00:23:44.638
- ♪♪♪
- 00:23:44.638 --> 00:23:49.810
- Dr. youssef: hello, friends, michael youssef
- 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:54.582
- Here with "leading the way."
- 00:23:54.582 --> 00:23:56.317
- While our gospel ministry work continues around the world--
- 00:23:56.317 --> 00:23:58.953
- Monica leal cline: my name is monica leal cline,
- 00:23:58.953 --> 00:24:00.554
- And for 10 years of my life, i worked in
- 00:24:00.554 --> 00:24:02.790
- High-risk neighborhoods as a sex educator.
- 00:24:02.790 --> 00:24:06.360
- See, i didn't just teach comprehensive sex education,
- 00:24:06.360 --> 00:24:09.463
- I lived it.
- 00:24:09.463 --> 00:24:11.065
- I believed the lies that i was being taught.
- 00:24:11.065 --> 00:24:14.068
- I believed that i was independent and a strong woman
- 00:24:14.068 --> 00:24:17.304
- If i had the freedom to do what i wanted whenever i wanted.
- 00:24:17.304 --> 00:24:21.242
- And i found myself facing my own unplanned pregnancy.
- 00:24:21.242 --> 00:24:25.546
- And because of where i worked and the kind of work
- 00:24:25.546 --> 00:24:27.982
- I had been doing for so long, my immediate response
- 00:24:27.982 --> 00:24:31.018
- Was to schedule an abortion.
- 00:24:31.018 --> 00:24:34.555
- I ended up calling one of my good friends from college.
- 00:24:34.555 --> 00:24:37.625
- She had experienced an abortion,
- 00:24:37.625 --> 00:24:39.260
- And it was very difficult for her.
- 00:24:39.260 --> 00:24:41.262
- And i suppose i just wanted her support and sympathy.
- 00:24:41.262 --> 00:24:44.632
- And god used my friend to humanize my pregnancy,
- 00:24:44.632 --> 00:24:49.737
- Which was a real, living, developing child.
- 00:24:49.737 --> 00:24:53.874
- I told my friend, i said, "you're right.
- 00:24:53.874 --> 00:24:55.476
- I'm going to have this child."
- 00:24:55.476 --> 00:24:57.311
- And i knew i needed to get to church.
- 00:24:57.311 --> 00:24:59.480
- And there was only one church that i knew of.
- 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:01.382
- I went to that church the next day, i got a bible,
- 00:25:01.382 --> 00:25:05.019
- And i never stopped going to church after that.
- 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:07.688
- God helped me to realize what sex education was really doing
- 00:25:07.688 --> 00:25:10.791
- To the community.
- 00:25:10.791 --> 00:25:12.359
- It was meeting people where they're at
- 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:14.762
- And just leaving them there.
- 00:25:14.762 --> 00:25:17.298
- I actually believe that god would never allow me to speak
- 00:25:17.298 --> 00:25:19.700
- Publicly ever again, but within a year he had me speaking again,
- 00:25:19.700 --> 00:25:23.837
- But this time it was to glorify him.
- 00:25:23.837 --> 00:25:26.106
- And this is why i love listening to dr. youssef on his podcast,
- 00:25:26.106 --> 00:25:29.777
- Because many times i'm discouraged.
- 00:25:29.777 --> 00:25:31.879
- I mean, i am talking about all these things,
- 00:25:31.879 --> 00:25:33.814
- And immediately people want to attack me.
- 00:25:33.814 --> 00:25:36.450
- But when i listen to a podcast like dr. youssef's, and i hear
- 00:25:36.450 --> 00:25:39.219
- His sermons where he is bold enough to call out the culture
- 00:25:39.219 --> 00:25:42.222
- For what it is and then to talk about god's truth,
- 00:25:42.222 --> 00:25:45.259
- It encourages me daily knowing that i'm not the only one
- 00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:48.329
- Fighting this fight.
- 00:25:48.329 --> 00:25:49.863
- Dr. youssef: the question is, is your life lived in christ?
- 00:25:49.863 --> 00:25:55.469
- Monica: sometimes it is difficult on my own reading
- 00:25:55.469 --> 00:25:57.504
- The word of god, and hearing pastor youssef on his podcast
- 00:25:57.504 --> 00:26:01.642
- Break it down and help me understand it
- 00:26:01.642 --> 00:26:04.478
- Helps me to apply it to my work today.
- 00:26:04.478 --> 00:26:07.881
- During the week when i'm facing whatever battles i'm facing,
- 00:26:07.881 --> 00:26:11.218
- I'm going back to the word of god,
- 00:26:11.218 --> 00:26:12.886
- I'm going back to those stories, and then i'm realizing,
- 00:26:12.886 --> 00:26:15.189
- You know, dr. youssef doesn't lead me back to him,
- 00:26:15.189 --> 00:26:18.792
- He leads me to god's word.
- 00:26:18.792 --> 00:26:20.260
- Female announcer: "leading the way" broadcasts
- 00:26:21.629 --> 00:26:23.163
- Uncompromising truth, not only to win the lost to christ,
- 00:26:23.163 --> 00:26:26.634
- But also to encourage, strengthen, and develop
- 00:26:26.634 --> 00:26:28.736
- The faith of believers around the world.
- 00:26:28.736 --> 00:26:31.271
- Pursuing deeper faith can personally impact your life
- 00:26:31.271 --> 00:26:34.174
- And the lives of all those around us.
- 00:26:34.174 --> 00:26:36.577
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:36.577 --> 00:26:48.622
- Male announcer: passionately proclaiming uncompromising
- 00:26:50.691 --> 00:26:52.626
- Truth, "leading the way" with dr. michael youssef
- 00:26:52.626 --> 00:26:55.396
- Thanks you for your faithful support
- 00:26:55.396 --> 00:26:57.598
- Through your continued prayers and gifts.
- 00:26:57.598 --> 00:27:00.167
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:00.167 --> 00:27:10.077
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:13.247 --> 00:27:23.290
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:23.624 --> 00:27:30.990
