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A Heart of Thanksgiving: Reflecting on God’s Goodness Through All Seasons · The Defender Podcast

0:02
Herbie Newell: Welcome to the defender podcast, a resource to help mobilize and equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, and I'm your host, Herbie Newell. It's Wednesday, November 27, 2024, and doctor Rick and I are coming to you from Birmingham, Alabama. Well, we are so grateful for just another time to reflect on all the many things that we have to be thankful for, the things that the Lord has provided, the things the Lord has brought. And then so crazy that we are literally about to end another year and come to the end of November where we're reflecting upon this sacred holiday in the United States, where we thank the Lord for all of his provision, for all of his bountiful blessings, and we are so grateful for all the ways that the Lord has changed lives in 2024, in partnership with Lifeline's ministry.
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And and even before we bring on doctor Rick, I do wanna remind you of just that campaign, our Change 1 Life campaign. As we approach and close out 2024, we're inviting you to join us in making a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families through Lifeline's year end campaign. The need is great. Millions of orphans and families in crisis need stability, love, and the hope of Christ. In light of this, we're excited to share that, thanks to a generous donor, if you give now, your donation will be matched up to $250,000 doubling the impact of your support.
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We invite you to join us in this opportunity to change one more life this year. And as always, you can go to our website, lifelinechild.org backslash donate, or look in the show notes to see how you can change one life to 2024 Lifeline Year End Giving. Well, it's the time of the podcast that if they hear my voice at the beginning that people are anxious for, and that is the time when we bring on the infamous silver haired, silver tongued one, doctor Rick. Because we are doing this where we see each other, you shook your head as I shook my head that we are literally about to end 2024.
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Dr. Rick Morton: It's really, really remarkable. It feels like we just started 2024. And here we are. And we're, like, we're turning the corner on the end of the year. And, and, you know, lord willing, the beginning of, another.
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And, you know, I think, Hervey, as we as we jump off into the Thanksgiving season, was doing some reading the other day and, was actually in maybe a bit of an interesting place, but in First Chronicles. And I ran across something that I think is pretty appropriate for, you know, for this podcast. And it's, you know, it's that refrain. We see it in 1st Chronicles 16. We see it in Psalm 106.
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You know, that refrain of give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever. And, just being reminded, that our thankfulness to the Lord is ultimately rooted in his goodness. And that God's goodness is not to be questioned even when our circumstances don't to us seem like they're all that good. And I and I think, you know, just in a, in a world where we've just come through, an election season and things for, you know, for some folks that things may seem glorious, and for others, they may seem difficult.
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And and we ultimately can't let our circumstances be the thing that dictates either our understanding of God's goodness or our response to God in in thankfulness. And just really trying to be and trying to cultivate a sense of of thankfulness to the Lord this year. And and to be mindful of the fact that despite what challenges we may be facing, despite what things, you know, we might want to be different, that the Lord ultimately is good and his kindness toward us is is evidenced in the fact that, that he had a plan and that he that he has kept his word and that he's kept that plan and that Jesus is ultimately the the evidence of of that truth. And that that you and I and a lot of people that are listening to this podcast have, assurance that we have a place with God because of his inherent goodness. And that's that's something to be celebrated, this Thanksgiving.
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Herbie Newell: Yeah. And I I think, you know, doctor Rick, something that you said that just really resounded with me is no matter what happens and and no matter what life spits at us, the truth of the matter is even in those moments where we may quote unquote be on a good side of an election or the bad side of an election, or we see disappointment happen, or we see even elation happen. We know that this is a fallen world, and it's a it's a difficult world. And, you know, Jesus says, take heart. I've overcome the world.
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Why? Because you're going to have trouble. We like to to have on the the take heart. I've overcome the world, but we forget the part of of the trouble. You know, I think of first Thessalonians chapter 5 where, you know, Paul is telling the church at Thessalonica, kind of in his benediction, to rejoice, have joy always, to pray continually, and to give thanks.
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But then he says, in all circumstances. So whether it's a good situation or a bad situation, no matter if it's a hard time or a easier time to give thanks, to pray continuously, and to always have great joy. And I think Thanksgiving for some you know, there are hard things that you maybe are are are contemplating. Sometimes we get through this part of the year, and we're just weary of all the many things that have happened. But there's a great reminder that not because we have a national holiday, but because we have a great God who goes before us and is in control, that we can have joy, that we can give thanks, and we can truly pray continually with hope, knowing that no matter what we face on this side of heaven, that there is true joy because we have a savior that's overcome the world.
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And I think even that refrain, as I look back at 2024, is seeing all the ways that the Lord has acted this last year personally, but also through our ministry, to see life change, to see boys and girls that, even amidst very dire circumstances, were able to come home, life saving surgeries that were able to happen. And, also, even in the midst of death and hurt and pain, that we've seen the beauty come from the ashes, and the Lord truly, bring children that have passed away this year, and the reminder that while we grieve that they were lost, we have hope because they were part of a family. And so through the highs and the lows, there's so much to be grateful for and to truly to give thanks in all circumstances.
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Dr. Rick Morton: Yeah. I'm you know, Herbie 1st Timothy 4:45. Paul said to Timothy, for everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. And, you know, we're we're supposed to to take the circumstances of our lives no matter what they are and to filter them through the word of God, and we're supposed to consider them in in a mind of prayer. You know?
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And and I I reflect back and and kinda think back over the years, and and I think everybody's like this. I there are things that I could look back on in life that I thought were good things in the moment that turned out not to be very good. And there were things that I that I thought in the moment were terrible, sometimes catastrophic that turned out to be anything but. And the truth is that God has a has a purview on history and has a purview on our lives. And, you know, in the midst of our circumstances, we can often get very caught up in weighing the circumstances around us and and being caught, you know, looking at a very narrow view of things that ultimately ignores the fact that God can see more and he can see deeper and that God's purposes are greater, and that we can be assured, you know, that the Lord is for us.
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And and that doesn't mean that everything is, you know, necessarily, we don't we don't preach the prosperity gospel. You know, our lot in life is not to prosper on, you know, on this earth always. But we but we're the heirs of the king. And and we have a father who has guaranteed us that he has a prosperous kingdom and that there is, that there is a prosperity that we can't put our hands on today that we could be thankful for. And and so in the midst of really difficult things, you know, we can still see God in the midst of that.
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And I I think, you know, as as believers, it is it is also incumbent upon us to to remind one another of that. You know, like, part of part of what we get in in having a church family, part of what we get in having believing friends and and people that are coming around us is that that we are those that the Bible says that, you know, we can pick one another up and that we that we can bear one another's burdens. And and so not to be too melancholy during this season because I think there's a lot overtly that we can, you know, just rejoice and celebrate about and be, you know, joyously thankful to the Lord for. Man, I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful for your friendship.
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I'm thankful for, you know, for the people that God's given us to journey with, and I'm I'm thankful for, you know, some really dear brothers that when when I'm having trouble figuring out how to be thankful, that are quick to, encourage and pick me up and love me well, but also to point me to things that I can affirm and things that God's doing. And so so I'm thankful for you today.
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Herbie Newell: Yeah. I'm thankful for you too, doctor Rick, friendships and partnership. And, you know, I think even as you say that, you know, one of the things that being taking a time to reflect about being thankful is that even in times of loneliness, even in times of despair, even in times of hardship, the Lord has given us others. But more importantly, as believers, he's given us himself. That's why, like, in Colossians 3, that Paul can tell the church at Colossae that let the peace of Christ dwell in your hearts.
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Why? Why can't we let the peace of Christ dwell in our hearts? Because he will neither leave us nor forsake us. He is with us. And we're called a body to to be together, Paul continues to the church at Colossae.
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We're we're called into 1 body, and so why are we thankful? Because we have the peace of Christ in our hearts, and we've been called to the body of Christ. We have one another, and because we have one another, because we have the church, because we have friends in Christ, brothers and sisters in Christ, we let the word of God dwell in us richly, and we we teach, and we admonish, and we encourage one another with wisdom and singing and and thankfulness with hearts of God. And so when we are thankful to God, it actually bolsters someone else's faith. We give thanks in everything we do, by their word or deed or everything, because it bolsters another's faith, but it also reminds us that no matter what the human condition throws our way, that we serve a God who is good.
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We serve a God who is holy, and we serve a God who's working for his good, for his glory, and for our good. And that's a that's a great thing. And and I think the other really thing as we think about Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving really helps us smash those idols that might be in our lives. And we've mentioned and you've mentioned already coming out of this election season, it reminds us that there's never going to be a political platform, a political party, a political movement that could ever truly bring peace on earth. There's not a ever a candidate who will be able to truly bring the type of restoration that we need.
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We have one king, and and certainly that doesn't mean that you and I are very passionate about this. It doesn't mean apathy in the political process that we are gifted to in the United States, but it also means that when we're thankful, we realize that our thankfulness springs from the King of kings and the Lord of lords who's brought us together, who's who's given us one another to co labor in together, and to to help us to be reminded that when things don't go our way even, when things are tough, when when life throws us things that are unexpected, that we have other believers that can come alongside of us, can lift up our arms, can love on us and care for us, can share with us. And, again, we're not trying to go heavy, but can even lament with us. Like, brothers and sisters, if you've had something hard this year and you've had other people to lament with, that is a gift of God and something to be thankful for, something to thank the Lord that in your hardship, that you were not left alone. And for those who may feel lonely, take heart, because you have a savior who, as the book of Hebrews says, and as I've quoted, will never leave you, will never forsake you.
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And so we, of all of those, live with great hope, even though our bodies are wasting away, because we have the promise of God. And, you know, as I turn this even from Lament to pure Thanksgiving, you know, as I look back on this last year, we had some very tough news that we've talked about on this podcast coming out of the country of China, but I'm thankful for a team that's never stopped working. I'm thankful for even a a coalition, that that's been brought together through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption that that Carla Thrasher and I are both sitting on that that they've not given up hope. I'm grateful for people that really do care about the orphan and the vulnerable child, are willing to work together and care for that child. But I'm also grateful for the kids that have come home this last year from intercountry adoption.
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Kids that are making a difference already in their families as we get the opportunity. We've seen so many baptisms, and and and kids have come to saving faith in Christ. I'm grateful that the Lord is using the gift of adoption, not only to physically bring a new reality to kids, but also to introduce them to the greatest new reality, that of being a child of God.
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Dr. Rick Morton: Well, and and we know the final, you know, the final word hasn't been written yet. And we don't know what that means. And that's not to that's to not to try to be prophetic about something that we that we know that's gonna come in the future. But as but as long as God remains on his throne, there's always hope. And we realize that the hope of, you know, those kids in China is not a family.
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It's not a family and it's not the US. It's hope in Christ. And that as as long as God has has a people and as long as God has a plan, the gospel, you know, the gospel always has an opportunity. And we, we trust that while we would not write the script the way that it's been written to this point, that we would not have chosen the decision that leaders have made, that God is doing something that is that that is ultimately for children. You know, because ultimately God has said that it's his heart for the lonely families.
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That it's his heart that the fatherless would be cared for. But he's gonna do something and he's gonna do it in a way that is going to bring, you know, him he's gonna bring himself glory in that. And I and I think, expectantly, we look into, this next year and would pray that we can be here a year from now celebrating and and rejoicing over the over what the Lord has done even in the midst of what has proven to be a really, really difficult circumstance and and something that is that's kind of hard to see, you know, to see our way around at this point. I think we, we've seen God to do things through his church in the lives of families this year. We've we've seen we've seen families be put back together as a result of the gospel.
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We've seen moms and dads that were broken from their family in foster care and and families that were that were split completely apart that we've seen put back together. Moms and dads that are walking with Jesus, kids that have been able to go home and stay home. And that's because the church has has stepped up and brought the gospel to bear in the lives of people. Some of them who worked at great distance to them. And so in a world where we see the way that that God can accomplish and and we get to see these little evidences of grace of of of things that the Lord does that look impossible to us, it's kind of easy to be hopeful and it's easy to be thankful.
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And, you know, in a in a world that's like that. And so, you know, I I pray as we turn our focus toward 2025 that what this will be is a year that we, that we work hard and we press in. And and we leverage every opportunity and every stewardship that we have to be able to bring Christ to bear. And that part of being an American, part of being where we are right now is we have much that we steward over. We've been given a great deal of freedom.
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We've been given a great deal of resource. We've been, our opportunity is not small. And so let's let's be men and women that live like that and show our thanksgiving to God by taking the things that he has he's given us and use them and leverage them and to absolutely bring the most we can out of them for his glory and and for his fame.
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Herbie Newell: Yeah. You know, I think as we even think about all of these tough, hard things even, and yet reflect upon Thanksgiving, you know, I think of parents or families that might be listening to this podcast, doctor Rick, who at the end of the day, these are great reminders. And as adults, it's something that certainly we can think about and we can reflect upon. But what are some good ways that you would suggest to to those that might be listening to this podcast to start, even now, today, bringing in this this idea of reflection and thanksgiving into their families? What's a way to just even begin to practice thankfulness amidst tough or difficult times within your family?
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How do you train your children to be thankful?
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Dr. Rick Morton: I think the first thing is is by on on a regular basis, being intentionally thankful with your kids. You know, that's something you can do around the dinner table. It's something you can do on a, you know, on a regular basis when you're together where no matter how hard your day has been, no matter how difficult things have been, that you you bring the discipline together to say, we're gonna find something to be thankful for today. Everybody is gonna name something or somebody that has blessed them today or or something that's happened in their lives, you know, to be thankful for. And I think, you know, also being diligent to make sure that you use those opportunities to sometimes show your kids where you're thankful for the hard things.
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We're able to talk to them about how God uses hard things in order to help us and in order to, you know, in order to to to bring about good in our lives. And so, yeah, I think that's a I think that's a, you know, a big thing. I think the discipline of serving is something we wanna do together as our families. We live in a world where we get served so much and and where, quite honestly, we come to expect it. And we expect that people are gonna bend over backwards to do things to, you know, for us.
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We need to put our kids in places where where they're they're used to serving. And they're used to doing it not because they expect to be thanked. And I think, you know, like taking advantage of those opportunities to be able to, you know, express to them when people are thankless that that doesn't matter. And that quite frankly, the the the thanksgiving in that is the that we have the ability to serve and that we have the the opportunity to serve. And that the ones that need to be thankful, what we can control is we can control our position of thankfulness, not somebody else's.
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And and I like, you know, I I think it's just it's just inherently, you know, practically, those kind of things. I know this is gonna this is gonna sound really rogue, Kirby, but, like, I really believe in this. And this is not very fashionable in today's world. Teaching your kids to say please and thank you. The simple act of of teaching your kids from, you know, from their earliest days to to acknowledge thankfulness, you know, to you, to others, to anyone who does something, you know, for them is like we're rooting in in their character.
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The character that ultimately says I don't deserve anything. And those things that I get that are good, I I wanna be overtly thankful for. So, I mean, those would be the kind of things that I would think of. And I think it doesn't have they don't have to be those big, you know, like these big gymnastics kinds of moments that we create for kids. I think it's in the in the plainest and in the most mundane are the, you know, maybe the best teachers.
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Yeah.
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Herbie Newell: And I think we certainly live in an instant gratification society where we have expectations of what we deserve. And it's always good to remind ourselves, but also remind our children that that we don't really want what we deserve. And we are grateful the Lord doesn't give us what we deserve.
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Dr. Rick Morton: That's right.
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Herbie Newell: But that he gives us life in Christ, and there's much to be thankful for. I I you know, I think another thing is to help our kids even when they're walking through hard things, and certainly not right in the moment. We have to lament. We have to care for them and love on them. But but after the fact, as we're reflecting, start to teach them ways to look for Thanksgiving even amongst the hard and the difficult, and to remind them not to be fatalistic in times of trouble, but to to have a realistic optimism because we know who's on the throne, and we know that his goodness is abundant even in difficult times, and and to really begin to also practice.
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And it starts with a mom and a dad, and and look, doctor Rick, you know I'm guilty of this at times, but not to grumble and complain quite as much. So I think when our kids constantly are seeing us grumbling and complaining, we might feel like it's justified, and we might feel like it it has a root in what's happening. But we have to remember that what we're actually teaching our kids is that when inadvertently is that when things don't go our way, we need to grumble. We need to complain that we have an expectation. Grumbling and complaining really does paint a picture of of of an expectation that something good should happen or that we should we we deserve something better than we really have.
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You know, I think it's it's also and again, looking for the best in every situation and and in every person you come in contact with. And, you know, even when there's a difficult situation and I know, again, this may sound old fashioned and kinda crazy, but the whole criticism sandwich, if you've got something hard to say, make sure you got 2 things good to say, that you surround that hard thing to say. And I don't think it's just for the receiver. I think it's also for the communicator, you know, to to take the time to reflect that we, are thankful for the gifts that the Lord has sowed in every believer. We all have those spots, that baggage that we bring to the table.
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But don't we want others in our relationships and the relationship with us to first seek out those things that they're most thankful for? Well, doctor Rick, as we kinda close our time out even for this podcast, and again, I don't think either of us set out for this to be more about lament and trouble. But, brother, like, in all seriousness, as you reflect on a year of ministry, as you reflect on for you just another one of many, many, many years of life, what are some things that that that do draw you from the last 12 months that go, you know, I'm really abundantly thankful for what? I
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Dr. Rick Morton: mean, as many, many, many years as I've been doing this, I'm just glad that I can put one foot in front of the other. I that didn't that didn't go past my notice, by the way. No, I I think, you know, but I will take this out of being somebody who's who's made quite a few laps around the sun. And I think it's I think it's the the the blessing of of being old enough and being at things long enough to see things that were planted long ago come to fruition. To see, you know, one of gosh.
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I'm gonna get a little emotional. Like, I know I know nobody can believe that about me. Right? I know. It's but, you know, I I think back to, I think back to something that you and I got to do this last May.
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When we got to we got to go to Dubai and spend several days with believers from all over the world that are that are called by God to minister to vulnerable children and vulnerable families in, you know, in Jesus' name. And, and that way more than a decade ago, you and I started talking about the, like, the opportunities that existed and about would would God grant us the opportunity to be able to pour into and encourage a coalition of people and to and to journey closely enough with a group of people to to be able to help orphans on every continent of the world. And we haven't quite gotten there yet, But the Lord has has privileged us to, to be part of all but one. And so to to look back on a year when dreams that were planted a long time ago are that God is, you know, God is giving us the opportunity to be able to live in them is just a testament to how big and how, capable and how and how how ultimate God is. And that's that was pretty fun.
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And so I'm excited about 2025 in part because of the wind that has, that's kind of been blown into the sails over 2024 and some of the things that, you know, that we've been able to see. And, can't wait to see what god's gonna do next. What about you?
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Herbie Newell: Yeah. And, I mean, I I certainly am very thankful for that time that we got to share together in May in Dubai. What a great, what what a great awesome time that was to be able to spend that together with those brothers and sisters. And certainly that was a beautiful time. I I think as I also reflect and think and, just am thankful, so much to be thankful for.
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But in particular in August, I got to go with my 2 girls to Uganda, and it was the first time that we had been in person to King Jesus Church since, the beginning of COVID. And to be able to share that experience with my girls, but also to be able to see what the Lord is doing in Bosega, to see some of the kids that or some of the first kids in 2008 for us to bring into that program, and to now see the dignity that they were walking in, to see how, that they were they had jobs, and they had different parts and things that they were doing that were precious, and, how they were really succeeding in life and doing well in life. But also just to join together and reflect upon all the things, all the many things that the Lord has been doing and has done and will do was certainly just a a great opportunity and something that that I will hold dear. Again, not just being able to experience and see what the Lord has done and see these kids and how the way ways that they had community.
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And and that was the biggest thing is to see the Stephens and the Mu'tebis and the, the Adams coming back together for lunch every day because they had community. Kids that lived in isolation that now were living with together as brothers. It was a real reflection. To be able to share that with my girls, for them to see it as well as to go up to just north of Kampala to see my brother Ernest and to see how the Lord allowed us to invest in his ministry in the village in 2020. And now to see the literally the flourishing of that from, you know, the agriculture that he's teaching kids in the village to the ways that he's able to provide for that village through the same agriculture.
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Just a beautiful moment again of being able to see the hard work and fruit of many years past come to fruition. And to be able to to to be thankful that the Lord allowed us to be faithful in amidst those moments and and to see him him at work. Well, doctor Rick, not usually the way we would close a podcast, but I feel it's fitting. As we close this episode of the Defender Podcast, will you just say a prayer of thanksgiving, for us and for those that are listening? And and as he does, we wanna just tell you we're thankful for you for listening to this podcast and for making us a part of your weekly journey.
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And we hope that, the Lord has allowed us to encourage you as you seek to defend the fatherless.
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Dr. Rick Morton: Today, we give thanks to you because we declare that you are good and that your love endures forever. God, we we are so thankful that you continue to continue to work, that you continue to god, to to create circumstances around us that that point us to your goodness, to your love for us, to your love for the world. Lord, thank you that we, that we don't have to look far to the right or to the left. But but to be able to see the and and be able to trace your hand. Lord, I I pray for those folks that are that are listening to this podcast that, that may be struggling with discouragement.
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God, I pray that you will, encourage their hearts, that God you'll help them today to take stock and to to think about things that they can be thankful to, you for. God, I pray that that you will, somehow today provide some tangible expression of your love and your grace that, god, they'll be able to see you in a tangible way today. God, I I thank you that, that you did not leave us alone, that you did not forsake us, that you that you did not remove us. God, although we we deserve it. You didn't do that.
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You you have preserved us. You have chased after us. That you you've come for us. And we know that that's your character because that's that's what you displayed most fully in Jesus. And so, lord, today, we rejoice, and we are thankful because of Jesus.
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And and so, lord, help us help us to be people who act like Jesus. Help us to be people who talk like Jesus. Help us to be people who serve like Jesus. Help us to be people who sacrifice like Jesus. And and, lord, help us to show our thankfulness in in a way that we present Jesus to other people.
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And so, lord, we we confess we love you. We are we are so in need of your help. We are so in need of you coming to our aid. But to God, you are faithful. And you don't leave us, but you do come to our aid.
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And so, Lord, we rejoice in you today. And and we pray this prayer confidently because because we know you are who you say you are. And and, Lord, we we know that because of Jesus, and it's in his name that we pray. Amen.
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Herbie Newell: Thanks for listening to the Defender Podcast. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender podcast to make it easier for more people to find. For more information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, visit us at lifelinechild.org. If you want to connect with me, please visit herbynewell.com. Follow us at lifeline on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child.
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You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org. Beloved, will you allow god to use the gospel to you to impact the life of a child? Please contact us because we are here to defend the fatherless. We'll see you again next week for the defender podcast.