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FRONT PORCH FRIDAYS - TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE · THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Here we are again on our Front Porch Fridays, and
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  Speaker 1: today we are bringing our series called Things God Never
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Meant for Us to Carry to a Close. Throughout this week,
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  Speaker 1: if you've been with us, we have talked about the
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  Speaker 1: weight of tomorrow. We've talked about the need to control everything.
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  Speaker 1: the responsibility that we feel like we have to fix everyone,
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  Speaker 1: and even the guilt of what God has already forgiven
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  Speaker 1: us of. Today I want to talk to you a
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  Speaker 1: little bit about the pressure that we place upon ourselves
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  Speaker 1: to be everything to everyone. In Galatians chapter 1 and
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  Speaker 1: verse number 10, the Apostle Paul writes this, For do
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  Speaker 1: I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek
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  Speaker 1: to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I
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  Speaker 1: should not be the servant of Christ. Now when we
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  Speaker 1: take that verse into context about what we've been really
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  Speaker 1: talking about all week, there will always be people who
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  Speaker 1: have expectations of us. And that's fine. Some will expect
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  Speaker 1: us to always be available, always agree, always say yes,
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  Speaker 1: and never disappoint them. We may begin meeting their expectations
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  Speaker 1: out of love, but after a while, if you've done
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  Speaker 1: that for any length of time, for a while you'll
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  Speaker 1: understand that we can find ourselves living beneath the pressure
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  Speaker 1: of keeping everyone happy. God never intended that weight to
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  Speaker 1: be upon you. And if you are that type of person,
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  Speaker 1: if you're someone who's carrying the weight of expectations of
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  Speaker 1: just always trying to be everything to everybody, The Lord
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  Speaker 1: has a truth for you this morning, and the truth is,
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  Speaker 1: no matter how hard we try, you will eventually disappoint someone.
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  Speaker 1: There will be times when obedience to God requires you
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  Speaker 1: to say no to someone. There will be times when
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  Speaker 1: you need to rest. If so, you need to rest.
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  Speaker 1: There's times when you need to step back or choose
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  Speaker 1: what God has called you to do over what someone
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  Speaker 1: else expects you to do. I hope that sinks in
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  Speaker 1: this morning. We're here on our front porch Friday. It's
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  Speaker 1: usually a casual day where we don't get too deep
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  Speaker 1: into the Word as far as this type of thing.
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  Speaker 1: But this morning the Lord wants to wrap this series
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  Speaker 1: up with something that He really wants to place upon
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  Speaker 1: each and every one of our hearts. Because Paul asked
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  Speaker 1: a very pointed question when he said, Do I seek
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  Speaker 1: to please men? He understood that if his greatest goal
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  Speaker 1: was gaining the approval of people, he could never fulfill
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  Speaker 1: the life of a servant for Jesus Christ. See, God
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  Speaker 1: never asked you to meet every expectation, to answer every demand,
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  Speaker 1: to solve every problem, or to keep everyone happy. He
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  Speaker 1: simply asked you to be faithful to whatever he has
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  Speaker 1: placed before you, living for the constant approval of others,
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  Speaker 1: will eventually cause you to lose sight of the very
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  Speaker 1: person God has called you to be. You may become
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  Speaker 1: so busy trying to avoid disappointing everyone else that you
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  Speaker 1: ignore what the Lord is really trying to speak to
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  Speaker 1: your own heart. That goes for all of us this morning.
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  Speaker 1: So here's today's Front Porch Friday question for you. What
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  Speaker 1: burden have you been carrying that God never asked you
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  Speaker 1: to carry? Perhaps it's one of the ones we've discussed
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  Speaker 1: this week. Maybe it's something completely different. I'd love for
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  Speaker 1: you to share your answer in our comment section. I'd
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  Speaker 1: love to pray for you and pray with you about
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  Speaker 1: certain things that may be burdening you and laying upon
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  Speaker 1: you that you were never meant to carry. Sometimes we
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  Speaker 1: don't realize just how heavy a burden has become until
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  Speaker 1: we finally have the courage to set it down. We
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  Speaker 1: have carried it for so long that the pressure feels normal.
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  Speaker 1: But just because you have grown accustomed to carrying something
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  Speaker 1: doesn't mean God ever intended for you to live beneath
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  Speaker 1: the weight of it. So Jesus gives us this invitation
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  Speaker 1: this morning. Come unto me, all ye that labor and
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  Speaker 1: are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You
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  Speaker 1: don't have to carry everything simply because you care for everyone.
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  Speaker 1: Bring your burden to Jesus. Place it into His hands.
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  Speaker 1: And allow yourself to receive the rest that He has
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  Speaker 1: promised you. Today be safe, be strong, be blessed. Have
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  Speaker 1: a great weekend. But don't expect so much of yourself
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  Speaker 1: that you limit what Jesus can do in your life.
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  Speaker 1: We will see you back here again on Monday. Hope
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  Speaker 1: you've enjoyed this series. If you have, I would love
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  Speaker 1: to hear from you. And I just encourage you, love you,
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  Speaker 1: and Lord's will, we'll get back together next week. Have
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  Speaker 1: a great and wonderful day.