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The Weight of the Cross · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

• 0:05
  Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
• 0:09
  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
• 0:15
  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
• 0:22
  Two thousand came and the spark was lit. A testimony raw, it wouldn't quit.
• 0:27
  It's mother's voice, a guiding thread.
• 0:55
  Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
• 0:57
  Today is Wednesday, April 1st.
• 0:59
  It's not April Fool's to us, because today is another episode as the series
• 1:05
  continues with the road to resurrection, the weight of the cross.
• 1:10
  My name is Angel Santana, and this is Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  We continue that journey.
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  Yesterday, we talked about what it feels like when God is silent and how even
• 1:20
  in the quiet, He's still working.
• 1:23
  Today, I want to talk to you about something we all understand, the weight we carry.
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  Because of everything that we've gone through, because if we're really trying
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  to be honest with each other, we have to talk about the fact that life can feel
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  heavy, heavy at times, heavy with responsibilities, heavy with stress,
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  heavy with things we don't talk about, heavy with burdens that no one else sees.
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  And sometimes we try to carry it all on our own.
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  We smile on the other side. We smile on the outside. We try to just hold it
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  in, but inside we're tired.
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  We keep going, but we're overwhelmed.
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  We show up for everyone else, but we're running on empty.
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  And in those moments, it can feel like no one really understands what we're carrying.
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  But here's the reality. Jesus understands.
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  As he walks toward the cross, he wasn't just walking physically.
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  He was carrying something far greater. He carried pain.
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  He carried rejection. He carried suffering. He carried the weight of the world.
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  In Isaiah 53, verse 4, it says, Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering.
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  Think about that for a moment. He took it. The things that weighed you down,
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  the things that keep you up at night, the things that make you feel overwhelmed,
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  he understood and he understands all of it.
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  And not only does he understand, he walks with you and he walks through it with you.
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  The road to the cross was not easy. It was painful. It was heavy.
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  And it was overwhelming.
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  And yet he kept yowing. not because it was easy but because there was a purpose
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  in it and that's something we don't always see in our own lives we feel the
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  weight but we don't always see the purpose,
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  we feel the struggle but we don't always understand the reason,
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  but just because something is heavy doesn't mean it's meaningless,
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  sometimes God uses the weight to build strength.
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  Sometimes he uses struggle to shape your character sometimes he uses hard moments
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  to prepare you for what's ahead.
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  And sometimes he simply reminds you that you don't have to carry it alone.
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  Jesus didn't, and Jesus doesn't say, life is going to be easy.
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  But he did promise to be with you. So if you're feeling heavy today,
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  if you're feeling tired, if you're feeling overwhelmed, if you're carrying something
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  that feels like too much, take a moment and remember this. You're not alone.
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  You're not alone in what you're carrying. and you will never,
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  ever meant to be carrying it by yourself.
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  So as we continue on this road together toward Easter, I want to challenge you
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  to do something simple today.
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  Whatever you're carrying, give it to God. You don't have to be perfect and you
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  don't have to have the perfect words.
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  You don't have to have it all figured out, but just be honest.
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  Just say, Lord, this is heavy and I need your help.
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  Because sometimes the first step toward healing is letting go of the weight. Let's pray.
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  Lord, you know what we're carrying.
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  You see things that feel heavy in our lives. You help us trust you with those burdens.
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  Give us strength when we feel weak and remind us that we're never alone.
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  Help us walk this road with you, knowing that you understand every step.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. Thank you for joining me today on Half Faith, Let It Begin.
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  Tomorrow, we're going to talk about surrender and why letting go is not weakness.
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  So have a blessed day. May God be with you. May He shine His light upon you
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  and grant each and every single one of you peace on earth.
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  And never forget, Half Faith, Let It Begin.