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Today's Word 10-07-26 The Wilderness Can Be a Part of the Way · The Early Morning Praise Party w/ Sherry Mackey

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It's your early morning praise party.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: I am Sherri Mackey and it's time right now for
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: today's word. The wilderness can be a part of the way.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: Luke 4, 1 and 2 says, Jesus, full of the
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the
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  Speaker 2: Spirit into the wilderness where for 40 days he was
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: tempted by the devil. Think about that for a moment.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Jesus had just been baptized. The Holy Spirit had descended
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: upon him, and God's voice.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Had declared his identity.
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  Speaker 2: You would think the next step would be Jerusalem, a
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  Speaker 2: great platform, packed crowds, miracles, and ministry, but that's not
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: where the Spirit led him. The Spirit led Jesus into
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  Speaker 2: the wilderness, and that All to encourage somebody today, because
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  Speaker 2: sometimes we assume that if God is pleased with us,
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  Speaker 2: everything should immediately become easier. We think favorites should mean
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: open doors, abundant resources, smooth relationships, and constant progress. But
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Jesus teaches us something different. You can be full of
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: the Spirit and still find yourself in a wilderness. You
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: can love God and still experience a dry season. You
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: can be walking in obedience and still encounter opposition. You
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: can know that God has placed something significant in your
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: heart and still find yourself in a season where nothing
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: seems to be moving. The wilderness doesn't automatically mean you've
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: done something wrong. Sometimes the wilderness is where God prepares
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  Speaker 2: you for what's next. In the wilderness, Jesus was tested.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: His identity was challenged. His trust was challenged. His obedience
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: was challenged.
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  Speaker 1: And yet, he stood firm. Maybe you're in a wilderness
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: season right now.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: Doors aren't opening the way you expected. Your prayers seem
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: to be taking longer than you thought. You're working, but
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: you're not seeing much growth. You're believing God, but the
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: circumstances around.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: You look dry.
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  Speaker 2: Don't allow the dryness to make you doubt the direction.
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  Speaker 2: Instead of saying, God, why did you.
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  Speaker 1: Bring me here?
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  Speaker 2: Perhaps your prayer needs to become, God, what are you
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  Speaker 2: developing in me here? Because the wilderness can develop your endurance.
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  Speaker 2: It can strengthen your character. It can deepen your prayer life.
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  Speaker 2: It can teach you to depend on God instead of
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  Speaker 2: your circumstances. And I want you to remember this. The
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  Speaker 2: wilderness was not Jesus' final destination. No, he came out
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  Speaker 2: of that season and stepped into his public ministry with power.
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  Speaker 2: So if you're in a dry place today, don't you
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  Speaker 2: dare give up. Don't assume God has abandoned you. You
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: keep trusting God. You keep praying. You keep believing and
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  Speaker 2: keep preparing. You may not understand the wilderness, but God
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  Speaker 2: can still use it. The place that feels empty today
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  Speaker 2: may be preparing you for the overflow of tomorrow.
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  Speaker 1: Come on, Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Father, thank you that our lives are in your hands
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  Speaker 2: and that your spirit leads us when we find ourselves
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  Speaker 2: in wilderness seasons. So help us to not confuse preparation
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  Speaker 2: with rejection or silence for abandonment. Give us strength when
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: we're tired, faith when we can't see the way forward,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: and courage when we're being tested. Help us, God, to
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  Speaker 2: trust you and what you're developing in us during this season. God,
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  Speaker 2: we surrender our timeline, our expectations. and our need to
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  Speaker 2: understand everything. God, lead us through the wilderness and prepare
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  Speaker 2: us for everything.
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  Speaker 1: You have ahead in Jesus' name. Now, that's your word
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  Speaker 1: for today.
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  Speaker 2: Take it, apply it to your everyday life, and you
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  Speaker 2: continue to be encouraged and inspired.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: It is your early morning praise party. I am Sherri Mackey.