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DONT LET FEAR MAKE THE CHOICE · THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

• 0:17
  Speaker 1: As we get ready for our devotion time this morning,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: yesterday we talked about standing at the crossroads of a
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: decision that you may have to make or a better
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: life that you want for you, maybe even for your family,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: or you just need a different view or a different
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: look in life and God is leading you to take
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: maybe a different path or something whatever it is in
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: your life you kind of kind of plug in your
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: situation but when we come to those crossroads in our
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: lives and we're trying to make a decision of which
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  Speaker 1: way do we need to go do we remain where
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  Speaker 1: we are in this comfort zone that we live in
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  Speaker 1: and keep on that road or Are we willing to
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: take the courage it takes to take a different road
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: that may not look nearly as comfortable for us, but
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  Speaker 1: we know deep down in our spirit that that's what
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: the Lord is kind of leading us towards. Whichever part
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: you're at this morning, don't let fear choose the path
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: for you. That's the essence of the message this morning,
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  Speaker 1: and it comes out of Joshua chapter 1 and verse
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  Speaker 1: number 9, you know, Joshua won pretty well probably if
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  Speaker 1: you kept up with his story about this is a
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  Speaker 1: good transition in his life where he was at a crossroads.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: And the Lord told him something in verse number 9
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  Speaker 1: that I believe is very powerful for our lives as well.
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  Speaker 1: It says, Have not I commanded thee? That's the first
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  Speaker 1: thing you need to notice. This is a command. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: he is saying after this, he's commanding Joshua. But not
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: only Joshua. It's in the Word of God for a
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  Speaker 1: reason and it's for us as well. He says, Have
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Now when
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: we stand at a crossroads, fear often speaks first. That's
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: the first thing that we usually rises up in our
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  Speaker 1: spirit is a fear because it points us, it points
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  Speaker 1: out everything that could go wrong, especially if you have
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  Speaker 1: that kind of mindset on other things. It points out
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  Speaker 1: what could go wrong. It reminds us of past disappointments
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  Speaker 1: and past failures and whether we are really ready for
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  Speaker 1: the changes that lie ahead of us. See, fear can
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  Speaker 1: sound so reasonable sometimes that we mistake it for wisdom.
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  Speaker 1: Let me tell you what I mean by that. Joshua
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  Speaker 1: knew that he was about to face a crossroads in
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: his life. Moses was gone, and the responsibility of leading
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  Speaker 1: God's people now rested on him. God did not give
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  Speaker 1: Joshua a promise that the journey would be easy. He
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  Speaker 1: gave him a command to be courageous and a reason
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  Speaker 1: that he could obey it because he said, The Lord
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  Speaker 1: thy God is with thee. See, courage did not require
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  Speaker 1: Joshua to know every challenge he would face. There's no
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  Speaker 1: way he could know that. It did require him to
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  Speaker 1: trust the God who would go with him. And the
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  Speaker 1: Bible really tells us if God be for us, then
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: who could be against us, right? See, that matters when
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: we face decisions of our own. We may need time
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  Speaker 1: to pray. Nothing wrong with that. Seek wise counsel. Consider
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  Speaker 1: the people who it will be effected. There's a good
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  Speaker 1: reason for us to pause before we make the decision
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: that this crossroads in our life. But if the only
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  Speaker 1: reason that you will not take the step is that
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  Speaker 1: you might fail or you might be misunderstood or have
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  Speaker 1: something familiar taken away from you, fear may have taken
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  Speaker 1: the lead in keeping you from a better life. See,
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  Speaker 1: I think about how easily a person can remain on
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  Speaker 1: a road simply because they know it too well. The
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  Speaker 1: familiar road may feel safe, even when God is stirring
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  Speaker 1: something new in your heart. Maybe they may mistake it
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  Speaker 1: for some kind of sudden turn that they don't need
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  Speaker 1: to take. And if we're honest, you can be honest
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  Speaker 1: about it this morning. What they sense is they ask
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  Speaker 1: God for wisdom to take the next step. But then
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  Speaker 1: when it comes to taking that next step, you allow
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  Speaker 1: fear to take over. Perhaps that step for you is
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  Speaker 1: a conversation that you need to have, that you've been
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  Speaker 1: afraid to have. Maybe it's trying something that you felt
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: like you were called to do, but just never have
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  Speaker 1: stepped out to do it. Perhaps this morning it's even
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  Speaker 1: trusting God without letting fear convince you that nothing will
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  Speaker 1: ever change in your life. Fear may be present at
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  Speaker 1: the crossroads this morning, but I'm here to tell you
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  Speaker 1: so is faith. And before you choose, I want you
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  Speaker 1: to ask yourself, Am I staying here because God is
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  Speaker 1: leading me to stay? Or because I'm afraid to move?
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  Speaker 1: Bring the honest answer before God. The Lord who spoke
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  Speaker 1: to Joshua is able to give you the same courage
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  Speaker 1: for the road that you face as well. So I
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  Speaker 1: want to pray this over you this morning. Pray it
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  Speaker 1: over all of us because we all have decisions we
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  Speaker 1: have to make every single day. And there's more than
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  Speaker 1: one crossroads in our lives that we come upon. Lord,
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  Speaker 1: help us recognize when fear is shaping our choices. And
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  Speaker 1: give us wisdom to know the next step and the
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  Speaker 1: courage to take it. Trusting that you and you alone
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  Speaker 1: are with us wherever this road may lead. Amen. Today
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  Speaker 1: you be safe, you be strong, and you be blessed.
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  Speaker 1: And you be a person of faith today, not fear.
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  Speaker 1: And choose the right road at this crossroads in your life.
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  Speaker 1: And watch where it takes you. Lord's will, we'll see
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  Speaker 1: you back here again tomorrow. And until then, have a
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  Speaker 1: great day.