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5/6/26 Wednesday Evening Service - Pastor Charlie Branch - Meadows Baptist Church · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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You know,
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you
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know,
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Heat. Heat.
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down.
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Heat.
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Well, if I could get some kids down
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front for the pledging stations, we'll
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get started with our service this
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evening.
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Okay, kids, come on down.
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Well, welcome everyone and it's good to
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have each and everyone out in the house
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of the Lord this evening where we have
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our um Bible study in our kids club on
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Wednesday nights. Good to see each and
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everyone out house of the Lord this
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evening. Let's begin our service by
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standing and we'll sing redeemed.
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Redeemed.
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Redeemed. Now I love to proclaim it.
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Redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
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Redeemed through his infinite mercy.
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His child and forever I am
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redeemed.
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Redeemed.
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Redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
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Redeemed.
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His child. And forever I am.
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Redeemed and so happy in Jesus.
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No language my rapture can tell.
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I know that the light of his presence
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with me does continually dwell.
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Redeemer,
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redeemed,
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redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
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Redee,
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redeemed,
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his child and forever I am.
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I think of my blessed redeemer.
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I think of him all the day long.
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I sing for I cannot be silent. His love
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is the theme of my song.
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Redee,
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redee,
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redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
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Redee,
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redeemed,
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his child and forever I am.
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I know I shall see in his beauty.
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The king in whose law I delight.
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who lovingly guarded my footsteps
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and giveth me songs in the night.
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Redeem,
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redeem,
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redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
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Redeem,
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redeemed,
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his child and forever I am.
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Amen. Amen. Now for our pledges.
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First, the American flag.
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Attention. Salute. Pledge. I pledge
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allegiance to the flag of the United
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States of America, and to the republic
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for which it stands, one nation under
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God, indivisible, with liberty and
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justice for all.
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The Christian flag.
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I pledge allegiance to the Christian
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flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom
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it stands. One Savior crucified, risen,
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and coming again with life and liberty
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to all who believe.
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Now, the Bible,
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I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's
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holy word. I will make it a lamp unto my
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feet and a light unto my path. I will
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hide his words in my heart that I might
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not sin against God. Amen. Amen. You may
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be seated.
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>> Good to see you in the house of the Lord
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tonight. Appreciate you being here on
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this Wednesday evening and thank the
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Lord for some more rain today.
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Appreciate the Lord's blessings and he
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sure is good to us. But I do thank you
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all for being here uh this evening in
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the evening service. I hope you've had a
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good week thus far and we'll go ahead
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and get right off with some
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announcements this evening and then get
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into our prayer quest time. If you could
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got your calendar there, do remember
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tomorrow night men will be having men's
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fellowship uh tomorrow night at 7:00.
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And so remember that tomorrow evening
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that's open to anybody and everybody uh
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men. Amen. Let me put it that way. Men,
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okay? And so all the men, you're welcome
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to come to that tomorrow evening at
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7:00. And then the ladies Mother's Day
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brunch is Saturday at 10:30. Okay?
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Saturday at 10:30, y'all have the brunch
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there. And so come out and be part of
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that. All right? And I'll be praying for
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that. And mom will be there speaking to
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y'all that day. So that'll be a good
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time. And so y'all remember that as well
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on Saturday. All right. 10:30. And then
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um Mon uh Mon Sunday, I'm wanting to say
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Monday. Mother's Day and Sunday. It
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don't go together. Um the 10th, Mother's
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Day, we'll have our Mother's Day
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service, normal Sunday school worship
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service at 11. And then we'll have no
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evening service on Mother's Day, uh May
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the 10th. And so that's this coming
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Sunday. So remember that. And we won't
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be having evening service on Sunday. And
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then the next thing here we've got
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coming up is the visitation uh at
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Springfest. So that'll be the 16th of
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May there on Saturday uh from 10 to 2.
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And so we'll go out and hand out some
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tracks, waters, things of that nature on
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Saturday, May the 16th. And uh you broke
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the blessed time of her being nice to
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you. So anyway,
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for so long she's been nice to her and
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not to us, but now that's been broken.
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So anyway, but uh somebody else want to
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try? Anyway, I'm just
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since all of y'all said she never cries
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at all. Well, there you go. All right.
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So, anyway, um friends and family day,
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May the 24th, remember that. And, uh the
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service times that day. Morning service
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will be normal. And then afternoon,
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we'll just hang out that afternoon, have
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music by by grace and have some games
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and things out here in the back parking
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lot. And then the evening service will
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be at 4:30 that day on the 24th. And
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depending on how hot it is, we may do it
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outside. I'll ask the preacher how he
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feels about it. Brother Don Anderson
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will be here with us that evening. And
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so we want to make sure he's taken care
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of uh that night. So um the 24th will be
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friends and family day. And so remember
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that. And uh then be praying as well.
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June's going to be a busy month. Got a
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lot of stuff going on. Bible school,
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Father's Day, homecoming, youth Sunday.
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Um a lot of stuff going on. So just keep
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praying about all of that and praying
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that God would help and bless uh in
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everything that we do here at the
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church. And just pray that God would
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touch it. Amen. And uh so remember these
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dates if you could please. And is there
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anything else I need to bring up?
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>> Yeah, team camp registration. You see
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Abby about that for the registration for
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power of two there in Georgia in the
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month of July. So see her if you have
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questions about that. We need to get
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those turned in directly. Okay. So
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remember that. All right. All right. I
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think that's all I'll make mention of
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tonight. Let's get to our prayer request
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this evening. Let's continue to remember
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all the requests of prayer has been made
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mention of. container member, Miss
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Rhonda Southern, and she is going on
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Friday uh there to have another
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examination done on her foot and to see
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whether or not they're going to have to
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remove more of that. So, if y'all would
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pray for her, especially on Friday,
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let's continue to remember all of our
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shutins and pray for them. Miss Barbara
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Mandarin, let's remember her in prayer.
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Donnie and Die Scott and Donnie and
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Sarah Joe Abbott. Has anybody heard from
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Miss Sarah Joe? Miss Rose, you heard
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anything from her about Donniey's test?
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Okay.
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>> Okay. Let's remember that in prayer.
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Continue to pray for them if you would
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please. And uh
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let's continue to remember uh uh brother
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Todd and Miss Janet Duggin. And did see
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there on the message that they came
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through everything well. And so continue
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to pray for them. Did see Miss Janet's
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in some pain. So if y'all wouldn't
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remember her in prayer. Let's continue
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to pray for the family. Michelle, I've
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not heard anything, brothers.
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So no, no new no new news. Okay. So we
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was over there with them on Sunday
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night. Pray for their family and pray
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for her daughter especially and uh was
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there with them Sunday evening after
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church and watched her daughter giving
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her her medicine. And I can't imagine
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how that must feel for her. And how old
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is she? probably 18 20s. So, if y'all
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would please pray for that family and
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pray that God would be with them uh
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during that time and so and no new news.
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So, just pray for them if you would. All
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right. And and their family, Michelle,
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all of those. So, does anybody else have
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a request of prayer tonight before we
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pray? Yes, sir.
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Amen. Let's continue to pray um for John
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and pray God would work in his life.
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Amen. Been praying for him uh for this
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time. and praying God would move and
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work. I tell you this, it takes God to
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make these types of things happen. And
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uh you know Jesus said those disciples,
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there was a man come to him said they
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brought their son to the disciples and
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he had a demon. Remember what they said?
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Said that he said your disciples
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couldn't cast him out. And you remember
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what Jesus said, "This cometh this kind
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cometh not out but by prayer and
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fasting."
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>> Right?
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>> Amen. And I believe that. I believe
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that. And so let's continue to pray for
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John. Let's pray for uh sister Don and
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brother Eric as well and pray for them.
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Lord, continue to give them strength. I
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appreciate them being faithful to church
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these days. And let's pray for them this
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evening. Someone else tonight before we
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pray.
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Yes, ma'am.
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All right, let's remember those
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requests.
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>> Someone else tonight.
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>> Amen.
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>> Praise the Lord for that.
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>> All right. Amen. Just remember that
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someone else tonight. Yes, ma'am.
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Amen. Let's remember that this evening.
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Someone else tonight. Yes.
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and remember
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my sister.
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>> All right, let's remember those requests
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for prayer.
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Okay.
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>> All right. Just remember that. Someone
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else have a request tonight? Yes, sir.
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Brother Todd.
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>> Yes.
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Amen. Let's remember Sister Mary Lou in
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prayer.
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And uh she done had had a better week
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this week.
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>> Good.
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All right. Let's continue to pray for
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her this evening. Remember her in
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prayer. Yes, sir. Brother Mike.
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All right,
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we won't. Don't worry. Amen. Amen. Let's
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remember that. Let's remember brother
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Mike, too. Pray for him and uh
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pray for Miss Carolyn tonight. Someone
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else this evening. Yes, ma'am.
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>> Okay.
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>> All right. Let's remember
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Doug and Kay in prayer.
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Someone else tonight. Yes, ma'am.
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All right, let's remember that this
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evening.
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Remember Miss Jean's family in prayer.
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Someone else tonight. Yes, sir.
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My goodness. Yeah, let's remember that.
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>> Yeah, let's do remember that. Pray for
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that this evening.
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All right, let's remember that. Let's
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remember that request of prayer this
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evening. Someone else over here. Yes,
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sir.
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All right.
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>> All right. You said his name was
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Everett.
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>> Everett.
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>> All right. Just remember that.
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Anything else this evening?
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>> Hey. Yes, sir.
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If
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pray
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hospital,
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>> I'll do that. I'll do that. Just
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remember that request a prayer this
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evening.
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If y'all would pray for a friend of mine
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um found out just I don't know probably
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guess a week ago that uh his wife um I
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don't guess the baby was still born but
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she she did have a miscarriage and they
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did have to remove the baby. And so
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y'all please pray. She put out a
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Facebook post there talking about how
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hard it was to to see that and then to
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have to leave the baby there at the
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hospital and go home. And so if y'all
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would please pray for them and Luke and
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Cheyenne Ponder is their names and but
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please pray for them. God help them
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during this time as they go through
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that. Amen. Is any other request of
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prayer tonight before we pray?
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Yes.
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Yes. Let's remember
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brother Randall, sister Kea in prayer,
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their travels and do pray for their
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family as well and sister and sister
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sister-in-law pray for them and Kea's
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mom Sher and remember them in prayer
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this evening. Anything else tonight
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before we pray.
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All right, let's remember our
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missionaries tonight. do always pray for
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them uh each time that you pray and pray
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for each other and our church and I pray
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that God would bless and help us keep us
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strong and encourage these days.
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Appreciate his blessing on us and the
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good services that we've had of late.
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Thank him for that and I pray it
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continues. Pray the Lord continue to
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give us liberty and uh let's pray for s
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some salvation to happen. Amen. I'd love
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to see some people get saved. Amen. And
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uh been too long and I I think about
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this a lot of times. I knew a man my dad
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talked about a Bible college professor.
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I don't know if it was particularly one
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that he had or it was one maybe that he
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knew of uh said that this gentleman
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would go every day and he would walk
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around shopping centers until he could
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win somebody to the Lord and he wouldn't
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go to sleep until he had won somebody to
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the Lord. And uh you know I was thinking
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about that. That's a that's a fery we
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ought to get a hold of. Amen. And these
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people dying and going to hell left and
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right. And we ought to do everything we
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can to win them. Amen. And I know it's
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hard to do those type of things, but I'm
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I'm telling you, Jesus is that concerned
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about their soul. Amen. And I don't know
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about you, but I'm thankful there was
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somebody concerned enough about mine.
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Amen. That they prayed for me. Amen. And
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I got saved by the grace of God. And
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I'll tell you, there ain't nobody ever
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been saved apart from prayer. Amen. And
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I do appreciate God's blessing. Man,
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it's just good to be saved tonight.
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Amen. And we can be hum drum and ho hum
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and all the rest of those lowly things.
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Amen. But I'm telling you, God is good.
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Amen. He is good. And I appreciate his
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blessings and I appreciate you being
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here this evening. Is there any other
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requests of prayer tonight?
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All right, let's come pray around the
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altar. Do pray for the classes tonight
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and the teachers. Pray God will bless
20:58
and I pray God will help us in here
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tonight as we look through the word of
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God. And uh let's do tonight. Remember
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our graduates got several they graduate
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some high school, some college and be
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praying for them. And these days, some
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young ones be moving up from middle
21:13
school to high school. We praying for
21:14
them. And all the young ones will be
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moving grades. Well, some of them
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probably won't. Amen. If that was be
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like me. Amen. But uh anyway, I'm just
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saying let's pray for them, too. Amen.
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And uh Amen. It's all right to laugh.
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Amen. Let's pray and ask God to help us
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tonight. I do appreciate each one of you
21:30
and love you in the Lord. Let's pray
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together tonight.
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Alrighty. Genesis chapter 12 tonight if
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you have a Bible. Genesis chapter 12.
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And uh
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we'll look here again this evening. And
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I've been looking forward to this today.
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And uh I realized on this past Sunday
25:10
night I was preaching. I really didn't
25:12
finish my message. And uh I was thinking
25:14
about it. I posed the question uh on
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Sunday night u concerning u why
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rebellion brings confusion. I'll give
25:22
you the outline. I ain't going to preach
25:23
it tonight. There's a whole another
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message here uh that I didn't deal deal
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with, but I'll give it to you. You might
25:28
want to write it down. Go study it for
25:30
yourself, but Genesis 11 where we
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preached that on Sunday night. I my
25:35
outline was rebellion uh causes
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confusion. Of course, Nimrod is
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rebellion. And that confusion deals with
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the tower that of Babel. That city Babel
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means confusion. And Nimrod built that
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city. And so, uh we titled that
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rebellion why rebellion brings
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confusion. And I put these thoughts in
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my Bible here. Didn't preach them Sunday
25:55
night, but uh number one, rebellion
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brings confusion because it's not our
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design. We wasn't made to be rebellious
26:02
against God. We were not made to be that
26:04
way. We were made to be obedient and
26:06
submissive to the Lord. And so
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rebellion, number one, is not our design
26:10
from the beginning. God didn't make us
26:11
that way. We were made in his image. And
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so number two, not only rebellion is not
26:15
our design, but number two, rebellion is
26:17
not desirable. You've never seen anybody
26:19
living in rebellion that enjoyed it.
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That's right.
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>> Amen. Um it's not a fruitful life. It's
26:24
not a faithful life. It's not an
26:26
enjoyable life. And so rebellion's not
26:29
our design. It's not desirable. And then
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thirdly, I thought about this. It's not
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only not our design and not desirable,
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but it's not our destiny.
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>> Right?
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>> And uh I'll say this about that. When
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God had to go and confound the language
26:42
of those people in that city, you know
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what? God didn't want to do that.
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>> And he didn't have to do that. But
26:49
because of their sin, he did.
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>> Right?
26:52
>> They would have never had to do that if
26:53
they'd have just been obedient to God.
26:55
And you see tonight, you shape who you
26:57
end up to be. What? But what became
26:59
their destiny did not have to be their
27:02
destiny. Amen. And so there's the
27:04
outline that I gave you why rebellion,
27:06
amen, causes confusion. So maybe next
27:09
time I'll do a better job preaching.
27:11
Amen. But Genesis 12, let's look here
27:13
tonight and going to begin studying the
27:15
life of Abraham uh this evening. We'll
27:18
really begin reading in Genesis 11 and
27:20
try to lay out the background of his
27:22
life here in the text. Genesis 11 verse
27:26
number Let's begin reading in verse
27:27
number uh verse number 26 of Genesis 11.
27:33
Your Bible says and Tara lived 70 years
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and begat Abram Nahor and Haran. Now
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these are the generations of Terara.
27:41
Terara begat Abra Abram Nahor and Haran
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and Haran begat Lot and Haran died
27:47
before his father Terara in the land of
27:49
his nativity in of the Caldes. And Abram
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and Nahor took them wives. The name of
27:55
Abram<unk>'s wife was Sarai. And the
27:57
name of Nahor's wife Milkeyi. Milka the
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daughter of Haran the father of Mila and
28:03
the father of Iska. But Sarai was
28:05
barren. She had no child. And Terara
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took Abram's son. and Lot the son of
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Haran his son's son and Sarai his
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daughter-in-law his son Abram<unk>'s
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wife and they went forth with them from
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the cowes to go into the land of Canaan
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and they came unto Haran and dwelt there
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and the days of Tara were 205 years and
28:27
Terara died in Haran chapter 12 and
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verse number one the Bible says now the
28:32
Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of
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thy country and from thy kindred and
28:36
from thy father's house unto the land
28:38
that I will show thee, and I will make
28:40
of thee a great nation, and I will bless
28:42
thee, and make thy name great, and thou
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shalt be a blessing, and I will bless
28:46
them that bless thee, and curse them
28:48
that curse thee, and in thee shall all
28:50
families of the earth be blessed." So
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Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken
28:55
unto him, and Lot went with him. And
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Abram was 70 and five years old when he
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departed out of Haran. Father, I ask you
29:03
for just a moment, Lord, that you would
29:05
help us tonight. I thank you for Bible
29:07
study. But God, I just want it to be
29:08
what you want it to be tonight. If you'd
29:10
have me to preach, help me preach, Lord.
29:12
And I just pray you'd help me to expound
29:14
the word of God well. Give me uncction,
29:16
liberty tonight. Cleanse me of all sin.
29:18
Father, use me. Make me fit. God, I pray
29:20
that you'll help me tonight. Get all
29:22
glory unto yourself. And I pray for each
29:24
individual that's here tonight. Lord, I
29:26
thank you uh God for them being here. I
29:28
pray you bless them for their presence.
29:29
But God, I pray that they would receive
29:30
a blessing from your word tonight, Lord.
29:33
Some instruction, Lord, to help them go
29:35
on another mile, some encouragement.
29:36
Lord, I pray you'd help us tonight uh to
29:38
be obedient to the word of God. Lord,
29:40
you said obedience is better than
29:42
sacrifice. And so, Lord, help us to
29:44
hearken to the word of God tonight.
29:45
Lord, we love you. Thank you for loving
29:47
us in Jesus name. Amen. Genesis 11
29:51
begins here the genealogy. It began with
29:54
the study of this city of Babel in the
29:58
text and then it leaves off in verse
30:00
number 10 with the generations of Shim.
30:03
Now, if you know anything about the
30:05
Bible, the origin of Israel, the godly
30:08
family comes through the Shemmites. And
30:11
so, when you hear the phrase, I don't
30:13
know, you probably already connected
30:16
this, but we you hear the phrase in our
30:18
country a whole lot today of
30:20
anti-semitism.
30:21
And what that is is that Seemetic, the
30:24
Seemetic people are Shim's children.
30:26
That's what that refers to. And so
30:28
people anti-semites are people who are
30:31
against Shim's children. That's what
30:33
that means. And so Shim's genealogy is
30:36
given in chapter number 11 verse number
30:39
10 down through uh the end of the
30:41
chapter ending up with the death of
30:43
Tara, Abram's father in the text. Now
30:46
Abram of course in this text would go on
30:48
to be Abraham. Sarah Sarai his wife
30:51
would go on to be Sarah. But this is the
30:54
beginning portion of Abram's life. And I
30:57
want to just lay the history of his life
31:00
out of this text. Try to draw a
31:02
correlation and connect all of this
31:04
together. Let me say this tonight. The
31:06
first 12 chapters of the Bible
31:09
encompassed some 2,000 years. What we've
31:11
read about here in chapter number 11 has
31:14
accomplished some 2,000 years of
31:17
history. And from Genesis 12 on through
31:19
the rest of the Old Testament would be
31:21
another approximately 2,000 years. And
31:24
so without these first 12 chapters of
31:27
the book of Genesis, you would miss a
31:29
big picture really where all the uh the
31:32
uh knots and loose ends are tied up
31:34
throughout the Old Testament. All the
31:36
principles that we find in the law of
31:38
Moses and everything that goes on from
31:41
that comes from these 12 chapters. And
31:43
so this beginning portion is important.
31:46
And I definitely want to highlight here
31:49
Abram's life. I want to give you just
31:50
some things concerning Abram here in the
31:54
text. When Abram comes on the scene in
31:56
Genesis 12, the first thing that's
31:58
mentioned in Genesis 12 verse number one
32:01
is notice those first five words.
32:02
There's a word that comes from God. Look
32:04
what the Bible says. Now the Lord had
32:06
said, now to put this in a timeline
32:10
period, it's been 422 years since God
32:13
spoke to Noah in Genesis chapter number
32:16
9 and verse number one. And so Noah has
32:19
been dead approximately 75 years or
32:22
maybe a little more than that at this
32:24
point in time because he lived 350 years
32:28
after the flood. And so to tie all of
32:29
this together, I want you to think about
32:31
this with me for just a minute. When the
32:33
earth was divided, when the languages
32:36
were scattered according to the text,
32:38
Noah was still alive.
32:41
Noah was still alive. Noah was alive.
32:43
Sheam and Japheth were alive. You can
32:46
read that according to chapter number
32:48
10. If you notice in verse number 25 of
32:51
Genesis 10, the Bible says in in verse
32:54
25, "And unto Eber were born two sons.
32:57
The name of one was Pelleg. For in his
32:59
days was the earth divided, and his
33:02
brother's name was Jockan." And so Pleg
33:05
was in that line of Shin. And that's
33:07
just a few generations down from Noah in
33:10
this text. And so Noah was still alive
33:13
at the dividing days in those days. And
33:15
you say, "How is that, preacher?" Well,
33:17
Noah witnessed everything that
33:19
transpired. And you think about this,
33:21
the sin that we preached on in Noah's
33:23
life, Noah watched the people that he
33:25
had saved off of the ark. He watched
33:28
them go down. You're
33:29
>> right.
33:30
>> And so what we discover in our text
33:32
where Terara is finding himself in verse
33:35
number 27, the Bible says in verse 27,
33:38
"Now these are the generations of
33:40
Terara. Terara began Abram, Nahor, and
33:43
Haran. And Haran begat law. And Haran
33:46
died before his father. Notice this. In
33:49
the land of his nativity. All right,
33:50
that's the land of its birth. Look at
33:52
this. In of the cowes. Now, if you look
33:55
up that land of the cowes, that is
33:58
literally another city in the plain of
34:00
Shinar. And you look at the text in
34:02
chapter number 11 verse number two.
34:04
Those uh Babel people, amen, those ones
34:08
those the people that had came there
34:10
with Nimrod, they f found a plane in the
34:13
land of Shinar. And so obviously
34:15
Terara's family when the dispersion took
34:18
place was not one of the families that
34:20
was sent out. Okay? And because in this
34:22
text the Bible said in verse number
34:24
eight that the Lord scattered them
34:26
abroad. So obviously Tara and his
34:28
children, all I know this is deep, all
34:31
right, but just stay with me, okay? Tara
34:32
and his children obviously stayed right
34:35
there in the city. They stayed right
34:36
there local to the plain of Shinar. They
34:39
stayed in this place. And I want to give
34:41
you a few things about Abram's life. You
34:43
see in this text uh four things by way
34:45
of introduction. I'll give you one
34:46
point. We'll be done. What I notice
34:48
about Abram's life. First of all, we see
34:51
in this land that he is living here in
34:53
the text is is that Abram is already
34:55
it's already presented to us that Abram
34:58
is living amidst blasphemy.
35:00
>> Right?
35:01
>> You say, how can you prove that? Well, I
35:04
can prove it scripturally by this text.
35:06
First of all, notice what the Bible says
35:09
in the book of Joshua. Joshua chapter
35:12
number 24.
35:15
This record is given.
35:19
Joshua chap ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch
35:20
ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch
35:20
ch ch ch ch chap number 24 and verse
35:21
number two. All right, I'm gonna give
35:23
you the proof from the wording in the
35:25
text, but this is Bible proof. You can't
35:27
argue with this. All right, Joshua 24
35:29
and verse two. The Bible said and Joshua
35:31
said unto all the people, "Thus saith
35:33
the Lord God of Israel, your fathers
35:35
dwelt on the other side of the flood in
35:37
old time, even Terara, the father of
35:40
Abraham and the father of Nor." Notice
35:42
that last phrase, what does it say? and
35:45
they served other gods. So they're
35:49
according to Joshua they're serving
35:51
other gods but I can tell you from a
35:53
proof number one by their location
35:55
they're living in of the cowes it was a
35:58
place of moon worship when you look up
36:00
that word it was a central point of
36:04
astrology and uh I what's the other word
36:07
you you use for that soothsaying I guess
36:09
would be the word that you would use
36:11
there was moon worship and stargazing
36:14
that went on here doesn't that sound
36:16
familiar with that tower that whose top
36:18
would reach unto heaven, amen, to the
36:20
skies. And so this land, this whole
36:23
plane of Shinar was engrossed in this
36:26
sin. And when you look up that word, it
36:28
doesn't only speak of a center of moon
36:30
worship, but it also means, it literally
36:32
means a flame, a burning. Now, what did
36:36
we talk about that city of Babel? They
36:39
were making brick in verse three,
36:41
burning them thly. The Bible says it was
36:44
a place of great industry. Let me say
36:46
this. The reason where our country began
36:48
to go off the rails is when prosperity
36:50
took hold of our nation.
36:52
>> You can go back and see the days of the
36:55
industrial revolution is when wickedness
36:58
began to run rapid in this land. You can
37:00
look at early society. Some of you may
37:03
know a little bit about this. I I
37:05
enjoyed studying it coming up, not
37:06
because I enjoyed studying about sin,
37:08
but I remember studying about the
37:10
Roaring 20s. Has anybody ever heard
37:12
about the roaring 20s and everything
37:14
that went on in those days? The days
37:16
prohibition days and everything that
37:17
went on that all of that was birthed out
37:20
of a country who had become prosperous
37:23
industrially. And what this land here
37:25
represents is a prosperous place. Yes,
37:28
God dispersed the people and so he
37:31
divided them up, sent them all over the
37:33
face of the earth, but this city still
37:35
became a central point for sin. And I
37:37
remind you again, Babel all the way
37:40
through the Bible to the book of
37:41
Revelation, today's yet future from us
37:44
is still going to be a wicked city.
37:46
>> You're right.
37:47
>> Still, it's it system is still here.
37:49
There's going to be a Babylonian revival
37:52
in the end of the days. And that the
37:54
Assyrians, they're going to rise up
37:55
again. Amen. And reappear on the face of
37:58
the earth. I'm not preaching that
37:59
tonight. But what I'm telling you is
38:01
when this started, it did not end.
38:04
>> You're right. When wickedness took hold,
38:07
it did not end. And so Terara and his
38:09
family are living in this land of the
38:13
Caldes. It's a land Abraham was Abram
38:16
was dealing with blasphemy. So his
38:19
religious background is not good. Okay?
38:21
He's he's living amidst wickedness. But
38:26
I notice this. Not only there's
38:28
blasphemy in his life, but I'll say this
38:30
to make matters worse. There's
38:31
barrenness in his life. Look what the
38:33
Bible says. Verse 29. Abram and Nahor
38:36
took them wives. The name of
38:38
Abram<unk>'s wife was Sarai. And the
38:40
name of Nahor's wife, Mila, the daughter
38:42
of Haran, the father of Mila, and the
38:44
father of Iska. But Sarai was barren.
38:47
She had no child. Now, it interests me
38:50
why that God puts that out there at the
38:52
very first. One of the first things that
38:54
he says about Abram is that Sarah was
38:56
barren. Well, you understand everything,
38:58
and I'm not going to get ahead of myself
39:00
here, but everything that has to do with
39:02
Abram's life, everything that God tells
39:04
him is hinging upon her barrenness.
39:07
>> You're right.
39:08
>> And you understand barrenness in this
39:10
day was a lot bigger deal than it is
39:12
now.
39:12
>> You're right.
39:13
>> I'll say this, there's some families
39:14
that uh some ladies that are barren, and
39:17
it is a big deal to them, but our
39:19
country almost celebrates barrenness
39:21
anymore, seeming like I don't understand
39:23
that. Amen. But when you look at this
39:25
culture, the only thing that these
39:27
ladies had to be honored because women
39:30
were not highly esteemed the way that
39:31
they are in our day and time or the way
39:34
they should be. I believe they are in
39:35
good bibleelving churches. These this
39:38
time if she could not bear children, she
39:41
was rendered useless by society. This is
39:44
Abram's wife. So they're living amidst
39:48
blasphemy. His wife is barren in the
39:50
text and then there's a barrier in his
39:53
life. Notice what the Bible says in
39:54
verse 31. What's that first phrase of
39:57
verse 31? And Terara what? Took Abram.
40:02
He's got a daddy that's got a hold of
40:05
him.
40:07
He's controlling his life. All right,
40:09
don't lose that thought. Okay, notice
40:11
the text. Terara took Abram his son and
40:14
Lot the son of Haran his son's son and
40:17
Sarah his daughter-in-law his son
40:19
Abram<unk>'s wife and they went forth
40:21
with them from the Caldes to go into the
40:24
land of Canaan and they came unto Haran
40:27
and dwelt there. Now what happens in
40:30
this text is as they make a journey out
40:32
of the Caldes and to go unto the land of
40:35
Canaan would be several hundred miles uh
40:39
to leave the Caldes to get unto Canaan.
40:41
And so they go just a short distance,
40:43
probably uh 100 or so miles. I don't
40:45
know exact distance, but they leave the
40:48
Caldes and go unto Iran and they stop
40:50
there. And and obviously it's because
40:52
Terara in his old age according to verse
40:55
32. Look what the Bible says. And the
40:57
days of Terara were 205 years and Tara
41:00
died in Haran. And so uh Abram's father
41:04
has held him back. He's journeying to go
41:06
to Canaan. They're headed there, but his
41:09
family is holding him back. And if
41:12
that's not enough, he's living amidst
41:15
blasphemy. His wife is barren. His
41:17
father's a barrier barrier unto him.
41:20
Verse 32, you think about the brokenness
41:22
of his family.
41:24
He loses his daddy.
41:26
He's already lost a brother. Notice the
41:29
text. Haran's already died. Nahor, he
41:33
left behind in the Caldes. And so the
41:36
family here in the text, according to
41:38
the text, he's lost everything except
41:40
his wife. And now he's got to take care
41:43
of Lot, his nephew. And so his family's
41:46
broken up. And you say, "Why are you
41:49
telling us all of that?" Well, this is
41:51
the story of Abram.
41:52
>> You're right.
41:53
>> This is his story. But you see, it all
41:55
begins to change in chapter 12. And I
41:58
just want to remind you tonight, where
42:00
you're at is not the end.
42:01
>> You're right.
42:02
>> Right.
42:03
>> Amen. Just because your story is broken
42:05
right now, don't mean it's going to be
42:06
broken forever. Amen.
42:08
>> Notice the text. Now the Lord had said
42:11
unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy
42:12
country, from thy kindredom, from thy
42:15
father's house, unto a land that I will
42:18
show thee." Now, I want to deal for just
42:19
a few minutes tonight with the call of
42:21
Abraham here in this text. All right?
42:23
So, it's been 420 years since God has
42:27
spoken audibly to somebody. Genesis 9,
42:30
he spoke there unto Noah. And uh we know
42:33
that it's recorded on the pages of
42:35
scripture and and it it's very well
42:37
possible that God spoke unto the people.
42:39
I don't know. He may have spoke unto
42:41
Eber or Pleg there in the text when he
42:44
divided the languages. I don't know. We
42:46
can't verify that. But we know it's been
42:48
some time since God has spoken to these
42:51
people. He's distanced himself because
42:54
of their sin. But the Bible says in
42:56
verse number one that God's speaking
42:57
again. Boy, aren't you thankful when
43:00
it's been a while? Amen.
43:02
>> Amen. When you ain't heard his voice in
43:04
a while, he's got something to say.
43:06
>> Right.
43:07
>> And I'll tell you this, I'm thankful I
43:08
know his voice.
43:09
>> Amen.
43:11
>> He said, "My sheep know my voice."
43:14
>> And Abram here in the text, God calls
43:16
out to him for the first time. Of
43:18
course, we remember Abram's living in a
43:21
s amidst a sinful world. He's his wife
43:24
is barren. There's there's been great
43:26
anguish because of the death of his
43:29
father. And then I noticed this phrase
43:31
in verse number one. Now the Lord, what
43:34
your Bible say had said. It doesn't say
43:37
the Lord said. It said the Lord had
43:39
said. So what that reveals is that there
43:42
was a command that had been given unto
43:44
this man.
43:46
Now let me say this. All right. What do
43:48
we know from the Bible about obedience?
43:51
Delayed obedience is what? Disobedience.
43:56
Just because when when you think about
43:58
the fact that you've been commanded to
44:00
do something and and you're waiting. All
44:02
right? You're refusing to do that thing.
44:04
You're delaying. All right? The whole
44:06
time that you're waiting, you're in
44:07
disobedience.
44:08
>> You're right.
44:09
>> Well, I'll go on and do it. Well, you
44:11
can't get back all those days that you
44:13
wasted.
44:13
>> You're right.
44:14
>> You get what I'm saying? Well, what we
44:16
notice in this text here is that God had
44:18
already spoke to Abram. Now, there's
44:20
some writers that would want to argue
44:22
this fact, but the New Testament sheds
44:25
some light on this. Turn with me to the
44:26
book of Acts, chapter number 7.
44:29
Acts, chapter 7. I want you to listen to
44:32
Stephen's sermon. All right. Stephen's
44:34
going to be stoned. We know the story.
44:37
Stephen's going to get stoned for
44:38
preaching the gospel. But thank God,
44:40
he's going to preach from Genesis to to
44:42
all the way to where he knows. Amen.
44:44
Before he gets stoned. Amen. And I like
44:46
it. Praise God. Genesis 7. Listen to
44:49
what he says. Look where he begins in
44:51
Genesis 7 verse number two. All right.
44:55
Genesis 7 and verse two. And he said,
44:57
this is Stephen speaking. Men, brethren,
45:01
and fathers hearken, the God of glory
45:04
appeared unto our father Abraham when he
45:07
was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in
45:09
Haran, and said unto him, Get thee out
45:12
of thy country, and from thy kindred,
45:14
and come into the land which I shall
45:16
show thee. Then came he out of the land
45:18
of the Chaldanss and dwelt in Haran. And
45:22
from thence, when his father was dead,
45:23
he removed him into this land, wherein
45:26
ye now dwell. So this reveals to us here
45:30
in the text that God had spoke to
45:32
Abraham back when he was in the land of
45:35
the Caldes. God had come to him and
45:37
said, "All right, you need to get out of
45:38
here." Well, the Bible says they make
45:40
their journey. But in verse 31 of
45:42
Genesis 11, the Bible says, "And Terara
45:45
took Abram." Is that not what your Bible
45:47
said? And so the reason I want you to
45:50
wanted you to remember that is because
45:52
somebody had a bigger control on Abram
45:56
than God did.
45:56
>> You're right.
45:57
>> You got to be careful about who you let
45:59
get control of your life.
46:01
>> If you're not careful, your your
46:03
husband, your wife can get control of
46:04
you. Your children can get control of
46:07
you. You're
46:07
>> right.
46:07
>> And when God speaks, you know what you
46:09
do?
46:10
you locked down. Abram went as far as
46:13
Tara could go and didn't go any farther
46:16
until Tara was gone. And I noticed from
46:20
what Stephen said in chapter 7, look
46:23
what he says. He said, "Our father," he
46:25
appeared unto our father Abraham when he
46:27
was in Mesopotamia, that's the land of
46:29
the counties. He appeared to him back
46:31
there when he was in the plain, the land
46:33
of Shinar, and spoke to him. God had
46:36
said to him to go, but you know what?
46:37
Abram didn't go because his daddy wasn't
46:41
ready to go. I wonder what's holding
46:44
people back in our church. I I wonder
46:47
what's holding you back from going all
46:49
the way with God.
46:51
>> You see, I don't know. You say, "Well,
46:53
preacher, this really is Abram's
46:55
salvation." Well, if you want to be
46:57
truthful about it, Abram's salvation
46:59
came the moment that God spoke to him.
47:02
>> Right.
47:03
>> And so, he was given a command to obey.
47:07
All right. He was given a command to
47:10
obey. And we believe that Abraham
47:12
believed God. All right. We we do that.
47:14
All right. We believe that. We know that
47:15
according to Genesis 15 and verse number
47:18
six. And I understand salvation. The Old
47:21
Test. I realize every bit of that. But
47:22
you understand it's still by faith.
47:24
That's
47:25
>> right.
47:25
>> Abraham had to believe the word of God.
47:28
I think Abraham believed when God came
47:30
to him when he was an error, but he just
47:32
wasn't willing to go yet.
47:34
>> You're right.
47:34
>> Amen. I think he received it, but he
47:37
wasn't ready to put it in practice. And
47:39
you know what? I've seen people, there's
47:40
a young man that tonight, he's probably
47:42
about three years younger than me. He
47:44
grew up with him. He lived on my road.
47:46
And uh I remember we we grew up together
47:49
and uh played ball, rode bicycles,
47:52
four-wheelers, all that other stuff. We
47:53
grew up on the little farm over there.
47:55
And and he didn't have no family, bless
47:57
his heart. At one point, mom and dad
47:59
even tried to tried to adopt him
48:01
different things. It was just just a lot
48:03
of different stuff when I was growing
48:04
up. I remember this young man, no
48:06
family, his great-grandmother was
48:07
raising him and and uh we he come into
48:09
our home pretty much lived with us and
48:11
we took him to a revival meeting one
48:13
night and he got saved. I remember it
48:15
just like it was yesterday. I remember
48:17
watched him pray that night and it
48:19
wasn't probably I don't know it was just
48:20
weeks after that. He disappeared.
48:23
I didn't see him no more and broke my
48:26
heart cuz I loved him. He was my friend.
48:29
But you know what? I I really believe
48:31
that boy's saved. But I just believe
48:33
because he had no home life.
48:36
>> He had nobody to guide him. He had
48:38
nobody to give him aid. When he got away
48:40
from us, he had no support.
48:42
>> You're right.
48:42
>> And so, you know what? He went out and
48:45
he's probably I don't know where he
48:46
could be tonight. I heard several years
48:48
ago that he was in jail for a time. I
48:50
don't know. But this is what I'll tell
48:52
you. I believe that boy's saved, but I
48:54
think there's a lot of people like that
48:56
that are saved. And I think this is what
48:58
happened to them. I think when they get
49:00
saved, the devil comes immediately and
49:02
he says, "All right, I'm going to ruin
49:03
their testimony."
49:04
>> You're right.
49:04
>> So, they can never do anything for God.
49:07
They'll spend the rest of their life
49:08
wondering. They'll spend the rest of
49:10
their life and won't. They'll be
49:11
miserable because of it if they are
49:13
saved. Amen. Somebody say, "Amen."
49:15
They'll go out there and they'll live
49:16
the rest of their life in that mess and
49:18
they'll go to heaven when they die. But
49:20
the truth is, they never had a chance to
49:22
grow because something or someone held
49:25
them back.
49:26
>> You're right. I'm convinced there's
49:28
church people that sit in a church pew
49:30
their whole life that's allowed one
49:32
event in their life of bitterness to
49:34
keep them from going forward with God.
49:36
>> You're right.
49:38
>> You'll never do anything for God because
49:39
he's holding you. What is it that's
49:41
holding you? I don't know what that I
49:42
don't know why I'm on that. But but
49:44
Abram was held up by his father. Terara
49:48
had a grip on him. But when Tara died,
49:51
the Bible says in verse 12 and verse
49:53
number one, now the Lord had said the
49:56
call has been given. The place is
49:58
revealed. The call was given to him
50:00
while he was in. And we see Abram's
50:03
procrastination.
50:05
He waited. Why did he wait? Let me ask
50:08
you this. How long do you think Abram
50:10
waited?
50:13
Abram waited a long time.
50:15
Notice what the Bible says in verse
50:17
four. So Abram departed as the Lord had
50:20
spoken unto him, and Lot went with him.
50:22
Notice this. And Abram was what?
50:26
705
50:27
years old. He was 75 years old in the
50:32
text. And from what I've read in the
50:33
scripture, I can't remember exactly. I
50:35
tried to find it this afternoon, but I
50:37
think Abram lived to be somewhere
50:39
between 120 and 150. So at best, he's
50:43
already lived half his life,
50:45
>> and he spent a lot of it waiting. I
50:48
notice here in this text the place his
50:50
procrastination God told him he said get
50:53
out. Look at that. Get out of thy
50:55
country from thy kindred from thy
50:57
father's house unto a land that I will
51:00
show thee. What is God what was God
51:02
telling Abram? He was saying all right
51:03
you've got to leave the fields.
51:05
>> All right that plain shower. You're
51:07
going to have to leave the fields.
51:09
You're going to have to leave the
51:10
family. Look at that. And from thy
51:12
kindred. Nahor was still there.
51:15
That family was left behind because you
51:18
understand Nahor's children were the
51:20
wives for Isaac and for Jacob,
51:24
>> right?
51:24
>> Nahor's children. Nahor's daughters,
51:27
they stayed behind. But God told Abram,
51:30
"Look, you going to have to leave. You
51:32
got to get out. Look what Look what the
51:33
Bible said. From thy kindred, from thy
51:36
father's house, he had to leave the
51:38
fields. He had to leave the family." And
51:39
you know what? He did do that. But where
51:42
did he stop? He couldn't leave the
51:44
father,
51:45
>> right?
51:46
>> When a when when when when Terara got to
51:48
as far as he could go to Haran, that's
51:51
as far as Abram went.
51:53
And then I noticed this. You know what
51:56
he also didn't leave behind? Because he
51:58
didn't leave Tara. He didn't leave the
52:01
false religion either.
52:03
You see, Terara brought that with him.
52:05
>> You're right.
52:06
>> Terra carried that with him out of the
52:09
Caldes. And so it was present in their
52:12
lives. You understand that what'll
52:16
happen to you is God will speak. But if
52:19
you're not careful, you'll let that
52:20
brokenness, that barrier in your life
52:23
and that blasphemy will hang around.
52:25
What I found is a lot of times and
52:28
really all the time when there is a
52:30
barrier, when somebody here's what
52:31
happens, okay? And I don't know why I'm
52:33
hung up on this, but I'm just going to
52:34
hang with it till God says get done.
52:36
When somebody gets stopped, you know
52:39
what happens in your Christian life when
52:41
you get stopped?
52:42
>> You don't sit still.
52:44
>> You're right. You're right.
52:45
>> There's no such thing as sitting still
52:47
in the Christian life.
52:48
>> Come on, preacher.
52:49
>> You know what you do when you stop? You
52:51
go backwards. You're
52:52
>> right.
52:52
>> Because when that barrier comes up, you
52:54
know what was along with that? All of
52:57
that blasphemy that his father had
52:59
raised them boys in. Remember, that was
53:01
the land of their nativity. This is who
53:03
they are. And so because he's still
53:06
there, he's still stuck with that, God
53:09
said, "You got to leave it all." You
53:10
say, "Preacher, what is that an image
53:12
of?" Well, it's just like when you take
53:14
that marriage vow. When that marriage
53:16
vow, what's it say? Forsaking all
53:17
others. You're
53:18
>> right.
53:19
>> Salvation, Christ, and the church. It's
53:21
the image of that marriage vow. And when
53:23
you come to him, what are you doing? You
53:25
leaving it all behind. Jesus said this.
53:27
If any man come unto me and hate not his
53:29
father, his mother, his children, his
53:32
wife, yay, in his own life also, what
53:34
did he say? He cannot be my disciple.
53:37
>> You're right.
53:38
>> He wasn't speaking in the sense that
53:40
you've got to hate your family. But he's
53:42
saying that you've got to love God so
53:44
much that it doesn't matter what anybody
53:46
else says in your life.
53:47
>> You're right.
53:48
>> And if you love God the way you're
53:50
supposed to, you'll love them in a way
53:52
you never could have.
53:53
>> You're right.
53:54
>> But Abram got held up. And because of
53:56
that, not only Abram was held up, but
53:58
you know who else was held up? Sarah was
54:00
held up.
54:01
>> You're right.
54:02
>> And Lot was too.
54:04
Now, we could argue that maybe Lot
54:06
wasn't supposed to go with him. But I
54:07
think I think Abram wanted to help Lot.
54:09
I think Abram could have helped Lot. And
54:11
I think Abram's mistake is what caused
54:13
Lot sin. But I'm not preaching on that
54:15
tonight. I'm saying procrastination
54:17
held him up here in this text. It held
54:20
him up. He The father kept him. This
54:23
false religion kept him according to
54:25
Joshua 24 and verse two. They worshiped
54:28
other gods. His father served other
54:30
gods. That's obviously pinned somewhere.
54:34
Joshua wrote it down. And so I noticed
54:38
this. All right. And I'll be done this
54:40
evening. I see the the place of the
54:43
call. It was when he was there in the
54:45
Cales. I see the procrastination
54:48
of this call. Abram was not obedient to
54:50
go directly. But I'll say this. I think
54:53
if there's anything we could get from
54:55
this tonight, it's it would be this
54:56
encouragement. If the call is still
54:58
present, you need to go now.
55:00
>> You're right.
55:01
>> Look what the Bible says. Verse number
55:03
four. What's them first three words? So
55:06
Abram departed.
55:07
>> Yeah, he's 75 years old now, but you
55:09
know what? He's decided to go on. I know
55:12
a man right now, and I'm going to get
55:14
back to the text in a minute, but I know
55:16
a man right now running from the call to
55:17
preach his entire life. got on up in his
55:20
70s and and I remember telling me this.
55:22
I went and preached a revival in the
55:23
church he was in. He told me this. He
55:25
said, "You know, I've run from it my
55:26
whole life." He said, "I feel like the
55:27
best thing I can do is do it what time I
55:29
got left." Said, "I regret wasting all
55:32
them years, but this is what I know. God
55:35
didn't never take the call from me."
55:37
>> Amen.
55:38
>> And so, I'm going to do it what time I
55:40
got left.
55:42
See, the emphasis here is is that Abram
55:44
was still obedient. We know that God
55:46
used him in this text. And I'll say more
55:49
about that in just a minute. But when we
55:50
think about all that Abram's been
55:52
through, remember this, the blasphemy in
55:55
his life, the barness of his wife, the
55:58
barrier with his father, the brokenness
56:00
of his family. But then you see after
56:04
obedience and only after obedience, what
56:08
what does the Bible say in verse two?
56:10
and I will make of thee a great nation
56:13
and I will bless thee.
56:19
You know when that promise came
56:22
when he obeyed.
56:23
>> You're right.
56:25
>> When he obeyed. Now you say, "Preacher,
56:29
but the Bible says God had already told
56:31
him that." Well, you understand Abram
56:33
never got a grip on that
56:35
>> until he walked away.
56:36
>> Amen. You see some things in your life,
56:39
you're ne it's never going to be really
56:41
real to you until you step in it. You're
56:43
>> right.
56:44
>> The reason why that so many people I
56:46
believe who are saved and they struggle
56:48
with their salvation, I say it all the
56:50
time, the reason they struggle with it
56:52
is because they've never stepped into
56:53
it. They're saved, but they don't know
56:55
how to enjoy it.
56:56
>> Yeah.
56:57
>> Abram didn't get the effect of this
56:59
promise until he stepped out.
57:01
>> You're right.
57:01
>> He didn't know the blessedness that God
57:04
spoke of in this text. And the Bible
57:06
says, "I will make of thee a great
57:08
nation, and I will bless thee and make
57:10
thy name great, and thou shalt be a
57:12
blessing." So much preaching in these
57:13
verses, you understand God is setting up
57:16
a people. Abram is the father of Israel.
57:22
But Abram is more than that. Abram is
57:25
the father of what you and I are doing
57:28
tonight. You're
57:29
>> right.
57:30
>> Turn with me to the book of Romans,
57:32
chapter 4.
57:34
And this is how I want to begin our
57:36
study of Abram's life.
57:41
Romans chapter 4.
57:52
The Bible says
57:55
Romans chapter 4 and verse number
57:58
I really just need to preach the whole
57:59
chapter to you, but I'm going to give
58:01
you this. All right? and and we'll deal
58:04
with this at a later date. Romans 4,
58:06
Paul is describing to the church at Rome
58:10
faith and works. Now, many writers have
58:13
said that Paul in the book of Romans and
58:17
James in the Epistle James disagreed
58:20
about faith. But here's what I'll say
58:21
about that. When James was saying faith
58:23
without works is dead, he was not
58:25
talking about our salvation. And he was
58:28
talking about the outpouring of a of the
58:30
spiritfilled life in a Christian. Paul
58:32
said himself in Romans 5, he said, "And
58:35
the hope is shed. The love of God is
58:37
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
58:39
Ghost which is given unto us." And so
58:41
that faith in us is going to have some
58:43
evidence outside. You're
58:44
>> right.
58:45
>> Amen. If you're saved, there will be
58:48
some evidence of that. But Paul says in
58:52
Romans 4, he talks about works. And he
58:56
reminds them in chapter number three
58:58
that it's not by the deeds of the law.
59:00
He says in verse number 28 of Romans 3,
59:03
therefore we conclude that a man is
59:05
justified by faith without the deeds of
59:07
the law. And so it wasn't the keeping of
59:09
the law that saved anybody because Abram
59:12
was saved long before the law was ever
59:14
given. The law came by Moses. But how
59:16
was Abram the father of the faith if it
59:18
requires the law to be saved? Well, the
59:21
Bible says in Romans 4, notice this. The
59:24
Bible says in Romans 4 and verse number
59:27
one, "What shall we say then that Abram
59:29
our father as pertaining to the flesh
59:32
hath found? For if Abraham were
59:33
justified by works, he hath were of to
59:36
glory but not before God. For what saith
59:39
the scripture, a quote of Genesis 15:6,
59:42
Abraham believed God, and what? And it
59:44
was counted unto him for righteousness.
59:47
It was his faith. It was not his works.
59:50
It was not what he did that saved him,
59:52
but it was him believing in the words of
59:56
God. You're
59:56
>> right.
59:57
>> And his faith was evidenced by his
59:59
works.
1:00:01
He lived his life in obedience unto God.
1:00:05
Listen to what he says here in Romans 4
1:00:09
verse number 20.
1:00:11
Romans chapter 4 and verse 20. Skipping
1:00:14
over so much truth here, but I I want
1:00:16
you to get this. Okay? Romans 4:20, the
1:00:19
Bible says verse number 19, "He being
1:00:22
not weak in faith, considered not his
1:00:24
own body now dead when he was about a
1:00:26
hundred years old, neither yet the
1:00:28
deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered
1:00:30
not at the promise of God through
1:00:32
unbelief, but was strong in faith,
1:00:33
giving glory to God. And being fully
1:00:36
persuaded that what he had promised, he
1:00:38
was able also to perform."
1:00:42
He was convinced that God was going to
1:00:44
do what he said.
1:00:45
>> You're right.
1:00:47
And you know, the only thing that
1:00:48
Abraham ever saw
1:00:51
as a fulfillment of his promise, look
1:00:53
with me back in Genesis chapter 12
1:00:55
again. Everything that's revealed in
1:00:58
this text, and I wasn't going to deal
1:00:59
with this tonight, but I'll just briefly
1:01:01
touch on it this evening. He says, "I
1:01:04
will make of thee a great nation." Well,
1:01:05
that brings up a problem. His wife's
1:01:08
barren.
1:01:10
The promise that God gave to him, "I'll
1:01:13
make of thee a great nation." and his
1:01:15
wife is barren. He says, "I'll bless
1:01:18
thee. I'll make thy name great, and thou
1:01:19
shalt be a blessing." Everything that
1:01:22
God is saying to him, Abraham would
1:01:24
never see the land. He would never see
1:01:27
the blessing of God. He would never see
1:01:29
all of this coming into fruition. But
1:01:31
you know what he would see? He would see
1:01:32
that son.
1:01:33
>> You're right.
1:01:34
>> And you understand that the blessing of
1:01:37
God's promises, you may never see all
1:01:39
that they entail on this side.
1:01:40
>> You're right.
1:01:42
Some people in here know that very well.
1:01:46
I was thinking about that just today. I
1:01:48
think about your mom all the time,
1:01:49
Brother Steve. I think about the prayers
1:01:52
she prayed. She never saw them answered
1:01:54
on this side,
1:01:55
>> but she knows they're answered now.
1:01:57
>> You're right.
1:01:58
>> And I want to give you this tonight and
1:01:59
I'm done. Okay, I told you I wanted to
1:02:01
really just tie this in with chapter 11
1:02:04
at first. I want you to notice verse two
1:02:07
again or verse number one. He says
1:02:10
number one, verse number one, he said,
1:02:11
"Get thee out of thy country, from thy
1:02:13
kindred, from thy father's house, unto a
1:02:15
land that I will show thee." Notice
1:02:17
that, "A land." Verse two, "I will make
1:02:20
of thee a great nation. I will bless
1:02:22
thee and make thy name great." What was
1:02:27
everything that the Babylonian people
1:02:29
were seeking for in chapter 11?
1:02:32
>> Look what the Bible says. Verse number
1:02:34
four. And they said, "Go to let us build
1:02:37
us a city and a tower whose top may
1:02:41
reach us reach us up unto heaven, and
1:02:43
let us make us a name, lest we be
1:02:46
scattered abroad on the fl the face of
1:02:47
the earth." Verse two, and they found a
1:02:49
plain land of Shine, and they dwelt
1:02:51
there. Everything that they wanted, they
1:02:54
lost.
1:02:56
>> But God comes to somebody who's just
1:02:58
unsuspecting.
1:03:01
Oh friend, if this don't help you, you
1:03:03
don't have to remember nothing else I
1:03:04
said tonight, but you better not forget
1:03:06
this. God come to somebody who was not
1:03:09
looking for anything.
1:03:10
>> You're right.
1:03:11
>> And said, "Here, I'll give it all to
1:03:12
you."
1:03:13
>> Amen.
1:03:16
>> Them people that went seeking for it,
1:03:18
searching for it, trying to attain it on
1:03:21
their own. You know what God did? Said,
1:03:23
"You can't have it." That's
1:03:24
>> right.
1:03:26
>> Aren't you thankful? It's not of works,
1:03:29
>> lest any man should boast.
1:03:31
>> Right?
1:03:31
>> And when they started strutting their
1:03:33
chest out, talking about the tower,
1:03:36
talking about the city, talking about
1:03:38
the name of Babel, God left him in a
1:03:41
dismay and said, "It's just all
1:03:42
confusion."
1:03:44
>> But to Abram here in this text, though
1:03:46
his whole family was sinful, God says,
1:03:47
"I'm going to pick you out.
1:03:49
>> You're right.
1:03:50
>> You're going to be mine, and I'm going
1:03:52
to give you everything that they wanted
1:03:53
but couldn't have."
1:03:54
>> Amen. and I'll give it to you with no
1:03:56
cost to you.
1:03:57
>> Amen.
1:03:59
>> I don't know the greater picture of
1:04:00
salvation.
1:04:02
>> He's given you everything that you can't
1:04:04
even fathom.
1:04:05
>> That's right.
1:04:06
>> Do you realize that you don't really
1:04:07
understand the fact that all your sins
1:04:09
is forgiven?
1:04:10
>> Right.
1:04:11
>> That your life when it ends on this side
1:04:14
that this is just a a dot
1:04:17
>> in the universe of eternity.
1:04:19
>> You're right.
1:04:20
>> We have no idea
1:04:22
>> what is waiting for us. Amen.
1:04:24
>> And God says, "I'll promise it to you."
1:04:27
There's the land. There's the nation.
1:04:30
There's the name. You think about it.
1:04:33
We've got it tonight. We've got a land.
1:04:36
We've got a nation that we're part of.
1:04:38
The church of the living God,
1:04:39
>> right?
1:04:40
>> And we've got a name.
1:04:41
>> Amen.
1:04:42
>> A new name.
1:04:45
>> Written down in glory.
1:04:46
>> Right.
1:04:47
>> And it's mine. Amen. I'll tell you this.
1:04:50
All this stuff ties up a lot. Get a lot
1:04:51
closer than you think it does. I want to
1:04:53
encourage you tonight. Don't forget the
1:04:55
promise. You say Abram lived 75 years.
1:04:58
Bible says 75. Can you imagine that? I
1:05:02
think about it all time. Say it all the
1:05:04
time. Probably Jeremiah preached for 70
1:05:06
years. Never saw anybody turn to God.
1:05:08
But you know what? He's seeing things
1:05:10
right now that we're going to be seeing
1:05:12
for long.
1:05:12
>> Amen.
1:05:14
>> We may not ever see things turn out the
1:05:16
way we want it to. But you just don't
1:05:18
know. You can you you can know this. You
1:05:20
can expect the unexpected
1:05:22
>> from God. Amen. God will show up and the
1:05:26
cowes. Aren't you thankful for that?
1:05:28
Amen. He'll show up for those people
1:05:30
that's unwanted. Amen. For the most
1:05:32
part, unwilling. Amen. But I'm I'm
1:05:34
thankful for what little bit of faith.
1:05:36
Amen. He said, "If you just had faith as
1:05:38
a mustard seed." Amen.
1:05:40
>> Just believe. Amen. Trust the Lord.
1:05:42
Father, thank you for this time. Thank
1:05:44
you for this truth tonight. God, I thank
1:05:47
you, Father, that you chose to bless
1:05:49
Abraham. And Lord, we'll look at on next
1:05:52
time, Father. We know we'll look there
1:05:54
at his ministry and the missionary that
1:05:57
he was and God, what you designed him to
1:06:00
be, Lord, as the father of the Israel,
1:06:02
but the father of the faith. Lord, the
1:06:04
father of all that believe and trust in
1:06:07
you, God. May we just trust you, God. We
1:06:10
know, Father, there's days, Lord, it
1:06:11
feels like we can't track you, but God,
1:06:13
I know that we can still trust you. Help
1:06:15
us trust you, be obedient to you.