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Prepare the Way: Making Room for Jesus This Palm Sunday · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

• 0:05
  Welcome to Half-Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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  Two thousand came and the spark was lit. A testimony raw, it wouldn't quit.
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  His mother's voice, a guiding thread.
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  Good morning everyone and welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  My name is Angel and I'm glad to have you back.
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  This week we want to do something a little different. We're getting closer to
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  Palm Sunday and I felt that we need to do something that will slow things down
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  for this week and spend a few extra minutes each morning preparing ourselves spiritually.
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  Not rushing, not just going through the motions, but really taking the time to get our hearts ready.
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  Because Palm Sunday isn't just a story from the Bible.
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  It's a reminder that Jesus still comes into our lives today,
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  but we have to make room for him. And that's what I want.
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  That's what I want to talk about this morning, making room for Jesus.
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  In the Bible, before Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people prepared the way.
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  They laid down palms, branches.
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  They cleared the road. They made space for him to come through.
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  And I think sometimes we forget that part.
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  Before Jesus entered the city, something had to move. Something had to be cleared.
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  Something had to be set aside. And the same thing is true in our lives.
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  We say we want peace. We say we want strength.
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  We say we want God closer to us, but our lives get crowded.
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  Our schedules get full. Our minds get busy.
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  Our hearts get heavy. We carry stress. We carry worry. We carry fear.
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  We carry things from yesterday that we should have left behind.
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  And then we wonder why we don't feel God the way we want to.
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  It's not always because God is far away.
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  Sometimes it's because there's no room.
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  In Matthew 3, verse 3, it says, Prepare the way for the Lord.
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  Make straight paths for him.
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  That message wasn't just for the people back then. It's for us right now.
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  Prepare the way. Not on the road, not in the city, but in your heart.
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  Sometimes making room for Jesus means letting go of something.
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  Letting go of anger. Letting go of resentment. Letting go of control.
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  Letting go of the need to have everything figured out.
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  Sometimes making room means slowing down, turning off the noise,
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  putting the phone down, taking a breath, saying, Lord, I'm here, and I need you.
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  The truth is, Jesus will come into your life, but he won't force his way in.
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  He waits for the door to open. He waits for the space to be made.
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  He waits for the moment when we stop running along long enough to say, come on in.
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  And as we get closer to Palm Sunday this week, I want to challenge all of us
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  to do something just a little different. Do something simple.
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  Every day this week, take a moment, just a moment, and ask yourself,
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  what do I need to move out of the way so that God can move in? Maybe it's worry.
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  Maybe it's doubt. Maybe it's guilt. And maybe it's fear. But whatever it is, lay it down.
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  Just like they laid down the branches on the road, lay it down and make room for the king.
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  Because the truth is, Jesus is still coming, still calling, still knocking,
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  still ready to enter your life in a new way.
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  But we have to prepare the way. Let's pray.
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  Lord, help us this week to slow down. Help us to be clear.
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  Help us to clear the things in our heart that we keep us from feeling your presence.
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  Give us the courage to let go of what we don't need to carry anymore.
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  And help us make room for you so that when you come, we're ready.
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  Pray this unto you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thank you for joining us and
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  thank you for joining me today on Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  Tomorrow, we'll talk about something powerful. What happens when God doesn't
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  show up the way we expected?
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  Hmm, that's gonna be an interesting episode. Have a blessed day.
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  God be with you. And remember, have faith, let it begin.