Dudley Rutherford - Accepting God's Wisdom (Part 2)

May 8, 2026 | 27:29

Pastor Dudley Rutherford seeks to "lift up the name of Jesus across the country and the world through uncompromising biblical teaching."

#Wisdom #TrustGod #Faith #Christianity #WalkwithGod #Truth #Bible #VoiceofGod #DudleyRutherford

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| Dudley Rutherford - Accepting God's Wisdom (Part 2) | May 8, 2026

...
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...
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Male announcer: you make decisions that shape
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Your future.
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You don't need another trend.
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You need truth from above.
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In pastor dudley's new series, "just don't survive; flourish,"
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He uncovers the bible's divine nuggets of truth,
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Guidance, and instruction.
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This year, don't just survive; open god's word and flourish.
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Join us next on "lift up jesus" for the series
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"don't just survive; flourish."
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Pastor dudley rutherford: "for the lord
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Will give you wisdom.
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From his mouth will come knowledge
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And understanding, and he holds victory
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In store for the upright.
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He's a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
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For he guards the course of the just,
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And he protects the way of the faithful ones.
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And then you will understand what is right
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And just and fair-- and every good path."
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♪♪♪
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Pastor dudley: welcome to "lift up jesus."
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I'm dudley rutherford, senior pastor
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Of shepherd church, and i wanna thank you
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For joining me here today.
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I'm sharing a message that i believe
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Will impact your life in a powerful way.
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You're here for a reason, and god has
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An important plan for your life.
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So take a quick moment, grab your bible, a pen,
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Your notes, and let's begin today's lesson.
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Pastor dudley: now verse 22 is, you know,
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It's kind of a funny picture.
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It says it's, "like a gold ring in a pig's snout."
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Now you would never take a gold ring
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And put it in a pig's nose, why?
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Because that gold ring is expensive,
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It's valuable, it's precious.
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You wouldn't waste it on a pig's nose.
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And he says, "that is as a beautiful woman
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Who shows no discretion."
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So earlier we read about the man is supposed to hold his tongue
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And the woman is to show discretion.
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And so all of these proverbs,
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They deal with each and every one of us
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In different areas of our life.
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The last one we'll read here in this chapter is in verse 30.
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It says: "the fruit of the righteous
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Is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."
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One of the wisest things that you can do
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Is to look at someone and try to lead them
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To jesus christ.
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You wanna be a wise man, a wise woman?
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Help people find jesus christ.
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And so that's just-- and so here's the exercise.
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Today's the 11th.
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You get up, you read the whole thing,
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And then you think of one out of that whole chapter,
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Find one verse that really-- that god is speaking to you.
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And then as you leave the house that day,
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You think about that verse all day long.
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You say, "lord, i'm gonna live this
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All day long," and before you go to bed
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At night, i want you to reflect back
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On that one truth that you were trying to instill
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Into your life and ask yourself, did you live that out today?
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And then tomorrow, monday, you start
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That whole process over, you read chapter 12,
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And find the one verse that's in there for you.
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If you won't listen, you won't learn.
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If you won't learn, you'll never flourish.
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In some way, the entire book of proverbs
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Can be summed up with one word,
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And it's the word "listen."
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We have to learn to listen, amen?
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Point number three, rejecting god's wisdom
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Is foolishness.
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Rejecting god's wisdom is folly.
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This whole book, 31 chapters, 800 ted talks,
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800 life principles.
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I want to show you this.
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It's like almost-- in almost every verse,
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There's like two signs-- two sides to a coin.
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There's two different ways to live.
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One is to practice wisdom, and one is to reject wisdom.
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It's like in every verse.
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They look at each other, they speak to each other,
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And you get to choose, are you going to live
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A life of wisdom, or are you going to reject
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God's wisdom?
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And as you go through each of these proverbs,
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You'll realize that any time you choose to live god's way,
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Your life is going to end up better.
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And if you choose to reject god's wisdom,
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Your life is not going to end up as well.
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In other words, the smartest thing,
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I'm talking to all of us, the smartest thing you
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Will ever do in life is to read god's wisdom
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And apply it to your life and say, "god,
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This comes from you, i'm going to follow your word."
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And the absolute dumbest thing
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That any of us can ever do is to read
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And understand god's wisdom and reject god's wisdom
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And say, "i'm not going to live according to that."
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If you look at verse 20, go back to proverbs 1, verse 20.
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It says that "wisdom calls aloud in the street,
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She raises her voice in the public square."
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What does that mean?
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What that means is that when you decide to follow
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God's wisdom, or if you decide to reject
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God's wisdom, the whole world's going to hear about it.
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No man, no woman lives on an island.
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It's not gonna be something that people can't figure out.
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It's going to be obvious.
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She shouts from the streets, those people
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Who decide we're going to live for god and follow god's path,
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And those who reject god's path.
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And so what god does in these next few passages,
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I'm going to just read this quickly.
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He tells you and shows you all the bad stuff
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That's going to happen if you choose to reject
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God's wisdom, and then he's going to tell you
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All the things that are good if you decide to follow
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God's wisdom.
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This is not hard to understand.
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He first of all, tells you all the bad stuff.
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And so, let's look at this.
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Some of you won't even believe this is in the bible.
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This is why i want you to bring your bible,
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So you can see it.
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Otherwise, i could just make this stuff up.
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And some of you are gonna think i made this up.
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You're gonna say to me, "that's not in the bible."
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How do you know it's not in the bible?
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You--i'm trying to help you here.
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Notice what he says to people who reject god's wisdom.
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This is unbelievable.
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"since," verse 24, "you rejected me
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When i called and no one gave heed
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When i stretched out my hand, and since you have ignored
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All my advice and would not accept
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My rebuke, in turn, i, god,
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Am gonna laugh at your disaster."
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"ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," god says.
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He says, "i'm gonna mock when calamity overtakes you--
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When calamity overtakes you like a storm,
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When disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
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When distress and trouble overwhelm you.
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Then they will call on me but i will not answer;
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They will look for me but they will not find me."
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You--people in here today go, "ha,
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Ha, ha, ha, ha, there's no such thing as god.
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You people are crazy," and god says, "oh,
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You don't think there's a god?
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Ha, ha, ha, ha, i'm going to show you
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A few things, young man."
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Now there's nothing funny about this.
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This is the laughter of absurdity.
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This is the laughter of irony,
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That there's a creator god in the universe
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Who created each and every one of us
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In his image, and then he gives us the rules
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Or the principles to live by, and we look up at the god
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Who created us, and he's got all everything
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In heaven that he's got prepared for us,
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And we go, "oh, i don't wanna follow you,
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God," and god's looking at us like, "what?
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Are you nuts?"
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And he lets it just play out because the bible
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Says we reap what we sow, right?
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So, keep reading what he says here
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In verse 28, and i'm gonna read this quick.
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Verse 29: "since they hated knowledge
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And did not choose to fear the lord,
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Since they would not accept my advice
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And spurned my rebuke, they will therefore
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Eat the fruit of their ways and be filled
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With the fruit of their schemes.
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For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
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And the complacency of fools will destroy them."
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But what is the first word of verse 33?
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"but," how many of you are glad there's a "but"
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In the bible?
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That's a hard question to ask, but, "but."
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Now he gives you all the good things,
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And you get to choose which of these you want.
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"but whoever listens to me will live in safety."
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How many of you want to live in safety?
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"and you will be at ease," nothing to worry about,
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"without fear of harm."
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Into chapter 2: "my son, my son,
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If you accept my words and you store up my commands
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Within you, turning your ear towards wisdom
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And you apply your heart to understanding,
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And if you call out for insight
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And you cry aloud for understanding,
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And if you look for it just as you would look for silver
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Or you would search for it as you would search
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For hidden treasure, then you will understand
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The fear of the lord
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And you will find the knowledge of god.
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For the lord will give you wisdom.
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From his mouth will come knowledge
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And understanding, and he holds victory
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In store for the upright, he's a shield
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To those whose walk is blameless,
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For he guards the course of the just
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And he protects the way of the faithful ones.
00:10:49.167 --> 00:10:51.670
And then you will understand what is right
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And just and fair-- and every good path."
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Do you see it?
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Let's go over this next slide here
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Before i tell the story.
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There's two paths.
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One is a path of wisdom.
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One is a path of folly.
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You get to choose. you're right here, right now.
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We're gonna dismiss in just a minute.
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You're getting ready to go back into the valley,
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Back in la, back to where you live,
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Back to where you work, back to where you go to school.
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You get to choose which path you want to be on.
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If you choose to live a life of wisdom,
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The bible says you will flourish.
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If you choose a life of folly as you leave here,
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You're going to end up in calamity.
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You get on the right path, your life will flourish.
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You're gonna have the blessing of god
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On your life.
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If you choose to live a life of foolishness,
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You reject god's word, his principles, these proverbs,
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You're gonna end up in calamity and a life of peril.
00:11:59.437 --> 00:12:04.042
About a year ago, i was playing in a pickleball tournament.
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And me and my partner, we made it
00:12:09.814 --> 00:12:12.917
To the gold medal match.
00:12:12.917 --> 00:12:16.688
And if you win this match, you get a gold medal.
00:12:16.688 --> 00:12:18.990
It's this little piece of-- it's worth about 10 cents.
00:12:18.990 --> 00:12:23.661
And it's the-- you got to win two games,
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The best out of three.
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It didn't take me long as we begin
00:12:29.467 --> 00:12:31.102
This gold medal match, i look across, there's a guy
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In a black shirt and a guy in a red shirt,
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And i could tell immediately the guy in the black shirt
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Was better than the guy in the red shirt.
00:12:37.275 --> 00:12:39.944
So i started hitting every ball at the guy in red
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And my partner kept hitting at this guy in the black shirt.
00:12:42.247 --> 00:12:46.117
And we go back.
00:12:46.117 --> 00:12:48.219
As we go back to serve, i said, "hey man,
00:12:48.219 --> 00:12:50.221
You gotta stop hitting at the guy in the black shirt."
00:12:50.221 --> 00:12:53.391
He goes, "what do you mean?"
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I go, "well, the guy in the red is terrible.
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Hit it at him." he goes, "okay, okay, okay."
00:12:56.327 --> 00:12:59.931
First play, hits it right at the guy in the black.
00:12:59.931 --> 00:13:04.669
And we're getting killed. i go back again.
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I said, "man, you keep hitting at the guy in the black.
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I'm telling you, hit it at the guy in red
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And we'll win-- we can win this thing."
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He goes, "okay, okay."
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First play, ball goes right at the guy in black.
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We lose game one, we get killed in game one.
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Talking between games, i said, "listen, man, listen.
00:13:24.389 --> 00:13:26.558
I know i keep telling you, you're getting sick of me--
00:13:26.558 --> 00:13:28.226
Hearing me say this.
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We gotta freeze the guy in black out.
00:13:29.561 --> 00:13:31.296
We gotta go to the guy in red.
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The guy in the black is too good for us.
00:13:32.630 --> 00:13:34.199
We're gonna lose if you keep hitting."
00:13:34.199 --> 00:13:36.000
"okay, okay, okay."
00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.335
Go back, game two, he hits the ball
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Right at the guy in the black shirt.
00:13:39.003 --> 00:13:42.106
This goes on and on. we're losing game two.
00:13:42.106 --> 00:13:44.242
We're just a few points from losing
00:13:44.242 --> 00:13:45.743
The gold medal match.
00:13:45.743 --> 00:13:51.149
And i'm not mad at him.
00:13:51.149 --> 00:13:53.318
I'm just--i wanna win.
00:13:53.318 --> 00:13:57.355
So i go back and i say to him, i said, "time out,
00:13:57.355 --> 00:14:02.193
Time out, time out."
00:14:02.193 --> 00:14:03.528
I said, "let me ask you a question.
00:14:03.528 --> 00:14:05.196
You do know those guys
00:14:05.196 --> 00:14:06.531
Have two different color shirts on, right?"
00:14:06.531 --> 00:14:09.400
"yeah, yeah," "you're not color blind?"
00:14:09.400 --> 00:14:11.002
"no, no, no," i said, "you see the guy in black?"
00:14:11.002 --> 00:14:12.804
"yeah." "you see the guy in the red?"
00:14:12.804 --> 00:14:14.138
He goes, "yeah."
00:14:14.138 --> 00:14:15.473
I go, "we gotta hit it at the guy in the red shirt."
00:14:15.473 --> 00:14:17.275
He goes, "okay, okay, okay."
00:14:17.275 --> 00:14:19.978
Go back, serve, first ball, right at the guy in black.
00:14:19.978 --> 00:14:24.449
So i go back, it's my last chance
00:14:24.449 --> 00:14:26.451
To fix this guy.
00:14:26.451 --> 00:14:29.888
I said, "i wanna ask you a question, man.
00:14:29.888 --> 00:14:33.057
I keep telling you to hit it at the guy in red.
00:14:33.057 --> 00:14:38.029
And you keep hitting it at the guy in the black shirt."
00:14:38.029 --> 00:14:41.399
He goes, "yeah, yeah."
00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:42.734
I go, "i wanna ask you a question.
00:14:42.734 --> 00:14:44.068
If i tell you to hit it at the guy in black,
00:14:44.068 --> 00:14:48.840
Will you then start hitting at the guy in the red?"
00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:54.178
He goes, "what?"
00:14:54.178 --> 00:14:56.681
"i said, if i tell you to hit the ball
00:14:56.681 --> 00:14:58.583
To the guy in black, will you start hitting the ball
00:14:58.583 --> 00:15:00.785
To the guy in red?"
00:15:00.785 --> 00:15:02.120
And it clicked in his brain.
00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:04.956
And he started to hit the ball at the guy in red.
00:15:04.956 --> 00:15:09.661
We turned game two around, we won game two,
00:15:09.661 --> 00:15:12.063
And we killed them in game three,
00:15:12.063 --> 00:15:14.432
Hitting the ball at the guy in the red.
00:15:14.432 --> 00:15:18.236
This is not rocket science.
00:15:18.236 --> 00:15:22.907
But i want to ask you a question.
00:15:22.907 --> 00:15:26.744
How many times have you come to this church
00:15:26.744 --> 00:15:30.848
Where i've stood up here, and i've told you,
00:15:30.848 --> 00:15:33.318
"you all need to bring a bible to church"?
00:15:33.318 --> 00:15:37.221
If you don't have a bible, you need to get a bible.
00:15:37.221 --> 00:15:40.892
That's why we're here is to study god's word.
00:15:40.892 --> 00:15:43.828
Get your bible, come in here, open it up,
00:15:43.828 --> 00:15:45.630
Take some--how many-- how many--how many times
00:15:45.630 --> 00:15:48.866
Have i told you, and yet many of you
00:15:48.866 --> 00:15:52.770
Still walk in here without a bible.
00:15:52.770 --> 00:15:58.209
And it just kind of went through my head.
00:15:58.209 --> 00:15:59.844
I just want to stand up here and ask you a question.
00:15:59.844 --> 00:16:05.817
If i told you, whatever you do,
00:16:05.817 --> 00:16:10.655
Do not bring a bible in here, would you
00:16:10.655 --> 00:16:17.729
Go get a bible and bring one in here?
00:16:17.729 --> 00:16:21.899
I'm just asking.
00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:26.337
How many times have i told you
00:16:26.337 --> 00:16:28.272
That if you're a believer in jesus,
00:16:28.272 --> 00:16:30.208
That you need to be baptized?
00:16:30.208 --> 00:16:32.944
You've heard me say that.
00:16:32.944 --> 00:16:35.046
What if i came in here and i said, "hey,
00:16:35.046 --> 00:16:38.016
Whatever you do, do not, do not get in that--
00:16:38.016 --> 00:16:42.086
Do not be baptized."
00:16:42.086 --> 00:16:46.391
Would you run over there and get baptized?
00:16:46.391 --> 00:16:49.527
If i told you don't pray, would you pray?
00:16:49.527 --> 00:16:51.829
If i told you don't join a life group,
00:16:51.829 --> 00:16:53.898
Would you join a life group?
00:16:53.898 --> 00:16:57.201
This is not rocket science.
00:16:57.201 --> 00:17:02.407
Throughout all god's word, you simply either choose to do
00:17:02.407 --> 00:17:06.010
What he asked or you reject what he asked.
00:17:06.010 --> 00:17:10.248
And some of you keep choosing to reject
00:17:10.248 --> 00:17:14.585
God's wisdom.
00:17:14.585 --> 00:17:17.455
And i'm just here today, along with solomon,
00:17:17.455 --> 00:17:22.293
Encouraging you, let's all choose
00:17:22.293 --> 00:17:24.762
To start accepting god's wisdom
00:17:24.762 --> 00:17:27.865
And live according to the way god would have us to live.
00:17:27.865 --> 00:17:31.235
One of my favorite episodes of the show, "jerry seinfeld,"
00:17:31.235 --> 00:17:35.073
Which is one of the best television shows ever filmed.
00:17:35.073 --> 00:17:40.912
There's a guy named george costanza.
00:17:40.912 --> 00:17:42.880
This is the final episode of season 5.
00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:46.217
It's called, "the opposite."
00:17:46.217 --> 00:17:48.519
And george is single.
00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:50.655
He lives in his parents's house.
00:17:50.655 --> 00:17:53.391
He doesn't have a job, he's a loser.
00:17:53.391 --> 00:17:57.195
And he's sitting at this coffee table.
00:17:57.195 --> 00:17:59.864
And he says, "you know, my entire life,
00:17:59.864 --> 00:18:02.066
I've always followed my natural instincts."
00:18:02.066 --> 00:18:06.037
And he goes, "i think i'm gonna start
00:18:06.037 --> 00:18:07.371
Doing just the opposite of my natural instincts."
00:18:07.371 --> 00:18:11.509
He said, "for example, i always order tuna
00:18:11.509 --> 00:18:14.679
On white bread.
00:18:14.679 --> 00:18:17.248
So today i'm gonna do the opposite
00:18:17.248 --> 00:18:19.817
Of my natural inclination.
00:18:19.817 --> 00:18:21.986
I'm going to order salmon on wheat bread,"
00:18:21.986 --> 00:18:25.189
And he starts doing the opposite of everything,
00:18:25.189 --> 00:18:27.358
And at the end of the show, he's got a beautiful girlfriend.
00:18:27.358 --> 00:18:32.864
He's a--he works for the new york--
00:18:32.864 --> 00:18:34.665
He got a job working for the new york yankees.
00:18:34.665 --> 00:18:37.668
He moves out of his parents's house
00:18:37.668 --> 00:18:39.370
And he's living in an apartment in manhattan.
00:18:39.370 --> 00:18:43.641
How did he do that?
00:18:43.641 --> 00:18:45.576
He didn't follow his natural instincts.
00:18:45.576 --> 00:18:49.547
And i think because of the flesh
00:18:49.547 --> 00:18:53.651
That we all struggle following our natural instincts.
00:18:53.651 --> 00:18:59.056
And the bible says, look at this verse
00:18:59.056 --> 00:19:00.625
In proverbs 14:12, i close with this.
00:19:00.625 --> 00:19:02.793
"there is a way that seems right to a man,
00:19:02.793 --> 00:19:08.266
But in the end it leads to death."
00:19:08.266 --> 00:19:13.070
And today i simply call you to choose
00:19:13.070 --> 00:19:17.108
Which of those two roads that you want to live,
00:19:17.108 --> 00:19:19.844
A life of wisdom or a life of folly,
00:19:19.844 --> 00:19:22.980
And see god's hand of blessing upon your life as you choose
00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:28.419
Which side of that coin you want to live your life.
00:19:28.419 --> 00:19:32.623
Pastor dudley: oh, i hope you were blessed
00:19:36.494 --> 00:19:37.828
By today's message.
00:19:37.828 --> 00:19:39.564
You can watch it again by visiting our website
00:19:39.564 --> 00:19:42.133
At liftupjesus.com, clicking the "watch and listen" button
00:19:42.133 --> 00:19:46.804
Up there at the top of that page.
00:19:46.804 --> 00:19:49.373
And when you're on the site,
00:19:49.373 --> 00:19:50.741
Would you please consider giving a financial gift
00:19:50.741 --> 00:19:53.978
Or even better, becoming a monthly partner?
00:19:53.978 --> 00:19:57.782
Again, you can find all this at our website, liftupjesus.com.
00:19:57.782 --> 00:20:01.953
God has called us to take this message
00:20:01.953 --> 00:20:04.522
To the world, but we need your help.
00:20:04.522 --> 00:20:08.025
Your prayers and financial support
00:20:08.025 --> 00:20:10.261
Are incredibly important for helping us
00:20:10.261 --> 00:20:12.997
Make a difference in the lives of millions of people.
00:20:12.997 --> 00:20:17.401
I'll see you here again next week, same time,
00:20:17.401 --> 00:20:19.737
Same place, and until then, whatever you're doing
00:20:19.737 --> 00:20:22.640
And wherever you're going, don't forget to always
00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:25.610
Lift up jesus.
00:20:25.610 --> 00:20:27.845
Monet lopez: my name is monet, and i actually don't really
00:20:31.649 --> 00:20:36.287
Remember a life before accepting christ,
00:20:36.287 --> 00:20:39.390
Which is a blessing all in itself.
00:20:39.390 --> 00:20:42.093
But i started attending shepherd church in 2001,
00:20:42.093 --> 00:20:45.963
So i was about 3 years old;
00:20:45.963 --> 00:20:48.332
And i started attending because my grandma
00:20:48.332 --> 00:20:51.435
Had experienced a loss, the loss of her brother,
00:20:51.435 --> 00:20:55.039
And it was really hard on her.
00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:56.774
And for some reason my grandma still doesn't know to this day.
00:20:56.774 --> 00:21:00.077
Someone had caught wind of it from shepherd,
00:21:00.077 --> 00:21:04.515
Invited them to grief share;
00:21:04.515 --> 00:21:06.917
And they came and they absolutely loved it.
00:21:06.917 --> 00:21:10.488
They felt so welcome.
00:21:10.488 --> 00:21:11.922
They felt comforted.
00:21:11.922 --> 00:21:13.324
They felt like they didn't have to do it alone.
00:21:13.324 --> 00:21:15.960
So they ended up taking the next step
00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:18.763
And coming to a weekend service,
00:21:18.763 --> 00:21:20.831
And pastor dudley ended up talking about grief
00:21:20.831 --> 00:21:23.634
And how god is the only one that can truly get you
00:21:23.634 --> 00:21:27.238
Through a time of grieving.
00:21:27.238 --> 00:21:29.974
And she felt like she was being talked to directly,
00:21:29.974 --> 00:21:33.611
And literally from that moment we have never left.
00:21:33.611 --> 00:21:38.449
In 2007, my dad got a job transfer and it led our family
00:21:38.449 --> 00:21:45.656
To have to move about 2 hours away from the valley,
00:21:45.656 --> 00:21:49.360
Which meant not only was i leaving my home
00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:53.998
That was with my grandparents
00:21:53.998 --> 00:21:55.499
'cause i had lived with them my whole life,
00:21:55.499 --> 00:21:57.802
But i was also leaving my second home, which was shepherd.
00:21:57.802 --> 00:22:02.139
And it ended up being fine until 2008 when our country
00:22:02.139 --> 00:22:09.146
Went into a recession,
00:22:09.146 --> 00:22:11.248
And obviously with the recession came a lot of job losses
00:22:11.248 --> 00:22:14.485
And unfortunately my dad was affected by that.
00:22:14.485 --> 00:22:17.788
The best option that my parents had thought of of the time
00:22:17.788 --> 00:22:22.226
Was my dad taking his old job back in the valley,
00:22:22.226 --> 00:22:27.431
Living there during the week and coming back during the weekend.
00:22:27.431 --> 00:22:31.268
I think my parents did what they needed to do and they thought
00:22:31.268 --> 00:22:34.038
That that was the best decision for our family at the time
00:22:34.038 --> 00:22:37.408
To keep a roof over our head and to keep the relationships
00:22:37.408 --> 00:22:41.712
That we had just, you know, made.
00:22:41.712 --> 00:22:44.849
I think they did it for our sake,
00:22:44.849 --> 00:22:46.917
But it ended up hurting our family more in the long run.
00:22:46.917 --> 00:22:52.490
My mom was very much depressed and didn't know how to handle it
00:22:52.490 --> 00:22:59.130
Well and unfortunately she started drinking.
00:22:59.130 --> 00:23:03.167
It just started to become worse and worse and it got to a point
00:23:03.167 --> 00:23:07.905
Where she couldn't get up in the morning sometimes,
00:23:07.905 --> 00:23:11.575
So i had to grow up very fast.
00:23:11.575 --> 00:23:15.613
Her drinking just continued to get worse to the point
00:23:15.613 --> 00:23:18.416
Where she had to be sent to rehab.
00:23:18.416 --> 00:23:22.286
♪♪♪
00:23:22.286 --> 00:23:27.258
Monet: i knew that seeking god was what i needed most
00:23:27.258 --> 00:23:30.060
At that time and to truly heal and to truly move on
00:23:30.060 --> 00:23:34.565
From everything that happened in my life;
00:23:34.565 --> 00:23:36.467
And that was definitely a source of happiness
00:23:36.467 --> 00:23:39.003
For me, was coming back to shepherd.
00:23:39.003 --> 00:23:41.472
And it wasn't until "passion play,"
00:23:41.472 --> 00:23:45.209
The play that we hold every year during easter time-
00:23:45.209 --> 00:23:49.447
I ended up singing in it and acting in it
00:23:49.447 --> 00:23:53.684
And--'cause that was something that had always been something
00:23:53.684 --> 00:23:56.520
I wanted to do and music has always been something
00:23:56.520 --> 00:24:00.124
That has brought me joy.
00:24:00.124 --> 00:24:01.592
So i decided to audition for the "passion play."
00:24:01.592 --> 00:24:04.195
I got in.
00:24:04.195 --> 00:24:06.130
I ended up meeting some other people there that were my age
00:24:06.130 --> 00:24:10.534
And they started inviting me to shepherd youth, and i was,
00:24:10.534 --> 00:24:14.505
Like, really hesitant until they invited me to summer camp,
00:24:14.505 --> 00:24:18.609
Which is when literally everything changed in my life.
00:24:18.609 --> 00:24:24.215
High school summer camp, it was my first year.
00:24:24.215 --> 00:24:26.917
I was really nervous.
00:24:26.917 --> 00:24:28.385
I had these new friends that were, like,
00:24:28.385 --> 00:24:30.888
Hyping it up so much.
00:24:30.888 --> 00:24:32.423
They were like, "you have to go."
00:24:32.423 --> 00:24:34.091
And i took the chance of going
00:24:34.091 --> 00:24:36.060
And it literally changed my life.
00:24:36.060 --> 00:24:39.196
I experienced god in a way that i had never experienced before.
00:24:39.196 --> 00:24:44.502
After i was really involved in shepherd youth, i ended up
00:24:44.502 --> 00:24:47.938
Interning for a summer and i knew that youth ministry
00:24:47.938 --> 00:24:51.742
Was the direction i wanted to go with my life.
00:24:51.742 --> 00:24:53.944
I was so thankful for the people who poured into me when i was
00:24:53.944 --> 00:24:58.148
In high school and i wanted to be able to do the same thing
00:24:58.148 --> 00:25:00.851
For middle-schoolers and high-schoolers,
00:25:00.851 --> 00:25:03.687
Especially at the church that i loved.
00:25:03.687 --> 00:25:07.091
A verse that has really gotten me through a lot of things
00:25:07.091 --> 00:25:11.562
And has always been a anchor of support for me:
00:25:11.562 --> 00:25:17.134
Matthew 20:28 says, "just as the son of man
00:25:17.134 --> 00:25:19.603
Did not come to be served, but to serve,
00:25:19.603 --> 00:25:22.740
And to give his life as a ransom for many."
00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:25.075
I actually have a tattoo of it.
00:25:25.075 --> 00:25:27.244
It was my grandpa's favorite verse, and he passed in 2020.
00:25:27.244 --> 00:25:32.216
That verse speaks so much to me.
00:25:32.216 --> 00:25:34.618
Serving is something that brought me out of
00:25:34.618 --> 00:25:37.988
So many bad things in my life, and it has brought me joy
00:25:37.988 --> 00:25:43.360
And it has brought my family to jesus.
00:25:43.360 --> 00:25:46.497
And i can't thank shepherd enough for everything
00:25:46.497 --> 00:25:50.134
They've given me, given my family.
00:25:50.134 --> 00:25:53.304
I met my husband at shepherd, i have met my friends,
00:25:53.304 --> 00:25:56.774
Who are my family, at shepherd.
00:25:56.774 --> 00:25:58.976
I can't thank this church enough for everything it's given me.
00:25:58.976 --> 00:26:04.148
So just come.
00:26:04.148 --> 00:26:06.050
♪♪♪
00:26:06.050 --> 00:26:13.657
Michael north: research proves that it's the regular hearing
00:26:16.760 --> 00:26:18.596
And teaching of the word of god
00:26:18.596 --> 00:26:21.065
That takes our christian life to a new level.
00:26:21.065 --> 00:26:23.734
That's why we invite you to meet dudley rutherford every week
00:26:23.734 --> 00:26:26.737
On this station for another powerful message
00:26:26.737 --> 00:26:29.206
Straight from the bible.
00:26:29.206 --> 00:26:31.108
You can also visit liftupjesus.com to sign up
00:26:31.108 --> 00:26:33.877
For a monthly email devotional, discover pastor dudley's books
00:26:33.877 --> 00:26:38.048
And other resources, and see our national tv
00:26:38.048 --> 00:26:40.951
And radio schedule.
00:26:40.951 --> 00:26:42.953
And don't hesitate to reach out on the phone or online.
00:26:42.953 --> 00:26:45.956
Pastor dudley has a passion and vision to reach more people
00:26:45.956 --> 00:26:49.793
With the message of hope.
00:26:49.793 --> 00:26:51.829
And if you'd like to partner with us to touch the world,
00:26:51.829 --> 00:26:54.498
We'd love to hear from you.
00:26:54.498 --> 00:26:56.300
Your financial gift will do so much to help us impact
00:26:56.300 --> 00:26:59.269
The nations for christ.
00:26:59.269 --> 00:27:01.338
And if you're ever in the southern california area,
00:27:01.338 --> 00:27:03.641
We invite you to visit us at shepherd church
00:27:03.641 --> 00:27:05.976
Here in los angeles.
00:27:05.976 --> 00:27:07.611
It's an amazing experience you'll never forget.
00:27:07.611 --> 00:27:10.414
Until next time, remember to always lift up jesus.
00:27:10.414 --> 00:27:14.318
♪♪♪
00:27:14.318 --> 00:27:19.623
...
00:27:22.860 --> 00:27:22.860

Dudley Rutherford - Accepting God's Wisdom (Part 2)

May 8, 2026 | 27:29

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