Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Immovable Barriers (Part 1) | December 18, 2025
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen jackson: we began allen jackson ministries
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- To strengthen the church.
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- Thank you for your partnership.
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- Together we made an impact in this nation, but we're not done.
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- In fact, in many ways i believe we're just beginning.
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- The status quo is not adequate any longer.
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- We can't sit in our churches and have our polite bible studies
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- And sing our favorite choruses while we watch
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- Darkness increasing in the world around us.
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- We have to have the courage to tell the truth to our culture.
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- A biblical worldview to engage current events in a way
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- To make what we believe apart of the fabric of our schools,
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- Our homes, our communities, our nation, and beyond.
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- We have invitations now from war-torn countries
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- In israel and ukraine to strengthen the churches there.
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- I want to ask you to make an investment with us
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- In allen jackson ministries
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- To make 2026 the most fruitful year we've ever had together.
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- God is moving in the earth.
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- We want to keep the pace.
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- We want to take new steps to make a new impact.
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- Your help makes that possible.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen: we're walking through a series
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- On breakthroughs.
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- The real goal is to try to understand the components that
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- Are present when god brings breakthroughs because i'm very
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- Certain that in all of our lives, there are places where we
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- Need god's help.
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- Circumstances or places or relationships or decisions where
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- The only acceptable outcome will involve the supernatural
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- Engagement of god.
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- It's not a matter of effort or thinking or knowledge
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- Or contacts.
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- We need god's help.
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- It's a breakthrough and so, it's worth studying and considering
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- Biblical patterns so that we might know how to
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- Align ourselves.
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- I don't believe god is against us.
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- I believe he's for us.
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- And i--but frequently, i believe we have to change in order for
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- The purposes of god to emerge in our lives.
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- So, we're on a bit of a learning curve in this season.
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- We're gonna look at some immovable barriers tonight and
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- How we can move them.
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- I know that's a paradox.
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- If they're immovable, they can't be moved, but god can.
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- But i wanna start with our little paradigm i've been
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- Inviting you towards and i'm gonna do it a bit more
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- Consistently because i think it's necessary, this whole
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- Notion that we began back in covid.
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- It seems like at least a lifetime ago now of watch,
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- Listen, think, and act.
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- Sometimes it's good news, but when you see the truth presented
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- Or the wisdom expressed, it puts in stark contrast the
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- Foolishness that's been present.
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- And this week, president-elect trump said, i hope you heard,
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- That if the hostages that were taken by hamas were not released
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- Prior to his inauguration on january 20th, i quote, "there'll
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- Be hell to pay."
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- I think that is a very appropriate statement.
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- I had a couple of interviews yesterday with friends in israel
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- And i can tell you the tone in israel changed with
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- That statement.
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- But it's not broadly accepted.
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- There are people that say, you know, "it's insightful rhetoric.
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- It's ratcheting up the tension."
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- I'll give you my opinion. it's at least an informed one.
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- I've lived in the middle east and i've been in and out of
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- Israel since i was a boy and that's been--it's been at least
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- A decade.
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- When the first hostages were taken--when the first american
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- Hostage was taken, i looked to the president of the united
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- States to say, "they'll be released tomorrow or we will
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- Come for you."
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- Forget the israelis' response.
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- There'll be no negotiation, there'll be no humanitarian aid.
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- You turn loose our hostages.
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- And that's been absent for well over a year and the suffering is
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- Beyond imagination.
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- So i thought it was an appropriate statement.
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- In a season when it's necessary we will have to see what god
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- Will do with that.
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- Another expression that i think that surprises me, but i keep
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- Bumping into it and i'll take just a moment with it.
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- There's been a conversation in our community for some time now
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- About appropriate and inappropriate books in our
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- Children's libraries and i'm continually asked about that.
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- And the answer that is often given to me or the reason that
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- People say they remain silent is they don't want to support the
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- Banning of books.
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- And i appreciate that perspective.
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- I think it is misplaced.
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- There is a handful.
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- There's 2 or 3 dozen books in the libraries that are
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- Beyond reprehensible.
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- I mean they're vile.
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- They're indefensible to put them in the presence of
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- Small children.
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- And i don't understand the conversation to be about banning
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- Of books at all.
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- I understand the conversation to be around age
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- Appropriate learning.
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- Those books are inappropriate for children of that age.
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- Certainly beyond parental involvement and supervision.
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- It's nothing to do with the banning of books.
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- It's age appropriate learning.
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- We understand this.
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- We don't sell cigarettes in elementary schools.
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- You have to have parental consent if you're under 16 to
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- Get a tattoo.
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- And these books are awful.
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- But i think clarify the conversation, express your
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- Point, and then there's business that needs to be done if the
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- People that are serving on the school board are determined to
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- Keep those books.
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- Once the case has been made clearly and concisely and
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- Cogently, then i think they'd have other business to do.
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- But i think you forfeit your right to lead long term in our
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- Community if you want that kind of vile and--material in
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- Our schools.
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- But i don't think it needs to be the point that chokes every
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- Meeting from now until.
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- But you have to be wise enough.
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- Don't bring lists of 400 books that aren't appropriate for
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- The library.
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- And bring the books that aren't your favorite or you don't like
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- Or have some expression of witchcraft in them.
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- You're not trying to bring a total worldview change to
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- The library.
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- You're saying there are some books that are so inappropriate
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- They don't belong before small children.
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- And we've got to be more mature.
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- More than one person has come to me and said they will ban
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- The bible.
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- Okay, tell me who you are that wants to--i wanna know who that
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- Is that thinks that's a good idea because i wanna remember.
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- That we're bullied, we're intimidated, we're frightened,
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- We're reluctant.
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- I'm not--there's a lot of motivations around it, but don't
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- Get caught up in the drama and the emotion.
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- There's a set of those books that are
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- Completely inappropriate.
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- Make the presentation, stand up for it, and then let's get on
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- With the business that we need to make the decisions.
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- Makes sense?
- 00:08:08.637 --> 00:08:10.739
- Watch and listen, pay attention.
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- I'm tired of the distractions and the subterfuge and the
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- Fear-based decisions.
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- Make the right decision in the moment to the best of your
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- Ability and then we'll make the next right decision when we
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- Have to.
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- We can do this.
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- We get way heated up about washington dc--folks until we
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- Can bring changes to middle tennessee where we live.
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- We want somebody to change washington dc.
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- We don't have the courage to change where we live.
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- You understand that is backwards, right?
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- Change the entire federal bureaucracy, but i don't want to
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- Invest the time and energy to change--
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- There's the hebrew word "mashuga."
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- Means you're crazy.
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- In a god honoring, jesus loving sort of way, so.
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- All right.
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- Keep watching and listening and thinking and engaging we're
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- Gonna make a difference.
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- God is moving.
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- We're not doing everything the way it's always been done.
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- There's change afoot and we're gonna need the wisdom of the
- 00:09:11.132 --> 00:09:14.102
- Lord and it's not simple, it's confusing and there are
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- Professional confusers amongst us.
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- Tremendous manipulation, deception, lies--rampant and you
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- Need to know the truth.
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- You need the scripture, you need to have it in your heart.
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- You need to know the voice of the holy spirit.
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- And my topic is "breakthroughs."
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- We gotta go.
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- It's the time when god intervenes in our lives.
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- Acts 9:3, i'm gonna continue to bring you some samples--examples
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- Of this.
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- The scripture is filled with these breakthrough moments.
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- This one happens to be saul of tarsus as he neared damascus.
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- On his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him
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- And he fell to the ground and heard a voice say, "saul, why do
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- You persecute me?"
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- This is god initiated.
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- Saul wasn't looking for jesus.
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- He was looking for jesus's followers and he intended to put
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- Them in prison.
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- He had no intention of serving jesus.
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- And jesus stepped back into time.
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- The last time we saw jesus was in acts chapter 1 at the
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- Ascension on the mount of olives.
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- We have a little window when stephen is martyred and he looks
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- To heaven and he sees the lord.
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- When we get to acts chapter 9, jesus is on the road to damascus
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- Doing an intervention with one saul of tarsus.
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- "just exactly what is it you think you're doing, young man?"
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- "well, i'm not sure, lord."
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- I think we could all agree it was a breakthrough moment in
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- Saul's life.
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- We say we want breakthroughs.
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- It's a complete career change for saul.
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- Means he's gonna lose his friends.
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- He's not gonna be trusted by the community of believers because
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- He's been one of their chief prosecutors.
- 00:11:06.715 --> 00:11:10.218
- It guarantees at least a season of isolation.
- 00:11:10.218 --> 00:11:14.956
- I mean there's nothing easy about it.
- 00:11:14.956 --> 00:11:17.459
- We talk about breakthroughs and we think when breakthroughs
- 00:11:17.459 --> 00:11:19.294
- Comes it'll all be easy.
- 00:11:19.294 --> 00:11:22.630
- It'll be like everything gets simple and everything that was
- 00:11:22.630 --> 00:11:24.699
- Confused will become clear and opposition will melt and--.
- 00:11:24.699 --> 00:11:29.904
- That really isn't the biblical pattern typically.
- 00:11:29.904 --> 00:11:31.873
- There are some places where that's true.
- 00:11:31.873 --> 00:11:35.577
- I've defined breakthroughs rather broadly.
- 00:11:35.577 --> 00:11:37.912
- There are those points of deliverance, revelation,
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- Insight, understanding, redirection.
- 00:11:40.048 --> 00:11:43.151
- Those times when god's purposes and plans are initiated in and
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- Through us, around us.
- 00:11:47.288 --> 00:11:50.024
- Brought to completion, revealed, advanced, welcomed, understood.
- 00:11:50.024 --> 00:11:54.162
- Our ideal breakthrough.
- 00:11:54.162 --> 00:11:55.764
- I think the one that we pray for, that we imagine, that we
- 00:11:55.764 --> 00:11:58.633
- Dream about are those points where god intervenes.
- 00:11:58.633 --> 00:12:01.469
- He responds with a complete solution and the imagined future
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- Is delivered whole and intact.
- 00:12:07.008 --> 00:12:13.014
- It's like god's showing up at the burning bush in exodus 3 and
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- Say, "i've come down to deliver my people and i'm gonna take
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- Them to the promised land.
- 00:12:18.486 --> 00:12:19.854
- And if you'll snap your fingers, we'll all be there."
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- That i believe is our preferred, the ideal breakthrough, right?
- 00:12:22.857 --> 00:12:30.198
- I don't want any process.
- 00:12:30.198 --> 00:12:32.700
- I'm not really looking for any learning moments.
- 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:35.904
- I want out of pain and into peace now.
- 00:12:35.904 --> 00:12:44.813
- I mean, if i have to wait till tomorrow.
- 00:12:44.813 --> 00:12:48.383
- But life is seldom ideal and the bible shows us that we are
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- Frequently delivered out of something, but not brought into
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- What god has for us immediately.
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- We're delivered from egyptian slavery, but we're not
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- Immediately in the promised land.
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- We've got some steps before we get there.
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- We're delivered from our murderous rage against christ
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- Followers, but we don't become an apostle that impacts the
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- World the next morning.
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- We're delivered out of something but not always brought
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- Immediately into something.
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- We're delivered from something, but typically--frequently our
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- Adversaries aren't removed.
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- You see, i think we believe god should deliver us from the
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- Pressure of the person, whatever, and they should be
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- Totally humiliated, eradicated, eliminated, neutralized.
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- And sometimes god delivers you from those things and
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- They flourish.
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- And then you have to forgive because you're standing over
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- There saying, "god bless him with the botch and the itch and
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- The scab."
- 00:13:48.843 --> 00:13:54.048
- Sometimes we need physical healing and god heals us, but he
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- Actually uses a healthcare professional.
- 00:14:03.191 --> 00:14:06.828
- "well, i didn't wanna go to the doctor.
- 00:14:06.828 --> 00:14:09.731
- I don't wanna make a co-pay.
- 00:14:09.731 --> 00:14:12.634
- I don't wanna meet my deductible.
- 00:14:12.634 --> 00:14:15.970
- I don't wanna deal with that.
- 00:14:15.970 --> 00:14:17.438
- I wanted god to heal me."
- 00:14:17.438 --> 00:14:19.674
- Duly noted.
- 00:14:19.674 --> 00:14:22.343
- If you pray then you're better.
- 00:14:22.343 --> 00:14:24.579
- There may have many points of contribution, but i believe god
- 00:14:24.579 --> 00:14:27.949
- Brought healing.
- 00:14:27.949 --> 00:14:29.317
- He is our healer.
- 00:14:29.317 --> 00:14:30.885
- I will gladly pay the doctor's bill, but i will very
- 00:14:30.885 --> 00:14:35.023
- Purposefully give thanks to the lord that he restores my health.
- 00:14:35.023 --> 00:14:41.629
- Or sometimes god brings healing to our lives, but it doesn't
- 00:14:41.629 --> 00:14:45.867
- Mean that, you know, we're removed from the arena of aging.
- 00:14:45.867 --> 00:14:49.704
- Christians get weird.
- 00:14:49.704 --> 00:14:52.874
- It's like we lose our balance.
- 00:14:52.874 --> 00:14:57.245
- And when we talk about the supernatural and then we just
- 00:14:57.245 --> 00:15:00.248
- Shut down and go, "well i just don't believe in that."
- 00:15:00.248 --> 00:15:03.051
- Because we don't want to deal with the messiness of doing life
- 00:15:03.051 --> 00:15:06.020
- With people.
- 00:15:06.020 --> 00:15:07.388
- We've gotta have the courage to invite the supernatural power
- 00:15:07.388 --> 00:15:10.124
- And presence of god into the midst of our lives.
- 00:15:10.124 --> 00:15:16.397
- Allen: god is moving in the earth
- 00:15:20.168 --> 00:15:21.703
- And at allen jack ministries we're doing everything we can
- 00:15:21.703 --> 00:15:24.706
- To strengthen the church in our nation
- 00:15:24.706 --> 00:15:26.607
- And wherever god opens the door.
- 00:15:26.607 --> 00:15:28.643
- We don't intend to maintain the status quo
- 00:15:28.643 --> 00:15:30.745
- Or to gather at our churches for polite bible studies.
- 00:15:30.745 --> 00:15:33.481
- We're going to engage our culture with biblical truth
- 00:15:33.481 --> 00:15:36.184
- And give you the tools to do so.
- 00:15:36.184 --> 00:15:38.586
- We want our children and grandchildren to inherit
- 00:15:38.586 --> 00:15:40.788
- A church that's vibrant and vital.
- 00:15:40.788 --> 00:15:43.691
- And to do that we've got to make an investment.
- 00:15:43.691 --> 00:15:46.260
- Will you give generously to what we're doing
- 00:15:46.260 --> 00:15:47.929
- At allen jackson ministries?
- 00:15:47.929 --> 00:15:49.263
- Your partnership will make 2026 the most fruitful year
- 00:15:49.263 --> 00:15:52.500
- We've ever known.
- 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:53.868
- Thank you.
- 00:15:53.868 --> 00:15:55.203
- Female announcer: at allen jackson ministries
- 00:15:55.203 --> 00:15:56.604
- We're committed to strengthening the church
- 00:15:56.604 --> 00:15:58.539
- And sharing the truth of god's word.
- 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:00.875
- When you support this ministry with a gift of $75 or more
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- We'll send you the lead with faith esv journaling bible.
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- Your generosity will help us equip more people
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- With the biblical truth and encouragement they need
- 00:16:10.952 --> 00:16:13.621
- For the year ahead.
- 00:16:13.621 --> 00:16:15.223
- Give today at allenjackson.com or call...
- 00:16:15.223 --> 00:16:20.928
- Allen: or sometimes god presents opportunities to us.
- 00:16:23.731 --> 00:16:26.401
- They're clearly god opportunities.
- 00:16:26.401 --> 00:16:28.703
- God-initiated, circumstances line up.
- 00:16:28.703 --> 00:16:30.772
- There's something that presents that is most unlikely and most
- 00:16:30.772 --> 00:16:33.341
- Improbable, but in order to accept the opportunity, it will
- 00:16:33.341 --> 00:16:37.378
- Require significant investment of energy.
- 00:16:37.378 --> 00:16:40.014
- We call that work and often the investment of resources, we call
- 00:16:40.014 --> 00:16:45.086
- That spending money.
- 00:16:45.086 --> 00:16:48.022
- And i meet people all the time who say, well, you know, "if god
- 00:16:48.022 --> 00:16:50.091
- Had done that, it wouldn't have been difficult and he would have
- 00:16:50.091 --> 00:16:53.094
- Provided everything."
- 00:16:53.094 --> 00:16:55.663
- Well it's a wonderful thought.
- 00:16:55.663 --> 00:16:56.998
- It's just not biblical.
- 00:16:56.998 --> 00:17:01.069
- I mean, sometimes god will do that, but to demand that god do
- 00:17:01.069 --> 00:17:05.206
- That all the time would make him your benevolent uncle.
- 00:17:05.206 --> 00:17:10.678
- You'd just be a spoiled kid.
- 00:17:10.678 --> 00:17:14.148
- We've had enough of those in the media lately.
- 00:17:14.148 --> 00:17:21.756
- I want to look at a breakthrough.
- 00:17:21.756 --> 00:17:24.225
- The biblical one.
- 00:17:24.225 --> 00:17:25.593
- I didn't take this one from the christmas story.
- 00:17:25.593 --> 00:17:26.928
- We'll do several of those characters, but i thought it was
- 00:17:26.928 --> 00:17:29.464
- Helpful not to limit it to the holidays.
- 00:17:29.464 --> 00:17:31.899
- I want to look at joshua's life.
- 00:17:31.899 --> 00:17:33.835
- Joshua begins his life--when we find joshua initially in
- 00:17:33.835 --> 00:17:36.871
- Scripture, he's a slave in egypt.
- 00:17:36.871 --> 00:17:40.708
- He knows the sting of the whip from the egyptian taskmasters.
- 00:17:40.708 --> 00:17:45.613
- He knows the humiliation of being a slave.
- 00:17:45.613 --> 00:17:49.450
- Joshua was there when moses comes in out of the desert and
- 00:17:49.450 --> 00:17:53.254
- Says, "you need to get ready, we're leaving."
- 00:17:53.254 --> 00:17:56.390
- He sees all the plagues visited on egypt.
- 00:17:56.390 --> 00:17:58.593
- He crosses the red sea.
- 00:17:58.593 --> 00:18:00.862
- He sees the egyptians drowned.
- 00:18:00.862 --> 00:18:02.296
- He's at marah, in exodus 15, when the bitter water is turned
- 00:18:02.296 --> 00:18:07.635
- To sweet.
- 00:18:07.635 --> 00:18:09.637
- Joshua is moses's aide de camp.
- 00:18:09.637 --> 00:18:12.006
- He becomes his assistant.
- 00:18:12.006 --> 00:18:14.842
- So, he spends decades with moses, following
- 00:18:14.842 --> 00:18:17.211
- Moses's leadership.
- 00:18:17.211 --> 00:18:20.448
- He sees moses when he's been spent so much time in the
- 00:18:20.448 --> 00:18:22.850
- Presence of god that he has to put a veil over his face because
- 00:18:22.850 --> 00:18:25.953
- There's a glow.
- 00:18:25.953 --> 00:18:28.422
- He knows moses when he goes up the mountain and comes back with
- 00:18:28.422 --> 00:18:30.725
- 10 commandments.
- 00:18:30.725 --> 00:18:33.060
- I mean, he's had a front row seat for one of the most
- 00:18:33.060 --> 00:18:35.263
- Remarkable leaders in all of the presentation of scripture.
- 00:18:35.263 --> 00:18:40.067
- But moses is unable to take the exodus generation into the
- 00:18:40.067 --> 00:18:45.273
- Promised land.
- 00:18:45.273 --> 00:18:47.375
- And so, at the end of moses's life, joshua is the next man up.
- 00:18:47.375 --> 00:18:51.979
- It's one of the more difficult job descriptions in the bible.
- 00:18:51.979 --> 00:18:55.149
- "i want you to do what moses couldn't do."
- 00:18:55.149 --> 00:18:57.685
- "oh sure."
- 00:18:57.685 --> 00:19:01.122
- And i want to look at a bit of that.
- 00:19:01.122 --> 00:19:03.224
- Deuteronomy 31:23, "the lord gave this command to joshua the
- 00:19:03.224 --> 00:19:06.627
- Son of nun."
- 00:19:06.627 --> 00:19:09.163
- You know, there's 2 people in the bible that were born without
- 00:19:09.163 --> 00:19:13.868
- The father.
- 00:19:13.868 --> 00:19:15.603
- Jesus, you know, it's christmas time.
- 00:19:15.603 --> 00:19:16.938
- You know the other one?
- 00:19:16.938 --> 00:19:19.740
- It's joshua.
- 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:21.075
- He's the son of nun.
- 00:19:21.075 --> 00:19:28.182
- I didn't go to comedy school.
- 00:19:28.182 --> 00:19:29.817
- I went to seminary, okay?
- 00:19:29.817 --> 00:19:31.352
- So, "joshua the son of nun: 'be strong and courageous, for you
- 00:19:31.352 --> 00:19:36.157
- Will bring the israelites into the land i promised them on
- 00:19:36.157 --> 00:19:38.426
- Oath, and i myself will be with you."'
- 00:19:38.426 --> 00:19:41.963
- It's an interesting passage in all seriousness, the way
- 00:19:41.963 --> 00:19:44.599
- It's stated.
- 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:45.967
- God says, "i myself will do it."
- 00:19:45.967 --> 00:19:48.369
- There's a--it's an emphatic way of making a point.
- 00:19:48.369 --> 00:19:52.139
- Someone says, you know, "did you lock the door at the house?"
- 00:19:52.139 --> 00:19:56.510
- "i did."
- 00:19:56.510 --> 00:19:57.845
- "are you sure?"
- 00:19:57.845 --> 00:19:59.213
- "yeah."
- 00:19:59.213 --> 00:20:00.548
- "are you positive?"
- 00:20:00.548 --> 00:20:01.916
- "i did it myself.
- 00:20:01.916 --> 00:20:03.251
- I didn't delegate it.
- 00:20:03.251 --> 00:20:05.253
- It wasn't done digitally.
- 00:20:05.253 --> 00:20:06.721
- I did it myself."
- 00:20:06.721 --> 00:20:09.257
- And the message that god gives to joshua is, "i myself will be
- 00:20:09.257 --> 00:20:13.761
- With you."
- 00:20:13.761 --> 00:20:16.330
- Now as wonderful as that is, "i would submit to you," it's not
- 00:20:16.330 --> 00:20:19.233
- The answer i would have preferred had i been joshua.
- 00:20:19.233 --> 00:20:24.572
- I would have preferred god to say, "i will do it myself."
- 00:20:24.572 --> 00:20:32.013
- Remember the line we've looked at it with moses quite a bit in
- 00:20:32.013 --> 00:20:34.081
- Exodus 3 where god said, "i've heard the cries of my people,
- 00:20:34.081 --> 00:20:37.351
- I've seen their suffering and i've come down to deliver them."
- 00:20:37.351 --> 00:20:42.123
- And up until that point, moses is like, "yes."
- 00:20:42.123 --> 00:20:44.892
- And then god pivots and he says, "go, now i'm sending you."
- 00:20:44.892 --> 00:20:49.163
- And that's when the debate breaks out.
- 00:20:49.163 --> 00:20:51.532
- That's when the debate breaks out for all of us.
- 00:20:51.532 --> 00:20:54.402
- And when god is commissioning joshua in this passage, it said
- 00:20:54.402 --> 00:20:57.838
- The lord gave joshua this command to be strong and
- 00:20:57.838 --> 00:21:00.841
- Courageous, "you will bring the israelites into the land i
- 00:21:00.841 --> 00:21:04.445
- Promised them, and i myself will be with you."
- 00:21:04.445 --> 00:21:11.419
- Well i mean, it's good news, kinda.
- 00:21:11.419 --> 00:21:16.424
- I mean, god is emphatically asserting joshua, "you're not
- 00:21:16.424 --> 00:21:20.695
- Going alone.
- 00:21:20.695 --> 00:21:22.029
- I will be with you."
- 00:21:22.029 --> 00:21:24.165
- But he's also saying to joshua, "you bring these people in."
- 00:21:24.165 --> 00:21:30.738
- I think it's a very poignant moment for us.
- 00:21:30.738 --> 00:21:33.641
- Many of us have been praying for change in moral behaviors and
- 00:21:33.641 --> 00:21:37.311
- Trends and attitudes in education and what's being
- 00:21:37.311 --> 00:21:40.781
- Taught to our children and how we're being led and how marriage
- 00:21:40.781 --> 00:21:43.951
- Is defined and human sexuality and all these things and we want
- 00:21:43.951 --> 00:21:47.922
- Somebody somewhere to do something.
- 00:21:47.922 --> 00:21:51.959
- And i believe god is still in the business of saying, "i'm
- 00:21:51.959 --> 00:21:55.563
- Sending you.
- 00:21:55.563 --> 00:21:57.431
- Oh no, wait a minute.
- 00:21:57.431 --> 00:21:59.333
- I'll be with you.
- 00:21:59.333 --> 00:22:01.969
- But i need you to do something."
- 00:22:01.969 --> 00:22:04.505
- Are you willing?
- 00:22:04.505 --> 00:22:06.707
- I think it's a component of breakthroughs.
- 00:22:06.707 --> 00:22:10.010
- Joshua chapter 1, joshua was getting his instructions again,
- 00:22:10.010 --> 00:22:16.150
- "be strong and courageous, because you will lead these
- 00:22:16.150 --> 00:22:18.319
- People to inherit the land i swore to their forefathers to
- 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:20.921
- Give them.
- 00:22:20.921 --> 00:22:22.289
- 'be strong and very courageous.
- 00:22:22.289 --> 00:22:23.858
- Be careful to obey all the law my servant moses gave you; don't
- 00:22:23.858 --> 00:22:26.994
- Turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be
- 00:22:26.994 --> 00:22:29.230
- Successful wherever you go.
- 00:22:29.230 --> 00:22:31.098
- Don't let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate
- 00:22:31.098 --> 00:22:33.601
- On it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything
- 00:22:33.601 --> 00:22:36.270
- Written in it.
- 00:22:36.270 --> 00:22:37.605
- Then you'll be prosperous and successful.
- 00:22:37.605 --> 00:22:39.840
- Have i not commanded you?
- 00:22:39.840 --> 00:22:41.342
- Be strong and courageous."'
- 00:22:41.342 --> 00:22:43.944
- If you're counting, that's the 3rd time in this passage.
- 00:22:43.944 --> 00:22:48.082
- The message is given to joshua over half a dozen times.
- 00:22:48.082 --> 00:22:52.319
- Be strong and courageous.
- 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:53.687
- You know enough about biblical interpretation.
- 00:22:53.687 --> 00:22:55.456
- If god says to you, "be strong and courageous," how do
- 00:22:55.456 --> 00:22:57.892
- You feel?
- 00:22:57.892 --> 00:23:00.861
- Weak, inadequate, and frightened.
- 00:23:00.861 --> 00:23:04.632
- If you were filled with confidence, god wouldn't say be
- 00:23:04.632 --> 00:23:07.768
- Strong and courageous.
- 00:23:07.768 --> 00:23:10.538
- If you're filled with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy
- 00:23:10.538 --> 00:23:15.142
- And you're frightened, god will say, "you're gonna need to be
- 00:23:15.142 --> 00:23:17.311
- Strong and courageous."
- 00:23:17.311 --> 00:23:21.015
- "don't be terrified; don't be discouraged," "joshua, you
- 00:23:21.015 --> 00:23:25.586
- Look terrified.
- 00:23:25.586 --> 00:23:28.456
- You're a mess, son.
- 00:23:28.456 --> 00:23:29.790
- Are you discouraged?
- 00:23:29.790 --> 00:23:31.158
- Don't be discouraged."
- 00:23:31.158 --> 00:23:32.960
- "for the lord your god will be with you wherever you go."
- 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:36.263
- He's already said it, "i myself will be with you."
- 00:23:36.263 --> 00:23:39.967
- It has to be restated, reasserted.
- 00:23:39.967 --> 00:23:42.803
- Difficult assignments are not picked up glibly.
- 00:23:42.803 --> 00:23:49.243
- Christians, we should work to bring better alignment to how we
- 00:23:49.243 --> 00:23:54.215
- Share our stories because when we walk through difficult places
- 00:23:54.215 --> 00:23:58.385
- And we take those first steps of cooperating with the lord, in my
- 00:23:58.385 --> 00:24:02.690
- Life, i haven't usually taken them with great confidence and
- 00:24:02.690 --> 00:24:05.426
- Glee and shouts of joy.
- 00:24:05.426 --> 00:24:09.363
- I've taken them rather hesitantly.
- 00:24:09.363 --> 00:24:13.400
- I said, "lord, i wanna follow you, but this seems like a hard
- 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:18.105
- Way to go."
- 00:24:18.105 --> 00:24:22.476
- God makes a series of statements to joshua.
- 00:24:22.476 --> 00:24:24.478
- He said, "you'll lead these people."
- 00:24:24.478 --> 00:24:26.780
- And then he tells him there's some things he's gonna have to
- 00:24:26.780 --> 00:24:28.749
- Do, "you're gonna have to be strong and very courageous."
- 00:24:28.749 --> 00:24:32.052
- Are you ready for that?
- 00:24:32.052 --> 00:24:33.954
- Are you ready to have to demonstrate strength and great
- 00:24:33.954 --> 00:24:36.991
- Courage for the purposes of god to break forth in
- 00:24:36.991 --> 00:24:39.493
- Our generation?
- 00:24:39.493 --> 00:24:41.662
- We want other people to be courageous.
- 00:24:41.662 --> 00:24:44.498
- We want other people to step up.
- 00:24:44.498 --> 00:24:47.868
- We've been saying for a long time now.
- 00:24:47.868 --> 00:24:49.403
- This has to start at our kitchen tables and our holiday tables
- 00:24:49.403 --> 00:24:52.673
- And then with the tables where we gather with our peer groups
- 00:24:52.673 --> 00:24:55.075
- And our friends.
- 00:24:55.075 --> 00:24:56.977
- Option 2, we're willing to tell the truth in those
- 00:24:56.977 --> 00:24:59.113
- Expanding circles.
- 00:24:59.113 --> 00:25:00.814
- Why should you expect somebody else to speak the truth in a
- 00:25:00.814 --> 00:25:03.350
- Broader way?
- 00:25:03.350 --> 00:25:05.619
- If we hide from the conflict, the disruption, the awkwardness
- 00:25:05.619 --> 00:25:09.123
- Of telling the truth to the people that we're doing life
- 00:25:09.123 --> 00:25:11.592
- With, why should we imagine someone should go bear the
- 00:25:11.592 --> 00:25:15.529
- Weight of telling the truth in a broader way?
- 00:25:15.529 --> 00:25:19.934
- Be strong and courageous.
- 00:25:19.934 --> 00:25:22.670
- "be careful to obey all the law.
- 00:25:22.670 --> 00:25:25.706
- Don't let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate
- 00:25:25.706 --> 00:25:29.376
- On it day and night.
- 00:25:29.376 --> 00:25:31.745
- Do not be terrified."
- 00:25:31.745 --> 00:25:33.981
- There's a theme, do not be discouraged.
- 00:25:33.981 --> 00:25:37.985
- Allen: i want to take a minute to pray before we go.
- 00:25:38.052 --> 00:25:40.254
- Father, i thank you that you love us.
- 00:25:40.254 --> 00:25:42.623
- I thank you that you, that in your great mercy and compassion,
- 00:25:42.623 --> 00:25:45.626
- You have made a way for us to be at peace with the creator of
- 00:25:45.626 --> 00:25:48.929
- All things.
- 00:25:48.929 --> 00:25:50.297
- That you're not angry with us, that you are not resentful of
- 00:25:50.297 --> 00:25:53.968
- Us, that you have welcomed us into your kingdom and made peace
- 00:25:53.968 --> 00:25:56.937
- With us through jesus christ.
- 00:25:56.937 --> 00:25:59.273
- I thank you for that today.
- 00:25:59.273 --> 00:26:00.641
- Nothing's hidden from you, no part of our past, no thought
- 00:26:00.641 --> 00:26:03.444
- Within us, and yet you love us.
- 00:26:03.444 --> 00:26:05.913
- May that love grow in us every day and bring a boldness and a
- 00:26:05.913 --> 00:26:09.049
- Courage within us to face the challenges before us, in jesus
- 00:26:09.049 --> 00:26:13.287
- Name, amen.
- 00:26:13.287 --> 00:26:14.722
- God bless you.
- 00:26:14.722 --> 00:26:17.291
- Allen: allen jackson ministries was created to strengthen
- 00:26:21.428 --> 00:26:23.831
- The church.
- 00:26:23.831 --> 00:26:25.199
- With your help, we've been able to take some steps in that
- 00:26:25.199 --> 00:26:26.967
- Direction, but we're more determined than ever to make an
- 00:26:26.967 --> 00:26:29.603
- Impact in our world.
- 00:26:29.603 --> 00:26:31.639
- We have some invitations internationally to step into
- 00:26:31.639 --> 00:26:33.607
- Some war-torn countries, into israel and ukraine, to help
- 00:26:33.607 --> 00:26:36.410
- Strengthen the church there.
- 00:26:36.410 --> 00:26:37.945
- We plan to respond to that.
- 00:26:37.945 --> 00:26:39.913
- But as importantly in this nation, folks, business as usual
- 00:26:39.913 --> 00:26:43.550
- Isn't gonna get this done.
- 00:26:43.550 --> 00:26:44.918
- We can't be timid and sit in our churches, and have polite bible
- 00:26:44.918 --> 00:26:47.488
- Studies and sing our favorite choruses.
- 00:26:47.488 --> 00:26:49.957
- We've got to take the truth into the public square, a biblical
- 00:26:49.957 --> 00:26:53.193
- Worldview back into the midst of our culture.
- 00:26:53.193 --> 00:26:56.263
- We're creating tools to help you do that in your home, in your
- 00:26:56.263 --> 00:26:59.166
- Church, in your community,
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- Bible studies, publishing books, content that we can share
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- With you.
- 00:27:03.837 --> 00:27:05.205
- It's time for the church to be the church.
- 00:27:05.205 --> 00:27:07.441
- We have an advocacy for jesus of nazareth that has to be heard in
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- This season or our children and grandchildren will pay
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- The price.
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- Will you make an investment in this ministry to make 2026 the
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- Most fruitful year we've ever had together?
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- Thank you.
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- ♪♪♪
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