Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The ABC's Of Spiritual Hygiene | May 1, 2025
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- ♪♪♪
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- Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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- Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory" with
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- Dr. robert jeffress.
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- Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress and welcome
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- Again to "pathway to victory," where the bible is the
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- Centerpiece of our program every single day and for good reason.
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- For one, we know that the spirit of god uses the word of god to
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- Accomplish the will of god in our lives.
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- But in order for that to happen, first, we have to read
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- The bible.
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- Today, i want to show you four ways to make god's word a part
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- Of your everyday life.
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- My message is titled "the abcs of spiritual hygiene" on today's
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- Edition of "pathway to victory."
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- ♪♪♪
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- Announcer: god never intended for the holy spirit to
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- Be a mystery to believers.
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- In fact, if you're a follower of jesus, then god's spirit is
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- Dwelling inside of you, and he's waiting to unleash his
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- Supernatural power in your life.
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- In his bestselling book, "i want more," dr. robert jeffress
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- Teaches what it means to be filled with the power of the
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- Holy spirit.
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- Looking to satisfy your spiritual cravings?
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- Request the book "i want more" when you give a generous gift to
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- "pathway to victory."
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- Jeffress: you know, most of us talk a good game when it comes
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- To the bible.
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- We all say, "oh yes, the bible is important for our
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- Spiritual growth."
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- We are ready to argue with anybody who doubts the
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- Inerrancy, the inspiration of the scripture.
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- We're happy to fight about the bible, but the deep, dark, dirty
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- Secret of christianity is that very few christians are actually
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- Reading the bible.
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- A charles spurgeon more than a half--a century and a half ago
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- Who roared to his congregation, "ah, you know more about your
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- Ledgers than you know about the bible.
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- You know more about your day books than what god has written.
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- Many of you will read a novel from beginning to end, and what
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- Have you got?
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- A mouth full of froth when you are finished, but you cannot
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- Read the bible.
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- That solid, lasting, substantial and satisfying food goes
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- Uneaten, locked up in the cupboard of neglect."
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- I believe it is that neglect of reading the bible that explains
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- Why so few christians are experiencing the power of the
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- Holy spirit in their lives.
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- In our series on "unleashing the power of the holy spirit in your
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- Everyday life," we've said that there are four channels, four
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- Conduits through which god pours his power into our life.
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- And the first of those channels is the word of god.
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- Remember what we said?
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- We said the spirit of god uses the word of god to unleash the
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- Power of god to transform us into the image of god.
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- Now i'm gonna assume this morning that most of you here
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- Today realize you should be reading the bible more than you
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- Are, okay?
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- Can we all agree on that?
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- We ought to be reading the bible more than we are.
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- My purpose today is not to load on a heap of guilt to you
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- Already buckling shoulders, okay?
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- Instead, what i'd like to do today is give you some practical
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- Ways that you can make god's word a part your everyday life.
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- I'm calling today's message "the abcs of spiritual hygiene."
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- If we're gonna get clean spiritually and become like
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- Christ, we all agree god's word is essential.
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- But how do we make god's word a part of our everyday life?
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- Now take out your outline.
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- I want you to write these abc's down.
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- First of all, let's start with a: to give god's word the place
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- In your life it deserves.
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- First of all, the a stands for appreciate the uniqueness of
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- The bible.
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- You will never make god's word a part of your everyday life until
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- You realize how unique and different this book is from any
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- Other book.
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- God's word is god's complete revelation of himself so that we
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- Can know him and have a relationship with him.
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- But even though you may believe that this bible is the word of
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- God, to really be convinced that it's different from any other
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- Book, there are two things you have to come to grips with.
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- First of all, you have to believe in, write it down, the
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- Trustworthiness of the bible.
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- To really appreciate this book, you have to believe that it's
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- True, that it's trustworthy.
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- How do we know that this book really is god's letter to us,
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- That it's different from any other book?
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- Let me just give you this morning two evidences for the
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- Trustworthiness of scripture.
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- First of all, the unity of theme in the bible, the unity
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- Of theme.
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- There is no way to explain the unity of theme in the scripture.
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- When the bible was written over centuries of time by dozens of
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- Different writers, there's no way you can explain it except
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- God is the author of this book.
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- The unity of theme that you find in the bible.
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- Secondly, a second evidence for the trustworthiness of scripture
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- Is archaeology.
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- Now again, i wish i had time to talk about all of the
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- Archaeological evidence for the scriptures.
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- I think we need to be careful to realize archaeology cannot, in
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- And of itself, prove the trustworthiness of the bible.
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- For archaeology to prove that the bible is true means that you
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- Would have to find archaeological evidence for
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- Every single event in the bible.
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- That hasn't been done and that will not be done.
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- However, the important thing to note is this, any archaeological
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- Discovery that has ever been made has only confirmed the
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- Trustworthiness of scripture.
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- There is not one single archaeological find that has in
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- Any way contradicted the truth of the bible.
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- Through archaeology, we have confirmed things like the wall
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- That was built around jericho, or remember in 1993, a monument
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- Was discovered that had the inscription of king david being
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- The king of israel.
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- In 1961, the stone was discovered there, a tablet that
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- Listed pontius pilate as being the roman prefect when jesus
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- Christ was crucified.
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- Before 1961, there was no external evidence for the
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- Existence of pontius pilate.
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- 1990, it was discovered the caiaphas stone that listed
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- Caiaphas is the high priest when jesus lived and was crucified.
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- Every single piece of archaeology has only confirmed
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- The trustworthiness of the bible.
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- What i'm saying to you is you will never make this bible
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- Central in your life until you're first of all convinced of
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- The trustworthiness of scripture, but secondly, you
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- Have to be convinced of the completeness of the bible, the
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- Completeness of the bible.
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- In other words, how do i know for sure that this is god's
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- Complete and final word to me?
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- There are a lot of christians out there who view this book as
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- A collection of old love letters.
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- They think this book is filled with previous communication from
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- God that is sweet and helpful, but it's old, it's irrelevant.
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- And so, instead they're looking for fresh revelation from god.
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- They want to hear a new word from god rather than what is
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- Written in this book.
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- So, the question is, is god giving new information, new
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- Revelation about himself?
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- Well, let's let the bible answer that question.
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- Turn over to jude verse 3, jude is the next to the last book of
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- The bible.
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- If you're not careful, you can miss it real quickly because
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- There's only one chapter in it.
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- Look at jude verse 3, and let's settle this issue of new
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- Revelation about god once and for all.
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- Jude writes, "beloved, while i was making every effort to write
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- You about our common salvation, i felt the necessity to write to
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- You appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith, which
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- Was once for all delivered to the saints."
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- You ever hear people say, "well, we shouldn't fight about
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- Doctrine, we shouldn't argue for the truth.
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- We ought to be casper milquetoast, you know, when it
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- Comes to the truth of the bible"?
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- No, jude says, "we need to contend for, we need to fight
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- For the faith, that body of doctrine, which was," notice
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- This, "once for all delivered," past tense, "to the saints."
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- Jude is saying, "everything, every truth you need to know
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- About god has already been delivered to the saints and
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- Deposited in the bible."
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- There is no new truth or revelation or information about
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- God that's being given.
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- It has been once for all recorded and delivered to
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- The saints.
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- Peter said the same thing in 2 peter 1:3.
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- Look at this, "seeing that god's divine power has granted to us
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- Everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
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- Knowledge of him who called us by his own glory
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- And excellence."
- 00:09:45.174 --> 00:09:46.542
- In other words, you have everything you need right now in
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- Order to live a godly life.
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- You have everything you need to know everything about god you
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- Need to know.
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- Now i'm--am i saying that god doesn't lead christians today?
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- Of course not.
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- In previous series, we've talked about the different ways that
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- God leads christians today.
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- He leads christians through prayer, through the council of
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- Wise believers, through our own desires.
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- There are many ways that god leads us, but all of those ways
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- Are subjective compared to the objective truth that is found
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- In scripture.
- 00:10:21.310 --> 00:10:23.279
- Pastor bob russell tells a story about growing up in a church.
- 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:26.382
- He said when he was a little boy, a traveling evangelist came
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- To preach.
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- And this evangelist was very arrogant, boastful.
- 00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:33.522
- He used very little scripture in his preaching.
- 00:10:33.522 --> 00:10:36.459
- And at the end of the service, bob russell says he remembers
- 00:10:36.459 --> 00:10:38.994
- His mom going up to this evangelist and saying, "young
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- Man, when you preach, use lots of scripture because it's the
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- Only thing you can know is true."
- 00:10:47.236 --> 00:10:50.706
- See, everything else in life is subjective, but this book is
- 00:10:50.706 --> 00:10:54.810
- God's final revelation.
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- Listen to me this morning, if you have the spirit of god in
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- Your heart and the word of god in your hand, you have
- 00:10:59.281 --> 00:11:03.085
- Everything you need to experience the power of god in
- 00:11:03.085 --> 00:11:06.088
- Your life.
- 00:11:06.088 --> 00:11:07.623
- We have to be convinced of the trustworthiness of scripture and
- 00:11:07.623 --> 00:11:12.962
- The completeness of scripture if we're gonna make it central in
- 00:11:12.962 --> 00:11:16.766
- Our life.
- 00:11:16.766 --> 00:11:18.100
- Now, the b stands for this, be committed to reading the bible.
- 00:11:18.100 --> 00:11:22.705
- If god's word is going to unleash god's power in your
- 00:11:22.705 --> 00:11:26.175
- Life, you have to be committed to reading the bible.
- 00:11:26.175 --> 00:11:30.980
- I came across a statistic this week i thought was fascinating.
- 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:34.250
- Did you know that 82% of americans say they believe the
- 00:11:34.250 --> 00:11:38.587
- Bible is the word of god?
- 00:11:38.587 --> 00:11:39.989
- Eighty-two percent of americans believe this book is the word of
- 00:11:39.989 --> 00:11:44.326
- God, and yet of those 82% who believe the bible is the word of
- 00:11:44.326 --> 00:11:48.531
- God, only half that number say they read the bible at least
- 00:11:48.531 --> 00:11:53.302
- Once a month.
- 00:11:53.302 --> 00:11:54.937
- And of the half that read the bible once a month, half of
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- Those could not name one of the four gospels or identify who
- 00:11:58.140 --> 00:12:03.245
- Delivered the sermon on the mount.
- 00:12:03.245 --> 00:12:05.781
- No wonder we're not experiencing the power of god in our life.
- 00:12:05.781 --> 00:12:09.552
- If we're going to experience god's power, we have to be
- 00:12:09.552 --> 00:12:13.422
- Committed to a regular intake of god's word.
- 00:12:13.422 --> 00:12:18.227
- And to do that, we need two things.
- 00:12:18.227 --> 00:12:21.297
- First of all, we need discipline.
- 00:12:21.297 --> 00:12:24.233
- If you're gonna make god's word a part of your everyday life, it
- 00:12:24.233 --> 00:12:27.369
- Requires discipline.
- 00:12:27.369 --> 00:12:28.704
- I've heard a lot of definitions of discipline, but here's
- 00:12:28.704 --> 00:12:30.940
- My favorite.
- 00:12:30.940 --> 00:12:32.274
- Discipline is doing what you know you should do even when you
- 00:12:32.274 --> 00:12:37.379
- Don't feel like doing it.
- 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:39.748
- Discipline is doing what you know you should do even when you
- 00:12:39.748 --> 00:12:43.919
- Don't feel like doing it.
- 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:45.788
- Remember this, it is a lot easier to act yourself into a
- 00:12:45.788 --> 00:12:50.659
- Feeling than to feel yourself into an action.
- 00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:54.597
- If you wait until you feel like it to start reading the bible,
- 00:12:54.597 --> 00:12:57.666
- You can go longer than you can ever imagine without ever
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- Opening the bible.
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- Instead, if you will act yourself into the feeling, if
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- You'll just do it even when you don't feel like doing it, you'll
- 00:13:05.908 --> 00:13:09.044
- Find soon you realize how spiritually hungry you are.
- 00:13:09.044 --> 00:13:13.215
- In order to make god's word a part of our everyday life, we
- 00:13:13.215 --> 00:13:16.452
- Need discipline, but secondly, we need a plan.
- 00:13:16.452 --> 00:13:19.755
- We need a plan to make the bible a part of our everyday life.
- 00:13:19.755 --> 00:13:22.925
- Now there are all kinds of plans out there.
- 00:13:22.925 --> 00:13:25.294
- Some people like to read through the bible in a year.
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- Other people like the method that i use, and that is find a
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- Book of the new testament, pick a book and read it once a day,
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- Every day for the entire month.
- 00:13:35.304 --> 00:13:37.706
- By the way, did you know two thirds of the books of the
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- Old--of the new testament, two thirds of the books of the new
- 00:13:40.175 --> 00:13:43.479
- Testament can be read in 20 minutes or less.
- 00:13:43.479 --> 00:13:46.982
- And if you know if you read the same book of the bible once a
- 00:13:46.982 --> 00:13:50.552
- Day for 30 days, by the end of that month, you'll know that
- 00:13:50.552 --> 00:13:53.255
- Book backwards and forwards.
- 00:13:53.255 --> 00:13:55.090
- And when you get to a longer book like matthew or romans,
- 00:13:55.090 --> 00:13:57.793
- Just divide it into thirds.
- 00:13:57.793 --> 00:13:59.228
- Read the first third one month, the second third the next month,
- 00:13:59.228 --> 00:14:02.631
- The last third the last month.
- 00:14:02.631 --> 00:14:04.533
- That's one way to make god's word a part of your
- 00:14:04.533 --> 00:14:07.036
- Everyday life.
- 00:14:07.036 --> 00:14:08.504
- But beyond whatever plan you choose, a plan for reading
- 00:14:08.504 --> 00:14:12.441
- Scripture needs to have these two components to it.
- 00:14:12.441 --> 00:14:15.344
- Write this down.
- 00:14:15.344 --> 00:14:16.679
- First of all, there used to be--there needs to be a specific
- 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:18.547
- Time that you devote to reading the bible, a specific time of
- 00:14:18.547 --> 00:14:23.852
- The day.
- 00:14:23.852 --> 00:14:25.254
- Now, some people like to read in the mornings.
- 00:14:25.254 --> 00:14:27.690
- That doesn't work for me.
- 00:14:27.690 --> 00:14:29.391
- When i get up in the morning, i'm ready to get going.
- 00:14:29.391 --> 00:14:31.860
- I don't want to sit down and try to read the bible because i find
- 00:14:31.860 --> 00:14:36.165
- Myself rushing through it so i can get on to do what i think is
- 00:14:36.165 --> 00:14:38.534
- Really important, you know.
- 00:14:38.534 --> 00:14:40.169
- We all can delude ourselves into thinking certain things
- 00:14:40.169 --> 00:14:43.005
- Are important.
- 00:14:43.005 --> 00:14:44.373
- So, i find myself that the best time to read the bible is at
- 00:14:44.373 --> 00:14:47.009
- Night before i go to bed.
- 00:14:47.009 --> 00:14:48.644
- I want the last thing i think about to be god's word.
- 00:14:48.644 --> 00:14:51.880
- The key is, whatever time works for you, devote a particular
- 00:14:51.880 --> 00:14:55.651
- Time to reading the scripture.
- 00:14:55.651 --> 00:14:56.986
- We need a specific time.
- 00:14:56.986 --> 00:14:58.454
- Secondly, a fresh translation, a fresh translation of scripture.
- 00:14:58.454 --> 00:15:04.093
- Have you ever heard the saying familiarity breeds contempt?
- 00:15:04.093 --> 00:15:08.931
- Familiarity also breeds boredom.
- 00:15:08.931 --> 00:15:12.601
- When you read the same thing over and over and over again,
- 00:15:12.601 --> 00:15:16.939
- You can become bored with it.
- 00:15:16.939 --> 00:15:19.575
- It can lose its punch.
- 00:15:19.575 --> 00:15:21.510
- Many times if i'm reading a passage of scripture from my
- 00:15:21.510 --> 00:15:25.314
- Regular bible, i'll read that scripture and then i'll look out
- 00:15:25.314 --> 00:15:28.784
- And i'll read a note i made about it and i'll look maybe at
- 00:15:28.784 --> 00:15:32.087
- A sermon that was delivered and i'll think about a pastor i
- 00:15:32.087 --> 00:15:34.857
- Liked or didn't like who delivered that message and all
- 00:15:34.857 --> 00:15:37.426
- Of a sudden i'm thinking about things i shouldn't be thinking
- 00:15:37.426 --> 00:15:40.562
- About instead of what god is trying to say to me.
- 00:15:40.562 --> 00:15:43.065
- A pastor friend gave me this suggestion.
- 00:15:43.065 --> 00:15:44.767
- He said, "at the first of the year, buy yourself a new
- 00:15:44.767 --> 00:15:48.670
- Translation of the bible for your devotional reading."
- 00:15:48.670 --> 00:15:51.807
- When you want god to really speak to you, find a
- 00:15:51.807 --> 00:15:54.476
- New translation.
- 00:15:54.476 --> 00:15:55.811
- If you're used to the king james bible, buy the new living
- 00:15:55.811 --> 00:15:58.781
- Translation of the bible for your devotional reading for that
- 00:15:58.781 --> 00:16:01.150
- Year, or the new international version or some
- 00:16:01.150 --> 00:16:03.919
- Different translation.
- 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:05.387
- It's a way to make god's word fresh in your life.
- 00:16:05.387 --> 00:16:09.158
- Now, when i talk about commit yourself to reading the bible
- 00:16:09.158 --> 00:16:12.928
- Every day, i know what some of you are thinking.
- 00:16:12.928 --> 00:16:16.432
- You're thinking, "you know, pastor, that's easy for you to
- 00:16:16.432 --> 00:16:19.334
- Say because you're paid to read the bible, but if you had a real
- 00:16:19.334 --> 00:16:22.771
- Job like we do, you know, you wouldn't find that easy to find
- 00:16:22.771 --> 00:16:26.675
- Time to read the bible."
- 00:16:26.675 --> 00:16:28.644
- I understand that sentiment.
- 00:16:28.644 --> 00:16:30.846
- But gordon gilkey has a great illustration of why we all have
- 00:16:30.846 --> 00:16:35.250
- Time to do whatever we need to do.
- 00:16:35.250 --> 00:16:37.786
- He said, "most people imagine their lives like this:
- 00:16:37.786 --> 00:16:40.556
- They imagine themselves standing in a circle and they imagine all
- 00:16:40.556 --> 00:16:45.160
- Of these problems and challenges and people are rushing at them
- 00:16:45.160 --> 00:16:48.964
- At one time while they stand in the middle of a circle."
- 00:16:48.964 --> 00:16:52.434
- But he said, "that's really not a good picture of what our lives
- 00:16:52.434 --> 00:16:55.170
- Are like."
- 00:16:55.170 --> 00:16:56.538
- Instead, he said, "imagine an hourglass on your desk.
- 00:16:56.538 --> 00:17:00.008
- There's a bulb at the top with sand in it, there's a bulb at
- 00:17:00.008 --> 00:17:02.978
- The bottom to collect the sand, and there's a thin tube
- 00:17:02.978 --> 00:17:06.014
- Connecting the two bulbs.
- 00:17:06.014 --> 00:17:08.050
- And that sand comes through that thin tube one grain at a time."
- 00:17:08.050 --> 00:17:15.224
- He said, "your life is composed of moments, and those moments
- 00:17:15.224 --> 00:17:18.961
- Don't come to you all at once, they come one moment at a time,
- 00:17:18.961 --> 00:17:24.199
- And you get to choose what to do with those moments."
- 00:17:24.199 --> 00:17:28.437
- The bible says, "if we're going to make a wise use of our life,
- 00:17:28.437 --> 00:17:32.608
- We need to invest that--those moments in the things that
- 00:17:32.608 --> 00:17:35.844
- Will last."
- 00:17:35.844 --> 00:17:37.212
- You can choose to make the bible a part of your everyday life.
- 00:17:37.212 --> 00:17:41.416
- Be committed to reading the bible.
- 00:17:41.416 --> 00:17:44.019
- The c, number three, stands for concentrate on smaller sections
- 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:48.824
- Of the bible.
- 00:17:48.824 --> 00:17:50.192
- Concentrate on smaller sections of the bible.
- 00:17:50.192 --> 00:17:53.295
- A lady approached her pastor one day and said, "preacher, i want
- 00:17:53.295 --> 00:17:56.665
- You to know i have been through the bible 50 times in my life."
- 00:17:56.665 --> 00:18:01.303
- The preacher looked at her and said, "lady, the issue is not
- 00:18:01.303 --> 00:18:04.106
- How many times have you been through the bible, but how many
- 00:18:04.106 --> 00:18:06.808
- Times has the bible been through you?"
- 00:18:06.808 --> 00:18:10.245
- See, that's why i have a problem with these read through the
- 00:18:10.245 --> 00:18:12.314
- Bible in a year programs.
- 00:18:12.314 --> 00:18:13.682
- I do it occasionally, but i mean, let's face it, don't you
- 00:18:13.682 --> 00:18:17.352
- Find yourself a lot of times just trying to rush through it
- 00:18:17.352 --> 00:18:19.555
- So you can say, "i did my assignment for today"?
- 00:18:19.555 --> 00:18:22.424
- I tell people, "the bible took 1500 years to write, why do we
- 00:18:22.424 --> 00:18:25.627
- Feel like we have to go through it in a year?"
- 00:18:25.627 --> 00:18:28.030
- I mean, isn't it better to concentrate on smaller sections
- 00:18:28.030 --> 00:18:31.099
- Of the bible so that god's word can truly speak to you?
- 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:35.103
- Years ago, madame guyon wrote, "if you read the bible
- 00:18:35.103 --> 00:18:38.874
- Quickly, it will benefit you little.
- 00:18:38.874 --> 00:18:41.843
- You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of
- 00:18:41.843 --> 00:18:44.880
- A flower.
- 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.215
- Instead, in this new way of reading with prayer, you must
- 00:18:46.215 --> 00:18:50.319
- Become as the bee who penetrates into the depth of the flower.
- 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:55.023
- You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar."
- 00:18:55.023 --> 00:19:01.863
- And that leads to d, determined to listen and follow
- 00:19:01.863 --> 00:19:06.635
- God's commands.
- 00:19:06.635 --> 00:19:08.036
- Determined to listen and follow god's commands.
- 00:19:08.036 --> 00:19:11.373
- When madame guyon talks about extracting the nectar from the
- 00:19:11.373 --> 00:19:15.310
- Truth of god's word, what is she talking about?
- 00:19:15.310 --> 00:19:18.113
- That nectar is the timeless principles you find in scripture
- 00:19:18.113 --> 00:19:22.484
- That apply to your life.
- 00:19:22.484 --> 00:19:24.219
- Remember, the purpose of reading the bible is not information,
- 00:19:24.219 --> 00:19:28.590
- It's transformation.
- 00:19:28.590 --> 00:19:30.425
- It's to make you like jesus christ.
- 00:19:30.425 --> 00:19:32.761
- And so, when we read the bible, we ought to always read it with
- 00:19:32.761 --> 00:19:35.597
- A view toward application.
- 00:19:35.597 --> 00:19:38.200
- How does this passage apply to my life?
- 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:41.536
- Now, some people try to short circuit that process.
- 00:19:41.536 --> 00:19:45.407
- They'll try to immediately look at a bible verse and say, "okay,
- 00:19:45.407 --> 00:19:49.878
- What's that saying to me?
- 00:19:49.878 --> 00:19:51.246
- What do i need to do?"
- 00:19:51.246 --> 00:19:52.614
- I wrote a story about a man who's trying to decide which
- 00:19:52.614 --> 00:19:55.350
- Branch of the service to enlist in--the army, the air force--
- 00:19:55.350 --> 00:19:58.954
- Which branch he was gonna enlist in.
- 00:19:58.954 --> 00:20:01.356
- And so, he thumbed through the bible and he came to psalm
- 00:20:01.356 --> 00:20:04.026
- 107:23, "they that go down to the sea in ships,
- 00:20:04.026 --> 00:20:08.664
- That do business in great waters."
- 00:20:08.664 --> 00:20:10.766
- He said, "ah-ha, god wants me to enlist in the navy.
- 00:20:10.766 --> 00:20:13.335
- There it is right there in the scripture."
- 00:20:13.335 --> 00:20:15.504
- Well, obviously that's not the purpose of psalm 107 to tell us
- 00:20:15.504 --> 00:20:19.408
- What branch of the service to enlist.
- 00:20:19.408 --> 00:20:21.877
- When you pull back and read the complete psalm, it's talking
- 00:20:21.877 --> 00:20:25.414
- About the goodness, the power of god.
- 00:20:25.414 --> 00:20:28.083
- God's goodness is poured upon everybody in the world,
- 00:20:28.083 --> 00:20:32.421
- Including those who go down to the sea and do their business in
- 00:20:32.421 --> 00:20:35.357
- The waters.
- 00:20:35.357 --> 00:20:36.725
- That's the purpose of psalm 107.
- 00:20:36.725 --> 00:20:39.161
- If we're gonna read the bible correctly, when we finish
- 00:20:39.161 --> 00:20:42.197
- Reading the passage, we ought to ask ourselves, "what does this
- 00:20:42.197 --> 00:20:45.334
- Passage first of all teach us about god or ourselves?
- 00:20:45.334 --> 00:20:49.805
- What are the timeless truths?"
- 00:20:49.805 --> 00:20:52.207
- And then after we discover that timeless truth about god, we
- 00:20:52.207 --> 00:20:56.345
- Ought to ask the next question, "what am i going to do
- 00:20:56.345 --> 00:20:59.581
- Differently as a result of this truth that i've discovered?"
- 00:20:59.581 --> 00:21:03.819
- Let me illustrate that for you.
- 00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:05.187
- We read just a few moments ago, ephesians chapter 5, "husbands
- 00:21:05.187 --> 00:21:09.224
- Love your wives as christ loved the church and gave himself
- 00:21:09.224 --> 00:21:14.429
- For it."
- 00:21:14.429 --> 00:21:15.964
- The timeless truth in that passage is we are to love our
- 00:21:15.964 --> 00:21:19.468
- Wives with the same sacrificial love with which christ loves us.
- 00:21:19.468 --> 00:21:26.274
- Now, that's the truth, but if we stop short there, we haven't
- 00:21:26.274 --> 00:21:29.878
- Really allowed the bible to do its transforming work.
- 00:21:29.878 --> 00:21:33.081
- We ought to ask ourselves the question, then after that,
- 00:21:33.081 --> 00:21:35.183
- "okay, given that truth, what am i going to do differently
- 00:21:35.183 --> 00:21:40.222
- Because of that truth?
- 00:21:40.222 --> 00:21:41.857
- How am i going to love my wife in a selfless sacrificial way?
- 00:21:41.857 --> 00:21:47.763
- What am i gonna do differently?"
- 00:21:47.763 --> 00:21:49.097
- Maybe it means that i offered to take the kids to school in the
- 00:21:49.097 --> 00:21:52.467
- Morning so my wife can sleep a little later or maybe i offer to
- 00:21:52.467 --> 00:21:56.938
- Take her out to dinner several times during the week so she
- 00:21:56.938 --> 00:21:59.474
- Doesn't have to prepare a meal.
- 00:21:59.474 --> 00:22:02.077
- Maybe it means that i make the ultimate sacrifice, spend
- 00:22:02.077 --> 00:22:07.182
- Saturday at the mall with her instead of watching a game
- 00:22:07.182 --> 00:22:09.484
- On television.
- 00:22:09.484 --> 00:22:13.221
- See, that's really the purpose of scripture, not information
- 00:22:13.221 --> 00:22:17.426
- But transformation.
- 00:22:17.426 --> 00:22:18.927
- What am i going to do differently because of the truth
- 00:22:18.927 --> 00:22:22.097
- Of god's word?
- 00:22:22.097 --> 00:22:23.965
- Author john stott writes--i don't want you to miss this--"if
- 00:22:23.965 --> 00:22:27.669
- We come to the scriptures with our minds made up, expecting to
- 00:22:27.669 --> 00:22:32.140
- Hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the
- 00:22:32.140 --> 00:22:36.311
- Thunderclap of god's thoughts.
- 00:22:36.311 --> 00:22:38.713
- Then indeed god will not speak to us and we shall only be
- 00:22:38.713 --> 00:22:42.117
- Confirmed in our own prejudices."
- 00:22:42.117 --> 00:22:44.119
- Now get this, "we must allow the word of god to confront us, to
- 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:49.224
- Disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to
- 00:22:49.224 --> 00:22:54.563
- Overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior."
- 00:22:54.563 --> 00:23:01.703
- Overthrowing our patterns of thought and behavior--
- 00:23:01.703 --> 00:23:07.375
- That's the radical transformation god wants in
- 00:23:07.375 --> 00:23:09.678
- Your life.
- 00:23:09.678 --> 00:23:11.213
- The spirit of god using the word of god to transform you into the
- 00:23:11.213 --> 00:23:16.418
- Image of god.
- 00:23:16.418 --> 00:23:18.386
- That's the washing of the water with the word.
- 00:23:18.386 --> 00:23:24.192
- Jeffress: it doesn't do us any good to merely soak up
- 00:23:28.296 --> 00:23:31.600
- Information about the scripture.
- 00:23:31.600 --> 00:23:33.502
- We need to let the spirit of god use the word of god to bring
- 00:23:33.502 --> 00:23:38.373
- Transformation into our lives.
- 00:23:38.373 --> 00:23:41.142
- Recently, rachel wrote to us to share how the bible teaching she
- 00:23:41.142 --> 00:23:44.613
- Hears on "pathway to victory" is making a very real difference in
- 00:23:44.613 --> 00:23:48.817
- Her own life.
- 00:23:48.817 --> 00:23:50.252
- Rachel is a 20 year old christian woman living in
- 00:23:50.252 --> 00:23:53.622
- Indonesia, home to the world's largest muslim population.
- 00:23:53.622 --> 00:23:58.393
- Every day, rachel feels more and more hate, aggression, and
- 00:23:58.393 --> 00:24:02.564
- Terror from the radical zealots surrounding her.
- 00:24:02.564 --> 00:24:05.867
- But recently, she started watching "pathway to victory,"
- 00:24:05.867 --> 00:24:09.371
- And the messages are reminding her to be hopeful and remain
- 00:24:09.371 --> 00:24:13.408
- Faithful in these troubling times.
- 00:24:13.408 --> 00:24:16.044
- Rachel wrote, "thank you, dr. jeffress, and all who stand
- 00:24:16.044 --> 00:24:19.915
- For truth!
- 00:24:19.915 --> 00:24:21.249
- The world needs to hear bible teaching more than ever before."
- 00:24:21.249 --> 00:24:25.654
- Well, thank you, rachel, for sharing your word
- 00:24:25.654 --> 00:24:28.323
- Of encouragement.
- 00:24:28.323 --> 00:24:29.925
- And friends, if you're a financial supporter of "pathway
- 00:24:29.925 --> 00:24:33.161
- To victory," rachel's expression of gratitude really belongs to
- 00:24:33.161 --> 00:24:37.365
- You as well.
- 00:24:37.365 --> 00:24:38.867
- You're the one who's making it possible to broadcast the gospel
- 00:24:38.867 --> 00:24:42.671
- Of jesus christ, not only here in america but in hundreds of
- 00:24:42.671 --> 00:24:47.008
- Countries around the world.
- 00:24:47.008 --> 00:24:49.110
- Now, stay right there.
- 00:24:49.110 --> 00:24:50.478
- I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
- 00:24:50.478 --> 00:24:54.883
- Announcer: the bible promises that when we put our
- 00:24:54.950 --> 00:24:57.018
- Faith in jesus christ, our lives will be changed from the
- 00:24:57.018 --> 00:25:00.855
- Inside out.
- 00:25:00.855 --> 00:25:02.223
- And yet many christians feel discouraged and defeated in
- 00:25:02.223 --> 00:25:04.593
- Their daily walk.
- 00:25:04.593 --> 00:25:05.927
- Jeffress: if you're longing for something more in your
- 00:25:05.927 --> 00:25:08.096
- Relationship with god, you're not alone.
- 00:25:08.096 --> 00:25:10.532
- At one time, i felt dissatisfied and powerless to change it, but
- 00:25:10.532 --> 00:25:15.070
- By god's grace i discovered how to deploy the power of the holy
- 00:25:15.070 --> 00:25:19.307
- Spirit in my life.
- 00:25:19.307 --> 00:25:20.976
- And today, i wanna help you discover that as well in my best
- 00:25:20.976 --> 00:25:25.013
- Selling book, "i want more."
- 00:25:25.013 --> 00:25:27.849
- Announcer: the book "i want more" was written to help you
- 00:25:27.849 --> 00:25:30.418
- Build spiritual strength as you pursue a fresh way to unleash
- 00:25:30.418 --> 00:25:34.055
- God's supernatural power in every area of your life.
- 00:25:34.055 --> 00:25:37.826
- You're invited to request a copy of "i want more" when you give a
- 00:25:37.826 --> 00:25:41.162
- Generous gift to support the ministry of "pathway to victory"
- 00:25:41.162 --> 00:25:44.399
- Or when you become a pathway partner.
- 00:25:44.399 --> 00:25:46.735
- And when you give $75 or more, we'll also send you the complete
- 00:25:46.735 --> 00:25:50.905
- "unleashed" teaching series on dvd and audio disc.
- 00:25:50.905 --> 00:25:54.676
- Jeffress: god has granted to you everything you need to lead a
- 00:25:54.676 --> 00:26:00.048
- Fulfilling existence while here on earth.
- 00:26:00.048 --> 00:26:02.717
- Everything he has given you is all wrapped up in the holy
- 00:26:02.717 --> 00:26:06.554
- Spirit of god.
- 00:26:06.554 --> 00:26:08.556
- Announcer: your generous giving will help us encourage
- 00:26:08.556 --> 00:26:10.959
- And equip viewers like you with biblical truth and hope.
- 00:26:10.959 --> 00:26:14.562
- Thank you so much for your support as we continue to impact
- 00:26:14.562 --> 00:26:17.832
- You, your family, and our nation with the transforming truth of
- 00:26:17.832 --> 00:26:21.770
- God's word.
- 00:26:21.770 --> 00:26:24.372
- Jeffress: is god's word an integral part of your daily
- 00:26:24.439 --> 00:26:27.509
- Life, or does your bible sit neglected in a corner of your
- 00:26:27.509 --> 00:26:31.246
- Room waiting for next sunday to be picked up again?
- 00:26:31.246 --> 00:26:35.316
- If you want to experience the holy spirit's power, you must
- 00:26:35.316 --> 00:26:39.154
- Start by reading god's word and allowing the truth to transform
- 00:26:39.154 --> 00:26:43.558
- Your life.
- 00:26:43.558 --> 00:26:45.026
- That's the first channel by which god pours the power of his
- 00:26:45.026 --> 00:26:48.596
- Spirit into our lives.
- 00:26:48.596 --> 00:26:50.799
- And next time, we'll begin looking at conduit number
- 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.768
- Two, prayer.
- 00:26:53.768 --> 00:26:55.804
- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next on
- 00:26:55.804 --> 00:26:58.740
- "pathway to victory."
- 00:26:58.740 --> 00:27:01.743
- Jeffress: indeed, as you look at both the old and the new
- 00:27:01.743 --> 00:27:03.645
- Testament, you'll discover that it was through prayer over and
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- Over again we see the power of god demonstrated.
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- And i imagine most of us here today could also give a personal
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- Testimony of how god's power was unleashed in our life
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- Through prayer.
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- Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for the
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- Message, "the power of faith kneeling" here on "pathway
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- To victory."
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