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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - God Helps Those... Who Can't Help Themselves

July 31, 2025 | 29:0

Robert Jeffress - God Helps Those... Who Can't Help Themselves
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Help #Self-Righteousness #Faith #Believe #TrustGod #PromisesofGod #PresenceofGod #HandofGod #LoveofGod #BrokenHeart #Brokenness

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - God Helps Those... Who Can't Help Themselves | July 31, 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."
  • 00:00:16.906 --> 00:00:19.008
  • Hebrews 11, verse 6 says: "without faith, it's impossible
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  • To please god."
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  • But does god ever show favor to those who don't ask
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  • For his help?
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  • Today we're going to look at two stories in the gospel of luke
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  • That demonstrate god's astonishing compassion toward
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  • Those who need him, even those who don't yet know it.
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  • My message is titled, "god helps those who can't help
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  • Themselves," on today's edition of "pathway to victory."
  • 00:00:45.869 --> 00:00:53.676
  • Announcer: give your heart the encouragement it needs.
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  • Start and end each day meditating on god's word with
  • 00:01:00.350 --> 00:01:03.586
  • "encouragement for the heart of a disciple."
  • 00:01:03.586 --> 00:01:06.022
  • This brand-new, beautiful, full-color, padded hardcover
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  • Book by dr. robert jeffress features 80 breathtaking images
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  • Of creation paired with scripture, prayers, and insights
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  • You can read in under 2 minutes, perfect for your coffee table or
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  • As a thoughtful gift for a loved one.
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  • Request "encouragement for the heart of a disciple" when you
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  • Give a generous gift to "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: max lucado, the christian author, claims that
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  • The message of contemporary christianity is far too similar
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  • To the message you find in the classic movie,
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  • "the wizard of oz."
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  • Max writes: "the movie ends with dorothy discovering that her
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  • Worst nightmare was in reality just a bad dream, that her
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  • Somewhere over the rainbow home was right where she had always
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  • Been, and that it's nice to have friends in high places, but in
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  • The end it's up to you to find your way home.
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  • The moral of 'the wizard of oz'?
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  • Everything you may need, you've already got.
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  • The power you need is really a power you already have.
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  • Just look deep enough, long enough, and there's nothing
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  • You can't do.
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  • Sound familiar, sound patriotic, sound christian?
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  • For years it did to me.
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  • I'm an offspring of sturdy stock, a product of a rugged
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  • Blue collar culture that honored decency, loyalty, hard work,
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  • And loved bible verses like 'god helps those who
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  • Help themselves.'
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  • No, it's not in there.
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  • But alas therein lies the problem.
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  • As the teacher said, no one is good, nor is anyone always
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  • Strong nor is anyone always secure.
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  • Do it yourself christianity is not much encouragement to
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  • The done in and the worn out.
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  • Self-sanctification holds little help for the addict.
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  • Try a little harder is little encouragement for the abused.
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  • At some point, we need more than good advice.
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  • We need help.
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  • Somewhere on this journey home, we realize that a 50-50
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  • Proposition is too little.
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  • We need more than a wizard who thanks us for coming.
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  • We need help.
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  • We need jesus."
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  • Today we're going to look at two very different people who
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  • Desperately needed jesus.
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  • One was a powerful roman centurion, the other was
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  • A forgotten widow.
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  • And yet both needed jesus.
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  • One exercised great faith and was blessed for it.
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  • One exercised no faith and god blessed her anyway.
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  • Yes, god helps those who exercise faith, but as we're
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  • Going to discover today, god also helps those who can't
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  • Help themselves.
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  • If you have your bibles, i want you to turn to luke chapter 7.
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  • Luke chapter 7, in our study of the life of christ as told by
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  • Luke, we have come to chapter 7.
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  • Remember last time in chapter 6
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  • We found the summary of some of jesus's most famous words, the
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  • Sermon on the mount we call it.
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  • And now that he was finished with the message, he was
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  • Returning to the town of capernaum, located in northern
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  • Israel in galilee, which was the base, headquarters, of his
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  • Ministry for a while and it's when he returns to capernaum
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  • That we're introduced to his encounters with two very
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  • Different people.
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  • First of all, let's look at the case of the believing centurion.
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  • Look at verse 2 of luke chapter 7: "and a certain centurion's
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  • Slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about
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  • To die.
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  • And when this centurion had heard about jesus, he sent some
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  • Jewish elders asking jesus to come and save the life of
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  • His slave."
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  • How did he know about jesus?
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  • Well, remember, he lived in capernaum and jesus was
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  • Headquartered in capernaum.
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  • It wasn't that big of a town.
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  • Because the centurion felt unworthy, he asked somebody else
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  • To ask jesus on his behalf, and that leads to a word about the
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  • Centurion's character.
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  • In this account, you find three different assessments of the
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  • Character of this centurion.
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  • Look at verses 4 and 5: "and when they had come to jesus,"
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  • That is the elders, "they earnestly entreated him, saying,
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  • 'this centurion is worthy for you to grant this to him; for he
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  • Loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.'"
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  • Now look at the centurion's faith.
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  • Remember the first estimation of him was he said--the leader
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  • Said, "he is worthy."
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  • Now these differ in--to what the centurion himself said
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  • About himself.
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  • Look at verse 6 of chapter 7: "now jesus started on his way
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  • With them; and when he was already not far from the house,
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  • The centurion sent friends, saying to him, 'lord, do not
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  • Trouble yourself further, for i am not worthy for you to come
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  • Under my roof.'"
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  • Now get the picture here.
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  • Jesus has the request from the elders.
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  • He says, "okay, i will go to the centurion's house and heal
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  • His slave."
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  • When the centurion hears that jesus is on the way, the
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  • Centurion says, "i am not worthy to even be in your presence."
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  • By the way, that's how you know somebody really understands who
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  • God is, is when you understand how unworthy you are.
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  • Remember the apostle peter?
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  • And when he realized who jesus was, he fell down and said,
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  • "lord, depart from me, for i am a sinful man."
  • 00:07:18.661 --> 00:07:22.064
  • Or remember isaiah the prophet: "lord, i can't take this."
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  • He saw the vision of the lord and he said, "i'm an
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  • Unclean man.
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  • I'm an unholy man."
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  • When you really understand who god is, you understand your
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  • Own unworthiness.
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  • So he says in verse 7: "you just send word to the lord: i don't
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  • Consider myself worthy to come to you.
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  • Just say the word and my servant will be healed."
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  • Lord, i don't need you here with me.
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  • To heal my slave, all you have to do is wherever you are, give
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  • The word, and you can do--you can heal my slave.
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  • Now that is faith.
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  • Do you believe that about god?
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  • Do you believe even though you are separated from god, he is in
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  • Heaven, you're here, do you believe god is powerful enough
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  • To hear your request and answer your request, no matter how
  • 00:08:05.007 --> 00:08:09.178
  • Impossible it seems, as the centurion believed that.
  • 00:08:09.178 --> 00:08:14.450
  • He believed god could answer his prayer, and that leads to the
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  • Third assessment of the centurion's character.
  • 00:08:18.287 --> 00:08:21.223
  • The elder said, "he's a worthy man."
  • 00:08:21.223 --> 00:08:24.093
  • He himself said, "i am not a worthy man," but look at what
  • 00:08:24.093 --> 00:08:26.996
  • Jesus said about him, verse 9: "now when jesus heard this,"
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  • Heard what?
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  • Heard that the centurion said, "i believe you can heal from
  • 00:08:33.336 --> 00:08:35.805
  • Even a distance."
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  • "now when jesus heard this, he marveled at the centurion.
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  • And he turned and he said to the multitude that was following
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  • Him, 'i say to you, not even in israel have i found such
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  • Great faith.'"
  • 00:08:50.920 --> 00:08:53.422
  • And that's the third assessment of this centurion.
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  • The elder said, "he's worthy."
  • 00:08:56.792 --> 00:08:59.061
  • The centurion said, "i'm not worthy."
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  • Jesus said, "he is a man of faith."
  • 00:09:00.863 --> 00:09:04.300
  • And will you underline that word in verse 9, "marveled,"
  • 00:09:04.300 --> 00:09:09.071
  • "he marveled at him."
  • 00:09:09.071 --> 00:09:11.140
  • He was impressed by him.
  • 00:09:11.140 --> 00:09:13.409
  • Now what's interesting is there are only two times in the bible
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  • Where jesus is ever amazed at anything.
  • 00:09:16.846 --> 00:09:20.883
  • Only two times that jesus is impressed by anything.
  • 00:09:20.883 --> 00:09:24.153
  • Now you can understand why it's hard to impress jesus.
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  • I mean think about it.
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  • Colossians 1:16 says he is the one who created this
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  • Entire universe.
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  • I mean, if you were the one who had created the grand canyon and
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  • Mount everest and had flung all the stars and the galaxies that
  • 00:09:38.501 --> 00:09:43.539
  • Exist into being by one or two words from yourself, wouldn't
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  • You be hard to impress?
  • 00:09:47.710 --> 00:09:49.812
  • Jesus wasn't impressed easily, but the bible says there are two
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  • Things that amazed jesus.
  • 00:09:52.982 --> 00:09:55.084
  • One account is found in mark 6:6 where it says: "jesus was amazed
  • 00:09:55.084 --> 00:09:59.422
  • At the lack of faith by his own people, the jews," after they
  • 00:09:59.422 --> 00:10:03.793
  • Had seen so much for so long that they were unwilling
  • 00:10:03.793 --> 00:10:07.630
  • To believe.
  • 00:10:07.630 --> 00:10:08.964
  • The only other time was here when jesus was amazed at the
  • 00:10:08.964 --> 00:10:13.135
  • Centurion's faith.
  • 00:10:13.135 --> 00:10:14.503
  • Here is a man who had limited understanding of jesus.
  • 00:10:14.503 --> 00:10:18.240
  • Didn't know much about him but believed that he had the power
  • 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:20.976
  • To do what he had promised to do.
  • 00:10:20.976 --> 00:10:22.878
  • Verse 10: "and when those who had been sent returned to the
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  • House, they found the slave in good health."
  • 00:10:27.883 --> 00:10:31.721
  • You know, the healing of this slave is kind of an afterthought
  • 00:10:31.721 --> 00:10:33.956
  • In this story.
  • 00:10:33.956 --> 00:10:35.324
  • Luke says, oh by the way, when the elders returned to the
  • 00:10:35.324 --> 00:10:37.259
  • House, the centurion slave was just fine.
  • 00:10:37.259 --> 00:10:41.030
  • You see, the focus in this story is not on jesus's miracle.
  • 00:10:41.030 --> 00:10:44.700
  • The story centers on the centurion's faith, and that's
  • 00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:49.538
  • What impresses god: faith.
  • 00:10:49.538 --> 00:10:52.208
  • Hebrews 11:6 says: "without faith it is impossible to
  • 00:10:52.208 --> 00:10:56.946
  • Please god."
  • 00:10:56.946 --> 00:10:59.281
  • What is faith?
  • 00:10:59.281 --> 00:11:00.616
  • What is the kind of faith that impresses jesus?
  • 00:11:00.616 --> 00:11:04.086
  • Listen to me, there's a real misunderstanding about
  • 00:11:04.086 --> 00:11:06.622
  • This today.
  • 00:11:06.622 --> 00:11:08.190
  • Faith is not believing god will do what i want him to do.
  • 00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:13.896
  • That's what you hear today with a lot of the tv preachers.
  • 00:11:13.896 --> 00:11:16.665
  • "oh, just believe, believe, believe.
  • 00:11:16.665 --> 00:11:20.569
  • Believe.
  • 00:11:20.569 --> 00:11:22.972
  • Well, believe.
  • 00:11:22.972 --> 00:11:25.541
  • If you just believe hard enough, say it loud enough and long
  • 00:11:25.541 --> 00:11:29.612
  • Enough, god will do it."
  • 00:11:29.612 --> 00:11:31.914
  • That's what they say faith is, just conjuring up this
  • 00:11:31.914 --> 00:11:34.683
  • Positive attitude.
  • 00:11:34.683 --> 00:11:36.051
  • God's gonna do what i want him to do.
  • 00:11:36.051 --> 00:11:38.053
  • "i think he can. i think he can.
  • 00:11:38.053 --> 00:11:39.989
  • I think he can. i think he can."
  • 00:11:40.055 --> 00:11:42.424
  • Look, that's not faith, that's presumption.
  • 00:11:42.424 --> 00:11:45.094
  • Faith is not believing god will do what i want him to do.
  • 00:11:45.094 --> 00:11:48.130
  • Faith is believing god will do what he has promised to do, and
  • 00:11:48.130 --> 00:11:53.569
  • Acting accordingly.
  • 00:11:53.569 --> 00:11:55.171
  • That's what faith is: believing that god will do what he's
  • 00:11:55.171 --> 00:11:57.907
  • Promised to do, and acting accordingly.
  • 00:11:57.907 --> 00:11:59.909
  • What is it that god has promised to do?
  • 00:11:59.909 --> 00:12:02.845
  • Well, because god has promised, it's appointed unto every man
  • 00:12:02.845 --> 00:12:06.816
  • Once to die and then the judgment.
  • 00:12:06.816 --> 00:12:08.684
  • God has said that.
  • 00:12:08.684 --> 00:12:10.152
  • Faith means living every day of my life as if it were my last
  • 00:12:10.152 --> 00:12:14.723
  • Day, living in the realization that one day i'm gonna face god,
  • 00:12:14.723 --> 00:12:19.195
  • Because god has already said there is only one way to escape
  • 00:12:19.195 --> 00:12:22.198
  • His judgment, and that is through faith in jesus christ.
  • 00:12:22.198 --> 00:12:25.267
  • Faith means trusting in christ alone to be my savior.
  • 00:12:25.267 --> 00:12:30.406
  • Because god has said to those of us who are christians, one day
  • 00:12:30.406 --> 00:12:33.075
  • We're all going to stand before the judgment seat of christ and
  • 00:12:33.075 --> 00:12:36.245
  • Give an account of our lives, whether it be good or worthless,
  • 00:12:36.245 --> 00:12:40.082
  • Because one day we're gonna be judged by god.
  • 00:12:40.082 --> 00:12:42.117
  • It means, faith means, investing my life right now, my time, my
  • 00:12:42.117 --> 00:12:47.623
  • Energy, my money and those things that will make an eternal
  • 00:12:47.623 --> 00:12:51.160
  • Difference because god has already said he is the--i mean,
  • 00:12:51.160 --> 00:12:56.065
  • He has destroyed the power of sin in my life.
  • 00:12:56.065 --> 00:12:58.734
  • Sin has no more power over my life than i choose to allow it
  • 00:12:58.734 --> 00:13:01.904
  • To have.
  • 00:13:01.904 --> 00:13:03.239
  • Faith means every day saying no to sin and yes to righteousness.
  • 00:13:03.239 --> 00:13:07.543
  • That's what faith is: believing what god has already said, and
  • 00:13:07.543 --> 00:13:13.282
  • Acting accordingly.
  • 00:13:13.282 --> 00:13:15.384
  • That was this centurion.
  • 00:13:15.384 --> 00:13:17.186
  • He believed in jesus's power to heal the slave.
  • 00:13:17.186 --> 00:13:22.224
  • God honors faith.
  • 00:13:22.224 --> 00:13:24.693
  • But what happens in those cases when we have little or no faith?
  • 00:13:24.693 --> 00:13:30.499
  • What happens in those situations?
  • 00:13:30.499 --> 00:13:32.701
  • And that's the amazing truth i want you to see and it's
  • 00:13:32.701 --> 00:13:35.137
  • Illustrated in the next story.
  • 00:13:35.137 --> 00:13:37.406
  • Yes, god honors those who have faith, but sometimes god even
  • 00:13:37.406 --> 00:13:41.810
  • Blesses those who have little or no faith, and we see that in the
  • 00:13:41.810 --> 00:13:46.148
  • Case of the grieving widow.
  • 00:13:46.148 --> 00:13:47.549
  • Look at luke 7 beginning in verse 11: "and it came about
  • 00:13:47.549 --> 00:13:52.054
  • Soon afterwards that jesus went to a city called nain."
  • 00:13:52.054 --> 00:13:56.725
  • Now, luke is being generous when he says city.
  • 00:13:56.725 --> 00:13:58.961
  • It was just a little village, a little fork in the road, in the
  • 00:13:58.961 --> 00:14:02.798
  • Dirt southeast of nazareth, about 6 miles.
  • 00:14:02.798 --> 00:14:06.535
  • "jesus went to a city called nain; and his disciples were
  • 00:14:06.535 --> 00:14:09.705
  • Going along with him, accompanied by
  • 00:14:09.705 --> 00:14:12.041
  • A large multitude.
  • 00:14:12.041 --> 00:14:14.076
  • Now as jesus approached the gate of the city, a dead man was
  • 00:14:14.076 --> 00:14:17.746
  • Being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was
  • 00:14:17.746 --> 00:14:21.717
  • A widow, and a sizable crowd from the city was with her."
  • 00:14:21.717 --> 00:14:26.055
  • Now picture this: jesus is with his followers, a group of them,
  • 00:14:26.055 --> 00:14:30.759
  • And they're headed to the city of nain.
  • 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.262
  • Now i just imagine they were in a good mood.
  • 00:14:33.262 --> 00:14:36.498
  • Jesus had had a great success on the sermon on the mount.
  • 00:14:36.498 --> 00:14:39.635
  • People were following him.
  • 00:14:39.635 --> 00:14:41.103
  • I imagine they may have been singing on the way.
  • 00:14:41.103 --> 00:14:42.905
  • They may have been cutting up with one another as they walked
  • 00:14:42.905 --> 00:14:45.674
  • Along the way, and suddenly they confront a funeral procession
  • 00:14:45.674 --> 00:14:50.145
  • That's on the way out of the city, headed to the cemetery
  • 00:14:50.145 --> 00:14:54.116
  • Outside the city gates.
  • 00:14:54.116 --> 00:14:56.719
  • You know, warren wiersbe makes a great point here.
  • 00:14:56.719 --> 00:14:59.788
  • He says this represents the two groups of humanity, and you and
  • 00:14:59.788 --> 00:15:03.258
  • I are in one of them.
  • 00:15:03.258 --> 00:15:05.094
  • One is the group with jesus, joyfully marching to our eternal
  • 00:15:05.094 --> 00:15:10.199
  • City that he has planned for us.
  • 00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:12.601
  • The other group is a funeral procession, headed away from
  • 00:15:12.601 --> 00:15:16.438
  • God, headed toward eternal separation from god.
  • 00:15:16.438 --> 00:15:20.609
  • You are on one of those roads with one of those groups.
  • 00:15:20.609 --> 00:15:24.079
  • You're either on the road that is leading to eternal life and
  • 00:15:24.079 --> 00:15:27.016
  • All that god has planned for you, or you're in the road that
  • 00:15:27.016 --> 00:15:30.486
  • Leads to eternal death, two roads with two very
  • 00:15:30.486 --> 00:15:33.856
  • Different destinies.
  • 00:15:33.856 --> 00:15:35.691
  • Well here, jesus and his disciples come in confrontation
  • 00:15:35.691 --> 00:15:39.194
  • With this group headed to the cemetery, and at the center of
  • 00:15:39.194 --> 00:15:42.331
  • This group is a man who has died.
  • 00:15:42.331 --> 00:15:46.335
  • He's described as the son, the only son of his mother.
  • 00:15:46.335 --> 00:15:51.040
  • He's in a coffin.
  • 00:15:51.040 --> 00:15:52.408
  • He's being carried by a group of men and there is his mother
  • 00:15:52.408 --> 00:15:55.744
  • Standing and walking alongside of him.
  • 00:15:55.744 --> 00:15:58.514
  • She's a widow, meaning not only has she lost her husband, but
  • 00:15:58.514 --> 00:16:03.519
  • Now she's lost her only son, perhaps her only child.
  • 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:09.124
  • Can you imagine the grief she must have felt, having lost her
  • 00:16:09.124 --> 00:16:13.295
  • Husband and now perhaps her only child?
  • 00:16:13.295 --> 00:16:18.000
  • Some of you know that feeling, don't you?
  • 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.536
  • You've lost everybody who's really important to you in life.
  • 00:16:20.536 --> 00:16:24.840
  • That was this widow as she marched toward the cemetery,
  • 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:28.377
  • Overcome with grief, crying, not knowing even what to say to
  • 00:16:28.377 --> 00:16:33.215
  • The lord.
  • 00:16:33.215 --> 00:16:34.550
  • Verses 13 and 14, look at this: "and when the lord saw her,
  • 00:16:34.550 --> 00:16:39.655
  • He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'do not weep.'
  • 00:16:39.655 --> 00:16:44.660
  • And he came up and he touched the coffin; and the bearers came
  • 00:16:44.660 --> 00:16:49.531
  • To a halt.
  • 00:16:49.531 --> 00:16:50.899
  • And he said, 'young man, i say to you, arise!'"
  • 00:16:50.899 --> 00:16:56.672
  • Now here is jesus talking to a corpse, saying "arise!"
  • 00:16:56.672 --> 00:17:03.512
  • Listen to me, when you die, you don't cease to exist.
  • 00:17:03.512 --> 00:17:07.516
  • Your spirit is going to live forever.
  • 00:17:07.516 --> 00:17:11.019
  • Everybody's spirit lives forever.
  • 00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:13.055
  • Don't matter what you believe; jew, atheist, muslim, catholic,
  • 00:17:13.055 --> 00:17:16.592
  • Baptist, everybody's gonna live forever.
  • 00:17:16.592 --> 00:17:18.894
  • Some are gonna live forever in heaven with god.
  • 00:17:18.894 --> 00:17:21.497
  • Others, the majority of people, will be in hell, separated
  • 00:17:21.497 --> 00:17:24.533
  • From god.
  • 00:17:24.533 --> 00:17:25.868
  • But we live on after our bodies fall asleep.
  • 00:17:25.868 --> 00:17:29.004
  • That's what the bible says happens to our bodies.
  • 00:17:29.004 --> 00:17:31.340
  • They fall asleep, not our spirit, but our bodies
  • 00:17:31.340 --> 00:17:34.276
  • Fall asleep.
  • 00:17:34.276 --> 00:17:35.644
  • And so jesus is speaking, he's communicating to this body.
  • 00:17:35.644 --> 00:17:41.083
  • You and i are never to communicate with the dead, but
  • 00:17:41.083 --> 00:17:43.519
  • Jesus is able to communicate with the dead.
  • 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:45.921
  • In fact, did you know three times in the new testament jesus
  • 00:17:45.921 --> 00:17:49.124
  • Raised somebody from the dead, and he did it the same way every
  • 00:17:49.124 --> 00:17:51.860
  • Time by speaking to the one who had died.
  • 00:17:51.860 --> 00:17:54.830
  • Remember jairus's daughter, 12 years old, what jesus said to
  • 00:17:54.830 --> 00:17:59.067
  • The body of that 12-year-old girl?
  • 00:17:59.067 --> 00:18:00.836
  • He said, "little lamb," that's what it says in the greek text.
  • 00:18:00.836 --> 00:18:05.107
  • "little lamb, arise."
  • 00:18:05.107 --> 00:18:07.576
  • I remember in john 11 as he stood before the sepulcher of
  • 00:18:07.576 --> 00:18:11.180
  • His friend lazarus, he cried out, "lazarus, come forth."
  • 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:16.485
  • Did you know there's another time yet to come when jesus is
  • 00:18:16.485 --> 00:18:19.721
  • Gonna do the same thing for you and for me who know christ?
  • 00:18:19.721 --> 00:18:23.959
  • The bible says that one day, one day the lord himself will
  • 00:18:23.959 --> 00:18:28.363
  • Descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
  • 00:18:28.363 --> 00:18:31.700
  • Archangel and with the trumpet of god, and the dead in christ
  • 00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:36.305
  • Shall rise first.
  • 00:18:36.305 --> 00:18:37.873
  • There's a great resurrection coming for those of us who
  • 00:18:37.873 --> 00:18:40.576
  • Know christ.
  • 00:18:40.576 --> 00:18:41.910
  • Right now when we die, 2 corinthians 5:8: "to be absent
  • 00:18:41.910 --> 00:18:45.214
  • From the body is to be at home with the lord."
  • 00:18:45.214 --> 00:18:46.949
  • We go immediately into the presence of jesus, but our
  • 00:18:46.949 --> 00:18:49.418
  • Bodies are buried or cremated or blown apart.
  • 00:18:49.418 --> 00:18:52.154
  • It doesn't matter what happens.
  • 00:18:52.154 --> 00:18:53.522
  • One day when the lord returns at the rapture, he's gonna shout,
  • 00:18:53.522 --> 00:18:57.659
  • And our bodies are going to come forth and we're going to receive
  • 00:18:57.659 --> 00:19:00.462
  • That brand-new resurrection body from god.
  • 00:19:00.462 --> 00:19:03.398
  • That's the resurrection that still awaits us, and you find
  • 00:19:03.398 --> 00:19:06.802
  • The third instance of that resurrection here, verse 14.
  • 00:19:06.802 --> 00:19:10.539
  • The lord speaks to that young man and says, "'young man, i say
  • 00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:14.243
  • To you, arise!'
  • 00:19:14.243 --> 00:19:16.111
  • And the dead man sat up and he began to speak.
  • 00:19:16.111 --> 00:19:20.249
  • And jesus gave him back to his mother."
  • 00:19:20.249 --> 00:19:23.418
  • Can you imagine being one of those carrying the coffin when
  • 00:19:23.418 --> 00:19:28.757
  • All of a sudden the corpse sits up?
  • 00:19:28.757 --> 00:19:32.794
  • Says, "give me a diet coke.
  • 00:19:32.794 --> 00:19:34.296
  • Give me something, i'm thirsty."
  • 00:19:34.296 --> 00:19:36.999
  • I imagine they went into cardiac arrest right there.
  • 00:19:36.999 --> 00:19:40.802
  • Just imagine, "and jesus gave the boy back to his mother."
  • 00:19:40.802 --> 00:19:45.607
  • Why did jesus do this?
  • 00:19:45.607 --> 00:19:46.975
  • Why did he raise this young man from the dead?
  • 00:19:46.975 --> 00:19:49.578
  • I read all the commentators this week.
  • 00:19:49.578 --> 00:19:52.080
  • I came up with all the different answers.
  • 00:19:52.080 --> 00:19:54.416
  • Some have said, "well, he did this to prove that he was the
  • 00:19:54.416 --> 00:19:57.286
  • Son of god."
  • 00:19:57.286 --> 00:19:58.954
  • Somebody else said, "well, he did this to show his authority
  • 00:19:58.954 --> 00:20:02.024
  • Over all of nature, including death."
  • 00:20:02.024 --> 00:20:04.593
  • Some said jesus raised this young man as a type of what he
  • 00:20:04.593 --> 00:20:08.864
  • Would do one day for all believers in raising us from
  • 00:20:08.864 --> 00:20:11.600
  • The dead.
  • 00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:12.934
  • Now those are all good explanations.
  • 00:20:12.934 --> 00:20:15.370
  • They just happen to be the wrong explanation, because luke
  • 00:20:15.370 --> 00:20:19.941
  • Himself tells us why jesus performed this miracle.
  • 00:20:19.941 --> 00:20:22.811
  • Look at verse 13: "and when the lord saw her, he felt compassion
  • 00:20:22.811 --> 00:20:29.618
  • For her, and he said to her, 'do not weep.'"
  • 00:20:29.618 --> 00:20:34.690
  • One reason jesus did this, he felt compassion.
  • 00:20:34.690 --> 00:20:38.260
  • That word "felt compassion," splagchnizomai.
  • 00:20:38.260 --> 00:20:43.699
  • Literally means to be moved in your gut, to have
  • 00:20:43.699 --> 00:20:47.402
  • A gut reaction.
  • 00:20:47.402 --> 00:20:49.604
  • Jesus was moved with compassion when he saw this woman who had
  • 00:20:49.604 --> 00:20:54.076
  • Lost everything, suffocated with grief, not even able to ask
  • 00:20:54.076 --> 00:20:59.681
  • For anything.
  • 00:20:59.681 --> 00:21:01.016
  • Jesus felt compassion for her.
  • 00:21:01.016 --> 00:21:03.685
  • That tells us something about the god that we serve.
  • 00:21:03.685 --> 00:21:06.021
  • You know, the imaginary gods that the greeks created, one
  • 00:21:06.021 --> 00:21:09.324
  • Thing they all had in common is they were marked by
  • 00:21:09.324 --> 00:21:14.963
  • A pathos, apathy.
  • 00:21:14.963 --> 00:21:17.899
  • You know what the word "apathy" means?
  • 00:21:17.899 --> 00:21:19.234
  • It comes from the word pathos, feeling, but the alpha privative
  • 00:21:19.234 --> 00:21:24.005
  • Before it, the a, means no, no feeling.
  • 00:21:24.005 --> 00:21:28.443
  • The greek gods had no feeling.
  • 00:21:28.443 --> 00:21:30.612
  • There is nothing--nothing that affected them at all.
  • 00:21:30.612 --> 00:21:35.117
  • What a difference from the true god that you and i serve.
  • 00:21:35.117 --> 00:21:39.354
  • You realize the reason you and i weep, the reason you and i feel
  • 00:21:39.354 --> 00:21:45.527
  • Compassion, the reason you and i feel loss is because we are
  • 00:21:45.527 --> 00:21:51.800
  • Created in the image of god.
  • 00:21:51.800 --> 00:21:55.170
  • God weeps, god sympathizes, god feels loss when we feel loss.
  • 00:21:55.170 --> 00:22:02.144
  • Psalm 34 says: "the lord is close to those who
  • 00:22:02.144 --> 00:22:05.080
  • Are brokenhearted.
  • 00:22:05.080 --> 00:22:06.848
  • He draws near to those who are crushed in spirit."
  • 00:22:06.848 --> 00:22:11.386
  • I believe the reason that luke puts these two stories together
  • 00:22:11.386 --> 00:22:16.158
  • Is simply this: through the centurion, luke is telling us,
  • 00:22:16.158 --> 00:22:20.929
  • Yes, god honors faith.
  • 00:22:20.929 --> 00:22:22.931
  • He's impressed by faith.
  • 00:22:22.931 --> 00:22:24.633
  • Without faith it's impossible to please god, but sometimes god,
  • 00:22:24.633 --> 00:22:30.972
  • For no other reason than the compassion he has for us, acts
  • 00:22:30.972 --> 00:22:34.676
  • On our behalf when we're able to do absolutely nothing.
  • 00:22:34.676 --> 00:22:39.781
  • He acts not because of what we do, but in spite of what we do.
  • 00:22:39.781 --> 00:22:44.219
  • Why did god choose to save you and me and bless us
  • 00:22:44.219 --> 00:22:48.089
  • Beyond imagination?
  • 00:22:48.089 --> 00:22:50.592
  • Not because of anything we could give god.
  • 00:22:50.592 --> 00:22:54.062
  • He saved us for one reason: because of the great love
  • 00:22:54.062 --> 00:22:58.700
  • With which he loved us.
  • 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:01.336
  • Aren't you glad you serve a god who is not only all-powerful,
  • 00:23:01.336 --> 00:23:07.175
  • But who is loving, kind, and compassionate, willing to help
  • 00:23:07.175 --> 00:23:11.680
  • Us even when we can't help ourselves.
  • 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:17.486
  • Jeffress: this is the god we declare every day on "pathway
  • 00:23:21.690 --> 00:23:25.560
  • To victory."
  • 00:23:25.560 --> 00:23:26.928
  • He is all-powerful and kind.
  • 00:23:26.928 --> 00:23:29.297
  • He is holy and compassionate.
  • 00:23:29.297 --> 00:23:31.833
  • He is righteous and gracious.
  • 00:23:31.833 --> 00:23:35.036
  • Now in closing, i want to thank those of you who faithfully
  • 00:23:35.036 --> 00:23:37.906
  • Support "pathway to victory."
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  • God in our busy lives.
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  • Jeffress: yes, god honors those who have faith, but sometimes in
  • 00:25:46.201 --> 00:25:50.271
  • His infinite compassion he reaches out to help us even when
  • 00:25:50.271 --> 00:25:54.409
  • We can't help ourselves, and i'm grateful to serve
  • 00:25:54.409 --> 00:25:58.580
  • A compassionate god who cares about our needs and meets us
  • 00:25:58.580 --> 00:26:02.651
  • Right where we are.
  • 00:26:02.651 --> 00:26:04.819
  • Well, at some point, nearly every christian goes through a
  • 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:07.856
  • Season when they question god's existence or his goodness, and
  • 00:26:07.856 --> 00:26:12.360
  • Many are too ashamed to admit it.
  • 00:26:12.360 --> 00:26:15.296
  • So how do we handle those inevitable moments of
  • 00:26:15.296 --> 00:26:18.199
  • Uncertainty and doubt?
  • 00:26:18.199 --> 00:26:20.568
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next on
  • 00:26:20.568 --> 00:26:23.471
  • "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:23.471 --> 00:26:26.341
  • Jeffress: all of us at some point in our life will question
  • 00:26:26.341 --> 00:26:30.078
  • Either the love, the wisdom, or even the existence of god.
  • 00:26:30.078 --> 00:26:36.451
  • If that's true of you, you're in good company.
  • 00:26:36.451 --> 00:26:40.488
  • It may surprise you to know that some of the greatest men and
  • 00:26:40.488 --> 00:26:43.391
  • Women in history who have been used by god have all had times
  • 00:26:43.391 --> 00:26:47.162
  • Of great doubt.
  • 00:26:47.162 --> 00:26:49.164
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for the message,
  • 00:26:49.164 --> 00:26:52.467
  • "for those who doubt," here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:52.467 --> 00:26:55.570
  • Announcer: witness god's glory on display in america's
  • 00:26:59.474 --> 00:27:02.310
  • Last frontier.
  • 00:27:02.310 --> 00:27:03.712
  • Jeffress: alaska's majestic wilderness showcases our
  • 00:27:03.712 --> 00:27:06.715
  • Creator's handiwork like nowhere else on earth, and you're
  • 00:27:06.715 --> 00:27:10.785
  • Invited to experience it firsthand on the 2026 "pathway
  • 00:27:10.785 --> 00:27:15.190
  • To victory" cruise to alaska.
  • 00:27:15.190 --> 00:27:17.325
  • Announcer: experience the unforgettable adventure,
  • 00:27:17.325 --> 00:27:19.561
  • June 13 through 20, 2026.
  • 00:27:19.561 --> 00:27:22.564
  • To book your cabin, call...
  • 00:27:22.564 --> 00:27:26.501
  • Or go to ptv.org.
  • 00:27:26.501 --> 00:27:28.269