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 - Survival Tip #8: Learn From The Past (Part 2)+ | May 26, 2026
- ...
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- Male announcer: join us on the "pathway to victory" journeys of
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- Paul cruise, may 14 through 23, 2027.
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- Dr. robert jeffress: you know what i love most about
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- There's something powerful that happens when like-minded
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- Believers gather together, open god's word, and then explore the
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- Very world where that word was first proclaimed.
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- Infinity," every meal prepared, every detail taken care of.
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- So all you have to do is be present.
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- Casual conversations over coffee, fellowship around the
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- Table, and afternoons walking the same roads paul walked in
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- Ephesus, kavala, and more.
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- Jeffress: come be a part of our community.
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- This journey will refresh your soul and renew your sense
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- ♪♪♪
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- 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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- Jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome again to
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- "pathway to victory."
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- There's an old saying that goes: "those who do not remember the
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- Past are condemned to repeat it."
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- But for those who pay attention, the record of the past is
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- A powerful teacher.
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- Today, i want to show you how studying the lives of those who
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- Came before us can spare us from painful mistakes and set us on
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- A proven path forward.
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- My message is titled, "survival tip #8: learn from the
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- Past," on today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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- ♪ t'was grace that taught my heart to fear, ♪
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- ♪ and grace my fears relieved. ♪
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- ♪ how precious did that grace appear, ♪
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- ♪ the hour i first ♪
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- ♪ believed. ♪
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- ♪ through many dangers, ♪
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- ♪ toils and snares, ♪
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- ♪ i have already come. ♪
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- ♪ tis grace that brought me safe thus far, ♪
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- ♪ and grace will lead me home. ♪
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- ♪ lead me home. ♪
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- ♪♪♪
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- ♪ when we've been there ten thousand year, ♪
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- ♪ bright shining as the sun, ♪
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- ♪ we've no less days to sing god's praise, ♪
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- ♪ than when ♪
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- ♪ we first ♪
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- ♪ begun. ♪
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- ♪ god's amazing grace. ♪♪
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- [congregation applauding]
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- Announcer: each day millions of lost people are searching for
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- Hope and truth.
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- Homes across america and around the world, but there are still
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- ♪♪♪
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- Jeffress: we find his story in 2 chronicles chapter 34.
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- If you have your bibles, turn to 2 chronicles chapter 34, and we
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- Find this description of the reign of josiah.
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- Look at verse 1: "josiah was eight years old when he became
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- King, and he reigned thirty-one years in jerusalem.
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- And he did right in the sight of the lord, and walked in the ways
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- Of his father david and he did not turn aside to the right or
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- To the left."
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- Now think about it, josiah was eight when he became king.
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- How did that happen?
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- Well, it says here, "his father david."
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- David was not josiah's father.
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- He was his forefather.
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- Same word, it was his forefather.
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- They were separated by hundreds of years.
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- Josiah's grandfather was a man named manasseh.
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- And he held the coveted title of israel's most evil king.
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- In fact, we find this description of manasseh in
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- 2 chronicles 33:9: "manasseh misled judah and the inhabitants
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- Of jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the lord
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- Destroyed before the sons of israel."
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- Manasseh led the israelites in the worship of baal and the
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- Asherah, in child sacrifice and consulting with witches
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- And sorcerers.
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- He was an evil king.
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- Now that was josiah's grandfather.
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- Josiah's father, amon, manasseh's son, he did even more
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- Evil than manasseh had done.
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- He was so evil, in fact, that amon only lasted 2 years until
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- He was assassinated.
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- And after his murder, it was his son josiah, who became king at
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- The age of 8 years.
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- Now you know josiah, you could say he was born to fail in
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- A way.
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- How could he overcome such a generational curse?
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- Have you heard that term "generational curse" before?
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- Don't ever buy into that.
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- Don't ever buy into that, that somebody is doomed to a certain
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- Way of behavior because of the environment in which they
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- Were raised.
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- Through the power of christ, you can become a brand-new person.
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- You don't have to make the mistakes of the past.
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- And that is true of josiah.
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- He said, i am not going to follow in the way of my father
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- And my grandfather.
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- Instead, he was like his great-great-great-great-
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- Great-great-grandfather, david,
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- And he did not turn aside from the right to the left.
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- How did he make that decision to follow god?
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- I want you to notice three things about josiah's decision
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- To follow god.
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- First of all, that decision was influenced by his mother.
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- Influenced by his mother.
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- In the companion book to chronicles, kings, 2 kings 22:1,
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- We find this interesting tidbit about josiah's mother: "josiah
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- Was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for
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- Thirty-one years in jerusalem; and his mother's name
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- Was jedidah."
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- Now, that's the only mention of his mother in the scripture.
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- But many people believe rightly, i think, that even though he had
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- An evil father, it was his mother, jedidah, who taught
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- Josiah the word of god.
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- Let me say a word to those of you who may be single moms
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- Trying to rear a child on your own.
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- Or perhaps you're a mom who's married to an ungodly husband.
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- Don't ever underestimate the influence you can have on
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- Your child.
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- Here was a woman married to the most evil king in israel's
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- History, but she chose to rear her child to know and love god.
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- And let me say, whether you're a mother or a father, the most
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- Important thing you can do for your child is not to be sure
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- They have great sat scores, or get into a good college, or
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- Become a star athlete, the most important thing you can do is to
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- Rear your children to know, love, and obey jesus christ with
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- All of their hearts.
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- That is our most important task as a parent.
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- Jedidah understood that, and so she influenced her son.
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- He was influenced by his mother.
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- Secondly, his decision to follow god was confirmed by his
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- Own choice.
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- Look at 2 chronicles 34, verse 3: "for in the eighth year of
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- His reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the god
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- Of his father david."
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- Now, the 8th year of his reign, do the math here.
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- How old was he when he became king?
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- Eight.
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- When did he personally make the decision to follow god?
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- Eight years into his reign, that would have made him how old?
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- Sixteen.
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- You see, josiah had to make that individual choice to follow
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- After god, and that's true for all of our children as well.
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- The great evangelist luis palau has a great saying.
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- He says: "god doesn't have any grandchildren."
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- You're not related to god through your parent.
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- You have to be related to god yourself.
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- You have to be a child of god yourself.
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- You have to be a son or a daughter of god, and that only
- 00:10:22.377 --> 00:10:25.980
- Comes through your individual decision to follow christ.
- 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:30.518
- And that's why here in our church, we place such a premium.
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- He was 16 when he made that decision.
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- Remember that statistic?
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- Eighty percent of people who become christians do so before
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- The age of 16.
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- We need to lead our children to know christ and follow him.
- 00:10:43.865 --> 00:10:48.503
- Now, sometimes that decision is an easy decision for a child to
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- Make or for a teenager to make.
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- Sometimes a child or teenager struggles with that decision.
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- They begin to ask questions.
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- They begin to doubt.
- 00:11:03.151 --> 00:11:04.986
- And you know, whenever we have children that begin to doubt or
- 00:11:04.986 --> 00:11:07.589
- Ask hard questions, sometimes we go into a full-blown panic.
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- Oh, what's wrong?
- 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:12.093
- I'm raising a heathen, you know, what's going on?
- 00:11:12.093 --> 00:11:14.796
- Don't panic when your child has doubts.
- 00:11:14.796 --> 00:11:17.398
- That's part of the process of him or her making your faith,
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- Their faith.
- 00:11:22.604 --> 00:11:24.205
- Just be there to answer questions.
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- Don't panic.
- 00:11:26.441 --> 00:11:27.776
- Don't punish the child for asking questions.
- 00:11:27.776 --> 00:11:30.078
- They need to personally embrace faith themselves.
- 00:11:30.078 --> 00:11:32.914
- That's exactly what josiah did.
- 00:11:32.914 --> 00:11:35.817
- His decision to follow god was influenced by his mother.
- 00:11:35.817 --> 00:11:39.154
- It was confirmed by his own decision, choice, and thirdly,
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- It was illustrated by his actions.
- 00:11:42.624 --> 00:11:45.593
- Notice again, verse 3 says: "and in the twelfth year, he was--
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- Choosing to follow god in the eighth year, but in the twelfth
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- Year, he began to purge judah and jerusalem of the
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- High places."
- 00:11:56.070 --> 00:11:57.438
- That's where the idols were.
- 00:11:57.438 --> 00:11:58.773
- "the asherim," that was the female consort of baal, "the
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- Carved images and the molten images."
- 00:12:02.477 --> 00:12:05.747
- Josiah grew in his faith.
- 00:12:05.747 --> 00:12:07.215
- He was now 20 years of age, and he looked around and he said,
- 00:12:07.215 --> 00:12:11.653
- "you know, what is happening in our nation is not consistent
- 00:12:11.653 --> 00:12:15.723
- With what i know of the one true god, the god who said,
- 00:12:15.723 --> 00:12:18.593
- 'you shall have no other gods before me.'"
- 00:12:18.593 --> 00:12:20.562
- And so he started a crusade to remove all of the false gods
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- From the land of judah.
- 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.769
- You know, there's a good word for our country right now when
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- We see the action of josiah, and there is no doubt that our
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- Country, america, was founded on a principle of religious
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- Freedom, that everybody is free to worship any god or no god.
- 00:12:42.250 --> 00:12:47.021
- We celebrate that as a great freedom, and because of that,
- 00:12:47.021 --> 00:12:50.425
- There is a diversity of belief in our country right now.
- 00:12:50.425 --> 00:12:54.996
- There are people who believe in this god or that god.
- 00:12:54.996 --> 00:12:57.565
- They believe in this faith or that faith.
- 00:12:57.565 --> 00:13:00.168
- We give people the freedom to believe however they want to be.
- 00:13:00.168 --> 00:13:04.038
- That's called diversity.
- 00:13:04.038 --> 00:13:06.841
- But don't confuse diversity with pluralism.
- 00:13:06.841 --> 00:13:12.113
- Diversity says there are many faiths, that's irrefutable.
- 00:13:12.113 --> 00:13:16.484
- Diversity says there are a multitude of faiths.
- 00:13:16.484 --> 00:13:18.920
- Pluralism says all faiths are equally valid, and that is a lie
- 00:13:18.920 --> 00:13:24.192
- From the pit of hell.
- 00:13:24.192 --> 00:13:26.160
- All faiths are not equally valid.
- 00:13:26.160 --> 00:13:29.063
- All gods are not true gods.
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- There is one god.
- 00:13:31.866 --> 00:13:33.268
- His name is jehovah, and there is one way to that god, and it
- 00:13:33.268 --> 00:13:36.571
- Is through his son jesus christ.
- 00:13:36.571 --> 00:13:39.440
- We need to remember that principle here.
- 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:44.812
- What we call diversity in our country, god called idolatry in
- 00:13:44.812 --> 00:13:50.151
- The old testament.
- 00:13:50.151 --> 00:13:51.486
- Don't confuse the two here.
- 00:13:51.486 --> 00:13:53.855
- He said, "we've got to tear down these gods," and so he removed
- 00:13:53.855 --> 00:13:57.392
- All of these gods.
- 00:13:57.392 --> 00:13:58.726
- That was his first action.
- 00:13:58.726 --> 00:14:00.328
- And then notice what else he did.
- 00:14:00.328 --> 00:14:02.096
- He started to repair the temple of god that had fallen
- 00:14:02.096 --> 00:14:05.867
- Into disrepair.
- 00:14:05.867 --> 00:14:08.169
- He began to repair the temple of god.
- 00:14:08.169 --> 00:14:10.772
- It's just so interesting in the bible, in the old testament,
- 00:14:10.772 --> 00:14:14.742
- Especially, whenever there was a revival, it seems it was almost
- 00:14:14.742 --> 00:14:17.979
- Always followed by a building program.
- 00:14:17.979 --> 00:14:20.648
- When the people got right with god, guess what?
- 00:14:20.648 --> 00:14:23.384
- They were concerned with the house of god.
- 00:14:23.384 --> 00:14:26.287
- So they started a building program and they collected the
- 00:14:26.287 --> 00:14:29.090
- Money from the people, and as they were repairing the temple,
- 00:14:29.090 --> 00:14:32.593
- They made a discovery.
- 00:14:32.593 --> 00:14:34.429
- They found the scrolls, the old testament scrolls of god's word.
- 00:14:34.429 --> 00:14:39.901
- 2 chronicles 34:14-15 says: "when they were bringing out the
- 00:14:39.901 --> 00:14:43.471
- Money which had been brought into the house of god, hilkiah
- 00:14:43.471 --> 00:14:46.774
- The priest found the book of the lord, the law of the lord given
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- By moses."
- 00:14:50.578 --> 00:14:53.081
- Josiah demanded that the book be read.
- 00:14:53.081 --> 00:14:55.249
- Imagine the word of god had not been read in the country for
- 00:14:55.249 --> 00:14:58.319
- 50 years.
- 00:14:58.319 --> 00:15:01.556
- And when the scrolls were opened and read to josiah, look at
- 00:15:01.556 --> 00:15:05.226
- Verse 19 of 2 chronicles 34: "and it came about when the king
- 00:15:05.226 --> 00:15:09.831
- Heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes."
- 00:15:09.831 --> 00:15:14.936
- That was a sign of repentance, grief.
- 00:15:14.936 --> 00:15:19.741
- When he listened to the word of god, it did something to him.
- 00:15:19.741 --> 00:15:24.112
- It caused him to repent, to turn from his ways that had been
- 00:15:24.112 --> 00:15:28.149
- Displeasing to the lord, and to recommit to serving god even
- 00:15:28.149 --> 00:15:32.620
- More faithfully.
- 00:15:32.620 --> 00:15:34.322
- That's what the word of god does to people.
- 00:15:34.322 --> 00:15:37.091
- Let me ask you this morning, is there a bible somewhere in your
- 00:15:37.091 --> 00:15:40.395
- House on a shelf that's been gathering dust?
- 00:15:40.395 --> 00:15:44.399
- Or maybe even has some cobwebs on it?
- 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:48.669
- Take it down, dust it off, open it up and let god's word do his
- 00:15:48.669 --> 00:15:55.009
- Work in your life.
- 00:15:55.009 --> 00:15:58.112
- Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12 says: "for the word of god is
- 00:15:58.112 --> 00:16:01.482
- Living, it's active, it is sharper than any two-edged
- 00:16:01.482 --> 00:16:04.452
- Sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and the
- 00:16:04.452 --> 00:16:08.089
- Spirit, of both the joints and the marrow, able to judge the
- 00:16:08.089 --> 00:16:11.726
- Thoughts and intentions of the heart."
- 00:16:11.726 --> 00:16:15.029
- Somebody said, "god's word is always doing something to people
- 00:16:15.029 --> 00:16:18.666
- Who read it or hear it."
- 00:16:18.666 --> 00:16:20.735
- Somebody else said, "god's word is alive, it speaks to me.
- 00:16:20.735 --> 00:16:25.540
- It has feet, it runs after me.
- 00:16:25.540 --> 00:16:28.076
- It has hands, it lays hold of me."
- 00:16:28.076 --> 00:16:32.346
- Let god do his work in your life.
- 00:16:32.346 --> 00:16:35.850
- What do we make of the story of josiah?
- 00:16:35.850 --> 00:16:38.953
- Let me close with just three suggestions, practical
- 00:16:38.953 --> 00:16:43.191
- Applications from this chapter in 2 chronicles.
- 00:16:43.191 --> 00:16:47.361
- You know, in the last 3000 years, even the last 100 years,
- 00:16:47.361 --> 00:16:53.000
- Technology has improved dramatically.
- 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:55.837
- But one thing that has not improved or changed is
- 00:16:55.837 --> 00:16:58.573
- Human nature.
- 00:16:58.573 --> 00:17:00.108
- We are the same people that josiah and his people were 3000
- 00:17:00.108 --> 00:17:04.212
- Years ago.
- 00:17:04.212 --> 00:17:05.580
- We all sin.
- 00:17:05.580 --> 00:17:07.115
- We all try to rationalize our sin or hide our sin.
- 00:17:07.115 --> 00:17:11.052
- We all try to be our own god.
- 00:17:11.052 --> 00:17:14.055
- We all need god's forgiveness.
- 00:17:14.055 --> 00:17:17.058
- And if we don't wanna make the same mistakes of those who went
- 00:17:17.058 --> 00:17:20.461
- Before us and suffered god's judgment, we need to learn the
- 00:17:20.461 --> 00:17:24.031
- Lessons of history.
- 00:17:24.031 --> 00:17:25.800
- How do we do that?
- 00:17:25.800 --> 00:17:27.135
- Three suggestions.
- 00:17:27.135 --> 00:17:28.503
- First of all, take history seriously.
- 00:17:28.503 --> 00:17:31.305
- Take history seriously.
- 00:17:31.305 --> 00:17:33.174
- Put a premium on history.
- 00:17:33.174 --> 00:17:35.109
- It's not bunk, like henry ford said.
- 00:17:35.109 --> 00:17:38.479
- Our general history is important.
- 00:17:38.479 --> 00:17:40.348
- We can learn from secular general history.
- 00:17:40.348 --> 00:17:43.251
- We certainly learn from god's word.
- 00:17:43.251 --> 00:17:45.620
- You know, have you had this experience?
- 00:17:45.620 --> 00:17:47.021
- You read the bible, especially the old testament, you come
- 00:17:47.021 --> 00:17:49.690
- Across these names you can't pronounce, and these customs
- 00:17:49.690 --> 00:17:53.060
- That seem so, let's just say it, weird?
- 00:17:53.060 --> 00:17:56.497
- Weird customs, and we think, "how am i supposed to relate to
- 00:17:56.497 --> 00:17:59.567
- All of this stuff?"
- 00:17:59.567 --> 00:18:01.502
- Well, the thing that relates us to them is not their names or
- 00:18:01.502 --> 00:18:06.040
- Even their customs; it is god.
- 00:18:06.040 --> 00:18:09.577
- Their god is our god.
- 00:18:09.577 --> 00:18:12.013
- And just as god dealt with them, he is going to deal with us, and
- 00:18:12.013 --> 00:18:15.650
- We can learn from their successes and failures that are
- 00:18:15.650 --> 00:18:19.086
- Recorded in scripture.
- 00:18:19.086 --> 00:18:21.022
- We can learn from general history.
- 00:18:21.022 --> 00:18:23.558
- We can also learn from our own family history.
- 00:18:23.558 --> 00:18:27.395
- We can learn from our family history.
- 00:18:27.395 --> 00:18:28.763
- When i say take history seriously, know the history of
- 00:18:28.763 --> 00:18:32.233
- Your own family.
- 00:18:32.233 --> 00:18:33.601
- Now, i don't believe in a generational curse.
- 00:18:33.601 --> 00:18:38.272
- But i do believe those in our family who have gone before us
- 00:18:38.272 --> 00:18:42.910
- Influence us greatly.
- 00:18:42.910 --> 00:18:45.079
- Sometimes negatively, sometimes positively.
- 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:47.915
- I certainly think about my parents, but i especially think
- 00:18:47.915 --> 00:18:51.619
- About my grandfather.
- 00:18:51.619 --> 00:18:54.589
- My grandfather and grandmother, they had an african-american man
- 00:18:54.589 --> 00:18:59.894
- Who worked for them for decades.
- 00:18:59.894 --> 00:19:02.863
- And one night he got drunk, and he got in a knife fight and he
- 00:19:02.863 --> 00:19:08.369
- Was murdered.
- 00:19:08.369 --> 00:19:10.571
- And so they were gonna have the funeral for this man, and my
- 00:19:10.571 --> 00:19:13.874
- Grandfather and grandmother took me to the funeral service.
- 00:19:13.874 --> 00:19:17.044
- I was just a little boy.
- 00:19:17.044 --> 00:19:18.779
- It was a graveside service.
- 00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:21.048
- It was in the part of the cemetery in those days that
- 00:19:21.048 --> 00:19:23.584
- Reserved for minorities.
- 00:19:23.584 --> 00:19:27.288
- And so, you know, we were at that funeral service, all
- 00:19:27.288 --> 00:19:30.825
- African americans, we were the only white faces in that crowd.
- 00:19:30.825 --> 00:19:35.363
- And the preacher stood up, and he started to lambast this man
- 00:19:35.363 --> 00:19:39.700
- Who had been murdered, talking about the evils of alcohol, and
- 00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:44.305
- How this man had gotten what he deserved, and why we ought to
- 00:19:44.305 --> 00:19:47.675
- Learn a lesson from him, and what god does to people who do
- 00:19:47.675 --> 00:19:50.544
- This and this and this and this.
- 00:19:50.544 --> 00:19:53.180
- And he was about to close in prayer.
- 00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:56.150
- I'll never forget, my grandfather was a big man.
- 00:19:56.150 --> 00:19:58.619
- He was seated next to me and he stood up in the middle of that
- 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:01.889
- Service, and he said, "pastor, can i say a word?"
- 00:20:01.889 --> 00:20:07.695
- The pastor didn't have much of a choice.
- 00:20:07.695 --> 00:20:09.463
- He said, "okay."
- 00:20:09.463 --> 00:20:11.499
- And my grandfather said, "everything you said about this
- 00:20:11.499 --> 00:20:14.502
- Man may have been true.
- 00:20:14.502 --> 00:20:16.937
- But he was also a good man.
- 00:20:16.937 --> 00:20:19.106
- He loved his family," and my grandfather went on and on and
- 00:20:19.106 --> 00:20:22.610
- On, talking about the good things in this man's life.
- 00:20:22.610 --> 00:20:26.781
- And after it was over, i'll never forget all of those
- 00:20:26.781 --> 00:20:29.850
- People, his family and friends, surrounding my grandfather,
- 00:20:29.850 --> 00:20:33.087
- Thanking him for the courage to stand up and say what needed to
- 00:20:33.087 --> 00:20:38.225
- Be said at that time.
- 00:20:38.225 --> 00:20:40.661
- We all have examples like that in our life, in our family
- 00:20:40.661 --> 00:20:44.298
- History, hopefully, that we can emulate.
- 00:20:44.298 --> 00:20:47.968
- Take history seriously.
- 00:20:47.968 --> 00:20:50.571
- Secondly, learn from your own personal history.
- 00:20:50.571 --> 00:20:55.009
- We only--not only need to study the history of those who have
- 00:20:55.009 --> 00:20:57.812
- Gone before us, we need to look at our own personal history and
- 00:20:57.812 --> 00:21:02.083
- Learn from those experiences.
- 00:21:02.083 --> 00:21:04.618
- As you look back over your life, honestly, are there times that
- 00:21:04.618 --> 00:21:08.356
- You've been closer to the lord than you are right now?
- 00:21:08.356 --> 00:21:12.159
- What things were you doing then?
- 00:21:12.159 --> 00:21:14.428
- What habits did you have in your life?
- 00:21:14.428 --> 00:21:16.664
- What were you doing that caused you to live more closely to the
- 00:21:16.664 --> 00:21:19.767
- Lord then than you do right now?
- 00:21:19.767 --> 00:21:23.437
- You can learn from your successes.
- 00:21:23.437 --> 00:21:25.206
- You can learn from your failures.
- 00:21:25.206 --> 00:21:28.109
- Your mistakes from your past can inoculate you from
- 00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:32.012
- Future mistakes.
- 00:21:32.012 --> 00:21:34.248
- Learn from your own personal history, both the successes and
- 00:21:34.248 --> 00:21:37.918
- The failures.
- 00:21:37.918 --> 00:21:39.253
- And then finally, and this is so important, find heroes
- 00:21:39.253 --> 00:21:44.925
- To emulate.
- 00:21:44.925 --> 00:21:46.527
- We all need heroes, don't we?
- 00:21:46.527 --> 00:21:49.497
- I mean, for alexander the great, his heroes were the characters
- 00:21:49.497 --> 00:21:52.600
- In homer's "iliad" and "odyssey."
- 00:21:52.600 --> 00:21:55.603
- For julius caesar, his hero that he tried to imitate was
- 00:21:55.603 --> 00:21:58.072
- Alexander the great.
- 00:21:58.072 --> 00:21:59.440
- For abraham lincoln, it was george washington.
- 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:02.777
- I think about hudson taylor, the founder of the china inland
- 00:22:02.777 --> 00:22:06.414
- Missionary union.
- 00:22:06.414 --> 00:22:08.582
- For 50 years, hudson taylor labored in china with very,
- 00:22:08.582 --> 00:22:13.187
- Very few converts.
- 00:22:13.187 --> 00:22:15.256
- And yet today there are hundreds, thousands of people
- 00:22:15.256 --> 00:22:18.092
- Who chose to become missionaries because of the positive example
- 00:22:18.092 --> 00:22:22.263
- Of hudson taylor.
- 00:22:22.263 --> 00:22:23.631
- One of those was amy carmichael.
- 00:22:23.631 --> 00:22:25.900
- Amy grew up in a wealthy family in ireland.
- 00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:28.803
- She left her wealth, place of privilege, started a missionary
- 00:22:28.803 --> 00:22:33.207
- Ministry in india with no promise of funding whatsoever.
- 00:22:33.207 --> 00:22:37.812
- She depended on the lord completely to provide her needs,
- 00:22:37.812 --> 00:22:41.081
- And through the years she saved thousands of indian children
- 00:22:41.081 --> 00:22:45.152
- From child abuse, sexual child abuse, and won them to faith in
- 00:22:45.152 --> 00:22:49.356
- Christ, all because of that positive example, her hero
- 00:22:49.356 --> 00:22:53.894
- Hudson taylor.
- 00:22:53.894 --> 00:22:56.197
- In 1 corinthians 11, verse 1, paul said, "be imitators of me,
- 00:22:56.197 --> 00:23:01.135
- Even as i'm an imitator of christ."
- 00:23:01.135 --> 00:23:04.338
- Paul understood we all need heroes, flesh and blood heroes,
- 00:23:04.338 --> 00:23:09.677
- To emulate.
- 00:23:09.677 --> 00:23:12.179
- This week i came across a little video clip of dr. criswell,
- 00:23:12.179 --> 00:23:19.520
- One of my heroes.
- 00:23:19.520 --> 00:23:22.223
- And i turned that video on and just watched it for about
- 00:23:22.223 --> 00:23:25.693
- 20 minutes.
- 00:23:25.693 --> 00:23:27.061
- Tears streamed down my face and i just said, "thank you, god.
- 00:23:27.061 --> 00:23:31.565
- Thank you for giving me a hero, somebody to emulate like
- 00:23:31.565 --> 00:23:36.170
- Dr. criswell."
- 00:23:36.170 --> 00:23:38.405
- My life is marked forever because of him.
- 00:23:38.405 --> 00:23:42.142
- Do you have somebody in your life like that?
- 00:23:42.142 --> 00:23:46.013
- Find a hero.
- 00:23:46.013 --> 00:23:48.582
- Mimic their strengths, avoid their mistakes, and draw courage
- 00:23:48.582 --> 00:23:55.389
- From their example.
- 00:23:55.389 --> 00:23:57.258
- And when you do that, you'll find it not only possible but--
- 00:23:57.258 --> 00:24:01.795
- To survive, but to thrive during these difficult days.
- 00:24:01.795 --> 00:24:08.302
- Jeffress: history isn't just for academics.
- 00:24:12.239 --> 00:24:14.642
- It's essential for every believer who wants to survive
- 00:24:14.642 --> 00:24:17.745
- And thrive in a hostile world.
- 00:24:17.745 --> 00:24:20.281
- Now, before we go today, i want to thank those of you who
- 00:24:20.281 --> 00:24:23.350
- Generously support "pathway to victory," especially our
- 00:24:23.350 --> 00:24:26.921
- Pathway partners.
- 00:24:26.921 --> 00:24:28.489
- I may be the bible teacher on this program, but the impact of
- 00:24:28.489 --> 00:24:32.526
- "pathway to victory" around the world can largely be traced back
- 00:24:32.526 --> 00:24:36.263
- To you.
- 00:24:36.263 --> 00:24:37.598
- It's your giving that helps us sustain what god has already
- 00:24:37.598 --> 00:24:40.200
- Built and push into new territory, bringing light where
- 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:44.104
- There's darkness, and hope where there's hopelessness.
- 00:24:44.104 --> 00:24:47.942
- This ministry simply wouldn't be possible without friends just
- 00:24:47.942 --> 00:24:52.079
- Like you.
- 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:53.480
- Now please stay right there.
- 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:54.949
- I'll be back in just a few moments with more "pathway
- 00:24:54.949 --> 00:24:57.952
- To victory."
- 00:24:57.952 --> 00:24:59.620
- Jeffress: christians today are living in hostile territory.
- 00:24:59.620 --> 00:25:03.157
- The attacks are real, the opposition is fierce, and the
- 00:25:03.157 --> 00:25:06.627
- Stakes couldn't be higher.
- 00:25:06.627 --> 00:25:08.796
- That's why i wrote "courageous," to give you the biblical tools
- 00:25:08.796 --> 00:25:12.466
- You need not just to survive, but to stand strong and thrive.
- 00:25:12.466 --> 00:25:17.137
- Announcer: in "courageous," you'll find ten biblical
- 00:25:17.137 --> 00:25:19.640
- Survival strategies drawn straight from scripture that
- 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:22.676
- Will give you fresh fire and real hope, no matter what
- 00:25:22.676 --> 00:25:25.813
- You're facing.
- 00:25:25.813 --> 00:25:27.181
- Jeffress: survivors have two things in common: a different
- 00:25:27.181 --> 00:25:30.050
- Response to trouble and a different perspective on life.
- 00:25:30.050 --> 00:25:34.054
- In "courageous," i'll give you ten biblical strategies to
- 00:25:34.054 --> 00:25:37.625
- Develop both and come out stronger on the other side.
- 00:25:37.625 --> 00:25:41.562
- Announcer: request your copy of "courageous" when you give
- 00:25:41.562 --> 00:25:43.931
- A generous ministry gift to "pathway to victory" or when you
- 00:25:43.931 --> 00:25:47.401
- Become a pathway partner.
- 00:25:47.401 --> 00:25:49.036
- And when your ministry gift is $75 or more, we'll send you the
- 00:25:49.036 --> 00:25:53.374
- "courageous" leadership kit containing the "courageous"
- 00:25:53.374 --> 00:25:56.243
- Book, the personal and group study guide book, 10
- 00:25:56.243 --> 00:25:59.446
- "courageous" encouragement cards, plus the complete
- 00:25:59.446 --> 00:26:02.316
- Teaching series on cd and dvd.
- 00:26:02.316 --> 00:26:04.985
- Jeffress: as christians, we're living in
- 00:26:04.985 --> 00:26:07.187
- A threatening environment.
- 00:26:07.187 --> 00:26:09.089
- We have an adversary, the devil, who is intent on destroying
- 00:26:09.089 --> 00:26:13.427
- Everything important to us.
- 00:26:13.427 --> 00:26:14.928
- Announcer: thank you for partnering with "pathway
- 00:26:14.928 --> 00:26:16.764
- To victory."
- 00:26:16.764 --> 00:26:18.132
- Your generosity funds the proclamation of god's word
- 00:26:18.132 --> 00:26:20.868
- Across television, radio, and online, bringing bold biblical
- 00:26:20.868 --> 00:26:24.805
- Hope right here at home and around the world.
- 00:26:24.805 --> 00:26:28.342
- Jeffress: we can't possibly learn everything there is to
- 00:26:31.679 --> 00:26:34.181
- Know over the course of a single lifetime.
- 00:26:34.181 --> 00:26:37.251
- Gratefully, god's word is filled with the wisdom of the ages, and
- 00:26:37.251 --> 00:26:41.321
- All we have to do is open it.
- 00:26:41.321 --> 00:26:44.158
- Well, surviving in a hostile world is about more than
- 00:26:44.158 --> 00:26:47.428
- Self-preservation, and next time we'll discover that helping
- 00:26:47.428 --> 00:26:50.864
- Others is one of the most powerful things you can do
- 00:26:50.864 --> 00:26:54.535
- For yourself.
- 00:26:54.535 --> 00:26:55.903
- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
- 00:26:55.903 --> 00:26:58.505
- Series, "courageous."
- 00:26:58.505 --> 00:27:01.408
- Jeffress: when you find yourself in a difficult situation, don't
- 00:27:01.408 --> 00:27:04.611
- Just think about helping yourself.
- 00:27:04.611 --> 00:27:06.847
- Think about helping others, because when you help others,
- 00:27:06.847 --> 00:27:10.451
- You help yourself as well.
- 00:27:10.451 --> 00:27:13.721
- You know, jesus was certainly the model, the supreme example
- 00:27:13.721 --> 00:27:17.791
- Of selflessness.
- 00:27:17.791 --> 00:27:20.260
- Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for "survival tip
- 00:27:20.260 --> 00:27:23.397
- #9: help others," here on "pathway to victory."
- 00:27:23.397 --> 00:27:23.397