Dr. Erez Soref: Response To Grace | One For Israel

March 11, 2026 | 27:25

Join Dr. Erez Soref in One For Israel. Discover God’s covenant relationship with Israel and His invitation to the nations. This profound love still transforms lives today.

#Gospel #Grace #Messiah #Repentance #Forgiveness #Salvation #Transformation #Sin #Freedom #Deliverance #ErezSoref

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| Dr. Erez Soref: Response To Grace | One For Israel | March 11, 2026

It's the realization of god's grace
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That causes us to love god.
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And what does god do?
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He blesses and blesses and gives and forgives.
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Peace, it wasn't the absence of something,
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It was the presence of someone.
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How should we respond to god's grace?
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God, here's my life,
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I don't want to live for me anymore.
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When we approach god in repentance,
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Let's set our eyes on his character.
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I am dr. erez soref.
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I was born and raised in the heart of israel,
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But i never heard the gospel message
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Until on a journey abroad,
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My eyes were opened to the jewish messiah.
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From that point,
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My life has been dedicated
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To bringing this gospel back to my people israel,
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Equipping them to reach israel
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And the world.
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Together, as jews and gentiles,
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We are one in messiah, one for israel.
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As we've been following
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Nehemiah's story,
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We saw him carry a burden for jerusalem.
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He gathered the people together
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To rebuild the walls
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So they could resettle this holy city in safety.
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But after the walls went up,
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Something remained unfinished.
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Another burden was drawing them together.
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They were becoming aware of both the weight of their sin
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And the weight of god's mercy.
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Today, we explore the people's response
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To god's grace
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As we continue to walk the walls with nehemiah.
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The people of israel had returned from exile
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To their promised land.
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Under nehemiah's leadership,
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They rebuilt the walls of jerusalem
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Despite the opposition they faced.
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After the walls were completed,
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The priest ezra read the scriptures
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To all the people,
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Most of them hearing for the first time.
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Israel began to experience a spiritual awakening,
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And we believe we are seeing another awakening
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To the word in our day.
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Nehemiah laid a groundwork in israel
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For messiah's first coming.
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In the same way,
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We in israel today are laying groundwork
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For the revival that will welcome his second coming.
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But as exciting as this is,
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There are certain things that need to be addressed
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For us to be revival-ready,
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Just like in the days of nehemiah.
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Revival requires preparation.
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As ezra read the torah,
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The people of jerusalem listened to the word of god
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For six hours straight.
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The crowd began to weep and mourn,
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Awakening to the conviction and gravity of their sin.
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But nehemiah stopped the weeping,
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Saying that this was a day to celebrate.
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The joy of the lord is your strength.
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So the israelites pivoted and celebrated god's joy.
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But as the days went on,
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The word of god kept permeating hearts.
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The people began to see themselves
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More and more in light of god's holiness.
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The weight of generations of sin
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Pressed upon them.
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So a few days later,
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They came back to the business of repentance.
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This wasn't about walls anymore.
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It was about recognizing god's mercy.
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And the levites, the teachers of the torah,
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Led israel in a prayer of repentance,
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The longest recorded prayer in scripture.
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With a long prayer of repentance,
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You might have the idea
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Of a sad and introspective lament,
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Confessing a long list of sins.
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But as the people of jerusalem prayed,
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They did not begin this way.
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They didn't start by focusing on themselves at all.
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This wasn't about them.
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In fact, repentance is just the response
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To the grace of god.
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That's why they began their prayer in worship,
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Recounting god's goodness and grace.
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They prayed:
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The hebrew word for preserve is "mechaye",
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To give life.
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God is a giver.
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His grace is revealed in what he gives.
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The prayer that the levites prayed
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Recounts his generosity.
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They remembered god giving abraham his name,
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Giving the covenant land,
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Giving the torah at sinai,
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Giving bread from heaven,
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Water from a rock.
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In hebrew, there's a beautiful word,
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"lehodot".
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Today, it often means to give thanks,
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But in the bible, it carries the deeper meaning,
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Worship through confession,
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Agreeing with god about who he is.
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When we truly see the grace we've been given,
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The only natural response is adoration.
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Grace is our call to worship.
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But as the israelites prayed,
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Worshiping god for his generosity,
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They also needed to confront the facts,
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Honestly and humbly.
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Through the years,
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They had answered the gifts of god
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With rebellion.
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Their response to his grace for generations
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Had been flagrant sin.
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The people that day began to confess their sins
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As a nation.
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It wasn't just little mistakes here and there.
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They confessed their constant rejection
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And refusal of god,
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The god that was always inviting them
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To covenant relationship with him.
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But please realize
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When we confess our sins,
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God does not want us to be overwhelmed
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By the weight of condemnation.
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It's so important that we have god's character
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Front and center instead of being stuck on ourselves.
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That's why john says that when we confess our sins,
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He is faithful and he is just to forgive and cleanse.
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Confession of our sins should point us back
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To the character of god.
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They prayed:
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They confessed not only their sin,
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But they confessed god's character.
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God's greatest glory is his mercy and justice.
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Values that seem to be in contradiction
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Are in perfect harmony with him.
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When we approach god in repentance,
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Let's set our eyes on his character.
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If you wanna go deeper in nehemiah's story,
00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:42.852
We're offering a free 31-day devotional
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As a companion to this book.
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Visit the link below to download the free devotional.
00:07:49.191 --> 00:07:53.029
And don't forget to get the new book,
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"walking the walls with nehemiah".
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It goes deeper into these powerful lessons
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Of restoration, prayer and perseverance.
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Israel was going through a time of revival, awakening
00:08:46.210 --> 00:08:50.581
Under the leadership of nehemiah.
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They had gathered together for a time
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Of prayer and repentance.
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In their prayer,
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They recounted their sinful past as a nation,
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But they also acknowledged that god had always
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Answered them when they cried out.
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God not only forgave them,
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He would also deliver them from the judgment
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That their sin had brought.
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In egypt, god heard their cry
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And sent moses.
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In the wilderness, despite the golden calf,
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He provided his spirit, manna, and water.
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In the promised land, when enemies oppressed them,
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He sent deliverers.
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Seeing the repeated cycles of sin,
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They praised god's character:
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But as they prayed through their history,
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They reached their own story,
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Their present day circumstance,
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And they prayed something that sounded very open-ended:
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Behold, look at us, god.
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What were they implying?
00:10:00.051 --> 00:10:01.886
Their ancestors had experienced forgiveness and deliverance.
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They themselves had received forgiveness,
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But they were still slaves.
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They still needed deliverance.
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What kind of deliverer did they need?
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Another strong man to beat up the enemy?
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No, they needed someone greater,
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Someone that could deliver them
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Not only from the consequences of sin,
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But also from the cycle of sin.
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They needed the messiah.
00:10:29.947 --> 00:10:32.316
So i was born into a secular jewish home.
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We celebrated passover, sukkot, hanukkah,
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And i remember going to synagogue a lot.
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The prayers were done in hebrew.
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We didn't really understand what we were saying.
00:10:43.227 --> 00:10:45.329
"baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam..."
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And we would be like,
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This is what we do as jewish people,
00:10:48.199 --> 00:10:50.134
But what are we actually saying?
00:10:50.134 --> 00:10:52.269
I remember, you know, being in temple
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And just sitting there, listening to the rabbi
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And just looking up at the stained glass windows,
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And i didn't feel god in the congregation.
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I felt him personally.
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And so growing up in a jewish family,
00:11:07.284 --> 00:11:09.019
There's a lot of pressure on success, achievement,
00:11:09.019 --> 00:11:12.823
Good grades, good school, good job.
00:11:12.823 --> 00:11:15.926
And so as i left for high school
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And i left for college
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And i went to a school for business,
00:11:18.562 --> 00:11:20.498
Although all i really wanted to do was sing, dance,
00:11:20.498 --> 00:11:23.734
And do sports,
00:11:23.734 --> 00:11:24.835
But i feel that this is
00:11:24.835 --> 00:11:26.070
What i have to do.
00:11:26.070 --> 00:11:27.538
And it really tore me up.
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I'm not succeeding here.
00:11:29.206 --> 00:11:30.841
I'm not doing well.
00:11:30.841 --> 00:11:32.243
Not only did i feel like i was disappointing my parents,
00:11:32.243 --> 00:11:34.478
I was disappointing myself.
00:11:34.478 --> 00:11:36.280
I've had it.
00:11:36.280 --> 00:11:37.515
I'm out of here.
00:11:37.515 --> 00:11:38.916
And i left college.
00:11:38.916 --> 00:11:40.551
So that whole experience over those years
00:11:41.352 --> 00:11:43.854
Of trying and effort and failing
00:11:43.854 --> 00:11:46.857
Just primed me for a headfirst dive
00:11:47.625 --> 00:11:50.694
Into new age spirituality.
00:11:50.694 --> 00:11:52.630
So here i am meditating,
00:11:52.630 --> 00:11:54.131
Finding the silence and the peace
00:11:54.131 --> 00:11:56.600
And emptying my mind.
00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:58.736
I even had an outer body experience once
00:11:58.736 --> 00:12:00.704
Where here i am laying on my bed
00:12:00.704 --> 00:12:02.106
And all of a sudden i come up out of my body,
00:12:02.106 --> 00:12:04.708
I turn over and i'm looking down upon myself
00:12:04.708 --> 00:12:08.479
And i float away and i come back
00:12:08.479 --> 00:12:11.615
And i come back into my body.
00:12:11.615 --> 00:12:13.250
Something was going on.
00:12:13.250 --> 00:12:15.686
What i didn't know was what side it was on.
00:12:15.686 --> 00:12:19.757
Was it from the light or from the dark?
00:12:19.757 --> 00:12:22.493
And come to find out that sure enough
00:12:22.493 --> 00:12:23.828
It was from the dark.
00:12:23.828 --> 00:12:25.262
I was doing everything i can
00:12:25.262 --> 00:12:26.363
To put on a happy face
00:12:26.363 --> 00:12:28.632
And not let anybody know
00:12:28.632 --> 00:12:30.768
What was happening inside of me,
00:12:30.768 --> 00:12:31.869
But people knew.
00:12:31.869 --> 00:12:32.970
So my wife started noticing
00:12:32.970 --> 00:12:34.271
That i was going into depression.
00:12:34.271 --> 00:12:35.439
I remember one day
00:12:35.439 --> 00:12:37.908
Lying on the floor in my wife's arms,
00:12:37.908 --> 00:12:41.512
Just bawling my eyes out.
00:12:41.512 --> 00:12:44.281
And i'm crying and i'm looking up at her
00:12:44.281 --> 00:12:46.217
And i'm saying, i'm sorry.
00:12:46.217 --> 00:12:49.320
I have no idea what i'm doing.
00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:51.388
I've spent 20 years in an effort to become more spiritual,
00:12:51.388 --> 00:12:57.828
Successful, enlightened
00:12:57.828 --> 00:13:00.998
And i have nothing to show for it.
00:13:00.998 --> 00:13:03.267
I'm empty.
00:13:03.567 --> 00:13:06.203
And to be honest,
00:13:06.637 --> 00:13:08.439
I really didn't have much strength or effort
00:13:08.439 --> 00:13:11.609
To live anymore.
00:13:11.609 --> 00:13:13.277
But i looked at my beautiful wife
00:13:13.277 --> 00:13:15.212
And i looked at my beautiful children
00:13:15.212 --> 00:13:16.547
And i said, wow, there's no way i could
00:13:16.547 --> 00:13:17.648
Take myself out of this world,
00:13:17.648 --> 00:13:19.884
Even though i have no desire to live.
00:13:19.884 --> 00:13:23.387
I'm tired of pretending like i'm some sort of
00:13:23.387 --> 00:13:27.358
Advanced spiritual being
00:13:27.358 --> 00:13:29.393
When deep down inside i knew that i was broken.
00:13:29.393 --> 00:13:31.729
And i thought, what's wrong with me?
00:13:31.729 --> 00:13:33.464
I've dedicated the last 10 years, 12 years,
00:13:33.464 --> 00:13:36.867
15 years to meditation and spiritual practice,
00:13:36.867 --> 00:13:41.705
Positive affirmations,
00:13:41.705 --> 00:13:43.774
And i have nothing to show for it.
00:13:43.774 --> 00:13:47.978
So here i am, i'm going to the gym
00:13:48.746 --> 00:13:50.781
And this really tall guy comes up to me
00:13:50.781 --> 00:13:53.017
And he looks at me and he says: "you know,
00:13:53.017 --> 00:13:54.451
"i've been watching you
00:13:54.451 --> 00:13:55.653
"and we're about the same age
00:13:55.653 --> 00:13:57.488
"and i just wanna know, what do you eat?"
00:13:57.488 --> 00:14:01.225
And i said: "okay, well, you know,
00:14:01.225 --> 00:14:03.327
"you don't really wanna know what i eat."
00:14:03.327 --> 00:14:04.561
And he's like: "what, burgers and pizza
00:14:04.561 --> 00:14:05.996
"and whatever you want?"
00:14:05.996 --> 00:14:06.764
And i was like: "no."
00:14:06.764 --> 00:14:08.365
I'm like: "well, i eat a plant-based diet."
00:14:08.365 --> 00:14:10.434
So the next day i come in
00:14:10.434 --> 00:14:11.235
And i look at this guy
00:14:11.235 --> 00:14:12.169
And he's over at the other side
00:14:12.169 --> 00:14:12.903
Of the gym and i'm like,
00:14:12.903 --> 00:14:14.204
You know, i kind of feel drawn to this guy.
00:14:14.204 --> 00:14:15.572
I wanna go ask him a question.
00:14:15.572 --> 00:14:17.308
So i walk over and ask him, i said:
00:14:17.308 --> 00:14:18.642
"hey, what do you do by the way?"
00:14:18.642 --> 00:14:19.977
And he goes: "i'm a pastor."
00:14:19.977 --> 00:14:21.512
And for some reason that sparked something in me.
00:14:21.512 --> 00:14:24.982
And so i started asking him these questions
00:14:24.982 --> 00:14:27.685
And he'd give me these really concise answers
00:14:27.685 --> 00:14:30.087
And then i'd go home and i'd say:
00:14:30.087 --> 00:14:32.323
"you know, honey, i had this interesting experience
00:14:32.323 --> 00:14:34.291
"at the gym and we talked a little bit about christianity.
00:14:34.291 --> 00:14:39.063
"we talked a little bit about, you know,
00:14:39.063 --> 00:14:40.664
"him being a pastor and what he does."
00:14:40.664 --> 00:14:42.066
So one of the biggest things
00:14:42.066 --> 00:14:43.133
That my wife was having trouble with
00:14:43.133 --> 00:14:44.868
Was how can she be jewish and believe in jesus?
00:14:44.868 --> 00:14:51.075
Because everything that she'd heard up
00:14:51.075 --> 00:14:52.443
At that time was: jesus is not for the jews.
00:14:52.443 --> 00:14:56.046
And so she was wrestling with that
00:14:56.046 --> 00:14:57.881
And she came upon videos from one for israel,
00:14:57.881 --> 00:15:01.452
Videos, testimony videos of jewish people
00:15:01.452 --> 00:15:04.955
Coming to faith in jesus.
00:15:04.955 --> 00:15:07.424
And my son would come home and he's like,
00:15:07.424 --> 00:15:08.759
Yeah, i just had these great experiences
00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:10.127
About learning about jesus.
00:15:10.127 --> 00:15:11.996
And we were like, something's going on here.
00:15:11.996 --> 00:15:14.898
And so i went back to the gym
00:15:14.898 --> 00:15:16.133
And i saw this other guy
00:15:16.133 --> 00:15:17.568
On the other side of the gym.
00:15:17.568 --> 00:15:18.902
I was like, he has something in him
00:15:18.902 --> 00:15:21.772
That i want.
00:15:21.772 --> 00:15:22.506
He looks happy.
00:15:22.506 --> 00:15:24.041
There's a spark in him.
00:15:24.041 --> 00:15:25.709
So i went over and i introduced myself
00:15:25.709 --> 00:15:27.411
And he goes:
00:15:27.411 --> 00:15:28.212
"can i pray for you?"
00:15:28.712 --> 00:15:30.347
And i said: "okay, why not?"
00:15:30.347 --> 00:15:33.550
And at the end of the prayer,
00:15:33.550 --> 00:15:34.318
He says: "in jesus name."
00:15:34.318 --> 00:15:36.553
Day after day, i kept coming back to the gym
00:15:36.553 --> 00:15:38.489
And i had this desire to look for this guy.
00:15:38.489 --> 00:15:40.958
And i would go up from specifically for prayer.
00:15:40.958 --> 00:15:43.527
And every day i said "in jesus name",
00:15:43.527 --> 00:15:44.995
I started to feel like something was happening.
00:15:44.995 --> 00:15:47.297
And what i realized over time
00:15:47.297 --> 00:15:49.400
Was that peace,
00:15:49.400 --> 00:15:52.036
It wasn't the absence of something.
00:15:52.036 --> 00:15:54.905
It was the presence of something
00:15:54.905 --> 00:15:57.074
Or should i say, someone.
00:15:57.074 --> 00:15:59.276
When i heard the name jesus,
00:15:59.276 --> 00:16:01.011
When i heard the name yeshua,
00:16:01.011 --> 00:16:02.579
When i started to study and read about him,
00:16:02.579 --> 00:16:04.581
When my family went out into the world,
00:16:04.581 --> 00:16:07.418
Had experiences that were related to jesus
00:16:07.418 --> 00:16:10.354
And we came home,
00:16:10.354 --> 00:16:11.855
We felt life.
00:16:11.855 --> 00:16:14.058
For the first time, we felt life.
00:16:14.058 --> 00:16:15.993
And it was at that moment
00:16:15.993 --> 00:16:17.361
That my wife and i, we got on our knees
00:16:17.361 --> 00:16:19.897
And we gave our lives to jesus, yeshua.
00:16:19.897 --> 00:16:23.834
And i knew
00:16:24.134 --> 00:16:25.936
That jesus was the only one.
00:16:25.936 --> 00:16:29.239
The only one.
00:16:29.606 --> 00:16:34.445
And it was at that moment,
00:16:35.045 --> 00:16:39.116
This energy went through me
00:16:39.750 --> 00:16:41.752
That i'd never felt before.
00:16:41.752 --> 00:16:43.087
The depression, the anxiety, the fear,
00:16:43.887 --> 00:16:46.690
Chronic issues
00:16:46.690 --> 00:16:47.758
That i'd been carrying with me
00:16:47.758 --> 00:16:49.259
My entire life,
00:16:49.626 --> 00:16:51.628
In one moment, were gone.
00:16:52.229 --> 00:16:58.102
The levites were leading israel
00:16:58.769 --> 00:17:00.504
In the longest recorded prayer in scripture,
00:17:00.504 --> 00:17:03.273
A recognition of god's grace.
00:17:03.273 --> 00:17:05.742
The israelites ended their prayer
00:17:05.742 --> 00:17:07.511
By bringing their present day circumstance to the lord.
00:17:07.511 --> 00:17:11.582
They left it open-ended, implying their need,
00:17:11.582 --> 00:17:15.018
Their need for a deliverer, the messiah.
00:17:15.018 --> 00:17:18.355
In israel today, just like then,
00:17:18.355 --> 00:17:21.391
We experience the pressures of war,
00:17:21.391 --> 00:17:24.294
Propaganda and division.
00:17:24.294 --> 00:17:26.463
We cry out to god for this nation.
00:17:26.463 --> 00:17:29.266
And we at one for israel
00:17:29.266 --> 00:17:30.934
Recognize that the ultimate answer to our prayer
00:17:30.934 --> 00:17:34.404
Is the messiah, yeshua.
00:17:34.404 --> 00:17:36.673
Only in him is there reconciliation and true peace.
00:17:36.673 --> 00:17:40.811
And that's why we continue our efforts
00:17:40.811 --> 00:17:43.313
To bless israel with the revelation of the messiah.
00:17:43.313 --> 00:17:46.283
Our attitude toward yeshua
00:17:46.850 --> 00:17:49.052
Is the same as the early believers.
00:17:49.052 --> 00:17:51.522
Maranatha, come quickly.
00:17:51.522 --> 00:17:54.024
Today we are witnessing
00:17:54.525 --> 00:17:55.792
A spiritual awakening in israel.
00:17:55.792 --> 00:17:57.628
Unlike anything we've ever seen,
00:17:57.628 --> 00:17:59.730
Hearts are being opened, lives are being transformed
00:17:59.730 --> 00:18:02.132
And the good news of jesus is spreading throughout israel.
00:18:02.132 --> 00:18:05.702
Today we have over 700,000 israelis
00:18:05.702 --> 00:18:09.072
Subscribed to our hebrew gospel channel,
00:18:09.072 --> 00:18:12.042
Making our channel that proclaims yeshua
00:18:12.042 --> 00:18:14.478
One of the top youtube channels in all of israel.
00:18:14.478 --> 00:18:17.514
God is opening hearts,
00:18:17.514 --> 00:18:19.016
But for this ministry to succeed,
00:18:19.016 --> 00:18:21.185
We need to be supported by prayer, your prayer.
00:18:21.185 --> 00:18:24.555
That's why we've created a free prayer guide
00:18:24.555 --> 00:18:27.024
To help you stand with israel
00:18:27.024 --> 00:18:28.592
In this vital moment.
00:18:28.592 --> 00:18:30.227
This 31-day prayer guide will equip you
00:18:30.227 --> 00:18:33.130
To pray for israel's peace, salvation and restoration.
00:18:33.130 --> 00:18:36.967
God is doing amazing things in israel.
00:18:36.967 --> 00:18:39.369
Join us in prayer and be part of this awakening.
00:18:39.369 --> 00:18:42.539
Scan the qr now to request your free prayer guide.
00:18:42.539 --> 00:18:46.243
Together we can make an eternal impact.
00:18:46.243 --> 00:18:48.612
Call now and join us in prayer for israel.
00:18:48.612 --> 00:18:58.003
Call now and join us in prayer for israel.
00:18:58.003 --> 00:19:03.028
In nehemiah 9,
00:19:03.395 --> 00:19:04.797
The people of israel gathered in jerusalem
00:19:04.797 --> 00:19:07.166
For a prayer of repentance.
00:19:07.166 --> 00:19:09.401
A prayer of confessing sin
00:19:09.401 --> 00:19:11.804
And confessing god's grace throughout their history.
00:19:11.804 --> 00:19:14.840
How should we respond to god's grace?
00:19:14.840 --> 00:19:17.910
His generous giving and forgiving.
00:19:17.910 --> 00:19:20.412
Let's explore three responses to grace,
00:19:20.412 --> 00:19:23.482
Worship, bold asking and commitment.
00:19:23.482 --> 00:19:27.253
We've already seen the example of worship
00:19:27.253 --> 00:19:30.022
In the israelites prayer.
00:19:30.022 --> 00:19:31.857
They confessed god's faithfulness,
00:19:31.857 --> 00:19:34.426
Declared his greatness and remembered his love.
00:19:34.426 --> 00:19:38.697
The grace that we experience in yeshua
00:19:38.697 --> 00:19:41.900
Should also overflow into worship.
00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:45.571
Once a sinful woman came to yeshua
00:19:45.571 --> 00:19:49.275
Pouring expensive perfume at his feet.
00:19:49.275 --> 00:19:53.012
Some criticized him for accepting worship
00:19:53.012 --> 00:19:56.348
From such a sinful woman.
00:19:56.348 --> 00:19:58.484
But yeshua answered that her sins,
00:19:58.484 --> 00:20:01.387
Which are many, are forgiven.
00:20:01.387 --> 00:20:03.856
As a result, she loved much.
00:20:03.856 --> 00:20:07.126
But he who is forgiven little,
00:20:07.126 --> 00:20:09.795
Loves little.
00:20:09.795 --> 00:20:11.730
It's the realization of god's grace
00:20:11.730 --> 00:20:14.500
That causes us to love god.
00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:17.102
We've also seen that grace produces in us
00:20:17.102 --> 00:20:19.972
The boldness to ask.
00:20:19.972 --> 00:20:22.374
In israel's prayer,
00:20:22.374 --> 00:20:23.809
They boldly ask god to provide a deliverer once again.
00:20:23.809 --> 00:20:28.547
For those of us in yeshua,
00:20:28.547 --> 00:20:30.215
Grace becomes our motivation for bold prayer.
00:20:30.215 --> 00:20:34.053
The more we know god,
00:20:34.053 --> 00:20:35.821
The more confidently we approach god's throne.
00:20:35.821 --> 00:20:39.792
But there's another response to grace, commitment.
00:20:39.792 --> 00:20:43.662
In nehemiah, the israelites finished their long
00:20:43.662 --> 00:20:46.632
Prayer of repentance.
00:20:46.632 --> 00:20:48.300
As they saw god's grace in a powerful new way,
00:20:48.300 --> 00:20:51.870
They were led to respond.
00:20:51.870 --> 00:20:54.073
They made a written covenant
00:20:54.073 --> 00:20:56.108
Signed by all the leaders of the people,
00:20:56.108 --> 00:20:58.610
A commitment.
00:20:58.610 --> 00:20:59.945
First, they all committed
00:21:00.512 --> 00:21:02.648
That they would stay separate from the world.
00:21:02.648 --> 00:21:05.984
Second, they committed to trust god completely.
00:21:05.984 --> 00:21:09.922
Third, they committed to care for the house of god.
00:21:09.922 --> 00:21:14.059
We're here with dr. seth postell,
00:21:14.059 --> 00:21:16.628
Our dean at the bible college and an experienced pastor,
00:21:16.628 --> 00:21:20.232
To walk us through the gift of grace
00:21:20.232 --> 00:21:22.534
And what our proper response should be.
00:21:22.534 --> 00:21:24.970
Shalom, seth.
00:21:25.337 --> 00:21:26.372
Thank you for coming
00:21:26.372 --> 00:21:27.673
To talk to me today.
00:21:27.673 --> 00:21:29.141
Where i wanted to begin our discussion
00:21:29.141 --> 00:21:31.009
Is in how does grace change our worship?
00:21:31.009 --> 00:21:36.248
The more that you actually understand the grace of god,
00:21:36.248 --> 00:21:39.351
The more you want to thank him.
00:21:39.351 --> 00:21:40.586
And here's what's really interesting.
00:21:40.586 --> 00:21:42.287
In modern hebrew, we use the word "toda",
00:21:42.287 --> 00:21:45.290
Thank you, right?
00:21:45.290 --> 00:21:46.825
And we say that, you know,
00:21:46.825 --> 00:21:48.327
If you give me something, i'll say to you "toda".
00:21:48.327 --> 00:21:51.497
But what's interesting is that the word "toda"
00:21:51.497 --> 00:21:53.399
In the bible is never used for human beings.
00:21:53.399 --> 00:21:56.335
It's a word that's actually translated
00:21:56.335 --> 00:21:58.370
As worship or praise.
00:21:58.370 --> 00:22:00.806
So if i give you a cup of coffee,
00:22:00.806 --> 00:22:01.940
You say "toda", you worship me.
00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:03.008
I'm worshiping you. i would say:
00:22:03.008 --> 00:22:04.243
"al tagidu li toda,"
00:22:04.243 --> 00:22:05.344
Don't ever tell me thank you,
00:22:05.344 --> 00:22:06.845
Because the word "toda" actually, you know,
00:22:06.845 --> 00:22:10.215
It comes from the word "lehodot",
00:22:10.215 --> 00:22:11.650
And "lehodot", it's the word to confess.
00:22:11.650 --> 00:22:14.086
Yes. -and so in western countries,
00:22:14.086 --> 00:22:17.156
The word thank you is tied to,
00:22:17.156 --> 00:22:18.891
You're focused on the gift.
00:22:18.891 --> 00:22:20.926
Thank you for the gift.
00:22:20.926 --> 00:22:23.362
But the word "toda" in hebrew,
00:22:23.362 --> 00:22:25.764
Or, you know, to thank, "hodaya",
00:22:25.764 --> 00:22:28.233
Is not focusing on the gift, it's focusing on the giver.
00:22:28.233 --> 00:22:31.737
You are confessing the worth of the giver.
00:22:31.737 --> 00:22:34.173
And so you would never apply "toda"
00:22:34.173 --> 00:22:37.543
In the context of what you would give to a human being,
00:22:37.543 --> 00:22:40.546
Right, because only god in the bible is worthy of "toda".
00:22:40.546 --> 00:22:44.550
And so that song or that prayer
00:22:44.550 --> 00:22:48.754
Is the realization that they're confessing
00:22:48.754 --> 00:22:50.722
The character of god.
00:22:50.722 --> 00:22:51.623
Who is it that
00:22:51.623 --> 00:22:53.559
Would continue to give
00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:55.327
And forgive
00:22:55.661 --> 00:22:57.463
While we continue to spit in his face,
00:22:57.463 --> 00:22:59.331
While we continue to rebel, while we continue, you know,
00:22:59.331 --> 00:23:02.267
We deserve punishment.
00:23:02.267 --> 00:23:05.404
We deserve to be punished for our actions.
00:23:05.404 --> 00:23:08.907
And what does god do?
00:23:08.907 --> 00:23:10.709
He blesses and blesses and gives and forgives.
00:23:10.709 --> 00:23:14.079
The more we focus on how good god is
00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:16.748
In spite of how not good i've been,
00:23:16.748 --> 00:23:20.252
And the fact that he blesses, it leads us to our knees
00:23:20.252 --> 00:23:22.654
In a time of worship and praise.
00:23:22.654 --> 00:23:24.857
How can we today commit to god
00:23:24.857 --> 00:23:28.694
As a response to grace
00:23:28.694 --> 00:23:31.330
And not out of a sense of obligation,
00:23:31.330 --> 00:23:35.067
Of a works-based kind of a duty?
00:23:35.067 --> 00:23:38.804
How do we make the differentiation?
00:23:38.804 --> 00:23:41.039
What's remarkable, again, in nehemiah chapter 9
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:43.842
Is after this,
00:23:43.842 --> 00:23:45.611
They rehearse the grace of god
00:23:46.278 --> 00:23:48.247
With the keyword give and forgive.
00:23:48.247 --> 00:23:51.016
They get to the place of the request.
00:23:51.016 --> 00:23:52.684
God, please, would you raise up a messiah,
00:23:52.684 --> 00:23:56.288
A savior, we need to be saved,
00:23:56.288 --> 00:23:58.423
We're slaves.
00:23:58.423 --> 00:23:59.925
And then in the very next chapter,
00:23:59.925 --> 00:24:01.593
They commit, they make a pledge.
00:24:01.593 --> 00:24:03.829
And the word, interestingly enough,
00:24:03.829 --> 00:24:05.831
The pledge is "amanah", right?
00:24:05.831 --> 00:24:08.433
Which comes from the word faithfulness.
00:24:08.433 --> 00:24:10.469
And we live in a day and age today,
00:24:10.469 --> 00:24:12.905
I think it was dietrich bonhoeffer
00:24:12.905 --> 00:24:14.673
That talked about cheap grace.
00:24:14.673 --> 00:24:17.075
So cheap grace is that, you know,
00:24:17.075 --> 00:24:18.844
God gives you and so you can take advantage
00:24:18.844 --> 00:24:21.580
And you can do whatever you want, you know?
00:24:21.580 --> 00:24:23.215
He's a kind of atm
00:24:23.215 --> 00:24:25.284
Of requests or whatever. -correct.
00:24:25.284 --> 00:24:27.519
You just have to punch in the code...
00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:29.855
In jesus' name. -exactly, and you get
00:24:29.855 --> 00:24:32.024
And do and live however you want.
00:24:32.024 --> 00:24:33.926
But that's not what we see.
00:24:33.926 --> 00:24:35.761
You know, the levites, after they've confessed
00:24:35.761 --> 00:24:38.430
The grace of god and they've spent
00:24:38.430 --> 00:24:39.965
Many verses going over how incredibly gracious god is,
00:24:39.965 --> 00:24:44.002
Their request is, god, now, you know,
00:24:44.002 --> 00:24:46.605
In light of all that you've done for us,
00:24:46.605 --> 00:24:48.941
We wanna worship you not just in our words,
00:24:48.941 --> 00:24:51.977
But in our actions.
00:24:51.977 --> 00:24:53.145
It's a response to god's grace.
00:24:53.145 --> 00:24:56.281
And, you know, we've been through
00:24:56.281 --> 00:24:57.416
This really difficult war.
00:24:57.416 --> 00:24:59.718
And my son, he took the names
00:24:59.718 --> 00:25:05.357
Of all of his friends that died.
00:25:05.357 --> 00:25:08.293
Fell in action. -that fell in action,
00:25:08.293 --> 00:25:10.195
Yes, 12 friends, and he put their names up
00:25:10.195 --> 00:25:13.699
Over his bed,
00:25:13.699 --> 00:25:15.500
And that stands with him over his bed.
00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:19.905
And he wrote down underneath the names:
00:25:19.905 --> 00:25:22.574
This is the cost we paid for freedom.
00:25:22.574 --> 00:25:25.677
And for my son, those names are a reminder
00:25:25.677 --> 00:25:29.314
That he's been bought with a price,
00:25:29.314 --> 00:25:30.782
That his freedom has been bought with a price,
00:25:30.782 --> 00:25:32.851
That it comes with a responsibility
00:25:32.851 --> 00:25:35.420
And a desire to live well
00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:38.256
In the memory of those friends that fell
00:25:38.256 --> 00:25:41.360
On his behalf and on the behalf of our country.
00:25:41.360 --> 00:25:43.962
And it seems to me that that is,
00:25:43.962 --> 00:25:45.664
It captures the essence of what it means
00:25:45.664 --> 00:25:49.368
To be truly grateful for the things
00:25:49.368 --> 00:25:51.570
That people give us.
00:25:51.570 --> 00:25:52.638
And especially if god gives us
00:25:52.638 --> 00:25:54.006
The ultimate gift of his son, god, here's my life.
00:25:54.006 --> 00:25:57.576
I don't wanna live for me anymore.
00:25:57.576 --> 00:25:59.645
I wanna live for you.
00:25:59.645 --> 00:26:01.113
And that's a true understanding of grace.
00:26:01.113 --> 00:26:04.049
Seth, thank you so much for this time
00:26:04.049 --> 00:26:07.352
Discussing this incredible topic of grace.
00:26:07.352 --> 00:26:09.988
And for you, our viewers,
00:26:09.988 --> 00:26:11.657
We are praying for you
00:26:11.657 --> 00:26:13.158
That you will experience god's grace
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Afresh in your life in a very real way,
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That you will have both the urge
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As a response to this grace to confess,
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To boldly ask and to commit your life
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To god's amazing plan for your life.
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Here in jerusalem, these events unfolded.
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It was here that yeshua died and rose.
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It's here where he will return.
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We see the continuous thread of grace
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From nehemiah's day to ours.
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God remains the generous giver,
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The faithful forgiver and saving deliverer.
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Just as the walls surround the city,
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God's "chesed", his grace
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Surrounds those who trust in him.
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The grace that motivated the prayer in nehemiah,
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It still calls us to worship,
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Still emboldens our prayers,
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Still empowers our commitments.
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Next time, we will experience
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The power of rejoicing.
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As we continue to walk the walls with nehemiah,
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We will explore the importance of preparation
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For the celebration.
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Dr. Erez Soref: Response To Grace | One For Israel

March 11, 2026 | 27:25

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