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Live with Passion with Father Cedric

Cedric Pisegna - Change Is Possible

August 10, 2025 | 28:25

Cedric Pisegna - Change Is Possible
Father Cedric Pisegna is a Catholic priest. His program will inspire and encourage you to Live with Passion.
#Passion #Catholic #Redemption #Salvation #RelationshipwithGod #WalkwithGod #Father

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Live with Passion with Father Cedric | Cedric Pisegna - Change Is Possible | August 10, 2025
  • ...
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  • Father cedric pisegna: you don't have to stay stuck.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Father cedric: welcome to "live with passion!" i'm father cedric
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  • Pisegna, so glad that you tuned in, talking about personal
  • 00:00:11.984 --> 00:00:15.654
  • Change this episode.
  • 00:00:15.654 --> 00:00:17.489
  • This is a series about how we walk by faith and not by sight.
  • 00:00:17.489 --> 00:00:21.393
  • You may not know it, but you're changing.
  • 00:00:21.393 --> 00:00:23.562
  • I wanted to share with you the gospel from mark chapter 1:
  • 00:00:23.562 --> 00:00:27.666
  • "after john the baptist was arrested, jesus came into
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  • Galilee, preaching the gospel of god, and he said, 'the time is
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  • Fulfilled, the kingdom of god is at hand.
  • 00:00:35.074 --> 00:00:38.077
  • Repent, and believe in the good news.'"
  • 00:00:38.077 --> 00:00:41.947
  • I wanted to give you an oxymoron.
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  • The only constant in life is change.
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  • Think about it.
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  • The weather, it's always changing.
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  • I live in houston, texas, and sometime back, we had a
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  • Snowstorm with ice.
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  • There was about 3 inches on the ground, very rare for houston.
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  • A week later it was 80 degrees.
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  • The only constant there is change when it comes to weather.
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  • And then, driving, lights change all the time when we're driving,
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  • And people are changing lanes all the time.
  • 00:01:16.215 --> 00:01:19.318
  • I love animals, especially kittens, and you look at a
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  • Little kitten, and about a month later, they're totally
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  • Different looking.
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  • They've changed into a cat.
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  • If you've ever seen a chameleon, a chameleon is like a little
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  • Lizard, it's always changing colors depending on what kind of
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  • A tree it's on.
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  • It can actually change colors, amazing.
  • 00:01:37.970 --> 00:01:40.739
  • I saw a picture of myself from 40 years ago when i first joined
  • 00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:44.276
  • The passionists, had real long hair back then.
  • 00:01:44.276 --> 00:01:47.179
  • It was all black.
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  • Let's just say i've changed a little bit bodily.
  • 00:01:48.514 --> 00:01:51.350
  • And then i remember when i was back in college, i changed
  • 00:01:51.350 --> 00:01:54.953
  • Majors several times because i wasn't sure what i wanted to do.
  • 00:01:54.953 --> 00:01:59.124
  • People are always moving.
  • 00:01:59.124 --> 00:02:00.459
  • You see moving vans here and there because people
  • 00:02:00.459 --> 00:02:02.661
  • Are changing.
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  • And then bodily of course, we go through adolescence and puberty,
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  • And women go through menopause.
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  • The body changes.
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  • Only god does not change.
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  • This comes right from the scriptures.
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  • "jesus christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
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  • But people change, life changes, weather changes.
  • 00:02:20.812 --> 00:02:27.286
  • We live in a world constantly changing.
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  • The earth is spinning.
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  • We're revolving around the sun.
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  • The solar system is going around the universe.
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  • Change is happening all the time.
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  • That scripture that i read to you, the gospel that i read
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  • To you, that was jesus's first sermon, and what did he say?
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  • He said, "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of god is at hand.
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  • Repent, and believe in the good news."
  • 00:02:52.377 --> 00:02:54.947
  • That word "repent," if we were to break it open, it's a word in
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  • The greek, and it means "metanoia," and that means have
  • 00:02:58.417 --> 00:03:04.022
  • A change of mind.
  • 00:03:04.022 --> 00:03:05.390
  • What was jesus's first sermon?
  • 00:03:05.390 --> 00:03:07.192
  • With all these people, out of all the wisdom that jesus shared
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  • With us, he was basically saying, "you can change."
  • 00:03:10.395 --> 00:03:14.866
  • Because sometimes people feel stuck, and they feel like, "i
  • 00:03:14.866 --> 00:03:17.636
  • Don't think i can change.
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  • I haven't been changing."
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  • Well yes you are, and yes, you can.
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  • Change is possible.
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  • I know that from my own life i wanted to share with you that
  • 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:28.714
  • Change is incremental, little by little.
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  • It says in the scripture that by--from "glory to glory"
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  • We change.
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  • A lot of people think that they can't change because they don't
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  • Notice it because it's incremental.
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  • We don't change all at once.
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  • It's not a total change, but change is possible.
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  • You may not change completely, but you will change eventually
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  • If you don't give up.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Father cedric: the scriptures are telling us that
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  • We must change.
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  • In fact, it's the will of god.
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  • This comes from 1 thessalonians, "the will of god is
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  • Our sanctification."
  • 00:04:13.792 --> 00:04:15.127
  • That means to become holy, to be made like christ.
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  • Open yourselves up right now in this episode, whether you're
  • 00:04:18.897 --> 00:04:21.900
  • Watching or listening by radio.
  • 00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:24.102
  • Open up your heart.
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  • God has prophesied.
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  • He's promised that he's gonna give us a new heart.
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  • He's gonna take that heart of flesh out of us and give us a
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  • Natural heart, a heart designed for his will, and we are in
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  • Process now.
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  • We're not being translated, we're being transformed.
  • 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:45.190
  • God is the potter, we're the clay.
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  • Things take time.
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  • Be patient with yourself, and don't give up on the process
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  • Of change.
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  • If you're a disciple of jesus, and most of you that are
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  • Watching this program are, you must understand that following
  • 00:04:56.601 --> 00:05:00.672
  • Jesus, "we walk by faith and not by sight."
  • 00:05:00.672 --> 00:05:04.943
  • Following jesus means that you must change.
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  • You must become a person of character, integrity,
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  • And virtue.
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  • That is crucial.
  • 00:05:12.784 --> 00:05:14.152
  • And we walk by faith and not by sight because we don't always
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  • See the change.
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  • But we're believing for the change, and i'm gonna talk about
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  • That because we can only change by grace.
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  • We can't change by our own personal effort.
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  • We can change a little bit, but we need grace.
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  • Where do we need to change?
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  • A lot of different areas.
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  • Most of the time in the scriptures we hear about sin,
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  • Repentance, need to change morally, of course, turn away
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  • From the seven deadlies like gluttony, and gossip, and lust,
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  • And anger.
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  • Whatever sinfulness we have, we need to change there, that's
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  • Number one.
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  • The word in the greek, "metanoia" means to have a
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  • Change of mind, "meta" another, "noia," mind.
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  • That has to do with attitude.
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  • Instead of being grumbling, and complaining, and negative, need
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  • To be positive, and we can change.
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  • I bear witness to that.
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  • I used to be very negative, but now i'm mostly positive, full of
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  • Hope, full of faith.
  • 00:06:16.348 --> 00:06:18.517
  • Then of course, when it comes to our emotions, our emotions are
  • 00:06:18.517 --> 00:06:22.988
  • Like roller coasters sometime.
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  • We go up, we go down, we go around, and we need to be stable
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  • Instead of being afraid, or anxious, or fearful all
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  • The time.
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  • We need to have stability.
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  • We need to have steadfastness.
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  • We need to have endurance and balance.
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  • Emotions are one of the places where we need to change.
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  • Relationships, we need to respond instead of overreacting.
  • 00:06:43.875 --> 00:06:49.948
  • Most of the times we just react to people.
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  • We'll give it a chance, be calm, be patient, and respond.
  • 00:06:52.784 --> 00:06:57.756
  • Spiritually, our relationship with god is so important.
  • 00:06:57.756 --> 00:07:02.994
  • And instead of desolation, we can have consolation.
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  • Instead of being separate from god, we can have intimacy
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  • With god.
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  • That's where we need to change too.
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  • That's a major area that we need to work on.
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  • That's certainly what jesus came to bring us.
  • 00:07:14.372 --> 00:07:16.441
  • He talked about prayer all the time, our relationship with god,
  • 00:07:16.441 --> 00:07:20.045
  • And he said, "believe the good news, you can change," and
  • 00:07:20.045 --> 00:07:24.716
  • Change is possible.
  • 00:07:24.716 --> 00:07:26.952
  • And then, of course, we need to change in our body too.
  • 00:07:26.952 --> 00:07:29.821
  • Our body is constantly changing.
  • 00:07:29.821 --> 00:07:31.456
  • As i said, there's things like puberty and menopause and, but
  • 00:07:31.456 --> 00:07:35.994
  • What about our weight?
  • 00:07:35.994 --> 00:07:37.329
  • Weight is a major factor.
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  • I'm always working out, trying to stay slim.
  • 00:07:38.797 --> 00:07:41.800
  • Some people get overweight, and you need to change and try to
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  • Stay healthy.
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  • All of us need to work on our bodily appearance.
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  • Our character, the overall change that needs to occur,
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  • Whether it be spirituality, morals, our body, whatever it
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  • Is, our character, our integrity, virtue.
  • 00:08:02.053 --> 00:08:08.126
  • We need to grow, mature, develop, and progress.
  • 00:08:08.126 --> 00:08:16.902
  • God's plan for us is to become the very image of christ, to
  • 00:08:16.902 --> 00:08:24.075
  • Have the sacred heart of christ.
  • 00:08:24.075 --> 00:08:26.344
  • We talk about holiness.
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  • Yeah, it has to do with piety.
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  • It has to do with prayer, of course.
  • 00:08:29.714 --> 00:08:32.384
  • But holiness, in a nutshell, is becoming like christ, looking at
  • 00:08:32.384 --> 00:08:38.423
  • The way jesus was and imitating jesus.
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  • That's holiness, his patience, his love, his mercy, his
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  • Honesty, his courage, wow.
  • 00:08:46.298 --> 00:08:49.234
  • Change can happen, god wants us to change, and you should be
  • 00:08:49.234 --> 00:08:54.406
  • Committed to change, certainly if you're a religious like i am,
  • 00:08:54.406 --> 00:08:57.742
  • A priest.
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  • If you're a christian, a disciple, you have to be
  • 00:08:59.077 --> 00:09:03.114
  • Invested in change because it's god's will.
  • 00:09:03.114 --> 00:09:05.951
  • And it takes two things, two main things: number one, our
  • 00:09:05.951 --> 00:09:09.421
  • Responsibility, i'll talk about that, and number two, grace.
  • 00:09:09.421 --> 00:09:15.093
  • We're saved by grace, and we have to live by grace.
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  • That's god's gift to us.
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  • I'll talk about that in a minute too.
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  • First of all, if we wanna change, it's our responsibility.
  • 00:09:22.934 --> 00:09:27.105
  • There are many phrases and words in the bible about change and
  • 00:09:27.105 --> 00:09:31.376
  • About our responsibility, such as "work out your
  • 00:09:31.376 --> 00:09:35.013
  • Own salvation."
  • 00:09:35.013 --> 00:09:37.315
  • I work out, the elliptical, treadmill, bike, weights.
  • 00:09:37.315 --> 00:09:44.189
  • Sometimes you get blisters.
  • 00:09:44.189 --> 00:09:46.324
  • It's hard, it's not easy.
  • 00:09:46.324 --> 00:09:48.793
  • Working out your own salvation doesn't mean that we're saved
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  • By working.
  • 00:09:51.663 --> 00:09:52.998
  • We're saved by the blood of christ.
  • 00:09:52.998 --> 00:09:55.100
  • But working out your salvation means that god is at work in
  • 00:09:55.100 --> 00:09:58.303
  • You, molding you, shaping you, transforming you, bringing you
  • 00:09:58.303 --> 00:10:02.607
  • Into the image of christ.
  • 00:10:02.607 --> 00:10:04.776
  • And the blisters that i'm talking about, i heard a phrase,
  • 00:10:04.776 --> 00:10:07.512
  • "grace with blisters," that means that with god's help and
  • 00:10:07.512 --> 00:10:12.884
  • Our cooperating with grace, we can change.
  • 00:10:12.884 --> 00:10:17.555
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:10:17.622 --> 00:10:25.263
  • Father cedric: what we have to do is work out our own salvation
  • 00:10:25.263 --> 00:10:28.900
  • And then strive, press on, put on.
  • 00:10:28.900 --> 00:10:34.706
  • These are words in the bible, choose, rekindle, fan the flame,
  • 00:10:34.706 --> 00:10:41.379
  • Run the race, fight the good fight.
  • 00:10:41.379 --> 00:10:45.183
  • These are action words.
  • 00:10:45.183 --> 00:10:46.818
  • It is our responsibility, as we read the scriptures and we hear
  • 00:10:46.818 --> 00:10:51.022
  • The good news, to cooperate with the will of god that comes to us
  • 00:10:51.022 --> 00:10:55.694
  • Through the scriptures.
  • 00:10:55.694 --> 00:10:57.562
  • Primarily, we need to respond to grace.
  • 00:10:57.562 --> 00:11:03.401
  • Grace is the power of god, the help of god, to bring about
  • 00:11:03.401 --> 00:11:08.940
  • Change in us.
  • 00:11:08.940 --> 00:11:10.742
  • We must cooperate with this grace by taking our
  • 00:11:10.742 --> 00:11:13.745
  • Responsibility and doing our part.
  • 00:11:13.745 --> 00:11:16.981
  • I told you about grace with blisters, because first of all,
  • 00:11:16.981 --> 00:11:20.785
  • It's grace, god's help, and second of all, it's our
  • 00:11:20.785 --> 00:11:24.322
  • Cooperating with it, working out our own salvation, denying
  • 00:11:24.322 --> 00:11:30.195
  • Ourselves, turning away from sin, living with discipline,
  • 00:11:30.195 --> 00:11:36.234
  • Being an enduring person.
  • 00:11:36.234 --> 00:11:38.770
  • And that's not easy, but with god's grace we can do it.
  • 00:11:38.770 --> 00:11:42.107
  • That's what jesus was saying, "believe in the good news, we
  • 00:11:42.107 --> 00:11:44.609
  • Walk by faith and not by sight."
  • 00:11:44.609 --> 00:11:47.846
  • Remember, it's gonna take time.
  • 00:11:47.846 --> 00:11:50.915
  • Cut yourself a break.
  • 00:11:50.915 --> 00:11:52.717
  • We are being transformed, not translated.
  • 00:11:52.717 --> 00:11:56.554
  • Doesn't happen in an instant.
  • 00:11:56.554 --> 00:11:59.324
  • We can change some on our own.
  • 00:11:59.324 --> 00:12:03.762
  • You ever go to a bookstore and you see the self-help section?
  • 00:12:03.762 --> 00:12:07.565
  • All kinds of books about self-help, and i love those
  • 00:12:07.565 --> 00:12:11.002
  • Books, but--i'm all for self-help but not
  • 00:12:11.002 --> 00:12:14.506
  • Self-help alone.
  • 00:12:14.506 --> 00:12:15.874
  • We can change a little bit by self-help, but the bottom line
  • 00:12:15.874 --> 00:12:18.943
  • Is if you want lasting, enduring, significant change, it
  • 00:12:18.943 --> 00:12:24.149
  • Can only come by self-help and grace, or i'll put it another
  • 00:12:24.149 --> 00:12:28.987
  • Way, by grace and self-help, cooperating with grace.
  • 00:12:28.987 --> 00:12:34.859
  • That needs to happen.
  • 00:12:34.859 --> 00:12:36.427
  • We need to connect with grace in order to change.
  • 00:12:36.427 --> 00:12:41.766
  • Believe in grace, believe in god's help.
  • 00:12:41.766 --> 00:12:45.904
  • We walk by faith, and even though you don't see it, we walk
  • 00:12:45.904 --> 00:12:49.641
  • By faith and not by sight.
  • 00:12:49.641 --> 00:12:52.510
  • Belief is the channel of grace.
  • 00:12:52.510 --> 00:12:55.480
  • We're believing for change.
  • 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:58.149
  • We're saved by grace through faith, same principle.
  • 00:12:58.149 --> 00:13:03.188
  • We change by grace through faith.
  • 00:13:03.188 --> 00:13:07.325
  • The 12-step program is a program of personal change, and i like
  • 00:13:07.325 --> 00:13:11.930
  • It because at our retreat center we have retreats for the 12-step
  • 00:13:11.930 --> 00:13:16.668
  • Program, alcoholics anonymous, overeaters anonymous, gamblers
  • 00:13:16.668 --> 00:13:21.573
  • Anonymous, all these anonymous programs.
  • 00:13:21.573 --> 00:13:24.375
  • And people go in there on these retreats, invested in
  • 00:13:24.375 --> 00:13:29.848
  • Themselves, wanting to change, trying to be open to
  • 00:13:29.848 --> 00:13:33.618
  • God's grace.
  • 00:13:33.618 --> 00:13:34.986
  • It's a beautiful thing to see.
  • 00:13:34.986 --> 00:13:36.788
  • The major premise of the 12-step program, the major premise, the
  • 00:13:36.788 --> 00:13:41.192
  • Foundational premise of recovering from an addiction is
  • 00:13:41.192 --> 00:13:45.463
  • This, that we can't do it on our own, and i want you to get that.
  • 00:13:45.463 --> 00:13:51.369
  • And i would say the same thing about just personal change, you
  • 00:13:51.369 --> 00:13:54.973
  • Can't do it on your own, not significant, lasting change.
  • 00:13:54.973 --> 00:13:59.244
  • Can change a little bit, as i said.
  • 00:13:59.244 --> 00:14:01.779
  • Significant, lasting change only comes with god's help.
  • 00:14:01.779 --> 00:14:06.284
  • In the 12-step program, we believe in a power greater than
  • 00:14:06.284 --> 00:14:10.288
  • Ourselves that could restore us to sanity.
  • 00:14:10.288 --> 00:14:14.025
  • Of course we know who that power is, father jesus, holy spirit,
  • 00:14:14.025 --> 00:14:20.665
  • The power of god, the blessed trinity, and that's who we have
  • 00:14:20.665 --> 00:14:25.737
  • To rely upon.
  • 00:14:25.737 --> 00:14:27.305
  • It's grace and our cooperation with grace.
  • 00:14:27.305 --> 00:14:32.143
  • It's god and our believing in god.
  • 00:14:32.143 --> 00:14:36.281
  • It's gonna bring about a transformation in our life.
  • 00:14:36.281 --> 00:14:39.884
  • I want that for myself.
  • 00:14:39.884 --> 00:14:42.353
  • I'm trying to change from glory to glory, and i want that for
  • 00:14:42.353 --> 00:14:47.358
  • You of course.
  • 00:14:47.358 --> 00:14:49.227
  • Given grace, here's what we need to do to work out our own
  • 00:14:49.227 --> 00:14:53.298
  • Salvation, here's a crucial key, number one: admit to yourself
  • 00:14:53.298 --> 00:14:58.403
  • What your issues are, what your sins are, what your flaws are.
  • 00:14:58.403 --> 00:15:03.508
  • You have to admit it to yourself.
  • 00:15:03.508 --> 00:15:05.043
  • Is it anger, lust, gluttony, laziness?
  • 00:15:05.043 --> 00:15:08.313
  • I have an examination of conscience on my website free of
  • 00:15:08.313 --> 00:15:12.283
  • Charge that will help you to examine your conscience to look
  • 00:15:12.283 --> 00:15:16.487
  • Within, to see what your issues are.
  • 00:15:16.487 --> 00:15:18.790
  • Unfortunately, one of the main problems that we have as human
  • 00:15:18.790 --> 00:15:21.726
  • Beings is something called denial or not being in touch
  • 00:15:21.726 --> 00:15:26.130
  • With our inner life.
  • 00:15:26.130 --> 00:15:27.765
  • People aren't even aware of what their issues are.
  • 00:15:27.765 --> 00:15:30.668
  • Some people will come into the confession and they say, "i
  • 00:15:30.668 --> 00:15:32.870
  • Haven't been to confession in a year, and i'm not sure what i
  • 00:15:32.870 --> 00:15:34.906
  • Have done."
  • 00:15:34.906 --> 00:15:36.240
  • They don't even know what their issues are.
  • 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:38.142
  • You have to be able to look within.
  • 00:15:38.142 --> 00:15:39.711
  • An examination of conscience will do it.
  • 00:15:39.711 --> 00:15:42.847
  • Number one, admit to yourself what your issues are.
  • 00:15:42.847 --> 00:15:46.985
  • Most people aren't in touch.
  • 00:15:46.985 --> 00:15:48.987
  • I remember one time a blind man came into the confessional.
  • 00:15:48.987 --> 00:15:52.023
  • He came in with a cane.
  • 00:15:52.023 --> 00:15:53.524
  • He was legally blind, and he sat down in front of me, and he
  • 00:15:53.524 --> 00:15:56.828
  • Started to confess his sins.
  • 00:15:56.828 --> 00:15:58.196
  • This is the sacrament of reconciliation.
  • 00:15:58.196 --> 00:16:00.832
  • And as he confessed his sins, i noticed that he was really adept
  • 00:16:00.832 --> 00:16:05.003
  • At identifying the areas that he had within, and not only that,
  • 00:16:05.003 --> 00:16:08.873
  • He got to the roots of these areas, the roots of anger, the
  • 00:16:08.873 --> 00:16:12.210
  • Roots of whatever sin that he had.
  • 00:16:12.210 --> 00:16:15.613
  • And i thought to myself, you know, he may be blind on the
  • 00:16:15.613 --> 00:16:17.849
  • Outside, but he can see inside.
  • 00:16:17.849 --> 00:16:21.052
  • His heart was illumined.
  • 00:16:21.052 --> 00:16:24.188
  • "be rigorously honest with yourself."
  • 00:16:24.188 --> 00:16:28.192
  • That's a saying right from the 12-step program.
  • 00:16:28.192 --> 00:16:31.662
  • Be brutally honest with yourself, enough denial.
  • 00:16:31.662 --> 00:16:36.334
  • Admit to yourself what's in there if you really want
  • 00:16:36.334 --> 00:16:39.871
  • To change.
  • 00:16:39.871 --> 00:16:41.205
  • This is the blisters of grace.
  • 00:16:41.205 --> 00:16:43.941
  • God will give you the grace to look within, but you gotta do
  • 00:16:43.941 --> 00:16:47.211
  • The work.
  • 00:16:47.211 --> 00:16:48.613
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:57.655
  • Father cedric: this is another key: once you admit
  • 00:16:57.655 --> 00:16:59.657
  • To yourself your issues,
  • 00:16:59.657 --> 00:17:01.759
  • Admit that you need help, because most of the issues that
  • 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.463
  • You have, you realize you've had them for a long time, and you
  • 00:17:05.463 --> 00:17:07.832
  • Don't seem to be changing.
  • 00:17:07.832 --> 00:17:10.234
  • You can only change with help, with god's help especially,
  • 00:17:10.234 --> 00:17:14.472
  • Significant change.
  • 00:17:14.472 --> 00:17:15.807
  • God is able, and this is right from the scriptures, "god is
  • 00:17:15.807 --> 00:17:18.276
  • Able to do far more than we can ever dare to ask, think,
  • 00:17:18.276 --> 00:17:22.346
  • Or imagine."
  • 00:17:22.346 --> 00:17:23.714
  • That's right from the letter to the ephesians.
  • 00:17:23.714 --> 00:17:25.750
  • Give you an image about this.
  • 00:17:25.750 --> 00:17:28.019
  • One time i was walking the beach.
  • 00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:29.353
  • In the daytona beach area, you can drive your car right on the
  • 00:17:29.353 --> 00:17:33.691
  • Beach, and i noticed that there was a car stuck, and it was
  • 00:17:33.691 --> 00:17:37.161
  • Spinning its wheels, accelerating very quickly, and
  • 00:17:37.161 --> 00:17:41.199
  • All it was doing, it was getting deeper and deeper,
  • 00:17:41.199 --> 00:17:43.468
  • Staying stuck.
  • 00:17:43.468 --> 00:17:44.836
  • Finally, about three or four guys were walking by, and they
  • 00:17:44.836 --> 00:17:47.638
  • All came over, and they started to lift it and push as the
  • 00:17:47.638 --> 00:17:53.611
  • Person in the car just hit the accelerator lightly, because
  • 00:17:53.611 --> 00:17:57.248
  • They didn't want to keep spinning and getting deeper.
  • 00:17:57.248 --> 00:17:59.684
  • And it was the combination of them pushing and a light
  • 00:17:59.684 --> 00:18:04.222
  • Acceleration that got the car unstuck, and i think that's such
  • 00:18:04.222 --> 00:18:08.993
  • A great image because we need help to get unstuck.
  • 00:18:08.993 --> 00:18:13.965
  • So many people stay stuck in their life, and what they do is
  • 00:18:13.965 --> 00:18:16.834
  • They just hit the accelerator, hit the accelerator, and it's
  • 00:18:16.834 --> 00:18:19.670
  • Like quicksand.
  • 00:18:19.670 --> 00:18:21.005
  • You just get more and more stuck.
  • 00:18:21.005 --> 00:18:22.640
  • But what we need is that push, that lift from god, as we
  • 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:26.644
  • Lightly hit the accelerator.
  • 00:18:26.644 --> 00:18:28.412
  • We cooperate with god, we look within, and realize that we need
  • 00:18:28.412 --> 00:18:33.784
  • God to help.
  • 00:18:33.784 --> 00:18:35.353
  • It's only by grace that we're saved, and it's only by grace
  • 00:18:35.353 --> 00:18:37.989
  • That we can change.
  • 00:18:37.989 --> 00:18:39.590
  • And this series is all about how we trust god.
  • 00:18:39.590 --> 00:18:43.661
  • Even though we don't see the grace, we believe in grace.
  • 00:18:43.661 --> 00:18:48.032
  • We walk by faith, not by sight.
  • 00:18:48.032 --> 00:18:50.735
  • And god's grace will be present there.
  • 00:18:50.735 --> 00:18:52.336
  • And i wanna say that most times, even though you believe in grace
  • 00:18:52.336 --> 00:18:56.641
  • And you believe in god, you don't feel it, but you have
  • 00:18:56.641 --> 00:19:00.077
  • To trust.
  • 00:19:00.077 --> 00:19:01.412
  • It's not by sight or by feelings.
  • 00:19:01.412 --> 00:19:03.681
  • I said this in another episode, feelings are fickle, but faith
  • 00:19:03.681 --> 00:19:08.352
  • Is forever, and faith brings about change, faith in
  • 00:19:08.352 --> 00:19:12.790
  • God's grace.
  • 00:19:12.790 --> 00:19:14.192
  • Admit that you need help.
  • 00:19:14.192 --> 00:19:16.093
  • Powerlessness is not a bad thing.
  • 00:19:16.093 --> 00:19:18.462
  • Do you remember paul the apostle had that affliction and god told
  • 00:19:18.462 --> 00:19:22.066
  • Him, "in my weakness, my power shines forth."
  • 00:19:22.066 --> 00:19:25.303
  • God will push us.
  • 00:19:25.303 --> 00:19:27.338
  • He'll motivate us, give us the desire to recover, to change.
  • 00:19:27.338 --> 00:19:31.709
  • Our role is to believe, only believe even though you don't
  • 00:19:31.709 --> 00:19:35.546
  • Feel it.
  • 00:19:35.546 --> 00:19:36.914
  • And remember, you're not gonna change all at once.
  • 00:19:36.914 --> 00:19:38.549
  • It's incremental, it's eventual, it's part of a process, it's a
  • 00:19:38.549 --> 00:19:44.655
  • Journey, it's a pilgrimage, little by little, glory
  • 00:19:44.655 --> 00:19:49.727
  • To glory.
  • 00:19:49.727 --> 00:19:51.362
  • Sometimes there's a moment of significant change, but most of
  • 00:19:51.362 --> 00:19:56.834
  • The time it's little by little.
  • 00:19:56.834 --> 00:19:58.569
  • Cut yourself some slack, it takes time.
  • 00:19:58.569 --> 00:20:04.408
  • Another key i wanna give you very quickly has to do with
  • 00:20:04.408 --> 00:20:08.279
  • A decision.
  • 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:10.181
  • In this series, i produced a whole episode about choices.
  • 00:20:10.181 --> 00:20:17.488
  • A key in the 12-step program and a key in change is making a
  • 00:20:17.488 --> 00:20:22.393
  • Decision to turn your will, your free will, your choices, over to
  • 00:20:22.393 --> 00:20:29.166
  • God, over to the care of god.
  • 00:20:29.166 --> 00:20:32.837
  • You must understand and believe we walk by faith, not by sight
  • 00:20:32.837 --> 00:20:36.474
  • And believe that god cares for us, that he loves us so much
  • 00:20:36.474 --> 00:20:42.346
  • That he's not gonna leave us stuck.
  • 00:20:42.346 --> 00:20:45.883
  • Simply surrender to god.
  • 00:20:45.883 --> 00:20:47.818
  • Surrender is the fundamental act of a christian, surrendering to
  • 00:20:47.818 --> 00:20:52.323
  • God, yielding to god, abandoning yourself to god, and that is
  • 00:20:52.323 --> 00:20:56.294
  • Such an important key when it comes to personal change, that
  • 00:20:56.294 --> 00:21:00.631
  • You must make that decision to give yourself to god.
  • 00:21:00.631 --> 00:21:03.467
  • Self-surrender is important.
  • 00:21:03.467 --> 00:21:06.904
  • That's what jesus did.
  • 00:21:06.904 --> 00:21:09.006
  • Remember, "though he was in the form of god," this comes from
  • 00:21:09.006 --> 00:21:11.676
  • The letter to the philippians, "though he was in the form of
  • 00:21:11.676 --> 00:21:14.612
  • God, jesus didn't deem equality with god something to be grasped
  • 00:21:14.612 --> 00:21:18.616
  • At, rather he emptied himself and took the form of a servant,
  • 00:21:18.616 --> 00:21:24.121
  • Being born in the likeness of human beings.
  • 00:21:24.121 --> 00:21:26.424
  • And then he surrendered himself even more even to death, death
  • 00:21:26.424 --> 00:21:30.027
  • On a cross."
  • 00:21:30.027 --> 00:21:31.395
  • That word in the greek is called "kenosis," self-surrender.
  • 00:21:31.395 --> 00:21:36.967
  • And self is the whole problem in the first place, selfishness,
  • 00:21:36.967 --> 00:21:43.007
  • Self-absorption, self-pride.
  • 00:21:43.007 --> 00:21:45.976
  • You know what the middle letter in the word pride is?
  • 00:21:45.976 --> 00:21:48.579
  • I, and what we have to do is give that to god.
  • 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:54.185
  • God is the potter, we are the clay.
  • 00:21:54.185 --> 00:21:56.587
  • And as we surrender our pride, ourself, to god, he will work
  • 00:21:56.587 --> 00:22:00.358
  • In us.
  • 00:22:00.358 --> 00:22:01.692
  • Trust that.
  • 00:22:01.692 --> 00:22:03.060
  • Surrender to god.
  • 00:22:03.060 --> 00:22:04.395
  • Believe in his care for you.
  • 00:22:04.395 --> 00:22:06.364
  • And in order to change, gotta be motivated,
  • 00:22:06.364 --> 00:22:09.967
  • And that's where grace comes in too.
  • 00:22:09.967 --> 00:22:13.537
  • Grace gives us the, the want to change.
  • 00:22:13.537 --> 00:22:18.342
  • Without grace we're happy just the way we are.
  • 00:22:18.342 --> 00:22:21.011
  • And yeah, we have flaws, everybody does, and we have
  • 00:22:21.011 --> 00:22:23.581
  • Sins, and everybody sins.
  • 00:22:23.581 --> 00:22:25.549
  • But grace gives you that motivation to be saintly, to be
  • 00:22:25.549 --> 00:22:30.788
  • Holy, to become all that you can be, never to be satisfied with
  • 00:22:30.788 --> 00:22:36.427
  • Status quo, or being stuck, or being addicted.
  • 00:22:36.427 --> 00:22:41.665
  • Grace is that love of god.
  • 00:22:41.665 --> 00:22:43.501
  • You see, in order to change, the motivation, the key motivation,
  • 00:22:43.501 --> 00:22:48.139
  • That will help you to change, and it comes by grace, is that
  • 00:22:48.139 --> 00:22:51.175
  • You love god so much that you don't wanna be stuck, addicted,
  • 00:22:51.175 --> 00:22:55.813
  • Participating in self-sabotage, but rather, you wanna become
  • 00:22:55.813 --> 00:23:00.217
  • Exactly what god wants you to be.
  • 00:23:00.217 --> 00:23:02.386
  • That is grace, that is motivation, that is love
  • 00:23:02.386 --> 00:23:06.056
  • For god.
  • 00:23:06.056 --> 00:23:07.425
  • You don't have to stay stuck.
  • 00:23:07.425 --> 00:23:09.593
  • Love god enough to keep changing.
  • 00:23:09.593 --> 00:23:12.496
  • Love god enough to keep moving.
  • 00:23:12.496 --> 00:23:14.899
  • "love is stronger than death."
  • 00:23:14.899 --> 00:23:16.667
  • That's right from the bible.
  • 00:23:16.667 --> 00:23:19.503
  • Love is stronger than addictions, love is stronger
  • 00:23:19.503 --> 00:23:23.174
  • Than lust, love is stronger than your desire for pleasure.
  • 00:23:23.174 --> 00:23:27.278
  • Your love for god will overcome all those things.
  • 00:23:27.278 --> 00:23:30.147
  • It's the greatest motivation.
  • 00:23:30.147 --> 00:23:32.316
  • When it comes to change, it's not all or nothing.
  • 00:23:32.316 --> 00:23:34.785
  • It's incremental, as i said.
  • 00:23:34.785 --> 00:23:36.787
  • Think progression, not perfection.
  • 00:23:36.787 --> 00:23:40.357
  • Many give up because they're not perfect, but change
  • 00:23:40.357 --> 00:23:42.493
  • Is incremental.
  • 00:23:42.493 --> 00:23:43.828
  • I keep drilling that into you.
  • 00:23:43.828 --> 00:23:45.663
  • I call it more or less, more generous, more forgiving, more
  • 00:23:45.663 --> 00:23:50.434
  • Courageous, more accepting of others, less judgmental, less
  • 00:23:50.434 --> 00:23:54.839
  • Angry, less fearful, less selfish.
  • 00:23:54.839 --> 00:23:58.876
  • Give yourself a break, you're in process.
  • 00:23:58.876 --> 00:24:02.513
  • Change takes time.
  • 00:24:02.513 --> 00:24:05.316
  • Don't think all or nothing, think incremental.
  • 00:24:05.316 --> 00:24:09.720
  • Change is turning away from vice, turning toward virtue.
  • 00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:15.960
  • We are ongoing, learning, growing, maturing, progressing,
  • 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:20.931
  • Becoming, developing, step-by-step, one day at a time.
  • 00:24:20.931 --> 00:24:26.003
  • We walk by faith and not by sight.
  • 00:24:26.003 --> 00:24:29.039
  • The only constant in life is change, topic of jesus's
  • 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:33.410
  • First sermon.
  • 00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:34.745
  • And i am praying that you will love god enough to make a
  • 00:24:34.745 --> 00:24:40.518
  • Surrender, over and over again decision, that you will admit
  • 00:24:40.518 --> 00:24:46.624
  • What you have within, that you'll take a good look at
  • 00:24:46.624 --> 00:24:50.327
  • Yourself, you'll realize that you're not gonna change
  • 00:24:50.327 --> 00:24:53.864
  • Completely right away, but that change is possible.
  • 00:24:53.864 --> 00:24:58.636
  • And may almighty god bless you.
  • 00:24:58.636 --> 00:25:01.071
  • And don't just live, live with passion.
  • 00:25:01.071 --> 00:25:03.574
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:25:03.641 --> 00:25:08.178
  • Father cedric: got a letter from a man,
  • 00:25:08.178 --> 00:25:09.513
  • And he said, "father cedric, i'm changing.
  • 00:25:09.513 --> 00:25:11.448
  • It was your books, 'you can change,' and there is a solution
  • 00:25:11.448 --> 00:25:14.919
  • That have been invaluable to me."
  • 00:25:14.919 --> 00:25:17.922
  • Now is the acceptable time.
  • 00:25:17.922 --> 00:25:20.424
  • Today is the day of salvation.
  • 00:25:20.424 --> 00:25:22.826
  • Jesus said it, "you can change."
  • 00:25:22.826 --> 00:25:25.396
  • And i wrote a book with that title, "you can change," and
  • 00:25:25.396 --> 00:25:27.898
  • It's helping people everywhere to change, to move, to
  • 00:25:27.898 --> 00:25:31.669
  • Go forward.
  • 00:25:31.669 --> 00:25:33.003
  • You don't have to stay stuck.
  • 00:25:33.003 --> 00:25:34.371
  • I wrote another book about addictions and recovery called
  • 00:25:34.371 --> 00:25:37.641
  • "there is a solution."
  • 00:25:37.641 --> 00:25:38.976
  • This will help you to come into recovery.
  • 00:25:38.976 --> 00:25:40.978
  • And i talk in lots of different ways
  • 00:25:40.978 --> 00:25:42.980
  • About how to change.
  • 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:45.115
  • The two books together, this is a special,
  • 00:25:45.115 --> 00:25:47.418
  • $20 plus $5 shipping and handling.
  • 00:25:47.418 --> 00:25:51.422
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance.
  • 00:25:51.422 --> 00:25:53.657
  • If you donate, i will sign those books happily,
  • 00:25:53.657 --> 00:25:56.727
  • Personalize them for you.
  • 00:25:56.727 --> 00:25:58.996
  • All you have to do is go to my website, frcedric.org, write me
  • 00:25:58.996 --> 00:26:02.232
  • In houston, texas, 430 bunker hill road, or call my
  • 00:26:02.232 --> 00:26:06.503
  • 844 number.
  • 00:26:06.503 --> 00:26:07.871
  • You've gotta get these books.
  • 00:26:07.871 --> 00:26:09.406
  • You can change, don't stay stuck, now is the time, and
  • 00:26:09.406 --> 00:26:13.510
  • Don't just live, live with passion.
  • 00:26:13.510 --> 00:26:16.280
  • Female announcer: we invite you to purchase series 1025, "we
  • 00:26:18.315 --> 00:26:21.685
  • Walk by faith," dvd or cd, as well as the book father
  • 00:26:21.685 --> 00:26:26.223
  • Talked about.
  • 00:26:26.223 --> 00:26:27.558
  • Because of these resources, people everywhere are learning
  • 00:26:27.558 --> 00:26:30.594
  • To trust god.
  • 00:26:30.594 --> 00:26:31.996
  • Father cedric: "we walk by faith
  • 00:26:31.996 --> 00:26:33.330
  • And not by sight."
  • 00:26:33.330 --> 00:26:34.798
  • Female announcer: right now, simply call 844-fatherc.
  • 00:26:34.798 --> 00:26:38.969
  • That's 844-328-4372.
  • 00:26:38.969 --> 00:26:43.540
  • A kind operator is waiting for your call.
  • 00:26:43.540 --> 00:26:46.443
  • Or write father cedric at 430 bunker hill road,
  • 00:26:46.443 --> 00:26:50.848
  • Houston, texas, 77024.
  • 00:26:50.848 --> 00:26:54.952
  • Or log on to frcedric.org and order online,
  • 00:26:54.952 --> 00:27:01.025
  • Simple, easy, and secure.
  • 00:27:01.025 --> 00:27:04.061
  • It is time to trust god more fully.
  • 00:27:04.061 --> 00:27:06.630
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:06.630 --> 00:27:22.846
  • ...
  • 00:27:23.580 --> 00:27:30.990