Jack Graham - Praying It Forward

September 7, 2025 | 29:30

Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Praying It Forward | September 7, 2025
  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • In hebrews chapter 13... we're coming to the finish line of
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  • Our message series called going the distance. and so we've gone
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  • The distance in hebrews, and we're coming to the finish line
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  • Today. and the finish line is two sentences at the end of the
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  • Book that actually summarize what we've been learning as we
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  • Have run this race through hebrews. and in reality, it's
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  • ... it is a paragraph or a summary of what hebrews... the
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  • Letter to the hebrews is all about. so the author is
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  • Wrapping up, and he brings it with a benediction. it is...
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  • And that means good words... benediction. and it's actually
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  • A blessing. verse 20:
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  • 20) now may the god of peace who brought again from the dead
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  • Our lord jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the
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  • Blood of the eternal covenant, 21) equip you with everything
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  • Good that you may do his will, working in us that which is
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  • Pleasing in his sight,
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  • The one holy ambition of every believer should be to please
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  • God, to honor god. and he will enable us to do that, because
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  • It says “we work to please him:
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  • 21) through jesus christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
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  • So, there it is. a prayer to propel us forward. prayer
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  • Really is the most powerful force on earth, because prayer
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  • Connect us with the power of god! when we pray, god moves.
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  • And this prayer links our emptiness and our nothingness
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  • To god's almightiness! that's the reason the weak can say i'm
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  • Strong, the poor can say i'm rich, because we have been
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  • Enriched, we have been impowered in prayer. and prayer
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  • Is the slender nerve that moves... the omnipotence of
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  • God! i like that! prayer moves the muscles of god! prayer
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  • Activates your life in mission and in ministry for christ. and
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  • That's what life is about; to please him, to do his will.
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  • So, let's just talk for a few moments about who our god is.
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  • He is the god of peace. you know, god has made peace with
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  • Us. we were born with our fists raised, opposing god, resisting
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  • God. naturally we were born with a bent to disobedience and
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  • Rebellion. and so, a relationship with god was not
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  • Possible because of this distance, because of this
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  • Division. yet god loved us and reconciled himself to us by
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  • Sending his son... and this is heart of the christian
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  • Message... that god sent his son jesus christ, and jesus on
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  • The cross by the blood of this new promise poured out his life
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  • For us in order to bring [clap] us to god.
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  • If you know anything about a reconciliation... if you've had
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  • A broken relationship in your family... if you had a broken
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  • Relationship in a work environment... a family member,
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  • A friend... when that relationship is broken there's
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  • Been division. there may have even been fighting, and all the
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  • Rest... arguing. but when a reconciliation comes place
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  • There's this moment when you are brought back together again
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  • In the relationship. what has happened through jesus christ
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  • Is that god has made peace with us. he reached out to us and
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  • Gave us peace. one of the first books i read as a young
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  • Christian was written by billy graham. it was called peace
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  • With god. i wanted that.
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  • Now all around us the world is at war. there's terrorism,
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  • Nuclear threat, political division. there's so much hate
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  • And so much violence in the world today. we see it all
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  • Around us. we're in a hostile environment in seems in
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  • Every... in every way. where is the peace? how do we know
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  • Peace? and on a personal level, people are experiencing more
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  • Anxiety, angst than ever before. stress is killing
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  • People by degree.
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  • My friend robert morgan said "worry never takes a vacation."
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  • Most people ... 100 percent worry about something every
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  • Day. you go to the beach to try to take a vacation, you worry
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  • Whether the sun's going to be out or not. there's always
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  • Something to worry about, to stress out. and we're ramped
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  • Up, we're revved up in our generation. we're at break-neck
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  • Speed, and it's taking a toll on all of us. all of the strife
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  • And all of the stress in peoples' lives. and so there,
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  • You know, is a need for counsellors and physicians
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  • And... and professionals who can help us manage and monitor
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  • And cope with many of the things that we're facing. and,
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  • You know, the right counsellors in that situation can be
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  • Lifesavers.
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  • And yet god promises something that is supernatural. it is
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  • Peace. now the hebrew word for peace is shalom. jewish friends
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  • Often greet one another, especially in israel with those
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  • Words... shalom or peace. in fact, one of the names of god
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  • We find in the bible is jehovah or yahweh shalom. he is
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  • Described so often in the new testament as the god of peace.
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  • You know, god's never wringing his hands, god's never worried
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  • About what's going to happen next. god is always in control,
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  • Calm. "there's no panic in heaven," corrie ten boom said,
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  • "but plans... only plans." and so, when we face situations in
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  • Our live, we can know that god is in command and god is in
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  • Control, and his peace is available.
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  • First, the peace that we have with god, when our sins are
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  • Forgiven and we enter a relationship with god, we
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  • Become children of god. but not only peace with god, but the
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  • Peace of god. and the scripture says in philippians 4 that the
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  • Peace of god is beyond understanding. it's something
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  • You can't describe, it's something you can't explain; it
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  • Is... it is undeniable and unmistakable, yet
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  • Unexplainable. so many times in our lives as christians we have
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  • Been blessed by the god of peace as his presence, as his
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  • Peace... when we pray, when we open god's word, when we sit
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  • Down with a christian friend, when we attend a worship
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  • Service like this, and somehow in the midst of all of this the
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  • Peace of god just sweeps over us because the god of peace is
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  • With us, the god of peace is in us.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • [announcer] during the time of ancient athens, people could
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  • Pick and choose their deity, much like selecting items from
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  • A menu. but none of these gods could answer life's biggest
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  • Question. what happens when we die? 2000 years ago, the
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  • Apostle paul stood before the greatest philosophers of his
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  • Time with a radical message. and that is the same message
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  • That can change your life today.
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  • [jack graham] triumph is a book that i wrote because i've seen
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  • Too many people living without hope. fearful of death and
  • 00:09:33.496 --> 00:09:36.866
  • Searching for meaning in all the wrong places. the
  • 00:09:36.866 --> 00:09:40.069
  • Philosophers of athens were brilliant minds, and yet they
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  • Missed the whole point of truth. and so do we. when you
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  • Partner with us to take the gospel of jesus to our culture.
  • 00:09:46.876 --> 00:09:51.213
  • We'll send you a copy of triumph. your best gift today
  • 00:09:51.213 --> 00:09:55.184
  • Will help us reach a very chaotic and confused world,
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  • With the hope filled, life changing message of jesus, our
  • 00:09:58.788 --> 00:10:02.391
  • Savior, lord and king.
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  • [announcer] we want to equip you with doctor graham's book,
  • 00:10:04.193 --> 00:10:07.430
  • Triumph how you can overcome death and gain eternal life. to
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  • Give, text the word life to 59789 and you'll receive a link
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  • Where you can give directly and securely from your phone. and
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  • As a thank you. we'll send you jack graham's book, triumph for
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  • Your support of the powerpoint ministries.
  • 00:10:24.013 --> 00:10:26.882
  • [jack graham] my book, triumph is available to you today as an
  • 00:10:26.882 --> 00:10:30.720
  • Expression of appreciation for your support in helping us
  • 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.422
  • Reach the world. for people who are searching for the unknown
  • 00:10:33.422 --> 00:10:37.226
  • God, who is our lord jesus christ, who made himself known.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • One day jesus and his disciples were on a boat and they got in
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  • The middle of a terrible storm on the sea of galilee. jesus
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  • Was actually below deck, sleeping, resting. and the
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  • Disciples were in a panic above deck... on the deck, and
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  • They're doing everything they can to survive this storm. and
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  • Finally, they cry out to the lord, "lord, don't you care
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  • That we're dying out here!" they were so afraid. and jesus
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  • Came out to the deck and he spoke one word... "peace." and
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  • Those waves became still. and those disciples learned a
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  • Lesson of their lifetime that you need to learn today, and
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  • That is jesus still calms the storm. if not without us, the
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  • Storms within us, and those can be the most difficult of all...
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  • The storms on the inside. he speaks peace. he gives rest for
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  • The soul. because his presence is always near. he's never far
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  • Away. that's his promise... the god of peace is with us.
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  • If there's one thing that's better than the peace of god,
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  • It's the god of peace! not only does he give peace; he is
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  • Peace! and that great passage in philippians 4, when it says,
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  • “don't worry about anything, but pray about everything with
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  • Thanksgiving in your heart. and the peace of god which passes
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  • All understanding will guard your hearts and minds through
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  • Jesus christ our lord.” you see, we not only have the peace
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  • Of god to guide us, but the god of peace to guard us; like a
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  • Sentinel, like your own personal security force is this
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  • Peace. peace is an inside job. it's not the absence of
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  • Problems; it's the presence of jesus in your life. that's
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  • Peace.
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  • That's why he could say, facing the cross, just hours before
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  • The cross, he looked at his disciples in the upper room and
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  • He said, “my peace i give to you. (peace in the midst of
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  • That storm? peace in the midst of execution and death? yes,)
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  • My peace i give to you. not as the world gives.” don't let
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  • Your hearts be afraid. somebody said, “the world didn't give it
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  • To me and the world can't take it away.” jesus gives us this
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  • Peace, and this peace sustains us and strengthens us.
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  • Now this peace came at a great price. it speaks here of the
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  • Blood of the eternal covenant. we're told in the scriptures
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  • That peace comes as a result of this cross of our lord jesus
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  • Christ. isiah 53, and verse 5: “he was wounded for our
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  • Transgression; he was crushed for our iniquities.” the
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  • Punishment that brought us peace was upon him. he died for
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  • You! and, oh yes, he rose again! the same jesus that
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  • Died, was buried, and on the third day he rose again. again,
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  • This benediction summarizes everything from the dead. “the
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  • God of peace who brought again from the dead our lord jesus
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  • Christ!”
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  • You know what that means? that means that resurrection power
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  • Is in us. not only is our god a god of peace; he's a god of
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  • Power... resurrection power. and this resurrection power
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  • Enables us to take every situation in our lives... it's
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  • Over our heads, it's under his feet. he's in control.
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  • He's the god of peace. he's the god of power. can you think of
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  • Anything in your life that's greater than the power of the
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  • Resurrection of jesus christ? can you think of anything
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  • You're facing, some sin, some problem, an addiction, a habit,
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  • A brokenness... can you think of anything in your life that
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  • Is greater than the power of jesus christ who came out of
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  • The grave? and i'm telling you the same miracle as the miracle
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  • Of the resurrection will bring a miracle in your life when you
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  • Invite jesus in. the same miracle that brought jesus out
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  • Of the grave will bring about a miracle in your life!
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  • Jesus saves us by the blood of the new covenant. the blood of
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  • Jesus christ god's son cleanses us from every sin. you say, “is
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  • There another way to be saved?” no, hebrews 9:22 says “without
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  • The shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” no
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  • Forgiveness of sin. and all the blood sacrifices in the past in
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  • The old testament were but a prophecy, a precursor, an
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  • Illustration, a symbol of the great sacrifice that christ
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  • Made on the cross. the old testament brought a new
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  • Covenant and it's the eternal covenant of god's blood. in
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  • Other words, we are saved because of what jesus has done
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  • In giving his blood. he paid it all; all to him i owe.
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  • God saves us by his blood. and yes, there's power in his blood.
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  • But he not only saves us, he shepherds us. you see in this
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  • Great summary, this great benediction that he's the great
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  • Shepherd of our souls. i wish i had more time to... to talk to
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  • You about jesus, the shepherd of our souls. how he shepherds
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  • Us. he leads us, he feeds us, he loves us, he guides us. he
  • 00:17:01.844 --> 00:17:04.880
  • Said, "i am the good shepherd," which means he is counselling
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  • Us, he is... he leads us beside the still waters, through the
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  • Deepest of valleys. and there's no place you go without his
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  • Protection, without his guidance.
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  • One the greatest images to me in all the bible... one of the
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  • Sweetest things given to us by jesus himself is that he is the
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  • Shepherd who left the ninety and nine and with reckless love
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  • And abandonment, risky, the shepherd... the good shepherd
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  • Left the ninety and nine and went after that one lost little
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  • Lamb and brought him back home. that's who jesus is. he found
  • 00:17:38.080 --> 00:17:43.752
  • You where you were and brought you into the fold, into the
  • 00:17:43.752 --> 00:17:48.257
  • Family of god. and we are promised his grace and his
  • 00:17:48.257 --> 00:17:53.462
  • Guidance as he shepherds us. says, "he knows his sheep by
  • 00:17:53.462 --> 00:17:58.233
  • Name." it's astounding to me that god could know my name,
  • 00:17:58.233 --> 00:18:02.771
  • But he does. he knows your name as well.
  • 00:18:02.771 --> 00:18:07.142
  • And one final thing, and that is he not only saves us and
  • 00:18:07.142 --> 00:18:13.615
  • Shepherds us, he shapes us. look at that next verse. verse
  • 00:18:13.615 --> 00:18:18.787
  • 21. it says that “he equips us with every good thing to do his
  • 00:18:18.787 --> 00:18:25.294
  • Will.” ephesians 2:10: “we are his workmanship created in
  • 00:18:25.294 --> 00:18:31.400
  • Christ jesus unto good works.”
  • 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:33.068
  • And this word equips, you know what it means? it's a word used
  • 00:18:33.068 --> 00:18:36.805
  • By doctors. it meant to heal a bone, to set a fractured bone.
  • 00:18:36.805 --> 00:18:42.778
  • So, one way that god shapes us is through brokenness. i've
  • 00:18:42.778 --> 00:18:48.183
  • Never known a person that god has used... has used greatly
  • 00:18:48.183 --> 00:18:52.221
  • Who has not first been broken in some way. god breaks us at
  • 00:18:52.221 --> 00:18:58.527
  • Times in order to bless us. and people that god uses are people
  • 00:18:58.527 --> 00:19:04.433
  • Who have often gone through tough times and their scars are
  • 00:19:04.433 --> 00:19:09.404
  • Not wasted; their scars become a shape into beautiful
  • 00:19:09.404 --> 00:19:15.143
  • Testimony, and i've seen god take broken people, broken
  • 00:19:15.143 --> 00:19:19.248
  • Lives, their lives almost destroyed, and put their lives
  • 00:19:19.248 --> 00:19:22.751
  • Back together again, mend them and equip them and use them for
  • 00:19:22.751 --> 00:19:28.457
  • His glory.
  • 00:19:28.457 --> 00:19:30.058
  • You say, "i'm too broken for god to use. god could never use
  • 00:19:30.058 --> 00:19:32.694
  • Me; my marriage is broken; my life is broken." no, if you
  • 00:19:32.694 --> 00:19:36.498
  • Will give him the pieces, god will put your life... he will
  • 00:19:36.498 --> 00:19:40.035
  • Mend you and he will equip you to do what... i've messed god's
  • 00:19:40.035 --> 00:19:44.106
  • Best. i've missed god's will." no, god will get you back on
  • 00:19:44.106 --> 00:19:48.810
  • His path if you will give him your life to shape you again.
  • 00:19:48.810 --> 00:19:52.848
  • And that's why it's more than trite to me to say that that's
  • 00:19:52.848 --> 00:19:56.952
  • When your mess becomes your message. it's when your mess
  • 00:19:56.952 --> 00:20:04.526
  • Becomes your message because god uses broken people who have
  • 00:20:04.526 --> 00:20:09.731
  • Been put back together by the lord jesus christ.
  • 00:20:09.731 --> 00:20:14.202
  • Not only does it speak of brokenness but it speaks of
  • 00:20:14.202 --> 00:20:17.072
  • Readiness. this idea of shaking. it's another word.
  • 00:20:17.072 --> 00:20:19.941
  • This word equip is the idea of a soldier preparing for battle.
  • 00:20:19.941 --> 00:20:24.146
  • Armor up, suit up.
  • 00:20:24.146 --> 00:20:27.616
  • God will equip you, prepare you with every good thing. he's
  • 00:20:27.616 --> 00:20:32.888
  • Putting good things in side of us. his spirit is alive in us.
  • 00:20:32.888 --> 00:20:36.992
  • His gifts are available to us. his callings are all around us.
  • 00:20:36.992 --> 00:20:41.763
  • He is equipping us to do with every good thing, to do his
  • 00:20:41.763 --> 00:20:46.468
  • Will!
  • 00:20:46.468 --> 00:20:47.736
  • And you know what? it goes on to say, not only to do his will
  • 00:20:47.736 --> 00:20:51.606
  • But through jesus christ he empowers us
  • 00:20:51.606 --> 00:20:56.712
  • Because god will never ask you to do anything
  • 00:20:56.712 --> 00:21:00.248
  • That he will not enable you to do.
  • 00:21:00.248 --> 00:21:04.052
  • So, all we need to do in this race that we've been
  • 00:21:04.052 --> 00:21:08.290
  • Talking about-- building a muscular faith, developing a
  • 00:21:08.290 --> 00:21:11.660
  • Muscular faith, running the race, looking to jesus the
  • 00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:16.865
  • Author and finisher of our faith-- what we need to do is
  • 00:21:16.865 --> 00:21:20.001
  • Keep our eyes on him and just keep running.
  • 00:21:20.001 --> 00:21:25.440
  • Ask those who watch kayla montgomery run. ever heard of
  • 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:30.212
  • The name? kayla montgomery was a steady runner, a strong
  • 00:21:30.212 --> 00:21:34.483
  • Runner. she was lean in line; she ran fast. she was one of
  • 00:21:34.483 --> 00:21:38.920
  • The fastest... is one of the fastest, long distance runners
  • 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.656
  • In the country. a trained eye, a coach could see the beauty of
  • 00:21:41.656 --> 00:21:46.628
  • Her stride, the strength of her will. her performances on the
  • 00:21:46.628 --> 00:21:52.300
  • High school squad in winston-salem north carolina
  • 00:21:52.300 --> 00:21:54.770
  • Caught the attention of competitors and competitions
  • 00:21:54.770 --> 00:21:57.305
  • And colleges all around. she set distance records, won
  • 00:21:57.305 --> 00:22:00.575
  • Titles, competed in nationals, eventually won an athletic
  • 00:22:00.575 --> 00:22:04.279
  • Scholarship at lipscomb university nashville,
  • 00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:06.448
  • Tennessee. and had you watched her run you would have been
  • 00:22:06.448 --> 00:22:10.352
  • Very impressed. but here's what you could have never imagined
  • 00:22:10.352 --> 00:22:16.725
  • About kayla montgomery. she ran with no feeling in her legs.
  • 00:22:16.725 --> 00:22:27.469
  • She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 14. this
  • 00:22:27.469 --> 00:22:31.973
  • Disease causes nerve damage and interference between the brain,
  • 00:22:31.973 --> 00:22:36.144
  • The spine cord, the lungs, the legs. and body heat activates
  • 00:22:36.144 --> 00:22:41.950
  • This disease. so, when kayla would run, she would become...
  • 00:22:41.950 --> 00:22:49.357
  • As she heated up in a run... she would become numb from the
  • 00:22:49.357 --> 00:22:54.029
  • Waist down. but she wanted to keep running so she told her
  • 00:22:54.029 --> 00:22:59.134
  • Coach, "i want to run; i want to run fast." and she did. one
  • 00:22:59.134 --> 00:23:01.803
  • Time ranked first in the nation. the numbness would
  • 00:23:01.803 --> 00:23:07.342
  • Begin about the first mile marker. but at that mile marker
  • 00:23:07.342 --> 00:23:15.617
  • When the legs were not felt, she depended entirely upon one
  • 00:23:15.617 --> 00:23:22.591
  • Man, her coach.
  • 00:23:22.591 --> 00:23:26.094
  • Her coach was a fixture at the races. you could see him at
  • 00:23:26.094 --> 00:23:30.031
  • Every race, encouraging, cheering, calling her out! but
  • 00:23:30.031 --> 00:23:37.372
  • His greatest contribution was catching kayla. for you see
  • 00:23:37.372 --> 00:23:46.047
  • Kayla could run really fast, but she couldn't stop. she
  • 00:23:46.047 --> 00:23:55.690
  • Would just keep running, stride after stride, step after step,
  • 00:23:55.690 --> 00:23:59.528
  • Length after length. she would keep running, but she couldn't
  • 00:23:59.528 --> 00:24:02.864
  • Stop. she would just run into an obstacle. so, she and her
  • 00:24:02.864 --> 00:24:08.603
  • Coach made a deal. they had an agreement. she would just keep
  • 00:24:08.603 --> 00:24:14.976
  • Running and he would be there to catch her. and it happened
  • 00:24:14.976 --> 00:24:22.984
  • Again and again. she would run through the finish line, legs
  • 00:24:22.984 --> 00:24:27.956
  • Churning, and the crash was no small thing. he would catch
  • 00:24:27.956 --> 00:24:34.296
  • Her. sometimes both of them falling to the ground. but then
  • 00:24:34.296 --> 00:24:39.701
  • He would put her in his arms and carry her to the sideline.
  • 00:24:39.701 --> 00:24:44.039
  • You could often hear kayla screaming, “my leg! my legs! my
  • 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:49.744
  • Legs!” and he would soothe her and calm her down, and say,
  • 00:24:49.744 --> 00:24:55.183
  • “it's going to be alright. i got this. you got this!” and he
  • 00:24:55.183 --> 00:24:59.621
  • Would lay her down. and they would bring ice, and rest, and
  • 00:24:59.621 --> 00:25:03.358
  • Gradually the numbness would leave and she would be
  • 00:25:03.358 --> 00:25:06.027
  • Strengthened in her legs again, and stand up and walk off a
  • 00:25:06.027 --> 00:25:09.064
  • Winner.
  • 00:25:09.064 --> 00:25:10.265
  • When i hear that story, i remember that somebody has made
  • 00:25:10.265 --> 00:25:15.170
  • An agreement with you and me. his name is jesus. and he said,
  • 00:25:15.170 --> 00:25:22.243
  • "if you'll just run and keep running, and go the distance,
  • 00:25:22.243 --> 00:25:29.351
  • Even when it hurts... even when it's painful... even when you
  • 00:25:29.351 --> 00:25:33.288
  • Can't feel your legs, you just keep going. and i'll be there
  • 00:25:33.288 --> 00:25:41.062
  • To catch you when you burst [clap] through the finish
  • 00:25:41.062 --> 00:25:45.734
  • Line." and you know what? you're getting closer and
  • 00:25:45.734 --> 00:25:49.638
  • Closer to the finish line every day. doesn't matter how well
  • 00:25:49.638 --> 00:25:52.407
  • You run the race, how hard you've run, how well you've
  • 00:25:52.407 --> 00:25:55.443
  • Run, there's only so many beats in this heart. there're so many
  • 00:25:55.443 --> 00:26:01.483
  • Breaths in this body. there're so many links in our lives, and
  • 00:26:01.483 --> 00:26:06.454
  • One day we're going to come to a finish line. so, what we need
  • 00:26:06.454 --> 00:26:13.261
  • To do is keep our eyes on jesus and keep running through that
  • 00:26:13.261 --> 00:26:19.801
  • Line, knowing that when we get to heaven, he's going to catch
  • 00:26:19.801 --> 00:26:24.105
  • Us! amen? he's going to be there! [applause] and he's
  • 00:26:24.105 --> 00:26:27.308
  • Going to catch us! and he's going to say, "i got this!
  • 00:26:27.308 --> 00:26:31.780
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:26:31.780 --> 00:26:45.360
  • We are incredibly excited to share this with you. we've just
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  • Launched a brand new texting service designed to keep you
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  • Imagine getting all the latest news, inspiring devotionals,
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  • And helpful reminders to the bible in a year podcast, all
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