Jack Graham - The Transforming Power of God's Word (Part 2)

January 26, 2025 | S25:E4

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

#Testimony #Faith #Wisdom #Heart #Religion #Law #RenewingtheMind #WordofGod #inActive #Transformation #2Timothy3:16 #Rejoice #Soul #PowerPointwithJackGraham #JackGraham

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - The Transforming Power of God's Word (Part 2) | January 26, 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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As we begin a brand new year, there's no better time to focus
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On what truly matters - your relationship with god through
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Jesus! and this is our opportunity for renewal, for
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Reset, for fresh commitments and growing deeper and deeper
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In our faith.
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That's why i want to help you cut through the noise of life
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And stand firmly on the word of god, the foundation of truth.
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The bible isn't just any book. it is the story of redemption,
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A bright hope for today and strength for tomorrow. the
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Truth is, its the key to understanding everything,
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Including your destiny.
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In my new book, “the jesus book - reading and understanding the
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Bible for yourself,” i unpack practical applications and
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Ideas for reading the bible every day and understanding the
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Will of god for your life.
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[announcer] when you give your best gift to powerpoint, you
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Are partnering with us to share this life changing message with
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People worldwide. as a thank you, we'll send you dr.
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Graham's new book, the jesus book.
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To give your best gift, go to jackgraham.org, call,
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Or text the word jesus to 59789 to give your gift today.
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Start the new year strong, rooted in scripture
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And ready for all god has for you.
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[jack graham] so let's go together and make this year a
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Year of spiritual transformation that god would
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Change our hearts, change our lives
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Till the whole world hears.
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♪♪♪
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Turn in your bibles to 2 timothy, chapter 3... 2
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Timothy, chapter 3. this is part 2 of a message that we
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Began last week on "the transforming power of the word
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Of god"... the transforming power of the bible.
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There was a young man by the name of larry schryer and about
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30 plus years ago he was tramping across the united
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States. he was actually a part of the sixty's generation. you
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Might even call him a hippy. a jewish man, young man from new
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York, who abandoned his family, abandoned his faith... his
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Jewish faith and was on a search for life, a search for
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Meaning all across america. he literally was sleeping on the
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Streets, sleeping in his car, trying to find his way.
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And this young jewish teenager was in a gas station in north
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Carolina and as he was pumping gas in his old car, he saw
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Pieces of a gospel booklet; a gospel booklet meaning a
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Pamphlet, a tract describing the way to salvation; how a
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Person can come to know christ. just a few pieces of this
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Gospel tract was lying on the ground gathering dirt. but he
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Picked it up, led by the spirit of god. we know this now... but
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The sovereign work of the holy spirit prompted him to pick up
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The pieces of this gospel tract and he began to read it. and he
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Began to read scriptures that he had never seen before...
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Gospel, powerful scriptures of the gospel of jesus christ.
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And as i said, there were just pieces of this tract left, so
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He went to the owner of the filling station and said, "who
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Can explain to me more about what's on this booklet...
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What's in this booklet? who can tell me the rest of the story?"
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And the filling station owner said, "well i don't know; i
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Can't tell you. but there's a lady who lives right up there
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On the hill; she can tell you more about this if you'll go
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And see her." and so larry schryer walked to this lady's
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House, knocked on the door; showed her the gospel tract and
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Said, "can you explain to me what this means?" and that
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Little lady shared christ with this young man. opened the
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Scriptures to him, and larry believed in the lord jesus
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Christ. he received yashua as his messiah and lord and savior.
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He was separated from his wife. he sent her a telegram and he
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Knew that his wife had wanted nothing to do with him because
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He had so messed up their lives, their marriage. he
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Figured he would never hear from her again. so he sent her
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A telegram, back in the days of telegrams, he sent her a
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Telegram. and said, “have come into an incredible inheritance.
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Contact me immediately.” [laughter] and she did. and
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Susan and larry got their lives together. she received christ;
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Trusted him as savior and lord. they recommitted their vows and
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Promises to god, they were baptized as believers of
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Christ, and larry schryer ultimately became a pastor on
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Our staff at the first baptist church of west palm beach,
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Florida. [applause]
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Now that story ... that story is just one of millions of
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Others.
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Now i'm just telling you the bible is the only book that can
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Change lives like that! the bible is the word of god! it
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Makes bad people good, and good people better. it's the power
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Of god's word. we know what it is. we talked about it last
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Time. 2 timothy 3:16: "all scripture is given by
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Inspiration... (that is, god breathed; breathed out by the
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Holy spirit. the life of god is in his word.) all scripture...
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Every bit of it is inspired. not just inspiring or written
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By inspired men, but breathed out by god, "and is profitable
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For doctrine, for reproof, correction, and instruction of
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Righteousness", that the man of god... the woman of god might
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Be thoroughly equipped to all good works. yes, the bible...
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Every page is powerful; the powerful revelation of god.
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This book is not just another book.
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Within its pages are life and faith and hope and love. this
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Is the word of god!
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In the word of god we find meaning and we find fulfillment
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And forgiveness in the power of god. so when you hold your
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Bible in your hand, count on the fact that god has preserved
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For you this book... this powerful, life-changing,
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Transforming word of god. you hold in your hand the word of
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God! this is god's book.
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And i pray that you will love god's word; that you will give
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Thanks every day for the opportunity that we have to
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Know god through his word. this is the greatest treasure, the
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Greatest possession of your life! outside of your
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Relationship with god himself in christ, your bible is life's
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Most precious possession to you. it is the word of god.
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So that's what we're going to focus on today. we've talked a
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Little bit about inspiration; we talked a little bit about
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The illumination of scripture, the preservation of scripture.
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But let's talk about the transformation of scripture.
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In psalm 19... would you go with me in your bibles to psalm
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19, and we're going to look at verses 7 through 11. and in it
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We are going to see six synonyms of the scriptures.
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These are descriptors, or portraits of what the bible is
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And what the bible does in this life... our life. the
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Transforming power of god's word. we're going to read it
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Together.
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7) the law of the lord is perfect, converting the soul;
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The testimony of the lord is sure, making wise the simple;
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8) the statutes of the lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the
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Commandment of the lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9)
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The fear of the lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments
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Of the lord are true and righteous altogether. 10) more
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To be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
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Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11) moreover, by
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Them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is
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(what?) great reward.
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Number one, in verse 8 we discover that your bible will
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Transform your soul... the bible transforms your soul.
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Because there is life in god's word. because there is life,
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The bible has the power to convert the human soul, to turn
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Life around. the bible's message is the message of
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Salvation. this is what the bible is all about. and did you
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Know that you cannot become a christian apart from god's word?
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You say, "well, i... i became a christian apart from god's
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Word. i just believed one day." no, you didn't. someone shared
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With you god's word, or as the holy spirit prompted you to
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Receive christ, someone opened the scriptures to you, just as
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Someone followed up on larry schryer when he found pieces of
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The bible on the ground, god gets his word to you and anyone
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Who truly wants to know him. this is how we know the word of
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God.
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We may believe that god existed. we may in creation as
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We talked about last week, the wonders of his creation, we may
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Believe that god exists, but how do we know this god? who is
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This god? what is he like? and how can we have peace with a
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Holy god? you know, it's so important to know things, but
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This generation not only wants to know but to know how... to
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Know how. so how do you know the truth about god?
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The gospel of jesus christ and all of the bible is god's
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Gospel. from genesis to revelation this is the gospel
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Of god. it is the gospel of jesus christ. it is the jesus
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Book, both old testament and new testament. you say, "well,
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I don't read the old testament that much." well, you're
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Missing the big part of the bible. did you know that in the
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New testament there are 260 chapters in the new testament.
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And all but twelve... i said, all but twelve of the
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Chapters... 260 of them in the new testament... reference the
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Old testament! it is the old testament that jesus read and
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Believed. so if you want to read the bible like jesus, read
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Not only the old [new] testament but read the old
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Testament as well. because in the old testament we have the
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Promise of his coming, the prophecies of his come, the
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Preparations for his coming. all the old testament is
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Written as examples unto us that we may know faith.
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And even if you walk into our atrium... our lobby and you see
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Those stain glasses there. every book of the bible from
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Genesis to revelation is represented there and portrayed
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There in every one of those stain glass windows is a
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Portrait of christ... a picture of christ, an illustration of
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Christ, a type of christ. we see christ in the old
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Testament, and if you look carefully, you'll see
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Throughout those stain glass windows a scarlet thread... a
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Red ribbon that is running from genesis to revelation, that
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Shows up at the first of the book, the beginning of the
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Book, the middle of the book, the end of the book, all of the
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Book is about redemption. how man who is separated from god
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Could know and meet god through jesus christ by the power of
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His life. there's life in the blood. there is the scarlet
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Thread of redemption that runs throughout. "cut the bible
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Anywhere," spurgeon said, and it will bleed." this is a
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Bloody [tap] book [tap]. it's about the salvation that is
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Provided for us at the cross by the power of jesus christ and
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His resurrection. woah! that's so good!
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Peter put it this way: he said, "we are born again unto a
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Living hope by the word of god." that's 1 peter 1:3. john
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Wrote his gospel signifying all the gospels as well all the
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Scriptures, and he says, "these things are written... (god's
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Word is written...) that you may believe that jesus is the
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Christ, the son of god, and in believing you will have life in
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His name."
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So what is the transforming power of the bible? it is the
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Power to save. it's the power to convert. making wise unto
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Salvation. making us wise unto salvation.
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Then secondly, look at the second part of this verse. it
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Says, "making wise the simple." you know what that means? the
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Bible transforms your mind... the bible transforms your mind.
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Not only does the bible transform your soul, but the
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Bible transforms your mind. look at it again. "making wise
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The simple." the bible is god's book of wisdom. wisdom is
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Seeing things from god's perspective. that's real wisdom.
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Scientists tell us that the brain is hard-wired to store
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Information. god so created our minds, our brains, even the
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Hardware of the brain, that we are able to store a wealth of
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Information; much greater than any computer. and based on the
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Information that we have, of course, is the way we think.
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Not only the brain but the mind and the mind thinks, and
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Therefore, because the mind thinks, we experience life and
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There's the psychology of the soul.
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And did you know psychologists tell us that we pretty much...
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About 90 percent of us think the same thoughts every day?
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That's why some are stuck in a rut, because you're thinking
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The same thoughts every day. some of those thoughts are
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Toxic and unhealthy and you keep just replaying them and
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Replaying them and replaying. you get up and you just go over
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The same thing every day and your mind just sort of
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Reverberates towards what you're always thinking about.
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And therefore, you keep doing the same things that you're
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Doing, because you keep thinking the same things that
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You're thinking 90 percent of the time. so how can we change
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The way we think?
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The scripture says, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
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And so how can we change our lives? we change our lives by
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The way that we think. we stop thinking in the same old way.
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What zig ziglar used to call “stinkin' thinkin'”. and we
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Begin thinking in new ways. and what is the new way that we
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Think? we think the word of god. we think the word of god
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By getting the word of god in our mind, in our brain.
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I was reading some studies about your brain on certain
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Things. what is your brain like on caffeine? what is your brain
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Like on alcohol? what is your brain like on drugs? what is
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Your brain like on love? and then i began to think: what is
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Your brain like on the bible? if you want to change your
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Brain, get your bible in your brain! romans 12: 2 says:
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“don't be confirmed to this world, but be transform by the
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Renewing of your mind.”
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That's why we're transformed by the wisdom of god. we call this
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A biblical worldview. this is the wisdom of god. we now view
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The world differently than the world. we view the world, we
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View humanity, we view relationships, we view family,
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We view morals, we view meaning in life all through the lens of
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Scripture! we think differently. we think
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Christianly because we have the word of god in our mind! think
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Like a christian and you will act like a christian.
00:17:51.326 --> 00:17:55.931
The way you change that 90 percent of the stuff that
00:17:55.931 --> 00:17:58.567
You're thinking about is to get the bible on your brain! and
00:17:58.567 --> 00:18:04.907
That happens through reading the scripture, meditating on
00:18:04.907 --> 00:18:08.577
The scripture, memorizing the scripture. because he converts
00:18:08.577 --> 00:18:12.714
Not only your soul, your heart, your eternal future, but he
00:18:12.714 --> 00:18:16.485
Changes our mind. in fact, the very word, repentance means to
00:18:16.485 --> 00:18:19.755
Change your mind.
00:18:19.755 --> 00:18:21.623
Thirdly, the bible will transform your emotions. the
00:18:21.623 --> 00:18:25.827
Bible is not only good theology, it is good
00:18:25.827 --> 00:18:27.930
Psychology. verse 8 says: "the statutes (that's a synonym for
00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:32.401
Scripture) the statutes of the lord are right, (what?)
00:18:32.401 --> 00:18:36.205
Rejoicing the heart." when you are down... when you are
00:18:36.205 --> 00:18:41.643
Discouraged... when you are depressed... when you are
00:18:41.643 --> 00:18:45.814
Defeated, turn to the transforming power... the
00:18:45.814 --> 00:18:51.086
Presence of god in his word. because god's word, the
00:18:51.086 --> 00:18:56.124
Scripture will lift you like nothing else because christ is
00:18:56.124 --> 00:19:00.162
In his word.
00:19:00.162 --> 00:19:02.164
Number 4, the second part of verse 8. look at it. it says
00:19:02.164 --> 00:19:05.867
"the commandment of the lord is pure, enlightening the eyes..."
00:19:05.867 --> 00:19:08.937
So not only does the bible convert the soul, does the
00:19:08.937 --> 00:19:12.808
Bible transform the soul... not only does the bible transform
00:19:12.808 --> 00:19:17.613
Our emotions, not only does the bible transform our mind, but
00:19:17.613 --> 00:19:21.183
The bible transforms our vision... our vision.
00:19:21.183 --> 00:19:25.921
"enlightening the eyes." this, of course, is speaking of
00:19:25.921 --> 00:19:28.490
Spiritual vision because through the lens of scripture
00:19:28.490 --> 00:19:32.294
We look at things differently.
00:19:32.294 --> 00:19:35.697
Psalm 119:105... a scripture that hung on my wall as both a
00:19:35.697 --> 00:19:40.969
Boy and as a teenager. i saw it often. psalm 119:105: "your
00:19:40.969 --> 00:19:46.008
Word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. i will hide
00:19:46.008 --> 00:19:49.811
Its words in my heart that i might not sin against god."
00:19:49.811 --> 00:19:53.982
That's the pledge, that's the promise. the word of our god is
00:19:53.982 --> 00:19:58.086
A lamp; it is a light in the darkest days.
00:19:58.086 --> 00:20:01.390
And in a world in which we don't know what's going to
00:20:01.390 --> 00:20:03.425
Happen next, we can't see through the darkness into the
00:20:03.425 --> 00:20:06.561
Future. we have concerns about the future. we talk about our
00:20:06.561 --> 00:20:09.364
Kids and our students. we are concerned about the kind of
00:20:09.364 --> 00:20:13.902
World that our young people are going to inherit... are
00:20:13.902 --> 00:20:16.505
Inheriting. and we need to do everything possible to train
00:20:16.505 --> 00:20:20.275
Them up to know christ because it's going to be very
00:20:20.275 --> 00:20:22.544
Difficult... not only christ, but christ's words. it's going
00:20:22.544 --> 00:20:25.314
To be very demanding and very difficult to stand for christ
00:20:25.314 --> 00:20:28.517
In future generations.
00:20:28.517 --> 00:20:30.085
There was a pastor who was being interviewed on cnn.
00:20:30.085 --> 00:20:34.723
That's a risky thing to do but go ahead and take the bible
00:20:34.723 --> 00:20:37.759
There. and the interviewer asked this pastor... said,
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:42.831
"when are you christians going to drag your bible into 21st
00:20:42.831 --> 00:20:48.036
Century?" well, actually i'm not trying to drag the bible
00:20:48.036 --> 00:20:55.911
Into the 21st century; i'm trying to drag you into the
00:20:55.911 --> 00:21:00.115
First century so that you can meet jesus! so that we're not
00:21:00.115 --> 00:21:03.819
Trying to bring the bible up to speed of the culture
00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:07.289
Progressively; we are bringing the culture to jesus by
00:21:07.289 --> 00:21:11.026
Preaching the word of god!
00:21:11.026 --> 00:21:12.594
And when you can't see your way through, often through
00:21:12.594 --> 00:21:14.963
Darkness... when you have questions... when you have
00:21:14.963 --> 00:21:18.266
Doubts and you need counsel... if you want to know god's
00:21:18.266 --> 00:21:20.669
Word... god's will, know god's word. you see yourself, you see
00:21:20.669 --> 00:21:25.574
God, you see everything through the bible, "the enlightening of
00:21:25.574 --> 00:21:29.711
The eye." you see, it transforms life... they way you
00:21:29.711 --> 00:21:32.781
See life; it transforms your vision.
00:21:32.781 --> 00:21:35.250
Number 4, the bible transforms your future. verse 9 says, "the
00:21:35.250 --> 00:21:38.887
Fear of the lord" ... that's a synonym. though the fear of the
00:21:38.887 --> 00:21:41.223
Lord means our adoration and exaltation and awe-struck
00:21:41.223 --> 00:21:45.927
Worship of god. the fear of the lord also is a synonym here for
00:21:45.927 --> 00:21:49.398
The scripture. and so the fear of the lord... the bible is
00:21:49.398 --> 00:21:52.801
Clean, enduring forever. the bible transforms your future
00:21:52.801 --> 00:21:57.305
Because the bible is there when you get to your future. in a
00:21:57.305 --> 00:22:01.109
World in which everything changes, there is one thing
00:22:01.109 --> 00:22:04.045
That never changes and that is the word of god. and jesus
00:22:04.045 --> 00:22:08.383
Christ in the word of god proclaims who is "the same
00:22:08.383 --> 00:22:11.520
Yesterday, today and forever." this book, the bible doesn't
00:22:11.520 --> 00:22:16.158
Change. everything else changes but not the bible! and that's
00:22:16.158 --> 00:22:20.162
Why the scripture is relevant to every generation. this book
00:22:20.162 --> 00:22:26.268
Is god's generational book! "the grass withers, the flower
00:22:26.268 --> 00:22:31.807
Fades, but the word of our god shall stand forever."
00:22:31.807 --> 00:22:35.444
Number 5, the bible transforms your doubt and fears into faith
00:22:35.444 --> 00:22:39.347
And fortitude... faith and fortitude, from doubt and fear.
00:22:39.347 --> 00:22:44.085
Why? verse 9 again, the last part. "the judgments of the
00:22:44.085 --> 00:22:47.055
Lord are true and righteous... true and righteous!" in this
00:22:47.055 --> 00:22:52.661
Life there are not many things that you can know that are true
00:22:52.661 --> 00:22:56.498
And righteous.
00:22:56.498 --> 00:22:57.466
What can you believe? what can you trust?
00:22:57.466 --> 00:23:00.769
You can trust the bible. you can trust god's word. stake
00:23:00.769 --> 00:23:04.339
Your life... i stake my life on this book... on the word of
00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:08.677
God. that's why we need to keep fighting the good fight of
00:23:08.677 --> 00:23:11.847
Faith, and according to jude 3, for the sake of our kids and
00:23:11.847 --> 00:23:15.484
Our kid's kids... our children and our children's children, we
00:23:15.484 --> 00:23:18.787
Are to "earnestly contend for the faith". we're to keep
00:23:18.787 --> 00:23:23.091
Fighting for the faith, and the faith is the word of god.
00:23:23.091 --> 00:23:26.561
Number 5, the bible will transform your values. verse 10
00:23:26.561 --> 00:23:32.100
Say, "more to be desired are they than gold, yea, more than
00:23:32.100 --> 00:23:35.036
Much fine gold." what do you read every day? "well, i read
00:23:35.036 --> 00:23:40.809
The stock report." "i read the sports information." "i read
00:23:40.809 --> 00:23:46.481
The internet." "i read..." what? we devour entertainment.
00:23:46.481 --> 00:23:51.686
We have a steady diet of way too much amusement and
00:23:51.686 --> 00:23:55.190
Entertainment. so what is getting into our minds? so much
00:23:55.190 --> 00:23:59.628
Of the values of the world are too much with us.
00:23:59.628 --> 00:24:02.697
Now there's nothing wrong in reading the stock market and
00:24:02.697 --> 00:24:05.300
Checking sports scores, and caring about those things and
00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:08.303
Enjoying good wholesome entertainment, but what god is
00:24:08.303 --> 00:24:11.640
Saying is none of that compares to the gold of god's word. the
00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:18.146
Values of this world... what the world thinks is
00:24:18.146 --> 00:24:21.716
Important... what the world thinks is valuable is nothing
00:24:21.716 --> 00:24:25.253
Compared to the gold... yes, the precious gold and sweet
00:24:25.253 --> 00:24:28.657
Honey of the taste of scripture! it is better
00:24:28.657 --> 00:24:31.927
Anything money can buy! this word of god is an
00:24:31.927 --> 00:24:35.897
Inheritance... the inheritance you need to give to your
00:24:35.897 --> 00:24:38.800
Children. give your children a good inheritance, especially to
00:24:38.800 --> 00:24:42.337
Your grandchildren. but give them the word of god! that's
00:24:42.337 --> 00:24:48.276
The greatest gift that you can give your family. so the bible,
00:24:48.276 --> 00:24:52.047
Therefore, transforms our values. we're not living for
00:24:52.047 --> 00:24:55.617
The stuff the world can provide. we're living for only
00:24:55.617 --> 00:24:58.720
What god can provide.
00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:00.188
Number 6, the bible will transform your behavior and
00:25:00.188 --> 00:25:03.758
Your morality, because verse 11 says, "moreover, by them your
00:25:03.758 --> 00:25:09.364
Servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great
00:25:09.364 --> 00:25:12.167
Reward." this is why we preach the bible... the whole counsel
00:25:12.167 --> 00:25:15.737
Of god, including sin and judgment because all that is a
00:25:15.737 --> 00:25:19.774
Warning. we are warned by the word of god. and god gives us
00:25:19.774 --> 00:25:23.445
These warning. what kind of preacher would i be... what
00:25:23.445 --> 00:25:26.014
Kind of man would i be if i didn't tell you the truth... if
00:25:26.014 --> 00:25:28.750
I didn't warn you of the judgment that is to come? if i
00:25:28.750 --> 00:25:32.287
Didn't warn you about the truth of god's word. because this is
00:25:32.287 --> 00:25:36.358
Protected, and there's great reward in obeying god, in
00:25:36.358 --> 00:25:41.696
Trusting god in his word.
00:25:41.696 --> 00:25:44.466
So the bible is a warning that protects us from sin and the
00:25:44.466 --> 00:25:47.869
Consequences of sin. so when we say something is sin, it's not
00:25:47.869 --> 00:25:54.709
Because we hate people; it's because we love people, and we
00:25:54.709 --> 00:25:58.747
Care about them, and we want them to know the truth. it may
00:25:58.747 --> 00:26:02.384
Be offensive to the world and the world may try to shut us up
00:26:02.384 --> 00:26:05.820
And shut us down, but god's word will not be stopped. and
00:26:05.820 --> 00:26:09.224
It pleases god... you know, you can please the world or you can
00:26:09.224 --> 00:26:12.527
Please god! and it pleases god when you believe and receive
00:26:12.527 --> 00:26:16.831
And welcome his word into your life!
00:26:16.831 --> 00:26:20.201
There's an old saying back in the day... people said, "the
00:26:20.201 --> 00:26:22.837
Bible believes it... or "the bible says it and i believe it
00:26:22.837 --> 00:26:27.008
And that settles it!" well, let me tell you something better
00:26:27.008 --> 00:26:29.511
Than that: the bible says it and that settles it whether i
00:26:29.511 --> 00:26:37.285
Believe it or not! the bible is god's word and god's reward for
00:26:37.285 --> 00:26:44.459
Trust and obedience. so keep believing, keep reading, keep
00:26:44.459 --> 00:26:47.662
Meditating, keep thinking, keep studying, keep worshiping, keep
00:26:47.662 --> 00:26:52.500
Teaching, keep preaching, keep sharing the word of god.
00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:57.272
Fill your mind with god's word, fill your heart with his truth.
00:26:57.272 --> 00:27:02.143
Get your brain on the bible. get your brain addicted to the
00:27:02.143 --> 00:27:06.815
Bible. it will always be the most influential book in the
00:27:06.815 --> 00:27:11.519
World. why? because the bible meets the deepest needs of the
00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:16.891
Human heart, because the story of the bible is jesus.
00:27:16.891 --> 00:27:22.163
♪♪♪
00:27:22.163 --> 00:27:22.163

Jack Graham - The Transforming Power of God's Word (Part 2)

January 26, 2025 | S25:E4

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