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Rick Warren

Rick Warren - Why You Need To Say Hungry (Part 1)

June 7, 2026 | 27:28

Rick Warren - Why You Need To Say Hungry (Part 1)
Pastor Rick shares biblical truth and practical tools for living the full life God desires for everyone.
#SeekGod #SpiritualGrowth #Worship #Focus #WalkwithGod #RickWarren

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Rick Warren | Rick Warren - Why You Need To Say Hungry (Part 1) | June 7, 2026
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Pastor rick warren: recently, i got this letter and it said,
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  • "dear reverend warren--," anybody who says reverend warren
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  • Doesn't know me, obviously, so, "dear reverend warren, i heard
  • 00:00:29.851 --> 00:00:33.054
  • Your program on the radio, so i thought you might be able to
  • 00:00:33.054 --> 00:00:35.890
  • Help me with my dilemma.
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  • I'm sure you're familiar with the u2 song, "i still haven't
  • 00:00:39.294 --> 00:00:42.597
  • Found what i'm looking for."
  • 00:00:42.597 --> 00:00:45.633
  • That line could be the theme of my life.
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  • It's a strange feeling since i have, by all standards, achieved
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  • Everything that most people work their entire lives to get.
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  • My success as an investment banker has given me multiple
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  • Homes, nice cars, all kinds of perks and luxuries.
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  • I'm married to a great woman and i have two young kids that
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  • I adore.
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  • And i enjoy good health.
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  • And all of this came to me at a much earlier age than i figured
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  • It would take.
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  • And yet, and yet, i'm just not as happy as i think i ought
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  • To be.
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  • To be honest, i'm often restless.
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  • I'm often bored and unsatisfied.
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  • Sometimes at night, i feel hollow, and empty.
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  • I keep thinking, there's got to be more to life than this.
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  • What do you think i should do?"
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  • You know, friends, there is an entire book of the bible about
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  • This dilemma.
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  • It's called the book of ecclesiastes, and it was written
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  • By another guy who had everything, he had it all.
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  • His name was king solomon.
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  • Solomon was the king of israel at its apex of power.
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  • There was no man wiser, wealthier, or more powerful in
  • 00:02:09.884 --> 00:02:13.655
  • The world during the reign of solomon.
  • 00:02:13.655 --> 00:02:17.292
  • And yet, solomon has, really in one sense, a midlife crisis in
  • 00:02:17.292 --> 00:02:20.728
  • The book of ecclesiastes.
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  • And it's kind of a negative book till you get to the end where he
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  • Comes to the right conclusion.
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  • But solomon says, "my life just seems so, so empty.
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  • So meaningless, so painfully unsatisfying."
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  • And so he said, "i decided that i would try to find meaning and
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  • Purpose and fulfillment in life."
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  • And ecclesiastes is the book or the journey of his--journal of
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  • His journey trying to find satisfaction, fulfillment
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  • In life.
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  • And solomon starts off in chapter one, he says, you know,
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  • "first i decided i'd try education.
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  • And i thought i'm just gonna get wise and i'm gonna learn
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  • Everything there is to know.
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  • So i learned everything i could learn and i discovered
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  • Everything i could discover, and i became as wise as i could be,
  • 00:03:07.942 --> 00:03:10.545
  • Became the wisest man in the world."
  • 00:03:10.545 --> 00:03:12.313
  • And he said, "i read all the books."
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  • And in one part he says, "in the making of books there is
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  • Much weariness."
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  • And at the end of all of his education, he says, "you know, i
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  • Got it all.
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  • I knew what i needed to know.
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  • And i still felt empty inside."
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  • So he said, "you know, then i decided i would look for it in
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  • My career."
  • 00:03:32.734 --> 00:03:34.068
  • And he said, "i'm the king of israel.
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  • And i have enormous power, so i, you know, embrace all kinds of
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  • Big public works, and i do all kinds of good things.
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  • And i have great goals and i have a big vision.
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  • And i go after all the things in my work, in my career, and my
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  • Vocation, and i really gave myself to it."
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  • But he said, "i still felt empty."
  • 00:03:57.792 --> 00:04:02.330
  • So, he said, "well, maybe, you know, maybe the answer's
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  • In money."
  • 00:04:03.798 --> 00:04:05.166
  • And so he said, "i amassed a huge fortune."
  • 00:04:05.166 --> 00:04:07.769
  • And of course, solomon became the wealthiest man in the world
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  • In his day.
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  • And when the queen of sheba actually came to see solomon,
  • 00:04:12.373 --> 00:04:15.743
  • She said, "i've never seen this kind of wealth."
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  • It's just massive, it's just unbelievable how much money, how
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  • Much wealth, how many riches this guy has.
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  • And he said, "and i piled it all up and i bought nice things and
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  • I did art projects and all of these things, but i still
  • 00:04:31.059 --> 00:04:35.730
  • Felt empty.
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  • You know, i tried everything that everybody tries.
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  • Popularity, you know, fame.
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  • I tried the party scene.
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  • I went out and i gave my life to wine, women, and song, emphasis
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  • Wine and women."
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  • And he goes, "at the end of that, i still felt empty."
  • 00:04:53.147 --> 00:04:58.586
  • It's a common, common cause of many, many people.
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  • Now let me just ask you, have you ever been so hungry--let's
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  • Say you get up in the middle of the night, you've all done this
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  • Likely, you go to the refrigerator and you open the
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  • Door of the refrigerator and then you stare.
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  • Because you know you're hungry.
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  • But you don't know what you're hungry for, okay.
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  • How many of you have ever been there?
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  • Can i see your hands?
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  • All right, the rest of you are dirty rotten liars.
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  • We've all done this.
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  • You stand in front of a refrigerator and you go, i'm
  • 00:05:31.953 --> 00:05:34.589
  • Hungry, but nothing looks good.
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  • You can't decide, what is this hunger inside of me?
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  • You ever been so hungry all you could think about was food?
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  • Yeah.
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  • Have you ever been so thirsty driving across the desert, you
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  • Just think, i've got to get something to drink for my
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  • Parched throat?
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  • Yes, you have.
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  • In this famous sermon of jesus, he says, you know, being
  • 00:05:57.145 --> 00:05:59.580
  • Spiritually hungry is actually a good thing.
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  • He said it's a good thing.
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  • To be hungry for god is a good thing.
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  • In fact, he says it's one of the keys to living a blessed life.
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  • Matthew chapter 5, verse 6, jesus says this: "god blesses
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  • Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
  • 00:06:19.400 --> 00:06:28.176
  • Filled," that's a promise.
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  • I want you to circle the word righteousness, and i want you to
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  • Circle the word filled because we're gonna spend some time on
  • 00:06:32.013 --> 00:06:34.282
  • That today.
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  • First, this word filled, "they will be filled."
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  • A lot of translations translate this verse.
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  • They will be fully satisfied.
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  • They will be satiated.
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  • They will have all of their needs fulfilled.
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  • They will be fully satisfied with what happens in their life.
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  • And the bible says that you get that kind of fulfilled life, you
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  • Get that kind of satisfying life, that meaningful life, by
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  • Hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
  • 00:07:01.542 --> 00:07:06.180
  • So, obviously, we need to know what righteousness is.
  • 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:10.418
  • Now righteousness is incredibly important word in the bible.
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  • It's used hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times.
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  • The bible says that one day, god is going to judge the earth
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  • In righteousness.
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  • And so, this is an important concept.
  • 00:07:24.365 --> 00:07:27.068
  • So, what in the world does it mean to hunger and thirst
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  • For righteousness?
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  • Because if i do that, then i'm going to have a fulfilled and
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  • Satisfying life.
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  • Well, if you were to go to a theological dictionary and look
  • 00:07:38.212 --> 00:07:40.214
  • Up the word righteous, you'd find a long definition.
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  • In fact, one dictionary i had had a 27-page definition of the
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  • Word righteous.
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  • But let me just boil it all down in two statements.
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  • It is about a relationship, and it is about a lifestyle.
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  • First, it is a relationship.
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  • Write this down, to be righteous means being right with god.
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  • In its simplest form, it just simply means being right.
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  • Being right with god, that's righteousness.
  • 00:08:07.375 --> 00:08:11.078
  • It is a position that god has in relationship to you, you have in
  • 00:08:11.078 --> 00:08:16.017
  • Relationship to god.
  • 00:08:16.017 --> 00:08:17.351
  • Romans chapter 1, verse 17 says this: "the good news tells us
  • 00:08:17.351 --> 00:08:22.490
  • How god makes us right with himself."
  • 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:26.260
  • Now that word good news--you know, you've heard the word
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  • Gospel, you've heard gospel music, gospel preaching, sharing
  • 00:08:28.896 --> 00:08:33.234
  • The gospel, but the word gospel is simply the old english word
  • 00:08:33.234 --> 00:08:36.404
  • For good news.
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  • And it simply means good news.
  • 00:08:37.872 --> 00:08:39.607
  • And the bible says, "the gospel, or the good news, tells us how
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  • God makes us right with him."
  • 00:08:43.711 --> 00:08:46.814
  • Now, i want you to notice that this is something that god does
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  • For you.
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  • You don't do it, you don't make yourself righteous.
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  • God does it for you.
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  • And we're gonna look at that good news in detail in just
  • 00:08:55.489 --> 00:08:57.825
  • A minute.
  • 00:08:57.825 --> 00:08:59.160
  • It's a relationship, it's being right with god.
  • 00:08:59.160 --> 00:09:00.962
  • The bible also uses the word righteous to refer to a
  • 00:09:00.962 --> 00:09:03.297
  • Lifestyle, and i want you to write this down, it means
  • 00:09:03.297 --> 00:09:05.833
  • Living right.
  • 00:09:05.833 --> 00:09:07.735
  • Living right as god intends.
  • 00:09:07.735 --> 00:09:11.072
  • Living right in faith, living right in god's commandments.
  • 00:09:11.072 --> 00:09:16.143
  • And this is not a position of righteousness, it is the
  • 00:09:16.143 --> 00:09:19.213
  • Practice of righteousness.
  • 00:09:19.213 --> 00:09:20.915
  • First john chapter 2:29 says this: "all who practice
  • 00:09:20.915 --> 00:09:25.486
  • Righteousness are god's true children."
  • 00:09:25.486 --> 00:09:28.990
  • "all who practice righteousness are god's true children."
  • 00:09:28.990 --> 00:09:32.593
  • So what i want us to do today is to look at two things.
  • 00:09:32.593 --> 00:09:35.997
  • How does god make me right with him, me being an imperfect,
  • 00:09:35.997 --> 00:09:40.868
  • Flawed individual and god being perfect and holy?
  • 00:09:40.868 --> 00:09:45.172
  • How does god make me right with him?
  • 00:09:45.172 --> 00:09:46.974
  • And then, i want us to look at practically, on a daily basis,
  • 00:09:46.974 --> 00:09:51.779
  • How do i keep a spiritual hunger for god?
  • 00:09:51.779 --> 00:09:54.281
  • Because the bible says, if i am hungry and thirsty for god, to
  • 00:09:54.281 --> 00:09:58.152
  • Be right with god, and to do right with god, then i will be
  • 00:09:58.152 --> 00:10:02.390
  • Filled, i will be fulfilled in life.
  • 00:10:02.390 --> 00:10:04.659
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:10:04.725 --> 00:10:12.166
  • Pastor rick: today, i wanna invite you to join me in
  • 00:10:12.166 --> 00:10:14.235
  • Something that's very close to my heart, fulfilling the great
  • 00:10:14.235 --> 00:10:17.571
  • Commission of jesus christ.
  • 00:10:17.571 --> 00:10:20.341
  • Sharing the good news is the most important thing we do.
  • 00:10:20.341 --> 00:10:23.044
  • When we work together, there's nothing that god cannot do
  • 00:10:23.044 --> 00:10:27.782
  • Through us when we're unified.
  • 00:10:27.782 --> 00:10:30.217
  • Through daily hope, the message of jesus christ is now reaching
  • 00:10:30.217 --> 00:10:34.989
  • Nearly every country in the world.
  • 00:10:34.989 --> 00:10:37.391
  • That's 197 nations.
  • 00:10:37.391 --> 00:10:40.127
  • We're going even places where it's difficult, or dangerous, or
  • 00:10:40.127 --> 00:10:44.632
  • Illegal to talk about christ openly.
  • 00:10:44.632 --> 00:10:47.635
  • We're sharing the certain hope of jesus.
  • 00:10:47.635 --> 00:10:51.706
  • And it's changing lives every single day.
  • 00:10:51.706 --> 00:10:54.942
  • Right now, we have an incredible opportunity.
  • 00:10:54.942 --> 00:10:57.945
  • That's why i'm saying this to you personally.
  • 00:10:57.945 --> 00:11:01.449
  • There's some very generous friends that have offered to
  • 00:11:01.449 --> 00:11:04.885
  • Match every single gift given to
  • 00:11:04.885 --> 00:11:07.988
  • Daily hope, dollar for dollar.
  • 00:11:07.988 --> 00:11:11.992
  • That means whatever you give today is gonna be doubled
  • 00:11:11.992 --> 00:11:16.430
  • In impact.
  • 00:11:16.430 --> 00:11:17.998
  • So i'm asking you, i want to encourage you, to give as god
  • 00:11:17.998 --> 00:11:23.871
  • Leads you today.
  • 00:11:23.871 --> 00:11:25.239
  • And i want you to pray this prayer, "god, what do you want
  • 00:11:25.239 --> 00:11:28.743
  • To give through me?"
  • 00:11:28.743 --> 00:11:30.711
  • Don't say, "god, what should i give?"
  • 00:11:30.711 --> 00:11:32.279
  • Say, "god, what do you want to give to me?"
  • 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:33.881
  • That's called giving by faith, giving by revelation.
  • 00:11:33.881 --> 00:11:37.752
  • And your gift will go twice as far to share the certain hope of
  • 00:11:37.752 --> 00:11:42.223
  • Jesus christ.
  • 00:11:42.223 --> 00:11:43.758
  • And make disciples all around the world, god bless you.
  • 00:11:43.758 --> 00:11:48.095
  • Male announcer: you know, when you give a gift to daily hope,
  • 00:11:48.162 --> 00:11:50.431
  • You're helping share the hope of jesus with people everywhere.
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  • And right now, your gift will be doubled by the $50,000
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  • Matching grant.
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  • Just scan the qr code or go to dailyhopetv.com.
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  • Pastor rick: "why should i care about being right with god?
  • 00:12:10.251 --> 00:12:15.356
  • Especially since none of my friends seem to care."
  • 00:12:15.356 --> 00:12:18.459
  • The people who you live next door to couldn't care less, most
  • 00:12:18.459 --> 00:12:21.896
  • Likely, about being right with god.
  • 00:12:21.896 --> 00:12:24.665
  • There are millions of people in america and hundreds
  • 00:12:24.665 --> 00:12:28.469
  • Or--hundreds of millions or billions of people who really
  • 00:12:28.469 --> 00:12:31.138
  • Don't care at all about being right with god.
  • 00:12:31.138 --> 00:12:34.141
  • They don't seem to be doing so bad.
  • 00:12:34.141 --> 00:12:37.211
  • So, why in the world should i care?
  • 00:12:37.211 --> 00:12:40.214
  • Or, why in the world should i hunger and thirst
  • 00:12:40.214 --> 00:12:43.317
  • For righteousness?
  • 00:12:43.317 --> 00:12:45.252
  • And nobody else seems to care about it.
  • 00:12:45.252 --> 00:12:47.922
  • Well, to put it simply, one, it's the only way to
  • 00:12:47.922 --> 00:12:51.258
  • Really live.
  • 00:12:51.258 --> 00:12:52.593
  • And two, it's the only way to get to heaven.
  • 00:12:52.593 --> 00:12:54.328
  • Let me show you some verses.
  • 00:12:54.328 --> 00:12:56.764
  • Proverbs chapter 12, verse 28 says this: "righteousness is the
  • 00:12:56.764 --> 00:13:02.469
  • Road to life and the path to immortality."
  • 00:13:02.469 --> 00:13:07.474
  • Proverbs, "righteousness is the road to life and the path
  • 00:13:07.474 --> 00:13:11.745
  • To immortality."
  • 00:13:11.745 --> 00:13:13.113
  • Now, when it says, it's the "road to life," then it must
  • 00:13:13.113 --> 00:13:15.349
  • Mean i'm not really living unless i'm connected with god.
  • 00:13:15.349 --> 00:13:18.018
  • And you're not, you're not.
  • 00:13:18.018 --> 00:13:21.288
  • If you're not connected to god, you're just existing, you're not
  • 00:13:21.288 --> 00:13:24.592
  • Really living.
  • 00:13:24.592 --> 00:13:25.960
  • Righteousness is the path to real life, to real living.
  • 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:30.197
  • Saint augustine said it like this, "thou hast made us for
  • 00:13:30.197 --> 00:13:33.767
  • Thyself, o god, and our hearts are restless," we've got
  • 00:13:33.767 --> 00:13:38.439
  • Spiritual a.d.d., "until we find our rest in thee."
  • 00:13:38.439 --> 00:13:43.677
  • This is the very thing solomon was talking about.
  • 00:13:43.677 --> 00:13:45.212
  • He says, "i'm looking for meaning in this, then i'm
  • 00:13:45.212 --> 00:13:47.348
  • Looking for meaning in that.
  • 00:13:47.348 --> 00:13:48.716
  • I'm looking for satisfaction and fulfillment in all these
  • 00:13:48.716 --> 00:13:50.718
  • Different areas, but nothing happens.
  • 00:13:50.718 --> 00:13:52.152
  • And i can only find it in being connected to my creator.
  • 00:13:52.152 --> 00:13:57.391
  • It's nonsense to try to live my life disconnected from the one
  • 00:13:57.391 --> 00:14:02.863
  • Who made me."
  • 00:14:02.863 --> 00:14:04.798
  • You're not gonna discover your plan, your purpose, or your
  • 00:14:04.798 --> 00:14:08.068
  • Meaning in life unless you're connected to god.
  • 00:14:08.068 --> 00:14:11.739
  • How many times have you heard me say you were made by god and you
  • 00:14:11.739 --> 00:14:15.776
  • Were made for god, and until you figure that out, life is never
  • 00:14:15.776 --> 00:14:19.313
  • Gonna make sense.
  • 00:14:19.313 --> 00:14:20.981
  • Life is not about the acquisition of things.
  • 00:14:20.981 --> 00:14:23.284
  • It's not about the achievement of goals.
  • 00:14:23.284 --> 00:14:25.152
  • It's not about all these other things, because that's only
  • 00:14:25.152 --> 00:14:26.954
  • Gonna last 60, 80, at the most 100 years.
  • 00:14:26.954 --> 00:14:29.523
  • It's about getting to know god, who made you and who loves you.
  • 00:14:29.523 --> 00:14:35.229
  • It is the road to life, but the bible says it's
  • 00:14:35.229 --> 00:14:38.232
  • Also--"righteousness is the path to immortality."
  • 00:14:38.232 --> 00:14:43.037
  • And what does this mean?
  • 00:14:43.037 --> 00:14:45.306
  • What does this mean?
  • 00:14:45.306 --> 00:14:46.674
  • It means that god's not gonna force you to go to heaven.
  • 00:14:46.674 --> 00:14:50.577
  • You say, "what do you mean?"
  • 00:14:50.577 --> 00:14:51.946
  • It's a choice.
  • 00:14:51.946 --> 00:14:53.280
  • You see, god created you and he loves you deeply.
  • 00:14:53.280 --> 00:14:55.516
  • He wants you to learn to love him back.
  • 00:14:55.516 --> 00:14:58.085
  • But love is not love unless you have a choice, so god never
  • 00:14:58.085 --> 00:15:02.323
  • Forces anybody to love him.
  • 00:15:02.323 --> 00:15:04.858
  • You can spend your whole life thumbing your nose to god.
  • 00:15:04.858 --> 00:15:08.062
  • You can reject god, and god will say, like burger king, "have it
  • 00:15:08.062 --> 00:15:11.498
  • Your way."
  • 00:15:11.498 --> 00:15:14.335
  • God will not force himself on you.
  • 00:15:14.335 --> 00:15:17.204
  • God does not--you can rebel your entire life, you can ignore god
  • 00:15:17.204 --> 00:15:21.275
  • Your entire life, you can act like god doesn't exist your
  • 00:15:21.275 --> 00:15:24.211
  • Entire life.
  • 00:15:24.211 --> 00:15:25.946
  • And god will let you do that.
  • 00:15:25.946 --> 00:15:27.314
  • He gave you--he made you in his image, which means you have the
  • 00:15:27.314 --> 00:15:29.883
  • Free moral will to make a choice, and he wants you to
  • 00:15:29.883 --> 00:15:32.486
  • Choose to love him, not be forced to.
  • 00:15:32.486 --> 00:15:36.223
  • And so, if i wanna say, "god, i wanna live my entire life
  • 00:15:36.223 --> 00:15:39.560
  • Disconnected from you," god will, like burger king, say,
  • 00:15:39.560 --> 00:15:42.696
  • "have it your way."
  • 00:15:42.696 --> 00:15:44.031
  • But here's the problem, one day i'm gonna die.
  • 00:15:44.031 --> 00:15:47.901
  • And i'm going to stand before god.
  • 00:15:47.901 --> 00:15:51.438
  • And god will be able to say to me, "wait a minute, you chose
  • 00:15:51.438 --> 00:15:53.974
  • During your life to totally ignore me, to rebel against me,
  • 00:15:53.974 --> 00:15:57.277
  • To disobey me, to ignore me, to live your life separate from me,
  • 00:15:57.277 --> 00:16:01.448
  • And i said, 'have it your way.'
  • 00:16:01.448 --> 00:16:03.283
  • So obviously, you must not want to live with me forever in
  • 00:16:03.283 --> 00:16:06.020
  • Eternity, so, have it your way."
  • 00:16:06.020 --> 00:16:10.224
  • And you would be eternally separated from god.
  • 00:16:10.224 --> 00:16:12.826
  • And if you're separated from god, you can't blame god.
  • 00:16:12.826 --> 00:16:15.729
  • He gave you the choice.
  • 00:16:15.729 --> 00:16:17.097
  • Why would somebody want to live their life completely
  • 00:16:17.097 --> 00:16:19.600
  • Separated--in denial of god and his will in your life?
  • 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.337
  • And then, once you die, say, "oh, by the way, i want to love
  • 00:16:23.337 --> 00:16:25.739
  • You and live in your house forever."
  • 00:16:25.739 --> 00:16:29.043
  • God will say, "have it your way."
  • 00:16:29.043 --> 00:16:31.645
  • You get what you asked for.
  • 00:16:31.645 --> 00:16:33.847
  • What you chose, it was your choice.
  • 00:16:33.847 --> 00:16:37.451
  • Now, you saw that verse where god says that the good news
  • 00:16:37.451 --> 00:16:42.156
  • Shows us how god makes people right with himself.
  • 00:16:42.156 --> 00:16:47.027
  • That's called the gospel.
  • 00:16:47.027 --> 00:16:48.829
  • What is that?
  • 00:16:48.829 --> 00:16:50.164
  • Today, i wanna give you christian theology 101, okay?
  • 00:16:50.164 --> 00:16:53.801
  • This is the abc's of our faith.
  • 00:16:53.801 --> 00:16:58.072
  • What does it mean for god to make me right or righteous
  • 00:16:58.072 --> 00:17:02.676
  • With him?
  • 00:17:02.676 --> 00:17:04.011
  • Well, it means three things.
  • 00:17:04.011 --> 00:17:05.379
  • Here's the plan, right?
  • 00:17:05.379 --> 00:17:06.713
  • You might wanna write these down.
  • 00:17:06.713 --> 00:17:08.082
  • And the first thing is not necessarily good news.
  • 00:17:08.082 --> 00:17:10.617
  • In fact, it's not even news, but it's this: i can't make
  • 00:17:10.617 --> 00:17:14.788
  • Myself righteous.
  • 00:17:14.788 --> 00:17:17.091
  • Okay, i can't make myself righteous.
  • 00:17:17.091 --> 00:17:21.829
  • Over in the book of jeremiah chapter 13, verse 23, jeremiah
  • 00:17:21.829 --> 00:17:25.899
  • Says, "can a leopard change his spots?"
  • 00:17:25.899 --> 00:17:28.469
  • And the answer is obviously not.
  • 00:17:28.469 --> 00:17:30.904
  • And he said, "neither can an imperfect person make
  • 00:17:30.904 --> 00:17:33.841
  • Himself perfect."
  • 00:17:33.841 --> 00:17:35.742
  • I stopped being perfect about the fourth breath of my life.
  • 00:17:35.742 --> 00:17:41.048
  • And nobody bats 1000.
  • 00:17:41.048 --> 00:17:43.450
  • In fact, i've never met, actually, anybody who claimed to
  • 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:46.053
  • Be perfect, except some people who weren't all in
  • 00:17:46.053 --> 00:17:50.757
  • Their capacities.
  • 00:17:50.757 --> 00:17:53.961
  • And so we all know this, we all know.
  • 00:17:53.961 --> 00:17:57.764
  • But if i am imperfect then, here's the question, how do i go
  • 00:17:57.764 --> 00:18:03.203
  • To heaven if i'm imperfect?
  • 00:18:03.203 --> 00:18:05.606
  • Let me explain it.
  • 00:18:05.606 --> 00:18:06.974
  • The bible says that there is a heaven.
  • 00:18:06.974 --> 00:18:09.276
  • And the bible says heaven is a perfect place.
  • 00:18:09.276 --> 00:18:11.478
  • There's no sadness, there's no sorrow, there's no sickness.
  • 00:18:11.478 --> 00:18:15.616
  • There's no suffering, there's no sin in heaven.
  • 00:18:15.616 --> 00:18:19.153
  • Now, here's the problem, i'm imperfect and i have problems
  • 00:18:19.153 --> 00:18:24.057
  • Like anger and fear and anxiety and jealousy
  • 00:18:24.057 --> 00:18:29.429
  • And self-centeredness.
  • 00:18:29.429 --> 00:18:30.831
  • If god lets imperfect people into heaven, then guess what?
  • 00:18:30.831 --> 00:18:35.202
  • Heaven would be no better than earth.
  • 00:18:35.202 --> 00:18:37.938
  • So we got a problem here.
  • 00:18:37.938 --> 00:18:40.140
  • Because if god lets us into heaven with all of our sin, then
  • 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:44.311
  • There's going to be jealousy in heaven.
  • 00:18:44.311 --> 00:18:46.046
  • There's going to be rape and murder in heaven.
  • 00:18:46.046 --> 00:18:47.781
  • There's going to be war, adultery, unfaithfulness,
  • 00:18:47.781 --> 00:18:51.151
  • Meanness, racial prejudice, injustice.
  • 00:18:51.151 --> 00:18:55.122
  • All the things we have on the broken planet would be in
  • 00:18:55.122 --> 00:18:57.824
  • Heaven, and heaven would be no different than earth.
  • 00:18:57.824 --> 00:19:01.195
  • If god just let imperfect, sinful people bring all their
  • 00:19:01.195 --> 00:19:04.731
  • Sins into heaven.
  • 00:19:04.731 --> 00:19:06.934
  • That isn't gonna work, that isn't gonna work.
  • 00:19:06.934 --> 00:19:10.070
  • And the bible says, i can't make myself righteous.
  • 00:19:10.070 --> 00:19:13.941
  • Now, god comes up with a plan for this.
  • 00:19:13.941 --> 00:19:15.976
  • But let me show you what the bible says.
  • 00:19:15.976 --> 00:19:17.778
  • Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verse 20 says this: "there is not a
  • 00:19:17.778 --> 00:19:23.650
  • Righteous person on earth who always does what is right and
  • 00:19:23.650 --> 00:19:28.855
  • Never sins."
  • 00:19:28.855 --> 00:19:30.657
  • That's you, me, it's the pope, it's everybody.
  • 00:19:30.657 --> 00:19:32.993
  • There's no righteous person who always does the right thing and
  • 00:19:32.993 --> 00:19:36.396
  • Never sins.
  • 00:19:36.396 --> 00:19:37.931
  • And in romans chapter 3, it says this: "no one can ever be made
  • 00:19:37.931 --> 00:19:41.868
  • Right in god's sight by simply doing what his law commands,
  • 00:19:41.868 --> 00:19:46.473
  • Because the more we know god's law, the clearer it becomes that
  • 00:19:46.473 --> 00:19:50.110
  • We can't keep it."
  • 00:19:50.110 --> 00:19:52.479
  • Cause the standard of perfection is perfect.
  • 00:19:52.479 --> 00:19:54.648
  • You know, i was on a plane one time and the guy figured out i
  • 00:19:54.648 --> 00:19:58.085
  • Was a pastor, so we start talking about heaven.
  • 00:19:58.085 --> 00:20:00.988
  • And as we were talking, i just happened to ask him, i said,
  • 00:20:00.988 --> 00:20:04.625
  • "so, why do you think--on what basis do you think god's gonna
  • 00:20:04.625 --> 00:20:08.929
  • Let you into heaven?"
  • 00:20:08.929 --> 00:20:10.364
  • He said, "well, i keep the ten commandments."
  • 00:20:10.364 --> 00:20:13.233
  • I said, "name them."
  • 00:20:13.233 --> 00:20:17.371
  • I said, "you can't even name them, much less keep them."
  • 00:20:17.371 --> 00:20:21.108
  • Okay, and the fact is we've all broken them all.
  • 00:20:21.108 --> 00:20:23.777
  • The bible says, "you shall have no other gods for you."
  • 00:20:23.777 --> 00:20:25.912
  • I've had lots of gods before god many times in my life, and so
  • 00:20:25.912 --> 00:20:29.149
  • Have you.
  • 00:20:29.149 --> 00:20:30.484
  • The bible says, "don't make any idols."
  • 00:20:30.484 --> 00:20:31.852
  • I've all--we've idolized all kinds of things.
  • 00:20:31.852 --> 00:20:33.253
  • We idolize success, we idolize beauty, we idolize money.
  • 00:20:33.253 --> 00:20:36.623
  • You've had all kinds of idols in your life.
  • 00:20:36.623 --> 00:20:38.592
  • The bible says, "don't lie, don't steal."
  • 00:20:38.592 --> 00:20:40.661
  • You've lied, you've stolen.
  • 00:20:40.661 --> 00:20:42.663
  • The bible says, "don't covet what is somebody else's."
  • 00:20:42.663 --> 00:20:44.731
  • You've done that.
  • 00:20:44.731 --> 00:20:46.233
  • When it comes to commandments, i'm ten for ten the wrong way.
  • 00:20:46.233 --> 00:20:51.038
  • Because jesus said, "hey, you know, if you have lust in your
  • 00:20:51.038 --> 00:20:53.874
  • Heart, that's like adultery."
  • 00:20:53.874 --> 00:20:55.242
  • And he says, "if you have anger in your heart,
  • 00:20:55.242 --> 00:20:56.576
  • It's like murder."
  • 00:20:56.576 --> 00:20:57.911
  • So guess what?
  • 00:20:57.911 --> 00:20:59.279
  • I'm a murderer and adulterer, if that's true.
  • 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:00.614
  • I'm ten for ten, blanked out on that one.
  • 00:21:00.614 --> 00:21:04.685
  • So i need another plan, okay, and so do you.
  • 00:21:04.685 --> 00:21:09.156
  • I remember one time i was talking to a guy on another
  • 00:21:09.156 --> 00:21:11.258
  • Plane, and we were talking pretty much the same thing, and
  • 00:21:11.258 --> 00:21:14.094
  • I said, "so on what basis do you think god's gonna let you into
  • 00:21:14.094 --> 00:21:19.132
  • His heaven?"
  • 00:21:19.132 --> 00:21:20.467
  • And he said, "because i'm better than other people."
  • 00:21:20.467 --> 00:21:24.971
  • And i said, "so you think god grades on a curve?
  • 00:21:24.971 --> 00:21:29.743
  • Okay, and that your good works are this high and your bad works
  • 00:21:29.743 --> 00:21:32.779
  • Are this low, so he's gonna, you know, ignore or vice versa?"
  • 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:36.683
  • You see, we all wanna be good enough to get to heaven, but bad
  • 00:21:36.683 --> 00:21:39.686
  • Enough to be fun.
  • 00:21:39.686 --> 00:21:41.088
  • "really?"
  • 00:21:44.091 --> 00:21:45.425
  • I said, "no, no, god's standard is perfection because god is a
  • 00:21:45.425 --> 00:21:49.463
  • Sovereign, holy, just, righteous god, and god cannot stand the
  • 00:21:49.463 --> 00:21:55.736
  • Sight of sin."
  • 00:21:55.736 --> 00:21:57.104
  • The bible makes this very clear over and over and over.
  • 00:21:57.104 --> 00:21:59.940
  • So how in the world do i get into god's presence being an
  • 00:21:59.940 --> 00:22:02.542
  • Imperfect, sinful person?
  • 00:22:02.542 --> 00:22:04.244
  • There's got to be a plan for this.
  • 00:22:04.244 --> 00:22:06.847
  • Let's--trying to earn god's approval by my works and trying
  • 00:22:06.847 --> 00:22:13.286
  • To earn perfection, that--it's like this, let's say, l.a.
  • 00:22:13.286 --> 00:22:18.392
  • Is earth and, you know, and hawaii is heaven.
  • 00:22:18.392 --> 00:22:23.430
  • Some of you think hawaii is heaven.
  • 00:22:23.430 --> 00:22:26.299
  • And so, we decide we're all going to try to get to heaven on
  • 00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:30.036
  • Our own.
  • 00:22:30.036 --> 00:22:31.405
  • And we're all gonna get there by swimming to hawaii.
  • 00:22:31.405 --> 00:22:35.008
  • Okay, now, some of you don't know this, but, before i became
  • 00:22:35.008 --> 00:22:38.011
  • A pastor, for three years, i was a red cross lifeguard.
  • 00:22:38.011 --> 00:22:41.481
  • So, i--let's say i swim out 12 miles, but then i wear out and
  • 00:22:41.481 --> 00:22:46.153
  • I sink.
  • 00:22:46.153 --> 00:22:47.621
  • And let's say you're an olympic--you're greg louganis or
  • 00:22:47.621 --> 00:22:51.725
  • Somebody, and you swim out 20 miles or 30 miles, and then
  • 00:22:51.725 --> 00:22:57.130
  • You sink.
  • 00:22:57.130 --> 00:22:58.832
  • And then you and i, we have a friend that we like a lot, but
  • 00:22:58.832 --> 00:23:01.334
  • He doesn't even know how to swim, and he drowns in the surf.
  • 00:23:01.334 --> 00:23:07.374
  • And some guy doesn't even get into the edge of the water.
  • 00:23:07.374 --> 00:23:10.544
  • Do some people get further than others?
  • 00:23:10.544 --> 00:23:13.046
  • Yes, but the path is too far.
  • 00:23:13.046 --> 00:23:17.017
  • Nobody makes it all the way.
  • 00:23:17.017 --> 00:23:20.120
  • I have no doubt you're better than me.
  • 00:23:20.120 --> 00:23:22.222
  • You're probably a more moral person than i am.
  • 00:23:22.222 --> 00:23:24.825
  • You're probably a more ethical person than i am.
  • 00:23:24.825 --> 00:23:27.627
  • I don't have any doubt that there are a lot of people,
  • 00:23:27.627 --> 00:23:29.663
  • Better people than me in the world.
  • 00:23:29.663 --> 00:23:31.198
  • The thing is, none of us attained perfection.
  • 00:23:31.198 --> 00:23:35.035
  • And none of us can swim all the way to hawaii.
  • 00:23:35.035 --> 00:23:38.171
  • So we gotta have a plan.
  • 00:23:38.171 --> 00:23:40.640
  • Now, that's the second part of this, point two in the gospel is
  • 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:45.545
  • That god sent jesus to pay for my sin.
  • 00:23:45.545 --> 00:23:50.250
  • God sent jesus to pay for my sin in a sacrificial system, god
  • 00:23:50.250 --> 00:23:56.523
  • Sent his son to pay for my sin.
  • 00:23:56.523 --> 00:23:59.392
  • Let me give you an example of this.
  • 00:23:59.392 --> 00:24:01.728
  • Let's say you have lived a life of crime your entire life, and
  • 00:24:01.728 --> 00:24:06.032
  • Let's say you get caught.
  • 00:24:06.032 --> 00:24:07.734
  • And you go to court and the prosecuting attorney makes a
  • 00:24:07.734 --> 00:24:11.471
  • Case and you're found guilty of a lifetime of crime, and so you
  • 00:24:11.471 --> 00:24:16.176
  • Are given a lifetime sentence.
  • 00:24:16.176 --> 00:24:20.747
  • And the judge, he's sitting there in the courthouse with his
  • 00:24:20.747 --> 00:24:23.583
  • Robe on and his gavel, and he bangs the gavel down as a judge
  • 00:24:23.583 --> 00:24:28.054
  • And says, "you are guilty as charged.
  • 00:24:28.054 --> 00:24:30.590
  • I sentence you to a lifetime sentence."
  • 00:24:30.590 --> 00:24:34.995
  • And then, to the shock of everyone, the judge gets up,
  • 00:24:34.995 --> 00:24:39.199
  • Takes off his robe, walks down and stands beside you, puts his
  • 00:24:39.199 --> 00:24:45.405
  • Arm around you, says, "you're guilty of all those things and
  • 00:24:45.405 --> 00:24:47.774
  • You deserve to be punished for it, but i love you, so here's
  • 00:24:47.774 --> 00:24:50.410
  • The deal.
  • 00:24:50.410 --> 00:24:51.745
  • I'm going to pay the penalty for you.
  • 00:24:51.745 --> 00:24:54.381
  • I'm gonna go serve the lifetime sentence for you."
  • 00:24:54.381 --> 00:24:57.684
  • And you hear the shock in the room and the air is being sucked
  • 00:24:57.684 --> 00:25:01.521
  • Out as everybody gasps go, "the judge has
  • 00:25:01.521 --> 00:25:04.858
  • Just become the savior."
  • 00:25:04.858 --> 00:25:06.860
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:25:07.260 --> 00:25:14.467
  • Pastor rick: today, i've got a quick note from a listener in
  • 00:25:14.467 --> 00:25:16.436
  • Minneapolis, his name is bill.
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  • And bill wrote to me, "rick, i wanna let you know that i prayed
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  • With you this morning, accepting god into my life," wow, that's
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  • Great, '"daily hope' has become the way that i start each day,
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  • Listening to your podcast.
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  • So much has changed in my life over the past year.
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  • I had a job loss, i had a transition, i had a divorce.
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  • My dad passed away, cancer, and my faith.
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  • All in the same year.
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  • I'm so thankful for all that you do."
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  • Well, bill, i want to tell you, i know you've been going through
  • 00:25:46.566 --> 00:25:49.669
  • Some really tough times this past year, but there's no
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  • Greater news than hearing that you've accepted jesus into
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  • Your life.
  • 00:25:55.375 --> 00:25:56.710
  • And the fact that god used the "daily hope" podcast to lead you
  • 00:25:56.710 --> 00:25:59.813
  • To him is such a blessing.
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  • I want you to know that as you continue to study god's word
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  • Every day, you're going to find that your faith is growing and
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  • You'll see god actively working in your life.
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  • And i really am excited to think about what the next year is
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  • Going to bring.
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  • Year two in your life will be very different than the
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  • Last year.
  • 00:26:19.366 --> 00:26:20.934
  • And to the rest of you, all of our "daily hope" listeners, i
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  • Just want to thank you because we're able to provide the "daily
  • 00:26:24.738 --> 00:26:27.507
  • Hope" podcast to people like bill because of your
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  • Generous support.
  • 00:26:31.778 --> 00:26:33.113
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
  • 00:26:33.113 --> 00:26:34.881
  • Thank you for helping us share the good news all around
  • 00:26:34.881 --> 00:26:38.084
  • The world.
  • 00:26:38.084 --> 00:26:39.452
  • We love you, and imagine what it's gonna be to get to heaven
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  • And see all these people who came
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  • To know christ because of your giving.
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  • God bless you.
  • 00:26:46.092 --> 00:26:48.161
  • Announcer: you can join us
  • 00:26:48.228 --> 00:26:49.629
  • In bringing hope to others.
  • 00:26:49.629 --> 00:26:51.297
  • Just scan the qr code
  • 00:26:51.297 --> 00:26:52.666
  • Or go to dailyhopetv.com
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  • ♪♪♪
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