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From Millstone to Stepping Stone | Pastor Trev Evans · Koinonia Christian Center

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  Come on, grab your Bibles as we get
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  ready to make our confession today.
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  Whether you have a paper Bible,
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  electronic Bible, whether that's a phone
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  or tablet, whatever it is that you have,
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  come on, lift it up. And we make our
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  confession. Say, "This is my Bible.
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  >> This is my word.
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  >> It is God's word.
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  >> It reveals to me."
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  >> It reveals
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  >> God's will.
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  >> Therefore,
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  >> it's the final authority.
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  >> The final
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  >> to which I submit
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  >> to settle all the issues
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  >> all the issues
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  >> of my life.
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  >> It's the standard
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  of my conduct
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  >> of my conduct
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  >> and the basis
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  >> of all my expectation
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  >> of all my expectations.
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  >> Shout it out. I am
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  >> I am
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  >> what it says I am.
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  >> what it says.
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  >> I possess I
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  >> what it says I possess.
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  >> It says I
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  >> and I can do
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  >> I can do
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  >> absolutely everything.
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  >> Absolutely everything.
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  >> It says I can do.
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  >> It says I can do
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  >> I'm a believer.
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  >> Not a doubter.
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  >> I'm a doer.
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  >> Not just a hearer.
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  >> In my life.
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  >> My everyday life.
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  is the better
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  >> is the better
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  >> after having heard
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  >> after having
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  >> the word of faith
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  >> faith comes by hearing
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  >> and hearing
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  >> and hearing by
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  >> the word of God word let's ride you may
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  be seated in the presence of the Lord
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  Amen
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  chapter 9
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  Mark
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  chapter nine 9.
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  For those who may not know, you are
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  joining us today. We are in the midst of
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  our 40-day fast. We in the short rows
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  now.
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  >> Yeah, we we we in the short rows now of
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  the fast. And we have been journeying
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  through the book of Mark every day, even
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  on Sundays. And so, we're excited about
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  continuing in that same path. Mark
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  chapter 9
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  uh verse 42. I just want to read verse
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  42. And uh it says, "But whoever causes
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  one of these little ones who believe in
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  me to stumble,
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  it would be better for him if a
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  millstone were hung around his neck
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  >> and he were thrown into the sea."
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  >> My God. Jesus. He said, "It would be
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  better for him if you cause one of these
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  little ones who believe in me to
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  stumble. It would be better for him if a
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  millstone were hung around his neck and
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  he were thrown into the sea." I want to
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  preach to us from the subject today from
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  millstones
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  to stepping stones.
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  >> From millstones
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  to stepping stones.
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  You know, this past Wednesday
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  was our devotional where we were in this
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  very same passage
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  >> in Mark chapter 9.
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  >> And we were talking about identity
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  protection.
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  >> And immediately after devotional, Pastor
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  Christie uh text me and said, "Pastor
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  Trey, you can't let this one go so fast.
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  I believe there's still some meat on the
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  bone." Yeah.
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  >> I don't know if you ever been to the if
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  you're from the country and you ever
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  seen anybody who eat chicken and they
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  didn't eat it quite right.
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  >> And if you from the country, you got a
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  little attitude with them because
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  because they left some meat
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  >> on the bone. And she said, "Pastor Trev,
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  I don't think we're done with this." And
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  I had to agree. And God drew my
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  attention back to this text for today
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  because on Wednesday, we lean in on
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  Jesus's conversation with his disciples
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  as he raises the seriousness of the
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  impact their sin has on others and
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  themselves.
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  We heard Jesus use some of the most
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  shocking and violent language in the
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  entire New Testament in verses 43, 45,
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  and 47, saying, "If your hand causes you
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  to sin, cut it off.
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  >> If your foot leads you into sin, cut it
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  off.
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  >> And if your eye leads you into sin,
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  pluck it out."
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  Now Jesus is not prescribing physical
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  selfmutilation.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> This is Jesus telling both the disciples
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  and all who are following him that our
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  identity as kingdom citizens is so
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  precious
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  >> and our influence on others is so heavy
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  that anything threatening it must be
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  handled with deliberate action. Amen.
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  >> However, the reason that I have been
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  drawn back to this text today is if
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  we're not careful, we can walk away from
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  this text thinking that we are the ones
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  who have to fix ourselves.
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  >> [clears throat]
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  >> In his book, Invitation to a Journey,
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  Robert Molhan writes, "Spiritual
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  formation is a process of being
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  conformed to the image of Christ for the
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  sake of others."
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  Notice that he does not say that it is a
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  project that you conform yourself.
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  >> It is a process of being conformed.
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  Somebody shout being conformed.
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  God is the one doing the work in you
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  >> while he walks with you.
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  >> H Isaiah 3:18 reminds us that and
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  therefore will the Lord wait that he may
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  be gracious unto you. See, God isn't
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  standing over you with a scapel waiting
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  for you to fail.
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  >> He is the great physician waiting for
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  the opportunity to be gracious to you.
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  Philippians chapter 2:13 says, "For it
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  is God who works in you, both to will
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  and to do according to his good
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  pleasure."
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  >> Understand something. You don't have to
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  find the will to change on your own.
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  >> YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIND THE WILL to
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  change on your own.
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  >> God provides the desire and the power.
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  Amen.
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  >> You and I just have to be obedient when
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  he tells us what it is we need to do.
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  >> Yeah. See, the question we must ask
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  ourselves today is, how do I work in c
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  in cooperation with the Holy Spirit for
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  what needs to be cut off?
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  See, the spirit not only shows us what
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  to cut, but also empowers us to take the
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  deliberate action. trusting that God's
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  grace will sustain us through the
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  process.
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  >> Boy, that's good.
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  >> Yeah. The spirit not only shows us what
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  to cut, but also empowers us to take
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  deliberate action trusting that God's
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  grace will sustain us through the
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  process.
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  >> Ah, the first question I I want to pose
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  and I think we need to answer today is
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  how do I cut cut it off?
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  uh how do I cut it off? Understand to be
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  an effective witness for Jesus, we must
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  identify exactly what needs to be cut so
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  that our testimony remains sharp.
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  >> Uh-huh.
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  We must we must ask Holy Spirit
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  to show us what needs to be cut so that
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  our testimony will remain sharp. We
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  cannot point people to the healer while
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  we're holding on to the infection.
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  >> Ah yeah. See and see while we often on
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  the visible infections in our lives like
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  substance abuse, lust and fornication.
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  Yeah. In case you like me and grew up
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  for a long time in church not knowing
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  what fornication was, just hearing the
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  saints say it. Fornication is when you
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  have sex with anybody that you're not
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  married to. Amen.
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  >> So that means if you're not married, you
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  shouldn't be having no sex. I'm I'm
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  sorry. That's my girl. I love her. She
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  saved the marriage now.
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  BUT MOST TIMES WE JUMP ON THESE THE THE
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  OUTWARD infections and we should BECAUSE
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  THEY AFFECT OUR WITNESS.
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  >> YEAH. We we we need we don't need to be
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  sleeping around because that that
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  impacts our witness.
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  >> Amen. We don't need to be stealing and
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  lying because that impacts our witness.
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  WE SHOULDN'T BE CARRYING OUR NEPHEW AND
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  OUR TAXES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON'T STAY
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  WITH US BECAUSE IT IMPACTS OUR WITNESS.
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  >> Bishop taught us years ago that our
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  witness is the only thing we have to win
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  the loss.
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  >> So, we must protect our witness at any
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  cost.
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  >> Amen. See, but the Holy Spirit goes
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  deeper, revealing and addressing not
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  just outward infections, but inward
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  infections.
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  >> The often undetectable sin that we also
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  need to cut. See, just because others
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  can't see it doesn't mean God has
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  approved of it.
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  >> Yeah, maybe you hide it from me, but it
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  doesn't mean God has given you a green
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  light to partake in it.
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  >> Yeah. the inward infections. INWARD
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  INFECTIONS LIKE LIKE BITTERNESS and and
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  unforgiveness.
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  >> Yeah. Just sit there. I'll be done when
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  I get finished. Yeah. BITTERNESS AND
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  UNFORGIVENESS ARE TOXIC heart conditions
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  that stem stem from unresolved pain,
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  >> unmet expectations
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  or perceived injustices.
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  >> Yeah. Yeah. Re re resentment, bitterness
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  and and unforgiveness. It shows up in
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  things like resentment over unmet
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  expectations. You feel bitter because
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  someone didn't meet your expectations,
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  whether it was a spouse or a friend or a
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  coworker, and you hold that against
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  them.
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  >> Somebody shout, "Cut it off."
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  >> Cut it off.
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  >> Cut it off BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT PEOPLE
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  ARE IMPERFECT.
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  >> JUST LET ME STOP RIGHT THERE. PEOPLE ARE
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  IMPERFECT.
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  >> That people are imperfect.
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  and release them from the unrealistic
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  expectation of always meeting your
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  needs.
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  >> IT'S AN UNREAL IT'S AN UNREALISTIC
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  EXPECTATION TO THINK THAT people going
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  to always meet your needs.
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  >> You don't always meet their needs.
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  >> You looking for grace when you fall
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  short.
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  >> THEN YOU AND I MUST GIVE OTHERS THE SAME
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  GRACE. Not if, BUT WHEN THEY FALL SHORT.
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  [applause]
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  Because if we don't, bitterness will set
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  in
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  >> and we'll WALK AROUND SHOUTING AND
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  PRAISING AND RUNNING OVER TOP OF
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  UNFORGIVENESS.
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  >> I know ain't nobody going to say
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  nothing.
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  >> You and I must cut out bitterness and
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  unforgiveness. It shows up when we
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  compare our pain to others.
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  >> Yeah. You feel bitterness because you
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  believe others have it easier than you
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  or haven't suffered as much as you have,
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  leading to resentment toward them and
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  even toward God.
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  >> Somebody shout, "Cut it out."
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  >> Cut it out.
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  >> Yeah. You and I must cut it out BY
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  SHIFTING OUR FOCUS TO gratitude
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  >> for God's GRACE IN YOUR LIFE AND TRUST
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  his plan even when you don't understand.
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  >> See, IT'S EASY TO TRUST GOD WHEN
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  EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL. BUT CAN YOU
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  AND I TRUST GOD WHEN WE HAVE TEARS IN
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  OUR EYES and pain IN OUR HEART?
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  >> CAN YOU AND I TRUST GOD WHEN WE HAVE
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  MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE DO ANSWERS?
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  >> This is where this is where it meets us.
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  BECAUSE YOU AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO
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  HARBOR AND HOLD ON TO BITTERNESS AND
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  UNFORGIVENESS. SOMEBODY SHOUT, "CUT it
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  out."
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  >> You and I must cut it out. You must we
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  must cut out bitterness AND
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  UNFORGIVENESS. BUT CATCH THIS. Here's a
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  second ONE THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
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  OFTEN. WE HAVE TO CUT OUT COVETING.
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  >> COVETOUSNESS. YEAH. WHAT IS COVETING?
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  COVETING, catch this, is an intense
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  selfish desire for something that
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  belongs to someone else.
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  >> Uhhuh. It's not merely admiring or
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  wanting something, but rather it's a
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  sinful longing that stems from greed,
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  resentment, or discontentment.
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  >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You and I covenant.
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  The Bible warns us not to covet, NOT TO
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  WANT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE.
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  >> YEAH. You can admire what they have. You
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  can appreciate what THEY HAVE. BUT YOU
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  AND I MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO WANT THAT
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  WHICH somebody else has.
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  You got to be careful because this thing
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  IS SNEAKY.
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  >> YEAH. IT SHOWS UP WHEN YOU RESENT A
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  friend's success.
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  >> Yeah. You see a friend get a promotion
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  or achieve a milestone and instead of
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  celebrating with them, you feel bitter
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  and wish it had happened to you instead.
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  >> This is not just admiration. It's a
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  selfish longing that is rooted in
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  discontentment with your own situation.
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  Cut it out.
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  >> Somebody shout, "Cut it out."
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  >> Cut it out.
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  >> Yeah. YOU AND I MUST CUT OUT COVETING.
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  YEAH. WHAT IS COVETING? WHEN YOU ENVY
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  SOMEBODY else's relationship.
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  >> Talk, Holy Ghost.
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  >> This is YOU DESIRING SOMEBODY ELSE'S
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  SPOUSE,
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  >> somebody else's significant other.
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  >> Not just wishing for a loving
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  relationship of your own,
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  >> BUT SPECIFICALLY WANTING THEIR PARTNER.
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  It's fueled by jealousy
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  >> and dissatisfaction with your own life.
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  >> See, THIS KIND OF STUFF IS SNEAKY.
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  >> AND YOU AND I MUST ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT
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  TO RUN A PSALMS 139 VERSE 23 AND 24.
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  SEARCH ME, OH GOD.
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  >> TRY ME AND KNOW MY HEART. AND IF YOU see
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  >> any wicked way in me, lead me in the way
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  everlasting.
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  >> Woo!
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  >> You and I MUST WATCH COVETING BECAUSE IT
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  SHOWS UP AS JEALOUSY over material
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  possessions.
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  >> Yeah. A neighbor buys a new car or
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  renovates their home and instead of you
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  being happy for them, you feel
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  resentment and and an intense desire to
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  have what they have,
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  >> believing that you deserve it more than
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  they do.
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  >> Somebody shout, "Cut it out."
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  >> Cut it out.
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  >> And I don't know why the Holy Ghost lead
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  ME THIS WAY, BUT I JUST need to JUST
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  RIDE WHILE I'M RIDING. THAT'S WHY YOU
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  AND I MUST IN TERMS OF OUR GIVING must
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  be led by the Holy Ghost.
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  LET GOD WHEN YOU DOING FOR PEOPLE, BE
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  LED BY THE HOLY GHOST BECAUSE THERE ARE
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  SOME OF YOU WHO ARE LISTENING TO ME. YOU
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  HAVE GIVEN and given and done and done
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  for people and it's still not enough.
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  >> AND CAN I TELL YOU, YOU CANNOT SATISFY
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  SOMEBODY'S SPIRIT OF COVETOUSNESS.
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  >> I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU GIVE. I DON'T CARE
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  WHAT YOU DO. IF THEY'RE OPERATING OUT OF
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  THE SPIRIT OF COVETEDNESS, THEY CATCH
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  THIS. THEY DON'T WANT WHAT YOU GIVE
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  THEM. THEY want what you have.
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  [cheering]
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  >> THAT'S WHY WHAT YOU GIVE THEM DON'T
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  SATISFY THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT
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  WHAT YOU GIVE THEM. YOU KEEP FLIPPING
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  THEM $20. THEY DON'T WANT THE $20. THEY
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  WANT WHAT YOU HAVE.
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  >> God knows I'M PREACHING.
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  >> SOMEBODY SHOUT, "CUT IT OUT."
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  >> IF MY EYE OFFENDS ME, CUT IT OUT.
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  >> STOP WATCHING ALL THESE SOCIAL MEDIA
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  INFLUENCES. IF IT'S CAUSING ME TO BECOME
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  DISCONTENTED WITH MY LIFE, CUT IT OUT.
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  >> I CAN'T GO AROUND THE CROWD. IF YOUR
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  FOOT IS LEADING YOU AROUND CROWDS THAT
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  IS CAUSING YOU TO BE JEALOUS, CUT IT
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  OUT.
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  >> I CAN'T GO AROUND THEM. I'M NOT MATURE
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  ENOUGH TO BE AROUND IT.
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  >> You and I have to cut it out. Understand
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  something. Comparison is the thief of
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  calling.
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  Comparison is the thief of calling. I
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  CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
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  MISSING THEIR CALLING BECAUSE THEY ARE
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  COMPARING THEMSELVES WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
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  >> OH, THEY CAN'T EVEN BE WHO GOD HAS
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  CALLED THEM TO BE BECAUSE THEY ARE
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  COMPARING THEMSELVES WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
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  THEY'RE SCROLLING AND WATCHING HOW
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  EVERYBODY DOES WHAT THEY DO AND THEY
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  CAN'T STEP OUT AND DO IT THE WAY GOD HAS
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  GIVEN IT TO THEM. THEY'RE COMPARING
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  THEMSELVES WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND IT'S
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  KILLING THEIR CALLING. [cheering]
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  AMEN.
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  >> Jesus said
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  >> in Luke 12:1 15, "Take heed
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  [clears throat]
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  and be on guard against covetousness."
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  He said, "For one's life does not
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  consist in the abundance of things that
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  he possesses."
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  >> Somebody shout, "Cut it out."
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  >> Cut it out.
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  understand that when the Holy Spirit is
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  calling us to cut these things, he's
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  calling us into partnership
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  >> and he's calling us into partnership
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  into a surgery to cut these things out.
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  >> It's only half the battle.
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  >> The other question on the table is why
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  should I cut it out?
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  Point number two,
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  >> why you need to cut it out
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  is because God has called you to be a
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  stepping stone, not a stumbling block.
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  >> See, see, the reason behind cutting it
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  off is simply because, catch this,
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  you've heard this before. Found people.
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  >> Found people. Find people. Yeah. Found
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  people. Found people. We aren't cutting
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  off sin just to feel better about
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  ourselves. I need you to hear me. We are
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  doing it because someone is standing
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  right behind us trying to see Jesus.
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  >> I don't know whether you got that OR
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  NOT. WE'RE NOT JUST CUTTING OFF SIN AND
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  CUTTING things out of our lives THAT
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  CAUSE US AND others to stumble just to
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  just to cut it out. We're cutting IT OUT
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  BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEBODY around us,
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  somebody behind us who is trying to see
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  the Jesus we serve.
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  >> Woo.
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  Listen to what Jesus said in Mark
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  chapter 9 verse 42. He says, "But
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  whosoever
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  causes one of these little ones who
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  believes in me to stumble,"
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  interesting verbiage.
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  Whoever causes one of these little ones
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  who believes in me to stumble,
• 19:16
  no, they didn't fall today,
• 19:21
  >> but they stumbled.
• 19:24
  >> Yeah, they may be still coming coming to
• 19:26
  church, BUT BUT BUT but something we may
• 19:28
  have done could have caused them
• 19:31
  >> to stumble.
• 19:33
  Yeah, they still on their feet today,
• 19:35
  but you don't even realize how much
• 19:37
  they're tripping mentally because of
• 19:38
  what they're watching us do.
• 19:45
  >> See, when Jesus is talking about one of
• 19:46
  the little ones in our text,
• 19:48
  >> he's talking about the new immature.
• 19:50
  Yeah,
• 19:51
  >> those who are new, those who are
• 19:53
  immature, but are highly vulnerable
• 19:55
  believers who are watching the lives of
• 19:57
  mature Christians
• 20:00
  >> to see what following God should look
• 20:03
  like.
• 20:05
  >> Understand something. They are also not
• 20:06
  just not just new believers, but also
• 20:10
  people who haven't even come to Jesus
• 20:11
  yet
• 20:13
  >> are watching us to see what followers
• 20:17
  should look like.
• 20:19
  So when we walk around not speaking and
• 20:22
  refusing to forgive each other, we are a
• 20:24
  stumbling block to other people.
• 20:26
  [cheering]
• 20:27
  >> When they see us CUSSING AND TALKING
• 20:29
  CRAZY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE ARE A
• 20:31
  STUMBLING BLOCK. I KNOW AIN'T NOBODY
• 20:32
  GOING TO SAY NOTHING. WE ARE A STUMBLING
• 20:34
  BLOCK. [applause and cheering]
• 20:37
  WHEN WE GET DOWN IN THE COMMENTS AND GET
• 20:39
  DOWN IN OUR CONVERSATION, WE ARE A
• 20:42
  STUMBLING BLOCK.
• 20:46
  >> When we see
• 20:48
  believers partaking in activities and
• 20:51
  SITTING IN PLACES THAT BELIEVERS SHOULD
• 20:54
  NOT be
• 20:58
  >> talk, Holy Ghost.
• 21:00
  >> Yeah. WHEN WHEN WHEN THEY SEE BELIEVERS,
• 21:02
  THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWERS OF Jesus in
• 21:05
  places
• 21:07
  And in activities
• 21:09
  >> THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE,
• 21:12
  >> WE BECOME A STUMBLING BLOCK.
• 21:15
  [applause]
• 21:18
  >> THEY KNOW Y'ALL DATING, BUT WHEN YOUR
• 21:21
  NEIGHBORS SEE YOU COMING OUT THE HOUSE
• 21:23
  AT HER HOUSE AT 1:30 A.M., YOU BECOME A
• 21:25
  STUMBLING BLOCK.
• 21:27
  >> I know ain't nobody going to say nothing
• 21:29
  right there. I'M GOING JUST KEEP
• 21:30
  PREACHING. YOU A STUMBLING BLOCK.
• 21:39
  CATCH THIS. AND BEFORE YOU START TALKING
• 21:41
  TO ME AND RUNNING DOWN YOUR LIST OF YOUR
• 21:44
  RIGHTS
• 21:46
  AND YOUR FREEDOMS,
• 21:48
  >> LET ME REMIND YOU OF WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
• 21:51
  IN 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 8:9. PAUL
• 21:54
  WRITES TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH. HE
• 21:56
  SAYS, "BUT BEWARE,
• 21:59
  >> lest somehow this liberty of yours
• 22:02
  >> BECOMES A STUMBLING BLOCK TO THOSE WHO
• 22:04
  ARE WEAK."
• 22:08
  >> Talk Bible.
• 22:10
  >> SEE, YOU AND I MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO
• 22:13
  HARP ON OUR FREEDOMS SO STRONGLY
• 22:17
  >> AND SO QUICKLY.
• 22:19
  >> THAT'S A PART OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR
• 22:20
  COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IS THAT EVERYBODY
• 22:23
  WANTS TO BE ALL ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS. AND
• 22:26
  WHAT IT IS THAT THEY CAN DO. DISCARDING
• 22:29
  THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE NOT
• 22:31
  ABLE TO EAT. [cheering] AIN'T NOBODY
• 22:33
  GOING TO SAY NOTHING TO ME in here
• 22:36
  BECAUSE WE'RE SO ALL ABOUT OUR RIGHTS
• 22:39
  AND WHAT I can do.
• 22:42
  >> But I heard
• 22:44
  Dr. Alicia Brit Scholley say to me, "Can
• 22:47
  does not always equal should.
• 22:51
  [applause]
• 22:52
  >> JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DO IT,
• 22:55
  DOESN'T MEAN YOU should do it.
• 23:01
  >> Let me make this statement from the
• 23:03
  other day. Your liberty ends
• 23:07
  >> where your brother or sister's stumbling
• 23:09
  begins.
• 23:13
  >> Your liberty ends
• 23:16
  >> where your brother or sister's stumbling
• 23:18
  begins.
• 23:21
  Now, maybe you maybe you got a
• 23:22
  revelation on the scripture where it
• 23:24
  says a little wine for the belly.
• 23:28
  >> Y'all ain't going to say nothing to me.
• 23:29
  Let me just Yeah.
• 23:31
  >> Is that the organ?
• 23:34
  [music]
• 23:36
  >> Why is Chandler Moore in the middle of
• 23:37
  my sermon?
• 23:40
  That is good to me. [cheering]
• 23:53
  >> [cheering]
• 24:01
  >> Maybe you have some sort of revelation
• 24:03
  and you know you you you you know you
• 24:05
  take your little sip.
• 24:11
  But if your if your brother or sister
• 24:15
  stumbles at the sight of you
• 24:18
  >> with the glass,
• 24:22
  >> then then that's not the time to harp on
• 24:24
  your freedom.
• 24:26
  >> Because what love really say, the Bible
• 24:29
  says that the strong ought to bear the
• 24:30
  infirmity
• 24:32
  >> talk Bible of the weak. Which means that
• 24:35
  if if it's going to offend you or cause
• 24:38
  you to stumble or cause you to question
• 24:40
  or cause YOU TO DOUBT THAT I love you
• 24:42
  enough to refrain from it.
• 24:47
  [applause]
• 24:51
  >> Why? Because God has called us to be
• 24:53
  stepping stones,
• 24:55
  >> not stumbling blocks.
• 24:57
  >> H you and I have been called to be
• 25:00
  stepping stones in the kingdom. God has
• 25:02
  called us to be stepping stones. What is
• 25:04
  that? helping others to reach heights
• 25:06
  that they could never reach on their
• 25:08
  own.
• 25:10
  >> We see this throughout the Bible where
• 25:11
  people acted as stepping stones helping
• 25:13
  them to get to Jesus.
• 25:15
  >> In John chapter 1 verse 45, write it
• 25:18
  down. Verse 45 and 46, Philip brings
• 25:20
  Nathaniel to Jesus. The Bible says in
• 25:24
  verse 45, Philip found Nathaniel and
• 25:26
  told him, "We have found the one Moses
• 25:29
  wrote about in the law and about whom
• 25:32
  the prophets also wrote that Jesus of
• 25:35
  Nazareth, who's the son of Joseph."
• 25:37
  >> And the Bible says, "Nathaniel replied
• 25:39
  to Philip's invitation."
• 25:42
  >> Nazareth,
• 25:43
  >> "Can any good thing
• 25:46
  >> come out of Nazareth?"
• 25:48
  >> And look AT PHILIP'S RESPONSE. PHILIP
• 25:50
  SAID, "COME and see.
• 25:52
  AH, SEE, PHILIP DIDN'T EVEN ARGUE TRYING
• 25:55
  TO CONVINCE NATHANIEL OF ANYTHING. HE
• 25:57
  LET NATHANIEL SAY WHAT IT IS HE WANTED
• 25:59
  TO SAY. HE JUST GAVE HIM THE INVITATION
• 26:02
  AND TOLD HIM TO COME AND SEE. CAN I TELL
• 26:05
  YOU THAT WHEN WE START HANDING OUT THESE
• 26:07
  INVITATIONS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO
• 26:09
  ARGUE WITH NOBODY.
• 26:11
  >> You don't have TO TRY TO FUSS WITH
• 26:13
  NOBODY. ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS HAND THEM
• 26:15
  THE CARD AND WHEN THEY START DOUBTING,
• 26:17
  JUST TELL THEM, "COME AND SEE.
• 26:21
  YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU BELIEVE JESUS IS
• 26:23
  ALIVE AND HE MOVED by his power?
• 26:26
  >> Come and see.
• 26:27
  >> You mean to tell me I CAN COME TO THIS
• 26:29
  CHURCH AND REALLY FIND REAL PEOPLE WHO
• 26:30
  LOVE GOD AND FIND REAL COMMUNITY?
• 26:33
  >> Come and see. You mean TO TELL ME THERE
• 26:36
  THERE'S A CHURCH THAT WILL LOVE YOU AND
• 26:38
  HELP YOU ALONG AND WON'T JUDGE YOU
• 26:39
  BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE EVERYBODY MATTERS
• 26:41
  TO GOD.
• 26:42
  >> YOU AIN'T GOT TO ARGUE WITH NOBODY. JUST
• 26:44
  TELL THEM COME AND SEE.
• 26:48
  PHILIP WAS A STEPPING stone
• 26:51
  >> to help Nathaniel get to Jesus.
• 26:54
  >> Yes, sir.
• 26:54
  >> Look at Naomi. Naomi was a stepping
• 26:57
  stone for Ruth.
• 27:00
  >> Ruth chapter 1:1 16. The Bible says Ruth
• 27:03
  said, "Entreat me not to leave you or to
• 27:07
  turn back from following after you. For
• 27:10
  wherever you go, I will go AND WHEREVER
• 27:14
  YOU LODGE, I WILL LODGE. YOUR PEOPLE
• 27:15
  SHALL BE MY PEOPLE AND YOUR GOD WILL BE
• 27:18
  MY GOD. LOOK AT NAOMI WAS A STEPPING
• 27:22
  stone for Ruth. RUTH DIDN'T KNOW
• 27:24
  ANYTHING about Jesus.
• 27:26
  >> SHE SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GOD.
• 27:28
  And the Bible says that Ruth ends up
• 27:31
  being
• 27:33
  >> in the lineage of Jesus. Can I tell you,
• 27:36
  you don't know who you going to be
• 27:38
  witnessing to. [cheering]
• 27:40
  >> YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU GOING TO BE
• 27:41
  HANDING THAT CARD TO.
• 27:44
  AMEN.
• 27:48
  >> You don't even know who you inviting.
• 27:51
  >> You don't know how God's going to use
• 27:53
  them.
• 27:55
  >> My mother, thank God. Mama, I see you
• 27:57
  watching. I love you, girl. My mama was
• 28:00
  invited to church some what am I 45 some
• 28:03
  47 48 years ago by a teenager.
• 28:07
  a teenager invited her to church and and
• 28:09
  and she told her that she was coming and
• 28:12
  then she didn't go
• 28:15
  >> and the teenager saw her again and she
• 28:17
  said, "Miss Faith, you told me you were
• 28:20
  coming."
• 28:21
  >> And my mama said the conviction hit her
• 28:23
  so hard that she said, "You know what? I
• 28:26
  can't disappoint this girl. I got to go
• 28:28
  to this church."
• 28:29
  >> She went to that church and let me tell
• 28:30
  you something. Was Saints Temple Church
• 28:32
  of God in Christ. They got in there, got
• 28:33
  the shouting and dancing and the power
• 28:36
  of God was moving. AND MY MAMA SAID
• 28:37
  BEFORE SHE KNEW IT, SHE WAS STANDING TO
• 28:39
  THE FRONT.
• 28:43
  [laughter]
• 28:46
  That teenager had no idea
• 28:49
  that that lady she invited
• 28:52
  >> would one day birth a son who would be a
• 28:54
  pastor of a church.
• 28:59
  SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT SAME WOMAN
• 29:02
  WOULD BIRTH A CHILD THAT WOULD IMPACT
• 29:04
  YOUTH ALL ACROSS THE STATE OF NORTH
• 29:06
  CAROLINA USING HER GIFT. SHE HAD NO
• 29:08
  CLUE.
• 29:11
  >> She was just a stepping stone.
• 29:19
  >> Somebody say, "I'm a stepping stone."
• 29:22
  >> You and I are called to be stepping
• 29:24
  stones. God wants to use our invitation
• 29:27
  to help somebody believe again.
• 29:30
  >> He wants to use our invitation to help
• 29:32
  somebody live again,
• 29:35
  >> to trust again,
• 29:37
  >> to dream again,
• 29:39
  >> to serve again.
• 29:41
  >> God wants TO USE US AS STEPPING STONES.
• 29:46
  >> Y'all know I got something, don't you?
• 29:55
  Only the people who are probably up
• 29:57
  under 5'6 knows what this is.
• 30:02
  My wife is 5'2. I ain't throwing no
• 30:04
  rocks.
• 30:13
  You know, just the other week, my wife
• 30:16
  beat me to the punch. Amazon just steals
• 30:19
  all your ability to be a good husband.
• 30:21
  >> [laughter]
• 30:22
  >> cuz I wanted to buy her a stepping stone
• 30:24
  tray. I mean step a stepping stool, you
• 30:26
  know, cuz there's some there's some
• 30:28
  there's some things in the kitchen.
• 30:34
  [laughter]
• 30:34
  >> You know, I walk I walk in the kitchen
• 30:36
  and open the cabinets and wonder why
• 30:37
  none of the third row
• 30:42
  I ain't reaching. I can't reach it.
• 30:45
  So I was going to buy her a stepping
• 30:46
  stool. She already got one. But what the
• 30:50
  stepping stool does, the stepping stool
• 30:54
  doesn't make the things in her in the
• 30:57
  kitchen hers.
• 31:00
  >> They already they already belong to her.
• 31:05
  >> I wish you hear me by the Holy Ghost.
• 31:07
  >> It already belongs to her,
• 31:09
  >> but she needs some help
• 31:12
  >> accessing
• 31:14
  >> what already belongs to her. CAN I TELL
• 31:16
  YOU THAT JESUS ALREADY DIED ON THE CROSS
• 31:19
  and shed his blood and THERE ARE THINGS
• 31:22
  THAT BELONG TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW IT.
• 31:24
  IT ALREADY BELONGS TO THEM.
• 31:27
  >> They just need some help.
• 31:30
  >> REACHING WHAT IT ALREADY BELONGS TO
• 31:32
  THEM. AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU IS
• 31:34
  THAT GOD WANTS TO USE YOU.
• 31:39
  >> He wants to use your life.
• 31:41
  >> He wants to use your testimony. He wants
• 31:44
  to use your invitation
• 31:46
  >> as a stepping stone
• 31:49
  >> to help people reach
• 31:51
  >> what already belongs to them.
• 31:55
  >> THE DREAMS ALREADY JESUS DIED FOR THEM
• 31:57
  TO HAVE IT.
• 31:59
  >> THE FREEDOM JESUS DIED FOR THEM TO HAVE
• 32:01
  IT.
• 32:02
  >> THE CLARITY OF MIND, JESUS DIED FOR THEM
• 32:04
  TO HAVE IT.
• 32:07
  >> All they need is a stepping stool.
• 32:11
  All they need is somebody
• 32:13
  >> to stop caring about their schedule long
• 32:15
  enough
• 32:17
  >> and stop caring about how people see
• 32:19
  them long enough
• 32:21
  >> to go out on a limb and invite them
• 32:24
  >> to say something to them.
• 32:28
  >> He's called us
• 32:31
  >> to be a stepping stool.
• 32:34
  >> Let me I'm going on this. Let me read to
• 32:37
  you exactly what God told me to say.
• 32:41
  See, because
• 32:44
  he's calling us
• 32:46
  from being millstones
• 32:48
  to stepping stones.
• 32:52
  >> Cornia, there's a there's a weight of
• 32:55
  glory.
• 32:56
  >> Yes, sir.
• 32:58
  >> That God has for us in this assignment.
• 33:02
  as we are moving into going to invite
• 33:06
  people to God's house that we're passing
• 33:09
  out, making 30,000 personal invitations.
• 33:15
  >> There's a weight of glory resting on us,
• 33:18
  a divine empowerment for the assignment
• 33:20
  that God has given us to go get them.
• 33:23
  >> Catch this. I want to read it just like
• 33:24
  I wrote it. In Mark 9:42, Jesus warned
• 33:28
  of the crushing weight of a millstone
• 33:31
  for those who cause others to stumble.
• 33:35
  >> But today, the spirit of God says,
• 33:38
  "Cornia, you will not wear the weight of
• 33:40
  a millstone. I've called you to carry
• 33:43
  the weight of my glory.
• 33:48
  >> I've called you to carry the weight of
• 33:50
  my glory." God is smearing us with his
• 33:53
  love,
• 33:55
  >> with his spirit and with his presence so
• 33:58
  that when we step out and begin to
• 34:01
  invite people, we're not stepping out in
• 34:03
  our own power.
• 34:06
  >> We're not stepping out in our own
• 34:07
  strength.
• 34:09
  >> We're not stepping out in our own
• 34:10
  charisma. The Bible says in Zechariah
• 34:13
  4:6, "Not by might,
• 34:17
  >> nor by power, but by my spirit, saith
• 34:21
  the Lord." You and I have a smearing of
• 34:24
  God on us.
• 34:27
  >> Somebody asked the other week, "What
• 34:28
  what should I do with that anointing oil
• 34:30
  that I got in my communion bag?" Put
• 34:32
  some oil on your head
• 34:35
  >> RIGHT BEFORE YOU ANOINT YOURSELF
• 34:38
  >> before you get out.
• 34:40
  TAKE YOUR STACK OF CARS AND TAKE A
• 34:42
  LITTLE OIL. NOW, DON'T GREASE THEM DOWN
• 34:43
  so they they can't it slide out the
• 34:45
  hand, BUT ANOINT THE CARS. I KNOW THEY
• 34:48
  SOUND OLDFASHIONED,
• 34:50
  >> BUT I BELIEVE
• 34:52
  >> I STILL BELIEVE.
• 34:54
  >> ANOINT THAT CAR. SAY, "GOD, I THANK YOU
• 34:57
  >> THAT YOUR POWER AND YOUR PRESENCE REST
• 34:58
  ON THESE CARS." AND THAT GOD, WHEN I
• 35:01
  HAND IT TO THEM, LET YOUR POWER AND YOUR
• 35:03
  STRENGTH AND YOUR ANOINTING ARREST THEM.
• 35:07
  >> DON'T LET THEM REST UNTIL THEY COME TO
• 35:09
  THE HOUSE. BREAK UP EVERY PLAN. DISRUPT
• 35:12
  EVERY BOOTY CALL UNTIL THEY FIND YOU.
• 35:15
  GOOD GOD.
• 35:20
  >> OH, I BELIEVE IT still works.
• 35:26
  Woo.
• 35:27
  I'M TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO KNOW WHAT
• 35:29
  I'M TALKING ABOUT. WHO HAD A PRAYING
• 35:31
  GRANDMAMA AND YOU WENT OUT AND GOT DRUNK
• 35:34
  ONE NIGHT AND THAT HENNESSY DIDN'T HIT
• 35:36
  THE SAME BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD BEEN
• 35:38
  PRAYING FOR YOU.
• 35:46
  >> I'm telling you, there's a weight of
• 35:47
  glory on us.
• 35:50
  >> HE BY THE HOLY GHOST, THERE'S A WEIGHT
• 35:51
  OF GLORY ON US. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE
• 35:54
  THAT GOD WILL SEND YOU BACK TO
• 35:56
  >> WHO SAID NO IN ONE SEASON, BUT YOU GOT A
• 35:59
  WEIGHT OF GLORY ON YOU IN THIS SEASON.
• 36:10
  >> That's what I come to tell us.
• 36:14
  We're moving from we will not wear the
• 36:17
  weight of a millstone. Amen.
• 36:20
  >> We will not wear the weight of a
• 36:22
  millstone by causing other people to
• 36:24
  stumble because of our lives.
• 36:26
  >> We will not wear the weight of a
• 36:28
  millstone because we've missed
• 36:30
  opportunities to invite people to Jesus.
• 36:34
  >> No. God has called us to be stepping
• 36:36
  stones.
• 36:38
  >> To break past the discomfort,
• 36:41
  to break past the feeling of I don't
• 36:44
  know. I get it. But take a moment and
• 36:48
  pray
• 36:49
  >> and say, "Lord, I thank you. I thank you
• 36:52
  for the people that you used in my life
• 36:55
  >> as stepping stones. And Father, help me
• 36:58
  to be to somebody else what somebody
• 37:01
  else was to me. I
• 37:03
  >> I'mma close. I'm gone on this." But I
• 37:04
  was just sitting back thinking about the
• 37:06
  stepping stones in my life and and I
• 37:08
  thought about a old name.
• 37:10
  >> Some of the old saints will remember
• 37:12
  this guy. This guy JJ McQueen.
• 37:16
  JJ McQueen was a football player at ECU
• 37:20
  and this bag of God this I graduated 98
• 37:22
  so 9798
• 37:24
  JJ McQueen was working he was a ECU
• 37:29
  player but he was a member of Cornia
• 37:32
  but in the summertime he was working at
• 37:35
  the Boys and Girls Club in Aiden
• 37:39
  and so all of us you know just thought
• 37:41
  he was the greatest thing since sliced
• 37:42
  bread 6'4 look like somebody chiseled
• 37:44
  pull him out a rock, he could shoot a
• 37:46
  basketball.
• 37:48
  And I can remember he would he would get
• 37:50
  us all in and we'd be playing
• 37:51
  basketball, be beating us up, knocking
• 37:53
  us down, the whole nine, having a great
• 37:55
  time. But then when we got a chance to
• 37:57
  sit down, he would invite us to this
• 38:00
  place called Cornia.
• 38:02
  >> He said, "Y'all, I want y'all to come
• 38:04
  and and visit my church. It's a place
• 38:07
  called Cornelia." We like corner what?
• 38:11
  He said, "Cornia,
• 38:13
  it's a cool place. The the pastor can
• 38:16
  preach. You need to come and you need to
• 38:18
  pull up." I'm a senior in
• 38:22
  [clears throat] high school.
• 38:26
  >> Who knew?
• 38:30
  [applause]
• 38:36
  >> Who knew?
• 38:38
  >> He didn't know. My God,
• 38:41
  >> he was just being a stepping stone.
• 38:43
  >> Who knew?
• 38:46
  >> What I'm telling us is you don't know
• 38:51
  >> who God is sitting across your path.
• 38:54
  >> You don't know
• 38:56
  >> who God's going to have you put that
• 38:58
  invitation in their hands.
• 39:00
  >> And they were considering killing
• 39:01
  themselves or giving up on God
• 39:04
  >> or just being like, "You know what?
• 39:07
  Forget it.
• 39:09
  I'm telling you that God has called us
• 39:12
  to be stepping stones.
• 39:15
  >> And this week, we're getting ready to
• 39:17
  go, but this as we get ready to leave
• 39:20
  today, we're going to those we're going
• 39:24
  to receive a stack like this. Now, let
• 39:27
  me just say this.
• 39:29
  I want everybody to do it. Somebody
• 39:31
  shout, "Everybody."
• 39:32
  >> Everybody.
• 39:32
  >> I want everybody to grab a stack. But I
• 39:35
  only need you to grab one if you're
• 39:38
  going to commit to handing it to a
• 39:40
  person.
• 39:42
  >> Okay? Just let me be clear. Uh we're not
• 39:45
  going to windshield these.
• 39:47
  >> You know what I mean by windshield? Go
• 39:48
  just stick them on a bunch of cards.
• 39:50
  We're not going to do that.
• 39:53
  >> No, we're we're going to sew this into a
• 39:56
  person.
• 39:57
  >> We're going to plant the card into a
• 39:59
  person. We want, hey, I want you to I
• 40:01
  want you to come and be be a part of my
• 40:04
  our church is having a service on Easter
• 40:06
  Sunday, April 5th. I want you to come
• 40:08
  and be my guest.
• 40:09
  >> Look them in the eyes and hand it to
• 40:11
  him.
• 40:12
  >> That's all.
• 40:14
  >> Look them in the eyes and I would love
• 40:16
  for you to come. We believe everybody
• 40:17
  matters to God
• 40:18
  >> and you matter to us. Will you come and
• 40:20
  be my guest?
• 40:22
  >> Hand it to him.
• 40:23
  >> Amen.
• 40:24
  >> Invite them.
• 40:26
  >> On the front it says, "Be my guest." and
• 40:29
  it has the the worship encounter times
• 40:31
  7:30, 9:30, and 12:30. And then on the
• 40:33
  back, it has our regular service times
• 40:38
  >> and the times of our circles on
• 40:40
  Wednesday because what I believe is if
• 40:43
  they don't come on the 5th,
• 40:46
  >> you put a rock in their shoe.
• 40:48
  >> And we want to have these in place,
• 40:52
  >> I want this card to be there for them
• 40:54
  WHEN LIFE HAPPENS.
• 40:57
  WOO.
• 40:58
  >> I wish I knew some people who didn't
• 41:00
  take the first invitation that somebody
• 41:01
  gave you.
• 41:03
  >> Yeah. Yeah. I I didn't take the first
• 41:05
  invitation somebody gave me.
• 41:07
  >> But I remember when life started beating
• 41:08
  my behind
• 41:10
  and I felt like Chris Rock in New Jack
• 41:12
  City. Do you got any more of that Jesus
• 41:14
  you were talking about? [laughter]
• 41:19
  You got any more that that prayer?
• 41:25
  [laughter]
• 41:35
  >> God is calling us y'all
• 41:38
  >> to be millstones.
• 41:40
  >> I mean to be stepping stones.
• 41:42
  >> We will not be millstones.
• 41:44
  >> We will be those
• 41:47
  who will walk in a way that will honor
• 41:48
  God. That's not being perfect.
• 41:50
  >> It's being obedient.
• 41:54
  >> And we will take every opportunity and
• 41:56
  every advantage that we have to invite
• 41:59
  somebody to his house.
• 42:01
  >> Let's pray.
• 42:04
  [applause]
• 42:05
  >> Our father and our God, we thank you for
• 42:08
  this day. Lord, we thank you for what
• 42:09
  you are doing through us.
• 42:14
  Father, we are grateful for everything
• 42:16
  you've done for us and that you continue
• 42:17
  to do for us, but Lord, you are calling
• 42:19
  us
• 42:22
  in this season
• 42:24
  to go get [music] them. Father, we will
• 42:27
  not just be those who bask in the safety
• 42:30
  of our salvation, but Lord, we will be
• 42:33
  those who are grateful for what you have
• 42:34
  done in us that we'll go and say
• 42:37
  something to somebody else and invite
• 42:39
  them and be a stepping stone, bringing
• 42:43
  them one step closer to you. Father, we
• 42:46
  thank you for the smearing, the
• 42:47
  anointing, your love that you have shed
• 42:49
  abroad in our hearts. Father, I thank
• 42:52
  you that as we will receive our stack of
• 42:56
  cards and move forward into this week
• 43:00
  that Lord, we'll do it with boldness,
• 43:03
  with a passion,
• 43:05
  with a appreciation for all that you
• 43:07
  have done in our lives.
• 43:10
  And Lord, we won't, like you told
• 43:11
  Jeremiah, we will not be afraid of their
• 43:13
  faces for Lord, you'll be with us to
• 43:16
  deliver us wherever we go. And so we
• 43:19
  thank you for it now in Jesus name.