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Welcome to the one Crossing 
podcast here. 

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You can find past sermons along 
with other exclusive content. 

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Our prayer is that God will move
in your life, even when you are 

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on the go, we hope you enjoyed 
this message. 

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Well, Crossing Church. 
So glad to be able to be with 

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you today. 
I would love for it to be under 

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different circumstances than it 
is because in Adams County, 

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we've had to close down the 
three locations we have. 

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In Adams County because of this 
uptick in viruses, virus 

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incidents that we've had. 
And so here I am back in an 

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empty Auditorium preaching to a 
lot of empty seats. 

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But I know that I'm going to be 
getting into a lot of human 

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hearts today. 
I know that there's a lot of our

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locations that are open and you 
are all fellowshipping and 

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spending time together. 
I'm so incredibly thankful for 

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that and while that's happening,
we're many of you Are we are 

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back at home and watching online
in Adams County and you know 

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it's one of those things where 
you feel like you're taking a 

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few steps forward and then some 
steps backward and I imagine 

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that's the way it's going to be 
for a while. 

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But in spite of all of this, the
word of God is undeterred and 

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it's still going out. 
And I'm so thankful that you're 

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tuning in and that together we 
can have our hearts open and we 

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can not only take in the word of
God but we can allow it to 

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change us and to mold us into 
people that we never dreamed. 

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We could ever be because that's 
what the Holy Spirit does. 

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He can literally transform us 
and I'm excited for that but I 

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have to tell you this last week 
or so it's just been really hard

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because when you feel like 
you're making all this progress 

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and then all of a sudden you 
have to go backward, it's just 

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not easy. 
I have One of the one of those 

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pet peeve guys that when I go on
vacation somewhere, like the 

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worst possible thing that could 
ever happen is that I would have

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to actually stop, turn around, 
go back and get something. 

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And that's one of the places 
where I have to really work on 

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my anger, but I don't remember 
it ever being more difficult for

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me than when our first child was
born. 

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When when bin was born and I'll 
tell you why. 

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Allison and I brought him home 
from the hospital and what 

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happened was we were watching 
him and he went from a pink 

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little baby too, kind of a, an 
orange colored baby. 

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We called up the are doctors and
they said you need to bring him 

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back in and I can't tell you how
difficult it was to be able to 

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take our little baby home, and 
then they have to take him back 

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into the hospital. 
It'll with some sort of a 

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condition that we didn't know 
about turns out that Alison and 

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I had two different kinds of 
blood types. 

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And what that had created is a 
pretty common problem in 

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infants, which is called 
bilirubin emia and it's where 

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your liver is not developed 
enough to take all the 

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impurities out of the blood and 
it kind of shows up as a 

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jaundice, kind of a yellowish 
Orange. 

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On their skin and it was so 
difficult because I remember how

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helpless we felt both of us. 
Like, we had failed, like we had

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done something wrong and and 
then to watch, as they would 

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take care of our little child. 
And I mean, it was some of it 

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was just really hard to see 
like, when they would take blood

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and and they would take this 
like a little razor blade and 

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and they would cut his heel and 
he would just scream and cry and

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then they would be squeezing to 
get blood out and they did that 

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over and over and it got to the 
place where Alyson said, Jerry 

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you just can't even you can't 
even be in here because I would 

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get so angry because that was my
little boy and they would strip 

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him naked. 
And they would put him in this 

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special. 
Little bassinet that was plastic

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with these ultraviolet lights 
over these Billy lights. 

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They were called to try to To 
burn out those impurities. 

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And he was there for a few days 
and it was just so hard for us 

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and you know what, we had to 
deal with that for three of our 

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four kids and I just recall that
I'll always be like an indelible

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impression on me that we felt so
helpless and they're what that 

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helpless feeling is like and it 
never got easier for the other 

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kids. 
And in many ways, I felt the 

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same way. 
A that's similar kind of 

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helplessness in the midst of 
this virus, and I'm sure that 

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many of you have felt the same 
way this like, you're powerless,

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like, you're helpless. 
Like what? 

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I don't understand why, what can
I do, how can I change this? 

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Maybe you've had some loved one 
that has been actually sick with

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it. 
Maybe you have an elderly family

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that you can't get close to 
right now. 

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Maybe you have family that is 
immunocompromised and so you're 

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a lot more. 
A frightened that it could could

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really hurt someone or even take
their life, maybe you've got 

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someone with pre-existing 
conditions but you know what? 

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It's even it seems to me it's 
even more palatable when it's a 

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baby because babies are just so 
helpless like babies, just can't

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do anything, right? 
I mean, think about it for a 

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second. 
What responsibilities do babies 

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have when they come into your 
family, What is your expectation

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of them? 
You know, the answer is, there's

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none there zero expectation, 
right? 

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All the expectations, all the 
responsibilities are placed on. 

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You, they're placed on the 
parent. 

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That baby will cry and you won't
know why? 

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You won't know. 
Well, are you crying because you

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need your diaper change? 
Or you're hungry or you're hurt,

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or you're angry, or you're 
tired. 

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And over time, you're going to 
have to figure out what those 

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different cries mean because 
that little child can do 

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anything, can't communicate, 
can't walk. 

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Can't talk. 
Really can't do much of anything

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for themselves, right? 
And so they need constant care 

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and constant attention. 
And if they don't get it, 

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they'll just die. 
Now, I want you to apply that to

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the sermon series that were in 
called The Cure and more 

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specifically we are in the book 
of First Thessalonians and I 

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want you to just kind of capture
that idea of helplessness and I 

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want you to see it in the 
context of the Apostle Paul. 

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So we're going to read from Acts
chapter 17, verses 2 to 4 

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because that's where it records.
The birth of the Thessalonian 

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Church. 
Let's read it together. 

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It says, as was his custom, Paul
went into the synagogue and on 

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three Sabbath days, don't forget
that, three Sabbath days. 

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He reasoned with them from the 
scriptures explaining and 

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proving that the Messiah had to 
suffer and rise from the dead. 

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This Jesus, I am proclaiming to 
you is the Messiah, he said and 

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some of the Jews were persuaded 
and joined Paul and Silas as did

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a large number of God-fearing 
Greeks and quite a few prominent

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women. 
Well, that's the sound. 

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So positive, doesn't it? 
I mean, he's only in this town 

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for three weeks. 
He's preached his on three 

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Sabbath days and all of a sudden
there is a nucleus of a church 

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that's formed. 
But after those three weeks, 

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here's what happens. 
There's a riot in. 

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The city. 
Seems that a lot of devout Jews 

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that don't believe in Jesus had 
come, and they set the town on 

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edge to the point that there was
going to be a riot. 

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And because of that, the Apostle
Paul and Silas had to flee the 

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city. 
So this church was just three 

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weeks old, think about it, just 
three weeks old an infant and 

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then suddenly without warning, 
it was on its own or at least, 

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it would seem that way. 
I wonder how that made the 

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Apostle Paul and Silas feel 
about this new church in about 

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the people that they had met and
about their new faith in Jesus 

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Christ. 
I bet you like, any parent, the 

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Apostle Paul would have felt 
totally helpless Like I can't 

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just leave them after only three
sermons, I can't just leave them

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when there's so much more that 
they need to understand. 

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Matter of fact, the Apostle Paul
refers to this in first 

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Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 
7 and 8. 

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He says, just this line just as 
a nursing mother cares for her 

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children. 
So we cared for you. 

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Right there it is. 
The Apostle Paul views. 

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This church like he's a parent 
like they're the infant. 

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Like it's the responsibility of 
taking care of this church, has 

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on him and yet he's not able to 
do it. 

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He's precluded from doing it 
because of this riding in the 

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city and then being driven out 
of the city. 

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I mean, I connect with that, 
especially right now, in the 

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midst of this pandemic, the 
midst of this series called The 

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Cure. 
I connect with that. 

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Because sometimes I feel like 
that about our locations about 

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people right now. 
Her just exploring what it means

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to have this new life in Jesus 
Christ. 

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And I feel the weight, I feel 
this responsibility of providing

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the very most that we can. 
And at the same time, just being

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above reproach when it comes to 
protecting Everybody's Health 

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and well-being. 
The problem with that is that I 

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can spend so much time. 
Looking at my part, like, what 

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my responsibility is that I may 
feel to realize something that's

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very, very powerful that I want 
us all to learn from the book of

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1st Thessalonians, that God has 
apart. 

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And that God will always do his 
part. 

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He's a faithful God, and He will
always do his part. 

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And his part is actually so much
greater than I part you know 

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what, as I look back all those 
years ago to my kids and that 

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bilirubin anemia that jaundice, 
you know what God did he did. 

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His part found out that we could
bring our children home. 

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We could set them in a window 
and just a sunshine coming in 

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from the window would have an 
effect that God had already 

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placed a cure in the sunshine 
for children that are dealing 

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with. 
Bilirubin anemia. 

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Plus we got great Medical Care 
and all of our kids had loving 

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parents to walk through that, 
that situation with them and see

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them to the other side. 
You know what, just like God 

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took care of my kids. 
All those years ago, he was 

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going to take care of the 
Thessalonians because that's 

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what God does, he takes care of 
us. 

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I want you to look at a 
scripture that emphasizes this 

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in first Thessalonians, S5. 
The Apostle Paul says this, Our 

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Gospel came to, you not simply 
with words, not just words, not 

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just a good sermon with good 
illustrations. 

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But also with power with the 
Holy Spirit and with deep 

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conviction, You know, my initial
thinking when I was reading 

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through this was how in the 
world could a church survived 

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when it only had three sermons, 
preached it. 

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And they didn't have any of the 
tools that were necessary in 

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order to survive. 
Remember this church had no 

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leaders. 
Three weeks is not enough time 

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to develop leaders. 
It had no New Testament that 

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hadn't even been written yet. 
Had no way to contact Paul. 

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Nobody has cell phone. 
Nobody could put him on. 

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Speakerphone, nobody could get a
zoom call together. 

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There was no way that they were 
going to be able to contact Paul

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and yet the answer was right in 
front of them because the answer

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is that God provided all that 
needed to be provided through 

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the Holy Spirit. 
You know what, after reading the

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other letters of the Apostle, 
Paul, I know that that there 

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were spiritual gifts that were 
imparted before they left 

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because the Holy Spirit was 
active in moving in the 

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Thessalonian Church before Paul 
and Silas escaped. 

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And I think just like then God 
Is providing for us right now. 

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Exactly what we need to stay 
strong in the middle of this 

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pandemic because his holy spirit
is right here with us right now.

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The Apostle Paul talks about 
this, he writes about this, and,

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and he says that the holy spirit
is actually manifesting himself 

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in three distinct ways are 
characteristics to the 

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Thessalonian people. 
And we read this in first 

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Thessalonians 1:3, it says this,
we remember before our God and 

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Father your work. 
Listen work. 

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Produced by faith, your labor, 
prompted by love. 

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And Your endurance inspired by 
hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

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Well, that sounds like a sermon 
right there. 

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Three points. 
Right there. 

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Together. 
Something about the work of 

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Faith. 
Something about a labor of love 

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and something about endurance 
inspired by hope. 

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I want us to look at these three
characteristics and I want the 

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to apply them to us right now. 
So, almost immediately, when I 

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go into this, when I look into 
this, I'm confused. 

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I'm a little confused because of
the first two even though they 

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make a good outline, I don't 
know that they make much of a 

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difference, right? 
When I first read them work 

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produced by faith, labor 
prompted by love well work and 

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labor to me. 
That's pretty much the same 

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thing, isn't it? 
You can talk about how you labor

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or how you work, but But they're
synonyms. 

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They're really not much 
difference, that's why I'm 

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confused. 
So what is the difference? 

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What's the difference between 
work and labor? 

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I'm going to need to know that 
if I know how to if I'm going to

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know how to apply this to my 
life. 

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Well, there's two different 
words in the Greek language that

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are used here. 
And the first word, the word for

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work is actually a secular one 
and the second one. 

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That's that's translated. 
Labor is a spiritual one. 

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That makes all the difference in
the world. 

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So when Paul is talking about 
their work and Faith their work,

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that's produced by faith. 
He's actually talking about what

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they do for a living, he's 
talking about their secular jobs

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and then all of a sudden that 
opens up a whole different 

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concept to me. 
All right? 

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Because that's the way most, all
of us are right at all of our 

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locations. 
Right now, we all have a job. 

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We all have something that we 
do. 

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Do that is part of society, 
right? 

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And so, what we do for a living 
becomes an opportunity for us to

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show faith. 
They're your job is an 

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environment. 
My job is an environment and 

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what was happening to the 
Thessalonians is that they were 

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reflecting their faith in that 
job environment. 

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And you know what, that's a 
challenge for you, and that's a 

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challenge for me today. 
Many of us need to see our work 

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place as an environment as an 
opportunity to shine. 

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For Jesus Christ to show what 
faith in Jesus Christ. 

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Really looks like now. 
As you read through this letter 

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and I hope you're doing your 
your regular reading through the

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Cure through the New Testament. 
What you've been told in first 

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Thessalonians is that, that 
church, the admit individuals 

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not Church were experiencing 
severe suffering. 

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There are only three weeks old 
when Paul leaves, they're 

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experiencing suffering and yet 
they're standing strong. 

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And if they can stand strong, we
can stand strong even in the 

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middle of a pandemic, right? 
Not just because we have all the

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bells and whistles and tools we 
need. 

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But because the holy spirit is 
here with us, and we need to 

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shine the light of faith in our 
everyday lives, in our everyday 

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relationships, and in our 
workplaces. 

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The second thing, that the 
Apostle Paul refers to in these 

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characteristics is their labor 
prompted by love. 

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Now the word this word that's 
translated labor in your Bible 

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is actually describing sweating 
like Sweat Equity and this was 

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The Sweat Equity that they were 
putting into their spiritual 

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lives. 
Now, think about that, the 

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Apostle Paul's using a word 
talking about how you're 

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working, so hard on your 
spiritual growth on your 

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spiritual strength. 
Even though you're three weeks 

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old, you're not taking anything 
for. 

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For granted, they're putting a 
lot of effort into their 

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spiritual life to spiritually 
survive. 

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These baby Christians are going 
to have some really hard labor 

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in front of them, but the love 
that they've experienced. 

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That's why they call it the 
labor of love. 

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The love that they've 
experienced, you know, actually 

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what it does. 
Is it accomplishes so much in 

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their life and then they're 
experiencing just how worthwhile

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it is. 
How worthwhile it is to to 

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strive for your faith, to be a 
child of God and to live out 

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00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:09,300
what you've learned want to ask 
you, what kind of Sweat Equity 

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right now? 
Are you putting into your walk 

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of faith? 
Are we being motivated by this 

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incomparable, love that Jesus 
Christ. 

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Has for each one of us. 
And is that translating into a 

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love for the people that are 
around us because it's happening

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00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:31,400
in us, you know, we've said that
many times at The Crossing that 

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the Holy Spirit wants to work in
us and through us, right? 

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And is there a labor of love 
going on inside of us? 

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So that we can not only Shine. 
Jesus Christ out in a secular 

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world, but that that love that. 
We're feeling from him is 

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00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,700
translating through Us in to 
others. 

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The third characteristic that 
the Apostle Paul refers to, in 

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this defining scripture is the 
endurance of Hope. 

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How are you doing right now in 
the area of Hope? 

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00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,800
Let's just get real. 
How hopeful are you right now? 

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00:20:14,900 --> 00:20:16,900
You know what I bet you're not 
doing very well. 

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00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:22,900
I'm not doing very well, the 
second I give allow myself to 

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have a little hope something. 
Just jerks the rug out from 

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underneath me. 
I feel like no sooner. 

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Do we make a little bit of 
Headway with this virus that it 

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00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:36,300
comes back again with a 
vengeance. 

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And there are so many reasons 
right now is that they're just 

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00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,800
all the way across the Panorama 
of our culture to just feel 

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00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:49,300
hopeless and it feels like it's 
coming from all sides at once. 

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00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:55,800
So the Thessalonians had to feel
this way to like write the very 

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00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:01,100
moment that they find out that 
who Jesus is and what their life

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00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:04,200
can be like with Jesus then all 
of a sudden their teachers, 

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00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:08,300
their leaders are gone and they 
don't have anything that they 

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really need to move forward. 
And I would imagine a time like 

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that, it could be a difficult 
time to possess or hold onto any

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00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,500
hope. 
One of the things that they've 

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00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:23,500
been taught about was the return
of Jesus. 

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And so a lot of them latched 
onto that Jesus is coming back, 

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00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,800
Jesus is going to return and so 
some of them just kept taking 

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00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,300
that a step further, and they 
believe that Jesus was going to 

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come back at any moment. 
So, some tests alone he's 

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00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:42,200
decided not to even go to work 
anymore. 

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Christians, like I Think Jesus 
is coming back. 

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00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,000
There's no point in me. 
Going to work, there's really no

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point in me. 
Sharing my faith with anybody 

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else because it's going to 
happen in any moment. 

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00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,700
I We were literally packing 
their bags. 

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And they were missing what the 
Apostle Paul had taught them. 

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So Paul needs to set the record 
straight and he does that in 

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00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:16,900
first Thessalonians chapter 4. 
He does it in verses 13 through 

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00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,900
Verse 18. 
And I have to tell you that this

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scripture is one of the most 
hopeful scriptures in the entire

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00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,400
New Testament. 
It's a scripture that I use for 

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00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:30,700
any believer when we're at a 
graveside and And a family is 

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mourning, the loss of someone 
that they love, but that belongs

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00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,800
to the Lord. 
And I want to share that 

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00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:41,900
scripture with you right now. 
Brothers, and sisters, we do not

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want you to be uninformed about 
those who sleep in death. 

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So that you do not grieve like 
the rest of mankind who have no 

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00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:54,800
hope for we believe that Jesus 
died and rose again. 

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00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,800
And so we believe God will bring
with Jesus those who have fallen

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asleep in him. 
According to the Lord's word, we

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tell you that we are still alive
and who are left unto the coming

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of the Lord will certainly not 
precede those who have fallen 

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00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:16,000
asleep for the Lord. 
Himself will come down from 

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00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:21,200
heaven with a loud command, with
the voice of the Archangel, the 

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00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:25,100
trumpet call of God, and the 
dead in Christ will rise. 

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First after that, we are still 
alive. 

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And are left will be caught up 
together with them. 

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Them in the clouds to meet the 
Lord in the air. 

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00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,700
And so we will be with the Lord 
forever. 

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00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:44,400
Therefore encourage one another 
with these words now I need for 

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00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,300
you to really listen to me right
now. 

359
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,600
I need for you to really key in 
on what I'm saying right now. 

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This pandemic won't be here, 
forever. 

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The unrest will die down. 
The elections will come and go 

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00:24:04,100 --> 00:24:07,200
race. 
Relations will get better, the 

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00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,900
economy will bounce back, you'll
be able to take care of your 

364
00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:16,500
family, your kids will, 
eventually go back to school. 

365
00:24:16,900 --> 00:24:21,000
Toilet paper will be in full 
Supply will get to eat out with 

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00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,200
our friends. 
We will shake hands and we will 

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00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,500
hug again. 
The church will return to normal

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00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:32,500
and a thousand other things that
Feel up ended right now in your 

369
00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:37,000
life. 
And somewhere down deep inside 

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00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,500
of you, you know, that that's 
true. 

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00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,600
But that's not really where the 
hope is. 

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I want you to see where the hope
is. 

373
00:24:49,300 --> 00:24:53,500
The Hope is that Jesus has not 
forgotten you. 

374
00:24:54,300 --> 00:24:58,400
That he loves you and that he 
has a plan for you. 

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00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,800
That is love and care. 
Are greater than any pandemic 

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00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:10,400
because we are not forsaken. 
His love is greater than any 

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00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:15,300
political situation or election 
cycle because we're not 

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00:25:15,300 --> 00:25:20,400
forsaken, his love is more 
powerful than any division or 

379
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,800
animosity brought on by racial 
differences because Of all 

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00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:30,600
colors are not forsaken. 
His provision is in Greater 

381
00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,500
Supply than any government 
program and his watch care over 

382
00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:38,200
your life and your ability to 
provide for your family. 

383
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,500
Is that no matter, no matter the
difficulty, or the challenge, 

384
00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:50,000
you are not forsaken. 
His provision is there for you. 

385
00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:57,000
Now your marriage, your family, 
your children because we are not

386
00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:02,300
forsaken. 
His provision surrounds, you 

387
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:08,900
your Christian family surrounds,
you his angels surround you, his

388
00:26:08,900 --> 00:26:12,400
spirit is in you. 
His resurrection power animates,

389
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:17,200
you his forgiveness absolves you
his blood covers, you his wisdom

390
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,100
enlightens, you his leadership 
precedes. 

391
00:26:20,100 --> 00:26:25,300
You his lamp guides you, his 
strengthen power defends you and

392
00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:31,400
his presence will sustain you. 
And if this life is ever taken 

393
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,600
from you, he'll give you a new 
one. 

394
00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:38,200
Because the dead in Christ are 
not forsaken. 

395
00:26:39,500 --> 00:26:43,600
And if you close your eyes in 
death, you will immediately open

396
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:49,100
them in eternal life. 
Because we are not forsaken. 

397
00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:56,300
We have a responsibility to let 
this broken world. 

398
00:26:56,300 --> 00:27:03,400
No, we are not forsaken. 
We are blessed beyond, measure 

399
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:10,200
your blessed beyond measure 
because Jesus has given his 

400
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:15,500
children, all they will ever 
need and you are one of those 

401
00:27:15,500 --> 00:27:19,900
children if you're in an 
intimate personal relationship 

402
00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:21,300
with Jesus Christ. 
Christ. 

403
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:29,700
So look up my brother. 
Look up my sister look up Jerry.

404
00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,700
Because your Redemption. 
Is it Han? 

405
00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:40,200
Now we're moving to a time of 
decision. 

406
00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:44,700
Thank you for joining us. 
A special thank you to those of 

407
00:27:44,700 --> 00:27:48,000
you that choose to give to this 
ministry, it's because of your 

408
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,400
generosity that this ministry is
possible. 

409
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,400
You can click the link in the 
description to give now or visit

410
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,300
the crossing dotnet forward 
slash podcast for more 

411
00:27:57,300 --> 00:28:00,300
information. 
If you enjoy the podcast, be 

412
00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:03,200
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413
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Crossing on social media. 
Thank you so much for listening.