A WOW Moment July 2nd 2020

Whitten Baptist Church

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00:00

Okay Have you thought about these

00:20

Yeah Do what now?

00:42

I've been using one of those. I cut from it the other day. Oh, did you? Did I use this Mask that was made out of a t -shirt?

01:07

I've got that song stuck in my head Yeah, I didn't see that I know.

01:12

I was able to sing it with me Did you hear it? I'm gonna swipe the comments off I think

01:28

You don't want to see anybody? It's distracting To you because you try to read it, right?

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Nope, I can't read it from this far Look man,

01:44

I'm gonna need you to calm down on the flip of the bottle Oh probably a bookmark that I had in the third spot for something.

01:54

Oh, thanks Actually, it's not you know, I probably I probably yeah,

01:59

I had it right here in x6 Right. So it was a bookmark Purposefully Hi guys, um, we're getting started a little late.

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Um we uh We haven't seen each other in a while, um,

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I've been out I had the Corona And um,

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I got set free today from my quarantine jail

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And uh, hey Tracy and um Um I get out of my quarantine jail and uh

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I see her lovely hair, which she Actually sent me pictures as it was getting done and I love it.

02:48

It looks great Um, i've been called a snow cone a troll doll I've been told it looks like starburst

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No, it's the heat mizer you got the flames now on the side don't do that again don't don't start heat miser again, please anyways, um

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It's just the two of us tonight, um because we've had uh Well as you notice if you watched last week,

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I Wasn't there and I want to thank Um brother Josiah Shipley for sitting in for me and uh

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Um So I thank you

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Josiah so much because that was the day that I found out that my test was positive so um, but I Am back to it and we're back together again

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Like it or not Um She missed me she really did

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I had a little anxiety driving over I haven't driven in almost two weeks and this

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That's true too so tonight we we actually talked some last night um, we actually talked um on facebook messenger for An hour and a half almost two hours last night.

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Um discussing what we wanted to do tonight and Honestly y 'all we've had so many people on here with us um

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I mean we've had um Jenny and Mike and then we had um

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Uh, Debra Talley, we've had Cindy Lewis Dana Sneed Our accountability group

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Kim McCowan Um, Miss Gwen, we've had Pastor Jeff we've had um

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Amanda Brantley, Amanda Brantley. Thank you. I still have COVID during a little bit

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Or it's the stroke, I don't know But um

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Um and We have several more people that we plan to have on But um there are

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There's the whole issue of me getting over the corona she has a sinus issue right now and So tonight we just thought we'd play it safe and we're at Mercedes house um

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And we have the pups with us well Bella is hiding behind me because she's little she could hide

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But um, it was quite humorous because the big dog wanted to get up here too, so I said i'll take the floor uh, but Tonight we're just going to kind of recap a little bit and we're actually going to share a little bit of ourselves tonight.

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Um I personally Out of all the guests that we've had

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I hope we didn't forget anybody um Personally all of our guests have been fabulous and they've all had um

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Excellent bible verses to go through and to go on um They've all shared some words of encouragement and uh

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It's it's been a lot of fun Oh, we Anna Allen was the one Um That was the last one

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I did um, but When we do those, you know

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Mercedes and I put our two cents in here and there, um But we don't really get to share a lot about ourselves and We talked about it some last night and even though she's a little hesitant

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To talk sometimes a lot of times

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We're actually going to try it out tonight. So y 'all just bear with us. I don't know. Um, I pray that the holy spirit just comes and takes over and I also pray that that if That somebody out there will will get something from Anything that one of us say

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Um We don't have a specific where we have a specific scripture we're going to go into but um

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With everything that's been going on lately and all the things that's going on in this world um

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It's not just within the city. It's really been kind of quiet Um, why do

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I feel like i'm sitting on my back to you because I am sitting with my back to you not really Well, you know i'm trying to sit on this cushion

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And I can't there we go, um Because I kind of feel like i'm looking up at you and I really don't like looking up your nose

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That's so much better. Thanks Um With everything that's been going on in in the world lately and in everything that the hatred and the anger and the color of this and the color of that and um

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It it disturbs me Uh, because I'd have to say sorry, it was poking me in the side

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Um Color of this color of that it's been quiet i'd have to say that.

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Um I've never been one to actually look at color Um i've always just Even when

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I was younger it didn't matter to me and it still doesn't matter to me but what matters to me is

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Who you are and the character you portray yourself and what you have within you

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I the first time I met mercedes Um, not the first time

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I saw mercedes But the first time I met mercedes I was told that we were rooming together on a mission trip that year and Sharquita said, you know, i'm putting her with you and tara

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Um Because I think that y 'all will be able to help

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Crack her open a little bit and kind of No wonder that hurts my nose.

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Um crack her open a little bit and really just kind of The very first question you asked me was do you sleep with a fan right because we sleep with a fan and I said yes

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We like it to be that was it 50 degrees in the room. Yes, you do You have to sleep cold especially when you're in the bahamas because it's hot but anyways

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Um, it really it really

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Upsets me for somebody to Look at somebody and judge them i'm not one.

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I don't like to judge by the looks of people um Because I if I would have

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I would have pegged her all wrong All wrong um

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Kind of like you probably would have pegged me as an old grandma. I am but Tonight's the scripture that i'm i'm looking at and what

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I feel like we as christians should be doing daily with everything going on and with All the hate going on and all the

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Republican and democrat and Catholic and Presbyterian and all that stuff

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The the big picture is Are you a follower of jesus christ and and that's what

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I need to know and and do you believe that he is The son of god and do you believe that he

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Died for you and do you believe that he rose again?

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um And That's about all

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I need to know about you because from there i'm going to start looking at the fruits of the spirit i'm going to start

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Trying to figure out if you're being honest and truthful So Anyways Mercedes if you will

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Read romans 1 16 to 17

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Now let's go 14 through 17

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My phone's not doing right. Um 14 you said starting 14 14 14 to 17

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I'm obligated both to greeks and barbarians both to the wise and the foolish

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So i'm eager to preach the good news to you. Also who are in rome For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is god's power for salvation to everyone who believes

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First to the jew and also to the greek for any god's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith

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Just as it is written the righteous will live by faith So what does that mean to you?

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Well, just what it says we should not be ashamed of the gospel we shouldn't be ashamed of the good news because of The life that it's given to us

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This is All the scripture is god -breathed and with everything

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So As a believer as a born -again believer If you look back

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You look you look at where you were before accepting christ and then

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You look at where you're at after you've accepted christ. Yes, you've still gone through hardships. You've still gone through a lot of stuff

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But it's different because no matter what

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Through all of anything That you've gone through you still have

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Peace you still have joy Those things don't just leave you are you sure they're not emotions are you sure

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You don't always feel peace and joy. No, but it's still there Because I may not always feel it but They're not emotions

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They're not feelings So they don't come and go like anger sadness happiness

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Anything else would it's what's this? It's been sealed within you then, right? So even if i'm down in the dumps

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And then I may not feel that peace. I may not feel that joy It's still there because I still have christ

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And as long as I have christ I will always have that peace and that joy

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And so when you look back and you see This is where I was.

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This is what I was doing. This is where i'm at. This is what i'm doing now You see things so much differently and You know what christ has done in your life

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You know where he's taking you out what he where he's taking you from where he's pulled you out of Where'd he pull you from or things?

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I can tell you where he pulled me from He pulled me from a place of Extreme doubt dark.

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Yeah Um I my conversion wasn't until My true conversion wasn't until last year

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Um, when were you saved? When did you we talked about this last night? When did you think you were saved?

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At the age of 12 when I got baptized um And I did so On my own nobody pressured me into it.

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I didn't do it because everybody else was doing it, right? It was my choice, but I didn't understand and Looking back.

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I see Just how easily it was for me to turn away and to keep walking the way

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I wanted to walk do what I wanted to do Act how I wanted to act And then not face me one bit um and You know if I had

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Fully accepted christ at that time if I had truly converted at that time I can tell you right now that it wouldn't have been so easy for me to turn away

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It would have been so easy for me to Get to the point of going.

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I don't even know If god is a thing Like I was to that point, um

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I just I didn't know um and hearing bits and pieces of other religions

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I went oh They all kind of sound alike You know

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And so I think I was pushing that coexist line a little bit going.

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Why can't we all just get along? when in reality That's not right

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It's not right and I understand that now and so my true conversion

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Was not until last year 2019 at some point in time

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When I was trying to read and understand Ephesians chapter one laying in bed that night

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And I couldn't do it I was reading it and I was like i'm not getting it I I don't I don't understand it

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What i've always thought i'm not ever going to be able to understand it what's the difference now And so I stopped

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And I put my I was using my bible a lot and I put my phone down And I prayed for the very first time in a very very very very

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Understand just help me understand Of course I started.

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Hey god, it's me. I know it's been a while Sorry But I did

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I went just help me understand And I picked my phone back up and I started reading and i'm not even kidding you

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I started to understand and it was like I read a verse. Oh make a note another verse make a note that That right there

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Was the moment Of my conversion Absolutely right there because now you're going oh wow,

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I get it right and so Because of that I am not ashamed

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Of the gospel i'm not ashamed of telling people What christ has done in my life where he has taken me from where he has placed me

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All the things i've gone through in this last year and a half how he has used them

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For the better how how good has come out of all those things and it's Because he's created that good from it

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And you've been taking through a lot of dirt, yeah But a lot of rocky roads

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I know i've watched you get drugged along and then look But Like you said

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You have to pick yourself up Dust yourself off Keep on going keep on going

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Because he's got better plans for you the next day and the next day and there's always growth there's always growth after it always

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It may not feel like it During well, it doesn't feel like it during Well, you have to learn from all your mistakes, right?

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Well, you know and that's why I feel like With what what is what's been going on and what is going on now there are so many people that do have that thought of You know

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Because I was seven years old And I was baptized at seven

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But I wasn't converted until I was in my 30s Um I always had that belief.

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I always always believed. I mean, I always believed there was a god and I always believed there was jesus and always was always taught that you know

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Jesus died for my sins and all this that matter, but I still continued to I lived the life that I wanted to live up until I hit my 30s and That's when

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I was like Oh Wow I'm pushing 30

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Nobody asked you to tell anybody how much older I was than you But it's okay because I love you anyways

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But you know, I and I I did um I went down a real bad road.

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Um I went through drugs and bars and all kinds of stuff.

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Um And uh

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It's only by the grace and the mercy of the lord that I sit here today Because there are so many times that I should have not woken up or so many times

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I should have been in an accident or I should have I've I've gone to many places outside of this city that I should something should have happened to me

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It's just bad but I thank god every day that he protected me and watched over me and continues to do it to this day um

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I have given that lifestyle up though. Thank the lord um

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It's been I've been clean now 20 something years 20 23 24 23

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Yeah, 23 years You were four years old then oh, that's so nice Let's get back to the scripture mercedes.

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Um there uh There's a lot if anybody has ever studied and anybody ever wants to to study a good book in the bible

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Ephesians is a good book to study but also romans is also a good book to study Um, there's a lot of stuff in romans that will direct you to ephesians and vice versa

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Um, my favorite book in the bible is romans hers is as of right now But um because we look over in Romans um

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Yeah again in verse one Yeah chapter one.

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I can't these glasses at this point. Yeah frozen as much shown

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Well frozen For his invisible attributes that is his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen

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Since the creation of the world being understood through what he has made As a result people are without excuse right

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So that in itself His invisible attributes clearly seen as a result people are without excuse um

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Again, and then that goes back to We as christians as long as we can't say.

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Oh, you didn't know Well, we as christians though even We as christians do not cannot be ashamed of the gospel because it is up to us

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To make sure his invisible attributes are clearly seen because then if we do that And we share the gospel like we're supposed to do

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And we're reaching a world that needs to be reached and we're preaching it to everybody that we find or everybody that we see

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And i'm going to tell you you don't have to in all honesty. You do not have to constantly walk and talk

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The bible it's a lot of your a lot of people don't realize this but um

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It's a lot of it is in your attitude a lot of it is in the way that you carry yourself

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People watch you especially if you know you're a believer people will watch you right it is If you don't carry yourself in in the way that the lord

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If you don't carry yourself like you're a christian then nobody's going to see it

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Did that make sense it does and I have seen um throughout

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It makes me so mad i'm sorry throughout my growing up up until you know the last year and a half seeing those church people not

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Living accordingly And I didn't see it. Well, I think I saw it a little bit then

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I really see it now when I look back but You know They would act one way at church

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Right and act a whole nother way outside of church that does not reflect anything exactly and so you go

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Yeah, I don't want to be a part of that right if that's how those ministry people and act

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I'm good. And the other thing too is because we're women Excuse me because we're women

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I'm, sorry. I drank a coke. Uh It's it's automatically what what most people think is we're supposed to be able to Go and call somebody

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And just chat it up Okay What I mean by chat it up and I think most of you know what i'm talking about when

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I say chat it up You cannot be in church praising god and Giving him the worship that he deserves

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And turn around and meet your buddy in the parking lot and talk about somebody that was sitting in the church service

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Um As women I know that a lot of women don't look at it as gossiping

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But i'm here to tell you now that it is And i'm also here to tell you that if you do that Then you need to stop the reason why

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You may not be seeing or feeling Um The presence of the lord in your life or you may be having issues

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It may be the reason it may be because You have an issue with your mouth and your thoughts because That was one issue that I really really had

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Women of the church stop it just stop it um

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If if you and I I'll be honest with you for the longest time.

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I had the biggest problem with that because I work for the government Okay And that's all government employees do

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That's they they like to talk to you about each other This because it's a bunch of women it seriously is that the office is a lot of women and you have to really

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Set yourself Apart from that and If you can't then

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I ask you and I beg you to hit your knees and Pray to god every time you think that you're about to Or you have the desire or want to um, you need to stop and Um, you need to repent

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You belong for the thoughts of having that Or even thinking of doing that a lot of times, um the way

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I had to stop it was If somebody if I if I was in a conversation with somebody and if that conversation started going in that direction

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I would say Hold on a minute or Let's not

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Go in that direction or you know but You have to be the bigger

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One if you're if you're conversating with someone that is not a christian and they don't get it then you should tell them

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I'm, sorry, but I don't talk I'm not going to be a gossiper because if you

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Continue to gossip and carry on discussion like that then you might as well be sleeping with Um more than one person

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It's the same thing sin is sin I mean yes

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So I just I don't know. I just reflected on that I don't know why we just did

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I just did Because so many women look at that as being something that's so appalling.

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I mean, that's just horrible. It's horrible You know what I mean, but they don't got a problem saying hey, did you see what so -and -so had on They don't got no issues with that but Makes me

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I just get livid It just makes me really mad. I'm, sorry i'm just And a lot of what's going on now is that that's why it's going on I mean, let's look at it.

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It's because this one says that they're doing this and this one says that this These this group of people says that this group of people said such and such

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And then this group of people gets upset because this group of people knew it And then they go to this group of people

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And then and then it just it becomes in a big Mask catastrophe

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And then there's riots And then there's they did this to me and they did that to me and this but It just makes me so mad

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I just get really i'm sorry I get really irritated Plus i've been locked up in my house for two weeks

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So that doesn't help much does it But anyways, i'm, sorry

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I went on a rant I shouldn't have Um I got a little mad but um, what time is it?

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I don't know if we don't know what time it is. No, we don't Let me see oh

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Going back to not being ashamed of the gospel, we shouldn't be selfish with it at all

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Yeah, you know we're it says in Matthew 28

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You made a flip there. No, I got it. That's you Had it wrote down and I didn't bring my notebook in here

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Matthew 28. Yeah 27 28

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Yeah, um 28 19 go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the father and son the holy spirit

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If we're selfish with it if we are selfish with the gospel And we don't share it.

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How are we? How are we obeying that? How are we obeying matthew 28? 19

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We're done Yeah, because the only way that we can go there for and make disciples is

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By sharing the gospel the good news the message of christ

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And like you said you don't have to Constantly walk around quoting scripture

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Scripture is very important to know and very important to memorize but Walking accordingly

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Showing by your actions People will know

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That we are believers by the way. We love each other By the way, we love our neighbor You think we love each other?

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Y 'all think we love each other even the flip -flops But you know it continues on though mercedes and it says teaching them to Observe everything

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I have commanded you and remember I am with you always to the end of the age

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Because he doesn't leave us he's with us he sees you when you don't want him to see you

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Please stop anyway So I mean we can't be selfish with it

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We can't and like paul Who is eager to preach to Those who are in rome

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We also should be eager to preach the gospel to those around us

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Because God knows

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Who will? And who won't accept him, right? It's part of his

36:56

Omniscience. Yeah, he does. Yeah But we don't right and because we don't that is why it is so important for us to go and share the gospel share the good news because I don't know if the person that say me and you don't know each other right at all and I'm not a believer, but you are

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And we become friends because it's okay to be friends with non -believers but You don't share the gospel with me in any way whatsoever by your actions by your words

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None of it is shared. None of it is shown Well You don't know

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If i'm supposed to be saved or if if i'm You know what I mean?

37:52

Right That's why we can't miss an opportunity Right because in all actuality

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We didn't know each other no And You got baptized on the mission trip

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I did but on facebook live One of the things that stuck out to me the most about you before my conversion was

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When I had the miscarriage and We hadn't known each other

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But maybe That was in may

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Maybe it started coming in january, but I didn't accept to go. I didn't decided on he stayed in a hole

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February or march So maybe we'll say two months

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Maybe maybe two months. So I really didn't even know you then you didn't know me, right? Not like you know me now.

39:00

No You know who I was you could pick me out in a crowd and that was about it. Yeah, what's your hair? Yeah um, but You Volunteered you didn't ask me you just said i'm taking the day off and i'm gonna take you to that fall doctor's appointment because You know,

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I didn't want to go by myself when I was going to because my husband We really couldn't afford a hit for him to take any more time off And you went with me so I didn't have to go alone

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And that right there That spoke volumes to me more so than you even speaking and saying anything

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You showed the love of christ that day That that in and of itself

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Is how we should live our lives I'm not saying you should

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Randomly Take people to hospital. That's not what i'm saying I'm saying just but but by those actions

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Because I was In the process of becoming part of the witten family I didn't really know it yet, but I was and That was how you showed the love of christ to me in that moment was

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Going with me so I didn't have to go by myself I thought it was because I was playing fishbowl with you in that waiting room

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Fantastic, too Oh, if y 'all only knew the things that mean well, we're not gonna go that far

40:46

Well Alan this is I just tried to live and if everybody would just try to live

40:54

According to what the book says to do It would be fabulous, but it's not the way it's supposed to be

41:04

Yeah, that's not I think it's important to remember too when you are When you're when you are telling somebody about your testimony

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It should never be I did this or I did that it should be god did this girl because I can't do nothing did that because Ephesians Two eight and nine

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Galatians 2 8 9 for you're saved by grace. It's like galatians. Ephesians. I'm, sorry.

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Ephesians Eight and nine for you are saved by grace through faith and this is not from yourself

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It is a gift to get it is god's gifts not from works so that one can boast

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We don't get to boast in anything that we've done because we didn't do it God did it we're going to boast in anything.

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We boast in christ not not not things that we have done exactly

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Because I can't do anything, right And that's that's that's really important to remember when you are

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Giving the testimony Because you didn't save yourself God saved you amen and look at us

42:23

We're doing sitcoms on the internet Kidding kidding

42:30

Well you guys honestly Honestly, we had no direction for tonight we um, like I said it was

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An evening that we were going to reflect on the people we've had on We have more people to go um

42:58

And I just uh, it thus far we've been doing this now for what? Three three months has it been

43:07

I can't keep up. What month are we in? Are we still in 2020? We're in july We're already seven months in yeah

43:18

It's crazy. It's been a bad.

43:24

Well, we had let's see two months of january Yeah, we had three months of three or four months of march.

43:33

Yeah No march was longer than that. March was more like five months April went kind of quickly may wasn't a couple months long.

43:41

June swung by Did it? I think it swung. I thought it went pretty slow, but Well, you know

43:50

It is what it is We've had coronavirus and murder hornets and Sahara dust storms

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I still don't get that one Does that mean I gotta go dust the house?

44:06

Right Look it's been a eventful year, right?

44:14

Very And we're not we're just halfway finished halfway there

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But um I hope that somebody's gained something.

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Um, if not You've learned that mercedes got her hair colored

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It's kind of cute It's definitely More different than my normal different.

44:53

Yeah, it is different than your normal different But anyways,

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I want to thank you all and i'm so happy to be out of my house, um

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I love my family very very very much but um

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Um Two weeks is a long time to be in the house. So for any of you that have had to do that um

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Send me a text if you have to do it and i'll be happy to pray for you Because it is a difficult task to do um

45:29

I went through so many emotions um

45:34

Um Yes mercedes to the point that I will tell myself That I text her and said

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I don't even know why i'm a women's director. I'm a horrible leader It was bad. It was bad.

45:47

I was in a very bad place um and I think it was it had a lot to do with being in the house and it had a lot to do with being away from the people that I love to be around and Well besides my family, um

46:05

But For everybody that knew that I that I had the rona, thank you for praying for me during that time, um

46:15

I did not have the horrible version Yeah, I didn't have the horrible version

46:23

I had the um more tired more um

46:30

Now my daughter has the worst version of it, but uh She's getting over it now so But anyways,

46:40

I want to thank you all very much and uh, I hope that You have enjoyed this past Hour about 30 minutes however long i've been on it because I don't have a watch the watch doesn't work so uh,

46:55

I love you guys and um I hope you have a good wonderful evening