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A Life of Peace

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah

November 24, 2020

27:29

Learn what peace is and how to grow in our experience of God’s peace.

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A Life of Peace

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Dr. David Jeremiah: Each of ushas just one life to live.
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Our life should count.
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It should matter.
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It should have purpose and,frankly, it should be amazing.
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But as I look around me,I see lives lived in disarray,
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in defeat, and discouragement.
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I've been deeply burdened aboutthis because, you see,
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an unfulfilled lifeis just no way to exist.
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And from what I read in theScripture, God promises us
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a life of blessings beyond ourcomprehension, literally
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a life beyond amazing.
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So I asked a few friendsof mine, friends who I believe
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demonstrate a life beyondamazing, to sit down together
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with me and discuss what ittakes to live a vibrant
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and victorious life.
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We gathered together for a mealin San Diego and what you're
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about to see is a partof our amazing conversation.
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♪♪♪
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Dr. Jeremiah: I want tothank you for joining me today.
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One of the things that we talk
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about a lot these days is peace.
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Everybody wantspeace internationally,
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they want peace in their family,they want peace in their heart.
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How do we as Christians
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get this peace in our heart?
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I'm not talking aboutcontrolled panic here.
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I'm talking about real, genuine,original peace in our hearts.
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Where does that start?
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Bobby Schuller:Well, you can't have peace
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without Jesus, right?
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Because I think undergirdingall of this restlessness with
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our culture is a fear of death.
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And what Christ promises usis that this is just a small bit
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of the eternal,amazing life that he's given us.
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But there's still a lot ofbelievers who believe in heaven
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who still don't have peace.
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And I think a lot of that is usbuying into the world's culture
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of, "I've got to constantlydo things to make the most
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of this very short life."
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And then believers buyinto that in practice,
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even thoughthey don't believe it.
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So, we have to stop crammingour schedule full of stuff.
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We got to stop hurrying so much.
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We need to bond deeplywith our friends and family.
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We need to be generousand serving.
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And I think when that happens,that's when the peace of heaven
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kind of meets us at our heart.
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Dr. Jeremiah: We can all havepeace when things are going good
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and it seems like there's nota lot of conflict
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in our own livesand in our community.
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But David, I watched carefullyas you fought in the courts to
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keep from having to pay forsomething we didn't believe in.
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And I saw the things they werewriting about you and the things
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they were saying about you.
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Tell me, what was it like?
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David Green: You know,when we first found out
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that we may lose our business
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because we knewwe were not going to pay for
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prescriptions that wouldtake life, and the fine would be
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$1.3 million a day if we didn'tprovide this because of
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the number of employees we had,and I have to admit that
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I didn't sleep for a few nights.
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Barbara and I finallycame to the point that we said,
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"We only have one decision,right or wrong."
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And we were 100% convincedthat we made the right decision.
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Dr. Jeremiah: So actually,peace is related to truth,
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isn't it?
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And when you know the truthand you do it,
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God gives you this peacein your heart.
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David Green: I think a partof having peace too is not
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absorbing so much of the news.
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I mean,if you want to absorb the news,
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you will not have peace.
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Dr. Jeremiah: And you know,we do have the right
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to turn it off.
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Bobby: I did that recently.I took 6 weeks off in January.
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Dr. Jeremiah: You tooka fast?
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Bobby: I just feltso exhausted, and I thought,
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"I am just takinga sabbatical from news."
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And I'll tell you,it's interesting
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that gospel means good news.
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It's nice to focus onsome good news for awhile
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instead of just, like,always focusing on bad news.
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Dr. Jeremiah:And 6 weeks later,
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you turned it onand it was the same place
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where you turned it off, right?
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Bobby: It really changed,I know.
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Mandisa: Same thingwith social media as well.
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Like, it's easy to look at itand kind of feel discontent,
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to feel like you don't havepeace in certain areas.
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So, my go-to is alwaysPhilippians 4, that for me,
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when I'm faced in circumstanceswhere I feel like
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everything is going crazyaround me, I don't just present
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my requests to God.
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I try to do itwith thanksgiving.
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So, sometimes if I'm watchingthe news and I see something
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that is trying to stealmy peace,
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I can present my request to God.
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I pray about the situation,but when I think about
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the circumstance and I findsomething to be thankful for,
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it's like an immediate senseof peace is what overtakes me
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in that moment.
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Dr. Jeremiah: The Bible isso clear that peace is a gift
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from the Lord.
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The Bible tells us not to letour hearts be troubled,
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and to be anxious for nothing,but in everything,
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by prayer and supplication,let your requests
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be made known unto God, amen.
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Dr. Jeremiah: As I sat withmy friends and reflected on what
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we shared, I was once againreminded that peace is
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a decision, a decisionthat transforms one's life.
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And in the next few minutes,I will share with you how
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a life of peace is necessaryto live a life beyond amazing.
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♪♪♪
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male announcer:What are the signs
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of a life beyond amazing?
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Among them, joy that is notdependent on circumstance,
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integrity that settlesfor no exceptions,
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and self-disciplinethat stands firm.
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But how do you get theminto your life?
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It takes a decision; actually,nine decisions each day
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to commit these into your heartand actions.
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Discover the steps to the lifeof blessings God has for you
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in Dr. David Jeremiah'sinspiring book,
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"A Life Beyond Amazing:9 Decisions That Will Transform
00:05:26.709 --> 00:05:29.746
Your Life Today."
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Order this transformational bookfrom Dr. Jeremiah today when you
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give a gift of any amountin support of this program,
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and if you give $60 or more,Dr. Jeremiah will send you
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in appreciation,his comprehensive
00:05:42.325 --> 00:05:44.961
"A Life Beyond Amazing" set.
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It contains his book, his entireteaching series on CD or DVD,
00:05:47.096 --> 00:05:51.434
a correlating study guide,and the "Life Beyond Amazing"
00:05:51.467 --> 00:05:54.370
Scripture cards.
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Also available, the "30 Daysto a Life Beyond Amazing"
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workbook.
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Implement the 9 key decisionsfrom "A Life Beyond Amazing"
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in powerful and practical ways;plus, it includes a DVD
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with video instructionsfrom Dr. Jeremiah, available
00:06:08.084 --> 00:06:10.953
on its own for $30 or more
00:06:10.987 --> 00:06:13.189
or as part of"A Life Beyond Amazing" set
00:06:13.222 --> 00:06:16.159
for a gift of $85 or more.
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Decide today to start livinga life beyond what you thought
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possible, a life beyond amazing.
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Order these resources when youcontact Turning Point today.
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female announcer: Thank youfor watching
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"A Life Beyond Amazing"here on "Turning Point."
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In appreciationof your viewership,
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Dr. Jeremiah would liketo send you the
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"Life Beyond Amazing"Scripture cards absolutely free.
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Contact "Turning Point" today.
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And now, here is Dr. Jeremiahwith his message,
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"A Life of Peace."
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Dr. Jeremiah:The Prince of Peace is
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just 1 of 250 names givento the Lord Jesus
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in the New Testament.
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When he appearedfor the first time on this earth
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in a manger in Bethlehem,
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the angels announcedhis arrival, as you remember,
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with these words,"Glory to God in the highest,
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and on earth peace,goodwill toward men!"
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The world into whichJesus was born had
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a very different idea of peace.
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Our English word "peace"originates from an old
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French word which meansto be reconciled,
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or to have an agreement with,or to have
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the absence of hostility.
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But the Hebrew word "shalom"has a much richer meaning.
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That's the only Hebrew wordI probably know to say out loud.
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Would you like to have theprivilege of speaking Hebrew
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this morning?
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Let's say the word "shalom"out loud together, shalom.
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This word is found 355 timesin the Old Testament, and its
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basic meaning is to be whole,or safe, or sound.
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Shalom designates a conditionin which life can best be lived.
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A review of shalom inthe Old Testament
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reveals that it never refersto inner psychological
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or emotional peace.
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Shalom is the conditionof everything being set right.
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It's about the total wellbeingof the person and the community.
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It's one of the deepest longingsof the human heart.
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Say it again, shalom.
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Jesus is the one who brings thedeepest longings of our hearts
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for peace to satisfaction.
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But if we are honest,we can easily
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become discouragedwhen we see so little peace
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in our world and in our hearts.
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We long mostly for internationalpeace, but Jesus, I believe,
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cares more about individualpeace, internal peace.
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Yes, the world needs to cometo peace,
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but how many of you knowif peace comes to our hearts,
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pretty soon it comesto our culture?
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And so, you start where you needto start, and that is with the
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importance of individual peace.
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So, there are three major waysthat we are affected by
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this peace which God brings.
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Let me explain them to youas we go along
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and we'll share them together.
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First of all, the Bible saysthat you and I can have peace
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with God.
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Underline the word "with."
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Romans 5:1 says that,"Therefore, having been
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justified by faith, we havepeace with God through
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our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Peace with God was brought
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to us when Jesus Christ camedown from heaven and went
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to the cross as the God man,and hung there between heaven
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and earth,and paid the price for our sin,
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our sin which separated usfrom God.
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Jesus paid the pricefor all of it.
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He took it all away.
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And when we put our trustin him, we are forgiven
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and that sin is erased.
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And then we can havea relationship with God.
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Then we can say, "Therefore,being justified by faith,
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I have peace with God."
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You have to start there beforeyou can know the other kinds
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of peace that we're goingto talk about this morning.
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So, let me just stopfor a moment and say
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if you've not made peacewith God, it's not hard to do,
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but it means you haveto make a decision.
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You have to decide to dealwith your sin at the cross,
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give it all over to Jesus,and ask him to forgive you.
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And when you do thatand invite him to come and live
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in your heart, a relationshipwith God the Father
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is established immediately,
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so that it is evenpossible, as the Lord God says,
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to come boldly before the throneof grace to receive help
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in the time of trouble.
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Wow.
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Then, of course,there's not only peace with God,
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but there's peace from God.
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John 14:27 says--Jesus is saying,
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"Peace I leave with you,my peace I give to you;
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not as the world givesdo I give to you.
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Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid."
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There's a wonderful momentthat the Apostle John
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records in his Gospel.
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Jesus is in a room makinghis first post-resurrection
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appearance to hisgathered disciples.
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"Then, the same day at evening,being the first day of the week,
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when the doors were shut wherethe disciples were assembled,
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for the fear of the Jews,Jesus stood in the midst,
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and said to them,'Peace be with you.'"
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It is what he did next thatperfectly illustrates what we
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had been talking aboutin these last few verses,
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for the next versein John chapter 20 says this,
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"And when he had said this,he showed them his hands
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and his side."
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He was showing them his handsand his side obviously for the
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purpose of identifying himselfto them, but I believe he was
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also saying, "These woundsare why I can say to you,
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'Peace be with you.'"
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His death on the crossmade it possible for him
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to offer us the peacewe so desperately crave.
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But here's the best news of all,there's not only peace with God
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and the peace from God,but there's the peace of God.
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It's the best of all.
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We read about thisin Philippians chapter 4.
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Here's what Paul wroteto the Philippian believers,
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"Be anxious for nothing,but in everything by prayer and
00:12:30.432 --> 00:12:33.469
supplication, with thanksgiving,let your requests be made known
00:12:33.502 --> 00:12:38.073
to God," now watch this,"and the peace of God, which
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surpasses all understanding,will guard your hearts and minds
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through Jesus Christ."
00:12:46.115 --> 00:12:49.785
The peace of God acts,according to Paul,
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as a sentinel or a soldierwho walks back and forth
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in the front of the door ofyour heart to provide security.
00:12:57.293 --> 00:13:02.464
The picture here is that ourhearts and our minds are always
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under assault, guilt, worries,threats, confusions,
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uncertainties.
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They all threaten our peace,and Paul says that God wants
00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:13.609
to guard our hearts and minds,
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and he guards our heartswith his peace
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when we commit ourselves to him.
00:13:19.081 --> 00:13:21.250
I like that picture of my heartand God's soldier walking back
00:13:21.283 --> 00:13:25.054
and forth in front of a door tokeep all the junk out that would
00:13:25.087 --> 00:13:28.824
come in and destroy my peace.
00:13:28.858 --> 00:13:32.428
So, we look backat the wonder of God's peace.
00:13:32.461 --> 00:13:34.864
I want to encourage youto cultivate that peace
00:13:34.897 --> 00:13:36.665
in your life.
00:13:36.699 --> 00:13:38.167
And there are four main highwaysupon which the peace of God
00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:40.736
travels, the Spirit of God,the Son of God,
00:13:40.769 --> 00:13:43.639
the Word of God in prayer.
00:13:43.672 --> 00:13:45.307
I want to say just a few wordsabout each one of them.
00:13:45.341 --> 00:13:48.510
First of all,peace in the Spirit of God.
00:13:48.544 --> 00:13:50.446
Did you know that when Jesuswas teaching his disciples and
00:13:50.479 --> 00:13:53.349
telling them that he was goingto have to go back to heaven,
00:13:53.382 --> 00:13:55.684
he told them that it was a goodthing that he was going back to
00:13:55.718 --> 00:13:59.121
heaven because when he was goingto go back to heaven, he was
00:13:59.154 --> 00:14:00.890
going to send the Holy Spiritdown to take his place.
00:14:00.923 --> 00:14:04.293
You say, "Well, how couldthe Holy Spirit be better
00:14:04.326 --> 00:14:06.662
than the Son of God?"
00:14:06.695 --> 00:14:08.264
In one way.
00:14:08.297 --> 00:14:09.732
When Jesus Christ was onthis earth, he confined himself
00:14:09.765 --> 00:14:13.502
to the limitations of his humanbody, so that Jesus was
00:14:13.535 --> 00:14:17.640
where he was while he wason this earth only where
00:14:17.673 --> 00:14:20.809
we could be personally.
00:14:20.843 --> 00:14:22.711
And as you know the storyof the Bible, Jesus really
00:14:22.745 --> 00:14:24.880
never left the land of Israel.
00:14:24.914 --> 00:14:28.083
"But you see, when I go backto heaven, I'm going to send you
00:14:28.117 --> 00:14:30.252
my Holy Spirit,and he will not be so confined.
00:14:30.286 --> 00:14:33.322
The Holy Spirit will come tolive within the heart of every
00:14:33.355 --> 00:14:35.858
single person who puts theirtrust in me, therefore through
00:14:35.891 --> 00:14:39.028
the Holy Spirit I will beavailable to you wherever
00:14:39.061 --> 00:14:41.630
you go, whatever you do,whatever happens to you."
00:14:41.664 --> 00:14:45.301
The Bible teaches us that whenwe accept Jesus Christ as our
00:14:45.334 --> 00:14:48.170
personal Savior, the Holy Spiritcomes to dwell within our hearts
00:14:48.203 --> 00:14:53.609
and becomes our perpetual,eternal Savior.
00:14:53.642 --> 00:14:58.514
John 16:33, Jesus finishedhis speech to his disciples
00:14:58.547 --> 00:15:03.886
about his going back to heaven,and said,
00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:06.622
"These things I have spokento you, that in me you may
00:15:06.655 --> 00:15:09.158
have peace."
00:15:09.191 --> 00:15:10.960
The fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, and peace.
00:15:10.993 --> 00:15:13.662
When you have the Holy Spiritin your heart,
00:15:13.696 --> 00:15:15.898
you have the possibilityof peace in your life.
00:15:15.931 --> 00:15:20.069
And the Bible says that peaceis the inevitable result
00:15:20.102 --> 00:15:22.538
of the Holy Spirit controllingyour life.
00:15:22.571 --> 00:15:25.207
So, how can I tellif I'm controlled
00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:26.976
by the Holy Spirit of God?
00:15:27.009 --> 00:15:28.711
By the quietness within mewhen there's turmoil around me.
00:15:28.744 --> 00:15:34.583
How do I knowif the Holy Spirit's working
00:15:34.616 --> 00:15:36.452
at peace in my lifewhen I have some moments
00:15:36.485 --> 00:15:38.487
when everything should becoming unglued?
00:15:38.520 --> 00:15:40.456
And I just feel this little--this little sense in my heart,
00:15:40.489 --> 00:15:43.759
"I'm going to be okay.
00:15:43.792 --> 00:15:45.828
God is with me.
00:15:45.861 --> 00:15:47.429
I'm going to make it."
00:15:47.463 --> 00:15:49.698
That's what God says he willgive to us through his Spirit.
00:15:49.732 --> 00:15:54.236
And then the peaceof the Son of God.
00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:56.805
When Jesus was preparinghis disciples for his departure
00:15:56.839 --> 00:15:59.441
from them, he encouragedthem with these words, he said,
00:15:59.475 --> 00:16:02.745
"Let not your heart be troubled.
00:16:02.778 --> 00:16:04.079
You believe in God,believe also in me.
00:16:04.113 --> 00:16:07.850
Peace I leave with you,my peace I give to you;
00:16:07.883 --> 00:16:11.086
not as the world givesdo I give to you.
00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.455
Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid."
00:16:13.489 --> 00:16:16.725
Just a few verses later,Jesus expounded
00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.294
on his earlier promise.
00:16:19.328 --> 00:16:20.963
He said, "These thingsI have spoken to you,
00:16:20.996 --> 00:16:23.665
that in me you may have peace.
00:16:23.699 --> 00:16:25.234
Now, to be honest with you,"he said,
00:16:25.267 --> 00:16:27.669
"in the world you're goingto have tribulation; but be
00:16:27.703 --> 00:16:30.205
of good cheer 'cause I haveovercome the world."
00:16:30.239 --> 00:16:34.476
I love this question that istucked away in the book of Job.
00:16:34.510 --> 00:16:38.614
I never realized this was there.
00:16:38.647 --> 00:16:40.616
I've read the book of Job a lotof times, but this was escaped
00:16:40.649 --> 00:16:42.885
me, but it's worth writing down.
00:16:42.918 --> 00:16:45.487
Job 34:29,"When he gives quietness,
00:16:45.521 --> 00:16:50.325
who then can make trouble?"
00:16:50.359 --> 00:16:53.595
Isn't that a great verse?
00:16:53.629 --> 00:16:55.597
If he, and this is obviouslyspeaking of God,
00:16:55.631 --> 00:16:58.734
if he then bringsquietness here,
00:16:58.767 --> 00:17:03.172
who's going to make trouble?
00:17:03.205 --> 00:17:06.041
Here's my prayer for all of usborrowed from the prayer
00:17:06.075 --> 00:17:08.710
Paul prayed for his friendsin Thessalonica.
00:17:08.744 --> 00:17:11.413
Here's what he prayed,"Now may the Lord of Peace
00:17:11.447 --> 00:17:14.049
himself give you peacealways in every way."
00:17:14.083 --> 00:17:18.954
That's my prayer.
00:17:18.987 --> 00:17:21.323
Then there's peacein the Word of God.
00:17:21.356 --> 00:17:23.926
"I will hearwhat God the Lord will speak,
00:17:23.959 --> 00:17:29.565
for he will speak peaceto his people
00:17:29.598 --> 00:17:32.668
and to his saints."
00:17:32.701 --> 00:17:34.169
I will hear what God the Lordwill have to say 'cause when I
00:17:34.203 --> 00:17:38.540
listen to him, he speaks peace.
00:17:38.574 --> 00:17:42.444
Did you know that the Bibleis the key to your peace?
00:17:42.478 --> 00:17:47.616
And when I'm going through sometimes and I don't know
00:17:47.649 --> 00:17:50.119
what to do,I try to find a way to spend
00:17:50.152 --> 00:17:52.187
more time in the Scripture,not to prepare a sermon,
00:17:52.221 --> 00:17:55.657
but for my own helpand encouragement.
00:17:55.691 --> 00:17:59.595
And once in a while, you guys,you should memorize a few verses
00:17:59.628 --> 00:18:02.531
from this Book because they actas anti-terrorism agents
00:18:02.564 --> 00:18:06.435
in your life.
00:18:06.468 --> 00:18:08.871
So, when bad stuff is happeningand terror is going on, you know
00:18:08.904 --> 00:18:12.040
there's a verse some place youcan grab hold of and use it
00:18:12.074 --> 00:18:15.144
as a weapon against anxiety.
00:18:15.177 --> 00:18:20.449
And finally,there's peace in prayer.
00:18:20.482 --> 00:18:25.154
Listen to what Paul saysto the Philippians in chapter 4,
00:18:25.187 --> 00:18:28.357
"Be anxious for nothing,"listen to this.
00:18:28.390 --> 00:18:31.260
Anxious means worried.
00:18:31.293 --> 00:18:34.229
Did you know the old King Jamesof this verse says,
00:18:34.263 --> 00:18:37.499
"Be careful for nothing."
00:18:37.533 --> 00:18:39.268
I always thought that waskind of like a proof text
00:18:39.301 --> 00:18:41.170
for when you're a teenager,"Be careful for nothing."
00:18:41.203 --> 00:18:45.307
And then I realized the word"careful" means anxiety.
00:18:45.340 --> 00:18:48.877
"Be anxious for nothing,"says the Scripture,
00:18:48.911 --> 00:18:51.847
"but in everythingby prayer and supplication,
00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:56.051
let your requestbe made known to God."
00:18:56.084 --> 00:18:59.988
Now, here's the wayI sort that out in my mind.
00:19:00.022 --> 00:19:03.859
In essence,Paul says the Christian life
00:19:03.892 --> 00:19:05.561
is composed of three circles.
00:19:05.594 --> 00:19:07.696
First of all, there's the worrycircle or the anxiety circle.
00:19:07.729 --> 00:19:11.033
And if you read the text,what belongs in that circle?
00:19:11.066 --> 00:19:13.502
Be anxious for what?
00:19:13.535 --> 00:19:15.437
Nothing.
00:19:15.470 --> 00:19:17.339
And then,there's the prayer circle,
00:19:17.372 --> 00:19:19.608
and what should you pray about?
00:19:19.641 --> 00:19:21.343
What goes in the prayer circle?
00:19:21.376 --> 00:19:23.545
Everything.
00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.880
And then there'sthe thanksgiving circle,
00:19:24.913 --> 00:19:26.949
and what goes in that circle?
00:19:26.982 --> 00:19:28.450
Anything that God does for you,always be thankful.
00:19:28.483 --> 00:19:31.386
In the very act of beingthankful for what God has done
00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:33.722
for you, he begins to dissipatethe anxiety that's trying
00:19:33.755 --> 00:19:37.092
to hurt your heart.
00:19:37.125 --> 00:19:39.895
So, in other words,we must be anxious for nothing,
00:19:39.928 --> 00:19:42.397
prayerful for everything,and thankful for anything.
00:19:42.431 --> 00:19:45.867
That's the kind of peacethat never fails to produce
00:19:45.901 --> 00:19:49.838
that quiet center in your heart.
00:19:49.871 --> 00:19:53.942
Some years ago, I was giventhe opportunity to speak
00:19:53.976 --> 00:19:57.412
at the Moody Pastors Conferencein Chicago.
00:19:57.446 --> 00:20:00.482
After I went back to my roomthat night, I decided to catch
00:20:00.515 --> 00:20:03.585
an earlier flight home the nextday that was to leave at 7 a.m.
00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:09.291
As I was getting ready for bed,I began to calculate how early
00:20:09.324 --> 00:20:12.327
I would have to get upin order to make that flight.
00:20:12.361 --> 00:20:16.531
On my time, which was2 hours earlier,
00:20:16.565 --> 00:20:19.635
I asked for a 2:30 wakeup call.
00:20:19.668 --> 00:20:23.438
I made it to the airportin plenty of time
00:20:23.472 --> 00:20:25.474
and I went to my gate,only to discover that my flight
00:20:25.507 --> 00:20:27.576
was delayed for an hour,which later became 2 hours.
00:20:27.609 --> 00:20:32.514
You guys knowwhat that's all about.
00:20:32.547 --> 00:20:35.651
When I checked in,I asked the young lady at
00:20:35.684 --> 00:20:37.419
the desk if she knew what wasgoing on with my flight.
00:20:37.452 --> 00:20:40.322
She said, "There's a stormhovering over Chicago,
00:20:40.355 --> 00:20:43.292
would you like to see it?"
00:20:43.325 --> 00:20:45.927
I said, "What do you mean?"
00:20:45.961 --> 00:20:47.496
She said, "Well, come aroundhere and I'll show you the storm
00:20:47.529 --> 00:20:49.531
on my computer screen."
00:20:49.564 --> 00:20:51.900
So, I went around the welcomedesk, and there on the screen
00:20:51.933 --> 00:20:56.104
of her computer I could seethe storm.
00:20:56.138 --> 00:20:58.573
Here was Chicago,and surrounding it
00:20:58.607 --> 00:21:00.709
was this red mass.
00:21:00.742 --> 00:21:03.278
That red mass literallyswallowed Chicago up
00:21:03.312 --> 00:21:06.315
on the screen.
00:21:06.348 --> 00:21:07.949
And we were rightin the center of the storm.
00:21:07.983 --> 00:21:10.152
The storm was over the top ofChicago so no planes could land
00:21:10.185 --> 00:21:13.822
and no plans could take off.
00:21:13.855 --> 00:21:15.457
Everything was shut down.
00:21:15.490 --> 00:21:19.261
So, I went back, sat down inmy comfortable chair, and began
00:21:19.294 --> 00:21:23.298
working on my computer.
00:21:23.332 --> 00:21:26.034
And for the next few moments,I watched as the storm
00:21:26.068 --> 00:21:28.837
I had seen on the computerrolled into the city of Chicago.
00:21:28.870 --> 00:21:34.209
I saw this ferocious storm,the rain beating against
00:21:34.242 --> 00:21:37.879
the glass windows.
00:21:37.913 --> 00:21:39.214
You could actually see thewindows moving with the pressure
00:21:39.247 --> 00:21:41.383
of the wind and the rain.
00:21:41.416 --> 00:21:43.819
I had a moment of clarityright then, a moment of truth.
00:21:43.852 --> 00:21:46.955
I was surrounded by a storm.
00:21:46.988 --> 00:21:49.791
In fact, I was sitting atthe very center of that storm.
00:21:49.825 --> 00:21:54.296
But I was sittingin a comfortable chair
00:21:54.329 --> 00:21:55.797
with a cup of coffeein my hands,
00:21:55.831 --> 00:21:57.566
working on my computer,and I was just as safe
00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.534
as anybody could be.
00:21:59.568 --> 00:22:01.970
I was shelteredin the midst of the storm.
00:22:02.003 --> 00:22:07.476
And I remembered this psalm,"Hear my cry, O God;
00:22:07.509 --> 00:22:14.983
attend to my prayer.
00:22:15.016 --> 00:22:17.085
When my heart is overwhelmed,lead me to the rock
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.956
that is higher than I.
00:22:20.989 --> 00:22:22.791
For you have been a shelterfor me,
00:22:22.824 --> 00:22:25.660
a strong tower from the enemy.
00:22:25.694 --> 00:22:30.599
I will abide in your tabernacleforever.
00:22:30.632 --> 00:22:33.902
I will trust in the shelterof your wings."
00:22:33.935 --> 00:22:40.275
For you have been a shelterfor me.
00:22:40.308 --> 00:22:44.880
The Lord Jesus Christ has morethan I can count sheltered me
00:22:44.913 --> 00:22:48.250
in the midst of personal stormswhen I didn't know what was
00:22:48.283 --> 00:22:51.753
going to happen and the stormseemed almost unbearable.
00:22:51.787 --> 00:22:56.057
Down in the quiet place in myheart where no one can see
00:22:56.091 --> 00:22:58.760
but God himself, there was thisquiet peace that was beyond my
00:22:58.794 --> 00:23:04.099
understanding and didn't seemrational because it wasn't,
00:23:04.132 --> 00:23:09.638
it was super-rational.
00:23:09.671 --> 00:23:11.740
It was the peace of Godwhich passes all understanding.
00:23:11.773 --> 00:23:16.611
And that's the peace Godwants you and me to have.
00:23:16.645 --> 00:23:19.481
That's his gift to us.
00:23:19.514 --> 00:23:20.816
He has bequeathed it to us andmade it a legacy of the cross.
00:23:20.849 --> 00:23:25.387
And if you will receive him,first of all, you can have peace
00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:28.023
with God, but after you becomea Christian, you can know
00:23:28.056 --> 00:23:30.325
the peace that comes from God.
00:23:30.358 --> 00:23:31.693
And most of all, you can learnhow to accept the peace of God
00:23:31.726 --> 00:23:34.496
and the God of peacewho lives within your heart,
00:23:34.529 --> 00:23:37.933
and you will be better.
00:23:37.966 --> 00:23:39.568
And in this crazy world whichseems to be spinning out
00:23:39.601 --> 00:23:41.837
of control,he will be the only stable thing
00:23:41.870 --> 00:23:43.738
in your whole neighborhood.
00:23:43.772 --> 00:23:46.541
And people will look at youand say, "What's wrong with him?
00:23:46.575 --> 00:23:49.411
Isn't he reading the news?
00:23:49.444 --> 00:23:50.745
Isn't he hearing the story?"
00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:52.247
Oh yeah, we hear the story,but we're sheltered
00:23:52.280 --> 00:23:55.283
by the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:23:55.317 --> 00:23:57.085
male announcer: Dr. Jeremiahwill return with one more
00:23:58.887 --> 00:24:00.956
inspirational word to closetoday's "A Life Beyond Amazing"
00:24:00.989 --> 00:24:04.292
program, right after this.
00:24:04.326 --> 00:24:06.495
announcer: Discover the stepsto the life of blessings
00:24:07.596 --> 00:24:09.798
God has for youin Dr. David Jeremiah's
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inspiring book,"A Life Beyond Amazing:
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9 Decisions That Will TransformYour Life Today."
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Order this transformational bookfrom Dr. Jeremiah today when you
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give a gift of any amountin support of this program,
00:24:22.444 --> 00:24:25.247
and if you give $60 or more,Dr. Jeremiah will send you
00:24:25.280 --> 00:24:29.184
in appreciation,his comprehensive
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"A Life Beyond Amazing" set.
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It contains his book, his entireteaching series on CD or DVD,
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a correlating study guide,and the "Life Beyond Amazing"
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Scripture cards.
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Also available, the "30 Daysto a Life Beyond Amazing"
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in powerful and practical ways;plus, it includes a DVD
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on its own for $30 or more
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or as part of"A Life Beyond Amazing" set
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Decide today to start livinga life beyond what you thought
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possible, a life beyond amazing.
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Order these resources when youcontact Turning Point today.
00:25:12.027 --> 00:25:14.996
announcer: And now,with one last word
00:25:17.666 --> 00:25:19.367
for today's program,here is Dr. Jeremiah.
00:25:19.401 --> 00:25:22.637
Dr. Jeremiah: There arethousands of reasons to live
00:25:23.371 --> 00:25:25.407
in fear today, but instead offocusing on these unspecified
00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:30.512
fears, we can claim the peaceGod grants his children.
00:25:30.545 --> 00:25:36.084
As I said in today's message,we can have the peace of God
00:25:36.117 --> 00:25:40.422
when we have peace from Godif we are at peace with God.
00:25:40.455 --> 00:25:46.494
That simple truth candrive away all of our fears.
00:25:46.528 --> 00:25:50.031
And to live a life of peace,the Bible tells us we need a
00:25:50.065 --> 00:25:53.468
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:25:53.501 --> 00:25:56.237
To help you grow inyour relationship with Christ,
00:25:56.271 --> 00:25:59.908
I hope you'll allow meto send you these free gifts
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from "Turning Point."
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First, "Life Beyond Amazing"Scripture cards to help you stay
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focused every day on the amazinglife we have in Christ.
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Second, a booklet about knowingand living for Christ called
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"Your Greatest Turning Point."
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And third,our monthly devotional magazine,
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with inspiring articlesand devotionals.
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And we'll send all these giftsto you free of charge if you
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will contact us here at"Turning Point" today.
00:26:31.206 --> 00:26:34.809
announcer: Next timeon Turning Point, Dr. Jeremiah
00:26:36.711 --> 00:26:39.781
continues his conversationwith Bobby Schuller, Mandisa,
00:26:39.814 --> 00:26:45.520
David Green, and Kirk Cousins.
00:26:45.553 --> 00:26:49.157
And he teaches how we canmake the decision to live
00:26:49.190 --> 00:26:52.260
a life of endurance.
00:26:52.293 --> 00:26:54.029
Dr. Jeremiah: I think ourquestion ought not to be why
00:26:54.062 --> 00:26:55.597
all the time.
00:26:55.630 --> 00:26:56.931
Perhaps it ought to be what.
00:26:56.965 --> 00:26:58.299
Lord God, what do you want to doin my life during this time?
00:26:58.333 --> 00:27:01.236
What do you want me to learn?
00:27:01.269 --> 00:27:03.104
How can I embrace my adversityto become a more enduring
00:27:03.138 --> 00:27:08.677
follower of Christ?
00:27:08.710 --> 00:27:10.712
announcer: Thank youfor being with us today
00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:13.615
for Dr. Jeremiah's series,"A Life Beyond Amazing."
00:27:13.648 --> 00:27:17.485
Join us next timefor Dr. Jeremiah's message,
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"A Life of Endurance,"here on "Turning Point."
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A Life of Peace

A Life of Peace

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A Life of Peace

A Life of Peace

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