Transcript
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Coming up on Renewed Mindsets Today is one of those messages.
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It's one of those messages where I have studied something countless times throughout my life and I dig into the scripture again and God shows me something completely different, something I've never seen before.
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It's awesome.
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I love it.
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Now you're going to get to hear it.
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This is going to be good people.
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Let's go, boys.
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Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets, the totally awesome podcast for Gen Xers who are ready to bust a move with the hand we were dealt.
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I'm Rick, and if you're feeling discontent with the way life has turned out, well, we're the Goonies you're looking for.
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We're here to guide you in purging what you think you know, breaking free from conforming to this world and transforming your mind into the Christ-centered powerhouse it was destined to be.
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Calm that mullet and grab a can of new Coke.
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It's time to get radical, dude.
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I'm so glad you're here.
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Let's just jump right into the scripture on this one.
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Okay.
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This is from Mark, chapter 4, verses 35 through 41, and I'm reading from the New King James Version On the same day, when the evening had come, he said to them let's cross over to the other side Now.
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When they had left the multitude, they took him along in the boat, as he was, and the other little boats were with him, and a great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling.
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But he was in the stern asleep on a pillow, and they awoke him and said to him Teacher, do you not care that we're perishing?
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And he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea Peace, be still.
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And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
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But he said to them why are you so fearful?
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How is it that you have no faith?
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And they feared exceedingly and said to one another who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?
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The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.
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Now I know you've heard that verse, those verses, a million times.
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In my lifetime I've listened to around a thousand different sermons and teachings about that specific scripture Throughout my whole life.
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I've heard various perspectives on that subject.
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Sometimes it taught that this story was a lesson about having faith and having Jesus with us on our journey through life.
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Now, that's a good interpretation.
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Another perspective I've heard is that there are times when God calms the storms in our lives and other times when he calms us, his children.
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Now that's also a very beautiful viewpoint.
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I've been told that a crucial aspect of this story is not the final destination on the shore at Gadara, but rather the journey experienced by the disciples.
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I can understand and I can relate to that one too.
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There have been teachings that conveyed this message, while others don't do it justice.
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Every sermon, every teaching that I've ever heard on this passage had its own reasoning behind it.
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But let me tell you, when I read this passage this morning, the Lord revealed something to me that I'd never noticed before.
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It was something that you might have always seen, but it was a revelation to me that I believe is going to have a big impact on my life and my perspective.
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That's gigantic because I know myself.
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I become completely absorbed in my own journey, in my own goals, in my own plans.
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It's easy to do that here, but let me tell you what God has planted in me In this verse, in Mark 4, the verse that I'm going to talk about.
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It's a little insignificant line that was purposely included by God.
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It wasn't a coincidence, it was part of God's divine plan.
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I don't believe that this storm that we just read about was only about the storm.
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I don't think it was just about the journey or the destination.
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This just blows my mind.
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I believe that this storm was all about the little boats.
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Stick with me, let me explain.
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Stick with me, let me explain.
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Our ministries, our churches, our podcasts, our lives can become so self-centered, but on the journey of life, there's little boats that travel alongside us.
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I've read this story a thousand times, I've taught it, I've preached it, but I never noticed the little boats.
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The storm troubled the disciples?
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Oh yeah, it troubled them greatly, but it didn't bother God.
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Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat.
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In the big picture, it wasn't a significant issue the storm I couldn't help.
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But when I heard this and started praying Lord I've studied this scripture so many times.
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What's up with the little boats?
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Why did you include these words?
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And there were also other little boats with him Nine tiny little words, but they weren't there accidentally.
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Have you ever asked yourself why am I here?
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Why is my church here?
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Why is this podcast here?
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Why is this podcast here Now?
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I believe that one of the reasons why this podcast has come about right now is because I'm meant to be a part of the community that is listening to it right now, just like your church.
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Your church is where it's at because you're meant to be part of that community.
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Now.
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We're all like little boats carrying the message of Christ to the world.
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Whether we're sailing through a calm water or facing storms, or in those storms of life, we're not alone.
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We have the other little boats journeying with us.
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Now, whether you're a man of God or a woman of God, or just consider yourself a child of God you're navigating the sea of life and sometimes you experience peace, and other times you're in the middle of a storm and the world keeps moving around you, but you're not alone.
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There's little boats that sail right alongside you.
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This podcast is accompanied by little boats constantly running parallel to us.
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Right here, in our little community, right beside our gospel ship, there's a thousand little boats, just like the disciples had.
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They had other little boats on the lake that day, and we all have companions on the journey and renewed mindsets, or your home church.
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As a child of God, you're not alone either.
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There's little boats that have been following us all along.
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They're smaller and they're less experienced than us, and they're the first ones to be destroyed in life's challenges because they don't have Jesus with them.
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These little boats are watching how we respond to the storm, how we handle difficult situations, and how we respond to the storm, how we handle difficult situations.
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Did you know that you're a hero to some little boat out there?
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You're an example to that little boat.
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Your attitude and your behavior is going to influence their actions and their outcome.
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It's not just about the boat with Jesus in it, but it's about all the little boats that don't have Jesus in them.
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How many of those little boats follow you every day?
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We focus on church people looking out for these little boats.
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But what about us?
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We're the children of God.
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Now, after we sing and shout in church and we're worn out and we're heading home, there might be somebody right there with us in the back seat, like our child.
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It's important to remember that our words and our actions, even in private moments, are important.
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We've got to be careful to not be too quick to criticize or condemn other people, like some church people do.
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Instead, we need to remember that we have the power to positively impact the lives of these little boats that follow us, and we might not realize it, but when we speak negatively, we're actually causing harm to our loved ones, and some of them truly are little boats.
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You've probably heard the saying from World War II loose lips sink ships.
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Well, that's true.
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It's truer than you know.
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Life throws us obstacles and it feels like our little boats are getting overwhelmed.
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These obstacles are natural and they're part of a person's faith.
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We'll talk more about that later.
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But when we try to fix a situation, our first instinct is to remove the water from our own boat.
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Right, that's understandable, but we need to be careful to not throw that water into somebody else's little boat.
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They're already dealing with their own challenges, so we don't need to add to it with our own problems.
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Let's just let me give you a for example.
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Let's say somebody at your church has taken on a role that we believe is our responsibility.
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Now we might get upset and we might want to prove that they don't own the church right, and as we focus on bailing out the water from our own troubled life, we need to make sure that we're not pouring it into someone else's little boat.
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Unfortunately, ministers pastors sometimes make this mistake.
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It's easy to vent our frustrations, but when our children grow up and leave the church because they've been affected by our negative behavior, we wonder why.
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It's because we've caused them harm by constantly complaining instead of being supportive.
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Why do you think that there's so many pastor's kids that don't go to church as adults?
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Do you think that those pastors didn't raise them up in church?
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No, but a lot of times those children have gotten a firsthand look at the behind the scenes of what goes on at church.
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So we need to be mindful of our words and our actions, because they're going to have lasting impact on the people around us, especially our family.
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Instead of sinking their little boats, let's strive to uplift and support each other through all these storms.
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Instead, there were other small boats with him.
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God, these little boats are following you.
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They're watching how you handle your storm.
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They don't have the same strength as you.
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They're looking to you for inspiration, and when you desperately bail out water and throw it overboard, don't flood those little boats.
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They don't have the same relationship with the Lord that you do.
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They haven't experienced the 23rd Psalm in their lives, where it says even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
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They haven't been through enough storms to know that a thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
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They haven't lived it because they're not big boats, they're little boats.
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Now, these little boats are brave in the storms, just like you are.
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They're observing how you respond to the challenges.
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They see how you act in faith.
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They are the little boats.
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Whether you realize it or not, as a child of God, you might be the big boat that somebody's watching and they're following you to reach their destination.
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Now, I truly believe that the reason for the terrible storm that affected the disciples that day was to show the power of faith to these little boats, and maybe that storm in your life also means to demonstrate faith to the little boats surrounding you.
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We need to remember the real problems caused by the storm.
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In verse 37, it says and a strong wind caused a great storm and the waves filled the boat.
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Now, the wind was one of the obstacles.
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It symbolizes the spiritual obstacles that come into our life.
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The devil hinders our journey like the wind and, as he's called the prince of the power of the air right, the great winds represent demonic attacks that hinder us.
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It's important to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
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The other obstacle that we face are waves.
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The waves represent the challenges that come naturally in life, just like people and their attitudes.
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Right, these are natural obstacles and they can be difficult to overcome.
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Now imagine this the disciples were in a boat when these natural obstacles the waves started to hit them hard.
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The boat was being battered by the waves, which were fueled by strong winds.
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These winds represent the spiritual obstacles that created problems in the natural world.
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Everything was going well until the devil's influence started taking hold.
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The church was functioning smoothly until the enemy began to spread lies and negativity.
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The devil's influence caused the wind to stir up the waves in our daily lives and the devil manipulated good-hearted individuals and it turned them into waves that relentlessly pounded our boats.
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How many innocent little boats have been lost because they weren't able to withstand the waves created by the devil's influence on churchgoers?
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You know exactly what I'm talking about.
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Ultimately, it's the unsaved person who suffers the most.
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They ride alongside us in their little boat and they become the collateral damage of the waves stirred up by the devil.
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We need to pray for God's help and guidance, to watch out for these innocent little boats and protect them.
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God, that's what we have to do.
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We've got to protect these little boats from harm.
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Let me show you a principle embedded in this scripture.
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It's Mark 4, 39.
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It says and he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, peace be still.
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And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
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Do you know how I can tell that the wind represents the devil?
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Because the scripture states that he arose.
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Aren't you glad that he rose up?
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We're on the verge of being crushed, but he rose up.
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We're about to sink, but he rose up.
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But the wind?
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It has to be about the devil, because he says he rebuked the wind.
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Let me tell you today there are storms that are going to come into your life, and these storms come as a result of a demonic wind and they need to be rebuked.
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Now I believe that there may be winds raging in the lives of people hearing my voice right now, and these winds must be rebuked by you, child of God, and by me.
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I know the wind has to be about the devil, because Jesus rebuked it, but then look at the waves.
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Rebuked it, but then look at the waves.
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The waves have to be about men and women, because of what he did.
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He said to the sea.
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He said to the waves peace, be still.
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He spoke into their lives.
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He spoke peace, and that was the outcome Peace.
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He spoke peace and that was the outcome Peace.
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There are little boats at risk.
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Friends, we need to understand that this storm is not about us.
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It's about the little boats.
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These minor, little conflicts that we're engaged in are foolish compared to the possibility of losing even a single little boat, and we need to ask ourselves is this issue just like a passing breeze?
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If it is, we need to rebuke it.
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Is this issue a wave?
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Well then, there needs to be a strong wind causing it.
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Rebuke it.
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We need to ensure that these little boats reach the other side safely, god.
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Lord Jesus, help me control my emotions.
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God, please help me restrain from speaking thoughtlessly.
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God, please prevent me from sinking any little boats, because I was so desperate that I couldn't keep quiet me from sinking any little boats because I was so desperate that I couldn't keep quiet.
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Please forgive me if I've said anything hurtful about any of your followers.
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Please forgive me, god, if I have any blamed waves that were in my life.
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That was actually the wind's fault, because I want the little boats to reach the other side.
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God, if I end up ruining myself, please help me guide the little boats through.
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So many times I've blamed the waves, but it was the wind.
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There's a destination.
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There's a powerful rescue waiting on the gathering shore, but I also need to make sure that the other little boats make it there as well.
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But I also need to make sure that the other little boats make it there as well.
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And now, deep Thoughts with Anakin Skywalker.
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I love the sea.
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I don't like sand.
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It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
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Hey, you don't know how much I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and if you're listening and you're regular do you know that I have a second podcast?
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It's called Wisdom for the Day.
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You can find it at wisdomforthedayorg or right here.
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Wherever you're listening to this podcast, just do a search for Wisdom for the Day.
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It's basically a daily podcast from the book of Proverbs.
00:19:45.605 --> 00:19:51.477
I read about two verses a day and do a deep dive on those two verses.
00:19:51.477 --> 00:20:00.864
Now, when you say deep dive on two verses, it's only going to be about five or six minutes, so you don't have to devote your whole life to another podcast.
00:20:00.864 --> 00:20:09.519
As much as I appreciate you listening to this one, I really want you to listen to the next one and I don't want to take up all your time.
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:11.503
So give me five minutes.
00:20:11.503 --> 00:20:13.876
You can listen to that while you're shaving.
00:20:13.876 --> 00:20:18.817
You can listen to it when you first get in the car and waiting for it to warm up or cool off.
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I guess now, since it's going to be summer, I'd appreciate it.
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If you like it, let somebody else know about it too.
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That's wisdomforthedayorg.
00:20:28.986 --> 00:20:32.383
I love you, see, ya.
00:20:32.383 --> 00:20:40.359
Well, that's all for this week's show.
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You know the name of this show speaks my hope for you.
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It's taken from the words of Romans, chapter 12, verse 2.
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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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If you enjoyed what you heard, do me a favor, please and tell someone you know about it.
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Send them a link in a text you know you may even need to download it to their phone and show them what a podcast is.
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If it was valuable to you, it will be to them.
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Visit renewedmindsetscom to hear past episodes, read the blog and check out the new merch and, as always while you're there, send me a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom right corner of the main page.
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Tell me what you think about this show.
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I just might play it on a your episode until next week.
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I'm rick.
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I love you.
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See ya.
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The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready?
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By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready?
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Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Incorporated.
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Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes.
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Music used with permission.
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Outro Music.