WEBVTT
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But morning.
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Almost lunchtime on a Saturday.
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This is once again the Preacher Man Podcast, Sermons and Lessons.
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I'm your host, Bland the Preacher Man Crane.
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Welcome to another back-to-back episode.
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As I mentioned in the previous episode, we were away for a couple of days, and scheduling was going to be a little rough.
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So had to take a pause.
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Had to go take care of some family, family business, and family matters, which was always a good thing.
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It's always good to be around family.
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But now we're back and we are rocking and rolling again with another episode of The Sermons and Lessons.
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Last uh last two Sundays ago, we wrapped up one series, and this is the recording of the start of our new series.
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We which we entitled Fix the Cracks.
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And I'm really kind of liking this concept of the idea of, of course, you know, with our theme of the year being fixed in 2026, we can uh see how there are a lot of things that require maintenance.
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Some things that could require some preventative maintenance, but just the day-to-day routine things of what we need to do daily in our spiritual lives and sometimes in our even in our physical lives as well to keep the thing keep our spiritual life going, to keep the Christianity flowing, to to keep our church uh not only spiritually on the right track, but also uh keeping our families um just healthy, staying healthy, staying vital.
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So part of fixing the cracks or fixing in 2026 is fixing the cracks.
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And we look at this in this Sunday's uh lesson that was recorded last week.
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We're looking at what it means to what does it mean to experience, and how do we experience, or how do we know when what we know needs to be repaired is getting repaired by the master builder.
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That's God.
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It's no secret that God is in the business of true restoration.
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God wants us to God knows, and you let me start by this saying, God knows that there's going to be times in our lives where some things might wear out, fall apart, the ground might shift from underneath us.
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And next thing you know, we've got an issue.
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An issue with our spiritual building, if you will.
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So this Sunday, last Sunday was our the beginning of our new miniseries on what does it mean to experience renewal and restoration.
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We So the sermon is the the sermon title is in fact the name of the of the of the mini-series, and that's Fix the Cracks.
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It was preached um last Sunday on the ninth.
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The text that we looked into was Psalms 51 10, Luke 15 11, Romans 12 2, and Ephesians 4 23.
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And as always, like we will uh encourage you to uh stay on after the ser after the lesson is uh after recording is done.
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So we can do a little follow-up.
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But in the meantime, let's go ahead and jump right in.
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Turn on your Bibles or open your Bibles to Psalms fifty-one.
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Psalm fifty-one is where we'll get our start, but believe me, we'll get to the the prodigal son here after a little bit.
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I appreciate you all being on your best behavior while my mom's here visiting with us.
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And I also appreciate Mike's Mike's thoughts about fixing things.
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I from for a brief second, I thought, did Mike somehow take a chance and and or sneak into my office and look at my sermon notes?
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Because it almost sounded like he was about to say the almost the exact same thing I was gonna say, but he's he's going a slightly different uh direction approach, which is fine.
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You know, hey, messages are messages, and we all uh have each of things we need to say.
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This morning, though, uh we are gonna talk about cracks, we are gonna talk about some things, we're gonna talk about wear and tear.
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Um, many of us, uh especially uh the when living here in this area of limestone county, uh, you know, you you you look at a at a well it didn't have to be an old house.
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It could be a a house that's just been recently built or uh a somewhat moderately old house, and uh you might notice uh after a while, you might notice um uh a little fracture running along the the brick of the house.
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Or you might see a uh a crack in the foundation of that house.
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You might even notice that maybe there's a a crack or uh a little bit of a of some plaster kind of getting a little you know, showing itself on a wall in one of the rooms.
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And many times, at first, those kinds of uh issues that you might have in a house are easy to ignore.
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You might push a couch in front of it, maybe hang a picture over it, maybe you might do something to disguise it, draw attention away from it, thinking that well, the foundation's just settling, or the house is just shifting a little bit.
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It's it's normal, especially in Limestone County.
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But any you ask any contractor or any person who has any experience in building something, and and believe we got a handful of them here who worship with us, you ask any person who knows what they're talking about, you leave a crack unattended, and nature will go to work.
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Moisture might get in, winter cold might cause it to expand.
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The foundation might shift, and suddenly what was just a minor cosmetic flaw can have a huge structural integrity problem with that house, with that building.
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So, as we go through this lesson this morning, titled, entitled Fix the Cracks, I want you to think about this question.
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And this is one of this is one of the rare times that the question that I want you to think about at the beginning of the sermon, we're gonna swing circle back down at the end and and maybe provide some answers.
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I know there's more than one sometimes.
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What happens though?
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What happens if when we ask our Heavenly Father to help us in the hard work of having a repentant heart and asking God to help us with the spirit of renewal.
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Spiritual life operates a lot in the same way as it does a house that needs maintenance.
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For many of us, we we might not, we might, we we rarely might experience a catastrophe or we in our faith or in our spiritual walk, we may not have an overnight collapse of faith.
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We don't just fall off a cliff and give up and give up and say, you know what, I'm tired of this religion stuff.
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No.
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What really, I mean, if we're really honest with ourselves, what really happens is is that we in many cases, we suffer the same as that house we were talking about.
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We suffer from spiritual wear and tear, a little compromise here, a little unaddressed grief over there, a little chaotic fatigue.
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Maybe we are hanging on because we have nothing else to hang on to, and it resolves in hidden resentment.
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Maybe we have allowed a bad habit that we thought we kicked and we thought we overcome.
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Maybe that bad habit is creeping back in.
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Those things are like hairline cracks in the form, and they come in the and they form up and they affect our integrity, they will impact our joy, and they will have a detrimental effect on our focus.
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When you choose to leave these kinds of things unattended, unchecked, those little bitty hairline fractures become, they'll weaken.
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They'll weaken you, and they weaken you from the inside out.
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The series that we're going to do is all about fixing the cracks.
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We're not here to put a fresh coat of paint over a deep something that has been decaying and structurally decaying.
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We're not here to brush over, cover up, or try to sweep stuff under the rug.
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We're gonna take a good hard look, an honest look at where our souls are fractured.
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And then we're gonna discover God's divine blueprint for a spiritual restoration through repentance and renewal.
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Now, some of us are gonna say, well, what about the other person?
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We're not talking about the other person.
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We're talking about ourselves.
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We are always called to be honest with ourselves.
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And some of us quite possibly are holding on to things, refusing to let go.
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Maybe, maybe, just maybe, this will encourage you to do such a thing and give it to the Lord so you can finally move on and get that healing and get that repair that you need.
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Just like any other situation that we deal with in today's world, we are quite we are required when it comes to looking at this honestly and purposefully, we are called to have an honest assessment.
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I can't be honest for you.
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You have to be honest for yourself.
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Every great restoration project begins with an honest assessment of the damages.
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Just like Dr.
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Phil says, you can't fix what you refuse to acknowledge.
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David said it this way in Psalms 51, 10.
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He says, Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
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Now, if any of you are know your stories of the life of times of King David, you know that David wasn't writing this poem from a place of triumph.
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David wasn't writing this poem from a time where he was having a really good day.
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No, this comes from wreckage.
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This comes from decay.
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He was writing this after he had from the aspect of his own moral failure.
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The man after God's own heart lied, manipulated, committed adultery, arranged for a murder, needless to say, he was spiritually shattered.
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The only good thing, well, no, a lot of good things came from this, don't get me wrong, but the only thing that really sticks out in my mind when I think about that is that when the prophet Nathan went to the king to tell him, you the man, by the way, wouldn't you have loved to have that job?
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God, yes, Lord.
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Oh, Nathan, yes, Lord.
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I want you to go and confront the king about his actions of late.
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Huh?
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Really?
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You want me?
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I kind of want to keep my head, Lord.
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But when David was confronted by the prophet, he didn't get his feelings hurt.
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He didn't start pointing the finger at other people or other places.
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Well, they're doing this, and this is doing this, and or he didn't go, Nathan, why are you picking on me?
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David took it, and his example should be an example for us all when we are forced to come face to face with a situation that we're dealing with, and we're not doing a very good job of it.
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That is the result of a confrontation handled the right way, and David asking the Lord to cleanse me like Hyssop, to start over my scroll, a fresh start.
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David, he doesn't, he now notice this: David doesn't ask God to improve his heart.
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He asks him to create Bahra in Hebrew, a word exclusively used for God to create something out of nothing.
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He recognizes that his inner structure is beyond a do-it-yourself job.
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No, he needs a total overhaul.
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True spiritual restoration always begins with the kind of with a kind of radical honesty.
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You're right, Lord, you're right.
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I have tried to hide this for too long.
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I have been hanging on to this thing for too long.
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I will I have been unable to forgive.
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I have been unable to forget.
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I have been unable to do whatever for far too long.
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I need to start from scratch.
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Repentance is not merely feeling sorry that you got caught or wringing your hands in guilt.
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Repentance is structural honesty.
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I'm gonna say that again.
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Repentance is structural honesty.
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It's stepping past the excuses, it's removing the furniture, sliding it out of the way that we used to cover up the crack in the wall, and saying, Okay, Lord, there it is.
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There's the structural fall, there's the hole, there's the crack.
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I broke it and I can't fix it.
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So instead, let's just do it.
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Let's just let's just let's just start over.
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Create in me a clean heart and renew me with a steadfast spirit.
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Now, I would love to tell you that that's the end of the sermon, but unfortunately it's not because acknowledging the fact that you have a crack in your wall or in your foundation is just step one.
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But what does this journey back to actual uh back actually look like?
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For that, Jesus gives us the ultimate picture of this in the story of the prodigal son.
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We often focus on the rebellion of the younger son, asking for his share and going on, and my Bible version says, squandering on wild living, goes off into a distant country and lives it up.
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But I want you to focus on this in this certain in this in this pro in this parable, focus on what triggers restoration.
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But when he came, by the way, my favorite part of the story, when he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death.
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I will set out and I will go back to my father.
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The turning point in the prodigal wasn't a sudden burst of theological brilliance.
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The clouds didn't part, a beam shone that didn't come down from heaven and saying, Hey, wake up.
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He didn't get a person didn't walk by and take a look at this sorry excuse of a kid and go, hey brother, you're in bad shape.
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Maybe you ought to think about doing something different.
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And he sure didn't get a text from his brother or a phone call from his father saying, Hey, haven't heard from you in a while.
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How's it going?
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This young man was awakened by the situation that he put himself in.
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He had been living a lie.
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Finds himself in a place in the middle of a severe famine.
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He is working on another man's farm, and he is jealous of the pigs he's feeding.
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In a way, he was completely separated from his identity.
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But the moment he came to his senses, he realized two things.
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The first thing he realized was the state of his current reality.
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He was dying in a foreign wasteland.
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The second thing that he realized was this, and that was the character of his daddy.
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Even the servants back home who were working for his father had an abundance.
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That the realization of those things, that is the first step when it comes to repentance.
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Recognizing that we're one, we're wrong, and two, God is right.
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And the second step is acting, acting out on that truth.
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Right?
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Restoration requires us to wake up.
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Wake them from that stupor of our distractions.
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Repentance is packing your bags and walking away from the pig pen and making and turning our face toward our father.
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And we don't know this story.
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How does how does how does Daddy respond?
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Does he stand on the porch with his arms crossed?
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Well, well, well who's come crawling back to the house.
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Does he make his son serve on a probationary period by working in the backyard?
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No.
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Look at verse 20.
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Set out, come to his father.
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Still a long way off.
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His father saw him, felt compassion for him, ran and embraced him and kissed him.
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Rich men don't run.
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Men who are in a good situation of their household, they have other people running their errands for him.
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But this daddy never stopped looking for his son to come home.
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I've always said, I've been, you know, when the artists of our time try to do their best to give us a portrait, as humanly impossible as that is, of what Jehovah God might look like, I would say paint a picture of the father sitting on his porch watching for his kid to come home.
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If that's not the face of God, I don't know what is.
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So once we return and we can and we see how that real renovations start to work and take place, notice, remember this.
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God doesn't just forgive us and then leave us in a state of spiritual ruin.
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No, he begins to actively ongoing process of renewal.
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And Paul outlines it this in two powerful passages.
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First, the first process of this renewal is the transformation of the perspective.
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Romans 12, 2.
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And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the what?
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Renewing of your mind.
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So that you may prove what the will of God is, that you may that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
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The Greek word for transformed here is metamorpho, which is where we get the term metamorphosis.
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And you all know this.
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It's the process like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
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It's an eternal biological transformation that eventually changes the outward appearance.
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The world will consistently will try to put pressure on us.
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The world's going to try to take our lives and pour it out, and it became all fractured, and it'll have mold, like anxiety, or it'll have ambition or cynicism or compromise.
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But renewal requires us to resist that external pressure and allow God to rewire our thought patterns.
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How many of you here have said, Oh, I will give the Lord my heart?
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Are you willing to give Him your brain?
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The way you think?
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Every time we replace a lie with God's truth, every time we choose grace over bitterness, every time we try to practice the concept of letting things in the past go.
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Every time we remember that forgiveness is a choice to release anger, release bitterness so that the offense doesn't block our spiritual walk.
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Your heart becomes clear.
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It stops past hurts from controlling your spirit, keeping your connection with Him open and clear.
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It's like pouring fresh concrete into a crack of our mind.
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The second concept in this two-part that Paul talks about is found in Ephesians 4.23.
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Maintenance.
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The maintaining of a spirit.
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He says, and I'm going to read a little bit more before this because I think it I needed I need to do it justice.
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The verse by itself can stand alone.
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But for us to really appreciate what Paul is saying, we need to kind of back up a little bit and read what's a little bit before.
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So I know well I know verse 23 is here, but starting in verse 20, it says, but you did not learn Christ this way.
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If indeed you have heard of him and have been taught in him, just as truth that is in Jesus, that is that in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourself of the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.
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That whole chapter, Ephesians 4, frames this renewal not just as a one-time event, but a daily, daily process.
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Just like a house requires some sweeping and some dusting and some painting and some checking on the plumbing.
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And the roof needs to be inspected every once in a while, and the water heater needs to be maintained every once in a while.
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Our spiritual lives require daily maintenance.
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Don't you get it?
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And when I say you, or we so when I say we, I'm really saying me.
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I should wake up every morning and hit my knees and say, Lord, my spirit is prone to drift.
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I will admit that to you today and every day.
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Fix the cracks that formed yesterday and renew my mind today.
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So back to the question: what happens?
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:46.000
What happens when we let God guide us through that hard work of repentance and renewal?
00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:46.960
Well, here you go.
00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:49.519
One, the foundation holds.
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:53.119
The foundation holds.
00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:59.039
When that storm hits, when that storm of life hits, and they will, don't you don't misunderstand me.
00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:05.599
You don't crumble because your hope is anchored and restored in a restored identity.
00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:13.119
When you let God help you with repentance and renewal, shame gets lifted.
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:23.759
The guilt that once weighed you down is replaced by a robe and a ring and a pair of sandals that your heavenly father ordered in advance for you to have.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.480
The cracks become testimonies.
00:32:42.720 --> 00:33:05.119
Once he mends those fractures, they often become the strongest part of our testimony, providing to others, telling others that no life on this earth, no life is gonna get, is gonna stay broken when God's grace is all about rebuilding.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:15.039
The song we're gonna sing for the invitation is a song that uh you should know.
00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:23.839
It's a newer song, it's a devotional song, but it's a song that's based off of David's prayer in Psalm 51.
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:29.200
As we sing this song, I want you to look inside yourself.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:32.319
I want you to look inside yourself.
00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:38.000
Where are your cracks in your spiritual house?
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:41.920
Maybe it's a fracture in your prayer life.
00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:45.759
Maybe you have an integrity crack.
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:53.599
Maybe there's a hole of bitterness, and it is eroding your joy.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:59.920
It's time to stop hiding it with a picture frame or a couch.
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:02.960
It's time to stop sweeping it under the rug.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:07.359
It's time to stop pretending that it isn't there.
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:12.159
Let the light come in.
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:24.159
Turn away from the empty promises of what's offered in a distant country, and let the master builder go to work.
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:33.280
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:40.239
It is uh just so it's just uh it it it impresses me so much on how we can take just one little aspect of the big picture of the prodigal sun and just use that section to highlight a a topic just like this restoration and renewal.
00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:49.280
We there have been m wonderful, wonderful sermons preached on the prodigal sun.
00:35:49.920 --> 00:36:10.239
Um and I I well of course it for many of us it's one of our favorite parables because it describes uh just how repentance work it describes how we should see God and how God sees us.
00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.199
Just it's so multifaceted, you know.
00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:32.639
Um but what really we wanted to what we want to us to to see is that if uh the situation Let's face it.
00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:38.320
I know for a lot of guys out there, we think we are just the ultimate handyman.
00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:45.679
And if we get have the right tools and the right equipment and everything else, we can probably fix anything we could get our hands on.
00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:53.760
But if we're really honest with ourselves, even the most uh uh talented handyman is gonna hit his limit.
00:36:55.920 --> 00:37:10.880
I can I I will I I and some of us are even happy to admit that certain uh certain uh projects we don't even want to mess with.
00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:23.199
For a perfect example for me anything electrical I would much rather leave it to a professional.
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:29.760
I do not want I do not want to mess with electricity.
00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:48.719
I mean I love technology, I love the fact that we have access to um electrical power to run our laptops and charge our cell phones and turn our lights on, but I really don't want to get electrocuted.
00:37:49.039 --> 00:37:51.440
I just I mean that just that's not my thing.
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:56.400
I you know I it I I don't want to say I'm scared, but I'm a little frightened of it.
00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:58.639
I have or maybe maybe I should say it this way.
00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:00.159
I have a lot of respect for it.
00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:01.760
Plumbing?
00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.440
Not a problem.
00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:05.760
I can I can I can do some plumbing.
00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:07.199
Carpentry?
00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:19.519
Uh I'm a little out of practice, but I imagine if I had some help, I could really I could really do some I could really build some re or repair some things.
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:26.639
But nope, you can let I'll I want to leave the electricity to the professionals.
00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:36.239
But in any case, we all should be able to admit, look, some things are beyond our scope and we need to call in somebody who knows what they're doing.
00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:52.320
And when it comes to our spiritual lives, there is only one avenue in order to get those things, those cracks in our spiritual life, those holes, those repairs that need to be done.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:39:06.639
It is all about turning to the Lord daily and just asking him to do what David asked in the Psalms.
00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:08.559
Created me a clean heart, O God.
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:12.639
Re renew me, restore me.
00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:35.440
Start from scratch, rebuild, reshape and restore the joy of your salvation so I can have the right spirit and the right attitude to be able to do your will and glorify your name and all that day.
00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:47.280
Now next Sunday, this coming Sunday, tomorrow actually, we will be continuing in this fix the cracks series.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:40:09.920
We're going to uh uh hopefully understand, walk away with the understanding that in most cases something being restored or something being renewed isn't going to happen overnight.
00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:20.719
Sometimes the restoration takes some time to be completely whole.
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:47.039
And we're gonna be making a comparison and we're going to be understanding that there are because we are in such a fast-paced uh quick, dry, um instant generation where things we expect things to be done quickly to uh solidify quickly.
00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:51.840
We even expect our bodies to heal faster sometimes.
00:40:53.360 --> 00:41:16.239
But when the master builder is doing the project, he is the one who will be able to be able to tell you in the future, hey this crack is repaired now, you can start painting or you can start doing whatever it is you need to be doing.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:23.119
But in the meantime, some things need time to cure.
00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:29.119
Restoration and renewal is like that.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:35.679
We have to have a little patience and understanding and expect a wait time.
00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:49.199
Look forward to getting that uh downloaded and put on the podcast for the next podcast coming up, and maybe I'll be back on schedule this week, Lord willing.
00:41:49.679 --> 00:42:06.559
In the meantime, if you have any questions, if you have any comments, if you have any suggestions on uh where uh on anything that we've talked about or discussed on this podcast or previous podcast, I would love to hear from you.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:09.599
The Preacher Man Podcast has a Facebook page.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:32.639
All you gotta do is get on that little search bar on Facebook, type in Preacher Man Podcast, and you will see um my name, you will see um cartoon figure of me, and if you go to that page and start following it, um you will be updated on when the next podcast comes up, but there's also you can message me.
00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:43.360
So you can use Facebook Messenger to contact me, to ask your question, to um give me your compliment or give me your thoughts on the on the show.
00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:52.079
But if you would rather do it another way, you can always email me at Preacherman1178 at gmail.com.
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:56.639
That's preacherman1178 at gmail.com.
00:42:56.719 --> 00:42:58.719
I would really love to hear from you.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:04.559
So in the meantime, uh hope the rest of your Saturday is blessed.
00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:12.719
Um I hope that you are enjoying the shows as well as enjoying our time together.
00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:14.880
And I appreciate you.
00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:16.000
I love ya.
00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:19.840
And uh hand it back over to you now.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:25.280
Have a blessed day, and always remember who you are and whose you are.
00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:23.359
But morning.
00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:26.960
Almost lunchtime on a Saturday.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:31.120
This is once again the Preacher Man Podcast, Sermons and Lessons.
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:33.759
I'm your host, Bland the Preacher Man Crane.
00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:38.479
Welcome to another back-to-back episode.
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:48.240
As I mentioned in the previous episode, we were away for a couple of days, and scheduling was going to be a little rough.
00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:50.240
So had to take a pause.
00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:55.759
Had to go take care of some family, family business, and family matters, which was always a good thing.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:58.320
It's always good to be around family.
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:07.519
But now we're back and we are rocking and rolling again with another episode of The Sermons and Lessons.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:17.680
Last uh last two Sundays ago, we wrapped up one series, and this is the recording of the start of our new series.
00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.439
We which we entitled Fix the Cracks.
00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:39.920
And I'm really kind of liking this concept of the idea of, of course, you know, with our theme of the year being fixed in 2026, we can uh see how there are a lot of things that require maintenance.
00:01:40.239 --> 00:02:18.719
Some things that could require some preventative maintenance, but just the day-to-day routine things of what we need to do daily in our spiritual lives and sometimes in our even in our physical lives as well to keep the thing keep our spiritual life going, to keep the Christianity flowing, to to keep our church uh not only spiritually on the right track, but also uh keeping our families um just healthy, staying healthy, staying vital.
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:27.680
So part of fixing the cracks or fixing in 2026 is fixing the cracks.
00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:35.919
And we look at this in this Sunday's uh lesson that was recorded last week.
00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:55.039
We're looking at what it means to what does it mean to experience, and how do we experience, or how do we know when what we know needs to be repaired is getting repaired by the master builder.
00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:55.840
That's God.
00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.639
It's no secret that God is in the business of true restoration.
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:22.479
God wants us to God knows, and you let me start by this saying, God knows that there's going to be times in our lives where some things might wear out, fall apart, the ground might shift from underneath us.
00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.560
And next thing you know, we've got an issue.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:30.800
An issue with our spiritual building, if you will.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:41.520
So this Sunday, last Sunday was our the beginning of our new miniseries on what does it mean to experience renewal and restoration.
00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:56.560
We So the sermon is the the sermon title is in fact the name of the of the of the mini-series, and that's Fix the Cracks.
00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.960
It was preached um last Sunday on the ninth.
00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:12.560
The text that we looked into was Psalms 51 10, Luke 15 11, Romans 12 2, and Ephesians 4 23.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:23.759
And as always, like we will uh encourage you to uh stay on after the ser after the lesson is uh after recording is done.
00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:25.920
So we can do a little follow-up.
00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.000
But in the meantime, let's go ahead and jump right in.
00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:07.600
Turn on your Bibles or open your Bibles to Psalms fifty-one.
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:17.519
Psalm fifty-one is where we'll get our start, but believe me, we'll get to the the prodigal son here after a little bit.
00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:22.959
I appreciate you all being on your best behavior while my mom's here visiting with us.
00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:28.319
And I also appreciate Mike's Mike's thoughts about fixing things.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:37.360
I from for a brief second, I thought, did Mike somehow take a chance and and or sneak into my office and look at my sermon notes?
00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:47.600
Because it almost sounded like he was about to say the almost the exact same thing I was gonna say, but he's he's going a slightly different uh direction approach, which is fine.
00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:53.040
You know, hey, messages are messages, and we all uh have each of things we need to say.
00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:59.439
This morning, though, uh we are gonna talk about cracks, we are gonna talk about some things, we're gonna talk about wear and tear.
00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:13.759
Um, many of us, uh especially uh the when living here in this area of limestone county, uh, you know, you you you look at a at a well it didn't have to be an old house.
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:31.120
It could be a a house that's just been recently built or uh a somewhat moderately old house, and uh you might notice uh after a while, you might notice um uh a little fracture running along the the brick of the house.
00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:37.360
Or you might see a uh a crack in the foundation of that house.
00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:50.879
You might even notice that maybe there's a a crack or uh a little bit of a of some plaster kind of getting a little you know, showing itself on a wall in one of the rooms.
00:06:51.680 --> 00:07:00.240
And many times, at first, those kinds of uh issues that you might have in a house are easy to ignore.
00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:25.759
You might push a couch in front of it, maybe hang a picture over it, maybe you might do something to disguise it, draw attention away from it, thinking that well, the foundation's just settling, or the house is just shifting a little bit.
00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:31.360
It's it's normal, especially in Limestone County.
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:54.480
But any you ask any contractor or any person who has any experience in building something, and and believe we got a handful of them here who worship with us, you ask any person who knows what they're talking about, you leave a crack unattended, and nature will go to work.
00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:03.279
Moisture might get in, winter cold might cause it to expand.
00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:22.399
The foundation might shift, and suddenly what was just a minor cosmetic flaw can have a huge structural integrity problem with that house, with that building.
00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:35.600
So, as we go through this lesson this morning, titled, entitled Fix the Cracks, I want you to think about this question.
00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:48.960
And this is one of this is one of the rare times that the question that I want you to think about at the beginning of the sermon, we're gonna swing circle back down at the end and and maybe provide some answers.
00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:50.799
I know there's more than one sometimes.
00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:52.399
What happens though?
00:08:52.639 --> 00:09:16.799
What happens if when we ask our Heavenly Father to help us in the hard work of having a repentant heart and asking God to help us with the spirit of renewal.
00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:34.480
Spiritual life operates a lot in the same way as it does a house that needs maintenance.
00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:52.480
For many of us, we we might not, we might, we we rarely might experience a catastrophe or we in our faith or in our spiritual walk, we may not have an overnight collapse of faith.
00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:59.519
We don't just fall off a cliff and give up and give up and say, you know what, I'm tired of this religion stuff.
00:09:59.600 --> 00:09:59.919
No.
00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:14.000
What really, I mean, if we're really honest with ourselves, what really happens is is that we in many cases, we suffer the same as that house we were talking about.
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:35.039
We suffer from spiritual wear and tear, a little compromise here, a little unaddressed grief over there, a little chaotic fatigue.
00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:47.679
Maybe we are hanging on because we have nothing else to hang on to, and it resolves in hidden resentment.
00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:57.120
Maybe we have allowed a bad habit that we thought we kicked and we thought we overcome.
00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:01.440
Maybe that bad habit is creeping back in.
00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:25.679
Those things are like hairline cracks in the form, and they come in the and they form up and they affect our integrity, they will impact our joy, and they will have a detrimental effect on our focus.
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:39.919
When you choose to leave these kinds of things unattended, unchecked, those little bitty hairline fractures become, they'll weaken.
00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:44.480
They'll weaken you, and they weaken you from the inside out.
00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:51.519
The series that we're going to do is all about fixing the cracks.
00:11:52.960 --> 00:12:01.759
We're not here to put a fresh coat of paint over a deep something that has been decaying and structurally decaying.
00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:09.200
We're not here to brush over, cover up, or try to sweep stuff under the rug.
00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:19.200
We're gonna take a good hard look, an honest look at where our souls are fractured.
00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:30.960
And then we're gonna discover God's divine blueprint for a spiritual restoration through repentance and renewal.
00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:34.720
Now, some of us are gonna say, well, what about the other person?
00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:36.799
We're not talking about the other person.
00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.120
We're talking about ourselves.
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:48.559
We are always called to be honest with ourselves.
00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:58.639
And some of us quite possibly are holding on to things, refusing to let go.
00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:13.519
Maybe, maybe, just maybe, this will encourage you to do such a thing and give it to the Lord so you can finally move on and get that healing and get that repair that you need.
00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:30.000
Just like any other situation that we deal with in today's world, we are quite we are required when it comes to looking at this honestly and purposefully, we are called to have an honest assessment.
00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.600
I can't be honest for you.
00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:35.919
You have to be honest for yourself.
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:44.240
Every great restoration project begins with an honest assessment of the damages.
00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:46.720
Just like Dr.
00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.480
Phil says, you can't fix what you refuse to acknowledge.
00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:56.399
David said it this way in Psalms 51, 10.
00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:06.879
He says, Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:19.600
Now, if any of you are know your stories of the life of times of King David, you know that David wasn't writing this poem from a place of triumph.
00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:27.840
David wasn't writing this poem from a time where he was having a really good day.
00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.759
No, this comes from wreckage.
00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:38.960
This comes from decay.
00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:50.480
He was writing this after he had from the aspect of his own moral failure.
00:14:51.600 --> 00:15:12.559
The man after God's own heart lied, manipulated, committed adultery, arranged for a murder, needless to say, he was spiritually shattered.
00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:34.639
The only good thing, well, no, a lot of good things came from this, don't get me wrong, but the only thing that really sticks out in my mind when I think about that is that when the prophet Nathan went to the king to tell him, you the man, by the way, wouldn't you have loved to have that job?
00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:36.960
God, yes, Lord.
00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:38.559
Oh, Nathan, yes, Lord.
00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:43.279
I want you to go and confront the king about his actions of late.
00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:43.919
Huh?
00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:44.879
Really?
00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:47.679
You want me?
00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.720
I kind of want to keep my head, Lord.
00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:03.440
But when David was confronted by the prophet, he didn't get his feelings hurt.
00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:10.320
He didn't start pointing the finger at other people or other places.
00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:17.120
Well, they're doing this, and this is doing this, and or he didn't go, Nathan, why are you picking on me?
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:37.279
David took it, and his example should be an example for us all when we are forced to come face to face with a situation that we're dealing with, and we're not doing a very good job of it.
00:16:40.399 --> 00:17:02.720
That is the result of a confrontation handled the right way, and David asking the Lord to cleanse me like Hyssop, to start over my scroll, a fresh start.
00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:13.440
David, he doesn't, he now notice this: David doesn't ask God to improve his heart.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:28.960
He asks him to create Bahra in Hebrew, a word exclusively used for God to create something out of nothing.
00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:36.880
He recognizes that his inner structure is beyond a do-it-yourself job.
00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:40.240
No, he needs a total overhaul.
00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:51.039
True spiritual restoration always begins with the kind of with a kind of radical honesty.
00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.920
You're right, Lord, you're right.
00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:57.440
I have tried to hide this for too long.
00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:00.720
I have been hanging on to this thing for too long.
00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:03.599
I will I have been unable to forgive.
00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:05.599
I have been unable to forget.
00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.039
I have been unable to do whatever for far too long.
00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:12.079
I need to start from scratch.
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:21.440
Repentance is not merely feeling sorry that you got caught or wringing your hands in guilt.
00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:26.640
Repentance is structural honesty.
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:29.519
I'm gonna say that again.
00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:34.559
Repentance is structural honesty.
00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:50.640
It's stepping past the excuses, it's removing the furniture, sliding it out of the way that we used to cover up the crack in the wall, and saying, Okay, Lord, there it is.
00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:56.160
There's the structural fall, there's the hole, there's the crack.
00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.200
I broke it and I can't fix it.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.759
So instead, let's just do it.
00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.839
Let's just let's just let's just start over.
00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:15.279
Create in me a clean heart and renew me with a steadfast spirit.
00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:28.160
Now, I would love to tell you that that's the end of the sermon, but unfortunately it's not because acknowledging the fact that you have a crack in your wall or in your foundation is just step one.
00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:35.680
But what does this journey back to actual uh back actually look like?
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:41.519
For that, Jesus gives us the ultimate picture of this in the story of the prodigal son.
00:19:41.839 --> 00:20:04.000
We often focus on the rebellion of the younger son, asking for his share and going on, and my Bible version says, squandering on wild living, goes off into a distant country and lives it up.
00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:17.039
But I want you to focus on this in this certain in this in this pro in this parable, focus on what triggers restoration.
00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:38.559
But when he came, by the way, my favorite part of the story, when he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death.
00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:44.799
I will set out and I will go back to my father.
00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:57.200
The turning point in the prodigal wasn't a sudden burst of theological brilliance.
00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:05.519
The clouds didn't part, a beam shone that didn't come down from heaven and saying, Hey, wake up.
00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:22.079
He didn't get a person didn't walk by and take a look at this sorry excuse of a kid and go, hey brother, you're in bad shape.
00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.359
Maybe you ought to think about doing something different.
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:38.720
And he sure didn't get a text from his brother or a phone call from his father saying, Hey, haven't heard from you in a while.
00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:39.839
How's it going?
00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:54.079
This young man was awakened by the situation that he put himself in.
00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.759
He had been living a lie.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.279
Finds himself in a place in the middle of a severe famine.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:16.000
He is working on another man's farm, and he is jealous of the pigs he's feeding.
00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:21.839
In a way, he was completely separated from his identity.
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:28.559
But the moment he came to his senses, he realized two things.
00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:33.279
The first thing he realized was the state of his current reality.
00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:37.680
He was dying in a foreign wasteland.
00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:47.839
The second thing that he realized was this, and that was the character of his daddy.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:55.680
Even the servants back home who were working for his father had an abundance.
00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:03.920
That the realization of those things, that is the first step when it comes to repentance.
00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:10.880
Recognizing that we're one, we're wrong, and two, God is right.
00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:18.799
And the second step is acting, acting out on that truth.
00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:20.559
Right?
00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:24.960
Restoration requires us to wake up.
00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:30.000
Wake them from that stupor of our distractions.
00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:40.880
Repentance is packing your bags and walking away from the pig pen and making and turning our face toward our father.
00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:46.720
And we don't know this story.
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.440
How does how does how does Daddy respond?
00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:56.079
Does he stand on the porch with his arms crossed?
00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:03.519
Well, well, well who's come crawling back to the house.
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:14.720
Does he make his son serve on a probationary period by working in the backyard?
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:15.599
No.
00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:18.319
Look at verse 20.
00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:20.720
Set out, come to his father.
00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:22.079
Still a long way off.
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:27.519
His father saw him, felt compassion for him, ran and embraced him and kissed him.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:32.000
Rich men don't run.
00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:42.960
Men who are in a good situation of their household, they have other people running their errands for him.
00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:49.519
But this daddy never stopped looking for his son to come home.
00:24:52.240 --> 00:25:17.920
I've always said, I've been, you know, when the artists of our time try to do their best to give us a portrait, as humanly impossible as that is, of what Jehovah God might look like, I would say paint a picture of the father sitting on his porch watching for his kid to come home.
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:21.119
If that's not the face of God, I don't know what is.
00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:56.720
So once we return and we can and we see how that real renovations start to work and take place, notice, remember this.
00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:03.359
God doesn't just forgive us and then leave us in a state of spiritual ruin.
00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:09.279
No, he begins to actively ongoing process of renewal.
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:13.599
And Paul outlines it this in two powerful passages.
00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:21.119
First, the first process of this renewal is the transformation of the perspective.
00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.680
Romans 12, 2.
00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:29.119
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the what?
00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:31.200
Renewing of your mind.
00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:40.559
So that you may prove what the will of God is, that you may that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:53.119
The Greek word for transformed here is metamorpho, which is where we get the term metamorphosis.
00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.119
And you all know this.
00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:00.079
It's the process like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:09.440
It's an eternal biological transformation that eventually changes the outward appearance.
00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:17.839
The world will consistently will try to put pressure on us.
00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:36.079
The world's going to try to take our lives and pour it out, and it became all fractured, and it'll have mold, like anxiety, or it'll have ambition or cynicism or compromise.
00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:49.519
But renewal requires us to resist that external pressure and allow God to rewire our thought patterns.
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:56.400
How many of you here have said, Oh, I will give the Lord my heart?
00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.079
Are you willing to give Him your brain?
00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:02.799
The way you think?
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:27.039
Every time we replace a lie with God's truth, every time we choose grace over bitterness, every time we try to practice the concept of letting things in the past go.
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:43.440
Every time we remember that forgiveness is a choice to release anger, release bitterness so that the offense doesn't block our spiritual walk.
00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:48.079
Your heart becomes clear.
00:28:55.519 --> 00:29:05.839
It stops past hurts from controlling your spirit, keeping your connection with Him open and clear.
00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:11.200
It's like pouring fresh concrete into a crack of our mind.
00:29:13.359 --> 00:29:19.359
The second concept in this two-part that Paul talks about is found in Ephesians 4.23.
00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:22.400
Maintenance.
00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:26.000
The maintaining of a spirit.
00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:33.599
He says, and I'm going to read a little bit more before this because I think it I needed I need to do it justice.
00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:36.240
The verse by itself can stand alone.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:43.119
But for us to really appreciate what Paul is saying, we need to kind of back up a little bit and read what's a little bit before.
00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:51.200
So I know well I know verse 23 is here, but starting in verse 20, it says, but you did not learn Christ this way.
00:29:51.359 --> 00:30:17.279
If indeed you have heard of him and have been taught in him, just as truth that is in Jesus, that is that in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourself of the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.
00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:33.279
That whole chapter, Ephesians 4, frames this renewal not just as a one-time event, but a daily, daily process.
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:44.640
Just like a house requires some sweeping and some dusting and some painting and some checking on the plumbing.
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:52.880
And the roof needs to be inspected every once in a while, and the water heater needs to be maintained every once in a while.
00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:56.000
Our spiritual lives require daily maintenance.
00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:57.279
Don't you get it?
00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:07.680
And when I say you, or we so when I say we, I'm really saying me.
00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:17.680
I should wake up every morning and hit my knees and say, Lord, my spirit is prone to drift.
00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:23.599
I will admit that to you today and every day.
00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:31.839
Fix the cracks that formed yesterday and renew my mind today.
00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:38.079
So back to the question: what happens?
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:46.000
What happens when we let God guide us through that hard work of repentance and renewal?
00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:46.960
Well, here you go.
00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:49.519
One, the foundation holds.
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:53.119
The foundation holds.
00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:59.039
When that storm hits, when that storm of life hits, and they will, don't you don't misunderstand me.
00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:05.599
You don't crumble because your hope is anchored and restored in a restored identity.
00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:13.119
When you let God help you with repentance and renewal, shame gets lifted.
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:23.759
The guilt that once weighed you down is replaced by a robe and a ring and a pair of sandals that your heavenly father ordered in advance for you to have.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.480
The cracks become testimonies.
00:32:42.720 --> 00:33:05.119
Once he mends those fractures, they often become the strongest part of our testimony, providing to others, telling others that no life on this earth, no life is gonna get, is gonna stay broken when God's grace is all about rebuilding.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:15.039
The song we're gonna sing for the invitation is a song that uh you should know.
00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:23.839
It's a newer song, it's a devotional song, but it's a song that's based off of David's prayer in Psalm 51.
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:29.200
As we sing this song, I want you to look inside yourself.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:32.319
I want you to look inside yourself.
00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:38.000
Where are your cracks in your spiritual house?
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:41.920
Maybe it's a fracture in your prayer life.
00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:45.759
Maybe you have an integrity crack.
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:53.599
Maybe there's a hole of bitterness, and it is eroding your joy.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:59.920
It's time to stop hiding it with a picture frame or a couch.
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:02.960
It's time to stop sweeping it under the rug.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:07.359
It's time to stop pretending that it isn't there.
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:12.159
Let the light come in.
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:24.159
Turn away from the empty promises of what's offered in a distant country, and let the master builder go to work.
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:33.280
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:40.239
It is uh just so it's just uh it it it impresses me so much on how we can take just one little aspect of the big picture of the prodigal sun and just use that section to highlight a a topic just like this restoration and renewal.
00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:49.280
We there have been m wonderful, wonderful sermons preached on the prodigal sun.
00:35:49.920 --> 00:36:10.239
Um and I I well of course it for many of us it's one of our favorite parables because it describes uh just how repentance work it describes how we should see God and how God sees us.
00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.199
Just it's so multifaceted, you know.
00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:32.639
Um but what really we wanted to what we want to us to to see is that if uh the situation Let's face it.
00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:38.320
I know for a lot of guys out there, we think we are just the ultimate handyman.
00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:45.679
And if we get have the right tools and the right equipment and everything else, we can probably fix anything we could get our hands on.
00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:53.760
But if we're really honest with ourselves, even the most uh uh talented handyman is gonna hit his limit.
00:36:55.920 --> 00:37:10.880
I can I I will I I and some of us are even happy to admit that certain uh certain uh projects we don't even want to mess with.
00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:23.199
For a perfect example for me anything electrical I would much rather leave it to a professional.
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:29.760
I do not want I do not want to mess with electricity.
00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:48.719
I mean I love technology, I love the fact that we have access to um electrical power to run our laptops and charge our cell phones and turn our lights on, but I really don't want to get electrocuted.
00:37:49.039 --> 00:37:51.440
I just I mean that just that's not my thing.
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:56.400
I you know I it I I don't want to say I'm scared, but I'm a little frightened of it.
00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:58.639
I have or maybe maybe I should say it this way.
00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:00.159
I have a lot of respect for it.
00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:01.760
Plumbing?
00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.440
Not a problem.
00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:05.760
I can I can I can do some plumbing.
00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:07.199
Carpentry?
00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:19.519
Uh I'm a little out of practice, but I imagine if I had some help, I could really I could really do some I could really build some re or repair some things.
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:26.639
But nope, you can let I'll I want to leave the electricity to the professionals.
00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:36.239
But in any case, we all should be able to admit, look, some things are beyond our scope and we need to call in somebody who knows what they're doing.
00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:52.320
And when it comes to our spiritual lives, there is only one avenue in order to get those things, those cracks in our spiritual life, those holes, those repairs that need to be done.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:39:06.639
It is all about turning to the Lord daily and just asking him to do what David asked in the Psalms.
00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:08.559
Created me a clean heart, O God.
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:12.639
Re renew me, restore me.
00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:35.440
Start from scratch, rebuild, reshape and restore the joy of your salvation so I can have the right spirit and the right attitude to be able to do your will and glorify your name and all that day.
00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:47.280
Now next Sunday, this coming Sunday, tomorrow actually, we will be continuing in this fix the cracks series.
00:39:49.199 --> 00:40:09.920
We're going to uh uh hopefully understand, walk away with the understanding that in most cases something being restored or something being renewed isn't going to happen overnight.
00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:20.719
Sometimes the restoration takes some time to be completely whole.
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:47.039
And we're gonna be making a comparison and we're going to be understanding that there are because we are in such a fast-paced uh quick, dry, um instant generation where things we expect things to be done quickly to uh solidify quickly.
00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:51.840
We even expect our bodies to heal faster sometimes.
00:40:53.360 --> 00:41:16.239
But when the master builder is doing the project, he is the one who will be able to be able to tell you in the future, hey this crack is repaired now, you can start painting or you can start doing whatever it is you need to be doing.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:23.119
But in the meantime, some things need time to cure.
00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:29.119
Restoration and renewal is like that.
00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:35.679
We have to have a little patience and understanding and expect a wait time.
00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:49.199
Look forward to getting that uh downloaded and put on the podcast for the next podcast coming up, and maybe I'll be back on schedule this week, Lord willing.
00:41:49.679 --> 00:42:06.559
In the meantime, if you have any questions, if you have any comments, if you have any suggestions on uh where uh on anything that we've talked about or discussed on this podcast or previous podcast, I would love to hear from you.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:09.599
The Preacher Man Podcast has a Facebook page.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:32.639
All you gotta do is get on that little search bar on Facebook, type in Preacher Man Podcast, and you will see um my name, you will see um cartoon figure of me, and if you go to that page and start following it, um you will be updated on when the next podcast comes up, but there's also you can message me.
00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:43.360
So you can use Facebook Messenger to contact me, to ask your question, to um give me your compliment or give me your thoughts on the on the show.
00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:52.079
But if you would rather do it another way, you can always email me at Preacherman1178 at gmail.com.
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:56.639
That's preacherman1178 at gmail.com.
00:42:56.719 --> 00:42:58.719
I would really love to hear from you.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:04.559
So in the meantime, uh hope the rest of your Saturday is blessed.
00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:12.719
Um I hope that you are enjoying the shows as well as enjoying our time together.
00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:14.880
And I appreciate you.
00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:16.000
I love ya.
00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:19.840
And uh hand it back over to you now.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:25.280
Have a blessed day, and always remember who you are and whose you are.
