glad that you've joined us today. In just a moment we're going to go into the sanctuary where we're worshiping the Lord in every portion of the service from giving the lifting of our hands singing and the word of God that's going to come your way today. We hope that you will engage the service right there where you are and that the presence of God will be made real no matter where you are around the globe. We know that we're reaching so many people around the world right now and our effort and every part that we do is about reaching one more soul to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping us accomplish that through your giving and your prayerful support. May God bless you now as we enter into the service let's go live into the presence of God. This morning Lord we've come to the house of God today until I've experienced the presence of God. I want you I want you to fill this place. I speak against everything that would set itself against this service today.  I will lift up my eyes today unto the hills from whence come with my help. So Lord today I pray for every brother and sister who's in the house joining us online. I pray that they will join me in lifting my eyes up to the king of kings and the Lord of lords this morning and we invite you to fill this house. It's your house God. We fill it. I'll stand here somebody help me give God the best praise today. He's worthy of it all. Come on keep your hands lifted this morning. Our trust is in you. Our trust is in you. We trust you in our healing. We trust you in our finances. We trust you in every part. We put our trust in you because I put my trust in Jesus Christ because he is the healer. He is the comforter. He is the strength I need. He's everything I have need of because I trust Jesus. I want you to remember this morning the Hoyt family and then your prayers that God will give them the strength and the comfort and there are many needs that have come through that are people that are saying request prayer for cancer that I found in my body but I'd like to let you know that my God is bigger than cancer. I believe it but I do. My God is bigger than COVID.  My God is bigger than any disease that comes in my body and then my God can go right into the hospital and go to anybody's body and take whatever and then when they go back for the report they say I don't know how to explain it. I don't know for there ain't nothing wrong with your body. That's not because materially that I didn't know that's the power of God that worked in my life so if you believe that this morning you don't have to know who they are because again you're not the healer and you're not the one who can do it but when the people of God pray and believe if you don't believe then don't pray but if you believe that God can do the impossible let's go to war right now in the heavens let's pray this morning God in the name of Jesus right now I ask right now by the power that's above every other name in the name of Jesus Christ let healing flow through everybody's body God the cancer that might be dealing God let it go away dear God let someone be healed by the power of God right now because God you are bigger than cancer you are bigger than any disease we call upon you because you are a healer the word of God says by your stripes we are healed and we put our faith and our trust and our confidence in that so God do it this morning heal somebody this morning God save somebody this morning deliver somebody this morning let the bondage be broken this morning let a river of your Holy Spirit flow through this place Holy Spirit we invite you into this room we welcome you into this room do what only what you can do because along without you we are nothing Holy Spirit have your way this morning do the impossible dear God do the impossible what man says is impossible God with you nothing is impossible so do it this morning if you believe that this morning and in faith give Jesus Christ the greatest ovation of the morning give this morning grab about five to ten people shake their hand and tell them how glad you are to see them this morning and those of you that I want to feel live from around the world we welcome you to pace it simply we know God is gonna meet you in a supernatural way be blessed this morning we're so glad that you have joined us amen amen come on give Jesus one more hand clap of praise this morning amen we're so glad that you're here this morning today is family Sunday so all the kids that are normally in kids church are all out here with us today so we're so glad about that and so glad that you have made paces only your home for this morning if this is your first time here whether it's you or with your family at the end of service today if you'll step out into the four-year over to the left-hand side we have a place called guest central if you'll step in there get some information about you let you know about what's going on here at the church and I you know we want to meet you and get to know you and Pastor miss Rita have a special gift just for you so home folk give all our guests here and everybody's watching from around the world let them know they're welcome to pace assembly this morning man couple things that I want to make you aware of this morning we will this whole year if you're brand-new here let me just let you know this whole year we doing back to the Bible so make sure you bring your Bible to church and if you don't have one then you might be the lucky winner this morning so as you've been here for enough everybody's already reaching underneath their seat yeah reaching underneath your seat there should be a ticket or some type of thing for you to give a Bible away this one there it is right there hey man hey man as you prepare your tithe and offering this morning let me let you know of something that you need to be aware of if you are planning on volunteering for our pace family fest that's happening November the third fourth and fifth if you're planning on wanting to get involved and to help and to be a part of that we have a volunteer meeting that's happening right here in the main sanctuary at 5 p.m. do you say well I don't know what I can do we're gonna have multiple different spots here in the sanctuary that hey I want to help there then there will be a leader right there ready to help out I mean we've got youth stuff children stuff check in I mean any any number of things so if you're saying I want to get involved then be here tonight at 5 p.m. for that meeting and then we can get you available to be plugged into somewhere so again tonight at 5 volunteer meeting if you want to help for pace family fest I know that God has blessed my life enough that I'm so glad to be a giver in God's house this morning listen to me if you have never ever given and he said I want to prove God give in your tie that God requires us to give our tithing offering over and above that you're saying God I may not have much and God's not worried about the amount God just wants to see where your heart is at that's all that's all it's about so you there's multiple ways you can give if you're giving in cash you can grab an envelope drop it in the black buckets that you leave this morning you can give online for those that are watching online or on the app however it is but I know God will bless you for whatever you give this morning so let's pray and ask God blessings over it this morning well we thank you to Lord for your spirit that's here we thank you that we already feel your presence flowing through this building I should bless the offering bless the gift and the giver this morning meet and multiply it for the needs of your kingdom and we give you praise honor and glory for that in Jesus mighty name amen praise the Lord everybody you glad to be here this morning are you glad to be sitting beside the person you're sitting beside you all right with that some of y'all look like you needed to check asked a neighbor beside you you're gonna worship with me this morning or what he has to walk up with me wherever I go man I believe in the mail you probably received a special invitation then if you didn't please let me know they I don't know if they could even put it on the screen they didn't know I was gonna get up and do this but we are gonna be celebrating Pastor Roger 60th birthday I won't be here it about this event that we're gonna have in fact I don't even have the day can somebody tell me the date it's October the 24th is when I'm 22nd it's when we're celebrating I know I know it's the 24th but it's the 22nd that we're gonna celebrate the morning service is going to be pastor appreciation day and how many of you appreciate your pastor amen amen appreciate him so much he's going to be we're gonna be celebrating his 33rd a year in ministry praise God and then well yeah I know but you're the pastor and then the nighttime we're gonna have a special birthday party I want you to be a part of it so please if you can RSVP online and let us know that you're coming so we'll have enough food for everybody there's gonna be food how many of you want to come yeah yeah yeah and lots of cake and lots of fun there's a lot of surprises he didn't even know what's gonna happen he just knows that that's his day and he has to be there so please join us this is my face when I don't know what's gonna happen yeah he really doesn't I'm really being good at this I'm not telling them usually it's hard to keep things from your spouse but I am not letting him know nothing so we're gonna have a blast Sunday night please make sure you come but I really need you RSVP I love you congregation you look so good welcome to the house the Lord I'll be in Australia it's a hard thing to receive honestly it's the 60th thing if you know what I mean I was trying to do some work getting my father's home put together the other day and I had some guys with me and they were helping me out and I needed to get the roof washed so I thought to myself self you're 20 years old get on the roof have you ever gone somewhere that you said once you got there why am I standing on the roof my son came around the corner said dad then somebody snapped snapped a picture of me in the full court press position holding on to dear life I pray Jesus if you'll help me get down from this roof I will let younger men do these things and so none of that is relevant so we're gonna move on because I've got something very exciting that's gonna take place this morning it's called bringing in new members into the family of God here at pace so Jeremy would you please get me out of this hole that I'm in right now pastor coming for membership this morning we have Jessica Barnhill Nick and Rosa Duncan aid and Mary France Galvan Nazira Lila Jake and Stacy Parkinson Adrian Parkinson Becky Raceler Alonzo and my Lisa Simon Ariana Simon Krista Sumner Nathan and Naomi Tackett I see Isaac Steffi Dakota Thomas praise God what a blessing amen what a blessing we're delighted that they have chosen to become members and there are a number of things that I want to remind this congregation of as I let them know what their responsibility is to their church and what the church's responsibility is to them the Bible says in Ephesians 2 and 19 now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven but you're members of God's very own family citizens of God's country and you belong to God's household with every other Christian with all of the effects that have happened with COVID and everything else and people falling out of the church or walking away I am thrilled this morning to be able to say that these have chosen to become members and step into the body of Christ here at Pace Assembly there are certain responsibilities and so forth but we don't bring in new members because they are wanting to join a club this is not a club this is this is a desire of your heart because you hear the vision and the mission of this house and you want to be a part of it and help perpetuate it in multiple ways and so for that reason there are some things that I want to share with you as I do with this entire congregation because if you're a member or an attendee here there is no respecter of persons and who receives ministry from this church regardless of you're a member or not but as members there are certain responsibilities that come up for you to be able to be a part of and here's some of them that I will share with all of you now to remind us all and to bring them to this wonderful group of people here's if you'll put it on the wall for me it says I will protect the unity of my church by acting in love toward one another by speaking in positive support of the church and its leadership and by staying focused on the vision and the mission of the church the devil's job is to divide the church's job is to unite that means regardless of race color creed background whatever that it may be Pace assembly is open to whosoever will just like Jesus said and we need to take care one of another of the body of Christ if one of us is hurting as the Scripture says we all hurt that's the reason why we pray for one another that's the reason why when you're going through grief and difficult times there are people just like this and people that are watching online that are part of the body of Christ at Pace assembly that unity must be protected in the time that we're in secondly I will share the responsibilities of my church how do you do that by praying for its growth by inviting the un-church to attend I remind you I'm not into church growth by church transfer I don't call that church growth I call that something different and people come from time to time from different churches and that's wonderful and I I'm not a proselyter we don't go after other church members but our primary focus is to reach those who have not been reached and believe me in the fastest growing county in all of Florida in Santa Rosa County there's plenty of souls to reach that have yet to be reached can you say a man to that inviting the un-church to attend and warmly welcoming those who visit why do you pastor why do you pastor tea every time get up and tell us go and shake hands with somebody and all that because I don't want you to feel like that you're the only one or you can't have a friend if you'll show yourself friendly you'll have a friend and so we kind of provoke that a little bit by going out and telling you to shake hands with somebody because that's what helps us to warmly welcome everybody into this building thirdly I'll serve in the ministry of the church by first discovering my gifts and talents what is it that God has placed on the inside of you that you need to be doing whatever that is you need to be up and about it if for some reason or another that it doesn't fit and you move to a different area that's fine and dandy but whatever you do don't not do something in the kingdom of God next by developing my personal discipleship that's what teaching Bible classes and Bible studies that we have here at the church and your own personal time of devotion and then by equipping myself to serve other people how can I do that you've just heard the opportunity pace family fest is coming up the first weekend of November and it is not a carnival it is not a rodeo even though those things are all involved it is a community outreach to bring others that are out that might not normally darken the doors of these churches this church to come into it and for us to meet them greet them and give them a very special invitation to find out that Christians are normal people that love people I wish I had an amen right there but I'll amen myself next I will support I will support the testimony of my church by first faithfully attending thank you for that one amen I want you to know your pastor faithfully attends Pace Assembly of God not because you pay me but because I love being here but by faithfully attending faithfully living a godly life listen don't be giving somebody a piece of your mind at the mall with a big Pace Assembly t-shirt on get an olive Baptist t-shirt if you're gonna give him a piece of your mouth I'll support the testimony of my church by faithfully supporting my church with my finances I want you to know we don't have underwriters and I can assure you based in the governmental structure of the Assemblies of God they're not sending checks back this way okay with this church is supported by the faithful giving of every person in this place and those that are watching online and because of that because of that you are in a place right now that is 100% debt-free ladies and gentlemen that's why the faithfulness of your giving is so important now let me say this to you just because this church is debt-free doesn't mean you stop giving they don't need no no no my friend there is ministry going on all the time and your faithful support week after week believe me now if you just want to pick up the light bill with Florida power and light say I'll do that every month that's great the last one was $13,000 I didn't hear no praise the Lord's out of that all I heard with gasps that's that's the function that's going on here there's a lot that's taking place so your faithful giving your faithful giving is what makes that take place and then I want everybody to stand with me this morning and I'd like for our board and their wives ministers their wives to come and stand behind these that are right here in the front if you will please and I'd like for everybody in this church please if you'll put that last slide up to say this because this is the mission this is the call this is what we're after this is what we're about as I told this group of people in the class a little bit ago and if I get some of my ministers to spread out yeah are very good very good I want everybody covered everything we do at Pace Assembly is about souls reaching one more I don't care if we're playing a softball game or we're in a Bible class it's all about souls I don't care if it's Pace Family Fest I pray that thousands of people will come if getting them on a on a Ferris wheel out there and one of us getting to talk to him about Jesus Christ that's what matters to me that's what we're gonna do so today all of you that are standing in this line if you will with us as being a part of this family now we want you to be able to say it and everybody in this congregation say it right out loud with me join in please Pace Assembly is committed to see people say if you believe that say a good amen I'd like for you to lay your hands gently upon their shoulder because we're now going to pray the favor and the blessing of God on this house upon your house and to the third and fourth generation God is going to will it so and I want this entire congregation to stretch your hand this way because family means something to us and now these are coming into the family of God here and we give God the praise father in the name of Jesus Christ we lay hands upon these that are coming before you now Lord to become a member of Pace Assembly and Lord it's important to us and important to them to be able to have a place of stability a place where Lord they can find the presence of God and the nearness of your spirit to rest upon them to be able to see your hand oh God upon their life and to watch as they develop and grow and Lord their family beyond them that will develop and grow watching online that family members may receive the touch and the anointing of God upon their life so we lay hands upon them now and we ask that the favor of Pace Assembly in all of the 90 years of his existence now to come upon their house and upon their life in the fullness of your divine spirit we believe right now mighty God that you're not only able but that you are willing and desiring for these to become not just a part but Lord a functioning part of the body of Christ at Pace Assembly we give you the glory we give you the honor and we give you the praise in Jesus mighty name and everybody shot a great big amen would you turn around to somebody right there is going to shake your hand and welcome you into the family of God just turn right around there God bless you come on give them a great big God bless you this morning would you do it let them know how much you love and appreciate them if you see some that are coming back to your scene welcome them let them know how much that you appreciate them in the family of God at Pace Assembly hallelujah what a blessing to be able to see what God is doing at Pace can you say amen amen in a moment I'm gonna bring you the word of God and they're gonna come and lead us back into worship I want you to prepare your heart for the word of God as you're standing this morning let me give you something to praise God about you might have been seeing God's phenomenon happening in multiple university campuses across the United States where revival has been breaking out and believe me there's always gonna be naysayers there's always gonna be those that are gonna try to tamp it down close to us over the past several weeks Auburn University and Sneets Community University if I'm saying that right that particular those particular campuses have been experiencing a revival among the young people and young adults at those universities here's what makes it even better they've had hundreds that have been baptized and warning and desiring a relationship with Jesus Christ and the outpouring of his spirit upon their life but along comes an atheist liberal organization from Wisconsin to come down and try to throw water on a revival and tell that campus that they are not to be using the name of Jesus or to be able to stir up religious kind of activities or services because of the separation of church and state well I want you to know that separation is not to keep the church out of people's lives and it's certainly not to keep the university from being that free place that people are able to speak and yet they try to tamp it down thank God for governor Kay Ivy apparently you read the article who stepped up and said we're not gonna have some liberal organization from up north gonna come down to Alabamians and tell us that we can't worship God I'd say don't try that in a small town God bless you let's worship there's something about the names that we've heard there's something spoken the name of Jesus and he reached right into your situation and we give you praise and glory for it in the mighty name of Jesus everybody believes it shot a great big a man I want you to touch about three or four people and tell them it's Jesus it's Jesus it's Jesus that you got all seated and everything grab your Bibles and stand back a book of Genesis chapter number 39 the book of Psalm chapter 41 Genesis 39 down in verse 21 how many of you believe God set you up for the touch of God this morning Genesis 39 if you found chapter 39 verse 21 if you found it say amen if you're still looking for Genesis we got a Bible class it happens how many of you brought your Bibles this morning yeah hold them up so I can see because I know how you are look at there look don't you love that I was talking after the service last weekend with Pastor Hage a little bit and he was telling me about the occasion of him preaching to over a million people at one time in Nigeria and he said when he stood up to get ready to preach the Word of God he asked them to turn in their Bibles to the passage of Scripture that he had called out and he said that it sounded like the thunderous rapids of Niagara as pages were turning all in those millions of people literally million there was a there was a mile this way and a mile this way and a mile and a half that way of a sea of people I don't know how many is watching online this morning but I know this oh wow we've got people watching here in Pensacola in Alabama in Kansas in Brazos Valley Texas we welcome our sister church in Sicily Italy this morning they're watching we welcome you into this house of worship today I'm gonna tell you one thing wherever and whatever country you're in the name of Jesus works the same way there's power in the name of Jesus can you say amen hallelujah Genesis 39 verse 21 one verse of Scripture from the life of Joseph and the Bible says but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison I'm gonna use him as a little bit of a backdrop this morning as you flip over to Psalm 41 and read with me from the beginning to the end as the psalmist David is writing this many commentaries believe that it was during a time of him struggling with his own son Absalom it has connotations in it of the struggle between Jesus and Judas it is David that is speaking that is having difficulty himself and he writes to us from personal experience I truly believe there's some people in this building and watching online that are going to be able to see themselves in this passage of Scripture verse 1 blessed is he that consider it the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and doubt will not deliver him under the will of his enemies now I'm about to prove to you that God makes your bed up for you every day the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou will make all his bed in his sickness I'm gonna tell you I'm such a friend of the Lord that he makes my bed and I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee my enemies speak evil of me when shall he die and his name perish that's what they say and if he come to me see he speak of vanity his heart gathereth iniquity to itself when he goeth abroad and he telleth it in other words in verse 6 there was social media in the days of David verse 7 all that hate me whisper together against me against me do they devise my hurt an evil disease say they cleave it fast unto him and now he had a lot he lieth he shall rise up no more they're saying David is gone David says in verse 9 yea my own familiar friend and whom I trusted somebody close to me which did eat up my bread hath lifted up his heel against me watch David turn it but thou oh Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up that I may requite them verse 11 Yorta mark this by this I know thou favorest me because mine enemies doth not triumph over me and as for me thou upholdest me in my integrity and seteth me before thy face forever blessed be the God the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting amen and amen can you say your praise with that right there that's a that's a verse that's a chapter you need to get in your spirit today by this I know that my enemies have not triumphed over me that verse of Scripture let me just share this with you before I begin to preach fact I'm already preaching by this I know that thou favorest me because my enemy doth not triumph over me one one translation says by this I know thou favorest me because my enemy cannot shout me down I just want to tell you the devil does not have the last word on your life God is gonna have the last word on your life can you say a man to that today come on lift up both of those hands today and let's believe God father in the name of Jesus Christ may the Spirit of the Lord that makes it easy to preach come upon me now in the ears of every here both here and watching online around the world may receive the engrafted Word of God for it all we give you glory honor and praise and everybody says a great big amen look at your neighbor and help me preach a little and tell them this it's just favor look at somebody tell them it's just favor that's all it's just favor just favor I've got a question for you since January of this year since January if you'll just take a moment and reflect have you experienced God's favor and special blessing in some frame or another if you have lift that hand up and let's give witness to it look around the room since January you have found God intervening in your behalf never forget it there'll come a time when the enemy and even yourself will want to say what's next but whatever you do if you want what's next you got to remember therefore what for back there there is a difference between being religious and having an experience with God people speak of their faith so much oh yes I've got faith but if it's only head knowledge and not a true heart experience with God it is ineffective I want you to know that God's Word can be trusted God's thank you for those three a man's God's Word can be trusted those who take God at His Word are positioning themselves to receive the blessings and the promises of the Word of God but I want you to know something the Bible is not effective just because you came and carried it to church it's effective only when you hide it in your heart the word grace and favor that's found multiple times throughout the word of God are connected with one another in the Old Testament Hebrew the word favor is actually the same described as grace in the New Testament that Greek translation also describes grace and favor in synonymous terms the Greek word keros is the term we get grace and favor but there is a difference between the practical application of grace and favor here is an example of being favor when the angel came to Mary the mother of Jesus he declared Hail Mary thou art highly favored among women he was saying there is a greater measure of favor on you than on others now let me stop right here before somebody has a problem with the Bible God is no respecter of persons but you need to remember that the book says God chooses whom he will bless and how he will bless God will show his favor in special blessings and you see it throughout the Word of God for his purposes I want you to know when you are favored with something that may be above someone else that's not the time to beat your chest because that favor could mean that you're led into a very difficult situation Paul was chosen to carry the gospel to the Gentiles in the book of Acts chapter 9 verse 20 verse 15 Moses was chosen to lead the people out of Egyptian bondage it was favor on both of them but I can tell you both of them felt the weight and the burden of that favor upon their life grace and favor are the free gifts of God grace is the reward for faith in Christ and Him crucified favor is a reward for acting and walking in the promises and the Word of God in other words when a person repents of their sins and places their faith in Jesus finish work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins the Bible said according to Romans 10 verses 9 and 10 you are saved if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved nothing added to the cross nothing taken away for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself the Bible says it is the gift of God I love the fact that God requires of us faith it is impossible to please the Lord without faith I love the fact that he requires faith of us and yet he's the one who gave us the faith in order to place it back in God God will never require something of you that he didn't already place in you and give you the ability to place it back in him grace is unearned favor but favor and grace can actually increase as we walk with our faith positionally at the cross and walk in the obedience of God's Word when a believer places their faith in the cross exclusively keeping it positionally there for life and for living you're saved but trusting which is another definition of faith is submitting to the will of God and acting upon his promises by faith trusting then is walking in the steps of divine favor not because he's coercing me but because I choose to obey the Lord I want you to hear me there is fruit unto repentance there is a way that seems right into a man the Bible says but the end of that way is destruction the ways of the Lord will make you rich the blessings of the Lord the Bible says has riches in it and no sorrow in other words if I'll take God's Word and begin to walk it out by my own desire to know him to draw closer to him there is favor that will rest upon my life super natural favor that will rest upon my life that I did not earn nor could I get him to like me anymore he just gave me favor it's not an accident that we walk in the favor of God it is an act of our will to obey him and every word and apply our hearts the Bible says unto wisdom so get this favor is not a formula if I do this that's gonna get God to like me more the Bible said in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us I'm persuaded he loved me more even while I was a sinner because I wasn't thinking anything about him but now that I'm saved now I want to know more about him you're the one who told me that you know the favor of God has come upon your life since January I want to let you know that it wasn't an accident that you were chosen for that favor to come upon you and it wasn't because that he chose you to put that favor on you because he likes you more than someone else or he wants you to beat your chest about it he wants you to be able to declare as a testimony that if it had not been for the Lord who gave me this favor to start with I wouldn't be standing here right now breathing God's good air the Bible says over and over again it's filled with the promises of favor note this if you're writing some scripture down here's some good ones to get some five verse 12 for you oh Lord will bless the righteous watch this with favor you will surround him with a shield that tells me very clearly that if I will place my faith in him and walk in righteousness he will protect my life with favor Proverbs 835 for whosoever finds me the Lord says finds life and obtains favor from the Lord here's Proverbs 12 and 2 a good man obtains favor from the Lord but a man of wicked intentions he will condemn here's Proverbs 14 and 9 fools mock at sin but among the upright there is favor are you seeing a pattern here walking with God will bring favor into your life it's not an accident that God will place his favor upon you and the way you walk will determine perhaps even the way generations after you can receive favor or not this one I love perhaps more than all of these scriptures in Proverbs 16 15 in the light of the King's countenance is life and his favor is a cloud of the latter rain if I can just get in the face of the Lord there's glory upon my life in his countenance and all I've got to do is look up because in the presence of the Lord there will come the latter rain upon my life that's favor I said that's favor there are things I'm thinking about right now just in the materialistic realm that God has blessed me with just this year and guess what look at your neighbor right now tell them and the year's not over you better hear what I'm saying if you knew what was hanging over your head you would devour this Bible to know him and not his stuff I don't want to praise God for the blessing I want to draw near to the blesser y'all didn't hear what I said some of you get excited when you go to Sam's and pick up a large quantity of paper towels and you think wow I've come into the blessing I want you to know it's better for you to know the owner then you can get everything that's inside of that y'all don't hear what I said if I know the bless or the blessing will be there favor is not good looks favor is not good looks it's not charisma it's not making right connections some people come to church to sell their car if I get the right connection man who you don't know who I know that I know you name dropper you drop names just to get in the door and you don't understand God's favor can put you past the door in the room y'all didn't hear what I said favor is not being self-consumed with financial and material things because after a while what else can people give you what else can you get Solomon said I own it all and it's all vanity to me it's emptiness it's void favor is not a positive confession I'm not sick I'm not sick I'm not sick yes you are cover your mouth favor is faithfulness watch this and consistent walking in the obedience of God's Word being faithful gives God the opportunity to show his favor to us I'm gonna try that on one more time being faithful gives God the opportunity to show his favor to us what do you mean if you're not there when he starts passing out the blessings let me say it like you understand it you must be present to win faithfulness what do you mean I'm talking about being faithful to God come on I'm on test I'm on I'm on poke right here a little surgery before we get to the good part are you faithful to God are you fickle with God fickle people don't get favor you know any fickle people look straight at me fickle they're here one moment they're they there I'll be there at four o'clock oh I'm sorry I'm six hours late come on somebody I know one thing I've seen favor happen in my life over and over and over again and I've been placed in some locations and in rooms with people that I knew we're far and away above my intelligence level and I should not be in this room but the Lord come on somebody but the Lord said I want you to get in this experience I want to favor you in this room because what God is going to do later on with your life is depending on whether or not you can be obedient let me put it like this if you'll be faithful in the few things God will make your ruler overmending if you can't handle the 10 bucks in your pocket you can't handle the 10 million that will come later on if the Lord decides to bless you come on somebody faithfulness to God faithfulness to the house of God talk about that a little bit more this morning you know what your kids are in this building this morning because they need to see the faithfulness of their parents and their grandparents faithfulness to serve faithfulness to love I love you yeah when was the last time you told him getting quiet in here I told you surgery faithfulness to give faithfulness to worship faithfulness to obey faithfulness on your job somebody actually had to write an article that I read last night about the biblical standards of not being lazy on your job let me stop right here do a little pastoral care for you some of you are smiling right now we have been plagued in recent years with laziness apathy can't find people I have people call oh I want a job then they don't show up got a day care across the street if you need a job we got jobs waiting on you come on somebody told me this past week said yeah I said we had some but they wouldn't come back to from lunch on time well when you got 15 babies running around the room you better be on time otherwise whoever showed up late the kids are gonna be in charge of that classroom for the rest of the day how many of you know what I'm talking about right now don't you be late getting up and your kids get up before you they will tear the Christmas tree to the ground you know what I'm talking about we've got to combat this lazy spirit that is upon the United States of America with a group of Christian people who understand diligence and faithfulness to God and to men so faith in the cross of Christ gives us here's some things for you to write down access to the door and through the door of faith here's what the Bible says in Romans 5 therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith under this grace wherewith we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God that's a powerful statement access to be able to have access to God by the grace of God is gonna lead me somewhere God said the door of grace is open right now there will be a day when the door of grace is closed but right now the door of grace is wide open and he said I don't care who you are or where you come from the door is open for you and for those of your family and to as many as are called by his name ladies and gentlemen I don't know what you're thinking God for but I'm thinking that God opened the door Jesus Christ and let me even get to the threshold we have access to God do you realize what that means it's only been just a few hundred years ago that we actually begin to realize that the just shall live by faith and now I don't have to go through the preacher I don't have to go through the Pope I don't have to talk to the deacon I don't have to talk to you you you or any of you I can go straight to the father through Jesus Christ and have access because the Lord has opened the door of grace thank God for grace I'm just telling you you didn't get in because you were good enough you didn't get in the door because you paid enough money or that you were such a nice guy or what you did none of that matters ladies and gentlemen the only way you got in is you were graced into the door come on somebody somebody led me there the spirit of the Lord drew me there and there was Jesus the door standing wide open and said come on in I thank God for grace don't you grace let you get here today and mercy let you stay you don't need grace until you need grace and you don't eat mercy until you need mercy but I guarantee you I've stood in enough courtrooms and watch people have to deal with situations and stand before that judge and I've been called up to be a witness for somebody and all that kind of stuff going I can tell I was called up because I drove too fast to get to my girlfriend's house when I was younger y'all be glad to know I got my license back long before I passed for this church I'm tell you it's a sobering thing to stand there my daddy told me he said plead no lo contendry I said what is that means he said it means no contest you and either right or wrong okay no I couldn't even say it I'm 15 years old it didn't make any difference because I was standing there already my knees were knocking sweat pouring off of my little 15 year old head because I pulled out in front of somebody and they teabown me wreck my mom and daddy's brand new florist van I was so nervous when the trooper showed up it was a cold day outside I'm standing out there and all I can think about is can somebody get me to the bathroom I don't think this has happened any of you I'm talking about grace in favor here ladies and gentlemen when I told the trooper I need he said well mr.


Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Colin Louther. And I'm Liz Wade. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live. In a village in Cambodia, a mother prepares food for her family. She boils some water in a big round cooking pot. She washes a small fish. Then she puts it in the boiling water. After 10 minutes, she removes the fish from the pot. Her family will not eat this fish. She puts other food into the pot to cook for her family. But what about the fish the mother took out of the pot? The family will not eat it. This fish is not food. It is made from iron metal. It is about 7.5 cm long and weighs 200 grams. The fish is smiling. The mother and her family like the fish. They call it their lucky iron fish. Thousands of families in Cambodia have a lucky iron fish. And like this mother, they all put their fish into their cooking water. Today's Spotlight is on the lucky iron fish. Christopher Charles studied health science at a university in Canada. When he finished his degree, he went to Cambodia. Charles lived in a small village in the country. His job was to treat particular infections. He also studied the health condition anemia. Anemia is a serious condition. People with anemia do not have enough iron in their bodies. They are iron deficient. People who have anemia are often very tired and lack energy. Anemia makes people more likely to be sick or get an infection. Anemia can damage the physical and mental development of children. If pregnant women are not treated, their babies can be born too early and die. If a new mother has anemia, she has an increased risk of dying when her baby is born. Charles did not know how common anemia was in Cambodia. But every place he went, he saw evidence of it. In a TED talk, he said, Everywhere I went, people were lying down. They were lying out of the heat of the sun. No one had any energy. No energy to work. No energy to play. No energy to learn. As part of his study, Charles did blood tests on many people. He discovered something shocking. About 90% of women and children had anemia. Charles had discovered a very big problem. He knew he could not leave Cambodia. He decided to stay and find a solution. Charles knew that iron medicine is the usual treatment for anemia. But iron medicine costs too much money. Charles wanted a solution that cost less money. It also had to be easy for people to use. Research shows that cooking with iron pots could help. The iron pot would release iron into every meal. But Charles knew this idea would not work in Cambodia. Iron pots are heavy and cost too much money. Also, in Cambodia, people often leave food in their cooking pots at night. Food goes bad if it is left in an iron pot. So Charles decided to try something different. He added a metal bar made of iron to a cooking pot. The iron bar worked but people did not cook with it. It did not cost much. It did release lots of iron. But there were huge problems with it. Everywhere I went, different families had found some use for it. Just not in the cooking pots. People were using it as a doorstop. People used it to hold down papers. Someone even used it to support a table with a broken leg. Finally, Charles created the iron fish. Fish are part of the culture of Cambodia. People in Cambodia eat fish every day. And they believe that fish are lucky. So people are happy to put the iron fish in their cooking pots. Sanshun is a village chief in Cambodia. She told the BBC how her family reacted to the iron fish. At first, my family thought it was very funny and very strange that I was putting the iron fish in the boiling water or soup. So I explained to them that it can improve our health and make us stronger. Charles had to be sure that the iron fish solved the problem of anemia. So he carried out lots of tests. And he found that the iron fish worked well. Charles tested people's iron levels. Then they used the iron fish for cooking every day. After nine months, Charles tested their iron levels again. He found that half the people had no anemia. People told Charles that they felt different too. They told him that they had more energy. Many people were pleased to take part in the tests. One mother told the BBC, I am happy. The blood tests show that I have the iron deficiency problem. So I hope I will be cured and will be healthy soon. I think all the people in our village will like the fish because fish is our everyday food. The iron fish has helped thousands of people in Cambodia. It has improved their health, but it has also helped the local economy. People who use the fish in their food miss less days at work. The iron fish has another economic benefit. Nearly 50 people have jobs from the iron fish. They make and supply the fish. The iron fish is good for the environment too. It is made from recycled iron, iron that was once used for another purpose. More and more people are using the lucky iron fish. In the next five years, Charles hopes that one million people in Cambodia will use the iron fish. But anemia is not just a problem in Cambodia. Anemia is a worldwide problem. It affects one in three people in the world. The World Health Organization says that iron deficiency affects more people than any other health condition. But in some places people do not eat fish. Charles says this is not a problem. The iron could be in a different form. What is important is that it is right for each culture. Then people will use it and it will improve their lives. The writer of this program was Katie Blake. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it on the Internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called The Lucky Iron Fish. Tell us what you think about today's program. You can leave a comment on our website and find us on Facebook. Just search for Spotlight Radio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.


Welcome to another special edition of the OTP. I am Amy Wells, joined by the one, the only, draft duo. Rhett Bryan is here. Hello. Hello, and Coach Dave McGinnis. Coach Mack is here. Hey, Coach Mack. Hi, Amy Wells. Hi, Rhett Bryan. Hello, Coach Mack. We are still coming to you via Zoom because we are being safe and staying healthy and indoors, but we've got a lot to talk about, and today is a special one, I think, especially to Coach Mack. We're talking linebackers. Yes. Are you guys ready? Absolutely. Do this. Now, Mack, I want to start with you because I think that we need to specify what we're talking about exactly because when you talk about linebackers, you break it down to inside and outside linebackers. However, there is more to evaluating this position specifically than just inside and outside. Explain to me what you're looking for and how you're categorizing players when you're evaluating linebackers. Amy, that's a great question to start with, and for our OT people, I'm going to break it down into subsets like you do in a draft room, and here's what you do. Let's start with the outside linebackers first. If you're talking about outside linebackers, you first have got to differentiate if you're talking about a 3-4 defense or you're talking about a 4-3 defense because an outside linebacker in a 4-3 defense is going to play off the ball. Outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense is going to play up on the line of scrimmage, and then where you get into cross-pollination is with the outside linebackers that are also edge rushers. Those positions, as I said, they cross over quite a bit, and so you have to be able in your scouting process, Amy, to differentiate. What type of guy is this? How does he fit? Is he a first and second down guy on the line of scrimmage? Is he a first and second down guy off the ball? And then if he's off the ball, is he better suited to be on what we call the open side or the split inside or the closed side, which is the tight inside? Those two things make a difference as far as to a player's ability. So there's a lot of subsets within outside linebackers and edge rushers when you start evaluating players coming out of college, because they may not play the same scheme that you want, but if you recognize the regular skills, then there they are. You don't really have to say inside linebackers. The thing that the term that's being used more now is off-the-ball linebackers. So when you talk about off-the-ball linebackers, because so much is played in sub-defense now, Amy, in the National Football League, where you have two off-the-ball linebackers behind the line of scrimmage, you normally play with what is designated as a Mike and a Will. A Mike linebacker usually lines up somewhere in the tackle box. A Will linebacker will be a guy that will flip mainly to the open side. This will be a guy that is a little more adept at coverage. Your Mike linebacker gets things set, can still play the run when you've got a six man in front. So you've got to differentiate there. So on the ball, off the ball, outside linebackers, three, four, four, three, edge rushers. There's a lot of subsets to this position, and that's why I find it so fascinating. Now, Rhett, let's start talking about some of those inside guys, some of those guys who are going to play off the ball. Who are some of the top guys in this class? Well, you're talking inside, there are two guys, and I think both will probably be late first round picks, and one of them is Kenneth Murray from Oklahoma. The other one is Patrick Queen from LSU. Kenneth Murray's probably the top of this class if you're talking about an inside linebacker. Patrick Queen's a guy that did not come along quite as well, but the later that LSU got into their season, and then when they got into big moments and when the national championship game, he was all over the place, affecting plays. Those two are the leaders in the clubhouse when you're talking inside. Mack, is there anybody else who you think is a top level in that inside group? Yeah, absolutely. The explanation that we just had for the OT people, now we're into that conversation here in our draft loop. Where are you going to play Isaiah Simmons? To me, Isaiah Simmons is one of those matchup guys off the ball in first, second, and third down defense, because here's what you can do with this guy. You can rush him, you clearly can, but he's got length, he's got twitch, he's got flexibility. Now, this is a guy, if I'm a defensive coordinator, this would be my dream to have this guy, because he is a matchup answer. You talk about the big tight ends that you're putting on the field now to be able to move out, and they are mismatches with safeties. They're mismatches with most linebackers. This guy can eat them up and also cover that little twitchy back out of the backfield, and then you can still pressure with it. So Isaiah Simmons fits into this category, but again, now we're starting to get into the galaxy of where does he fit, how does he fit? Moveable chess pieces now on defense, Amy, and for our OT people to listen to this. Understand this is a matchup game in the national football league. When you're matching personnel week to week to week, and you're setting game plans, the first thing you look for is how coverage-wise can we take away their most dangerous threat? This guy helps you do that. Rhett, are there any other guys who might not be that top echelon of player, but can still be highly productive at the next level at this position? One of those would be Josh Uchi from Michigan. He did not play a lot in his career up through about 2019, and then last season saw some more moments on the field and made the best of it when he was. He's had some injury issues. He did not do anything at the combine because of an injury he had. He has rushed the passer outside, but he has also played inside in that part of it and rushing from the middle. He may not be an outside linebacker pass rusher in this. He may be more in this inside category, but I think if a guy like him can get healthy and get more reps and snaps under his belt in a developmental thing, I think down the road could be a decent pick in this thing. He'll be a guy that would be a late-second, probably third-round pick if I had to guess. Mac, what about you? Any guys that can develop to being super effective at the next level? Zach Bond out of Wisconsin is a guy that did rush a lot. He has tremendous production rushing the ball, but when you start to look at him physically, he's 602.3, 238 pounds. But what he can do, he's very aware in space. He's got good zone concepts he can cover. He was their versatile piece. He was their piece that they moved around everywhere in Wisconsin. I like Zach Bond as a football player. I don't know whether somebody will find a niche for him. I've got him slated still-wise, probably in the middle or the end of the second round. There's a kid at Appalachian State named Akeem Davis-Gather, 601.4, 224 pounds. This is a will linebacker to me. This is a guy that will be an open side off-the-ball linebacker. There's a player at Mississippi State that's had some issues, but is a physical phenom. Now, you've got a lot of issues to work through with this guy. He missed the Music City Bowl because he just had a little minor altercation with his quarterback, punched him in the face. But Willie Gay Jr. at Mississippi State, 601.1, 243.446, all the physical drills just blew the combine away. You've got to decide once you get all the issues out, does he fit into what we do? And then another guy from West Texas that I've got my eye on, because I call my guys out there in Lubbock and talk about this guy, is Jordan Brooks from Texas Tech. This kid just makes tackles. He just makes tackles. He's six foot, 240 pounds, but he runs 454.  We all know that. But this guy was very, very, very productive at Texas Tech. When I'm watching linebackers on tape, the first thing I look at is their GPS, because a linebacker has to be able to find the football. Jordan Brooks from Texas Tech can find the ball. All right, I want to switch over to some of the guys on the outside. And Mac, I want to do another terminology clear up here for the OT people. It seems that sometimes the line is blurred between an outside linebacker and an edge rusher. We use a lot of these terms. Don't always clarify what we're talking about. So for the OT people, what is the difference or is there a difference? Well, yeah, an outside linebacker, again, we're talking about three forward. Now we're talking about guys that are on the line to scrimmage. An outside linebacker in the national football league on the scrimmage. There'll be what Mike Vrable was when he had all those productive years in New England. Big, strong, can set the edge. Setting the edge is important, because when you're talking about first and second down defense and you want to get people into third and long situations where you can earn the right to rush the passer, you've got to be able to win first and second down. And winning the run game in first and second down, when you talk about run defense, you're always talking about setting an edge, building a wall, and squeezing everything back to the middle. And these guys are guys, when we're talking about outside linebackers in a 3-4 defense, they need to do that.  That's why you will see so many players at the combine, even though they've been 4-3 defensive ends in college, they will put them through outside linebacker drills to see if they've got the capability of standing up. And the differentiation, Amy, we're talking about playing from a 3-point stance or playing from a 2-point stance. A 3-point stance is when you've got one hand on the ground.  So they will put them through drills like that. So there's a differentiation here. And sometimes you have to decide as a coach and as you, the general manager, making the draft pitch, you draft your coach's ability to be able to teach and transform players. Can we do that with this player at this position? Now, Rhett, a name that we've heard a lot is Chase Young. What is it about him that makes him so impressive? Explosive, physical, gets to the quarterback. He mentioned Mike Grable, who is the all-time SAC leader at Ohio State with 36 SACs. Well, the guy that's number two on that list, Chase Young, 30 and a half SACs, had what, 16 and a half last year, multiple award winner in football, huge presence, had to account for him if you're in offense. And he is a guy that can be an instant difference maker in the NFL level. That's why he'll be a top five pick in this draft. The other one that I really like is Kalevan Chase on from LSU. And when you talk about physical, powerful, disruptor, this guy will show you that on film, he was a big part of them on defense as to why they won the national championship. He may have a chance to get even better at the next level because he wasn't always used as a pass rusher in this thing. I think that's probably where he's best suited to play, but wherever they put him in experimentally on that defense, he did well. Kalevan Chase on, Chase Young, those are the two. And I would go back to Isaiah Simmons because where do you play him? He has such athletic skills and size and length. He is a chess piece difference maker, as Coach Mack alluded to. He might be in that top of that tier as well if you decide to go that route. Coach Mack, are there other players? Give me one or two names of guys who maybe showed their capabilities or their versatility that moved themselves up draft boards at the combine. Well, I think the next guy, and I think Rhett is 100% right because to me, you talk about Chase Young, I mean, that'll be a first round pick. Kalevan Chase on, I believe, is still a developing player. He's got tremendous edge quickness. He can still put on strength, but he has got first round tout. He really does. When you talk to people down there, they just rave about his leadership ability. So this is a guy that I believe is a first round talent. The next guy that falls into that category is Yator Gross Matos out of Penn State. Okay, Yator Gross Matos is 6'5", 266 pounds. The guy's got 82 and a quarter inch wingspan. He's long, he's long, he's athletic. And I think this is where you're gonna have to dig a little deeper. To me, this guy may not be a first round player, but to me he's definitely in a top 50-55 pick because of his athletic ability and what you're gonna be able to do with him. The name, a lot of people, the OT people are gonna hear about is AJ Eponessa from Iowa. But AJ Eponessa falls back into that category the way we started this with your questions to differentiate between these guys. Now he's had his hand on the ground the entire time. He's not a flexible Gumby Edge rusher, but he is a power rusher. That's got tremendous, tremendous hand work. He's very powerful. He can find the football, very, very productive football player. He's not a guy you're gonna stand up and use as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 and expect him to move and drop in space, but you're gonna get a lot of disruption out of this guy across the defensive front. So those two names for people to keep in mind, Yator Gross Matos from Penn State and AJ Eponessa from Iowa that are two completely different people. Are there some guys that we may not be hearing a lot about right now, but have the potential for some improvement at the next level? Yeah, there's a couple of guys that I would look at in that frame of things. And I would start with, I mentioned Josh Uchi of Michigan, whether he's inside or out, he's a guy that could improve for sure. Curtis Weaver from Boise State is an interesting prospect. Terrell Lewis from Alabama will be a second round pick somewhere in there who has been injured quite a bit, but is a big physical player that could probably do well at the next level. Jonathan Greenard from Florida, that is one that you should keep your eye on as well as Daryl Taylor from the University of Tennessee. Both of those guys are names that might sneak up on somebody. Mac, any additional names? Maybe one or two? Amy, you know I have names. I know you do, that's why I limited you to one or two. I know you've got a whole notebook full of information. Let's go Bradley and I out of Utah.  Another Florida player, Jabari Zaniga, was a very, very accomplished player at the University of Florida. 6033, 264 pounds, ran 464. He's got the requisite athletic skills and then I'm gonna give you one more. You said two, so I'll give you three. The other guy to keep an eye on is Julian Okwara from Notre Dame, all right? There's another edge guy for the OT people to know when you're talking with your friends with a lot of distance in between you. If you wanna tell him, here's a guy, third or fourth round, look for Julian Okwara from Notre Dame. All right, Rhett, here's your last person, a name that you think that Titans fans need to know. In the later rounds, a guy I think they should know and I really like is DJ Wannum from South Carolina, 65258 has an enormous wingspan, arms 34 1.8 inches long. He's a guy that had a really nice combine and it could be a good developmental player in terms of trying to help this Titans defense that I think John Robinson might have a beat on. He would be somebody I would mention. Coach Mack, you're one player that you think Titans fans should know. Here's a guy that I'm gonna say something about is gonna jump up on people. Derek Tusca from North Dakota State. All right, let's look at this guy. We're down around fifth and sixth round now, 6044-251, brand 479, but you talk about production on the football field and North Dakota State plays really good football in that division. They're an excellent football team. Keep your eye and keep your ears out for that name. Derek Tusca, T-U-S-Z-K-A. All right, well you guys, a lot of good information in today's podcast. Coach Mack, thank you for breaking everything down. Rhett, Brian, the expert on all these players. You guys have been great and the draft is quickly approaching. It's coming up quick, Amy. Great being with you. It absolutely is. It's great to be with the both of you. The closer we get to it, the more excited I get. Love the draft. Absolutely, as we all do, Rhett. For Rhett, Brian and Coach Mack, I'm Amy Wells. Thank you for listening to the OTP.


White House to consider combining assistance to Ukraine and Israel into one package. The White House is considering combining funding for Ukraine and Israel into one request to Congress, hoping that this will increase the chances of approval of assistance to Kyiv. The Washington Post reported this citing sources. According to two senior U.S. presidential administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the final decision on combining the requests has not yet been made. One official said that such a move could make sense because it jams the far right, which strongly opposes increased aid to Ukraine, but supports aid to Israel. Top Joe Biden administration officials have told House and Senate leaders and key committee members that the White House will soon ask Congress to approve additional military aid to Israel after Palestinian militants from Hamas entered the country on the 7th of October. According to sources, this request from the White House may come as early as next week. Democrats and Republicans in Congress expressed full support for Israel and pledged that the United States would support one of its closest allies. This position was made in particular by extreme right-wing members of Congress who are against further assistance to Ukraine. White House officials and some pro-Ukraine congressmen believe linking the two aid requests could prompt some Republicans to vote in favor of the point package because they would not want to block military aid to Israel. A potential White House plan already ran into obstacles. Asked about the prospect of a joint funding package, Republican Representative Elise Stefanik did not support the idea. House Republicans have enough votes to pass a separate aid package for Israel, which could put pressure on Senate Democrats to approve it without conditions. At the same time, the House's ability to approve any foreign aid package remains in doubt until a speaker is elected.