وَأَقُولُ فِي القُرْآنِ مَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ آيَاتُوهُ فَهُوَ الْكَارِيمُ المُنزَالُهُ وَأَقُولُ قَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَالْمُصْطَافَ الْهَاديِ وَلَا أَتْ أَوَّالُهُ وَلَقَدْ هَمَّةِ بِهِ وَهَمَّةِ بِهَا لَوْلَا أَرَّاءَ بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَالِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أِبَادِنَ المُخْلاصِينَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَ وَيْتَعَالَا تَوْزَسْ إِنَّ أَفَاسِ دَأْنَي بِيُو اللَّهِ يُوْسُسُ وَأَبَادِنَ مُخْلاصِينَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانِ وَيْتَعَالَا تَوْزَスْ إِنَّ أَفَاسِ دَأْنَي بِيُو اللَّهِ يُوْسُسْ وَأَبَادِنَ مُخْلاصِينَ him a promise to Allah Subhanahu و تعالى and he made the oath that he's going to misguide us He said الله gonna misguide them all gonna make sure they all come to landscape. And then he gave an exception he said the ones I will not be able to misguide I will not be able to get to are the ones who were sincere هذا يظهر أن أجل إبريسي يدفع أن سنسيرتي هو فكرة التي ستعمل معهم لذا يجب أن نأتي معها أحبت أخي بأخي سنسيرتي يساعد with the repentance سنسيرتي أيضا يساعد with staying away from sins شيخ الإسلامي بنو تيميا في كتاب العبوديه سهد وإذا كان العبد ومخلص لله إذا كان فرصة سنسية has sincerity in his heart إيجتباه ربه فأحياق البه الله تباركه تعالى will choose that person and الله تباركه تعالى will give life to that person's heart واجتدبه به إله and Allah will bring you close to him فينصرف عنه ما يضادي with that and Allah will prevent you from anything that may harm you anything that goes against servitude anything that goes against what please Allah سبحانه وتعالى will prevent you from it will protect you from it من السوء والفحشاء ويخاف من ذي ذارك and anything you are scared of will prevent you from it إذا كان العبد ومخلص لله if you are sincere for Allah's sake and you have sincerity and sincerity in your heart الله تباركه تعالى will choose you and he will give life to your heart and he will bring you close to him and he will divert from you and protect from you every single thing that may harm you من السوء والفحشاء زينا حرام كدي بفترة all of that Allah will protect you from it and Allah تباركه وتعالى he will prevent you and protect you from what anything that you are fearful of as well sincerity helps because of very far far distance it will take you somewhere very far so we need to adorn ourselves with sincerity the second is امتلاق القلب من محبة الله عز وجل we have to fill our hearts with the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى we love him سبحانه وتعالى we fill our hearts with his love and the way to attain the love of Allah is in two ways العلوم النافعة trying to attain beneficial knowledge والأعمال الصالحة and coming with righteous actions it fills in your heart the love of Allah سبحانه وتعالى the more you adorn yourself with knowledge and you learn more about who Allah is you study his names and his attributes the love of Allah will increase in your heart and then the more you implement what you know and you act in accordance to what you know the more your love of Allah will increase the more the love of Allah increases in your heart و لذلك the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم he told us that the person plays the obligatory prayers he comes with the wajibat and then he adds on to the voluntary acts عمال الصالحة righteous actions the person Allah will love you and once Allah loves you what will he do كنتوا سمعه الذي يسمع به Allah will be your hearing and he won't hear except that which is good و بصره الذي يبصيره به أن يوجد عيسائت و يده الذي يبتشر به أن يهان that you grab with الله will protect you from anything that's not right و يجله الذي يمشي به and your legs الله سبحانه وتعالى will take it to the right places the good places then the Prophet says if he asks me for something and if he seeks refuge in something from me I'll protect him from it that person has reached درجة المحبة he has attained love love protects you it brings about repentance people will love Allah سبحانه وتعالى they do not want to anger him so they stay away from doing sins and if they do sins they hasten to ask him for forgiveness والذين إذا فعلوا فاحشة أو ظلموا أنفسهم ذكروا الله فاستغفروا لذنوبهم وما يغفروا لذنوبه إلا الله ولم يسروا على ما فعلوا وهم يعلمون pay attention here when they do the sin and they go against والله طبعا كوطعا prohibited or they do or they stay away from that which they were told sorry if they stay away from that which they were told to do and they leave off which they were told to do they remember that they have done a crime and sin and as soon as they remember that they've done a sin they remember how evil their action was and they remember Allah سبحانه وتعالى I'll ask you all a question how could someone remember Allah at a time when he's committing sin it can only come from if there was a relationship with Allah prior to this action of yours if you had a bond with him before if you loved your Lord يعني you're a human being you can do a mistake and it may occur from you but your heart was connected to Allah the minute you slipped you remember your Creator you remember Allah سبحانه وتعالى and you start thinking over your actions why did I say this why did I do this why did I act in this particular way you start accounting yourself that is a person who's got love in his heart the third thing that helps with the repentance my beloved brothers and sisters is المجاعدة you have to struggle we are in a consistent continuous battle with Shaytan and our nafs we have to fight every single day we can't give in to our desires we can't become slaves for our desires Allah سبحانه وتعالى He said والذين جاهدوا فينا لنهدينا أمصولنا the ones who fight and strive and exert effort those are the ones who are going to guide them to the right path repentance comes from struggling put in effort in hard work the people who are like that will attain it if you surrender and you just give in this nafs will take you to destruction and it will destroy you and it will bring you all sorts of harm there is عبدالله المبارك he said in the lines of poetry ومن البلاء للبلاء علامة اللي يرى لك عن هواك نزع العبد العبد النفس في شهواتها والحر يشبع طارة ويجوع the person you will see them dwelling in evil and they become slaves for their nafs have we not seen a people سبحان الله who are drug addicts they are in sins deeply into sins and then what happens is those people when you look at them they are crying for help they are dying they are thinking and committing suicide they are emotional and they feel loneliness they are always crying that no one cares for them and no one wants them all of this is because this nafs is an enemy of Allah وليه دارك عايق what I say to you all if you do not become a slave of Allah you are going to definitely be a slave to your desires of shaitan يبنو القيم he said حربوا من الريق الذي خولقوا له فبولوا بريق نفسي والشيطان they ran away from being slaves to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and surrendering to Allah تبارك وتعالى they ended up becoming slaves to who to their nafs in shaitan ألم عهد إليكم يا بني آدمة أن لا تعبود الشيطان إنه لكم عدو مبين وعني عبودوني هذا صراط مستقيل he diverted you worship shaitan is he going to take you to a good place is he going to give you what you want or is he going to take you to a path where you're going to be consistently struggling and you're going to be consistently in in stress and pain and agony سليماني بن عبد مريك said that he never ever loved reciting poetry and there was only one line of poetry he ever ever read he said إذا أنت لم تقص الهواء قادك الهواء إلى بعض ما فيه عليك المقال he said if you do not disobey your your desires you don't disobey it قادك الهواء your desires will lead you to what إلى بعض ما فيه عليك المقال it will take you to places where you're going to be slundered people are going to accuse you of things it's going to take you to a destructive path you're going to be the story of the town you're going to be the discussion of the city people are going to be dwelling over your your honor all because of what because you went towards a path فيه مقال you followed your desires and that's always the case we all know that when we do something wrong it always ends up becoming accusations so the best way to do is do not obey your desires إذا أنت لم تقص الهواء قادك الهواء إلى بعض ما فيه مقال إلى بعض ما فيه عليك المقال the fourth thing that aids and supports you in repentance is looking at this world as though it's short remembering that this life is very short and always reminding yourself يوم القيامة آخرة the other stage in our life the real and ultimate life consistently reminding yourself that the poet he said الأمالة في الدنيا تفز فدلول العقلي تقصير الأمن شورتن your thoughts and your desires in this world and I see it to be very look at this dunya as though it's short something very small تفز you're going to find success if you do that فدلول العقلي to show a person's really smart clever person and the evidence to show that so and so is clever تقصير الأمن when you see him seeing this dunya to be very short that is a person who is truly smart and he's clever وردارك عبدالله عمر ابن الخطاب ربي الله تعالى عنهما he narrated that the apostle عليه السلام يسأل to him كن في الدنيا كأنك غريب أو عابر سبيل be in this dunya as a stranger or a person crossing a road like a traveler be in this world stranger and a traveler and that's all you should see yourself in this dunya you're a stranger how is a stranger when he goes to a village he's a stranger you are a stranger in this dunya and you're like a traveler وردارك عبدالله عباس when the morning would come he would never wait for the evening and he would only know he used to say إذا أصبحت فلا تنتظر المساء وإذا أمسيت فلا تنتظر السباح وخذ من سحاتك علي مرضك ومن حياتك علي موتك إذا أصبحت فلا تنتظر المساء إذا أصبحت فلا تنتظر المساء تأخبك حياتك وخذ منها now تستخدمك حياتك now وخذ منها before that comes to you وردارك عقير رحمه الله إنه كتاب الفنون he said something very powerful extremely powerful a very very deep statement he said الأحوال إلا بتقصير الأمال فإن كل من عدة ساعته التي يهو فيها كمرض الموت حسنت أعمال فصارع عمره كله صاحيان الله وكبر he said no one's actions become pure and his situation becomes rectified unless he comes with قصر الأمل he sees this dunya to be very short and if you want your actions to be good and if you want your life and everything about your life to be rectified then be a person who sees this dunya to be very short and then he went on to say فإن كل من عدة ساعته anyone who counts his time and his lifespan ألتك هو فيها كمرض الموت and he looks like it like a deathbed حسنت أعماله your whole entire actions will become perfect فصارع عمره كله صافية and you'll purify all of your actions if you just look at this entire world as a stepping stone if you look at it a moment you wake up and then you go to sleep if you look at it that short you'll make sure you work hard a lot of the people who are doing sins if you ask them أخي ربن no no I'll do it when I'm 40 they don't believe in قصر الأمل they think they can live for too long that same person if an angel or someone came to them or even a doctor came to them and said to them you are not going to live more than 7 days does the person remain the same or does he change he changes he rectifies his situation he starts to work hard he goes to the mischief spends his life in the mischief and many people we've seen who've been told you have cancer you're not going to live for more than a month that person was found to be in the front line every in the mischief so when you live your life قصر أمل like that you'll do good you'll repent every time you do a little mistake you repent the fifth thing that helps a person that helps an individual repent and rectify their situation it is الاشتغالة بما ينفع to preoccupy yourself with that which will benefit you you'll need to preoccupy yourself my beloved brothers and sisters in that which is going to benefit you وتجنب and avoid الوحدة والفرق stay away from being alone and stay away from free time where you're not doing anything sins creep they creep in when a person is not doing that which is beneficial he's laughing, he's joking he's using his gadgets these things bring about sins they creep in like that also being alone if you know you're a person who is your nefs is not really pure yet you know your nefs is going to call you to things which are haram don't be alone and don't be by yourself stay away from that also don't make yourself free always do things whether it be reading whether it be exercise do things which are beneficial for you either for your hear after or your world dear friends pre-occupy yourself with something busy yourself with something do not sit around and just do nothing this is detrimental for you and it pushes you to sins when you're there you can look at the wolf the wolf when he wants to hunt and he wants to catch the the herd of sheep or even the goats or the deer or the buffaloes it tries to take one outside the jama'a it tries to take it out once that buffalo that baby cub leaves the rest it destroys it it destroys it whilst it's with his family and it's with his mother and father and it's with the herds it won't even dare to go inside because they're going to all kill him the prophet told us something similar to that he said to us با يأكلوا الغانم وغاسي that the wolf eats the sheep that's alone and the prophet was trying to say that the shaitan does the same shaitan takes you away from the jama'a he takes you away from the misjid he takes you away from your family and your good people righteous people you get away from them and the minute you start to become alone he has you by yourself he whispers to you he tells you things he brings thoughts to your mind it's not good try to be around good people noble people number six stay away from things that bring the urge bring about the desire stay away from things that are going to remind you of evil doings or things that are going to remind you stay away from those things some people they have problems with gadgets maybe that's where their problem comes from stay away from it some people their problem is particular people they're hanging around with they're the ones that are making them do this stay away from them the poet he said if you look at a lot of people it is that one look that they give to something that just brings about so much problems they're watching TV series there and then shower comes from there they see things and they become addicted to watching in decent things stay away from all of this or they are with a group of people and he knows that he hasn't got a job hasn't got a job he's looking for a job and his friends are making good money they're sending drugs and so what does he do they keep telling him oh yeah you know what I've got 50,000 this last week I just made 50,000 and these persons walked away from all of this stay away from those people what they're going to do is they're going to try to bring about thoughts into your mind look at you now you can't even buy new trainers come here you know what I'll take care of you I'll buy you new clothes and he takes them out buys you new clothes and then says you know what I'm here for you if you want money I'll give it to you I can see you're broke this person who sees that he's been brought stuff and things that have been given to him and it reminds him of the days when he was rich because he used to have money from drug money or etc stay away from people like that what they want to do is bring you back to those darknesses and those evil doings stay away from things that bring those thoughts into your mind go to people was simple easy and humble he'll only remind you of that which is good the seventh thing that helps you and supports you in repentance is مصاحبة الأخيار ومجانبة الأشلار befriending righteous people and being with good people and staying away from the evil doers which is kind of connected to our previous one righteous people and noble people are always going to push you to that which is good they are of a lot of value and a lot of khair for you if you hang around with bad people you're going to regret it in this world and you're going to regret it in the Day of Judgment ويوم عظوا ظالم على يديه يقولوا يا ليتن اتخذتم عال رسول سبيلا يا ويلة ليتن لم اتخذ فلانا خليلا لقد اضلني عن الذكر بعد اتجاءني وكان الشيطان ولي الانسان خذولا يعني the evil friend you'll regret it the Day of Judgment اتتبراء الذين اتبعوا من الذين اتبعوا وراءوا لعداب وتقطعوا طبيب الأسباب وقال الذين اتبعوا لو ان لانا كرة فنتبراء منهم كما تبراءوا مننا كذلك يريهم الله عمالهم حسارات عالين وماهم بخارجنا منها and you're going to regret it يوم القيامة for being with these people looking up to these evil doers they will have a bad effect on you the good people on the other hand that you'll benefit from their presence you benefit from everything regarding them إذا سكتوا رأيتوا لهم جمالا وإنطقوا سمعتوا لهم عقولا if they are silent you see the beauty in their silence they have been silent at the time when it's appropriate وإنطقوا and when they speak سمعتوا لهم عقولا I hear the wisdom in their words as the poet said that's the good people that their silence is just beauty and their speech and their utterance is wisdom and shows you how smart and clever they are the eighth thing that helps and aids you in repentance is أنظروا في العاقل looking at the ending of everything this thing I'm doing where is it going to lead me to the way I'm acting where is it going to lead me to ألمام مبنو الجوزي he said in his book صيد القاتل a very powerful statement he said ألمام مبنو جوزي he said if it's the smart person he distinguished between fulfilling his desires and the minute that he's fulfilling his desires and also he compared that like the how long an hour you're going to do Zina okay one hour you do Zina and guess what that one hour of Zina that you're going to do you're going to regret it for a very long time I remember a brother who committed Zina with a woman then she got pregnant from it he told her do an abortion she said do an abortion and his life went down he was only 15 at the age of 15 he was a father you see and now he has to raise that child and be part of that child's life يعني all of it happened in what he said to me it happened in hour يعني one hour I said to him one hour of joy that you were looking for has now become what it has become in قضاء باقي العمري بالحصرات you're spending the rest of your life in regret يعني you're going to you're not going to regret having a child but you've got a child from a wedlock this is not your child in Islam شرعا so look what you've done to your child and etc one قضاء باقي العمري بالحصرات على قضاء ذلك الوطر so compare the joy that you're looking for and the evil outcome that it's going to have ابن القيم said this ابن الجوزي sorry he said this is what a wise person should do but to be honest he said the wise person he would have if he's wise and he's smart and he compared the truth and he realizes you know what the the truth is the regret I'm going to be in for a very long time it's going to hurt I'm going to stay away from it if anyone gives me anything in this world I don't want it because I know the regret that's going to come from it but ابن الجوزي said that what's going to push you away from all of that is غير أن سكرت الهوة تحول بين الفكرة و ذلك thinking like that what gets what bled it takes you away from thinking correctly is the desires so the person says but I never saw it like that I never saw it like that it was only at an hour what did the person see as the person saw it as something else because the desires was pushing him to it the ninth the ninth point that's going to help and aid you in repentance is looking and pondering on the benefits of leaving of sins and I advise you to go to the كتاب ابن القيم wrote in there he mentioned the benefits of leaving sins from them is he gives that pass the benefits of leaving sins is he increases your iman also Allah gives you beauty and more Allah gives you حيبة respect amongst the people Allah also gives you shyness Allah also gives that person iman increasing Allah also gives them a high station Allah so many things so you need to go and look at the benefits of leaving sins and what it has number 10 is thinking and pondering over and صبر عن الشهوة أي سر من الصبر على ما تجيبه الشهوة to be patient on to be patient from fulfilling your desires is easier than being patient on fulfilling your desires I need to be patient from not fulfilling your desires and not doing what your nefs is calling you to is actually easier than going out and fulfilling your desires the patients that's required from you after what it does to you and I kind of mentioned that in the statement of جوزي رحم الله where it leads you to so much things that you have to be patient again, patient why? why do you have to be patient for 10 years for something you've done for 1 hour or 20 years for something you've done for an hour was it not easier to be patient for fulfilling that desire is that main minute than the 10-year patients or 20-year patients that you have to be in think about that number 11 look at the harm that sins have and the evil outcome that it has والله many of us already know that humiliation disrespect how the person is so weak and vulnerable because of the sins that they do you'll see it I mean you go and you see go to London go to the underground you see poor people begging to alcoholics you know begging for food يعني the humiliation that sins have put them through والذلك as some of the self they saw a man walking on the streets and he was begging and he was asking and he was begging and then they said ضيع الله في صغاري this person forsaked Allah when he was young ضيع الله في كيباري and now Allah has forsaken this person the age that he or she is in that's the harms of sins you humiliated you have no honor anymore number 12 الدعا the supplication the دعا يعني the supplication helps with repentance تسay ربنا وجعنا مسلمين لك ومن دوريتنا أمة مسلمة لك وارنا مناسكنا واتوب علينا إنك أنت التواب الرحيم أما تسay that وشفرافصل عالي سلام you used to say رب غفلي واتوب عليك إنك أنت التواب الرحيم يعني begging Allah سبحانه وتعالى supplicating to him سبحانه وتعالى supplication it helps and he aids you in repenting it also helps you to stay away from the sins وقال ربكم دعوني أستجيب لكم your lord الله سبحانه وتعالى he said supplicate to me beg me I will accept your dua وليذلك poet said regarding begging Allah سبحانه وتعالى supplicating to him he said ما ضاق بالمرء أمر فاستعد لها عبادة الله إلا جاءه الفرج ولا أناخ بباب الله دو ألم إلا تزحزح عنه ما ضاق بالمرء أمر فاستعد لها there is not a person who has been put through hardship and he is suffering and he prepares himself for worship يعني عبادة فالله إلا جاءه الفرج except Allah opens all doors for them ولا أناخ بباب الله دو ألم and there is not a person who knocks on the door of Allah سبحانه وتعالى who is suffering and is going through pain إلا تزحز عنه الحم والحرج والدعاة والحرج والأجنية والذي يفعل أو تشعر the 13th thing that will help you in repentance is another of your حالة للرصات look at the situation of the criminals look at the people who are sinning look at the situation are they in any good or are they actually in harm شيخ وليسام تيمين said something very powerful he said anyone who wants an eternal happiness let them remain at the door of servitude حسن البصري رحم الله said حسن البصري رحم الله says something very powerful that these people even however much they have the dunya and they've been given the glamours and the glitter of this dunya and they feel like they're enjoying themselves they've got airplanes they've got cars they've got everything فإن دول المعسيط لا يفارقوا قلوبهم the humiliation of sins doesn't leave their hearts they humiliate those people when you sit with them you feel like how weak they are other Allah Allah refused إلا أن يدل من عصا Allah refused to accept to humiliate the people who are sins الله is going to always humiliate the sinners number 14 الصبر والمصابرة الصبر والمصابرة تخصوصا في بداية العمر patience and endurance specifically before it all starts it's harder to be patient halfway into the sim it's easier to be patient at the beginning that's why it's important to have الصبر والمصابرة في بداية العمر at the beginning be patient don't look don't buy the gadget don't stay by yourself don't talk to this person the beginning is easier last but not least the fifth is عرضو الحالي present your situation على من يوعين or someone who will help you go to someone who can help you who can advise you who you can consult who you can sharing is caring and also a problem shared a pain that's shared is a problem that's halved if you go to someone who is righteous noble a person who keep your secret presenting your situation to that type of person will definitely help you and support you in repentance those 15 points that I mentioned are the 15 points that I believe if we all come with all of us it will help us to repent and turn back from our mistakes and even avoid the sins before it even starts I ask Allah SWT رب العرش العظيم the Lord of the Thrones that He forgives us for our sins and our shortcomings and I also ask Allah SWT to forgive me for any mistakes or shortcomings I might have come with whilst delivering this series سبحانك اللهم أحمدك أشدو الله إله إلا الله أستغفروا كاوة و إليك السلام عليكم if you are enjoying these videos and you like to keep up to date with all of the courses we are going to be running make sure you head over to amauathome.com


Representing our 12 Titan is another incredible woman. Let's hear it for the first female to play in a Power Five football game from Vanderbilt University, Sarah Fullard. Spend a lot of time interviewing football players, but never a football player quite like this. Sarah, I am so excited to have you here. It's so great to have you in Nissan Stadium. Yes, this has been amazing. It's so cool. So I wanna run you back a little bit all the way to the beginning. Gotcha. You play soccer for the Commodores. You were then asked to be a part of the football team. Take me through the timeline. Yeah, so on Sunday, we had won the SEC tournament, which was amazing, exciting, and went out on the beach and celebrated. And then that night, we drove back. So we got back really early Monday morning and Monday, about 11 a.m., I was packing to go home. And I saw Miss Call from my assistant coach and I called him back and I was like, what's wrong? Like, what is this? Why are you calling me? I'm going home. Do you think you could stick around for about a week? And I was like, why, what's up? And he's like, they need a kicker on the football team. Would you be willing to do it? And I was like, yes, let's do it. What do I need to do? So he was like, be out there in an hour and practice some kicks and went out there. And I think I missed one. They were like, oh yeah, we'll use you. So went from there. Had you done that before? Like, had you kicked a football and done kind of that motion or were you just kind of messing around and it worked? Honestly, I think it's pretty similar to a goal kick, but I really haven't kicked a football. Like maybe when I was little, like for a little elementary game or something, but yeah, never done a football, like kicked a football like that. So you were able to use a lot of your soccer goal kick, right? Yeah. It's kind of a similar motion. You're trying to accomplish the same thing, get it far, get it high, right? Yeah, for sure. I think the main thing I had to focus on and learn was the timing of it. So it's a lot quicker when you're going to kick a field goal because people are running at you and stuff. With a goal kick, I can be like, I'm going to waste my time until the ref gives me a yellow card or something. But yeah, just mainly focusing on that and the follow through and everything. It's very similar. What was game day like? Was that kind of surreal? Yes, like I've never, I've watched football games and been on some sidelines for football games but never been a part of it, like in the locker room and everything. So that was an amazing experience, like to see all the fans and like that they're watching you. It was pretty cool. What was the reaction of some of your soccer teammates? Oh, they've been so supportive. They've been incredible. I really love them so much. They are my family at the end of the day. So I'm so happy that they have my back through this whole process. So you've gotten a lot of attention in the last couple of weeks. What has that been like and did you anticipate it being as big of a deal as it is that you were kicking for a football title? Oh no, not at all. I had under a thousand followers on Instagram and I think I have 155,000 right now, like overnight and I just never expected that whatsoever. Do you understand why people are so excited about what you have been able to accomplish? Yeah, I mean just hearing stories from, like young girls are so excited and inspired by it but like also women who grew up and were told no, they couldn't be on the football team. They have come up to me and told me that they're inspired by me and I just think that's amazing that I've been able to break down these barriers and show that it is possible to do these things. Do you feel like you have a platform now where you can kind of get a message out or you can do things that maybe you couldn't previously? Yeah, for sure. I mean, I can see now that I have a huge influence on so many people and so I wanna continue sharing that positive message and also my story because there were times when I really struggled as an athlete and I think that's good to hear. It doesn't even matter if you're in sports or just in regular life that you are gonna struggle at times but it's how you get up and overcome those struggles is what defines you.


Hope you're having a great day already and we know you're gonna enjoy this program. I'm Tom, I'm here with Sydney and Angela. Great day guys, Angela tell us about our guest. Oh, I am so excited to talk to you guys today. Do you know that God loves you? Yes, you.  Today we're going to come into a deeper understanding of God's passion for us with author Carol Engel Averyt. Tom and Sydney knowing the depths, the widths, the heights of God's love is so transformational and it stands and start contrast to the way love is interpreted within the world and our culture. And I just love this whole topic of love because when you encounter the love of God, everything changes. Just even I think back to this place of when I remember I first encountered God's love. Like I knew God loved me, I understand that I know a lot of times we sing about that in church, but when you know the love of the Father, it's like this knowing and I love it in Hebrew, it's like this yadah, it's this intimacy that he desires with you and me. So we want you today to grasp and gain hold of the love of God like never before come. It's funny where my mind runs. Sometimes when you're saying you, yes you, I'm thinking of Miss Piggy. Mwah? Mwah? You know, she always was like me? Well, yes, you and me. Guys, I remember, I always knew the words that God loved me, you know, I always knew that growing up in the church, but I remember feeling, struggling with acceptance and struggling with am I really accepted by God? So it's going to be a great conversation that we'll have with Carol today. Well, right now we're going to have some other fun for you. We're going to do something called Stump the Hosts. All right, so play along. We have not seen these and we have not seen the answers. So play along with us. Carol's going to be on the line as our phone a friend if we need, if we need a lifeline here. But let me ask you the first one here. Who was the first king of Israel? Is it Saul? Because they asked where a king and God wanted to be their king. I think that it, because I remember we just talked about this in church, I'm pretty sure, because there was the judges, right? And then the people wanted the king and God was like, well, I want to be your king and rule over you, but then gave them Saul. That's right. I think that's right. We'll go with Saul. Yeah, oh yeah. We'll do it. It's funny, one time, I always remember that when Saul was being introduced, he was there, they couldn't find him. He was hiding back behind the luggage. Like he was like afraid. He was really nervous about that, you know. Well guys, let's get ready for our second question. In the book of Galatians, who was accused of hypocrisy by Paul because of the way he treated the Gentiles? Oh, this was Peter. I'm pretty sure this is where he confronted Peter, I think. Okay. What do you think we're good? You're gonna go with that? So is it mean one person, right? I think he, I think this might mean, yeah, I think it's Peter. Do we go with? It's Peter. All right.  That's interesting. A lot of theology there. So, all right, last one. Where in the Bible is this verse found? There is no peace says God, says my God for the wicked. Psalms? Cause I feel like Psalms has all the words in all the Bible mostly, so. I don't know. Are we asking for an exact address here or is the book good enough? Where is this? The book is good enough, all right. I feel like that's a very Psalm saying, but I don't know. I'm just guessing Psalms. Just a minute, let me bring in a phone or friend. Carol, are you there? Do you have any idea? Where is this? You know, I can think of several places that might, but as far as the exact book and verse, I'm gonna have to pass on this, but Psalms is the good, I think Psalms is probably a good guess, so. All right, maybe we'll go with, let's go with Psalms. Oh! I say it, let's say a 57. I was just there yesterday reading, no, just kidding. You have to write that on the board, right? Yeah, it's one of those ones, it's on the board. Thanks for playing along, guys. That was wonderful.  Maybe feeling misunderstood. Well, today in her latest book, Extravagant Love, Exploring God's Passion for Us, author Carol Angel Averyt shares how God knows every backstory to every circumstance in your life. And even though you may feel deprived of his love at times, you're not. It's more extravagant than we dare to believe. Welcome, Carol, to Hope Today. Thank you so much, Angela. It's delightful to be with you guys. We are so honored to have you. And reading a little bit more of your story, Carol, I know that you didn't come to know the Lord until you were in your 30s. So could you share a little bit with us of your journey? I would be delighted to. I was raised in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, back then it was every Wednesday night, too. But the only way that I can say it, I kind of was reminded by some things that Tom said and Sidney as well. Christianity just did not take on me. I had so many questions. I felt like there was just things around me. People would say they were Christians, but I couldn't really see that in their lives so much. And so when I became a teenager, particularly through my 20s then, I really made so many poor, poor decisions, put my life on a really difficult, bad path. And when I was 30, I really had reached the end of my rope. I did not know where to turn. I'd made a mess of things, made a mess of my life. And one night, very dark night of the soul, I had a radical encounter in my mind and in my heart with the living Lord. And I simply turned to him and said, I belong to you, take me, mold me. And I felt, I slept that night for the first time in weeks. I felt like this enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Now, I could not have explained to you the following morning what exactly had happened to me. I mean, I was that much of a babe in the woods, but I knew that something incredibly important and incredibly radical had happened to me.  I was standing at the stove cooking in bacon and I was shoveling the iron skillet back and forth and it felt, I felt warm all over. I thought, my goodness, I really got this stove turned up high. So I stepped back, it wasn't the stove. I just felt a warmth around me that lasted for almost a couple of three days. And I asked my parents to send me a Bible and they immediately did. I began reading at first, I didn't want to read anything except the Gospels. And within the Gospels, I didn't want to read anything except what Jesus himself had said. And through that journey and in the years following, I became a Bible teacher. One of the funniest things is that I had no idea where to go to church. I didn't want to go back to the denomination I'd been raised in. Through a series of incredibly only God orchestrated coincidental events, I wound up going to being asked to go to a denomination that I had sworn all during my atheistic agnostic years that I would have never stepped door and that was Southern Baptist Church. And yet that was exactly where God led me. I know, you know, he has such a sense of humor in dealing with us and he loves us, he loves us so much. He loved me so much all the while that I was in my rebellious years.  And it was really out of all of these experiences that the book Extravagant Love was born. And I just wanted to write a book about what I have found to be his love. You know, how would you define the Extravagant? I think most of us would say it has to do with material possessions. You know, riches, wealth, maybe fancy clothes, cars, whatever. But would you describe as Extravagant, a person who only had one change of clothes who didn't have a home? Really, he was homeless, basically. Was I tenorate? Well, I walked from place to place and mainly lived on what other people gave him and supported. And yet Jesus was the most ex-gravagant person who ever lived. And he remains that way today. We're just living in such a hurting world.  I mean, I don't know anybody that could not use today. A reassurance or a touch of God's love. And so out of all of that was born this book and I've prayed over every page. I hope that it hits the mark for so many people out there that perhaps have been disappointed in human love. And God's love is so different from the way we love. You talk about Extravagant character traits of Christ. Jesus in your book and even as you're articulating your experience of him, his warmth, his peace and all of that. In these character traits that you share, is there one that you think we would be surprised by? Well, I think actually there are two or three and let me just quickly say what the structure of the book is. It'll give your listeners and viewers a little bit more of an idea. I decided to choose 12. Characteristics are facets of God's love as I identified them in the Bible. I'm sure there are many, many more, but I chose 12 that I thought would be interesting and that people would enjoy reading about. And so probably two or three, four of those are ones that you might not necessarily think about. For example, when he loves us, he loves us through his Extravagant creativity. He treats each of us differently in that he might answer my prayer when I'm asking for something or about something in a different way than he would say answer a prayer for you asking about the same thing. So his creativity has not stopped, in other words. He's continuing to be creative even as he loves us, but thoughtfulness is one that I think and I deal with that in the very first chapter. His thoughtful for us is so Extravagant. You know, we sometimes think of, we judge love, his love, through the lens of what we have experienced maybe. And I wonder how many of us and your listeners or maybe one of you have ever experienced someone loving you, let's say, with a skimpy love, with a love that's thin. And if we were honest with ourselves, we've probably loved somebody in our life before with that kind of love too. Oh, we say, you know, we'll love you till, you know, whatever we, but our love tends to be so fickle. Human love really does tend to be fickle. It tends to be conditional. You know, you'll love somebody just as long as they love you back. You know, it's that kind of thing. God's love is exactly the opposite. It is so deep. It is so wide. It has no end to it. The Bible says we love wine because he first loved us. It's out of that Extravagant heart, out of that Extravagant love that his thoughtfulness is just beyond belief. Well, that's so good Carol. Let me ask you about people who have not been loved or they've been harmed. By the people that should love them, maybe their parents, maybe a relative, maybe someone that they trusted, that they expected love did not receive love from them instead received harm. And then they have trouble breaking through with God. How can they break through to receive that Extravagant love from God? Well, you know, I think Tom, this goes along with what I was just talking about and a little step further. I often have people say to me, I just don't feel God's love. I don't sense it. And so one of the things that I think I would say, in fact, I know I would say, I have said it. I have taught, this is a little sideline, but I teach a ladies Bible study every Thursday morning and we have been together now for 10 years. So in that decade, we've really gotten to know each other and many of them have come into that group. At first, they had not experienced love just like you just described. And I would always say there are lots of things that you could say, but number one, there are three things. Number one, go to Jesus. Talk to him, tell him you don't sense his love. You don't sense. And just be open and honest with him. Go to Jesus, number one. Number two, go back to number one.  And number three, just go to him. He stands with open arms and he loves each of us before we ever come to him. He wants us far more than we have any idea about. And I say to parents all the time, I was the prodigal daughter. I say to parents all the time, do not stop praying for that child. I say to grandparents, do not stop praying for that wayward grandchild. Just continue to pray, continue to lift them up. I dedicate this book, the whole book to my dad and I say at the beginning, it's for him because his strong prayers helped save me. And so if you don't feel, if you've been mistreated in love, you've been disappointed in love, who hasn't at some point or another in their lives? Go to Jesus, talk to him about it. Let him wrap you in his wonderful love, the warmth of that. That night when he came to me in that radical experience, I felt like I was suddenly being swept along in this mighty surge of his love, just like sticking my hand in an electric current or another sense that I had of that, it was like a day I'm breaking forth in the water rushing forward. And I was caught up in that warmth and in that love and it's only grown deeper and more wonderful with each passing day. It's so beautiful for you to express it in that way, Carol. And I love the life first that you choose that just clings to you. Would you share just briefly your Mark 645, why this speaks so profoundly to you and what it can call us to respond and how we should show up into the world like the verse demonstrates? Right, you know, I told you that I call my parents when I became a Christian and they were the first to know and wanted them to send me a book. I was working on my PhD at the time. I had three or 4,000 books probably in my house. I did not have one copy of a Bible. Looking back on that, I can hardly believe it, but I called my dad, he got off the phone, he called my mom and he said, send that girl a Bible immediately. I was working as an editor with Southern Living Magazine at the time. So send that girl a Bible and he did. My mother to the day she died said there was only one copy of a Bible when she went to the bookstore and it was the living Bible, the translation, the living Bible. She sent it to me and it was, I had never read a modern translation before, only a King James version. And it was so easy to read and of course later I had a good laugh when I found out it was translated by a gentleman, a biblical scholar for his six, seven year old child so they could read and I thought, well, you know, Lord, that's about how old I was spiritually when I started reading this. But as I read that Bible, the Gospels and just what Jesus said, I came across and you'll only find it in the living translation. Now, now I use all sorts of study Bibles. But in that translation, the translator gathered together a few sentences and he came up with Mark 645 and this is what it says. It's after the feeding of the 5,000. So there were, as you can imagine, just hordes of people all around him and they were leaving, the event was over, he had fed them, he had taught them. And this verse says he himself would stay and tell the crowds goodbye and get them started home. And I, Angela, I read that verse, I had to put my Bible down and I just wept and wept. I mean, for the longest time, even now it brings tears to my eyes to think about that verse. He, the disciples were tired. They were physically exhausted after this day or two of crowds and feeding and teaching. And they said, Jesus, let's pull away to some place else. Let's rest. What did Jesus say to them?   Have you ever been to a big party and the hour was getting late and you couldn't find the host?  But Jesus wouldn't even do that.  And as they were going over the last hill, they could turn over their shoulder and he was still standing there. He himself would stay. He will never ask us to do anything that he wouldn't do for us himself. And tell the crowds goodbye. He had to leave. He knew his time was running short. Had to leave and say goodbye. But what had he done for them? He had gotten them started home. And the moment any man or woman on the face of this earth turns to Jesus and comes to him as Lord and savior, how, what is our journey then defined by? We at that moment have begun our journey home, home one day to be with him in his kingdom in heaven to live with him eternally. What a magnificent verse. He himself would stay and tell the crowds goodbye and get each one of them started home. I love that life first, Carol. It has spoken profoundly to me. Thank you so much for your beautiful book. Again, extravagant love, exploring God's passion for us. Carol, thank you for being with us. Oh, thank you so much for having me. It's been my absolute honor and pleasure. When we return in 60 seconds, we're going to break down a pretty familiar scripture and tell you just how impactful it really is. And when it comes to our everyday walk, the impact that it leaves is invaluable. We'll be right back. Cornerstone Television has believed in the power prayer sits in Synception 44 years ago. We invest heavily in our prayer line to provide you with 24 seven personal prayer, knowing it brings breakthrough, healing and wisdom. Last year alone, we received over 65,000 prayer calls. And if you had partnered with us, thank you so very much. And when you give this month, I am so excited to share with you my new book, Praying On Another Level. It's a 30 day journal to take your prayer life to a new dimension in God. You see prayer is how we separate good ideas from God ideas. It's how we unlock the door to revelation and it's where we get our strength to build up our spirit man, to hear from God throughout our day. All that and so much more. So call us now at<PHONE_NUMBER> or give at ctvn.org forward slash donate to request your copy. Eat is time to take your prayer life to another level. We're so glad that you're with us on hope today. And we just wrapped up our conversation with Carol talking about this word called love. And like always, we like to share scripture with you that sets up the theme around how we like to round out our show. And it's a one that we're all very familiar with. And it is John 3 16.  You know, this is such a common scripture and sometimes I think we truly take it for granted and what it means.  And I just want to take you to a moment that God actually brought me to recently when I've just been really in this season of my life just really trying to be intimate and spending time with him, listening to what he wants to share and reveal to my heart. And he brought me to this whole thing of love and what he began to speak to me and what he began to reveal to me is that we have to go back to the Hebrew when God first talked about love. It's this word, ahava. And you'll see it over and over again in the scriptures. And did you know what ahava essentially means? The basis, the premise of love, it means to give. Love means to give. And we see demonstrated in John 3 16 that God so loved the world that he gave. See, that was an act of God's love of giving. Love is an action. Love comes out of this place of selfless sacrifice. That even now, and I just think about in the times where we are hurting the times when we need God so much that it's not that he's just up there and he's watching us cry. No, he's giving of himself. He's pouring out his presence. He wants to reveal himself in his glory and a new way to you so you don't feel alone. You don't feel abandoned. That's what separates this God from every other God because there are no other gods, right? Because this is the only God that said, you know what, I'm gonna come down to my people. I'm gonna come down to those because I see the pain and I'm gonna step into that place and walk among them and spend time with them. And he's still doing the same thing with us today. And so we just wanna encourage you. And just ask you, do you know of this love? Or has it been a love that is out of obligation? That is a love that is out of rules. And maybe that's what your family context has looked like all your life, that you have to do this and that to earn love. There's nothing to do. We don't have to do anything to earn God's love. He paid it all for us. So today, if you're watching, we just wanna share with you the best news, the biggest breaking news that has been happening that we want you to take part in is knowing that Jesus died for you. He laid his life. He gave his life for you. He hung on the cross for three days and was resurrected. He conquered death on the grave. And because he did that, we are set free from our iniquities and our sins and our bondages and the things that hold us. And it's really simple. All you have to say is, Jesus, I receive you as my Messiah. I receive you as my Lord and my Savior. In that moment, friend, we'll change your life for eternity. And then you get to receive Emmanuel, God, with me, God, with us. So if you want to receive Jesus in your heart today, give us a call at<PHONE_NUMBER>, Tom. You know, I think it's so important to remember that in every other religion, we have to sacrifice to gain approval of the God. But in Christianity, God sacrificed himself that we might gain approval. It was his sacrifice, something we could not achieve, something we could not do, something we could never, ever do enough to receive that love. He just said, here, I'm gonna lay down my life for the sheep. I'm gonna lay down my life for you. For God so loved the world, he gave his only son. I have a son. I could not give my son even to save the world, but God did.  And he's offering that to you today, as Sidney just said. So don't let this day go by without realizing how much and how important that love is and that God loves you unconditionally. But he wants you to know him. All you gotta do is open that door. Today could be a day just like it was for Carol, that everything changes. Have a wonderful day. On tomorrow's Hope Today, reaching Pittsburgh with the gospel of Jesus. Discover how a group of next generation believers are demonstrating God's love with an exciting upcoming prayer walk in the city of Pittsburgh. That's tomorrow on Hope Today. Cornerstone Television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers, whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible.