Participants: John Bradshaw (Host), Neil Nedley
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001360A
00:06 >: It has stood the test of time.
00:11 God's book, the Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:21 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 JB: This is It Is Written. Thanks for joining me today. 00:39 I'm John Bradshaw. Today a subject that touches the 00:43 life of every breathing person on the planet. 00:48 We've been made a certain way by a creative God who's given us a 00:52 mind with which to think, and he's made us 00:55 to be emotional beings. And you know that there are some 00:59 people who just don't seem to be able to control their emotions. 01:02 Or perhaps, perhaps I'm talking about you and me. 01:05 There are times when our emotions just seem to get the 01:08 better of us. So how can we be 01:11 emotionally intelligent? There's somebody who's going 01:14 to guide our thinking on this subject; that's Dr. Neil Nedley. 01:17 He's the president of Nedley Health Solutions. 01:20 Dr. Nedley, thanks for joining me today. 01:21 NN: Thank you. Great being here, John. 01:23 JB: How do we analyze our thoughts? 01:25 NN: Well, we have to actually put them into our frontal lobe 01:28 to analyze them. In other words, when we feel 01:31 emotional some way, we have to be aware that that's happening. 01:37 Then we need to look at the belief or the thought that is 01:41 causing us to have the emotional consequence, which then has 01:45 a behavioral consequence. We call it the ABCs of 01:49 emotional intelligence. The A is the activating event, 01:52 or being aware. The B is the belief. 01:55 And the C is the consequence. And a lot of people think it 01:58 just goes from A to C. Now, we have a role to play 02:01 in regard to our emotions, and that's our belief about 02:05 the A that brings about the emotional consequence. 02:09 JB: So when things happen, it's wise that we become or that we 02:12 choose to be the type of person that says, wait a minute, 02:14 what's really going on here, and how should I be thinking? 02:18 NN: Exactly. JB: Right, we don't do that when 02:20 suddenly we just react in a rage. 02:23 NN: That's right. JB: Lose our temper, 02:24 fly off the handle. NN: Exactly. 02:26 JB: When people aren't thinking straight, 02:28 their thoughts are distorted. What are common distorted 02:31 thoughts? NN: Well, one of them is 02:35 magnification and minimization. We have a tendency to major in 02:40 minors and minor in majors. And an example would be Saul. 02:47 When Samuel came to him and told him about the problems of why 02:52 he hadn't done all of the instructions, 02:54 he minimized it, acted like 02:57 it wasn't a big deal at all, explained it away. 03:00 JB: This is when Samuel said, look I asked you to wipe out 03:03 everybody. Why didn't you do it? 03:05 Oh, it's not such a big problem. We brought those animals to 03:08 sacrifice to God, so we're okay. NN: Yeah, exactly. 03:11 JB: It wasn't okay. NN: And then he only became 03:13 concerned when the consequences came down for that action, 03:17 and we know God is the righteous judge, 03:19 so it was appropriate consequences, and he began to 03:22 dwell on the unfairness of that punishment. 03:26 Really, it all started as a result of magnification of self. 03:32 There's a book that you might want to pick up. 03:36 We mentioned this in our book "The Lost Art of Thinking," 03:38 but there's another psychologist who picked it up, called 03:41 "What Your Counselor Never Told You: 03:43 The Seven Sins That Lead to Mental Illness." 03:47 And the first sin that he mentions that leads to 03:49 mental illness is the sin of pride. 03:51 That's when we magnify ourselves. 03:55 Then he gives you a little test to see whether you might 03:57 have it: trying to be noticed, craving attention, 04:00 itching for compliments, needing to be important, 04:04 detesting the idea of being submissive, flaunting your 04:08 individual rights, thinking you have excellences 04:11 you don't have. Those are all indicators of 04:16 pride, and when an inflated sense of self comes about, 04:20 you will then eventually have wounded pride, and then you're 04:24 going to end up with feelings of worthlessness, which is also 04:28 the other side of the equation. So it always starts out with too 04:32 much pride, before we get to the very poor self-esteem, 04:39 poor self-worth, feelings of worthlessness, which then, 04:41 of course, results in severe depression, suicidal thoughts. 04:45 JB: We see how fundamental this is just by thinking about that 04:47 common expression, "What was he thinking?" 04:51 NN: Exactly. Yes, exactly. 04:53 JB: And if only the individual had stopped to think--people in 04:56 a rage grab a gun, or so on--in and at the same time 04:59 tyrants and despots. NN: Yes. 05:02 JB: They get to where they get because of this very distorted 05:06 thinking, not looking at things really rationally or accurately. 05:11 NN: Right. And they tend to be very 05:13 egotistical individuals. In contrast, we have the life 05:16 of Christ. One of the best biographies 05:19 states him this way: "He was never elated 05:21 by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment." 05:27 Among the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment 05:30 he was still of good courage. Why was that the case? 05:33 Because he was never elated by applause; 05:36 he never allowed himself to have this egotistical self 05:40 as being the rule. And that's a key element 05:44 of having emotional intelligence--to know what our 05:47 weaknesses are, to be humble, to give deference to others. 05:51 That's one of the things that is important in emotional 05:55 intelligence, and certainly not magnifying self. 05:59 JB: Now, you look at another person in the Bible, Solomon. 06:02 Now, it seems almost that Solomon might have suffered 06:06 from depression. NN: Oh, He did. 06:09 JB: Well, talking about distortions, what was his big 06:11 distortion in his thinking? NN: Emotional reasoning. 06:14 It was different from Saul's. Emotional reasoning leads 06:19 people to seek things that cause others pleasure. 06:26 And so they want to be happy, and actually more pleasure 06:30 leads to less pleasure. JB: How's that? 06:33 NN: Solomon tells his story in Ecclesiastes. 06:35 He says how he used alcohol, I think opium was involved, 06:38 so there was alcohol, there were drugs, 06:41 and then he said, I didn't allow myself 06:44 to not view anything. In fact, anything that caused 06:46 me pleasure I would go for. So there was pornography, and 06:49 then there was live pornography. Those are all false ways of 06:54 altering the way you feel. The way of altering the way you 06:58 feel is to actually change your thoughts. 07:00 But when you go for substances or events to try to alter 07:06 your feelings, first you get a high from that, 07:10 but then as you do it more, you actually get less of a high, 07:13 and in between times you have severe distressing sense 07:17 of deprivation, even though there's nothing going 07:20 wrong in your system. Solomon had everything 07:23 going right for him; he was the wealthiest man on the planet, 07:26 he had a lot of things going right, 07:28 but he ended up severely depressed from actually going 07:33 through frontal lobe suppressing activities 07:36 to try to get happiness. JB: So many examples of people 07:39 who seem to have it all, but their lives are miserable 07:42 because in their own minds they don't have 07:45 what's most important. NN: Well, emotional reasoning 07:48 goes something like this as well, it will progress to this. 07:52 First you seek pleasure in any way that you can find it, and 07:56 then you get to the point where you're saying, "I feel like a 07:59 dud; therefore I am a dud." I feel overwhelmed and helpless; 08:03 thus, my problems are impossible to solve. 08:07 And so just because you feel that way, you conclude that 08:10 it has to be true. And you know, feelings come and 08:12 feelings go, and feelings can be quite deceiving. 08:16 JB: We'll talk more about this in just a moment. 08:18 Thinking straight, thinking healthfully, so very, very 08:22 important when it comes to a person's relationship with God. 08:25 We'll have more in just a moment. 08:28 ♪ [Gentle Melody] ♪ >: "Every Word" is a 08:30 one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional presented by Pastor 08:33 John Bradshaw, and designed especially for busy people 08:36 like you. Look for "Every Word" 08:39 on selected networks or watch it online every day on our website, 08:42 ItIsWritten.com. 08:46 ♪ [Rythmic Melody] ♪ 08:53 JB: Life often throws up circumstances that provoke a 08:56 person to lose their temper. Now, I've often heard it said, 09:00 well, you can't blame him, or her, given the circumstances. 09:04 But look at this; it's Proverbs 16:32. 09:06 The wise man wrote, "He who is slow to anger 09:08 is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit 09:11 than he who takes a city." It's virtuous to control 09:14 your temper, not to lose it. The Bible never recommends 09:17 blowing up, giving people a piece of your mind, 09:19 letting it rip. God's grace is given to us so 09:22 that we can be Christ-like. And Jesus was a model of 09:26 evenness every day of his life. The Pharisees plagued his steps, 09:30 he had Judas and Peter to deal with, demon-possessed people, 09:33 and yet he never lost it. Challenging, isn't it? 09:37 But it's what Jesus can do in your life, and he wants to do it 09:40 today. I'm John Bradshaw for 09:42 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. 09:47 JB: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 09:49 I'm glad you've chosen to join me today. 09:52 What a blessing to have Dr. Neil Nedley here. 09:54 We are discussing emotional intelligence and how to think 09:58 straight, thinking healthfully. It's true, isn't it, that when 10:03 we learn to think right, and even when we learn to think 10:05 right about our thoughts, we're going to do a whole 10:08 lot better emotionally and spiritually as well. 10:10 NN: Correct. JB: We see people in the Bible 10:13 who fought their way into difficult situations. 10:17 I'm thinking about Elijah. NN: Yes. 10:20 JB: You don't think about these great Bible heroes as being 10:22 emotionally weak, or at least momentarily messing up their 10:28 thinking processes, but it seems he did. 10:30 NN: Elijah was different from Saul and Solomon, which gives us 10:33 an example that people who have depression, there's always a 10:36 different set of causes that are there. 10:39 It's not always the same causes. With Saul it was magnification 10:43 of self. With Solomon it was 10:46 emotional reasoning. And Elijah was not a prideful 10:50 individual like Saul. He didn't do things for the sake 10:53 of pleasure only like Solomon did. 10:56 He was a very godly man, but he ended up with severe depression. 11:01 If you remember the story, God was trying to prepare him 11:04 for something great, for transforming the nation. 11:07 And first there was no rain, and then Elijah went to the brook 11:12 and was being fed by the ravens. He wouldn't believe until the 11:15 brook dried up, and even then he didn't leave until the Lord 11:18 told him to go to Jezreel, Jezebel's home town. 11:21 Then he was put on a plant-based, vegetarian diet, 11:24 trying to get him even better ready. 11:26 But even then he wasn't ready for Ahab until he proved that he 11:29 could live with an argumentative woman successfully, who'd lashed 11:33 out at him when things went wrong. 11:36 And when the Lord saw how calmly he dealt with that woman, 11:39 he said, okay, you're ready for Ahab. 11:41 And this tremendous event occurred, the beginning of the 11:44 transformation of the nation, and then Jezebel within 24 hours 11:48 threatens his life, and Elijah takes off running 11:51 to save his life. JB: And suddenly this man, 11:53 who'd seen God work incredibly powerfully, 11:57 fire from heaven, he's threatened by this 12:00 harridan, and off he goes with his tail between his legs. 12:03 NN: Yeah. Of course, he had reason to 12:05 fear, because she had feared other prophets, you know, there, 12:07 so he had reason to fear. But he didn't wait on God. 12:09 He went and started running, and then 30 days later he asked 12:14 for the Lord to take his life. He says, it's over with, 12:16 I'm depressed, just take my life. 12:19 And really, it was about as close to suicide as a godly man 12:22 would have. And the Lord had to put him 12:24 through a program. He had to, you know, 12:26 come and feed him food. I think there was some 12:28 flaxseed there. He had to put him on 12:30 an exercise program. He actually had to get him out 12:32 into the light, out of the cave. But what really helped Elijah 12:37 was the still small voice. That was what we call cognitive 12:41 behavioral therapy, where the Lord was coming to see what 12:44 thoughts were there, and to help Elijah analyze his thoughts. 12:48 Elijah began to tell what was on his mind. 12:50 He said, I'm the only one that has not bowed the knee to Baal. 12:55 That's called overgeneralization. 12:57 JB: That certainly was not true. NN: He should have said, 13:00 I'm the only one I know of, maybe. 13:02 JB: Right. NN: But instead, he just knew he 13:04 was the only one. And the Lord let him get by with 13:07 that the first time, but the second time he had to stop him, 13:09 and he said, Elijah, you're wrong; 13:11 you're not only wrong, you're wrong by a factor of 13:14 seven thousand. JB: Yeah, now let me ask you 13:16 this question, because we're talking about a prophet of God, 13:20 a man who was taken to heaven. NN: Yes. 13:25 JB: ...without seeing death. And he suffered from depression. 13:29 NN: Yes. It tells you the sympathy that 13:31 the Lord has for people in depression. 13:33 JB: It's okay to be depressed, isn't it? 13:35 You understand what I mean. NN: Oh, absolutely. 13:37 It's okay to be depressed. But it's not okay 13:40 to stay depressed. JB: No, no. 13:42 NN: And if you just ignore it, and try to protect it, 13:48 without getting the actual help you need, 13:51 it can be a problem. JB: I want to clarify this. 13:54 It is acceptable for a believer in God to, to be suffering 13:59 from depression. I don't mean wallow in it, 14:01 but hey, it's okay. NN: That's right, Elijah had it. 14:04 JB: Yeah, there you go. So there's the proof 14:06 right there. NN: Yeah. 14:08 JB: So we want to learn to think straight and to be 14:12 emotionally intelligent. I have a feeling that emotional 14:16 intelligence has more to do with just thoughts, more to do 14:20 with--there's more to it than just thinking straight. 14:23 Perhaps in a moment we'll explore that. 14:24 NN: Good JB: Emotional intelligence. 14:28 Learning to think in such a way that you thrive emotionally, 14:32 and that you can have a strong relationship with God. 14:36 So often people who get into this "nobody loves me, 14:39 I have no value," they come to the place where 14:42 "not even God can love me and help me." 14:44 And you don't want to be there. More in just a moment. 14:48 ♪ [Thoughful Melody] ♪ JB: Planning for your financial 14:51 future is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 14:54 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free planned 14:57 giving and estate services. For information on how we can 15:01 help you, please call 1-800-992-2219. 15:06 Call today, or visit our special website, www.HisLegacy.com. 15:14 JB: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 15:17 Thanks for joining me today. Today, 15:20 controlling your emotions. Dr. Nedley, a moment ago we 15:23 talked about really a surprising figure, 15:26 the great Elijah, taken by God to heaven 15:29 in a chariot of fire, and yet emotionally he was 15:34 a wreck there for a while. NN: Yes. 15:36 JB: But God put Elijah on a program that brought him back to 15:39 emotional health. NN: Yes. 15:41 JB: So we want to be the kind of person who's emotionally 15:43 healthy. What was that program that God 15:44 put Elijah on? NN: It was good nutrition, 15:48 it was exercise, it was light therapy, 15:51 and it was helping him to analyze his thoughts and 15:56 correct his distorted thoughts. After that was done, 16:00 it still wasn't complete until Elijah actually carried out the 16:05 instructions of God in areas that he did not want to do. 16:11 JB: Hmm, that's interesting. Hey, first I want to ask you, 16:13 light therapy. What's that? 16:15 NN: We actually need bright light for our brains to function 16:18 good every day. And, you know, when we're 16:21 depressed, we have a tendency to get into a cave and, you know, 16:23 just enclose ourselves in. And that's why God sent the 16:28 earthquake and the storm, to try to get Elijah 16:31 out of that cave. He sent a fire. 16:33 He kept trying to get him out into the light. 16:35 Finally, after he got him out into the light for a while, 16:38 that's when the still small voice came, which was helping 16:42 him to get rid of his distorted thought. 16:44 JB: Hey, isn't that interesting, that it was key for Elijah to 16:47 start doing the things that God asked him to do? 16:49 NN: Yes...yes. JB: Why is that important? 16:52 NN: Because God always wants us to do things that are best for 16:56 us and best for others. JB: I wonder, too, if when a 16:59 person knows they're not doing God's will they're wracked by 17:02 guilt and can't be healthy emotionally. 17:05 Is that part of it? NN: Oh, it can very well be part 17:08 of it. I mean, that's why Jonah ended 17:10 up, you know, very depressed in the situation that he was in, 17:14 and others as well. If we are convicted that the 17:16 Lord wants us to go this way, and the evidence is in his Word 17:20 to go that way, but we go another way, 17:23 that's self-sabotage. JB: Okay, now, what's the path 17:26 to emotional wellness, the path to controlling 17:30 one's emotions? Perhaps what we might say is, 17:34 what are the characteristics of somebody who's got it 17:36 figured out? Because we want to be 17:38 those people. NN: Sure. 17:39 Yeah, characteristics of people who do have it figured out is 17:42 they're actually going to be curious about people 17:45 they don't know. They're actually going to be 17:47 well liked by most people-- not by everybody, 17:50 we're not asking anyone to be liked by everybody. 17:52 You can't be liked by everybody a hundred percent of the time. 17:55 JB: Curious about people you don't know? 17:57 Why is that important? NN: Well, remember, part of 18:00 emotional intelligence is managing relationships 18:03 with others. If you're not curious about 18:05 people you don't know and want to see what makes them tick and 18:09 to help get to know them, that's an issue. 18:11 That's why you need to have your thoughts corrected. 18:13 We are social beings. And actually, when we get into 18:17 the social isolation mode, that's going to hurt us, 18:20 as well as hurt others. So that's an important element. 18:23 If you're on an airplane, are you going to talk to the person 18:25 next to you and see why they're there, and try to get to 18:28 know them some? Emotionally intelligent people 18:30 do that. Then they also are very aware of 18:33 their strengths and weaknesses. They have a sense of humility 18:36 about them. They also know when to say no, 18:40 but at the same time they will slow down to help others. 18:43 They will have an empathy for others, so they'll even disrupt 18:46 their schedule to help others, but not in everything. 18:50 Someone else might need help and they realize they're not the 18:53 best person for it, and they're going to say no, 18:55 I'm not going to do that. When they do have a fall, 18:58 due to a distorted thought or due to something else, 19:00 they actually take responsibility for it, 19:03 and they get back up, instead of minimizing 19:06 the importance of that fall. And they are committed to 19:11 improving. If you have all of those things, 19:14 with intelligence you have the ability to be a great leader. 19:17 So often emotionally intelligent people become very 19:19 transformative in their environment, and they can be 19:23 a great leader for God. JB: Help me to understand how we 19:28 bring this into our relationship with God, how possessing these 19:32 characteristics can help me to thrive as a believer and be a 19:36 successful Christian. NN: Well, it gets down to the 19:41 sentence of the Apostle Paul, who was also very emotionally 19:44 intelligent. Be transformed 19:47 by the renewing of your mind. If we're not willing to have our 19:51 minds renewed, we're not going to be able to be transformed 19:54 into comprehensive emotionally intelligent people. 19:58 JB: I think it's important for us to understand, and this is 20:00 where the Word of God becomes so very powerful. 20:04 Anybody can achieve this, with God's help. 20:08 NN: That's right. JB: Okay. 20:10 Now, somehow an individual's got to learn to go to God with their 20:13 issues and their problems and say, "God, help me 20:16 through this." NN: Yes. 20:17 JB: Not everybody's able to come back from where they are and 20:21 say, God can help me. It's remarkable that even 20:24 believers get to the place. I spoke with an individual very 20:27 recently, and it was over for this individual, because a 20:31 mistake had been made, and God can't help me now. 20:33 Which is contrary to everything you read in the Bible. 20:36 NN: That's right. JB: God even said to Israel, 20:39 if you mess up, the consequences are going to be so terrible 20:42 for you. However, if you repent, 20:43 I'll take you back. NN: Exactly. 20:46 JB: And I'd like your thoughts on this. 20:48 Perhaps it's really important in terms of emotional intelligence 20:51 to have a clear understanding of what God is like. 20:55 NN: Absolutely. JB: Have you seen in individuals 20:57 who have a distorted picture of God that it negatively affects 21:01 them emotionally, and if you have, how? 21:04 NN: Oh, absolutely. I mean, almost to a person, 21:09 those that come for our treatment-resistant depression 21:12 and anxiety program have significant issues with God. 21:16 They think God has abandoned them, or they maybe think, 21:19 you know, he doesn't exist anymore, 21:21 because if he did, why isn't he helping them? 21:24 And they have significant issues with God. 21:26 And it's often due to misunderstanding God. 21:30 And that's why part of our program that we utilize for 21:33 mental health is a spiritual congruence therapist, you know, 21:38 someone who helps them to think along a logical pathway. 21:44 We don't necessarily change their world view there, but we 21:48 want them to be able to think in a practical way where God can 21:52 influence them in a positive way, and that requires 21:55 some consistency and belief in thought. 21:58 And the transformation that takes place--these people in ten 22:01 days become great advocates of obeying as well as 22:07 serving the Lord, because they see him from a 22:09 whole different perspective now. And now he's able to influence 22:13 them. The reason why he wasn't able to 22:14 influence them wasn't because of God; it was because of them. 22:17 JB: They weren't thinking right about God. 22:18 NN: That's right, yes. JB: So if you were to list two, 22:21 three, four, five points, here's how a person 22:23 ought to view God in an emotionally healthy way, 22:27 you would want them to know that God is, or God does, 22:29 or God is about, what? NN: Well, God is about love, 22:34 self-sacrificing love. The Bible says God is agape, 22:38 and so having that empathy, self-sacrificing love 22:43 for all of us. Secondly, God is a God of truth, 22:46 accuracy in thought. And then thirdly, 22:49 God is a God of freedom. When we have emotional 22:52 intelligence, we are actually free to have complete 22:56 self-control. The Lord wants us to be in 23:00 control of ourselves and to have a balanced mind. 23:03 And that means we're not a slave to any habit. 23:06 That means we're also not coercive to others. 23:08 We want to influence others, but not control others. 23:10 And we become empathetic individuals who can help others 23:14 think truthfully as well. JB: So for the person who 23:17 continues to lose his or her temper, the person who is 23:21 governed by very sensual, over-sensual way of thinking, 23:26 somebody who's exceedingly jealous, someone who's very, 23:29 very greedy, that person can learn to, with God's help, 23:34 control his or her emotions, be a far more happy 23:38 and productive person, and a Christian 23:40 thriving under the love of God. NN: Yes. 23:44 Absolutely they can be transformed. 23:47 Nebuchadnezzar himself was transformed, but it required a 23:51 process and, you know, a change in his diet, and a change in, 23:56 you know, his activity. And then a change 23:58 in his thoughts. So if we are willing to, 24:01 as individuals, with all of those problems, 24:03 submit ourselves to a... to God's process, we can be 24:09 completely transformed. JB: This is part of what 24:13 Jesus said. They asked and they tried to 24:15 trick him, what's the great commandment and the law? 24:16 Jesus said, first one, love the Lord your God with ALL your 24:22 heart, soul, mind and strength. It seems that if we want God to 24:25 really transform us and make us what we can be, we've got to be 24:28 prepared to be all in with God and let him have everything that 24:31 we are. NN: Exactly. 24:33 JB: And when we're all in with God, that's when we enjoy not 24:36 only the blessing of God, but the peace that passes all 24:40 understanding, the peace that comes from allowing God to work 24:44 in us to control our emotions. 24:48 ♪ [Musical Interlude] ♪ 24:58 JB: If you could just go back in time and do things differently. 25:02 Perhaps you've struggled with regret, 25:04 the added weight of guilt. While there's no way 25:06 to undo the past, God offers us a forgiveness 25:09 so complete that it comes with the process 25:12 of a life that will never end. Sound too good to be true? 25:16 Well, see what the Bible says. Our booklet 25:18 "Hope for a Planet in Crisis" will walk you through 25:21 the Bible's teachings about sin and forgiveness and show you how 25:25 a new start can be yours. Just call 800-253-3000 and 25:31 request your free copy of "Hope for a Planet in Crisis." 25:35 If the line's busy, please do keep on trying. 25:37 Or write to It Is Written, P O Box 6, 25:40 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 25:45 address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 25:49 ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to share 25:52 God's Good News with the world. Your tax-deductible gift can be 25:57 sent to the address on your screen, or through our website 26:00 at ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued 26:03 prayerful support. Again, our toll-free number is 26:07 800-253-3000, and our web address is ItIsWritten.com. 26:16 JB: Dr. Nedley, again thank you so very much for 26:19 joining us today. This has been 26:21 a wonderful discussion. NN: Thank you. 26:23 JB: I've been blessed. We've all been blessed. 26:25 Thanks so much. NN: Thank you. 26:26 JB: We'll go to God and pray now. 26:28 Would you join me in praying? We'll thank him for his goodness 26:30 and pray, and pray expecting God to control our emotions. 26:35 ♪ [Tender melody] ♪ Our Father in Heaven, we thank 26:38 you so very much that God is love, you are love, that God is 26:41 good and ready to forgive, that God is able to transform 26:46 us by the renewing of our mind. You are good. 26:49 We thank you for Jesus, who died for us, and your Holy Spirit; 26:53 it brings to us your very presence. 26:55 Lord, with your presence we don't have to be controlled by 26:59 our emotions, but we know that, yielded to you, you can bring 27:05 our emotions to where they need to be, liberate us from the 27:09 thralldom of self-centeredness, and enable us to live under the 27:14 shadow of your wings. We look forward to the day when 27:17 we'll be with you forever in your very presence. 27:20 Let that day come soon. And until then, keep us, 27:23 in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 27:26 NN: Amen. ♪ [Music rings out] ♪ 27:45 ♪ [Theme Music] ♪ JB: Thank you for having joined 27:48 me today. I'm looking forward to seeing 27:50 you again next time. Until then, remember, 27:53 It Is Written: Man shall not live 27:56 by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 28:00 from the mouth of God. ♪ [Theme music continues] ♪ |
Revised 2015-12-02