Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending this time with you.

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Thank you.

Well, God bless you and welcome to Lakewood. It's a joy to come into your homes each week.

Thanks so much for being with us. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services.

I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. But thank you for tuning in. And thanks again for coming out.

I like to start with something funny. And I heard about this older woman. She came to church one Sunday morning.

A friendly usher met her in the back and said, man, where would you like to sit?

She said, I'd like to sit on the very front row. He said, oh, no, man, you don't want to do that. Our pastor is very boring.

He'll put you to sleep. Let me see to somewhere else. She looked appalled.

She said, sir, do you know who I am? He said, no, man. She said, I am the pastor's mother.

He hung his head in embarrassment and finally looked up and said, man, do you know who I am? She said, no, he said, thank God.

Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have.

I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be talked the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert.

My heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you.

I want to talk to you today about covered by mercy. We all make mistakes in life and do things that we know we shouldn't do.

It's easy to live guilty in regrets, feeling like we're all washed up. A man said to me recently how he had gotten off course in his business,

made some poor decisions, didn't have integrity. Now it was going downhill. It started to affect his marriage.

I encouraged him to pray and ask God to help turn it around. Believe for favor. He said, you're, I couldn't do that.

It's my own fault. I brought this trouble on myself. He felt like he was disqualified. He didn't deserve God's help because his performance wasn't up to par.

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