Hey everybody, this is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, and we are so glad you're here. As we approach

the New Year, it's a great time to reflect on your relationship with God, what's behind you,

what's ahead, and that's why Pastor Rick has a timely and powerful message for you called

How Much You Matter to God.

Now, if you've ever doubted your value or wondered about your place in God's plan,

this message is for you. So, let's get right to Rick for the first part of this message.

Now, as an evangelist, I spend much of my time with people who totally disagree with me.

Does that make sense? I mean, if you have the gift of sharing the good news, you don't just

share it with people who already understand it. So I spend much of my time talking to people

who totally disagree with me, And I would disagree with them.

And I have, you know, they've written all kinds of things about, you know, Rick Warren has had dinner with this religious group or that religious group, or he's had dinner with,

you know, atheists or, or, or, or, worst of all, liberals, you know, and, I mean, that's

like the highest sin of all. That's the impardonable one,

okay, liberals. And, you know, as if, you know, well, then that means I agree with everything

everybody I've ever had dinner with. Well, of course not. Can you imagine if Jesus were alive

today what the bloggers was to say about Jesus having dinner with a prostitute

or a corrupt government official or all the other quote sinners he hung out with lepers

these were the offcast of society that nobody wanted to hang out with it's like people who

have AIDS today who people are I'm afraid I might get it, so I want to get away

as far away as possible. And, you know, Jesus, his answer to all of this was always, hey,

the well don't need a doctor. It's the sick people who need a doctor. And Jesus says many times,

several times, he actually says, I didn't come for the righteous. I came for the unrighteous. I didn't come for the saved. I came for the lost. I didn't come for people who think they got it all together and don't need to be saved. I came to save people who realize they're broken. They don't have it all together, the things don't always work in life.

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